The Glory of Christ Set Forth in Sermons on John 3:34-36, Sermon 2
SERMON II.
John V. 25.
Verily, verily, I ſay unto you, the hour is coming, and now is, when the dead ſhall hear the voice of the Son of God, and they that hear ſhall live.
I Shall ſpend but a little time in the coherence of theſe words, only take notice of two main things in this Chapter:
1. A Narration of a great Miracle that Christ wrought, in healing a man, that had an infirmity thirty and eight years, verſ. 8, 9.
2. Chriſt's Apology that he made for himſelf against the Jews for what he had done. It being upon the Sabbath-day, that Chriſt healed the man, they pretended that Chriſt had broaken the Sabbath; Verſ. 16. And therefore did the Jews perſecute Jeſus, and ſought to ſlay him, becauſe he had done theſe things on the Sabbath-day. The men of the world will always make ſome pretence to perſecute Chriſt and his People; but Chriſt Juſtifies his Action, in making the man whole upon the Sabbath-day: and though he might have Juſtified the act, as being a work of mercy, which may conſiſt with the moſt ſtrict obſervation of the Sabbath; yet our Saviour vindicates himſelf upon a higher Ground and Reaſon, namely, by aſſerting his Divine Nature and God-head. Saith he, Verſ. 17. My Fath… worketh hitherto, and I work. Therfore the Jews ſought the more to kill him, becauſe he had not only broken the Sabbath (as they Ignorantly thought he had done) but ſaid alſo, that God was his Father, making himſelf equal with God. Our Saviour ſheweth, that the Father worketh upon the Sabbath-day, in doing good, ſhewing mercy and kindneſs; yet with perfect reſt in himſelf, and ſo doth the Son. He ſheweth how he being the Son of God, and equal with God, doth co-operate with the Father, in all his works, which the Father doth, Verſ. 20. yea, and that as Mediator God-man, the Father hath committed all unto him: He raiſeth Dead Bodies, and he raiſes Dead Souls.
Verily, verily, I ſay unto you, the hour is coming, and now is, when the dead ſhall hear the voice of the Son of God, and they that hear ſhall Live.
In the 28. Verſ. Our Saviour ſpeaks of his raiſing thoſe that are dead in their Graves: But in the Text, he ſpeaks of raiſing thoſe that are dead in their Sins.
You have this great work of Chriſt in raiſing dead ſouls, ſet forth by Four circumſtances.
1. By the Time when; The hour is coming, and now is.
2. By the Means and way by which he would do this great work, of raiſing dead Souls; and that is by his voice: The dead ſhall hear the voice of the Son of God, and they that hear ſhall live.
3. By the Certainty of it; I ſay unto you, I that am the Truth.
4. By an Atteſtation and Aſſeveration; Verily, verily, It ſhall be ſo, I atteſt it; Verily, verily I ſay unto you—
The Hour is coming, and now is.] Chriſt did always gather, and call, and make alive the Elect people: But the time was now come, when he would ſend forth his Apoſtles to Preach amongſt the Gentiles, to gather the Elect people that were ſcattered abroad: And therefore he ſaith, The hour is coming, and now is, when the dead (even amongſt the Gentiles) ſhall hear the voice of the Son of God, and live. And our Saviour ſpeaks to the ſame purpoſe, Joh. 10.15, 16. I lay down my Life for the ſheep. And other ſheep I have, which are not of this fold: (which are not of the people of the Jews) them alſo I muſt bring, and they ſhall hear my voice—
Doct. That thoſe that are ſpiritually dead, dead in treſpaſſes and ſins, by hearing the voice of the Son of God, are made to live.
Epheſ. 2.1. And you hath he quickned, who were dead in treſpaſſes and ſins; that is the eſtate of all men by nature. But Chriſt can make dead Souls alive: He can do it by a word, and as eaſily as we can ſpeak a word. You read of ſeveral that Chriſt raiſed up from bodily Death, when he was here upon the Earth, and he did it by ſpeaking to them, Mark 5.41. one was Jairus his Daughter, And he took the Damſel by the hand, and ſaid unto her, Tabitha cumi, which is being interpreted, Damſel, (I ſay unto thee) ariſe. And ſtraightway the Damſel aroſe. And the Widows Son, Luk. 7.14, 15. And he came and touched the Bier (and they that bare him ſtood ſtill) and he ſaid, I ſay unto thee youngman ariſe; and he that was dead ſate up and began to ſpeak. And ſo Lazarus, Joh. 11. when he had been dead four days, verſ. 43, 44. He cried with a loud voice, Lazarus come forth; and he that was dead came forth.
And as Chriſt raiſed up thoſe that were bodily dead by his Voice, by his Word: So if he ſay the word, if he ſay to one that is dead in ſin, Riſe up, Come forth, the dead Soul ſhall live. Verily, verily, the hour is coming, and now is, when the dead ſhall hear the voice of the Son of God, and they that hear ſhall live.
For the opening the Point.
1. That by Nature we are Spiritually dead.
2. What that Life is that Chriſt gives to dead ſinners.
3. What this Voice of the Son of God is, by which dead ſinners are made to live.
4. What the Lord doth work upon thoſe that are dead in ſin, when he makes them ſpiritually alive.
5. The Application.
1. That by Nature we are ſpiritually dead. You read of ſome that are dead whilſt they live, 1 Tim. 5.6. And ſaith Chriſt, Let the dead bury the dead, but follow thou me. As the Body without the Soul is dead: So we now being without Chriſt, are dead men and women.
1. We are dead men in regard of the Sentence of Death and Condemnation paſt upon us by the Law. Gal. 3.10. Curſed is every one that continueth not in every thing that is Written in the Book of the Law to do it. Rom. 5.12. By one man ſin entred into the world, and death by ſin, for that all have ſinned. All our firſt Father Adam's houſe are but dead men before the Lord; we are all guilty before God: Though we are not executed, yet we are under the Sentence of Death by the Law; and the Sentence of the Law will be executed at laſt, if we be not pardoned in Chriſt.
2. We are dead men as to the life of Grace and true Holineſs. Our beſt works are but dead works. Heb. 9.14. The carnal mind is enmity againſt God: for it is not ſubject to the Law of God, neither indeed can be. Though, indeed, before Converſion we may do things that are good for the matter; yet we do nothing from a right principle, and to a right end, Joh. 15.5. Without me ye can do nothing. Except we have Spiritual Sap and Life from Chriſt, we can bring forth no true fruit, but are like a dead and withered Branch, that hath no life in it.
2. What that Life is that Chriſt gives to dead Sinners.
1. The Life of Juſtification. When we are united to Chriſt, the Sentence of Death by the Law is taken off. We uſe to ſay, that of a Malefactor, when the Sentence of Death is paſſed upon him, that he is a dead man: But if once a Pardon come, that makes him a living man, then he cannot be executed. Rom. 8.1. There is therefore now no Condemnation to them who are in Chriſt Jeſus. There was a heavy Sentence of Condemnation paſſed upon us by the Law; but now we are in Chriſt, we are pardoned in Chriſt, and now there is no Condemnation. Now as Paul ſaith, Gal. 2.20. I live, yet not I, but Chriſt liveth in me.
2. We have from Chriſt the Life of Sanctification, the life of Grace and Holineſs too, whereby the Soul hath a Spiritual Inclination and Diſpoſition to act towards God; according to that, Hebr. 8.10. I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts. Ezek. 36.26, 27. A new heart alſo will I give you, and a new ſpirit will I put within you, and I will take the heart of ſtone out of your fleſh, and give you an heart of fleſh. And I will put my ſpirit within you, and cauſe you to walk in my ſtatutes.
The Preaching of the Life that Chriſt giveth, is to them that periſh fooliſhneſs. Some are fit to make a mock at Life and Juſtification by the Blood and Righteouſneſs of Chriſt: And ſo likewiſe at Converſion, at the infuſing of Grace into the heart, wherby we come to live unto God. But as theſe things are plainly revealed in the Scripture; ſo to them that believe, theſe things are precious.
3. Let us enquire what we are to underſtand here, by the Voice of the Son of God.
1. The Goſpel may be called the voice of the Son of God, as it is an Inſtrumental means to make dead Souls to live. The Goſpel is called, The Word of Grace, Acts 20.32. The Word of Chriſt, Col. 3.16. The Word of Life, Phil. 2.16. By the Diſpenſation and Preaching of the Goſpel, Chriſt conveyeth himſelf into our Souls. The Letter, the Law killeth; ſeeing we are ſinners, the Law is the miniſtration of death to us, 2 Cor. 6.7. It tells us we are dead men, curſed men, it revealeth the wrath of God due to us for our ſins. The Law, through our default, cannot give us Life; becauſe we have not a Righteouſneſs that the Law requires in our ſelves: But it is the Goſpel that reveals to us the new way to Life, that ſhews us an Attonement and Righteouſneſs in another. We can neither be juſtified by the Law, nor be ſanctified by it. We cannot be juſtified by it, becauſe we cannot fulfil it. We cannot be ſanctified by it, becauſe it only commands us to obey, but giveth no new ſtrength; now we have loſt the Holineſs we had in Adam. 'Tis the Goſpel that reveals to us how we may be juſtified before God, and may have the Image of God renewed upon us.
But to make us ſpiritually alive, there muſt be more than a bare Declaration of the Goſpel; many hear the Goſpel Preached many years, and yet never hear the voice of the Son of God and Live: Therefore here is more to be underſtood.
2. By the voice of the Son of God, is meant the Secret Efficacy and Power of the Spirit of Chriſt ſo put forth as to turn the heart to the Lord. As the Lord Jeſus did ſay to Lazarus, when he was Dead, Lazarus come forth, and at the ſame time put Life into him: So when the ſet time is come for the converſion of any of the Elect people, there goes forth ſuch a Power of Chriſt, as to put Spiritual Life into them. Miniſters may ſpeak and ſpend their ſtrength in calling to dead Souls to come forth, but except the Lord put in with them, ſo as to effect the work, men will ſtill abide in death.
Object. Hearing preſuppoſeth Life, Therefore how is it ſaid, That they that hear the voice of the Son of God ſhall live? Can they hear before they live?
Anſwer, This hearing the voice of the Son of God, and living Spiritually, are both at the ſame time. As Lazarus, when Chriſt bad him come forth, he heard and lived at the ſame time. Chriſt ſpeaking to the heart with ſuch Power, as to turn the heart to himſelf; goes before Spiritual Life, in order of Nature, but not in order of Time. Converſion is a work of Spiritual Creation, and ſo is not like other things: The Lord ſaith live, and the Soul liveth.
4. Let us enquire what the Lord works upon a man dead in treſpaſſes and ſins, to make him live Spiritually.
I ſhall not ſtand to ſpeak of what the Lord doth by way of Preparation for the Souls receiving Chriſt; this muſt be ſuppoſed, that the Lord doth ſet our ſins in order before us, convince us of Sin and of Judgment to come: But the very thing by which we are tranſlated from Death to Life, is the Lords giving us his Spirit to unite us to Chriſt, whereby we receive the Life of Juſtification and Sanctification from him. The Lord gives the Spirit of Wiſdom and Revelation, Epheſ. 1.17. God who commanded Light to ſhine out of Darkneſs, hath ſhined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledg of the Glory of God, in the face of Jeſus Chriſt, 2 Cor. 4.6. The Sinner was convinced of his loſt eſtate before, and now there comes a powerful Light into the heart to reveal Chriſt, ſo as to enable the Soul to ſee Chriſt held forth in the Promiſes, and to receive him. The Apoſtle ſaith, 1 Tim. 1.15. This is a faithful ſaying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Jeſus Chriſt came into the world to ſave ſinners. Now the Soul ſaith, It is ſo indeed; 'tis worthy of all acceptation: the Soul now is wrought by the Spirit to approve, and like this way of Salvation, and heartily cloſe with it. Now the Underſtanding is enlightned, and the Will rectified, and brought to embrace Chriſt. It is the Lord that makes this change, He worketh in us to will and to do, Phil. 2.13. Every one that is converted receives Chriſt, Joh. 1.12. But to as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the Sons of God, even to them that believed on his Name. Though it may be, that the Souls receiving Chriſt at firſt is ſcarce diſcerned; but afterwards by renewing acts of Faith upon Chriſt, and by the effects of Union with Chriſt, we may come to ſee that we have received Chriſt, and are made partakers of Spiritual Life. There is a certain moment of time, when a man hath Spiritual Life put into him; he heareth the voice of the Son of God and liveth: But the work is ſo ſecret and myſterious, that it is hard for us to ſay, that juſt ſuch a day, ſuch an hour, we heard the voice of the Son of God and lived. Though ſome may be able to know the time, yet not all that are made alive by Chriſt. But we find by degrees the acts and effects of Spiritual Life; whereby we may know, that we have heard the voice of the Son of God and live.
When we receive Chriſt, then we are made alive indeed: for wheras we were under the ſentence of death, by the Law; now we are forgiven all treſpaſſes, and have the Righteouſneſs of Chriſt imputed to us: And thoſe that receive this gift of Righteouſneſs, are not only freed from Hell, but ſhall reign in life by Jeſus Chriſt, Rom. 5.17.
When we truly receive Chriſt, we are ſanctified alſo. Together with the Faith that the Lord gives us to receive Chriſt for our Juſtification, he alſo gives his Spirit to work in us a Principle of Holineſs, and new obedience, that we may be both in repect of Juſtification and Sanctification alive from the Dead.
Application.
Uſe 1. Here we may ſee the miſerable eſtate that every man and woman is in, that hath not heard the voice of Christ. Brethren and beloved, do you believe this, that dead ſinners are made alive by hearing the voice of the Son of God? Then thoſe that never yet heard the voice of the Son of God, they are yet dead in Treſpaſſes and Sins.
If you never yet heard the voice of Chriſt, then you are dead men; all your ſins are upon you, you are under the ſentence of death by the Law; and if you never come to hear the voice of the Son of God, this ſentence of Death will be upon you for ever.
And if you never yet heard the voice of Chriſt, to put ſpiritual life into you, then you are dead alſo as to any Life of Grace and Holineſs. Thoſe works that you are ready to be proud of, and glory in, they are all but dead works; and you do not truly ſerve the living God.
But you will ſay, we hope we have heard the voice of Chriſt, we have heard many able Miniſters, many good Sermons, we have had the Word opened to us.
Anſwer, This is a Priviledg indeed, to have the Word Preached to you; but it is not the voice of a man, no nor of the Angels of Heaven, if they ſhould ſpeak to you, that can put Spiritual Life into you, except withal you hear the voice of the Son of God.
Therefore, If you never yet heard the voice of Chriſt, to make the Preaching of the Goſpel effectual to your Souls; I ſay unto every ſuch perſon, as God ſaid to Abimilech, Gen. 20.3. Thou art but a dead man, thou art a Sinner, and the wages of Sin is Death; thou art a condemned man, and thou haſt no Life of Holineſs neither; Therefore conſider your caſe and condition.
Examine your ſelves, Whether the Word Preached hath had that power upon your hearts to draw you to Chriſt, and to turn you from your Iniquities.
Objection. If that we hear the Word Preached by men, yet you ſay, that except we hear the voice of the Son of God, we cannot live: then to what purpoſe ſhould we attend upon the Preaching of the Goſpel?
Anſwer, It is your Duty to hear what God the Lord ſpeaketh by his Servants and Miniſters; and though the Word Preached cannot Convert you, without the Voice and Power of Chriſt; yet it may pleaſe the Lord, at one time or other, to make the Preaching of the Word effectual upon your hearts, as he hath done to others.
Uſe 2. See the exceeding greatneſs of Chriſt's Power. He is able to make dead Souls to live; he is able to quicken thoſe who are dead in Treſpaſſes and Sins; a work which neither Men nor Angels can do: Yea, know and take notice, That it is no labour, no difficulty to Chriſt to make dead Souls live: He can do it eaſily and ſuddenly, He can do it with a word, He can do it as eaſily as you or I can ſpeak a word. The Text ſaith, That the dead ſhall hear the voice of the Son of God, and they that hear ſhall live.
Uſe 3. Of Direction to thoſe that have heard the voice of the Son of God, and are now quickned, and are made alive.
1. Bleſs and praiſe the Lord; ſtand and wonder at what the Lord hath done for you. If any of you had been dead, and in the Grave, and Chriſt had ſaid to you as he did to Lazarus, come forth, and ſo you had been raiſed but from a bodily death, to live again, this had been a great wonder: But this is a far greater wonder. O! therefore bleſs the Lord, ſay this, my Soul was Dead and is alive. I was under the Sentence of Death for the Breach of the Law, and now I am pardoned. I was without any life of holineſs, and now the Lord hath given me a new Heart, a new Spirit. Thus when I lay in my Blood, the Lord ſaid unto me, Live.
2. Love the Lord Jeſus who hath delivered your Soul from Death. Love him becauſe he firſt loved you, and ſaid to you, when you lay in your Blood, Live. Love him, and love the word of his Grace by which he quickened you. Never forget his Word, the Word of his Grace, by which he hath quickned your Souls. Love his Word and Ordinances, wherein he hath put forth the Power of his Grace to you… Souls.
3. Trust in the Lord to perform all things for you. If you have heard the voice of the Son of God and Live, then you have had experience of the Power of Chriſt indeed. Therefore truſt in the Lord in all difficulties. Say as David, Pſal. 62.1. Truly my Soul waiteth upon God: from him cometh my Salvation. Verſ. 2. My Soul wait thou only upon God, for my expectation is from him. You can ſpeak it by experience, that Power belongeth unto God, and that alſo unto the Lord belongeth Mercy. You have had experience of both, in his calling you out of darkneſs into his marvellous light; therefore wait upon him, and truſt in him to perfect all that doth concern you both for Soul and Body.
Laſtly, Be willing to do or ſuffer any thing for Chriſt.
1. Be willing to live to him. The Apoſtle ſhews that it is but reaſonable that we ſhould live unto the Lord, not only as we are Creatures; but alſo upon the account of Grace. 2 Cor. 14.15. Becauſe we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead; and that he died for all, that they which live ſhould not henceforth live unto themſelves, but unto him that died for them and roſe again. Thoſe that live by Chriſt, it is but reaſonable that they ſhould live to him. We muſt not of all others, live to our ſelves; beſides, our old obligation to obedience, which we owe to God, as our Creator and Soveraign Lord: Grace lays a further obligation upon us to live to him.
2. Be willing to dye for him, if he call us to it. Paul had heard the voice of Chriſt ſpeaking from Heaven to him (as all that are called do, though not in ſuch a manner as Chriſt ſpake to him) and ſo he was made alive; and now how precious was Chriſt to him? he was willing to ſuffer any thing for his Name and Glory, Act. 21.13. I am ready, not only to be bound, but to dye at Jeruſalem for the Name of the Lord Jeſus. He was ſenſible that Chriſt had given him ſpiritual Life, and therfore thought it a ſmall matter, to lay down his bodily Life, in a way of bearing witneſs to his Name.