The Natural Mans Case, Part 1 · Sermon 4
SERMON, IV.
EPHES. 2. 12.
That at that time ye were without Chriſt,—
I Come now to the 3. Query which I promiſed to handle, which is this; to ſhew the miſery and ſad condition of a man without an intereſt in Jeſus Chriſt: and oh that I could ſpeak it, & you hear it, with a bleeding heart, to ſee in what a diſmall, and doleful, and deplorable condition every poor ſoul in the world without Chriſt is plunged into: I ſhall reduce all that I have to ſay, touching this particular, under theſe two heads, to ſhew you 1. Poſitively, what he undergoes: and 2. Privatively, what he wants: I ſhall run over them briefly.
1. For the Poſitive part, the miſery of a man out of Chriſt, lies in theſe three particulars: there are theſe three great evils, that every man out of Jeſus Chriſt lies under.
1. A man out of Chriſt is ſurrounded and compaſſed about with miſery, which way ſoever he turns himſelfe, and to illuſtrate this the more fully, I ſhall heare lay you down 8. particulars, wherein a Chriſtleſſe man is compaſſed about with miſeries on all ſides; Thou art ſurrounded with miſery, Oh Chriſtleſſe man, if thou lookeſt either outward, or inward; upward or downward; forward, or backward; on thy righthand, or on thy left; nothing but miſeries accompany thee.
1. If thou lookeſt outward, all the creatures are armed againſt thee; and hence it is ſo often expreſt in Scripture, that the Beaſt ſhall be at war with the wicked, but at peace with the godly: all the creatures are againſt thee to avenge their Maſters quarrell.
2. Look within thee, and there you ſhall finde a galling, an accuſing, and a condemning conſcience, haling thee to the judgement ſeat, and witneſſing againſt thee, thy conſcience ſhall be like a thouſand witneſſes, to witneſſe againſt thee, and to regiſter and enroll all thy ſins till the day of judgement.
3. Look upwards into the heavens, and there is nothing but an angry God, a ſevere Judge; that hath a flame of fire, a furbiſhed ſword, and a ſharp arrow, and all againſt thee, as in Rom. 1. 18. The wrath of God is revealed from heaven, againſt all ungodlineſſe and unrighteouſneſſe of men; that hold the truth in unrighteouſneſſe.
4. If you look downwards, there is death ready to receive you, which is but as a back-door to let you into hell, and if you look lower, there is nothing but a dungeon of darkneſſe, where infernall ſpirits are reſerved in chains of darkneſſe, to the judgement of the great day. Which way ſoever a Chriſtleſſe man looks there are nothing but miſeries accompany him; if he looks outward, there the creatures are againſt him; if he looks inward, there is a galled, and accuſing conſcience ready to accuſe him; if he looke above him, there is an angry God againſt him; if he look below him, there is the Devill ready to receive him: a Chriſtleſſe man is in a moſt ſad and dolefull condition, as I might exemplifie by this familiar ſimilitude; Suppoſe a man were falling into a great and dark dungeon, wherein there were nothing but Toads and Serpents, and all manner of venemous beaſts, and as he were falling in, ſhould catch hold of a twig of a tree that might grow over the mouth of the dungeon; and then ſuppoſe a lean beaſt ſhould come and begin to gnaw and bite off that twig, what a miſerable caſe will that poor man be in? why juſt ſo it is with thee oh Chriſtleſſe man, thy life in this twig, and death is the lean beaſt that is biting off this twig of life, and then thou faileſt down into a dungeon of darkneſſe, there is nothing but the twig of life between thee and hell.
5. If you look before you, there is nothing but miſery likewiſe approaching thee; and theſe are the ſnares and temptations the Devill layes in thy way to enſnare thee, and intice thee to ſin; there is not a ſtep thou treadeſt, nor any company thou goeſt into, but the Devill layes a trap to enſnare thee.
6. If you look behinde you, there is nothing but a huge heap of paſt ſins unrepented of unſatisfied for, and unpardoned, that are able to ſink thee into the bottomeleſſe pit of hell, how then canſt thou think of thy paſt ſins but with a ſad heart? how dreadfull is it to conſider how many thouſands of ſins thou haſt been guilty of and yet never haſt been humbled for them, nor never ſhed one penitentiall tear for them; the guilt of the leaſt of them, being enough to plunge thee into hell for ever.
7. Look on thy right hand, and there are all the bleſſings of God, all thy fullneſſe and proſperity; thy riches, and great eſtate, are all made a curſe to thee: God gives a wicked man riches for his hurt, Eccleſ. 5. 13. Proſperity ſhall kill the ſoul of the wicked: Oh Chriſtleſſe man thy riches and proſperity, are all inſtruments and means to further thy everlaſting ruin and deſtruction.
8. Look on thy left hand, and there are all the miſeries, and afflictions, and ſufferings, and reproaches, and diſeaſes, and ſad accidents that you meet with, as ſo many forerunners of thoſe unutterable, and untolerable, and unſupportable ſufferings, which a Chriſtleſſe man ſhall undergoe to all eternity.
Oh then unhappy man that thou art, that haſt not an intereſt in Jeſus Chriſt! without thee, and within thee; above thee, and below thee; before thee, and behinde thee; on thy right hand, and on thy left, there are nothing but miſeries accompanie thee on every ſide. Thus much for the firſt poſitive part, of the miſery of a Chriſtleſſe man; it is a very ſad point that I am now upon, and therefore I ſhall ſweeten all in the cloſe, with two or three words of conſolation.
But 2 (Beloved follow me now) Thou that art a Chriſtleſſe man or woman, thy miſery in the poſitive part of it lies in this, there wil be nothing in the world ſo diſmal and intolerable to thy ſoul, as the apprehenſions of a God without Jeſus Chriſt: God that is an amiable, and deſireable, and an univerſall good in Chriſt, yet out of Chriſt, this great God that is ſo good and rich in mercy, and free in grace, is cloathed with red, and Scarlet; you that are out of Chriſt, cannot look upon God, but with dreadfull apprehenſions of him: you cannot look upon God, as a God of mercy to pardon you, but as an angry Judge ready to condemn you, not as a friend that ſeeks your welfare, but as an enemy that ſets himſelf in battel array againſt you to ruin you: you cannot look upon him as the Rock of Ages, in the clifts whereof you may finde ſafety, but as a burdenſome ſtone, the weight whereof will beat you down and grinde you to powder: you cannot look upon God as a Refiners fire to purge away your droſſe, but as a conſuming fire and everlaſting burning to conſume you to aſhes; theſe, theſe are the awakening, and ſoul-affrightning apprehenſions, which every poor ſoul that hath not an intereſt in Chriſt, muſt ſee, the apprehenſions of God will be very dreadfull to you.
3. Your miſery in the poſitive part of it, lies in this, that all the creatures and bleſſings you injoy in the world are acurſe to you; for all bleſſings are given in and through Chriſt, there is no bleſſing given thee as a bleſſing, nor no mercy as a mercy, if Chriſt which is the mercy of all mercies be not given to thee: and here I ſhall ſhew you your miſery in this particular, under theſe five heads.
1. To have an eſtate is a bleſſing of God, but yet all the eſtate, and revenues, and ſubſtance which you have gotten, by the labour of your hands, and the ſweat of your brows are all accurſed to you, if you have not an intereſt in Jeſus Chriſt, as in Deut. 28. 17, 18. Curſed ſhalt thou be in the City and curſed ſhalt thou be in the field; curſed ſhalt thou be in thy basket, and in thy ſtore; curſed ſhalt thou be in the fruit of thy body, and of thy land, in the encreaſe of thy kine, and in the flocks of thy ſheep; curſed ſhalt thou be when thou goeſt forth, and curſed when thou comeſt in: and ſo in Job 20. 15. He ſhall ſwallow down riches, but he ſhall vomit them up again: and in Eccleſ. 5. 13 ſayes Solomon, There is a ſore evill which I have ſeen under the Sun, namely riches kept for the owners thereof to their hurt.
2. You are curſed in your houſe likewiſe, as in Job 28. 15. The terrours of God ſhall dwell in the taberuacles of the wicked, and brimſtone ſhall be ſcattered throughout his habitation: and ſo in that place I quoted before, Deut. 28. 19.
3. He is curſed in his name, as in Prov. 16. 7. The name of the wicked ſhall not.
4. He is curſed in his calling, as in Prov. 21. 4. The ploughing, of the wicked is ſin, and in Deut. 28. 20. The Lord ſhall ſend upon thee curſing, vexation, and rebuke, in all thou ſetteſt thy hand unto, for to doe.
5. He is curſed not only in his eſtate, in his houſe, in his Land, in his calling, but in his eating and drinking too; you have a ſtrange expreſſion for this in Job. 20. 23. When he is about to fil his belly, God ſhall caſt the fury of his wrath upon him, and ſhall rain it upon him when he is eating; ſo in Pſal. 38. 30, 31. While the meat was yet intheir months, the wrath of the Lord came upon them.
Thus then you ſee the poſitive part of mans miſery out of Chriſt, what he undergoes: We come now to ſhew you the privative part, of his miſery, what hee wants; and here very much might be ſpoken in declaring the miſery of a Chriſtleſſe man in the privative part of it, in thoſe things which he wants in being without an intereſt in Chriſt; but I ſhall run over this briefly, and compriſe all that I have to ſay to you under theſe ſix heads, and then come to the application: firſt then, are you without Chriſt? why 1. Joh. 25 5.then you are without ſtrength, as in Joh. 25. 5. Without me you can de nothing, ſaies Chriſt; nay Paul goes further in 2 Cor. 3. 2 Cor. 3. 5.5. We are of our ſelves as of our ſelves, ſayes he, not able to think a good thought, but all our ſufficiency is from God: herein lies the miſery of a man out of Chriſt, he is able to do nothing, he is like Sampſon without his hair, he that before could break Iron bands like ſo many ſtraws, now his ſtrength was no more then another mans: (Beloved) you are very weak indeed, if you want Chriſt; in Eſai. 45. 54. it is ſaid there, that Christ is made unto a beleever, righteouſneſſe and ſtrength; now if you want Chriſt, you want righteouſneſſe by way of acceptance, and you want ſtrength by way of aſſiſtance. But here to branch out this more particularly, I ſhall ſhew you in five particulars, wherein a man without Jeſus Chriſt wants ſtrength.
1. Every man out of Chriſt, wants 1. Rom. 8. 26.ſtrength to perform any duty, as in Rom. 8. 26. We know not what to pray for, as wee ought, we are able to doe nothing that is ſpiritually good of our ſelves, all our duties and ſervices, without the righteouſneſſe of Chriſt added to them, are but like ſo many ciphers, now you know put 1000. ciphers together, and they make no ſum, but if one figure be prefixt to them, they make an innumerable number; why ſo all our duties of themſelves are worth nothing, but then Chriſt being added to them, that puts an eſtimate upon them, and makes them of a conſiderable value and worth.
2. You are without ſtrength to exerciſe any grace; a dead man is as well able to ſtir, as a man without Chriſt is able to ſtep one ſtep heaven-ward; if God ſhould ſay, I will ſave thy ſoul and give thee heaven, couldſt thou but perform one duty, or exerciſe one Grace, thou couldſt not do it, and therefore Chriſt tels us in Joh. 15. Unleſſe you be in me, you can bring forth no fruit.
3. Without Chriſt thou art without ſtrength to ſubdue any luſt; Oh how unable art thou to keep under a predominant and a turbulent luſt! every ſin will prevail and domineer in thy ſoul: in Gal. Gal. 2. 20.2. 20. ſayes Paul, I have crucified ſin, yet not I, but Chriſt that liveth in me: the meſſenger of Satan, that was ſent to buffet Paul, had prevailed over him, if Chriſt had not helped him; you are not able to ſubdue any luſt without Chriſt.
4. You are without ſtrength to reſiſt 4. Epheſ. 6. 10.any temptation; in Epheſ. 6. 10. Paul exhorts them there, to be ſtrong in the Lord and in the power of his might, not in the power of their own might, for they were not able to ſtand of themſelves by their own ſtrength, but be ſtrong in the Lord, and in the power of his might; ſo David when he came to fight againſt great Goliah, had he gone out to meet him in his own ſtrength, he had been overcome and devoured, but he went againſt him in the name, and in the ſtrength of the Lord of hoſts.
5. A man without Chriſt is without ſtrength, to bear or undergoe any afflictions, every affliction that is but like a feather, to one that is in Chriſt, will be like a lump of lead upon thee; a godly man if he hath any way withdrawn himſelf from Chriſts aid and aſſiſtance, a little affliction will ſinck him, for, it is given us of God, not only Phil. 2. 21.to do but to ſuffer for his ſake, Phil. 2. 21. Intimating, that unleſſe God doth enable us to ſuffer, we are not able to bear up our ſpirits under any affliction. Thus then you ſee, that if you want an intereſt in Chriſt, you want ſtrength in theſe five particulars, to perform any duty, to exerciſe any grace, to ſubdue any luſt, to reſiſt any temptation, or to bear any affliction; but
2. If you are without Chriſt, you are not onelyonly without ſtrength, but without growth likewiſe; Jeſus Chriſt is to the ſouls of men, what the warm beams of the Sun are to the earth, take away the influence of the warm beams of the Sun from the earth, and then all the graſſe of the field and every hearb and green thing will die and wither away preſently: ſo Chriſt he is our Sun of righteouſneſſe, take away Chriſt from a man, and there wil no bloſſomes of grace bud forth in that mans heart: Adams ſtock is a barren root, upon which no branch of grace will ſpring forth; you can never bring forth any fruit unto God, unleſſe you be graffed not upon Adams Stock, but upon the Stock of the root of Jeſſe; a man during his unconverted eſtate, he is the Devils ſlave, and he never brings forth fruit, till he come to be in Chriſt; only in and through Chriſt, we are enabled to bring forth acceptable fruit unto God.
3. Without Chriſt, thou are likewiſe without worth, though thou art the ſon of a Noble, and of the off-ſpring of Princes, that canſt lay claim to thouſands and ten thouſands per annum, yet without Chriſt thou art poor, and wretched, and miſerable, and blinde, and naked, Rev. 3. 17. For it Rev. 3. 17.is Chriſt alone that is the repoſitory and ſtorehouſe of all wiſdom and knowledge, and all the treaſures of it are bound up in him.
4. Without Chriſt you are without comfort: this is a deplorable miſery, a man without Chriſt, is without comfort. As that would be an uncomfortable dwelling, where the Sun ſhould not ſhine by day, nor the Moon by night: even ſo would thy ſoul be very diſconſolate, if Chriſt did not ſhine in upon thy heart, the comforts of a child of God does either ebbe or flow, as Chriſt either comes to him, or goes from him.
5. Without Chriſt thou art without liberty. If the ſon make you free, then are you free indeed, Joh. 8. 36. And unleſſe the Son make you free, you are ſlaves indeed, ſlaves to ſin, ſlaves to your luſts, ſlaves to the creatures, and ſlaves to the devill by whom you are taken captive at his will, you are never free men and women till the Son make you free.
6. If thou art without Jeſus Chriſt, thou art without beauty, thou art only like a carkaſſe without life, or a body without a head; it is Chriſt only, that gives us beauty and comelineſſe. Ezek. Ezek. 16. 14.16. 14. And thy renown went forth among the heathen for thy beauty, for it was perfect through my comelineſſe that I had put upon thee, ſaith the Lord God; if we have not the comelineſſe of Chriſt put upon us, we are not comely; you have a pretty paſſage in Luk. 2. 32. Chriſt is there called the glory of the children of Iſrael, Chriſt is the glory of the children of Iſrael that doe beleive in him: there is no glory, but a body full of ſores and botches, in all thoſe that are out of Chriſt.
And thus now (Beloved) I have done with the Doctrinall part of this point, that every man, during the ſtate of his unregeneracy, is without any actuall intereſt in Chriſt: we come now to the application, and here I might ſay to you as a learned Author was wont to ſay, when he had been handling any terrible ſubject, and treating upon Doctrines of terrour, he would alwayes ſay in the cloſe, Oh godly man, this belongs not to thee: ſo may I ſay to you, thou godly ſoul, this appertains not to thee, the miſery and ſad condition of a man out of Chriſt, belongs not to thee, thou doeſt not now hear the ſentence which ſhall be paſſed upon thee, but thou doſt now hear the miſery, that thou art freed from, and redeemed from: Uſe. The Uſe that I ſhall make of this, ſhall be by way of conſolation, and the Lord uphold and comfort the hearts of all you that can lay a juſt claim to Jeſus Chriſt. 1. Happy, Oh thrice happy are you, that ever you were born, that have an intereſt in Jeſus Chriſt, for though God be cloathed with majeſty great and terrible in himſelf, yet you can look upon him, under apprehenſions of love and mercy, peace, goodneſſe, tenderneſſe, and kindneſſe; you are to look upon God not as an angry Judge to condemn you, but as a Father of mercy to comfort you; not as an adverſary in battell array againſt you, but as a friend reconciled to you; not as a burdenſome ſtone, that may grind you to powder, but as the rock of Ages, in the clifts whereof you may finde ſafety: you are to look upon God, not as a conſuming fire to burn you, but as a refiners fire to purge away your droſſe, and ſin, and corruption; it is Chriſts bloud only that quencheth the fire of Gods anger. So that now you may look upon God under all theſe apprehenſions of love and mercy, peace, pardon, and reconciliation, &c. if you have an intereſt in Jeſus Chriſt.
2. Happy, yea thrice happy are you, in having an intereſt in Chriſt, for though you have nothing here in the world, yet you have all things: you have all things in having an intereſt in Chriſt that hath all things: you may ſay as Paul ſaid of himſelf, 2 Cor. 6. 10. As having nothing, 2 Cor. 6. 10.and yet poſſeſſing all things; though thou wanteſt many things here below, yet if thou haſt an intereſt in Chriſt, thou haſt all things. It may be thou mayeſt eat of the bread of affliction, and drink of the water of adverſity, yet happy art thou, if withall thou canſt but drink draughts of Chriſts bloud, if Chriſt bids thee eat of his body, and drink of his bloud, as in Cant. 5. 8. Eat oh friends, drink, yea drink abundantly Cant. 5. 1.oh my beloved. Happy are you that are cloathed with the long white robes of Chriſts righteouſneſſe: though you have nothing here below, yet you have all things, in having Chriſt that hath all things, 1 Cor. 3. 22. All is yours, and you are 1 Cor. 3. 22.Chriſt.
Object. Object. But here ſome may object and ſay, how can this be, how can it be ſaid that a beleever hath all things, when many times he hath the leaſt of the things of this world.
Anſw. Anſw. I anſwer, a beleever may be ſaid to have all things, theſe four ways:
1. He hath all things equivalently.
2. All things conditionally.
3. All things finally: And,
4. All things inheritively.
1. A beleever hath all things equivalently, that is, in having Chriſt, he hath as good as if he had all things, he hath that which is of more worth, then if hee had all the World; that man is not accounted a rich man that hath much lumber and houſhold-ſtuffe in his houſe, but he that hath many Jewels in his cabinet: why now Chriſt hee is the pearle of great price, the jewel of all jewels, in having Chriſt you have all things, in regard you have that which is more worth then all things.
2. A beleever hath all things conditionally: if ſuch a thing bee for thy good that thou deſireſt, thou ſhalt have it, bee it what it will be, as in Pſal. 84. 11. Pſal. 84. 11.The Lord will give grace and glory, and no good thing will hee withhold from thoſe that live uprightly, hee hath all things conditionally.
3. A beleever hath every thing finally, that is, the Lord intended that every creature that he made, might be for his uſe, the ſun, moon, and ſtars, and all the other creatures were made for them, nay and all the Angels in heaven were made to be miniſtring ſpirits to the heirs of ſalvation.
4. All things are a beleevers inheritively, by way of right and inheritance: though he may not have all things in poſſeſſion, yet he hath all things by way of reverſion, hee hath a right and claim to every thing, Pſal. 37. 11. The meek ſhal inherit the earth. But now it may be I ſpeak to many a poore godly man or woman, and tell them all is theirs, when it may be they have not a penny to buy bread to put in their bellies: why yet beloved let me tell you, though you have nothing, yet you have Chriſt that is worth all things, though you want other things, yet you doe not want Chriſt: Beloved, you may want outward bleſſings, and yet not want Jeſus Chriſt; you may want food to put in your mouthes, and yet not want the bread of life, the Lord Jeſus Chriſt to feed upon; you may want clothes to cover your nakedneſs, and yet not want the long robes of Chriſts righteouſneſſe to cover your ſinfull nakedneſſe; you may want friends to comfort, help, and relieve you, and yet not want Chriſt to be your friend.
There is ſome thing yet behind, by way of Conſolation, but I muſt defer that till another opportunity.