God-Man, Exposition · Verse 4
Verſ. 4. In him was Life, and the Life was the Light of Men.
An Argument of Chriſt's Divinity, taken from the Creation, conſidered in generall, in the making of all things. He commeth now to ſpeak more ſpecially, of things that have life; and then more particularly of Himſelf, and Man, In him was life, and the life was the light of men.
Three degrees of Communications there are from Chriſt, as a Creator, Eſſe, Vivere, Intelligere. To ſome things he giveth a beeing, as to Stones and Stars; to other things he giveth life as well as beeing, as to Plants, and Birds, and Fiſh, and Beaſts; ſome whereof have the life of Vegetation, others, both of Vegetation and of Senſe. And then there is a third degree of Communication, that is, Intelligere, Underſtanding; that God giveth to men and Angels. Of the firſt degree, he had ſpoken before; of all things that are made in generall: now he ſpeaketh in ſpeciall manner of the ſecond degree of communication, which is giving of life to all the creatures; that is in theſe words,
In Him was Life.
In Him; namely, in the Word. For he had ſpoken, that Life in Chriſt. two manner of waies.in Chriſt, life was two waies, Formaliter, and Cauſaliter. Life was Formally in Chriſt, as in the Subject of it. Life was Cauſally in Chriſt, as in the Fountain of it.
Ye may give me leave to ſpeak of both, though the ſecond, haply, be principally intended. In him was life, as in the Subject of it. Take from hence an Obſervation, That 1. As in the Subject. 2. As in the Fountain.Chriſt ever liveth, and is the giver of all life. He ever liveth, life is in him, as the Subject. He is the giver of all life, life is in him as the Fountain.
Firſt, He ever liveth; that is, He is the living God; according to that, Joh. 5. 26. As the Father hath life in himſelf, ſo hath he given to the Son to have life in himſelf. There was no time wherein Chriſt did not live, he liveth from all eternity, had life in himſelf, even as the Father had. If any queſtion be, it muſt be at that time, wherein his Soul was parted from the Body, when the Body lay in the grave? Yet even then, Chriſt lived. One of his laſt words upon the Croſſe, was to the Thief, To day ſhalt thou be with me in Paradiſe. He had his Soul and Divinity in Paradiſe, even while his Body lay, and was houſed in the Grave. Chriſt lived in Heaven, though his ſoul parted for a time from the Body; neither was the Hypoſtaticall union diſſolved. So, the life was not loſt.
But the main thing intended is the Second, In him was life (Cauſally) as in the Fountain of life. When he created all things, life was originally in him, and from him derived to certain creatures, which he then made. Hence it is, that Chriſt is called, The Word of life, The Prince of life, The Life of life. Becauſe, as he is the End, ſo he communicates life to all things that partake of it. He is called The Word of life, 1 Joh. 1. 1. which we have lookt upon, and our hands have handled of the Word of life. He is called, The Prince of life, Act. 3. 15. They killed the Prince of life, whom God raiſed from the dead, whereof we are witneſſes. He calleth himſelf, The Life, Joh. 14. 6. I am the War, the Truth, and the Life. And becauſe his is not onelyonly life in himſelf, but life to us, therefore he is called, Our Life, Col. 3. 4. When Chriſt, who is Our Life, ſhall appear, then ſhall we alſo appear with him in glory. All this is to ſhew, that whatſoever life is communicated to the creature, it commeth from Chriſt, it is in him as in the Fountain, With thee is the fountain of life, Pſal. 36. 9.
So as here now, in conſideration of this, it may be of Uſe to us diverſe waies; as,
Firſt, Take it to pieces again, In him was life, as in the 1. In Chriſt is Life as in the Subject, therefore fear and tremble before him.Subject. This ſhould ſerve as a Canon to fear, which we find called for in Daniel, in this reſpect, Dan. 6, 26. I make a decree, ſaith Darius, that in every dominion of my kingdome, men tremble and fear before the God of Daniel, for he is the living God. Let all fear and tremble before Chriſt, for in him is life, he is the living God. What ſaith Paul, Heb. 10. 31. It is a fearfull thing to fall into the hands of the living God. O therefore, tremble before him. There are hands of God, into which it is a comfortable thing to fall. There are mercifull hands of Chriſt, which he ſtretcheth forth to poor ſinners, to invite them, and call them in to himſelf: but if we refuſe the Call which he now maketh to us; if all the benefits, which thoſe bountifull hands of his ſpread out amongſt us, ſcattered in our Congregations, and in our Houſes; if all theſe allure us not, then remember what followeth, It is a fearfull thing to fall into the hands of the living God: one will follow upon the other. If this mercifull hand cannot win us, this deſtroying hand will be ſure to reach us. This maketh it fearfull, becauſe His is the living God. Every death is the more fearfull, by how much the more terrible the immediate Executioner of it is. For a man to be drowned is more gentle, than to be burnt; Why? Becauſe Water is not ſo operative, and active, and quick, as Fire; Fire is a more raging element. The wrath of God is the immediate Executioner of damned ſouls. And what ſo terrible as that is? If God live, ſuch ſouls muſt die. And becauſe God liveth for ever, ſuch ſouls muſt die for ever, as fall into his revengefull hands. Fear and tremble to offend Chriſt, becauſe ſuch as fall into the hands of the living God, muſt be miſerable as long as he is happy; and die, as long as he liveth.
Secondly, The conſideration of this truth, That in Chriſt is life, as in a Fountain, from whence all ſorts of life are He is Life as in the Fountain, therefore truſt him, ſeek him, and depend upon him.derived to the creatures, according to their ſeverall kinds, may ſerve as a ground of faith.
Firſt, to put us upon truſting in Chriſt, and ſeeking to him, and depending upon him for all kinds of life: Pſal. 36. 7th. and 9th. verſes compared together, The children of men put their truſt under the ſhadow of thy wings, verſ. 7. and the reaſon is rendred, verſ. 9. For with thee is the fountain of life. Therefore our truſt ſhould be in him, becauſe life is in him, as in the Fountain. Whither ſhould he, that wanteth water, go, but to the Fountain? Carry Faith, as the Bucket; and then, according to the bigneſſe of thy bucket, ſhall be the proportion of thy water thou draweſt from thence. Life commeth in, as Faith draweth from Chriſt. Truſt him for temporall life, when we are ſick, and in dangers; though means may be uſed, and ought to be uſed, there is no relying upon Phyſick. Our utmoſt confidence muſt be in him, from whom all life commeth. Deut. 32. 39. I, even I am he, and there is no god with me. I kill, and I make alive; I wound, and I heal; there is none that can deliver out of my hand. And ſo for ſpirituall life: when the pulſe of Grace beateth ſlowly, and unevenly, Who ſhall we then depend upon for life, but upon him that is the fountain of it, the ſecond Adam, whom God hath made a quickning Spirit?
Secondly, as it may be a ground of Faith at all times, ſo 2. Therefore a ground of Martyrdom.a ground of Martyrdom at any time, when a man is called, to ſeal the truth of his profeſſion with his blood. Now this being conſidered, that life is in Chriſt as in the Fountain, and derived from him to us; this is a ſpeciall ground to prevail with the ſoul, to ſuffer it ſelf, even to be laid down for Chriſt. Now he calleth for that life, which he himſelf firſt gave; we had it from him, and now we are called to reſtore it to him: the beſt husbandry that can be. But to be provident of our lives in this caſe, and to be over-thrifty, is the way never to thrive, as Chriſt ſaith, Mar. 8. 35. Whoſoever will ſave his life ſhall loſe it. Whoſoever will loſe his life for my ſake and the Goſpel's, the ſame ſhall ſave it. It is no ſuch great matter: Life is as common to brute beaſts as to men; and therefore when Chriſt calleth for it, there is reaſon to part from it, becauſe he gave it. It muſt be given up as a tribute to Nature. What is it to part with it a little ſooner, as a ſacrifice to Chriſt, as a ſeal of our profeſſion, and as a pledge of our thankfulneſſe? It is not ſo much parting with it, as reſtoring it to the Owner.
Thirdly, it may ſerve as a ground of Encouragement. Life 3. Therefore a ground of Encouragement.is in Chriſt as in the Fountain, therefore let all that wait upon Chriſt be encourag'd to expect life in abundance. A great deal of complaining there is of dead hearts, and dull ſpirits; no life in the ſoul, in duty or ſervice. Exerciſe Faith, go to the Fountain for all, and you ſhall have life, and have it in abundance. Chriſt doth not uſe to give niggardly, when he is ſued to. It is ſaid of Araunah, All th…ſe things Ara… nah gave as a King. Chriſt giveth as a Saviour, in this very particular, Joh. 10. 10. I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly. He giveth ſo, as to give it in abundance. It will not be amiſſe to ſpend ſome time, in clearing of that, that Chriſtians may go away with encouragement. Whether we ſpeak of the ſeverall ſorts of life, of Spirituall life, (for I will not ſpeak of Naturall) or to the ſeverall bleſſings, that accompany every ſort of ſpirituall life, which is all derived from one fountain. I take them together, that I may ſpeak the more briefly of them.
There are five ſorts of Spirituall life, which are proper to Saints; beſides a Naturall life, which is common to all Five ſorts of Spiritual life.men.
Firſt, There is a life of Reconciliation, which ſtandeth in 1. A life of Reconciliation.oppoſition to the wrath of God. The wrath of God, that killeth, but in the favour of God there is life, ſaith the Pſalmiſt, Pſal. 30. 5. Thy anger endureth but for a moment, but in thy favour is life. This life is from Chriſt, becauſe it is he in whom he is well-pleaſed, and through whom he is well pleaſed with us: God was in Chriſt, reconciling the world to himſelf. If any Reconciliation, it is in Chriſt. Here is one ſort of ſpirituall life that Chriſt giveth, and that in abundance; I came that they might have life, and have it more abundantly; becauſe, where God is reconciled, he beareth abundance of good-will to ſuch a ſoul. In thy favour is life; and that favour aboundeth ſo much, as that God loveth every reconciled ſoul with the ſame love, wherewith he loveth Chriſt himſelf; Joh. 17. 23. That the world may know that thou haſt loved them, as thou haſt loved me, faith Chriſt. That ſheweth abundant love. All love falleth firſt upon Chriſt, as the head, Divine love doth; and ſo deſcendeth to the skirts of his garments. It falleth upon us from Chriſt, and through Chriſt.
Secondly, there is a life of Juſtification, which ſtandeth 2. A life of Juſtification.in oppoſition to the guilt of ſin; and of this the Apoſtle ſpeaketh, Rom. 5. and telleth you, what abundance of righteouſneſſe accompanyeth it, Rom. 5. 15, 17. If through the offence of one many be dead, much more the grace of God, and the gift by grace, which is by one man Jeſus Chriſt, hath abounded unto many. For if by one man's offence, death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace; and of the gift of righteouſneſſe, ſhall reign in life by one, Jeſus Chriſt. It is called, Juſtification of life, there, verſ. 18. Even ſo, by the righteouſneſſe of one, the free gift came upon all men to Juſtification of life.
Thirdly, There is a life of Sanctification, that ſtandeth 3. A life of Sanctification.in oppoſition to the power of ſin, as that of Juſtification did to the guilt of ſin. This is likewiſe from Chriſt; and of it Paul ſpeaketh, Gal. 2. latter end, I through the Law am dead to the Law, that I might live to the Lord. I am crucified to the world, notwithſtanding I live; yet not I, but Chriſt that liveth in me. This commeth in from Chriſt in great abundance. Hence are thoſe expreſſions, 2 Cor. 8. 17. Therefore as ye abound in every thing, in faith, and utterance, and knowledge, and all diligence, and your love towards us, ſee that ye abound in this grace alſo. Rom. 9. 8. God is able to make all grace abound towards you. This is that that Chriſt ſaith, That he giveth life, and more aboundantly.
Fourthly, There is a life of Conſolation, which ſtandeth in oppoſition to the diſcouragements that ariſe, both from 4. A life of Conſolation.the power of ſin, and the guilt of ſin, that ſtrike the ſoul dead. And therefore a ſoul that is glad, is ſaid to live; Pſal. 69. 32. The humble ſhall ſee this, and be glad, and your heart ſhall live. So you ſee, that to be glad, and to live, is all one. This is founded in Chriſt, and there is abundance of this communicated to believers. See that 1 Cor. 2. 15. As the ſufferings of Chriſt abound in us, ſo our conſolation alſo aboundeth by Chriſt. Here is conſolation, abundant conſolation, and both by Chriſt.
The laſt thing is a life of Glory, which ſtandeth in oppoſition 5. A life of Glory.to that miſery, that ariſeth from all the former, from the wrath of God, and the guilt and power of ſin, and the diſcouragements that ariſe from thence; all theſe bring miſery after the ſoul's death. Now, there is a life of Glory, that freeth the ſoul from this, that is hid in Chriſt: You are dead, but your life is hid with Chriſt in God. When Chriſt, who is our life, ſhall appear, then ſhall we alſo appear with him in glory. There is a glorious life for believers, but it is now hidden, like the ſap in the root in the winter-time. It is hidden in Chriſt, who is their glorifi'd Head already. This they ſhall have, and have it more abundantly, becauſe of that aboundant happineſſe, which accompanieth this life of Glory, They ſhall be aboundantly ſatisfied with the fatneſſe of thy houſe, and made to drink of the rivers of thy pleaſures. For with thee is the fountain of life, Pſal. 36. 8, 9. When there is but a little ſmall Brook, and a whole Army commeth to drink at it, they are ready to emulate one another, becauſe there is not enough to ſerve them all. As he ſaid, Xerxes's Army drunk up whole Rivers. But where there are Rivers of pleaſure, there is enough for all commers; there needs be no emulation, all ſhall be ſatisfied: They ſhall be abundantly; and, Thou ſhalt cauſe them to drink of the Rivers of thy pleaſures. Thus ye ſee, what ſtrong Encouragement ariſeth from hence, that life is in Chriſt as in the Fountain. So I have done with that Clauſe of the fourth Verſe, In him was life. The next is,
And the Life was the Light of Men.