Sixteen Sermons, Sermon 13
The Second 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.
I Made entrance into theſe words the laſt Day, in the handling whereof I propoſed to do theſe two things.
Firſt, To 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 partakers of a Divine Nature.
The firſt of theſe I have done with, and proceed now to the
Second, viz. The Influence which theſe Promiſes ought to have upon us; Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious Promiſes, that by theſe ye might be partakers of a Divine Nature. Not that we can partake of the Eſſence and Nature of God, as ſome have blaſphemouſly affirmed, pretending, in their canting and ſenſeleſs Language, to be Godded with God, and Chriſted with Chriſt. In this ſenſe it is impoſſible for us to partake of the Divine Nature; for this would be for Men to become Gods, and to be advanced to the State and Perfection of the Deity. But the word foreign doth frequently in Scripture ſignifie a temper and diſpoſition; and to be partakers of a Divine Nature, is to be of a Divine Temper and Diſpoſition, to have our Corrupt Natures rectified and purged from all ſinful Luſts, and irregular Paſſions, and from all Vicious and Corrupt Affections; and therefore it follows in the Text, having eſcaped the Corruption that is in the World through Luſt; and beſides this, giving all diligence, add to your Faith Virtue, and to Virtue Knowledge, and to Knowledge Temperance, and to Temperance Patience, and to Patience Godlineſs, and to Godlineſs Brotherly-kindneſs, and to Brotherly-kindneſs Charity. So that we are made partakers of a Divine Nature, as the Apoſtle here explains it, theſe two ways; by cleanſing our ſelves from the Luſts of the Fleſh, which the Apoſtle here calls the corruption or defilement which is in the World through Luſt; and by a diligent endeavour after all Chriſtian Graces, and Virtues, Faith, and Temperance, and Patience, a ſincere love of the Brethren, and an Univerſal Charity and goodwill towards all Men.
And that this is the proper influence and efficacy of the great Promiſes of the Goſpel upon the hearts and lives of Men, the Apoſtle St. Paul fully declares to us, 2 Cor. 7. 1. Having th…refore theſe Promiſes, Dearly Beloved, let us cleanſe our ſelves from all filthineſs of the Fleſh, and Spirit; that is, from the luſts of the Fleſh, and of uncleanneſs, and from all evil and corrupt affections of the Mind, ſuch as Wrath, Envy, Malice, Hatred, Strife, Revenge, Cruelty, Pride, and the like; perfecting holineſs in the fear of God; that is, continually aſpiring ſtill more and more after further degrees of Holineſs, and Virtue, and goodneſs, which are the great Perfections of the Divine Nature. And thus by a conſtant and ſincere endeavour to cleanſe our ſelves from all impurity of Fleſh and Spirit, and by practiſing all the Virtues of a good Life, we ſhall by degrees raiſe and advance our ſelves to a Godlike temper and diſpoſition, imitating in all our Actions the Goodneſs, and Mercy, and Patience, and Truth, and Faithfulneſs of God, and all thoſe other Perfections of the Divine Nature, which are comprehended und…r the term of Holineſs. This is that which the Apoſtle here calls partaking of a Divine Nature; or, as our Bleſſed Saviour expreſſeth it, to be perfect, as our Father which is in Heaven is perfect.
This the Goſpel deſigns to raiſe us to; and one of the great Inſtruments whereby this is effected, are thoſe exceeding great and precious Promiſes which I have inſiſted upon: And they are capable of effecting it theſe two ways.
Firſt, By way of internal Efficacy and Aſſiſtance; and,
Secondly, By way of external Motive and Argument: Both theſe ways, ſome or other of theſe Promiſes have a mighty influence upon us (if we be not wanting to our ſelves) to raiſe us to a Godlike temper and diſpoſition, that is, to the greateſt perfection of Virtue and Goodneſs which we are capable of in this Life.
Firſt, By way of internal Efficacy and Aſſiſtance. And this influence the Promiſe of God's Holy Spirit, and of the gracious help and aſſiſtance thereof, hath upon the Minds of Men, inclining them to that which is good, and enabling them to do it. For the Holy Spirit is promiſed to us, in conſideration and commiſeration of that impotency and weakneſs which we have contracted in that degenerate and depraved Condition into which Mankind is ſunk; to help us, who are without ſtrength to recover our ſelves, out of that evil and miſerable ſtate into which by wilful tranſgreſſion we are fallen; to quicken us who are dead in Treſpaſſes and Sins, (as the Scripture expreſſeth the Condition of unregenerate Perſons) to raiſe …s to a new Life, and to cheriſh this Principle of Spiritual Life, which is commonly weak at firſt, and to carry it through alldiſcouragements and oppoſitions; to excite us continually to our Duty, and to enable us to the moſt difficult parts of Obedience, ſuch as are moſt contrary to our natural inclinations, and againſt the grain of fleſh and blood, to bear down the ſtrength of Sin and Temptation; and in all our Conflicts with the World, and the Fleſh, the Devil, and all the Powers of Darkneſs, to make us victorious over them; and, in a word, to be a Principle within us, more mighty and powerful than the Luſts and Inclinations of our evil Hearts, than the moſt obſtinate and inveterate habits of Sin and Vice, and than all the Temptations and Terrors of ſenſe. So that if we will make uſe of this aſſiſtance, and lay hold of this ſtrength which God affords us in the Goſpel, and (as the Apoſtle expreſſeth it) be workers together with God, we need not deſpair of Victory and Succeſs; for our ſtrength will continually encreaſe, and the force and violence of our Luſts will be abated, God will give us more grace, and we ſhall walk from ſtrength to ſtrength, and our path will be (as Solomon ſays of the way of the Righteous) as the light which ſhines more and more unto the perfect day.
For the Holy Spirit of God conducts and manageth this great work of our Sanctification and Salvation from firſt to laſt, by opening our Hearts to let in the light of Divine Truth upon our Minds, by repreſenting to us with advantage ſuch Arguments and Conſiderations as are apt to perſwade us to embrace it, and yield to it; by ſecret and gentle reprehenſions, ſoftning our hard hearts, and b…nding our ſtiff and ſtubborn Wills to a compliance with the Will of God, and our Duty. And this is that great Work which the Scripture calls our Regeneration, and Sanctification, the turning us from darkneſs to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, a new Creation, and a Reſurrection from the Death of Sin, to the Life of Holineſs. And then by leading and directing us in the ways of Holineſs and Obedience; by quickning our Devotion, and ſtirring up in us Holy Deſires and Diſpoſitions of Soul, rendring us fit to draw near to God in Prayer, with a due ſenſe of our own wants and unworthineſs, and an humble Confidence in the goodneſs of God, that he will grant us thoſe good things that we ask of him; in ſupporting and comforting us in all our Afflictions and Sufferings, eſpecially for Truth and Righteouſneſs ſake; and by Sealing and Confirming to us the Bleſſed Hopes of Eternal Life. Thus the Spirit of God carries on the Work of our Sanctification, and makes us Partakers of a Divine Nature, by way of inward efficacy and aſſiſtance.
Secondly, The Promiſes of the Goſpel are apt likewiſe to have a mighty influence upon us by way of Motive and Argument, to engage and encourage us to cleanſe our ſelves from all filthineſs of fleſh and Spirit, and to perfect holineſs in the fear of God. For,
Firſt, A full Pardon and Indemnity for what is paſt, is a mighty encouragement for us to return to our Duty, and a forcible Argument to keep us to it for the future. For ſince God, who hath been ſo highly injured and affronted by us, is ſo willing and ready to forgive us, as not only to provide and purchaſe for us the Means of our Pardon, by the grievous Sufferings of his dear Son, but to offer it ſo freely, and invite us ſo earneſtly to accept of it, and to be reconciled to him; the Conſideration of this ought in all Reaſon, Ingenuity, and Gratitude, to melt us into Sorrow and Repentance for our Sins, and a deep ſenſe of the evil of them, and to enflame our hearts with a mighty love to God, and our bleſſed Redeemer, who hath loved us, and waſhed us from our ſins in his own blood; And to make us extreamly unwilling, nay moſt firmly reſolved never more to offend that merciful and gracious God, who is ſo ſlow to puniſh, and ſo forward to forgive; and effectually to engage us to a dutiful and conſtant and chea…ful Obedience to God's holy Laws and Commandments, leſt by our wilful tranſgreſſion and violation of them, we ſhould run our ſelves into a deeper guilt, and aggravate our Condemnation. Now that by the tender Mercies of our God we are made whole, we ſhould be infinitely afraid to ſin any more, leſt worſe things come to us; leſt we relapſe into a more incurable ſtate, and bring a heavier load of guilt and miſery upon our ſelves.
Secondly, The Promiſe of God's Grace and Holy Spirit is likewiſe a very powerful Argument and Encouragement to Holineſs, and Goodneſs, engaging us to cleanſe our ſelves from all filthineſs of fleſh and ſpirit, that our Souls and Minds may be a fit Temple for the Holy Ghoſt, which will not dwell in an impure Soul: And likewiſe Encouraging us hereto, by this Conſideration, that we have ſo unerring a Guide to Counſel and Direct us, ſo Powerful an Aſſiſtant to ſtrengthen us with all might in the Inner Man, to ſtand by us in all our Conflicts with Sin and Satan, and to make us (as the Apoſtle expreſſeth it) more than Conquerours over all our Spiritual Enemies. For tho' we be weak, and our Luſts ſtrong, our Enemies many, and Temptations mighty and violent; yet we need not be diſheartned, ſo long as we know that God is with us, and the Grace of his Holy Spirit ſufficient for us, againſt all the ſtrength of Sin, and Hell; tho' our Duty be hard, and our ſtrength ſmall, yet we cannot fail of ſucceſs, if we be ſure that the Omnipotent grace of God is always ready to ſecond our ſincere, tho' never ſo weak, Endeavours. So that when we ſee all the Enemies of our Salvation drawn up in array againſt us, we may encourage our ſelves, as the Prophet Eliſha did his Servant, when he told him that an Hoſt compaſſed the City with Horſes and Chariots, and ſaid, Alas! my Maſter, how ſhall we do? And he anſwered, fear not, for they that be with us, are more than they that be with them, 2 King. 6. 16. Or, as Hezekiah Comforted the People, when they were afraid of the mighty force of the King of Aſſyria, 2 Chron. 32. 7, 8. Be ſtrong and couragious, be not afraid nor diſmayed for the King of Aſſyria, nor for all the multitude that is with him: For there be more with us, than with him. With him is an arm of fleſh, but with us is the Lord our God, to help us, and to fight for us. This is the Caſe of every Chriſtian; the force that is againſt us is finite and limited; but the Almighty God is on our ſide, and fights for us; and every one of us may ſay with St. Paul, Philip. 4. 13. I can do all things through Chriſt which ſtrengthneth me.
Thirdly, The Promiſe of Eternal Life and Happineſs, if duly weighed and conſidered, hath a mighty force in it to take us off from the Love and Practice of Sin, and to encourage our Obedience, and patient continuance in well-doing. The aſſurance of enjoying unſpeakable and endleſs Happineſs in another World, and of eſcaping extream and eternal Miſery, is a Conſideration of that weight, as one would think could not fail of its efficacy upon us, to put all temptations to Sin out of countenance, and to bear down before us all the difficulties and diſcouragements in the way of our Duty. And if this make no impreſſion upon us, if Heaven and Hell be of no weight with us, it will be in vain to uſe any other Arguments, which in Compariſon of this, are but as the very ſmall duſt upon the balance. For if on the one hand the hopes of perfect Comfort, and Joy, and Felicity, perpetual in duration, and vaſt beyond all imagination, ſuch as …ye hath not ſeen, nor ear heard, nor hath entred into the heart of Man to conceive: And if on the other hand, the dread of the terrible wrath of God, and of the vengance of Eternal Fire, together with the inſupportable torments of a guilty Conſcience, and the perpetual ſtings of bitter remorſe and anguiſh for the wilful folly of our wicked Lives, and the rage of horrible deſpair of ever getting out of ſo miſerable a State; If neither of theſe Conſiderations, if both of them will not prevail upon us to ceaſe to be evil, and to reſolve to be good, that we may obtain one of theſe Conditions, and may eſcape the other; there is no hope that any words that can be uſed, any Arguments and Conſiderations that can be offered, ſhould work upon us, or take place with us. He that is not to be tempted by ſuch hopes, nor to be terrified by ſuch fears, is proof againſt all the force of perſwaſion in the World.
And thus I have done with the two things which I propoſed to conſider from theſe words; the Nature of theſe Promiſes, and the Influence they are apt, and ought to have upon us, to raiſe us to the perfection of Virtue and Goodneſs, which the Apoſtle here calls our being Partakers of a Divine Nature. All that now remains is, to make ſome uſeful Reflections upon what hath been diſcourſed upon theſe two Heads.
Firſt of all, If we expect the Bleſſings and Benefits of theſe exceeding great and precious Promiſes of the Goſpel, we muſt be careful to perform the Conditions which are indiſpenſably required on our parts. It is a great miſtake, and of very pernicious conſequence to the Souls of Men, to imagine that the Goſpel is all Promiſes on God's part; and that our part is only to believe them, and to rely upon God for the performance of them, and to be very confident that he will make them good, tho' we do nothing elſe but only believe that he will do ſo. That the Chriſtian Religion is only a Declaration of God's good will to us, without any expectation of Duty from us; this is an Error which one could hardly think could ever enter into any who have the liberty to read the Bible, and do attend to what they read, and find there.
The Three great Promiſes of the Goſpel are all very expreſly contain'd in our Saviour's firſt Sermon upon the Mount. There we find the Promiſe of Bleſſedneſs often repeated; but never abſolutely made, but upon Certain Conditions, and plainly required on our parts; As Repentance, Humility, Righteouſneſs, Mercy, Peaceableneſs, Meekneſs, Patience. Forgiveneſs of Sins is likewiſe Promiſed; but only to thoſe that make a Penitent acknowledgment of them, and ask Forgiveneſs for them, and are ready to grant that Forgiveneſs to others, which they beg of God for themſelves. The gift of God's Holy Spirit is likewiſe there Promiſed; but it is upon Condition of our earneſt and importunate Prayer to God. The Goſpel is every where full of Precepts, enjoyning Duty and Obedience on our part, as well as of Promiſes on God's part, aſſuring Bleſſings to us; nay of terrible threatnings alſo, if we diſobey the Precepts of the Goſpel. St. Paul gives us the ſumm of the Goſpel in very few and plain words, declaring upon what terms we may expect that Salvation which the Goſpel offers to all Men, Tit. 2. 11, 12, 13, 14. The grace of God which bringeth Salvation hath appeared to all Men; teaching us, that denying ungodlineſs and worldly Luſts, we ſhould live ſoberly, and righteouſly, and godly in this preſent world, looking for that bleſſed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God, and our Saviour Jeſus Chriſt; Who gave himſelf for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and puriſie unto himſelf a peculiar People, zealous of good works. And then he adds, Theſe things ſpeak and exhort, and rebuke with all authority; Intimating, that tho' Men were very averſe to this Doctrine, it ought to be inculcated with great Authority and Earneſtneſs, and thoſe who oppoſed and deſpiſed it, to be ſeverely rebuked: And with great Reaſon, becauſe the contrary Doctrine does moſt effectually undermine and defeat the whole Deſign of the Chriſtian Religion.
Secondly, From hence we learn, that if the Promiſes of the Goſpel have not this effect upon us, to make us Partakers of a Divine Nature, it is our own fault, and becauſe we are wanting to our ſelves. God is always ready to do his part; if we do not fail in ours. There is a Divine Power and Efficacy goes along with the Goſpel, to make way for the entertainment of it in the hearts of Men, where they put no bar and obſtacle to it. But if Men will reſiſt the Motions of God's Bleſſed Spirit, and quench the light of it, and obſtinately hold out againſt the force of Truth; God will withdraw his Grace and Holy Spirit from them. The Goſpel would raiſe us to the perfection of all virtue and goodneſs; and the Promiſes of it are admirably fitted to relieve the infirmities and weakneſs of Humane Nature, and to renew us after the Image of God, in Righteouſneſs, and true Holineſs; to take us off from Sin and Vice, and to allure us to Goodneſs; and to aſſiſt and encourage us in the practice of it: But if we will not comply with the gracious Deſign of God in the Goſpel, and ſuffer theſe Promiſes to have their due influence and efficacy upon us; we wilfully deprive our ſelves of all the Bleſſings and Benefits of it, we reject the Counſel of God againſt our ſelves, and receive the Grace of God in vain; and and by rejecting and deſpiſing his Promiſes, we provoke him to execute his Threatnings upon us.
Thirdly, and Laſtly, If the Promiſes of the Chriſtian Religion are apt in their own Nature to work this great effect upon us, to make us like to God, and to bring us to ſo near a reſemblance of the Divine Perfections, to make us Good, and Juſt, and Merciful, and Patient, and Holy in all manner of Converſation, to purge us from our Iniquities, and to make us a Peculiar and Excellent People, zealous of good works; I ſay if this be the proper tendency of the Goſpel, and the Promiſes of it, how doth this upbraid the degenerate ſtate of the Chriſtian World at this day? which does ſo abound in all kind of Wickedneſs and Impiety; ſo that we may cry out as he did, upon reading the Goſpel; Profectò aut hoc non eſt Evangelium; aut nos non ſumus Evangelici; Either this is not the Goſpel which we read, and the Chriſtian Religion which we profeſs; or we are no Chriſtians. We are ſo far from that pitch of goodneſs and Virtue which the Chriſtian Religion is apt to raiſe Men to, and which the Apoſtle here calls the Divine Nature, that a great part of us are degenerated into Beaſts and Devils, wallowing in abominable and filthy Luſts, indulging our ſelves in thoſe Deviliſh Paſſions of Malice and Hatred, of Strife and Diſcord, of Revenge and Cruelty, of Sedition, and Diſturbance of the Publick Peace, to that degree, as if the Grace of God had never appeared to us to teach us the contrary. And therefore it concerns all thoſe who have the face to call themſelves Chriſtians, to demean themſelves at another rate, and for the Honour of their Religion, and the Salvation of their own Souls, to have their Converſation as becometh the Goſpel of Chriſt; and by departing from the Vicious practices of this preſent Evil World, to do what in them lies to prevent the Judgments of God which hang over us; or if they cannot do that, to ſave themſelves from this untoward Generation.