Commentary on the Gospels and Acts, Commentary 1 · Chapter 7 · Verse 25
Verse 25. And the rain descended, and the flouds came, &c.]
Many are the troubles of the righteous: they come commonlyforeign. … & …, brevior … Sen. … est propriè … a … seu …. … a … …. …. thick and three-fold, one in the neck of another, as Jobs messengers. The clouds return after the rain, …. 12. 2. there is a continuall succession of miseries and molestations, from the devil, the world, and the flesh, to them that hear and do the words of …: like the weather in winter, when a showr or two do not clear the air, but though it rain much, yet the sky is still over-… with clouds, which are … upon the Saints, sometimes in … and lighter …, as the smaller rain, sometimes in pressing and piercing calamities, like storm and hail: The rain fals, … flouds rise, the winde blows, and many a sharp showr beats upon the Christians building; but like Noahs Ark, it is pitcht within and without: like Mount Sion, it abides for ever immoveable, … founded upon the Rock of ages. Si nos ruemus, ruet Christus …, Ille … mundi, said that noble Luther. If we …, Christ shall fall too, that Ruler of the world: and … him fall: I had rather…. … with Christ, then stand with Caesar. The devil stirs up a … against Gods children, saith Ambrose, Sedipse naufragium …, but himself maketh ship wrack. The Church, according to that … Motto. Nec fluctu, nec … movetur: and yet Venice hath but one street (they say) that is not daily over-flowed by the sea.
And it fell not.]
Saving grace is unleesable, though it may be impaired in the degrees, and may recoyl to the root, as sap doth in winter. Christ lives in the hearts of all his Saints, Gal. 2. 20. and can die no more, Rom. 6. 10. Die he may as well at the right hand of his father, as in the heart of a Christian.
Object. A weak brother, for whom Christ died, may perish, 1 Cor. 8. 11.
Sol. No thank to us, if he do not; who, by scandalous courses offend and wound his conscience: but Christ will not lose him so.
Object. There are that deny the Lord that bought them,Destrui potest, ex parte, per interveniens scandalum: quod & verbum foreign aliquo modo denotat, non distrahi penitus ca…, &c. 2 Pet. 2. 1.
Sol. Bought they were by Christ in their own conceit, and in the esteem of others, but it proved otherwise. Or, they were bought, that is, delivered, in a generall sense (so the word here used, often signifieth) from their superstition to the knowledge of salvation (I say not to saving knowledge) whereby they might preach to others, themselves being cast-awaies. God hathD. Prideaux, Lect. charged Christ, as Mediatour, to see to the keeping of the bodies and souls of all true believers, Joh. 6. 39. 40. And he faithfully performed it. Those thou gavest me I have kept, saith he, and none of them is lost, Joh. 17. 12.
Christ makes exception of one that was lost, Ibid.Ob.
That shews he was never of his body: for can he be a Saviour ofSol. a son of perdition?
Why is he then excepted?Ob.
1. Because he seemed to be one of Christs, by reason of hisSol. office.
2. He speaketh there in particular of the twelve: and to be an Apostle, was, in it self, but an outward calling.
Christians may lose the things that they have wrought,Ob. Joh. 2. 8.
1. Temporaries may, and doe; and of them it may be understood,Sol. verse 9.
2. True Christians may: 1. In respect of the praise of men: All their former honour may be laid in the dust. 2. In regard of the inward sense and comfort, as David, Psal. 32. & 51. 3. In respect of the fulnesse of the reward in heaven, their glory may be much lessened by their fals.
A righteous man may turn from his righteousnesse, and die,Ob. Ezek. 18. 24.
From his righteousnesse imparted, or that of sanctification, heSol. may turn in part, and for a time, and die a temporall death for his offence, as Josiah: Not so from his righteousnesse imputed, or that of justification, so as to die eternally. Or the holy Ghost mayGal. 1. so speak, as of a thing impossible: as, if an Angel from heaven should preach any other Doctrine, &c. which cannot possibly be. So that this text concludes not categorically. The Comforter shall abide with us for ever, Joh. 14. 16. It is called an earnest, not a pawn. A pawn is to be returned again; but an earnest is part and pledge of the whole sum.
What need then so many exhortations to perseverance?Quest.
1. True grace in it self is leesable, in respect of us, whoAns. should fall from it, as Adam; but we are kept by the power and promise of God to salvation; and we need Christs lefthand to be under us, and his right-hand over us to clasp and hold us up. He keepeth the feet of the Saints, and preserves us 1 Sam. 2. 9.from all such evil, as may frustrate our perseverance, 2 Thess. 3. 3. 1 Joh. 5. 18.
2. By these exhortations, as means, Gods grace is promoted, and preserved in us.
3. We are but in part renued, and are apt to backflide; if we row not hard, winde and tide will carry us back again. Heed therefore must be taken, that we look not back with Lots wife;Gen 37 3. that our Jacobs-ladder may reach to heaven; that our oyl fail not,Exod. 2…. 8. till the bride-groom come; that our coat reach down to our heels,Exod. 29 12. as Josephs, and the high-Priests did; that we sacrifie the beastforeign. with the tail; that we keep in this fire of the Sanctuary; or, if it2 …m. 1. 6. slackt, that we rake it out of the ashes, and blow it up again into a flame; that we turn not again, as we walk, with those livingD… 33. creatures, Ezek 1 12. nor be like Nebuchadnezzars image, thatG…l 3. began in gold, and ended in clay; that we begin not in the spirit, and end in the flesh: that we go not backward, as Hezekiahs Psal. 19 4.Sun, nor stand at a stay, as Joshuah's, but rejoyce toProv. 4 18. runne our race, as Davids; and goe on to the perfect day, as ,Ioshuah's ….&c.