Christ All and in All, Sermon 2
COL. 3. 4.
When Chriſt our life ſhall appear, then ſhall we alſo appeare with him in II. SERM. at Mary Wolnoth. Lon. May 25. 1651.glory.
THe world, and the things of the world are great enemies to the work of grace. They do a long time hinder the firſt planting of it in the ſoule; and when it is planted, they do hinder the growth and progreſſe of it. The cares of this world, and the deceitfulneſſe of riches choak the Word, and it becomes unfruitful, Mat. 13. 22. The Apoſtle knowing this, doth in the beginning of this Chapter labour to raiſe the Coloſſians to the more diligent meditation, and ſtudying of heavenly things, that being above the world, the work of God might proſper better in their hearts. If ye be riſon with Chriſt, &c. v. 1, 2. This he preſſeth by two cogent Arguments. 1. They are dead to the world, v. 3. for ye are dead. By faith they are partakers of Chriſts death, and by their profeſſion they are under an obligation of dying more and more. 2. Their life is hid with Chriſt in God, v. 3. They are appointed to a higher kinde of life then that which other men live, therefore they ought to ſeek after thoſe things which appertaine to this life. Now leſt any ſhould object, if the life thou ſpeakeſt of be a hidden life, what advantage will it be to be ſo mindful of it; the Apoſtle anſwers, v. 4. though it be for the preſent an hidden life, yet it ſhall be revealed, and that perfectly. When Chriſt who is our life ſhall appear, &c. In which we have theſe two Propoſitions, viz.
1. Jeſus Chriſt is a beleevers life.
2. That Chriſt who is a Beleevers life ſhall appear. Of theſe in Order.
Doct. 1. That Jeſus Chriſt is a Beleevers life. For the underſtanding of this, we are to know that a Beleever hath a twofold life, for I ſhall not ſpeak here of the life of nature, which a beleever enjoys not as a beleever, but as a reaſonable creature. Jeſus Chriſt is a beleevers life▪ as he lives the life of nature, Act. 17. 28. in him we live, move, and have our being. 'Tis from Chriſt that we live the life of men. But to wave that, a beleever as a beleever, hath a double life. 1. The life of grace, which he lives after he is regenerated by vertue of the Spirit of Chriſt living in him, and uniting him to God by Faith. 2. The life of glory, which he ſhall live in heaven to all eternity after this life. The ſoul begins this life immediately upon its departure out of the body, and the body ſhall enter into the poſſeſſion of this life immediately after the reſurrection, and reunion of ſoul and body.
Both theſe kindes of life are a Beleevers, as he is a beleever; and Jeſus Chriſt is a Beleevers life in reference to both theſe. And becauſe both of theſe are included in the Text, the one of them, the life of grace is but the inchoation of, and a preparation to the life of glory; I ſhall ſpeak of both of them in the handling of the Doctrine.
Jeſus Chriſt is a beleevers ſpiritual life. He is ſo to a beleever in theſe foure reſpects.
1. He is their life originally. It is Jeſus Chriſt that works this life in their ſoules. He is the Creator and Former of life in them. The ſecond Adam was made a quickning ſpirit, 1 Cor. 15. 45. As the father raiſeth the dead, and quickneth them, ſo the Sonne quickneth whom he will, Joh. 5. 21. Thy ſoul had never fetched out ſpiritual breath, had not Jeſus Chriſt breathed into it the breath of life. The time cometh and now is, when the dead ſhall hear the voice of the Son of God, and they that hear ſhall live, Joh. 5. 25. The Ordinances are the inſtrumental cauſe, but Jeſus Chriſt is the efficient cauſe of the animating of the ſoul by a ſpiritual life.
2. He is their life materially. He is that principle by which they live. Every living Creature hath ſome intrinſecal principle of that life which it lives. Jeſus Chriſt is the inward principle of a beleevers life. He is the ſoule of their ſoule. The Apoſtle ſpeaks of this, Gal. 2. 20. I am crucified with Chriſt: nevertheleſſe I live, yet not I, but Christ lives in me. It is only by vertue of the ſoules union with Chriſt, that it comes to live the life of grace. He is the foundation, or form, as I may ſay, of their life.
3. He is their life conſervativè. He it is that doth preſerve this ſpiritual life in their ſoules; by continual communication of himſelf; he maintains and upholds the life of grace from dying and periſhing. When they are ſleepy, he awakeneth them; when they languiſh and faint, he recovers them. He ſtrengthens the things which remain, that are ready to die. He removes thoſe inward diſtempers which waſte this ſpiritual life, and be bleſſeth thoſe Ordinances which feed this life. When David was going down the hill, and in regard of this ſpiritual life was almoſt at the duſt of death, ſo weak that he could ſcarce fetch his breath, Jeſus Chriſt did reſtore and renew him again. He restoreth my ſoul, Pſal. 23. 3. he caſt water upon the dying plant, and made it green and vigorous again. Of this the Apoſtle, Col. 3. 3. our life is hid with Chriſt.
4. He is their life, exemplariter. He is the example and pattern according to which they are to live. Jeſus Chriſt is the rule according to which they are to walk; he is the copy according to which they are to write. One end of the incarnation and life of Jeſus in the fleſh, was to ſet us an exact and perfect pattern for our imitation, 1 Pet. 2. 21. And by the diligent viewing and ſtudying of his example, is our ſpiritual life carried on to perfection.
The Uſes of this point are theſe.
Uſe 1. That all thoſe that are without Jeſus Chriſt are ſpiritually dead. The Scripture accounts all unregenerate ſinners as dead men; They are dead in ſins, they are dead unto God, they are dead unto grace; they are as truly without ſpiritual life, as the body is without natural life, from which the ſoul is departed. This thy brother was dead, and is alive againe, Luk. 15. 32. converſion is called the quickning of the dead, Mat. 11. 5. becauſe all who are unconverted are as to all ſpiritual conſiderations in a dead condition. And it cannot be otherwiſe, becauſe they have no intereſt in Jeſus Chriſt, who is the Authour and principle of ſpiritual life. The Apoſtle aſſerts this clearly, Eph. 2. 1, 12. he tells them at the firſt verſe, That they were dead in ſins and treſpaſſes, he gives them the reaſon, v. 12. becauſe at that time they were without Chriſt. And ſo another Apoſtle tells us, 1 Joh. 5. 12. He that hath the Sonne hath life; but he that hath not the Sonne hath not life. Till Chriſt be formed, the ſoul is a dead thing without either life or motion. And this is a very miſerable condition; for a dead ſoule is far worſe then a dead body, in as much as the ſoul is more excellent then the body. Conſider a few particulars. 1. Dead ſouls are loathſome. Nothing more noiſome then a dead body. By this time he ſtinketh, Joh. 11. 39. Let me bury my dead out of my ſight, ſaith Abraham, even his wife, Gen. 23. 4. ſhe that was the delight of his ſoul while ſhe was alive, became noiſom to him when ſhe was dead. The ſoule that is ſpiritually dead, is very loathſome, both to God and man. The Scripture compares them to ſtinking carrion; Pſal. 14. 3. They are altogether become ſtinking. They defile all that comes neer them; whatſoever they meddle with, whatſoever toucheth them is defiled by them. 2. They that are ſpiritually dead, have no uſe of any of their ſpiritual ſenſes. The ſoul hath ſenſes as well as the body, but he that is dead cannot uſe any of theſe. They cannot heare, they cannot ſee, they cannot taſte, they cannot ſmell, they cannot feele, they cannot heare Chriſts voice in the Goſpel, they cannot ſee the glory of Chriſt, nor of grace, they cannot feel the heavy weight of ſinne, they cannot taſte the ſweet and delicate pleaſures of Jeſus Chriſt, they cannot ſmell the fragrancy of Chriſts ſweet ointments. They have no pleaſure in thoſe things that are moſt pleſant in themſelves, and moſt deſirable to ſuch as are ſpiritually alive: They are to all ſpiritual things, and all ſpiritual things are to them as if they were not. 3. This ſpiritual death, if it be not removed, is a certaine forerunner of eternal Death. Bleſſed and happy is he that hath part in the firſt reſurrection, of him the ſecond death ſhall have no power, Rev. 20 6. but he that continues ſtill in this ſpiritual death, ſhall for ever be under the power of the ſecond death, the eternal death. And this is the ſtate of all ſuch as want Jeſus Chriſt.
Uſe 2. That that ſpiritual life which is in the ſoul of a beleever, ſhall never totally and finally die. It may be at deaths door, it may be ready to die, ſo it was with the Church of Sardis, Rev. 3. 2. A Chriſtian may be in regard of his ſpiritual life, as a tree in the depth of winter, no difference to all outward appearance between him and a dead plant; but it is impoſſible that the ſpiritual life ſhall utterly be extinguiſhed, becauſe Jeſus Chriſt who is our ſpiritual life, lives for ever. Your life is hid with Chriſt in God, Col. 3. 3. hid as in a root, for ſafety and ſecurity. Becauſe I live, ye ſhall live alſo, John 14. 19. while the root liveth, the plant cannot die; while the fountaine runneth, the ſtreames cannot ceaſe; while the olive-trees convey their oyle through the pipes into the lamp, the lamp cannot go out. A living Chriſtian may grow very weak, but he cannot die. Jeſus Chriſt muſt ceaſe to live, before the life of grace in a Saint do utterly periſh; while the cauſe continueth, the effect will.
Uſe 3. That there is a true ſpiritual union between Ieſus Chriſt and a beleever. This is one of the great myſteries of the Goſpel, that Chriſt and a beleever ſhould be made one; its ſet out by many examples, as of root and branches, Iohn 15. init. head and members, Eph. 5. 3. foundation-ſtone, and the ſuperſtructory ſtones, Eph. 2. 20. meat and eaters, Iohn 6, 56. husband and wife, Eph. 5. 32. This very doctrine makes it good. He could not be our life, if he were not united to us, and we to him. 'Tis by vertue of our union with him, that we come to draw life from him. As the ſoul and body are united, ſo are Chriſt and a beleever; the whole myſtical body is called by his name, 1 Cor. 12. 12. ſo alſo is Chriſt, ſpeaking of the Church.
Uſe 4. Deadneſſe of Spirit, want of ſpiritual Activity is very inexcuſable in a beleever. The ground of this inference is very cleare, Jeſus Chriſt is his life. Chriſt hath life enough in him, and he is willing enough to communicate more and more of this ſpiritual life. If the fountaine of this life were a meer creature, ſomething might be ſaid for thy deadneſſe and coldneſſe; but now ſeeing Jeſus Chriſt is thy life, thy deadneſſe is inexcuſable in thy ſelf, and it is alſo diſhonourable to Chriſt. The life and greenneſſe of the branches, is an honour to the root by which they live. Spiritual greenneſſe and fruitfulneſſe is in a beleever an honour to Jeſus Chriſt, who is his life. Pſal 92. 12, 13, 14, 15. The righteous ſhall flouriſh as a Palm-tree, &c. To ſhew that the Lord is upright, &c. The fulneſſe of Chriſt is manifeſted by the fruitfulneſſe of a Chriſtian.
Uſe 5. It is the duty of a Chriſtian to live comfortably on this Doctrine. It affords very much comfort, 1. Againſt the weakneſſe of this life in our ſelves. What Chriſtian is there but finds this life very weak in him at ſome times? well, when it is weakeſt in thee, it is then ſtrong in Jeſus Chriſt. And God looks upon thy ſpiritual life, not only as it is in thee, but as it is in Chriſt. 2. Against the fear of the wanting of the Ordinances of life. 'Tis a great loſſe to loſe the Ordinances, Lev. 26. 31. Well, though thou loſe theſe, yet thou doeſt not loſe thy life. Theſe are but the pipes, Chriſt is the Olive-tree. Theſe are but the chanels, Chriſt is the fountaine. Man liveth not by bread alone, but by the word of bleſſing. Thy ſoul liveth by Chriſt, not by Ordinances. They are but the inſtrumental cauſe, Chriſt is the efficient. 3. Againſt the feare of Satans workings to destroy this ſpiritual life. 'Tis his great deſigne to take away this ſpiritual life. He labours to ſtifle it by ſinne; he ſtirs up his inſtruments to remove the Ordinances. Well, he cannot prevaile. He muſt deſtroy Chriſt before he can deſtroy our life. He muſt either wither the root, or he cannot kill the branches.
Uſe 6. Let beleevers be careful to carry themſelves towards Chriſt as he who is their life. 1. Acknowledge him the Authour of your life. 2. Go to him when you want life. 3. Strengthen your union with him, Eph. 4. 15. 4. Live to him who is your life, Rom. 14. 8.
Uſe 7. It ſhould invite all to lay hold on Chriſt. All men are dead by nature. There's no other way to live a ſpiritual life. If Chriſt be not thy life of grace, he will never be thy life of glory.