The Glory of Christ Set Forth in Sermons on John 3:34-36, Sermon 3
SERMON III.
John III. 33.
He that hath Received his Teſtimony, hath ſet to his Seal that God is True.
THe words before going, John ſays, No Man received his Teſtimony, though he teſtifie nothing but what he had ſeen and heard in Heaven: and no man received his Teſtimony: and yet here immediately it follows, that He that hath received his Teſtimony ſays, that God is True. He that hath; implying, there was ſome that did receive it; that is none, few or none: None in compariſon of thoſe that did not receive it; ſome few there were that did receive it. And here in this Verſe, John doth declare the Commendation of thoſe that did receive Chriſt, and what matter of encouragement to thoſe that do receive Chriſts Teſtimony: Why, he ſays, they do exceedingly Honour and Glorifie God; they do ſubſcribe as it were with their Hand, and ſet their Seal to the Truth of God; that what the Lord ſpeaks, and Chriſt ſpeaks, and what God the Father ſpeaks, is Truth; and in doing this, they Honour and Glorifie God by ſubſcribing and ſetting to their Seal, that God is True. As he ſays, he that ſet to his Seal that God is true, doth Teſtify of what is Truth. But how doth it appear that the Spirit is given unto thoſe that Teſtify of him? You may ſee it cleared in the opening of the Propoſition. So that the propoſition is this; taking up the words of the Text.
Propoſ. Whoſoever he be that doth receive the Teſtimony of Chriſt, doth ſet to his Seal that God it True.
You heard before in the opening of the former clauſe, what we are to underſtand by the Teſtimony of Chriſt, and then what we are to underſtand of the receiving the Teſtimony of Chriſt. By the Teſtimony of Chriſt we are to underſtand the Goſpel of Life and Salvation held forth to poor Sinners: that you heard cleared from Scripture; and for the receiving of it, what is it to receive it? it is not only a receiving it into the underſtandings, and alſo into the affections, and receiving it with ſome kind of Joy and Gladneſs; but alſo a receiving it into the Heart and Soul in a way of Faith and Believing. Believing is receiving the Teſtimony of Chriſt. I ſhall not ſtand to ſpeak of theſe things, but ſhall now ſhew you, that that Teſtimony that every believing Soul doth give of Jeſus Chriſt, doth ſet to his Seal, that God is true.
Firſt, To ſhew that God is Truth. Secondly, what we are to underſtand by this ſetting to the Seal that God is true. Thirdly, To ſhew by what, and wherein, and how it doth appear that every believing ſoul that doth receive the Teſtimony of Chriſt, doth believe that God is True.
Firſt, To ſhew you that God is Tru… … that God is true and faithful in his Word, in whatſoever he ſpeaks in his Goſpel: as that which the Evangeliſts in the Goſpel ſpeaks of in the Teſtimony of Chriſt is true. When God proclaimed his name by Moſes, he ſays of him, He is abundant in goodneſs and in truth; he is as abundant in his truth (every way) as in his goodneſs. And in another place its ſaid, God is not as Man, that he ſhould lye: hath he ſpoken it, and ſhall he not do it? And ſo I might multiply Scriptures to that purpoſe; the Truth of God is from everlaſting to everlaſting: whatſoever he ſpeaks, it ſhall be; what he hath ſpoken with his mouth, he will fulfil. Every man, ſays the Apoſtle, are Lyars: Let God be true and every man a Lyar: in reſpect of God it is even ſo. And ſo in the New-Teſtament, God is a God that cannot Lye. It cannot ſtand with his infinite Nature; He cannot Lye; yet it is impoſſible for God to Lye. He muſt ceaſe to be God, were it ever ſo.
But it muſt needs be ſo, Brethren, that God is a God of Truth: for God is the Author of all truth; He is the Fountain of Truth, and you know a Fountain cannot contain ſweet waters and bitter; He is Light, and in him is no darkneſs at all; He is Truth it ſelf, and no Lye there can be no falſhood at all in him; He is the Author of Truth; the Devil is the Author of Lyes, and the founder of them: the Devil is the Father of Lyes, and therefore God cannot be the Father of them, but he is the Author of …
But …gain, it cannot be that God ſhould ſpeak that which is not truth, which he doth not intend; for God is an unalterable God, an unchangeable God: He don't ſpeak and unſpeak again, but he is Immutable and unchangeable, the ſame to day, and forever, without any ſhaddow of turning. In our ſpeaking there's change, and ſhaddow of turning; but there is no ſhaddow of change or turnings in God: He ſays not one thing, and intends another. If God ſhould promiſe Life and Salvation unto all thoſe that lay hold of Righteouſneſs and Life, and then they fall ſhort of it, here were change and ſhaddow of turning; but there's no ſhaddow nor turnings in God.
Again, God muſt needs be a God of Truth, becauſe he loves Truth; Thou loveſt Truth in the inward parts. God loves truth in the Heart, and God loves Truth in the Lips too. Bleſſed is the man in whoſe Lips is no guile. See how God threatens to puniſh a Lyar: there ſhall in no wiſe enter into the Holy place, any thing that defileth, or any thing that makes a Lye. And ſo in another place, without are Dogs, Idolaters, and Adulterers, and Lyars. See how the Lord alſo doth threaten the King of Judah, that had made a Covenant with the King of Babylon, in Ezekiel. 17.13.15, 16. Shall he proſper? ſhall he eſcape that doth ſuch things? &c. As I live, ſaith the Lord God, ſurely in the place where the King dwelleth that made him King, whoſe Oath he deſpiſed, and whoſe Covenant he brake, even with him in the midſt of Babylon, he ſhall die for it. And it's a remarkable ſtory of the King of Hungaria, King of the Romans: he entered into a ſolemn Covenant with the Turks, whereupon, a while after, the Pope by one of his Cardinals, perſwaded that King of Hungaria to break his Covenant, and to come into his Country with an Army; and the Turk ſeeing his Army, with the Banner of Chriſts Name upon it; he cried out, O Chriſt, come and take Judgement on him that hath thus broken Covenant with the Lord; and the Lord did give Victory to the Turk, and he took the King and cut off his Head; and this for breach of Covenant. And ſo in other inſtances, ſays God, your Carcaſſes ſhall lye down in the Wilderneſs; and ſo in 1 Samuel 2.30. and Chapt. 3.13. See what courſe the Lord will take with the Houſe of Eli, Wherefore I the Lord God of Iſrael, I ſaid indeed, that thy Houſe, and the Houſe of thy Father ſhould walk before me for ever: But now the Lord ſaith, be it far from me: for them that honour me, I will honour; and they that deſpiſe me, ſhall be lightly eſteemed, &c.
Queſt. Why, then it ſeems the Lord is not ſo faithful in his Word: for ſometimes the Lord doth not make good his Promiſes. How then is he true and faithful in what he doth? tho' this is not the buſineſs I principally intend; yet for anſwer, in a word:
Anſw. The Promiſes that God makes unto particular perſons or people, eſpecially unto Temporal good things and Bleſſings, they are made conditionally, viz. If they don't walk ſo and ſo: Or if they don't repent. As now for example, That threatning made to Niniveh; it's ſaid, except Niniveh doth return, that is the meaning of it; Tho' its not always expreſt, yet it's always implied, That if they do not repent, they ſhall dye, or they ſhall be deſtroyed. So now, God promiſed the Iſraelites they ſhould have the Land of Canaan, that is conditionally, to take heed how they walk before him, and commit no Idolatry; but now they continuing in Idolatry, the Lord fails them; why? becauſe they did not walk uprightly before him, but ſinned againſt him with their Idolatry. And alſo his Promiſe is, if they did put a difference between the precious and the vile, then I would do ſo and ſo; But now thou haſt done ſo and ſo; and tho' I have ſaid ſo, becauſe you have not done ſo and ſo, you ſhall not enjoy the mercies I have promiſed. They are not always performed, becauſe they are conditional; but God is true and faithful in what he promiſes.
But what are we to underſtand of the ſetting to the Seal? What is this ſame ſetting of the ſeal to it, that God is true?
Breifly, It ſignifies thus much, namely, a bringing, or giving a ſtrong Witneſs that God is True; for the ſetting to the Seal, is not only a promiſe by word ſubſcribing, but alſo by ſetting of the Seal to thing. See Nihemiah 9. laſt Verſe. Eſther. 8.8. The King is making impreſſion with his Seal upon the writing, for the enlargement of the Jews, and it's ſaid, the Kings Seal no man may pluck off. You know it is ordinary, the Sealing to a thing is the confirming of a thing: Circumciſion was as a Sign or Seal of ſtrong Confirmation, that Righteouſneſs ſhould be had in a way of faith and beleiving: And ſays the Apoſtle, Are not you the Seal of my Apoſtleſhip? That is, yea are my Witneſs and ſtrong Teſtimony, to evidence and clear, that I am an Apoſtle ſent of God, becauſe of the effects of that Miniſtry you ſee and find by me. And ſo in another place, The Lord knoweth them that are his, having this Seal, that every one that Nameth the name of Chriſt ſhould depart from iniquity. Here is a double Seal, here is the Seal of Gods election, chuſing from Eternity, the Lord knows who are his; but alſo more ſecret, Let him that receiveth the name of Chriſt depart from iniquity. But how is this an evident demonſtration that God is true? why thus, in receiving of the Teſtimony of God, there's a ſtrong evidence that God is True.
Firſt, In that he doth now deny himſelf; every Man and Woman that doth receive Chriſt by Faith, doth deny themſelves; all a mans own Righteouſneſs, his own Services, or performances: He doth not look ever to be accepted of the Lord for any thing that he doth or can do: not that he neglects Duty, and Services, and performances; but when he hath done all, yet all his hopes and expectations for any thing of whatſoever he hath done, he deſires nothing but acceptance in Chriſts Righteouſneſ…: for if a… man will come after me, ſaith Chriſt, he muſt deny himſelf and follow me. He muſt renounce all, look for no acceptance with God for all that ever he ſuffers, or can ſuffer for the Name of God: The Soul will deny all, deny it ſelf, its own Liberty, its name and credit, its Life and all. Again,
Secondly, A man that doth receive the Teſtimony of Chriſt, as he doth deny all, ſo now he doth give up himſelf, and lay the weight of his eternal condition upon Chriſt. Says the Apoſtle, I know in whom I have believed: and I am perſwaded; and know that he is ſufficient to keep whatſoever is needful for me. I have ventured my eternity for it, and upon it, and my Soul muſt ſink if Chriſt don't take care of me, and ſave me for ever. He renounces all his own righteouſneſs, and lays the weight of his Soul upon Chriſt.
Thirdly, A man that doth receive the Teſtimony of Chriſt, hath ſet to his Seal, that God is true. He did ſet to his Seal that Chriſt is true, but how doth he ſet to his Seal that God is true? yes, for he whom God hath ſent, ſpeaketh the word unto you; Chriſt is ſent of God, and he ſpeaks nothing but what he had from God. Briefly by way of Application:
Uſe. 1. If God be a God of Truth, it doth concern every one of us to endeavour to be like unto God. God is a God of Truth, and what he ſpeaks is Truth. God is a God of Truth that cannot lye, it's impoſſible for God to Lye.
Uſe 2. It's a word of encouragement to every one of us this day that are before the Lord, to receive the Teſtimony that God gives us, to beleive what Jeſus Chriſt doth ſpeak, becauſe what he ſpeaks is the Word of the Father, the Word of the God of Truth, and is that whereby you do exceedingly Honour and Glorify God. It's ſaid of Abraham, He believed, and gave glory unto God. Who is there that would not ſay, he is willing to glorify God, Honour him; you would be willing to teſtifie to this truth, that God is truth; and if you had a Hundred Seals, or if it were to ſet a Thouſand ſeals to it that God is Truth, you would do it. O receive the Goſpel in its tenders, you that have not yet received it, and lay the weight of your Souls, your everlaſting hopes, upon Chriſt and his Righteouſneſs, and expect Salvation, and Righteouſneſs, and Life, meerly for that the Lord hath called you hereunto; and here is encouragement, becauſe you cannot Honour and Glorifie God more than in believing.