Christ All and in All, Sermon 18
1 PET. 2. 6.
A chief corner ſtone, elect, precious.XIX. SERM. at Mary Wolnoth. Lon. Decem. 26. 1652.
I Proceed to the Application, which is for Information. which is for Exhortation. which is for Conſolation.
1. For information. It teacheth ſeven leſſons.
1. The perpetssity of the Church. The Church of Chriſt is a ſtable building; it may ſhake, and totter, and be ready to fall, but it cannot utterly fall. The Church of God may erre both in Doctrine and manners. The beſt of men are but enlightned and ſanctified in part, there is a remainder of blindneſſe and ignorance in their minde, and of rebellion and ſtubborneſſe in their wills and affections, therefore they may erre both in Doctrine and manners. The Church of Epheſus is charged by our Saviour, that ſhe had left her first love, Rev. 2. 4. The Church of Galatia is ſaid to be removed to another Goſpel; And that which befals Chap. 1. 6.one or two Churches, may befal an hundred Churches. Our Divines prove againſt the Papiſts, that general Councels have erred. The Church of God may ſometimes he hid under perſecution, it may want the publick preaching of the Word, with the publick Adminiſtration of the Sacraments. Our Divines prove againſt the Papiſts that the Church of God is not alwayes ſo apparently viſible as they would have it. In the dayes of the Prophet Elijah, the Church of God was under a great eclipſe. See what he ſaith, 1 King. 19. 10. The children of Iſrael have forſaken thy Covenant, &c. The Church was very low, when ſo intelligent a Prophet could not finde one beſides himſelf that cleaved to God, yet what anſwer doth God give him v. 18? Yet have I left me ſeven thouſand in Iſrael, all the knees that have not bowed to Baal, and every mouth which hath not kiſſed him. Hear what the Prophet Azariah ſaith to King Aſa to this very purpoſe, 2 Chron. 15. 3. For a long ſeaſon Iſrael hath been without the true God, and without a teaching Prieſt, and without Law. As the Sunne and Moon do not alwayes viſibly ſhine out to the world, but ſometimes ſuffer an eclipſe, ſo doth the Church of God; yet nevertheleſſe the Church of God can never be utterly exterminated. If we conſider the nature of the thing, the Church may be aboliſhed, and ceaſe to have a being in the earth; but if we conſider the Decree of God, ſo the Church can never ceaſe. God ever had ſince the promiſe made to Adam in Paradiſe, a Church in the world, and he ever will have a Church in the earth, till all the members thereof be made triumphant in heaven. The gates of hell ſhall never prevaile againſt it, Mat. 16. 18. It may be brought low, but it cannot be thrown down. Theſe material fabricks, where the Church of God meet for holy worſhip, may be thorough the fury and covetouſneſſe of men be taken down, that one ſtone ſhall not be left upon another. See how the Church complains of the havock made by thoſe Sacrilegious invaders, Pſal. 74. 7, 8. The Church was not deſtroyed, though the Temple and Synagogues were deſtroyed. This ſpiritual building of the Church ſhall ſtand, though all other ſtructures fall. The great reaſon is, becauſe Chriſt is the foundation and corner ſtone. Other buildings may fall though the foundation ſtand; but this building cannot fall, unleſſe the foundation be deſtroyed.
2. That the Church of God is a very glorious building. Amongſt many other titles which are given to the Church, this is one; it's called a glorious Church, Eph. 5. 27. It ſhall be glorious when it comes to heaven, of which that Text is properly to be underſtood; And it is glorious even here on earth. I am black, but comely, O ye daughters of Jeruſalem, as the tents of Kedar, as the curtains of Solomon, Cant. 1. 5. A glorious and high throne from the beginning is the place of our Sanctuary, Jer. 17. 12. All the Edifices and Palaces on earth, are but ugly cottages, it they be compared with this ſpiritual building, the Church. The Temple of Solomon was the moſt excellent fabrick that ever the earth carried, Its called a glorious and beautiful houſe, Iſa. 64. 11. and yet that was but a type of this building. See how it is deſcribed in the Revelations, chap. 21. 10, 11, &c. It muſt needs be glorious, becauſe all the ſtones are living ſtones. Every ſtone hath the glory of God on it, and then beſides, which makes it beautiful indeed, Chriſt himſelf is the corner ſtone. How gloriou… muſt that building be, where Chriſt himſelf lies as the foundation ſtone! To be the leaſt ſtone in this building, is far better, then to be the greateſt pillar of any material building.
3. The Beleevers union with Jeſus Chriſt. The Scripture doth frequently tell us the myſtery of the ſpiritual union of Chriſt and Beleevers. They are not onelyonly one by participation of gifts and graces; they are not onelyonly one in will and affection, as the members of the Primitive Church are ſaid to be, Acts 4. 32. but there is a real ſpiritual union between them. …in them, and thou in me, John 17. 23. This Priviledge is proved, as by other expreſſe Scriptures, ſo by this Metaphor; As the corner ſtone, and the ſuperſtructories are united in one building; ſo Chriſt the corner ſtone, and all the living ſtones built upon him are made one myſtical houſe. The Apoſtle mentioneth this from this very ſimilitude, Eph. 2. 20, 21. Chriſt and beleevers are made one holy Temple; onelyonly there is this difference between that union, which is between Chriſt the corner ſtone and the living ſtones, and the corner ſtone and ſuperſtructory ſtones of material buildings: Every beleever is as neerly united to Chriſt as any beleever. In other buildings ſome ſtones are more neerly united to the foundation then others are; but in this building every Beleever is equally united to Chriſt the corner ſtone.
4. The horrible pride of the Papiſts. They are ſo intollerably proud, as to apply this Title to the Pope, making him the corner ſtone of the Church. They apply that in Eſay 28. 16. to the perſon of the Pope, as if he were the foundation of the Univerſal viſible Church. They ſay that the Pope is in the Church as the Sun is in the firmament, and that the ruining and ſhaking of the Pope, would be the ſhaking and ruining of the whole Church. The Scripture teaches us a better foundation. Both Prophets and Apoſtles were ignorant of this Romiſh foundation; they built not on the Pope, but on Chriſt, Eph. 2. 20. The Pope is the corner ſtone of the Apoſtatical Church, not of the Apoſtolical Church, He is the foundation ſtone of the adulterate Church, not of the chaſt Church; he is the foundation of the Synagogue of Satan, not of the Spou…e of Chriſt. The Church would be ſure to fall, if it had ſo weak and ſo wicked a foundation as that man of ſinne is Chriſt did not ſay, upon thee Peter, but upon this rock will I build my Church, Mat. 16. 18. Peter, whoſe ſucceſſor the Pope boaſts himſelf to be, did publickly preach Chriſt, not himſelf the corner ſtone, Acts 4 11. It is no honour, but a great diſgrace to be a ſtone of that building, whoſe foundation ſtone is the ſon of perdition.
5. Behold from this Text the truth of the two natures of Chriſt. The Scriptures teach that Jeſus Chriſt is both God and man. Both theſe natures are aſſerted in this Text. The Divinity is confirmed from the cloſe of the verſe, He that beleeveth on him ſhall not be confounded. If Chriſt were not God, it were idolatry to beleeve on him. No meer creature is without ſin, to be relied upon without ſin. And then the truth of his humanity appeares from hence, that he is the corner ſtone of the ſpiritual building. He could not be a part of the ſpiritual houſe, if he were not of the ſame nature with the other ſtones of the building, ſo often as you read faith in Chriſt required, beleeve his God-head, and as often as ye heare him called the corner ſtone of the Church; beleeve the truth of his manhood.
6. The greatneſſe of Chriſts ſtrength. The Scripture doth attribute Almighty power to Chriſt as well as to the Father. His name ſhall be called the mighty God, Eſay 9. 6. The ſtrength of Chriſt appears by the great works he hath done and doth do. He ſet up the world by his power, Without him was not made any thing that was made. John 1. 3. He doth by his powerful providence govern the world; Providence belongs to Chriſt as well as to the Father; My Father worketh hitherto, and I work, John 5. 17. And then his power appears in this, that he is the chief corner ſtone that upholds the Church; if there were not Almighty power in him, ſuch a burden would break him to pieces. Next to the bearing of his Fathers wrath; no ſuch heavy burden, as the ſuſteining of all the concernments of the Church. Conſider what a vaſt fabrick the Church is, it's a very huge building. And then conſider what potent enemies it hath, a world of wicked men, legions of powerful Spirits; and then conſider how weak every ſtone is in it ſelf. And then conſider the multitude of its concernments, and it will appear, that he that bears up this building, muſt needs be a perſon of vaſt and infinite ſtrength. Thou hast laid ſtrength (ſaith the Prophet) on one that is mighty, Pſ. 89. 17.
7. The nearneſſe of Chriſt to his Church. The Name of the Lord is called Jehovah Shammah, Ezek. ult. ult. Chriſt hath promiſed to be with it for ever, Mat. 28. ult. He ſeemes ſometimes to be far off, to try how his people will carry themſelves in his abſence; the nature and ingenuity of the childe is beſt ſeen in his Fathers abſence. But though he ſeem to be at a diſtance, yet he is neere; he may be out of their ſight, but he is never out of their call; The Lord is neer to all them that call upon him. This Metaphor ſheweth this, the corner ſtone is not farre off from the roof, and yet Chriſt is neerer to his people, then the corner ſtone is to the next ſtone of the building. He is not onelyonly with them, but in them, Iohn 17. 23. Thus much for Information.
2. For Exhortation. It commends theſe four things to all us Chriſtians.
1. Take heed of building upon any other foundation. The Evangeliſt makes mention of a double foundation, which our Saviour ſpeaks of at the cloſe of his Sermon on the Mount, Matth. 7. 24. 26. The rocky foundation is onelyonly one, namely Jeſus Chriſt, or which is all one, faith in Chriſt. The ſandy foundation is manifold.
Some build their hopes of ſalvation on their good works. This is the foundation of the Papiſts. They hope to be ſaved by their doing. They may do well to conſider what the Scripture ſaith of this foundation, Luke 17. 10. And Romans 9. 30, 31, 32, 33. building on works is not a divine, but a humane foundation.
Some build upon outward profeſſion. This is the foundation of carnal profeſſours. They may do well to conſider what our Saviour ſaith, Luke 13. 26, 27.
Some build upon their good meanings. They have as good a heart to God as the beſt. This is the foundation of ignorant Proteſtants. Whatſoever foundation of ſalvation, grace or comfort, beſides Chriſt, is laid, is a ſandy foundation, and will appear to be ſo at the day of judgement. The Apoſtle cuts off all other foundations beſides this, 1 Cor. 3. 11. He did not ſpeak ignorantly, for he ſaith, v. 10. that he was a wiſe Maſter-builder. They are not wiſe Maſter-builders, but ignorant botchers that build, or teach others to build, either hope of comfort, or of ſalvation upon any other foundation. In one word, all foundations of ſalvation beſides Chriſt, how ſpacious ſoever they be, will prove at laſt foundations of damnation, Arminian, Socinian, Popiſh corner-ſtones will moulder.
2. Acknowledge upon whom all your ſpiritual good doth depend. All your graces, all your comforts, all your priviledges are bottom'd on Chriſt. Chriſt lies as the foundation of all. The Scripture affirms all our good to be bottom'd on Chriſt.
Our Election, Eph. 1. 4.
Our juſtification, Eph. 5. 1.
Our Adoption, Eph. 1. 5.
Our Salvation.
He is called not onelyonly a Saviour, but ſalvation in the abſtract, Eſay 62. 11. ſay ye to the daughter of Zion, behold thy ſalvation cometh. What ever good we have, or hope for, it is for Chriſt and from Chriſt. He is made to us of God wiſdom, righteouſneſſe, ſanctification, redemption, as the Apoſtle ſaith, 1 Corinth. 1. 30. that you ſink not, it is from Chriſt alone.
3. Caſt the care and burthen of all your concernments by faith on Chriſt. There are two Texts of Scripture enjoyning this duty; the one is in the Old Teſtament, the other in the New. That in the Old Teſtament is in Pſalme 55. 22. Caſt thy burden on the Lord, and he will ſuſteine thee. That in the New Teſtament, is in 1 Pet. 5. 7. Caſting all your care on him. Thoſe two words Burthen, Care, take in all our concernments whatſoever. There are many burthens, as, a burthen of ſinne, a burthen of duty, a burthen of ſuffering, a burthen of loſſe, a burthen of ſucceſſe, iſſues and events are a heavy burthen ſometimes. Lay all this on Chriſt. And then how many cares is a beleever liable unto? A crowd of cares comes in daily. Caſt theſe by an act of faith on Chriſt. He is the corner ſtone, he hath undertaken to bear the burthen of all. You honour him, as well as eaſe your ſelves, by caſting all on him, the ſtreſſe of all.
4. Be ſtable. Stedfaſtneſſe is often commended to Chriſtians, as 1 Corinth. 15. ult. Be ſtedfaſt, unmovable, and 2 Pet. 3. 17. Let thoſe ſtones totter and ſhake, that have a ſhaking foundation. The inſtability of beleevers is ſome diſparagement to Chriſt, the corner ſtone on which they are built.
3. For conſolation. This may comfort beleevers.
1. Againſt their own weakneſſe. Who that knows his own heart, but findes his graces weak? Every temptation ſhakes him, as if it would ſhake him to pieces. Remember to thy comfort, Chriſt is the corner ſtone of thy grace, as well as of thy ſalvation. He hath ſtrength though you be weak.
2. In caſe of the totterings of the Church. Such blaſts ariſe ſometime to threaten its ruine. Remember the corner ſtone; yea he is the corner as well as the corner ſtone.