The Inseparable Communion of a Believer with God, Sermons · Sermon 7
ROM. 8.38, 39.
—Nor Death, nor Life ſhall—
THE Apoſtle having raiſed his Fortreſs, built his Towers, fenced and fortified his faith, in its Communion with God in love, through the Lord Ieſus; and having taken a diſtinct view of all his enemies, now hangs out a Flag of defrance, throws the Gauntlet, triumphs in the Conflict over all. The firſt rank of enemies he encounters with, is death and life, which he overcomes by faith.
Doct. A Chriſtian fortified in the love of God through Chriſt, (or his Communion with God in love) hath full ſecurity againſt all the attempts, whereby death or life may endanger a ſeparation.
I. We ſhall conſider, how far a believer may be in danger by death and life, as to a ſeparation from God and his love.
Firſt, as to death; it is a dangerous e… conſidered in its abſtract nature.
Firſt, death is the puniſhment Gods Iuſtice, every way fitted and proportioned to ſin: In the day thou eateſt, thou …. As ſin contains in it all the ev…l the creature … do againſt God, ſo death includes in it all the evils, miſchiefs, miſeries, the wrath of God can bring upon the creature.
Secondly, the Power of Death was committed to the Devil: hence the generality of believers under the Old Teſtament, were all their life kept in bondage through ſlaviſh fears, Heb. 2.14.15.
Thirdly, death is a thing can no more have Communion with God then ſin can; ſin is abſolute oppoſition to Gods … and purity. Death is abſolute oppoſition to Gods life and being: he is called the living God, who is eternal, unchangeable, immortal.
Fourthly, death is attended with Hell in its firſt inſtitution, Rev. 6.8. which is everlaſting ſeparation from God.
By ſin the creature ſeparated it ſelf from Go, and its puniſhment was, to be everlaſtingly ſeparated from God.
Fifthly, the Saints of God have mightily cried out to God, when they have been in danger to be ſeparated from God by death, Heman, Pſal. 88.3, 4, 5, 10, 11, 12. David, Pſal. 116.3.4 But death can never ſeparate a believer from his Communion with God in love, through Chriſt leſus.
Firſt, the love of God, and the love of Chriſt never dies; Death could not aboliſh Chriſts love to believers, Iohn 13.1. nor can it aboliſh the love of believers to Chriſt, Rev. 12 11. The love of Chriſt to believers, and their love to him, is ſtrong as death—Cant. 8.6. they never encountred death, but overcame.
Secondly, Saints have walked in the …alley of the ſhadows of death, and have …ept their Communion with God, and have not heard nor felt any evil, Pſal. 3.4.
Thirdly, Chriſt hath taken the Power of Death out of Satans hand, and taken it into his own hands, and commanded his people to fear not, Rev. 17, 18.
Fourthly, Chriſt hath executed that revenge threatned, Hoſ. 13.14. againſt Death and the Grave, for all the ſorrows, fears, temptations, cruelties, it hath executed againſt him and his holy Saints.
Fifthly, Chriſt hath aboliſht death, 2 Tim. 1.10. the word foreign ſignifi…s, to make weak and uſeleſs, to take away all the power and ſtrength of a thing▪ death is not now, as it was; its ſting is gone; Boys play with a Bee when the ſting is out: Nor only ſo, but Chriſt …ath brought in the room of it Life and Immortality; hence that Iohn 11.26. Mat. 22.32.
Sixthly, Saints now die like Chriſt, though in the Grave, his ſoul was ſeparate from his body, yet neither was ſeparated from the Godhead.
Though death may ſeparate between ſoul and body in a Saint, it cannot ſeparate, either from Communion with God, Rom. 8.11.
Seventhly, death to Saints ſtrengthens their Communion with God, it ſeparates an holy Saint from a filthy world, a precious ſoul from a … body, precious graces from filthy corruptions, … precious Spirit from vile fleſh; Death to Saints ſeparates only the precious from the vile, whereby they come into more intimate Communion with God, 2 Cor. 6.17.
Eighthly, it is not to believers, Death and Hell follows it, but Death and Heaven follows it: Death is ſo far from ſeparating, it carries the ſoul into the full enjoyment of God.
Secondly, let us conſider, how far a Chriſtian may be endangered by life; Here conſider four things.
Firſt, the many errors, ſlips, falls, backſlidings, believers are ſubject to in this life, Pſal. 19.12. James 5.19, 20. if any of you erre in judgement or practice.
How much by theſe things a believer is endangered to a ſeparation from the love of God, and his Communion with God, appears Heb. 3.12. Hebr. 10.38. 2 Pat. 3.17.
Secondly, they are endangered in this life, by the corrupt cuſtomes and converſations of the ungodly, with whom they converſe in the world; how apt Gods people are to this, appears by that exhortation, Rom. 12.2. How much they are endangered thereby. See Pſal. 106.36. what great Apoſtacies falſe Profeſſ… have made thereby. See 2 Pet. 2.20.
Thirdly, they are endangered by the profits, pleaſures, promiſes and allurements of the world: By theſe Demas was brought off from his fellowſhip in the Goſpel, 2 Tim. 4.10. Hence that, 1 Tim 6.10.11.
How much hereby they are endangered to fall from the love of God, 1 John 2.15.
Fourthly, they are endangered by thoſe many afflictions, temptations reproaches, perſecutions that befal them in this life▪ when many afflictions followed the believing Hebrews their … began to ſaint, their hand… hang, downs their knees grow ſeeble, and their … were in danger of turning … from the ways of God, Heb. 12.…, 1…. When Chriſt ſpake bus of his own ſufferings to … he ſtartled and ſaid, & Maſter … ſelf; when Chriſt call'd him to be an eye witneſs of his ſufferings, Peter … to ſleep, he that promiſed never to forſake Chriſt, to die with him, comes to deny him, had not Chriſt prayed a…prehand for him, his faith bad utterly … ed. Yet none of theſe things that … a believer in life, ſhall … him.
Firſt, not the firſt, the Office of Chriſt is to compaſſionate their … Heb. 4.15. to preſent the ſacrifice of himſelf for the errors of his people, Heb. 9.7. See E…k. 24.10. he will ſuccour their temptations, and heal their backſlidings he wil keep them from falling from the love of God, and Communion with God: and preſent. Jude 24.
Secondly, not the ſecond, for Chriſt hath prayed, John 17.15, 16. Gal. 1.…. God hath promiſed to ſanctifie them wholly, and he will do it, Theſ. 5.23 24. and Chriſt will do it, 2 Tim. 4.18.
Thirdly, not the third, God out-bids the Promiſes of the world, 1 Tim. 4.8. when David in a temptation was ready to quit the ways of God, by reaſon of the many hardſhips and difficulties, and to fall in with the pleaſures, profits and proſperity of the world, God kept him in cloſe Communion, Pſal. 73.23, 24.
Fourthly, not the laſt, becauſe all theſe afflictions a…e made, ordered and deſign'd, to work up a believer unto a fitneſs for everlaſting Communion with God in glory, 2 Cor. 4.17. Heb. 12.10. Holineſs ſits for Communion with God …. The reaſons of the point.
Reaſ. 1. Becauſe that God who hath taken believers into Communion with himſelf in love, hath a Sovereignty and Authority over death and life, and … things that concern the ſtate of both, Deut. 32.29.
Reaſ. 2. All believers have Communion with Chriſt in his life and death, Rom. 5.10. by which death and life, and all things that befal them in life and death are ſweetned and ſanctified to them.
Thirdly, Ieſus Chriſt is to be magnified in believers, whether it be by life or death, Phil. 1 20.
Fourthly, Life and Death are reconciled to them who are reconciled to God, they are ours as Chriſt is ours, 1 Cor. 3.12.23
Fifthly, Life and Death to believers, are great advantages in Chriſt. Phil. 1.21.
Sixthly, a Chriſtians ſtate in life and death, is wholly conſecrated to God; …om 14.7, 8.
1. Uſe. Let this caution believers concerning Life and Death, both of them naturally afford many advantages to the enemies of your ſalvation, continually againſt you. In life walk circum…, you walk among ſnares, be thou in the ſear of the Lord all the day; be in the faith of the Lord all the day; be faithful unto death: Wonder not, if you meet with ſtrong Conflicts to the laſt: Attempts will be made to ſeparate you, if poſſible, from.
Uſe 2. Chriſtians, be diligent above all things, like the Apoſtle, to fortifie your faith in the love of God, which is in, &c. Here is your comfort and ſecurity, againſt all the troubles and temptation▪ in life, and all the fears and …errours of death: Life and death are at the Command of God for good, and not for evil, to his beloved ones; with him is the fountain of life, to him belongs the iſſues from death.
Uſe 3. This ſhould teach us patience under all the afflictions or ſuff…rings that befal us in life or death.
Many, evils, ſorrows, temptations, may ſorely afflict the godly in life and death; but here is the conſolation, none ſhall ſeparate him.
The Apoſtle makes no reckoning of all other troubles, when a Chriſtian remains inviolable in his Communion with God in love.