Forty Sermons, Sermon 20
SERMON XX. ON 2 PET. 1. 4.
AND ſhould it be here asked what thoſe means are which Queſt. we ſhould make uſe of whereby to attain to this high honour and happineſs?
I muſt anſwer, that all that we of our ſelves can do as to any Anſ. inward worth or efficacy operative of ſo great an effect, is juſt nothing. We that can do nothing to make our ſelves men, ſurely can do as little to make our ſelves men of God; can leſs concur to the producing of this Divine nature, than we did to our humane: both are a Creation, and therefore the work of God only: but yet ſo as we are to make our addreſſes to him for the one now that we have a natural being, which we could not for the other when he had none.
And here as the Divine nature eſſentially conſidered in God is common to all th… …hree perſons, ſo this communicated ſymbolical Divine nature in us is the common work of them all, and therefore to them all we are to make our applications for it.
1. To God the Father, who as he is Fons Deitatis, and communicates Means.that Divine nature to the Son and the ſpirit, ſo he is Fons Gratiae, and through the Son by the Spirit imparts this Divine nature to all his children. It was his breath that breathed into Adam at firſt that ſoul in which eſpecially was his image, and it muſt be his breathing ſtill that muſt breath into our hearts that divine grace in which conſiſts that his image renewed and this Divine nature. God our Creatour is the Author of this new Creature.
And here the means of it on our parts is by humble and earneſt prayer to breath after him for it, as the dying man gaſpeth for breath that is going away, or rather as the dry earth gapeth for heavens rain and influence which it wanteth, and ſo in this ſyſtole and diaſtole upon the out-breathing of our ſouls and deſires followeth in God's way the breathing in of this Divine breath of life, the quickning ſpirit by which we are made ſpiritual living ſouls. In this caſe it was ſaid of Saul, Behold he prayeth, Acts 9. 11.
For, although it be true, that the prayers of the wicked, whilſt they purpoſe to go on in ſin, are an abomination to the Lord;Prov. 28. 9.
And as true that the prayer of any in an eſtate of corrupt nature, as it cometh from ſuch is ſo defiled, that in regard of any worth in it inſtead of meriting an anſwer it juſtly deſerveth a denial. Whereupon our Antinomians and others do wickedly forbid ſuch to pray:
Yet in ſuch ſinners that lie under the burden of ſin and miſery and are looking out for help and mercy; to look up to God in prayer for it,
A it is the homage which is due from the creature to its Creatour, and ſo to be tendred to him;
So it is the way ordained by God, in and by which the creature in want and miſery may come to receive mercy. Which therefore God commands, and that to a Simon Magus, and that upon only a Perhaps to receive mercy, Act. 8. 22. pray God if perhaps the thought of thy heart may be forgiven thee.
And which therefore in obedience to ſuch a command to perform, is (both in God's intention and ordination on his part, and as to the happy ſucceſs and event on …ur parts) the direct ſutable and ſucceſsful means of our obtaining as all other mercies, ſo of this which is one of the chief of all, of being made partakers of the Divine nature, and that upon a double account.
1. As in a way of moral cauſality it prevaileth with God, and through his indulgence procureth of him the grant of this ineſtimable gift of the new creature, this divine nature, as Manaſſeh in this caſe by his prayer prevailed with God for his return both from his ſin and captivity together, 2 Chron. 33. 12, 13. and ſo ſtill, the child is born crying:
2. So alſo in a kind of phyſical efficiency (as I may call it) In the very act of praying we ſo nearly converſe with God that by looking up to him we are made like him: as the ſtung Iſraelite by looking to the Brazen Serpent was healed, and Moſes by near approaches to God and communing with him on the Mount had irradiations of his glory reflected on him; ſo in near and frequent addreſſes to God by prayer there is much communication of God by ſuch cloſe communion with him. Papiſts are wont to picture their Saints praying with a Glory on their head; but true Saints that are much with God have much of God and his glorious grace on their hearts, and none more than thoſe that come into his preſence oftneſt, get neareſt and keep cloſeſt. Our Saviour when he was praying in the Mount was transfigured, Luke 9. 29. Nor are we ever more transformed into the image of God and Chriſt, than when we have got up our hearts higheſt and neareſt in that duty. Be much therefore with God our Father in prayer for this mercy.
2. Make neareſt applications to Chriſt the Son and our Saviour by faith in his promiſes, for
By the promiſes (we read in the Text) we come to be partakers of the divine nature: which when ſealed to us, there is an impreſs of Chriſt ſtamped on us. And Chriſt is wrapt up in thoſe promiſes, who as in his Incarnation was made partaker of our nature, ſo by him and his grace alone we are made partakers of his.
And faith is the eye and hand which ſeeth and taketh hold of Chriſt in the promiſes, and ſo by beholding him in that glaſs, as intellectus fit idem cum objecto, we come to be changed (as we heard) into the ſame image from glory to glory. There is an image of the thing ſeen in the eye that looks on it, and we by faith wiſtly eying of Chriſt have his image ſo imprinted on us, that we prove no longer like our ſelves. As the wiſe men, Matth. 2. when they had ſeen him, turn'd back another way, v. 12. So they that by him are made wiſe to Salvation, never ſavingly ſaw him, but went away with another heart, not their former ſelves, but changed into another, that is to ſay, this divine nature.
To theſe promiſes and Chriſt in them apply we our ſelves; for it's from his fulneſs (as before we heard) that we muſt only receive grace for grace, grace in us anſwerable to the grace in him.
And content we not our ſelves with moral and Philoſophical conſiderations as able to work ſuch a change. Gehazi may lay 2 King. 4. 31.the ſtaff on the child's face, and no life come: the water will not riſe higher than from whence it deſcended. Nature in its higheſt elevations will not be able of it ſelf to riſe up to ſaving grace, nor will any moral ſpeculations or qualifications lift us up to a divine nature. Chriſt is the fountain-head. He came down from heaven to work it, and therefore to him in heaven by faith muſt we riſe up, if ever we would have it wrought in us.
3. And to the ſpirit of Chriſt, for this changing into the ſame image (as we alſo heard) is by the ſpirit of the Lord, 2 Cor. 3. 18. It was this ſpirit that breathed the image of God into us in Gen. 2. 7.our firſt creation, and it muſt be the ſame ſpirit that muſt breath into us this new life, the finger of this ſpirit, that only can draw upon us theſe fair and lovely characters and lineaments of this Divine image; the ſpirit of regeneration that muſt beget us to this new nature.
And therefore here again reſt not in higheſt either natural or moral conſiderations; they are but airy, and their birth will be anſwerable, prove abortions, or like that of the Spaniſh mares which (they ſay) conceive by breathing in the South-wind, but their Foals (they ſay too) preſently languiſh and die, and ſo (at laſt to be ſure) will all ſuch births of our own begetting.
Eſpecially take heed of grieving and reſiſting the ſpirit in theſe his Divine workings. If the child would be born, if it cannot further its own birth, let it not hinder it by working backward; becauſe it is God that worketh in us both to will and to do, let us Phil. 2. 12, 13.not marr his work, but in and by his ſtrength work out our own ſalvation, by not being flints to God, but as wax to yield to, and to receive his Divine impreſſions. Thus applying our ſelves to God this happy work may and will be wrought, and rather than fail, God can make even afflictions a means to effect it, that what are in themſelves foreign common to men may further this Divine 1 Cor. 10. 13.nature, and (as the ball) ſtruck down to the earth in the rebound riſe as high as heaven. So by them we are made partakers of his holineſs, Heb. 12. 10. (and that is no leſs than to be partakers of the divine nature) and whilſt we ſo ſuffer, Peter ſaith, the ſpirit of glory, yea and of God reſteth upon us; and ſo moſt happy participations of the divine glory and nature are communicated to us. Never was more of God ſeen in any, than in the Martyrs by the light of the fires they were conſumed in.
Thus upon theſe conſiderations and in the uſe of theſe and the like means, our firſt duty is to endeavour to come to be partakers of this divine nature.
2. And then ſecondly walk worthy of it, and anſwerable to it, that we ſhew forth the vertues of God, as our Apoſtle exhorted chap. 2. v. 9. of the former Epiſtle, that in our ſpirits and carriages more of God may appear than of our ſelves; as in redhot iron there is more fire ſeen than iron. Otherwiſe whilſt the As every thing in the firſt Creation brought forth fruit according to its kind, Gen. 1. 11, 12. ſo in this new Creation, let us in our kind. And as thorns bring not forth grapes nor thiſtles figs, corrupt nature nothing that is good; ſo let not the good fig-tree bring forth bad figs, or the vine ſoure grapes, but ſuch as becomes its kind and Gods planting.Sons of God walk like other children of men, expreſs as much corruption, and as little grace, whilſt (according to the Text) we ſay and preach that they are partakers of the divine nature, men will be ready to think that the Citizens of Zion, and of Plato's Commonwealth are much a-kin if not the ſame; but Ideas and fancies, and like as the Painters pictures of Angels, and the Papiſts of the Virgin Mary, in which they intend not to make them like, but only brave and beautiful: ſo we ſay rather what they ſhould be than what they are, but (it may be) the quite contrary, as Polydor Virgil obſerves that their Popes had uſually names given them which were quite contrary to their temper and practice: but although Art may paint, yet Nature is real, and therefore if thou ſayeſt that thou art partaker of this divine Nature; loquere ut videam, ſay, and then do and be what may really and ſubſtantially prove and manifeſt it, otherwiſe an Ape will be an Ape though with a childs coat put upon it, and (as it is in the ſtory) will ſhew as much when almonds are caſt before it. Naturam expellas furcâ licèt, &c. Nature may be diſguiſed and diſſembled for a while and for ends, and upon deſign thou maiſt mask and keep it in, but it will out; ſo will corrupt nature, and ſo will the Divine too, which we ſhould labour what we can to exert and manifeſt, and that ſo evidently and fully that both our ſelves and others may be convinced that what we are or do can proceed from no lower a principle. By wallowing in ſenſual luſts and pleaſures we take part with the beaſt: to be proud, envious, blaſphemous and malicious, is to partake of the Devil; that is brutiſh, this deviliſh; to be kind and courteous is indeed humanity, but if there be no more, it falleth exceeding ſhort of the Divine Nature and our walking up to it and worthy of it.
That in general is a more full imitation of God and Chriſt, and Imitatores Divinae bonitatis, nam foreign vox ad Dei proprietates pertinet. Grotius in Textum.of his more peculiar properties. When the ſame mind is in us as was in Chriſt, Philip. 2. 5. When humble and meek as he was, when ſpiritual and holy as God who hath called us is holy, Chriſtianiſmus eſt imitatio Divinae Naturae (Nyſſen adv. Ennomium) Chriſtianity in its proper formality is nothing but the imitation of the Divine Nature, and fully to imitate God and Chriſt is in the general both to be partakers of it and to walk worthy of it. In particular I name only three things.
1. Abound in thoſe fruits of the ſpirit, Love, peace, long-ſuffering, gentleneſs, goodneſs, meekneſs, &c. Gal. 5. 22, 23. for whereas the Apoſtle, 1 John 4. 16. ſaith that God is love, it telleth us that love is of his nature, and that therefore he that abounds in love doth abundantly partake of it, even dwelleth in God, and God in him. What they uſe to ſay of forma auguſta, of a goodly Majeſtick Perſonage, is much more true of a loving heart and carriage, multum de coelo trahit; it hath much of Heaven in it, and partakes much of God's Divine Nature and Majeſty, whereas on the contrary, wrath, ſtrife, envy and malice, though ſometimes miſcalled ingenious, the Apoſtle James aſſureth us if it be wiſdom, it is earthly, ſenſual, and deviliſh, Chap. 3. 14, 15, 16. inſtead of Heavens ſerene light, hath much of Hells ſmothered fire in it, much of the Devil, who ſince his fall is of all other of Gods Creatures the moſt troubled and diſcontented himſelf, and is ſo miſchievous thereupon, that his main endeavour is to make others like him, and in nothing more than in theſe helliſh heats, and theſe deviliſh ſour diſtempers. Have therefore, and expreſs much of this grace of love if we would evidence that we partake of the nature of God, the God of love.
2. Labour to get and keep above the World, for Heaven is high above the Earth, and God above the Creature: were we aloft in Heaven what a poor little point would the Earth be in our eye? To God it's leſs than nothing and vanity, Iſa. 40. 17. and were we more like God, the World would have leſs both room and eſteem in our heart, and the greateſt and goodlieſt enjoyments of it (eſpecially in compare with God in Chriſt) would be exilia, vilia, poor little worthleſs nothings, as he ſaith upon the Text Qui C. à Lapide.ſemel ſe in Divinitatem immerſit animus, non niſi Deo & Divinis paſcitur. Were we once as it were ſwallowed up in God we ſhould not be ſo immerſed in theſe miry puddles below: if fed with this Heavenly Manna, we ſhould not ſurfeit on theſe Leeks and Onions of Egypt. This one Meditation (ſaith Calvin on the Text) would abundantly ſuffice, ut mundo renunciantes toti in coelum feramur, to make us overlook and deſpiſe the World, and to have eye and heart up to God and Heaven. Were we partakers of the Divine Nature, and ſo up in Heaven with God, we ſhould be far above the Earth and Worldly contentments.
3. But far higher above Hell in ſinful defilements, which is the third particular of our worthy deportment, anſwerable to ſo high a grandeur and exaltation. This the words immediately following the Text hold out to us, when having ſaid that we are made partakers of the Divine Nature, preſently telling you wherein that conſiſts and appears, he adds, foreign, &c. Cum aufugeritis, or, as Pagnin rendreth it, ſi refugeritis, when you have eſcaped, or if you ſhall flie from the corruption that is in the World through luſt, with the like ſpeed and earneſtneſs that you would fly from fire, ſword, or peſtilence, as the word imports it, and ſome interpret it. Sin is ſtrong and we are weak, and therefore our ſafety is by flying. That is one ſtrong argument for us to fly, but this we Fugiendo Victoria. Eſtins.now ſpeak of is ſtronger. Are we made partakers of the Divine Nature? and what Communion then hath light with darkneſs? or 2 Cor. 6. 14, 15.Chriſt with Belial? or God, or thoſe that are godly with the Devil? Sin makes us like the Beaſt or Devil, and I would not that you ſhould have fellowſhip with Devils, ſaith the Apoſtle, 1 Cor. 10. 20. Sinful luſts are ſenſual, low, baſe, filthy, but God is a moſt pure and holy ſpirit: and truly therefore thoſe that profeſs themſelves to be partakers of his ſpirit and nature, ſhould in this labour to be like him.
Otherwiſe,
Either with Enthuſiaſts to pretend not only to Divinity but even to a Deity, and yet to wallow in all loathſome filthineſs with the foreign, Gnoſticks, and our abominable Ranters, what is it elſe but a piece of Atheiſtical non-ſenſe and blaſphemous contradiction? to make Gods of incarnate Devils, and men believe (what he Pſal. 50. 21. thought) that God is like us whom in ſuch a way we ſo far pretend to?
Or as others ſometimes do, when they have no mind to leave their ſins, to plead that they are but fleſh and blood, not Saints and Angels to be able to abſtain from ſuch luſts, or to be ſo holy as you would have them be; is alſo in a proportionable meaſure alike vain and ſenſeleſs, and to ſuch I only ſay, that if they be but fl…ſh Ex ore tuo, ſerve nequam, out of thine own m…uth will I condemn thee.and blood, they are not as yet partakers of the Divine nature, for that is not carnal, and if they continue ſuch, the Apoſtle tells them they ſhall not inherit the Kingdom of Heaven (1 Cor. 15. 50.) where the holy God is. If thou beeſt ſo far from the grace of an holy Saint, thou art much farther off from the nature of an holy God: and if thou canſt contentedly ſay that thou canſt not perform ſuch duties or abſtain from ſuch ſins, it's but little, it's nothing that thou partakeſt of this honour and happineſs: for where there is a foreign, a Divine Nature as in the Text, there is foreign, as it is in the foregoing-verſe, a Divine Power whereby through Chriſt with Paul thou wilt be able to do all things, Philip. 4. 13. in his ſtrength to grapple with Sin, and Satan, and the World, and through him to prove at laſt more than Conquerour. Rom. 8. 37. De Nat. Serm. 1. Dep…amus veterem h…minem cum actibus ſuis, & adepti participationem generationis Chriſti, carnis renunciemus operibus. Leo ibid. Confiderent peccatores quantum gratiae bonum ob vilem voluptatent amiſerint. Chryſoſtom.And therefore here let me make uſe of Leo's words. Agnoſce dignitatem tuam (O Chriſtiane) & Divinae conſors factus naturae noli in veterem vilitatem degeneri converſatione redire. Heaven born Chriſtian, but art thou indeed made partaker of the Divine Nature? walk then anſwerable to thy birth and breeding, and beſt nature, and by a ſinful life do not degenerate into thy former baſeneſs.
When tempted to ſin, Divine Nature ſhould look at the firſt bluſh of it as from a natural inſtinct, with an holy Antipathy and abhorrency.
A… leaſt when thou thinkeſt of it, reaſon it out of countenance with ſuch thoughts as theſe, ſhall ſuch a man as I do this? with Nehemiah, Cap. 6. 11. Shall I that in my kind and meaſure partake of the nature of God, do the Devils work? Shall I take the members of Chriſt, and make them the members of an harlot? 1 Cor. 6. 15. Nay this Nature of God in me formally forbids it. Doth not even nature it ſelf teach you? So Paul argued againſt mens wearing of long hair, 1 Cor. 11. 14. and doth not this Divine Nature much rather teach men to abſtain from more foul deformities? Sins againſt common nature were the abominations of the Heathens, Rom. 1. 26. and therefore ſins againſt this Divine Nature ſhould be eſteemed more unnatural and abominable to Chriſtians. Thus let the conſideration of this Divine Nature antidote and prevent ſin that it infect not.
But if through our careleſneſs it have, let it however ſtrengthen the heart to expel and eject it, that it kill not. How will nature (till it be overcome) be ſick of bad humours, and thruſt out corruption as a fountain works out pollution? Nature (I ſaid) is a principle of recovery: and ſo will this Divine Nature be alſo from thoſe peccant humours which it's ſometimes oppreſſed with.
But becauſe, as long as we live here, that will be too much and 3. Vide Calvini Inſtit. l. 3. cap. 25. S. 10. ità ſanè ut in hâc vitâ quantuſcunque profectus ſit, longè abſit ab illâ perfectione ſimilitudinis quae idonea erit ad videndum Deum, ſicut dicit Apoſtolus facie ad faciem. Auguſtin. Epiſt. 6. Quam majorem dignitatem accipere poterit adopt atus quàm ut ſit ubi eſt amicus? non aequalis factus Divinitati, ſed conſociatus aeternitati. Auguſtin. Tractat. 51. in Johan. id ipſum innuit Petrus, &c.too often, this ſhould make us weary of the World, and ſigh and breath after Heaven, for it will not be till we get thither, that this will be made perfect. Bleſſed be God, that we have any taſts and beginnings of it here, that in any degree and meaſure we partake of God in grace and holineſs, are any whit like to God; but alas all that's done here is but firſt rude draughts, poor imperfect lineaments of that Divine Image, and they too often and too too much blotted out by our ſins, it's not till we come in Heaven to ſee God as he is, that we ſhall be moſt fully like him, 1 John 3. 2. it will not be to the life, till we live with him in glory. How ugly in our own eyes mean while ſhould our preſent diſconformities to God be? How weary ſhould we be of them? oh how happy will that day be, and how earneſtly ſhould we breath after it, when we ſhall be fully transformed into Chriſts Image, moſt perfectly be made like God, and as far as our finite nature is capable of, become partakers of the Divine Nature, when God ſhall be all in all? Lord Jeſus come quickly.
Amen.
Salus non aliter conſiſtere poteſt, niſi illi qui ſalutem conſequuntur, Dei fiant. Deificatio antem eſt Dei quoad ejus fieri poteſt, imitatio, & cum eo commixtio, & (ut ità dicam) unitio. Dionyſ. de coeleſt. hierarch. Cap. 1.