The Inseparable Communion of a Believer with God, Sermons · Sermon 12
ROM. 8.38, 39.
Nor Heights.—
WE are come to another Rank or Regiment of enemies, which may ſeem to endanger a Believer in his Communion with God: Theſe are called Heights and Depths: There are ſome things from on… high, other things from below, that make ſtrong oppoſition againſt a believer in his. Communion.— From on high he is endangered to be broken or brained, from below to be undermined or blown up; between heights and depths a believer is as it were between the upper and nether Milſtone.
Doct. Yet though a believer may be endangered from on high, yet no Heights ſhall be able—
We are to conſider what theſe Heights are which may be ſaid to endanger,—and then to ſhew that they ſhall not be able to ſeparate.—
1. By Heights here we may underſtand the ſublimity of God, as he is lifted up incomm…ably and … in his Excellency and Majeſty, above all the thoughts and apprehenſions of the creature, and above all Communion with the creature; there is ſomething in God that is lifted up above all the poſſible knowledge or enjoyment of the higheſt creatures; his Title is frequently in Scripture, The Maſt High God, the High and the lofty One, Iſa. 57.15. There are Altitudes, Sublimities, Heights; in the Wiſdom, Power, Greatneſs, Holineſs, Excellency of God, which tranſcend the capacity and comprehenſion of all creatures, Iob 11.7, 8.
I. How far believers may be endangered by theſe Heights of God, Let us conſider.
1. Becauſe the appearance of God in his Heights and Sublimities are very terrible, Pſal. 47.2. The Lord moſt High is— Angels cover their faces and feet at ſuch Appearance of God, Iſa. 6.1, 2. and the holy Prophet cries out, W… is me, — ver 15.— ſee what an effect ſuch an Appearance of God had upon Daniel, Dan. 10.5, ….
2. Becauſe the Appearance of God in his Sublimity, Majeſty and Excellency makes his people afraid to come near him, to have Communion with him, Iob …3.20, 21, 22.
God doth vary his diſpenſations and ma…ifeſtations to his people, and then they …ary in their apprehenſions of him; God ſomtimes appears in his Sublimity, Majeſty, Glory, Excellency, cloathed with Mercy, Grace, Goodneſs: then his people behold his face with delight, and walk in the light …s he is in the light, and have fellowſhip with each other; God ſometimes appears …n the pure and native beams of his Glory, …loathed with Majeſty, Soveraignty, Ju…ice, Greatneſs, then his people tremble …efore him, cannot behold him; thus God …ppear'd to Job, chap. 31.1, 2. ſee the effect, …hap. 42.5, 6. ſee Hab. 3.2, 3. the effect, …er. 16.
Yet ſhall not the Heights of God ſepaate.—
Firſt, for this Heights, this Sublimity of God keeps in Saints a holy frame of ſpirit towards God, a holy care to pleaſe him, and a holy fear to offend him, Iob 13.11.
Secondly, theſe ſublime high Appearances of God in himſelf (which are infinitely above the holieſt creatures, and which they cannot bear) are made uſe of to drive them from God in himſelf (who is a God above us, and a God againſt us) to God in Chriſt, to God in a Covenant of grace: where he is Emanuel, God with us, God for us, Hab. 3.16.—18.
Thirdly, theſe ſublime high Appearances of God are made uſe of to humble Saints, as Iob, Iſaiah, Daniel, and then the high God appears merciful and gracious to them, Pſal. 138.6. Iſa. 57.15.
Fourthly, though the ſublime, high excellencies and Appearances of God be above the Comprehenſions of Saints, yet they are matter of their praiſes, Pſal. 149 6. Pſal. 148.1.
The Angels, Iſa. 6. praiſe, admire, adore, magnifie God in that glory they could not bear or behold.
Secondly, there is another Height or Sublimity that greatly endangers a believers ſtate in his Communion. — that is, ſpiritual pride, or ſelf-exaltation.
Spiritual pride is a lifting up of the heart to a height, above what becomes a godly man, 1 Tim. 3.6.
Such graces as are eſſential to ſanctification and holineſs, are all joyned with humility, and have a ſelf-humbling property in them, 1 Cor. 13.4.
But ſuch gifts and graces as are common to true believers and temporaries, often beget ſpiritual pride in the hearts of the beſt Saints, 1 Cor. 8.2, 3. 1 Cor. 4.6.
This height, this carnal ſublimity in the heart doth much endanger a believers ſtate in his—
Firſt, this height hath a great Precipice, 1 Tim. 3.6. though a true believer cannot fall ſo low, it often occaſioneth great falls, Rom. 11.20.21.
Secondly, it will be j… ground of jealouſie to a believer, to fear he is deceived in all his ſpiritual concernments, Gal. 6.3.
Thirdly, its a ſin diametrally oppoſite to free grace, 1 Cor. 4.6, 7.
Fourthly, it takes the Crown off God… Head, and ſets upon its own, Iſa. 28.1. God gives his grace to many, his glory to none, 1 Cor. 29.31. This makes him to reſiſt the proud.
Secondly, yet ſhall not this height, how dangerous ſoever, ſeparate a believer.—
Firſt, this ſpiritual pride is but an excreſcency, a luxuriancy, a ſucker, that may ſpring forth from a branch that is truly engrafted into the true Vine Jeſus Chriſt; and God the Father hath promiſed to purge it and take it away, Iohn 15.1, 2. It is a weed that ſprings up in Chriſts Garden, and commonly among the ſweeteſt and choiceſt flowers, and Chriſt will not ſuffer it to ſtand long.
Secondly, God will take advantage by ſuch ſpiritual pride to humble his people; when Paul began to glory, he preſently beſools him, 2 Cor. …2.11. when he began to boaſt himſelf, then he became preſently nothing.
Thirdly, if Chriſtians grow to an height of ſpiritual pride, in the contemplation of their ſpiritual gifts; graces, priviledges, God will quickly give them a humbling ſight of their weakneſſes, corruptions, imperfections. Ezekiel, 2 Chron. 32.22. 24, 26.
The Peacock ſtruts it ſelf while it looks on its gay Plumes, and is aſhamed when it looks on its black feet; when Paul was in danger of being up with his priviledges, God turns his eye to look on his infirmities, 2. Cor. 12.9.
Thirdly, there are heights in believers of carnal confidence, when to ſpiritual priviledges of grace and comfort, God ſhall adde temporal favours, riches, honours, outward glory, worldly proſperity.
Such a ſtate of worldly felicity, is call'd the height, ſublimity and exaltation of a perſon, Ezek. 31.5.
Such heights, ſome underſtand to be meant in the text, a ſtate of worldly greatneſſe and grandeur, wealth, power and authority;— which God ſometimes vouchſafeth to ſome of his children to convince the world, that he can do much more for his then the world for hers.
Firſt, this height may much endanger a believers Communion with God.
Firſt, it is a… to beget carnal ſecurity under preſent enjoyments, and this provoketh God to hide his face, and ſo the… Communion with God is much diſturbed, Pſal. 30.6: 7.
Secondly, it affords matter for a great Temptation of the Devil, the world and its glory the devil ſhewed Chriſt on a high Mountain, Mat. 4.8.
Thirdly, theſe things have been great trials to Saints, and made proof of their weakneſs, in the midſt of their higheſt enjoyments; as in Hezekiah, a Chron. 32.27, 28, 29, 31. God left him to try him.
Secondly, Yet ſhall not theſe heights be able to ſeparate.
Firſt, becauſe God will not ſuffer them long to rejoyce in theſe enjoyments, but rather in an humble frame of ſpirit, whereby they are enabled to manage ſuch a condition, to the glory of God, and the comfort of others; ſee Iam. 1.9, 10
Secondly, if worldly enjoyments ſeek to ſeparate us from God he will quickly ſeparate them from us; If Hezekias Treaſures lift up his heart, they muſt go to Babylon, Iſa. 39.6.
When the diſciples were over-raviſht with the external glory of that Transfiguration on the Mount, Mat. 17. and ſaid, It is good to be here; God brought a cloud over the glory preſently, and made them contented with their Communion with Chriſt alone.
Thirdly, becauſe whatever enjoyments all worldly felicity God vouchſafeth his people; the comforts that flow in to them from theſe are weak, narrow, ſcanty, full of inſufficiency, diſſatisfaction: God limits the comfort of outward things to his people, more then to the men of the world.
The fulneſs, the ſufficiency of all ſpiritual comfort flows from their Communion with God, 1 Iohn 1.3, 4.
Fourthly, there is another height that is raiſed by the workings of carnal reaſon, in thoughts, opinions, falſe judgments and concluſions, which lift up themſelves above the truths of God, and ſomtimes above the ways and dealings of God; this height you have 2 Cor. 10.5. [foreign are ratiocinations, foreign] every high thing, as in the text
Firſt, this is that which much endangers a believer in his—
1. Its ſaid there, to exalt it ſelf againſt the knowledge of God. Carnal reaſon, humane wiſdom, ſecular Science, is profeſt enemies to the ſimplicity of the Goſpel which is in Chriſt, Hence the poor are ſaid to receive the Goſpel, and babes, thoſe things which are hid from the wiſe and prudent.
2. It is a great enemy to faith, as appears by that expreſſion, Gal. 1.15, 16. Paul had never believed if he had conſulted — hence that, Rom. 12.3. Let no man,— according to the meaſure of faith,
Thirdly, it makes falſe Concluſions of Gods dark diſpenſations to his people. Iſa. 40.27. Iſa. 49.14. It perſwadeth God hath forſaken us when he hath not, ſo ſenſe and carnal reaſon judgeth.
Secondly, yet this height ſhall not ſeparate.—
1. Becauſe Chriſt Jeſus in whom we have the true ſaving knowledge, and through whom we have Communion with God in love, is the Wiſdom of God and the Power, 1 Cor. 1.24. Wiſdom to ſilence, Power to overcome all the ſtrong Arguments o… the fleſh that riſe up againſt him.
Secondly, becauſe God hath magnified the thoughts of his mercy, counſels of peace, contrivances of love, which are as high above—Iſa. 55.8.9.
1. Uſe. For Information, many here it may be are ready to ſay, To what purpoſe are all theſe words.
It may be they never experimented ſuch enemies, ſuch dangers, ſuch oppoſitions in their Profeſſion of Chriſtianity; to ſuch all theſe are but empty notions.
Do you think the Spirit of the Scripture ſpeaketh theſe things in vain; Is it not to be feared, ye are ſtrangers to this great Priviledge of believers Communion with God in love.
2. Uſe. Chriſtians, never look to put off your Armour till you come from Communion with God to the full enjoyment of God.
When you have conquered one enemy, one temptation and difficulty, look to encounter another; nor are all your enemies before you, ſome are above you, ſome are heights, altitudes, ſublimities.
3. Uſe. Here is your comfort, Chriſtians, you have this day not only the dangers diſcover'd, but your ſafety and ſecurity confirm'd inviolable, immutable in your Communion with God.—
Are the dangers, enemies, heights, inſuperable, inconquerable in themſelves, yet they ſhall not be able.—