Sixteen Sermons, Sermon 12
A SERMON ON 2 PETER I. 4.
Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious Promiſes; that by theſe ye might be partakers of the Divine Nature.
THE Connection of theſe words with the fo…mer is ſomewhat obſcure, but it ſeems to be this. The Apoſtle had in the Verſe before ſaid, that the Divine Power of Chriſt hath by the knowledge of the Goſpel given us all things that pertain to Life and Godlineſs; that is, by the knowledge of the Goſpel we are furniſh'd with all Advantages which conduce to make Men happy in the next Life, and Religious in this; and then it follows, whereby are given unto …s exceeding great and precious Promiſes. Where…; this ſeems to refer to the whole of the foregoing Verſe; as if it had bee… …id, Chriſt by the Goſpel hath given to us all things that conduce to our Future Happineſs; and in order thereto, all things which tend to make Men holy and good. Or elſe Life and Godlineſs are, by a Hebraiſm frequent in the New Teſtament, put for a Godly Life. And then among all thoſe things which conduce to a Godly Life, the Apoſtle inſtanceth in the Promiſes of the Goſpel, which do ſo directly tend to make Men Partakers of a Divine Nature.
In the handling of theſe words, I ſhall,
Firſt, Conſider the Promiſes here ſpoken of; whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious Promiſes.
Secondly, The influence which theſe Promiſes ought to have upon us; that by theſe ye might be made partakers of a Divine Nature.
Firſt, We will conſider the Promiſes which are here ſpoken of; whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious Promiſes. And becauſe the chief Promiſes of the Goſpel are here intended, I ſhall take occaſion from this Text to handle the Doctrine of the Promiſes, which is frequently diſcours'd of in Divinity, but not always ſo clearly ſtated. And to this purpoſe, it will be proper to take into Conſideration theſe four things.
1. What the Promiſes are which are here ſpoken of; whereby are given unto us Promiſes.
2. Why they are ſaid to be ſo great and precious; exceeding great and precious Promiſes.
3. We will Conſider the Tenour of theſe Promiſes.
4. When Men are ſaid to have a right to them, ſo as they may apply them to themſelves. Theſe four Heads will comprehend what I have to ſay upon this Argument.
1. What the Promiſes are which the Apoſtle here ſpeaks of; whereby are given unto us Promiſes. And no doubt the Apoſtle here intends thoſe great and excellent Promiſes which Chriſt hath made to us in the Goſpel. So that to ſatisfie our ſelves in this enquiry, we need only to conſider what are the Principal Promiſes of the Goſpel. Now the great Promiſes of the Goſpel are theſe three.
(1.) The Promiſe of the free Pardon and Forgiveneſs of our Sins, upon our Faith and Repentance.
(2.) The Promiſe of God's Grace and Holy Spirit to aſſiſt our Obedience.
(3.) The Promiſe of Eternal Life to Reward it.
(1.) The Promiſe of the Pardon and Forgiveneſs of our Sins upon our Faith and Repentance. The Goſpel hath made full and clear Promiſes to this Purpoſe; that if we believe the Goſpel, and will forſake our Sins, and amend our wicked Lives, all that is paſt ſhall be forgiven us, and that Chriſt died for this end, to obtain for us Remiſſion of Sins in his Blood. The light of Nature, upon conſideration of the Mercy and goodneſs of God, gave Men good hopes, that upon their Repentance God would forgive their ſins, and turn away his wrath from them. But Mankind was doubtful of this, and therefore they uſed expiatory Sacrifices to appeaſe the offended Deity. The Jewiſh Religion allowed of no Expiation, but for legal impurities, and involuntary tranſgreſſions, ſuch as proceeded from ignorance and inadvertency; but not for Sins of Preſumption, and ſuch as were committed with an bigh hand. If Men ſin'd wilfully, there was no Sacrifice appointed by the Law for ſuch Sins. But the Grace of the Goſpel juſtifies us from the greateſt Sins, upon our Faith and ſincere Repentance. So St. Paul tells the Jews, Acts 13. 38, 39. Be it known …nto you therefore, men and brethren, that through this man is preached unto you the forgiveneſs of ſins: And by him all that believe are juſtified from all things, from which ye could not be juſtified by the Law of Moſes. There was no general Promiſe of Pardon, nor way of Expiation under the Law; perfect Remiſſion of Sins is clearly revealed, and aſcertain'd to us only by the Goſpel.
(2.) Another great Promiſe of the Goſpel is the Promiſe of God's Grace and Holy Spirit to aſſiſt our Obedience. Our Bleſſed Saviour hath promiſed, that our Heavenly Father will give his Holy Spirit to them that ask him. 'Tis true indeed, there was a peculiar Promiſe of the Holy Ghoſt to the Apoſtles and Chriſtians of the firſt Ages, which is not now to be expected; namely, an Extraordinary and Miraculous Power, whereby they were qualified to publiſh the Goſpel to the World, and to give Confirmation to it. But now that the Chriſtian Religion is propagated and ſetled in the World, the great End and Uſe of theſe Miraculous Gifts is ceaſed: but yet the Spirit of God doth ſtill concur with the Goſpel, and work upon the Minds of Men, to excite and aſſiſt them to that which is good. And tho' this Operation be very ſecret, ſo as we cannot give an account of the manner of it, yet the effects of it are very ſenſible, and this influence of God's Holy Spirit is common to all Chriſtians in all Ages of the World. This Propoſition is Univerſally true, and in all Ages and Times; If any Man have not the Spirit of Chriſt, he is none of his.
It muſt be acknowledged, that the Spirit doth not now work upon Men in that ſudden and ſenſible manner, as it did in the firſt times of Chriſtianity; becauſe then Men were ſtrongly poſſeſt with the prejudices of other Religions, which they had been brought up in; and therefore as more outward means of Conviction were then neceſſary, ſo likewiſe a more powerful internal Operation of the Spirit of God upon the Minds of Men, to Conquer and bear down thoſe prejudices, and to ſubdue them to the Obedience of Faith. But now the Principles of Religion and Goodneſs are more gradually inſtilled into the Minds of Men, by the gentle degrees of Pious Inſtruction and Education; and with theſe means the Spirit of God concurrs in a more Humane way, which is more ſuited and accommodated to our Reaſon, and offers leſs violence to the Nature of Men. So that this Promiſe of God's Holy Spirit is now made good to us, as the Neceſſity and Circumſtances of our preſent State do require. God does not uſe ſuch extraordinary Means for the producing of thoſe Effects, which may be accompliſh'd in a more ordinary way. The aſſiſtance of God's Holy Spirit is ſtill neceſſary to Men, to encline and enable them to that which is good; but not in that manner and degree that it was neceſſary at firſt: Becauſe the prejudices againſt Chriſtianity are not now ſo great, and many of thoſe Advantages which were neceſſarily wanting at firſt, are now ſupplied in an ordinary way; and therefore it is not reaſonable now to expect the ſame extraordinary operation of the Spirit of God upon the Minds of Men, which we read of in the firſt beginnings of Chriſtianity.
(3.) There is likewiſe the Promiſe of Eternal Life to Reward and Crown our Obedience. And this the Scripture ſpeaks of, as the great Promiſe of the Goſpel, 1 Job. 2. 25. This is the promiſe which he hath promiſed us, even Eternal Life. And upon this account the new Covenant of the Goſpel is preferred before the old Covenant of the Law, becauſe it is eſtabliſh'd upon better Promiſes. All the Special and Particular Promiſes of the Law were of Temporal good things, and theſe were the great Encouragements that were given to Obedience, under that imimperfect Diſpenſation: but now Godlineſs hath not only the Promiſe of the Life that now is, but of that which is to come; as the Apoſtle tells us, 1 Tim. 4. 8. The Goſpel hath clearly revealed to us a happy State of Immortality after this Life, of which Men had but very obſcure and doubtful apprehenſions. So the ſame Apoſtle tells us, 2 Tim. 1. 10. That it is now made manifeſt, by the appearance of our Saviour J…ſus Chriſt, who hath ab…liſbed Death, and hath brought Life and Immortality to light, through the Goſpel. Holy Men had good hopes of it before; but they had no ſure diſtinct apprehenſions of it, no ſuch full aſſurance concerning it, no ſuch clear and expreſs Promiſes of it, as the Goſpel hath given us.
Thus you ſee what thoſe great Promiſes are which the Goſpel hath given us, namely, the Promiſe of the Free Pardon and Forgiveneſs of our Sins, upon our Faith and Repentance; the Promiſe of God's Grace and Holy Spirit to aſſiſt our Obedience, and the Promiſe of Eternal Life and Happineſs to Reward it. Theſe are the three Eminent Promiſes of the Goſpel, and in all probability thoſe which the Apoſtle here calls great and precious Promiſes, which brings me to the
Second Thing which I propounded to Conſider, namely, why they are ſaid to be exceeding great and precious; foreign, the greateſt and the moſt valuable Promiſes. And to ſatisfie us that they are ſuch, the very Conſideration of the B…eſſings and Benefits that they carry in them will be ſufficient. If we Conſider the Condition that Mankind was in, when God was pleaſed to make theſe gracious Declarations to us, we ſhall ſee great Reaſon to ſet a high value upon every one of theſe Promiſes. Mankind was extreamly degenerated, all Fleſh had corrupted its ways, and the whole World was guilty before God, and liable to all that Miſery which the Sinner had reaſon to apprehend from the incenſed Juſtice of the Almighty. We had forfeited that Happineſs to which our Immortal Nature was deſigned, and, which made our Condition more ſad, we were without ſtrength to recover our ſelves out of it, by our Repentance for what was paſt (if God would have accepted of it) and by our Future Obedience. Now the Promiſes of the Goſpel offer Relief to us in all theſe Reſpects, and thereby obviate all the difficulties and diſ…ouragements which Mankind lay under.
The gracious Promiſe of Pardon frees us from guilt, and ſ…cures us from the terrible wrath of God, which our guilty Conſciences did ſo much dread; and without this Promiſe, Mankind would have been under the greateſt doubts and diſcouragements. For when Men are afraid their Sins are greater than will be forgiven them, they are apt to fall into Deſpair, and Deſpair is an effectual bar to Repentance; for when Men think their Condition is deſperate, they care not what they do.
And the Promiſe of God's Grace and Holy Spirit, to aſſiſt and enable us to do our Duty, does fully anſwer all the Diſcouragements and Objections from our own weakneſs, and the power of temptation. We may do all things through Chriſt ſtrengthning us; and how weak ſoever we are of our ſelves, we are ſtrong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. If God be for us, who or what can ſtand againſt us? The Devil is a very powerful Enemy, and much too ſtrong for Fleſh and Blood to Encounter in its own ſtrength; but there is another Principle in the World, which is Mightier and more Powerful than he, the Holy Spirit of God, who is always ready to help, when we do not repulſe and refuſe his aſſiſtance; Gre…ter is he that is in you, than he that is in the World, ſays the Apoſtle, 1 Joh. 4. 4. The Spirit of God dwell… in all thoſe who are willing to admit him, and is ever ready to aſſiſt thoſe who comply with his bleſſed Motions, and do vigorouſly put forth their own endeavours.
And then the Promiſe of Eternal Life, that anſwers all the difficulties of our Obed…ence, and ſets us above any thing that the World can threaten us withal, for our Conſtancy to God, and his Tr…th. A Wiſe Man will be content to ſuffer any thing, or to quit any thing upon terms of far greater advantage: And what greater Conſideration can be offered to encourage our Conſtancy and Obedience, than an Eternity of Happineſs? So that the Apoſtle had Reaſon to call theſe exceeding great and valuable Promiſes; ſo valuable, that if any one of them had been wanting, our Redemption and Recovery had either been abſolutely impoſſible, or extreamly difficult. I proceed to the
Third thing I propounded, which was to conſider the Tenour of theſe Promiſes; that is, whether God have made them abſolutely to us, without requiring any thing to be done on our part, o… upon certain Terms and Conditions to be performed by us. That God may (if he pleaſe) make an Abſolute Promiſe of any Bleſſing or Benefit to us, there is no doubt; and that God's grace does prevent many, and is beforehand with them, is as little to be doubted; the Spirit of God goes along with the Goſpel, moving and inclining Men to yield Obedience to it, many times before any inclination and diſpoſition thereto on their parts. But as to this Promiſe of God's Grace and Holy Spirit, the great queſtion is not about the firſt motion of it, but the continuance of this aſſiſtance, and the encreaſe of it; and this, I think may ſafely be affirmed, is promiſed only Conditionally, as alſo the Pardon of Sin, and Eternal Life. And concerning each of theſe, the Matter may quickly be decided, by plain Texts of Scripture.
Concerning the Promiſe of the grace and aſſiſtance of God's Holy Spirit, the Scripture takes notice of two Conditions. Firſt, that we beg it earneſtly of God: And this our Saviour expreſſeth by asking, ſeeking, and knocking, which ſignifies the importunity of our Requeſts; Our Heavenly Father will give his Holy Spirit to them that thus ask it. And then Secondly, That we improve and make uſe of the grace which God affords us; To him that hath, ſhall be given, and from him that hath not, ſhall be taken away even that which he ſeems to have. That is (as appears plainly from the ſcope of the Parable) to him that uſeth that grace, and thoſe advantages which God affords him, more ſhall be given; but from him that makes no uſe of them, and therefore is as if he had them not, ſhall be taken away that which he but ſeems to have, becauſe he makes no uſe of it.
Concerning the Pardon of Sins; The Scripture plainly ſuſpends that upon the general Condition of Repentance, and the change of our Lives; Repent, that your Sins may be forgiven you: And upon the Condition of our forgiving others; If ye forgive Men their Treſpaſſes, then will your Heavenly Father alſo forgive you; but if ye forgive not Men their Treſpaſſes, neither will your Father forgive your Treſpaſſes, ſays our Saviour, Mat. 6. 14, 15.
And then the Promiſe of Eternal Life, is every where in Scripture ſuſpended upon the Condition of Faith and Repentance, and Perſeverance in well doing. He that believes (ſays our Saviour) ſhall be ſaved, which indeed implies the whole Condition of the Goſpel. He that Believes; that is, he that effectually aſſents to the Doctrine of Chriſt, and is ſo perſwaded of the truth of it, as to live according to it, ſhall be ſaved. But if Obedience were not included in the Scripture Notion of Faith, yet the Scripture elſewhere expreſly makes it the Condition of our Eternal Salvation. Heb. 5. 9. Chriſt is there ſaid to be the Author of Eternal Salvation to them that obey him; thereby implying, that none ſhall be ſaved by Chriſt, but thoſe that obey the Goſpel. Heb. 12. 14. Follow Holineſs, without which no Man ſhall ſee the Lord. Rom. 2. 7, 8, 9. To them who by patient continuance in well doing ſeek for Glory, and Honour, and Immortality, God will give Eternal Life; but to them who are contentious, and obey not the Truth, that is, the Goſpel, but obey Unrighteouſneſs; Indignation, and Wrath, Tribulation and Anguiſh upon every Soul of man that doth Evil.
I cannot well imagine what can reaſonably be anſwered to ſuch plain Texts; but I will tell you what is commonly anſwered; namely, That God gives the Condition which he requires; and therefore though theſe Promiſes run in a Conditional Form, yet in truth they are abſolute; becauſe he that makes a Promiſe to another, upon a Condition which he will alſo perform, doth in effect make an abſolute Promiſe. As if a Man promiſed another ſuch an Eſtate, upon Condition he pay ſuch a Summ for it, and does promiſe withal to furniſh him with that Summ, this in effect amounts to an abſolute Promiſe of the Eſtate.
And this is very well argued, if the Caſe were thus. But God hath no where promiſed to work the Condition in us, without the concurrence of our own Endeavours. God may, and oftentimes doth prevent Men by his Grace; but he hath no where promiſed to give his Holy Spirit, but to them that ask it of him. And he hath no where promiſed to continue his grace and aſſiſtance to us, unleſs we will uſe our ſincere Endeavours; nay in caſe we do not, he hath threatned to take away his grace and aſſiſtance from us. And if this be ſo, then the Promiſes of the Goſpel do not only ſeem to be Conditional, but are really ſo. And it is a wonder that any Man ſhould doubt of this, who conſiders how frequently in the New Teſtament the Goſpel is repreſented to us under the notion of a Covenant, ſince a Covenant in the very nature of it doth imply a mutual Obligation between the Parties that enter into it. But if the Goſpel contain only Bleſſings which are promiſed on God's part, without any thing required to be done and performed on our part, in order to the obtaining of thoſe Bleſſings, then the Goſpel is nothing elſe but a Promiſe, or Deed of Gift, making over certain Benefits and Bleſſings to us; but can in no propriety of Language in the World be called a Covenant: But if there be ſome things required on our part, in order to our being made partakers of the Promiſes which God hath made to us (as the Scripture every where tells us there is) then the Promiſes are plainly Conditional. To inſtance in the Promiſe of Forgiveneſs of Sins; Repent, that your Sins may be blotted out; that is, upon this Condition that ye Repent of your Sins, they ſhall be forgiven; and not otherwiſe. Can there be any plainer Condition in the World, than is in thoſe Words of our Saviour? If ye forgive Men their Treſpaſſes, your Hea…enly Father will alſo forgive your Treſpaſſes; but if ye forgive not Men their Treſpaſſes, neither will your Heavenly Father forgive your Treſpaſſes.
This is ſo far from being any prejudice to the freeneſs of Gods grace, who is infinitely gracious in offering ſuch great Bleſſings to us upon any Condition that we can perform; yet it were one of the abſurdeſt things in the World, to imagine that God ſhould grant to Men forgiveneſs of Sins, and Eternal Life, let them behave themſelves as they Will.
Fourthly, The laſt thing I propoſed for the explaining of this Doctrine of the Promiſes of God, was, to conſider when Men may be ſaid to have a right to theſe Promiſes, ſo as to be able upon good grounds to apply them to themſelves? And the Anſwer to this is very plain and eaſie; namely, when they find the Conditions of theſe Promiſes in themſelves; and not till then.
When a Man hath truly repented of his Sins, ſo as to forſake them, and lead a new Life; and when he does from his heart forgive thoſe that have offended him, and hath laid down all animoſity againſt them, and thoughts of Revenge, then hath he a right to the Promiſe of Pardon and Forgiveneſs, and may apply to himſelf in particular what the Scripture ſaith in general, that God will blot out all his Tranſgreſſions, and remember his Iniquities no more. When a Man doth conſtantly and earneſtly implore the aſſiſtance of God's Holy Spirit, and is ready to yield to the motions of it, and does faithfully make uſe of that ſtrength and aſſiſtance which God affords him, then he may expect the continuance of his grace, and further degrees of it. When a Man makes it the conſtant and ſinſincere endeavour of his Life, to pleaſe God, and to walk in all the Ordinances and Commandments of the Lord blameleſs, and is effectually taught by the grace of God to deny ungodlineſs, and worldly luſts, and to live ſoberly, and righteouſly, and godlily in this preſent World, then he may with comfort and joy wait for the bleſſed hope, and the glorious appearance of the great God, and our Saviour Jeſus Chriſt; then he may with confidence depend upon God, in ſure and certain hope of that Eternal Life, which God, that cannot lie, hath promiſed. When he can ſay with St. Paul, I have fought a good fight, I have finiſhed my courſe, I have kept the faith, then he may likewiſe triumph, as he did, henceforth there is laid up for me a Crown of Righteouſneſs, which God the Righ…eous Judge ſhall give me in that day.
Upon theſe terms, and in theſe Caſes, Men may upon good grounds apply to themſelves theſe exceeding great and precious Promiſes of the Goſpel; and ſo far as any Man is doubtful and uncertain of the performance of the Conditions which the Goſpel requires, ſo far he muſt neceſſarily queſtion his Right and Title to the Bleſſings promiſed. And if any Man think this Doctrine too uncomfortable, and be willing to reject it upon this account, I ſhall only ſay this, that Men may cheat themſelves, if they pleaſe, but moſt certainly they will never find any true and ſolid Comfort in any other. This is a plain and ſenſible account of a Mans Confidence and good hopes in the Promiſes of God; but for a Man to apply any Promiſe to himſelf, before he finds the Condition in himſelf, is not Faith, but either Fancy, or Preſumption.
And therefore it is a very prepoſterous courſe which many take, to adviſe and exhort Men, with ſo much earneſtneſs, to apply the Promiſes of God to themſelves, and to tell them that they are guilty of great unbelief in not doint it. That which is proper to exhort Men to, is to …ndeavour to perform the Condition upon which God hath promiſed any Bleſſing to us; and when Men find the Condition in themſelves, they will without any great perſwaſion take Comfort from the Promiſe, and apply it to themſelves; but till they diſcern the Condition in themſelves, it is impoſſible for a Man that underſtands himſelf, to apply the Promiſe to himſelf; for till the Condition be performed, he hath no more right to the Promiſe, than if ſuch a Promiſe had never been made. And 'tis ſo far from being a Sin in ſuch a Man, to doubt of the benefit of ſuch a Promiſe, that it is his Duty to do ſo; and no Man that underſtands himſelf, and the Promiſes of God, can poſſibly do otherwiſe.
Therefore 'tis a vain and groundleſs trouble which perplexeth many People, that they cannot apply the Promiſes of God to themſelves; whereas the true ground of their trouble ſhould be this, that they have not been careful to perform the Condition of thoſe Promiſes which they would apply to themſelves; the other is an endleſs trouble; let them but look to the Condition, and the Promiſe will apply it ſelf. I ſpeak all this on purpoſe to free Men from thoſe perplexities wherewith many have entangled themſelves, by falſe apprehenſions of the Promiſes of God, either as if they were not made to us upon certain Conditions to be performed by us, or as if any Man could comfortably apply them to himſelf, before he hath performed thoſe Conditions upon which God hath made ſuch Promiſes. For if Men will believe that which is not true, or expect things upon ſuch terms as they are not to be had, they may trouble themſelves Eternally, and all the World cannot help it.
I have now done with the Firſt thing I propounded to ſpeak to, namely the Promiſes which are here ſpoken of. The Second thing, (viz.) what Influence theſe Promiſes ought to have upon us, that by them we may be made Partakers of a Divine Nature, I ſhall reſerve to another Opportunity.