Christ All and in All, Sermon 20
1 PET. 2. 6.
XXI. SERM. at Mary Wolnoth. Lon. Febr. 13. 1652.foreign Precious.
I Go on to the ſecond property of this corner ſtone, as it is laid down in this word foreign, precious. The word here uſed foreign, ſignifies that which is of great worth or value in it ſelfe, and that which is much prized and eſteemed by another. A thing and a perſon may be valuable in it ſelf, and not valued by others. And then a thing may be highly in it ſelf eſteemed, which is of no great worth; but this word ſignifies both, That it denotes the worth of things or perſons, you may ſee, Luke 14. 8. When thou art bidden to a wedding, ſit not down in the higheſt room, leſt a more honourable man then then be bidden of him, foreign. That it ſignifies the valuation, or high eſteeme of things or perſons appears from Phil. 2. 29. The Apoſtle writes to the Church about Epaphroditus that they would receive him, and (ſaith he) hold ſuch in reputation, foreign; make much of ſuch, let them be deer to you. 'Tis oppoſed to foreign, which ſignifies one of no eſteeme or account amongſt men. The Obſervation is this.
Doct. That Jeſus Chriſt the chief corner ſtone of the Church is exceeding precious. As he is a ſtone of Gods chuſing, ſo he is a choice ſtone. He is therefore precious becauſe he is of Gods choice. Chriſt is a corner ſtone precious in himſelf, and it is our great ſinne, if he be not precious unto us. Chriſt is not onelyonly foreign, precious, but he is foreign, of very great price, Matth. 13. 46. What is that pearle of great price, but Jeſus Chriſt himſelf, for the obteining of whom a wiſe Merchant will readily part with all that he hath. Nothing is worth a mans All, but Jeſus Chriſt. But in compariſon of him, all things (even the beſt) are nothing worth. Jeſus Chriſt is a precious ſtone, as well as an elect ſtone.
In the handling of this Doctrine, I ſhall open two things for Explication.
1. In what reſpects Chriſt is precious.
2. Why he is ſo meanly eſteemed by the greateſt part of men.
1. For the firſt. Chriſt is precious in foure reſpects.
1. He is precious in the account of God. Jeſus Chriſt is the delight both of the Father and of the holy Ghoſt. God values him as a pearl of great price.
(1) He is in Scripture called the Son of his boſome. The onelyonly begotten Sonne who is in the boſome of his Father, John 1. 18. As men and women ſhew their eſteeme of jewels and pearls by wearing them at their boſome, ſo doth God teſtifie his high eſteem of Chriſt by laying him in his boſome. The Sonne of God never was, never will be out of the boſome of the Father.
(2) The publick teſtimony which God gave from heaven to Jeſus Chriſt at his baptiſme, is an evidence of the high eſteeme he hath of him, Mat. 3. 17. This is my well beloved Son in whom I am well pleaſed.
(3) He is ſo precious in Gods account, that the Father will accept of none but through him, nor will he reject any, whom he recommends to him.
(4) The great deſigne of God in the Goſpel is to put honour upon Chriſt. He commands all men to honour the Sonne as they honour the Father. All the good he beſtows upon men is in Chriſt and through Chriſt alone.
(5) The Father would never have put ſuch a truſt into his hands, as the redeeming and ſaving of the Elect, if he had not been of precious account in his ſight.
(6) His preſent ſeſſion at Gods right hand in heaven, is a full and manifeſt proof how dear he is to him. God hath ſet him there as a teſtimony of the higheſt account of him, 1 Pet. 3. 22.
2. He is precious in the eſteeme of the Angels. The Angelical hoſt did him honour at his birth, Luke 2. 13, 14. They tuned their inſtruments and ſang with a loud voice, Glory be to God in the higheſt. As God hath commanded them to worſhip him, Heb. 1. 6. ſo they do continually worſhip him. They are ready at his beck to do his will. They do aſcend and deſcend upon the Son of man, John 1. 51. Not as if they miniſtred to Chriſt alone, but becauſe out of reſpect to Chriſt, and to do him honour, they do at his command go forth to ſerve his Church as he gives them charge. The Angels worſhip the Sonne with the very ſame aderation wherewith they worſhip the Father. Chriſt is very high in their books.
3. He is precious in the eſteeme of the Saints. Whether ye take it of the Saints triumphant, or of the Saints militant; for the Saints triumphant, ſee how they adore him, Rev. 5. 8, 9. And the Saints militant, they have an high eſteeme of him. They glory and triumph in him. They venture their whole ſalvation upon him. They diſeſteeme all other things in reſpect of him. I account all things (ſaith the Apoſtle) but loſſe for the excellency of the knowledge of Chriſt Jeſus my Lord, Phil. 3. 7, 8. They are joyful when they can have communion with him. See what follows in the verſe after the Text, unto you that beleeve he is precious; he is but a nominal beleever that doth not account Chriſt precious. See how the Church ſpeaks of him, Cantiles 5. 10. He is white and ruddy, the chiefeſt of ten thouſands.
4. He is precious in himſelf. This I ſhall ſhew you in theſe three particulars.
1. In the glory of his perſon. Never did ſuch a perſon appear in the world as is Jeſus Chriſt. He is truly God, and truly and properly man. The Divine and humane Nature never hypoſtatically met in any perſon, beſides the perſon of Chriſt. The Apoſtle ſaith of him; that he is the brightneſſe of his Fathers glory, and the expreſſe image of his perſon, Heb. 1. 3. He is the head of principalities and powers, Col. 2. 10. The higheſt and moſt glorious of the Angels being compared to Chriſt, is but a dark and a fullied creature. He excels the Angels in the glory of his perſon, far more then they do the meaneſt of men. All the Divine attributes are appropriated to Chriſt as he is the Son of God, as well as to the Father. He is eternal, Micah 5. 2. His goings forth are from everlaſting. He is immutable as the Father is; Heb. 1. 12. He is omniſcient, Heb. 4. 13. He is omnipotent, Eſay 9. 6. In one word, he is as God every way equal to the Father, Phil. 2. 6. There are ſuch myſteries in the perſon of Chriſt, as ſhall be matter of admiration both to men and Angels to all eternity. There is in Chriſt foreign, though not foreign, identity of perſon, and diverſity of natures, and theſe united without compoſition and confuſion, both natures reteining their diſtinct properties, and yet both making but one perſon. This is the firſt.
2. In the glory of his qualifications and endowments. Jeſus Chriſt is endued with ſuch rare gifts and graces as never any before. See how the Scripture expreſſeth it, Pſalme 45. 7. God even thy God hath anointed thee with oyle of gladneſſe above thy fellows, Col. 2. 3. In him are hid all the treaſures of wiſdom and knowledge, Col. 1. 19. It pleaſed the Father, that in him all fulneſſe ſhould dwell. The fulneſſe of grace in Chriſt excels the fulneſſe of all other perſons in theſe three reſpects.
1. In him are all kindes of fulneſſe. He hath not onelyonly the fulneſſe of parts, but the fulneſſe of degrees alſo. The beſt of the Saints have onelyonly the fulneſſe of parts. There may be additions made to their fulneſſe. But in Chriſt is fulneſſe of degrees. There can be no additions made to his fulneſſe. The Spirit which is given to others in meaſure, is given to Chriſt without meaſure, John 3. 34. And then
2. In Chriſt there is the fulneſſe of redundancy as well as the fulneſſe of ſufficiency. All other perſons have onelyonly a fulneſſe of ſufficiency. The Angels albeit they want nothing which is agreeable to their eſtate, yet they have no overplus to redound to others. But now in Chriſt is the fulneſſe of redundance; he hath not onelyonly the fulneſſe of the veſſel as others have, but he hath the fulneſſe of the fountaine, whereby he is able to communicate unto others, Zech. 13. 1. A fountaine ſhall be ſet open for ſin and for uncleanneſſe. He hath the fulneſſe of the root, the fulneſſe of the heap, the fulneſſe of the Sunne. Hence it is that men are invited to him, to be made partakers of his fulneſſe, Eſay 55. 1. All the fulneſſe that is in the Saints, is communicated from him to them, according to that of the Evangeliſt, John 1. 16. Of his fulneſſe have we all received, and grace for grace.
3. All this fulneſſe which is in Chriſt, is in him after a peculiar and ſpecial manner. The Apoſtle ſets this out by that phraſe of dwelling, Col. 1. 19. That expreſſion notes a threefold difference in fulneſſe, as it is in Chriſt, from fulneſſe, as it is in the Saints.
(1) 'Tis in him originally. That fulneſſe which is in the Saints, is in them derivatively. They have it from another, Chriſt hath his fulneſſe from himſelfe. The Divinity doth fill and repleniſh the humanity with all kindes of grace.
(2) 'Tis in Chriſt eſſentially. As he is God, his fulneſſe is his eſſence. Therefore doth the Apoſtle ſay, that the fulneſſe of the God-head dwels in him foreign, bodily, Col. 2. 9. that is, perſonally and eſſentially.
(3) Tis in him unchangeably. It is maintained conſtantly at the ſame height. It doth not abate, nor is there any potentiality of abating. It's alwayes high tyde with Jeſus Chriſt. That fulneſſe which is in the Saints, is the fulneſſe of a diſh, which is abated, if one drop be taken away; but the fulneſſe of Chriſt is as the fulneſſe of the fire, which though it kindle hundreds of ſticks, yet is not abated; or as the fulneſſe of the Sunne, which though it ſend down its beames continually upon the world, yet the light of it is not darkned. Never any perſon endowed with ſo many excellencies in ſuch a meaſure after ſuch a manner as Jeſus Chriſt. No perfection can be named or imagined, which is not to be found tranſcendently in Jeſus Chriſt; wiſdome, beauty, meekneſſe, patience, heavenlineſſe, &c. All Chriſtian vertues are called the vertues of Chriſt, 1 Pet. 2. 9. foreign, both becauſe they were all eminently in Chriſt, and becauſe as they are in the Saints, they are communicated from Chriſt. This is the ſecond.
3. In the worth of his ſufferings. The Scripture calls the blood of Chriſt, foreign, 1 Pet. 1. 19. 'Tis precious, not onelyonly becauſe of the dignity of the perſon who ſhed it, called therefore the blood of God, Acts 20. 28. but becauſe of the great value and merit of it, and becauſe of the precious effects of it. By the vertue of this blood which Chriſt ſhed, remiſſion of ſin is purchaſed, the redemption of the Elect is perfected, Rom. 3. 25. Heb. 9. 12. By his own blood he entred once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us. By the preciouſneſſe of this blood is God and man reconciled, Col. 1. 20, 21, 32. By this blood is the conſcience ſanctified, Heb. 9. 14. By this blood is the way to heaven opened for all the Elect, Heb. 10. 19. The ſufferings of Chriſt are ſo precious, that if ten thouſand worlds were, there would be redundancy of merit in Chriſt to ſave them all. This is the third.
2. For the ſecond. Chriſt is ſo meanly eſteemed of by men, of the greateſt part of men, becauſe of three things, viz. Ignorance, Pride, Prejudice.
1. They are ignorant of him. The greateſt part of the world is quite blinde in ſpiritual things, 1 Cor. 2. 14. As in other ſpiritual things, ſo in this of the worth of Chriſt. A blinde man can ſee no more excellency in a precious ſtone then in a common ſtone. A blinde Chriſtian can ſee no more worth in Chriſt, then in another perſon. This you may ſee from that queſtion, which is propounded by the daughters of Jeruſalem, Cant. 5. 9. What is thy beloved more then another beloved, O thou faireſt among women? &c. Their very queſtion bewrays their ignorance; had they known any thing of him, they would not have ſaid, What is thy beloved? The wiſdome of the Goſpel, whereby Jeſus Chriſt is made known, is hidden wiſdom, 'Tis wiſdom in a myſtery, 1 Cor. 2. 7, 8. which none can underſtand but thoſe that are ſavingly enlightened. This ignorance of Chriſt under which the greateſt part of men are held, ariſeth
(1) Partly, from the negligence and ſlothfulneſſe that is in men. They are idle and will not take paines to ſtudy the Word of God, which ſets out Chriſt. They caſt the Scriptures from them. Our Saviour ſaith, John 5. 39. That the Scriptures teſtifie of him; men do not ſearch this bleſſed book as they ſhould; either they read not at all, or elſe they reade ſuperficially; they do not pray that God would diſcover Chriſt to them in and by the Word. Hence they are ignorant of him.
(2) Partly, from their Atheiſtical unbelief of what they heare reported by others. Though they cannot but hear ſometimes the reports of Chriſt in the publick Miniſtry, yet they will give no aſſ…nt of faith to them, but oppoſe and reject them as the fancies of men. This is that which the Prophet alledgeth, Eſay 53. 1. Who hath beleeved our report, and to whom is the arme of the Lord revealed? Ex iis qui Evangelicum audiunt vix centeſimum quemque fidelem fore, ſaith Calvin upon the place. Scarce the hundreth part of thoſe that heare the Goſpel do yeild a cordial aſſent to the Goſſpel.
(3) Partly, from a judiciary hand of God upon them. God uſually puniſheth voluntary blindneſſe with a penal and judiciary blindneſſe. This is that which the Prophet is taught of God, Eſay 6. ult. Go and preach to this people, ſaying, Seeing, ye ſhall ſee, and not perceive; and hearing, ye ſhall heare, and not underſtand, &c. The Apoſtle makes application of this Text, to the unbeleeving Jewes, who would not receive what he had with ſo much clearneſſe proved concerning Jeſus Chriſt, both out of Moſes, and out of the Prophets, Acts 28. 23, 24, 25, 26. When men that live under the Goſpel ſhut their own eyes, God doth ratifie it by an act of his juſtice, and ſaith, Be thou blinded for ever. When a man hardens his own heart, God is pleaſed to ratifie it in heaven, and ſaith, Let that heart never be ſoftned. See that of our Saviour to this purpoſe, John 12. 37, &c. Now becauſe men neglect the ſtudy of the Goſpel which ſhewes what Chriſt is, becauſe they refuſe to aſſent to, and cloſe with what the Miniſters of God report out of the Goſpel concerning Chriſt, becauſe God puniſheth the voluntary blinding their eyes, with a judicial blinding, therefore do they remaine ignorant of the preciouſneſſe of Chriſt. And becauſe they are ignorant of him, therefore they diſeſteeme him.
2. Their pride. The greateſt part of men, even of thoſe that live under the Goſpel, are puft up with arrogancy and ſelf-conceit. They dreame that they are in ſo good a condition already that Chriſt cannot make them better. They are ful of vaine confidences; ſome fleſhly boaſting or other they have in their hearts; ſome carnal City of refuge they erect for themſelves beſides Chriſt, and this makes Chriſt leſſe precious to them then he would otherwiſe he. We are the circumciſion ſaith the Apoſtle, which worſhip God in the Spirit, and rejoyce in Chriſt Jeſus, and have no confidence in the fleſh, Phil. 3. 3. He that creates any fleſhly ground of confidence to himſelf (and all confidences are fleſhly which are not bottom'd on Chriſt;) ſuch a man will not much rejoyce in Chriſt Jeſus. Now there are in the mindes of men abundance of falſe confidences and carnal imaginations; the Apoſtle hints at them, though he do not expreſly name them, 2 Corinth. 10. 4, 5. There are many ſignificant words uſed by the Apoſtle, foreign, munitions, fortifications, ſtrongs holds, foreign, reaſonings. Abundance of fond reaſonings are in the mindes of men; they reaſon themſelves into heaven upon very poor and ſlender premiſſes. foreign, ſtrange heightnings of themſelves have men in which they rejoyce, which will be found groundleſſe another day, foreign, Swarmes of fooliſh thoughts have men by nature, which they bandy up and down in their ſoules. One man makes wealth his ſtrong hold; Another reaſons himſelfe into heaven becauſe of ſome Church Priviledge; A third is mightily heightned upon his civil righteouſneſſe; A fourth thinks all is well with him, becauſe others have a good opinion of him. Every man by nature abounds with ſome or all of theſe. Therefore is Chriſt ſo mean and inconſiderable in their eſteeme.
3. They are prejudiced againſt Chriſt. Though no man hath any reaſon or good Argument againſt Chriſt, yet have they many prejudices which they take up againſt him. And theſe prejudices lay him low in their hearts. What thoſe prejudices are, I ſhall name when I come to handle that in the eighth Verſe, where Chriſt is ſaid to be a ſtone of ſtumbling, and a rock of offence. I ſhall ſhew what prejudices men have againſt his Doctrine worſhip, followers, &c. And while prejudices lie againſt Chriſt, he will never finde that eſteeme which is meet. A man can never think highly of any perſon or thing againſt which he hath taken up a prejudice, though they be never ſo deſerving. Ahabs prejudice againſt the Prophets of the Lord, would not ſuffer him to heare them, 1 Kings 22. 8.