Sermons Volume 4, Sermon on Luke 1
Sermon I. on Luke Xix.10.
For the Son of Man is come to seek, and to save that which was lost.
THIS is given as a reason, why Christ came to invite himself to Zaccheus his House, who was a Publican, we find ver. 7. the people murmured, saying, that he was gone to be a Guest with a Man that is a sinner. Christ defendeth his practice by his Commission, or the errand for which he came into the World, For the Son of Man, &c.
In which words,
1. The Person, or the character by which he was described; the Son of Man. Christ is called so, not to deny his Godhead; but to express the verity of his humane nature, and that he was of our Stock and Linage. He might have been true Man, though he had not come of Adam, but his Humane Nature had been framed out of the Dust of the Ground, as Adam's was, or created out of nothing, but he that sanctifieth and they that are sanctified are of one: For which cause he is not ashamed to call them Brethren, Heb. 2.11. He would be of the Mass and Stock with us.
2. His Work; He is come to seek, and to save. The first word, to seek, sheweth his diligence, he leaveth no place unsought where his hidden ones are: the second word, to save, sheweth his sufficiency of Merit and Power; both shew his kindness and good will to mankind, to recover us out of our lapsed estate.
3. The object of this Grace and Favour, that which was lost. The object of Christ's Salvation is Man lost and undone.
Doct. That the great end and business of Christ's coming, is to seek and save that which is lost.
Here I shall enquire two things by way of explication.
1. In what sense we are said to be lost?
2. How Christ cometh to seek and save such?
I. In what sense we are said to be lost; two ways, really and indeed, or in our own sense and apprehension.
1. Really, and indeed; so we are lost to God and lost to our selves. As to God, he hath no Glory, Love, and Service from us, and so is deprived and robbed of the honour of his Creation. The Father in the Parable, by whom God is resembled, saith, Luke 15.24. This my Son was lost, and is found. Lost as to themselves, so they are said to be lost, as they are out of the way to true Happiness, and as they are in the way to everlasting Destruction. In the former respect we are compared to lost Sheep, who when they are once out of the way, know not how to find it again, Psal. 14.3. They are all gone aside. And Isa. 53.6. All we like Sheep have gone astray. Swine, and other Creatures, if they wander all day, will easily find the way home again; but we are gone astray like Sheep. Domini! errare per me potui, redire non potui. Lord! I have wandred of my self, but I cannot return of my self. In the second respect, as they are in the way to destruction, so we are compared to the lost Son, who undid himself, and wasted his substance with riotous living, Luk. 15.13. So we are lost by reason of Original Sin, or the corruption introduced by Adam's first sin, Hereditarily derived to us from our first parents, Psal. 51.5. Behold! I was shapen in iniquity, and in sin did my Mother conceive me. And also by reason of actual sins, whereby we involve our selves more and more in the wrath and curse of God, Eph. 2.1, 2. And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins. Wherein in times past ye walked, according to the course of this World, according to the Prince of the power of the Air, the Spirit that now worketh in the Children of disobedience. And v. 3. We were by nature the Children of wrath even as others. Take one distinction more; Some are lost totally, and others totally and finally too. All men in their natural estate, whether they be sensible, or insensible of it, are lost totally; Isa. 53.6. All we like Sheep have gone astray, not one excepted: The Elect, though for the present they are totally lost, yet they are not finally lost. But those that still continue in their impenitency and unbelief, are both totally and finally lost, justly given over, and designed to everlasting Perdition, and Destruction. In which sense Iudas is called the Son of Perdition, John 17.12. Those which thou hast given me, I have kept, and none of them is lost, but the Son of Perdition, unbelief persisted in is a sign of Perdition. Therefore the Apostle saith, 2 Cor. 4.3. If our Gospel be hid, it is hid to those that are lost. Well then! such as refuse the Gospel are in an actual state of perdition, and while they continue to repel, and refuse the benefit of the Gospel, there is no hope of them. Thus we are really and indeed lost.
2. Some are lost and undone in their own sense and feeling. All by reason of sin are in a lost state, but some are apprehensive of it; when the Soul is made sensible of its utter perishing condition, and fear of its aggravated punishment by reason of actual sin; as the lost Son apprehended his perishing for want of Bread. Luk. 15.17. And when he came to himself, he said, How many hired servants of my Fathers have Bread enough, and to spare, and I perish with hunger? Thus would Christ represent the sensible sinner, that is apprehensive of his condition. Now such a sense is necessary, to prepare us for a more broken-hearted, and thankful acceptance of the Grace of the Gospel.
1. Because the Scripture speaketh of an awakening before Conversion, Eph. 5.14. Awake, thou that sleepest! and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light. While we are asleep, we are neither sensible of our misery, nor care for our remedy, but please our selves with Dreams and Fancies; but when a Man's Conscience doth rouse him up out of the sleep of sin, and awaken him to some sight and sense of his miserable condition, he is in a good measure prepared to hearken to the offers of the Gospel, and to be af…ected with, and entertain the Grace of Christ, so Psal. 22.27. All the Nations of the Earth shall remember and turn to the Lord; first remember, then turn. They are like Men sleeping and distracted before, they do not consider whence they are, what they are doing, whither they are going, what shall become of them to all Eternity.
2. Till we are sensible of our lost estate, we have not that trouble for sin, that hunger and thirst for Grace, which the Scripture expresseth every where in the calls and invitations of the Gospel, As Mat. 9.12, 13. The whole need not the Physician, but they that are sick, I came not to call the Righteous, but Sinners to Repentance. And Mat. 11.28. Come unto me all you that are weary, and heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Isa. 55.1. Ho every one that thirsteth come ye to the Waters. Heb. 6.18. Who have fled for refuge, to lay hold of the hope set before us. They that are Heart-whole, will not value the Spiritual Physician; neither will they that feel not their load, care for offers of ease; None will prize Bread, but the hungry; nor come to the Waters, but the thirsty; nor make haste to the City of refuge, but those that see an Avenger of Blood at their Heels. Or to devest these things of their Metaphor; sin unseen grieveth not; that which the Eye seeth not, the Heart rueth not, it is the hungry Conscience, that cannot be satisfied without Christ's renewing and reconciling Grace; 'Tis the Curse driveth us to the promise, and the Tribunal of God's Justice, to the Throne of Grace; One Covenant to another. None do with such sighs and groans mourn, and wait in the use of Means, till they obtain Mercy, as those who have a sight and sense of their lost estate, or their sad and miserable case by nature.
3. It appeareth by the Types, the deliverance of the Children of Israel out of Egypt and Babylon, which figured our restauration by Christ. Now God would not deliver his people out of Egypt, till they sighed and groaned out of the anguish of their Spirits, for their cruel bondage, Exod. 3.7. I have surely seen the affliction of my people, which are in Egypt▪ and have heard their cry by reason of their Task-masters, for I know their sorrows: So God delivered them not out of their Captivity of Babylon, till they were sensible of their being ready to perish under it, Ezek. 37.11. Behold they say, our Bones are dried, and our hope is lost, we are cut off for our parts. Now the great truth figured hereby is our perishing condition under the captivity of Sin, before the Spirit of Life entereth into us.
4. By experience it appeareth, that Christ is not valued, nor his Grace so highly prized, till Men have a sensible awakening knowledge of their own misery, and lost estate by reason of sin. When sin is sin indeed, then grace is grace indeed, and Christ is Christ indeed: if Men have a superficial sense of sin, they have a superficial Faith in Christ. The slight person doth the work of an Age in a breath; We are all sinners, but God is merciful, Christ died for sinners, and there is an end both of their Law and Gospel Work. If Men have a Doctrinal and Speculative knowledge of sin, they have also a Doctrinal Opinionative Faith in Christ. Always according to our sense of the disease, so is our carriage about the cure and remedy. It must needs be so, for God by the one will advance the other, that where sin aboundeth, Grace might much more abound, Rom. 5.26. that is, rather in our sense and feeling, than in our practice. So that one wounded for sin, will more earnestly look after a cure. Others may dispute for the Gospel, but they feel not the comfort of it. Well then! I have proved to you, that every Man is in a lost condition sensible or insensible of it. And that we ought to have a deep sense of this upon our Hearts, to count our selves lost and undone, that we may be more prepared and fitted to entertain the Offers and Calls of the Gospel, and prize our Redeemer's Grace.
II. In what sense Christ is said to seek and save such. Here is a double work, seeking, and saving.
1. What is his seeking? It implieth,
1. His pity to us in our lost estate, and providing means for us, in that he doth not leave us to our wandrings, or our own Hearts Counsels, but taketh care that we be brought back again to God, Iohn 10.16. Other Sheep have I, which are not of this fold, them also I must bring, and they shall hear my Voice. It is spoken of his care to bring in his own among the Gentiles, he will in due time convert, and bring in all that belong to the Election of Grace: Christ hath not only a care of those that are already brought in, but of those who are yet to be brought in; they are his Sheep, though yet unconverted, in respect of his Eternal Purpose; and his heart is upon them, when they little think of him, and his love to them. So the Lord Jesus appeared in the Vision to Paul, Acts 18.10. Fear not, I am with thee, and no man shall set on thee to hurt thee; for I have much people in this City. He doth not say, there are much people, Corinth was a populous City, and 'tis good casting out the Net, where there are store of Fish; but I have much people; it is not meant of those Corinthians, that were already converted to God, for at that time there were few or none, for all those at Corinth that were converted, were converted by Paul, 1 Cor. 4.15. Though ye have ten thousand Instructers in Christ, yet have ye not many Fathers; for in Christ Iesus I have begotten you through the Gospel. Or if some few were already converted, Paul was not afraid of them. But there are much people, viz. who were Elected by God Redeemed by Christ, though yet wallowing in their sins, such as these he findeth out in their wandrings.
2. His seeking implieth his diligence, and pains to reduce them, Luke 15.4. What man of you, having an hundred Sheep, if he lose one of them, doth not leave the ninety and nine in the Wilderness, and seeketh after that which was lost, till he find it. It requireth time and pains to find them, and gain their consent. A lost Soul is not so easily recovered, and reduced from his straying; there is many a warning slighted, many a conviction smothered, and tenders of Grace made in vain, till they are taken in their month; Isa. 65.2. I have spread out my hands all the day long unto a rebellious People, as requiring Audience.
I evidence this two ways.
I. Christ is said to seek after us by his Word and Spirit.
1. By his Word, he cometh as a Teacher from Heaven, to recall sinners from their wandrings. At first he came in person; I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to Repentance, Matth. 9.13. Besides his giving Repentance as Prince and Lord of the renewed estate, or dispenser of the Grace of the Gospel, there is his calling to Repentance; and Christ was very painful in it, going up and down, and seeking all occasions to bring home poor Creatures to God. Thus he was now calling home to God Zaccheus a Publican, so the Woman of Samaria, when he was faint and hungry; Iohn 4. and verse 34. He telleth her, His meat was to do the will of him that sent him, and to finish his work. To seek and save lost Souls was meat and drink to Christ. So still he doth send Ministers, giving them gifts, and inspiriting them with a Zeal for God's Glory, and compassion over Souls, that with all meekness they may instruct those that oppose themselves, if peradventure God will give them Repentance to the acknowledging of the Truth, &c. 2 Tim. 2.25, 2…. Now these are to be instant in season, and out of season, 2 Tim. 4.2. As the Woman lighted a Candle to seek her lost Groat; Luke 15.8. So Christ causeth the Candlestick of the Church to be furnished with burning and shining Lights, men of Prudence, Zeal, and Holiness, and Compassion over Souls, that he may at length gain on a People. And indeed Christ never lights a Candle, but he hath some lost Groat to seek.
2. By his Spirit, striving against, and overcoming the obstinacy and contradiction of our Souls. By his Call in the Word he inviteth us to Holiness, but by his powerful Grace he inclineth us. Man is averse from God, he resists not only external offers, but internal motions, till by his invincible Grace he changeth our hearts, and so in the day of his power we become a willing people; Psal. 110.3. Thy people are willing in the day of thy power. It is the good Shepherd, that bringeth home the Sheep upon his own shoulders, rejoycing, Luke 15.5.
II. This seeking is absolutely necessary; if he did not seek them, they would never seek him. It is our great duty to seek after God; the Scripture calleth for it every where; Isa. 55.6. Seek ye the Lord, while he may be found; call upon him, while he is near. By the motions of his Spirit, he urgeth us thereunto; Psal. 27.8. When thou saidst, Seek ye my face. The course of his Providence inviteth us; both Afflictions, Hosea 5.15. In their afflictions they will seek me early; and Mercies, Acts 17.27, 28. That they should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after him, and find him, though he be not far from every one of us. For in him we live, and move, and have our being. And his People are described to be a Generation of them that seek him, Psal. 24.6. Yet if Christ had not by his preventing Grace sought us, we could never seek after him; Isa. 65.1. I am found of them that sought me not. I prevented their seeking of me, by sending, and seeking after mine own first. Christ begineth with us first; 1 Iohn 4.19. We love him, because he first loved us. He chuseth us, before we chuse him; Iohn 15.16. Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you. He seeketh us first, before we seek him; for we are fugitives and exiles, our hearts are averse from God, and there is a legal exclusion in the way. Sweetly Bernard to this purpose, Nemo te quaerere potest, nisi qui prius invenerit; vis inveniri ut quaeraris, quaere ut inveniaris; potes quidem inveniri, non tamen praeveniri. God will be sought, that he may be found, and found, that he may be sought; we cannot seek him till we find him; we may return to him, but we cannot prevent him; for he pitied our misery, and sought us, when we had neither mind, nor heart to seek him.
2. To save them. Two ways is Christ a Saviour, Merito, & Efficacia, by Merit, and by Power. We are sometimes said to be saved by his Death, and sometimes to be saved by his Life; Rom. 5.10. If when we were Enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more being reconciled, shall we be saved by his life. There is the Merit of his Humiliation, and the Efficacy and Power of his Exaltation: He procureth Salvation for us by his meritorious Satisfaction, and then applieth it to us by his effectual and invincible Power.
Here I shall do two things.
1. I shall shew why it is so.
2. I shall prove that this was Christ's great end and business.
First; Why it is so.
1. With respect to the Parties concerned. In saving lost Creatures, Christ hath to do with three Parties, God, Man, and Satan. (1.) With God. God's Wrath was to be pacified by the Blood of his Cross; Col. 1.20. Having made Peace through the Blood of his Cross, by him to reconcile all things to himself. His Blood was to be shed on Earth, and represented and pleaded in Heaven. Now thus he came to save us, that is, to die for us, and give his life a ransom for many here upon Earth, Matth. 20.28. The Son of Man is come not to be ministred unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many. In Heaven it is represented, Heb. 9.24. For Christ is not entred into the holy places made with hands, which are the figures of the true, but into Heaven it self, now to appear in the presence of God for us. (2.) The next party is Man, who is to be saved, who is guilty, and unholy. His guilt is removed by Christ's substituting himself in Man's stead, and bearing his sins. But Man by a foolish obstinacy is apt to turn the back upon his own Mercies, so that there needeth the efficacy of the Spirit of Christ to gain his Consent, as well as the Merit, and Mediatorial Sacrifice of Christ to reconcile him to God. We are so prepossessed with a false Happiness, and biassed by sinful inclinations; so indisposed for the waiting for, and receiving of the offered Mercy in that humble and submissive way, wherein God will dispense it, that unless Christ save us by a strong hand, we are not likely to be the better for the tender of the Gospel to us; Iohn 6.44. No man can come unto me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him. And verse 65. No man can come to me, except it were given him of my Father. And Iohn 5.40. Ye will not come unto me that you might have life. So that as we are deservedly cut off by the Law, so also we are become morally impotent, and averse to the undeserved, free and gracious tenders of the Gospel; and having wilfully pulled upon our selves just Misery, we do obstinately reject free Mercy tendred to us upon the terms of the Gospel. We are lost before, unless Christ satisfie the Old Covenant, and we are lost again, unless he qualifie us for the priviledges of the Gospel. And as the Gospel transcends the Law, so our disobedience to the Gospel doth so far exceed in evil our disobedience to the Law; so that we are doubly lost, utterly lost, unless Christ help us. (3.) With Satan, who is a Tempter and an Accuser; As an Accuser, not a Whisperer, but foreign, Accuser, Rev. 12.10. For the Accuser of the Brethren is cast down, which accused them before God day and night. And foreign an Adversary, 1 Pet. 5.8. Because your Adversary the Devil, like a roaring Lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour. As a Tempter, by the baits of the World he doth sollicit and entice our flesh to a rebellion against God; his assaults are daily, and assiduous, and the baits presented are pleasing to our flesh. So that to begin an Interest for God, or to keep it alive, and maintain it in our selves, the Divine Power is necessary. As to begin it, Col. 1.13. Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and translated us into the Kingdom of his dear Son; Luke 11.21, 22. When a strong man armed keepeth his Palace, his goods are in peace; But when a stronger than he shall come upon him, and overcome him, he taketh from him all his Armour, wherein he trusted, and divideth the spoil. So to maintain and keep it still alive, 1 Pet. 1.5. Who are kept by the Power of God, through Faith unto Salvation; 1 John 4.4. Ye are of God, little Children, and have overcome them, because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the World. Nothing else, nothing less can do it than the Power of Christ.
2. With respect to the parts of Salvation. There is Redemption, and Conversion, the one by way of Impetration, the other by way of Application. It's not enough that we are redeemed, that is done without us upon the Cross, but we must also be converted, that is real Redemption applied to us. We must again recover God's Favour and Image; his Image was first lost, and then his Favour: So is our recovery; first we recover his Image, Titus 3.5. He hath saved us by the washing of Regeneration, and the renewing of the Holy Ghost: That is, put us into the way of Salvation. Sanctification is spoken of as a principal branch of our Salvation; Matth. 1.21. Thou shalt call his Name Iesus, for he shall save his people from their sins; he hath his Name and Office for that use. And then recovering the Image of God, we also recover his Favour, are adopted into his Family, are justified and freed from the guilt of sin; Eph. 2.8. By Grace ye are saved, through Faith, and that not of your selves, it is the gift of God.
3. With respect to Eternal Salvation, which is the result of all, that is to say, it is the effect of Christ's Merit, and of our Regeneration; for in Regeneration that life is begun in us, which is perfected in Heaven: With respect to our Justification, for thereby the Sentence of Death is taken off, and he that is justified, shall not come into condemnation, but is passed from death to life, Iohn 5.24. Yea our Sanctification is acted in obedience performed upon the encouragements and hopes of Gospel Grace, before we are capable of Eternal Happiness. For the Apostle telleth us, Heb. 5.9. That Christ is become the Author of Eternal Salvation to them that obey him. He bringeth us at length to live in those Eternal Mansions, which he hath prepared for us. This is the Salvation, from whence Christ is chiefly denominated our Saviour, and that which we are to endeavour and look after throughout our whole life.