The Inseparable Communion of a Believer with God, Sermons · Sermon 4
ROM. 8.38.
For I am Perſwaded, —
WE are come to the fourth ground of this great Perſuaſion of the Apoſtle. …riſt Jeſus our Lord. Mark the order.
Firſt, here is a marvellous and myſte…ns, yet real Communion between God …d believers.
Secondly, the Bond of this Commu…on is the love of God in himſelf.
Thirdly, the great manifeſtation and …enſation of this love of God to us, …n Chriſt Ieſus: Now follows the …th, This Chriſt Ieſus is our Lord.
Doct. We are to conſider that Ieſus Chriſt … great Lord; Chriſt is to be conſidered in a twofold capacity, as the eternal Son of God, and as God-Man or Mediator; In both reſpects he is a Lord.
1. As he is the only begotten Son of God, by eternal generation. So he is Lord of the whole Creation of God; all things have their being and ſuſtentation of him, Col. 16.17. Heb. 1.3. He is called the Image, the firſt-born, Col. 1.15. The firſt-born in Scripture notes Principality, Lordſhip and Dominion: the firſt-born is Heir of all, and the Heir is called Lord of all, Gal. 4.1. From this his Primogeniture the Apoſtle inferreth his Lordſhip, or Dominion over the Angels, Heb. 1.6.
Secondly, as he is Mediatour, Godman, ſo he is Lord.
1. By Ordination or Conſtitution, Heb. 1. 2. Him hath God appointed — See that John 3.35.
The Man Chriſt is made Lord of all, Acts 2.26. He hath this Lordſhip by Patent from the Father: he hath it by Commiſſion, John 5.22. He hath committed all Judgment to him; by Judgement here we are to underſtand an abſolute dominion and ſovereignty over all things and all perſons in heaven, earth and hell, Phil. 2.9, 10, 11. Hence we have the four beaſts with twenty four Elders, with the Angels, Rev. 5 11, 12, 13.
Thus the Man Chriſt is ſaid to be made higher then the Kings of the earth, Pſa. 89.27. Rev. 19.16.
Secondly, by Unction, he is anointed with the power of a Lord, Acts 10.38. and this power is univerſal, Mat. 28.18. And he is anointed with the ſpirit of Wiſdom, and that Wiſdom is proportionable to his Power; that all Power, and this all Wiſdom, Col. 2.3.
By both theſe he is throughly furniſht for the adminiſtration of that dominion which belongs to him as Lord: Power to protect, Wiſdom to govern all his ſubjects and ſervants, Power to cruſh, Wiſdom to defeat all the counſels of his enemies.
Power able by weakneſs to confound things that are mighty; and Wiſdome, able by fooliſhneſs to bring to nought the underſtanding of the Prudent, and both theſe anointed with Righteouſneſs, the ſtability of every Kingdom, and the Perpetuity of Chriſts. Heb. 1.8.
Thirdly, by Conqueſt and Victory; he hath overcome all his enemies; he hath overcome the ſtrong man, Satan, taken away his Armour, divided the ſpoils of that Kingdom of darkneſs, Luke 11.21. he hath overcome the wrath of God, the ſeverity of his Juſtice, the Malediction of the Law, Gal. 3 13. He hath bl…tted out—ſpoiled Principalities, — Col. 2.14.15. Jer. 12.31. He hath overcom ſin, Dan. 9. 24. He hath overcome the world, Iohn 16.24. He hath aboliſht death, 2 Tim. 1.10. Rev. 1.18.
Secondly, we are to conſider Jeſus Chriſt as the Lord of his Church, Lord of all believers, Col. 1.18.—that he might have the Preeminence or Lordſhip; All believers acknowledge him to be their Lord, 1 Cor. 8.6. when they firſt receive him by ſaith, they receive him as a Lord, Col. 2.6.
Thus the Angels preach'd him to the faith of men, when he was firſt-born into the world, Luke 2.11. Thus the Apoſtles preach'd him, when they exhibited him to the ſaith of the world by the Goſpel, Acts 10. 30.
Every particular believer may ſay of Chriſt. as David, My Lord, Pſal. 110. 1. and as Thomas, John 10.28.
Let us conſider what the nature and quality of Chriſts Dominion or Lordſhip over believers is, and then how it is exerciſed.
1. The quality of Chriſts dominion of Lordſhip over believers, and his whole Church, is a dominion of grace, Rom. 6.14. a Kingdom of righteouſneſs and grace, Rom. 5.21. Grace hath reigned through Righteouſneſs by Ieſus Chriſt our Lord.
Secondly, it is exerciſed in a way of grace, he is called a gracious Lord, 1 Pot. 2.3.
Firſt, by converting their ſouls, by pulling down the ſtrong holds of ſin and Satan in their Conſciences; by caſting down the imaginations — and bringing them into ſubjection, 2 Cor. 10.4, 5. This he doth Miniſterially, by the Word of Reconciliation effectually, by his Spirit; Thus being delivered from the power of darkneſs, they are tranſlated into the Kingdom of Gods dear Son, and Chriſt is become their Lord.
Secondly, he is the only Lord of their ſaith, as he is Authour of it, — Heb. 12.2, To him only we can ſay, as that poor man, Lord, I believe, help my unbelief; as the diſciples, Lord, increaſe our ſaith.
And he only is the object or matter of our faith; the Apoſtle preach'd him the only Lord, our faith, 2 Cor. 4. 5. It is higheſt ſacriledge, horrible uſurpation, to impoſe any thing to be believed for ſalvation, which Chriſt hath not commanded.
Thirdly, he is Lord by juſtifying their perſons, and forgiving their ſins: he is called the Lord our Righteouſneſs, Ier. 23.6. He is to us a Melchizedech, a King of Righteouſneſs, Heb. 7.2. To forgive ſin is Royalty, the Prerogative of ſuch a Perſon, who hath dominion over us, as a Prince and Lord, Acts 5.31.
Fourthly, by ruling. leading, governing them whom he hath juſtified and pardoned, Iſa. 55.6. This he doth by writing his Laws in their hearts, by giving a ſpiritual underſtanding in the knowledge of his Will, by forming and faſhioning their affections and converſations into holy obedience, to the heavenly and ſpiritual nature of his Kingdom
Fifthly, by affording all needful ſupplies to all their wants, by affording mercy and grace to help: — Joſeph was made Lord of Egypt, and he had all the Granaries and Store-houſes at his Command to diſpence.—So Chriſt is Lord of all his Fathers Treaſures, and he giveth all things, 2 Pet. 1.3.
Sixthly, in protecting, upholding, ſuccouring them in all their dangers, amidſt all their temptations, infirmities, diſcouragements, 2 Cor. 12.9. by his compaſſions pltying them, Heb. 4.15. by his power and grace helping them, by his care and wiſdom proportioning their ſtrength to their trials; to him every believer may ſay, Lord, ſave me, or I periſh.
Seventhly, in overcoming all the enemies of their ſalvation, the two Heads or Generals whereof are Satan, Rom. 16.20 and Antichriſt, Rev. 17.14
Eighthly, he hath manifeſted himſelf to be our Lord, when he died for us, and roſe for us, and ſate down at the right hand of God for us, and hath quickned us together, and raiſed us together, and ſet us together with himſelf in heavenly places, Eph. 25 6.
Thirdly, conſider how much this conſideration, that Chriſt leſus is our Lord, doth afford to this triumph, or ful perſuaſion of faith, that nothing can ſeparate us from the love of God.
He is our Lord, and Lord over all creatures in Heaven, Earth and Hell; Lord over Angels, Men, Devils; Lord over Life and Death; Lord over all Prineipalities and Powers; Lord in the heighths and Lord in the depths; Lord over things preſent, and Lord over things to come; ſuch as have a Lord, ſo full of Love, Power. Wiſdom, Compaſſions, Grace, can never fall from the Love of God, which is in Chriſt Ieſus our Lord.
1. Uſe. Is Chriſt Ieſus a Lord over all creatures; here is encouragement for any poor creature that lies under the ſenſe of ſin and wrath, to come to Chriſt, and ſay, Lord ſave me, or I muſt periſh.
Doth the wrath of God threaten thee, run to Chriſt, and ſay, be m…rciful to me O Lord, under the ſhadow of thy wings I come for ſhelter.
Doſt thou feel a dominion of ſin, a tyranny of prevalling luſts, leading the captive, come and ſay, Lord, many lores have dominion over me, O let me be under the Dominion and Government of thy grace.
Doth Satan purſue, Conſcie…ce accuſe, Law condemn, Death threaten, Hell open upon thee; Come to Chriſt who hath ſpoiled Satan, pacified Conſcience, ſatisfied Law, aboliſht death, triumph'd over Hell, he is Lord over all, hath ſwallowed up all in victory.
Doſt thou want a Righteouſneſs to luſtifie thee, Chriſt is Lord of Righteouſneſs: Doſt thou want Pardon of ſin, Chriſt is Lord and hath power to forgive ſin: Doſt thou want any grace within the whole compaſs of the Promiſes, Ordinances; Treaſures of God, Chriſt is Lord of all; Doſt thou want a good title to Heaven, Chriſt is Prince of life, and Lord of Glory.
2. Uſe. Is Chriſt Ieſus in a ſpecial manner, the Lord of his Church, the Lord of believers.
I. Let us own Ieſus Chriſt to be our Lord, for this end two things are neceſſary.
Firſt, Faith; when the Apoſtle repreſents this Lord abſent to us; he ſaith, We walk by faith, — 2 Cor. 5, 6, 7. Other lords are preſent with us, to command, encourage, overſee, over rule, and to reward us; Chriſt is abſent, therefore to ſtand in awe of him, to be diligent in his Work, to do, to ſuffer for him, to fear to offend him, to endeavor that whether preſent or abſent we may be accepted of him: this requires much faith.
Secondly, the Holy Ghoſt, 1 Cor. 12.3. It is not every one that ſaith, Lord, Lord: Many that live under the Education and external Profeſſion of the Goſpel in words, call Chriſt, Lord: yet they will never yield up themſelves in obedience to him, as their Lord, without the over-ruling grace, and power of the Holy Ghoſt.
II. As ye have received Chriſt Ieſus the Lord, ſo walk in him, Col. 6.2. Give up your ſelves, conſciences, thoughts, deſires, the ſecrets of your ſouls, and the converſations of your lives to be guided, ordered, governed by his Word and Will.
Thirdly, honour Chriſt Ieſus your Lord both in life and death, Rom. 14 7.8, 9.
Fourthly, let us be faithful, ſincere, conſtant and abundant in his ſervice, we have a Lord that can and will reward us, 1 Cor. 15. ult.
Fifthly, if Chriſt Ieſus be our Lord, let us truſt him, and live in dependance upon him for our preſent ſubſiſtence and future expectations; the Lord never failed them that waited on him.