Christ the Fountain of Life, Sermon 15
SERMON XV.
1 JOHN 5.14, 15.
And if we know that he heareth us whatſoever we aske, we know that we have the petitions we deſire of him.
NOw to come to a ſecond Note.
Doct. 2. Such as beleeve on the name of Chriſt for ſalvation, may be confident and certain of the hearing and granting of their petitions.
There is a double Act and a double Object; the double Act is confidence and knowledge. And the double Object, is firſt, Hearing of our petitions, And ſecondly, the granting of our petitions, and both expreſly diſtinguiſhed in the Text.
And ſo the poynt will be evident, Such as beleeve on the name of Jeſus Chriſt for ſalvation, (for of them he ſpeakes in verſ. 13.) they may come to a confident, and certain knowledge of the hearing and granting of their petitions, and the having of them all fulfilled.
To open this point unto you. And becauſe John doth gather this from the end of his own writing, for hee ſaith, hee wrote theſe things onelyonly to them that beleeve in the name of the Sonne of God, for this end, That they might beleeve on his name.
Therefore, let me ſhew you firſt, how theſe two great benefits, confidence and certainty of hearing and having our petitions, doth both ſpring and ariſe from what is here taught us.
Firſt, Which is the foundation of all the reſt, 1 John 3.1. ſpeaking of Adoption, ſaith he, Behold what manner of love the Father hath ſhewed on us, that we ſhould be called the Sons of God; he doth ſtand and wonder at the marvellous and incredible love of God, that he ſhould vouchſafe to ſtoop ſo low, and honour us ſo much; debaſe himſelf, and lift us up; not only ſtoop ſo low as to behold low things are on earth, Pſal. 113. but ſo low as to take up ſuch earth-worms as we be from the Dung-hill, and ſet us among the Princes of the people, ver. 5, 6, 7, 8. he not only beholds them with an eye of providence, but his people with an eye of fatherly compaſſion, and lifts us up to become ſonnes and daughters to himſelfe, and helps us to beleeve it that we are ſo.
This is the firſt ground of the certainty and confidence of the hearing of our petitions, if once we may come to be certaine, that we are the ſonnes of God, upon which occaſion a great part of this Epiſtle is ſpent, this is the firſt ground, and theſe the Apoſtle is wont to joyne together, as the ground of all comfort in this kinde, Gal. 4.5, 6. Rom. 8.15. ſo that to be perſwaded, or to grow confident that we are the children of God, will be a good foundation to the certainty of the hearing and granting of our Petitions. To whom may a Son come for any bleſſing but to a Father? and what makes him more confident of ſpeaking, and acceptance, then this principle, that he knowes he is the childe of ſuch a Father as is willing, and able to help him?
Secondly, another principle in this Epiſtle tending to build up this certainty, and confidence, is not only our adoption, but likewiſe Chriſts advocation, 1 Io. 2.1, 2. If any man ſinne, we have an Advocate with the Father, Ieſus Chriſt the righteous.
Advocate what.What is it to be an Advocate? To be an Advocate, is to plead on our behalves with the Father, for the granting and anſwering of our Petitions, for the pardoning and healing of all our tranſgreſſions, and the performing to us, and giving of us all the good things we ſtand in need of, whether we aske them, or aske them not; but eſpecially, there is no Petition we put up, but Chriſt takes it at our hands, and puts it up in ſuch forme to his heavenly Father, as that by and through him it is accepted; As a man retaines an Advocate in a Court, he brings him his cauſe rudely drawne, ſo as it would be rejected in the Court, but his Advocate puts it into ſuch a forme, as is agreeable to the Law, and ſutable to the order of the Court, ſo as it findes free acceptance: So we put up our Petitions rudely, and many times farre ſhort of that frame which God eſpecially lookes for from his ſervants hands, but Chriſt takes them at our hands, and puts them into forme, and ſo preferres them to his heavenly Father, and ſo as from thence we have good occaſion, and good ground of confidence and certainty, that whatever we put up in any meaſure according to Gods will, being preſented to our Advocate, to our heavenly Father, ſhall be accepted.
Thirdly, The Attonement, or propitiation that our Saviour makes to our bleſſed Father, ſpoken of in the ſame place, 1 Ioh. 2.2. Attonement, or propitiation, the thing is this: That whereas many a ſervant of God might feare his Petitions would never be granted, becauſe he hath been ſo ſinfull before God, and hath ſo many wayes diſhonoured God, that he knowes not however God ſhould heare ſuch an unworthy creature as he is. Now the Apoſtle ſets forth in this Epiſtle the Lord Jeſus Chriſt as our Attonement, that if we come to our Advocate, and ſay, We have ſuch Suits, and Petitions to put up to our heavenly Father, but we have ſo diſpleaſed him, that we thinke he will never regard us; Why ſaith the Apoſtle, If any man ſinne, we have an Advocate with the Father, Ieſus Chriſt the righteous, and he is the propitiation for our ſins, and therefore for our owne hearts, though we have juſt cauſe of diſcouragement in regard of our ſins, yet we have a propitiation, an attonement, he makes interceſſion for us as an Advocate; but you ſay, God will not heare him for ſuch ſinners as we be? Yes, he makes propitiation or attonement, that we periſh not by our ſins, nor that they ſhould hinder Gods acceptance of us, or granting our deſires, ver. 7. of the firſt chap. and ſo here is a third groundworke of our confidence and certainty of our deſires.
Fourthly, There is another, and that is the annoyntment that we have received from him, by which we know all things, 1 Joh. 2.20. implying, that though we be dark in our owne mindes, and dead, and ſtraight in our owne ſpirits, and doe not know what the Lord or Chriſt hath done for us. Why yet we have received an unction from the Lord Ieſus, who will tell us what he hath done for us. As a mans Advocate, will ſend his Clyent word of all things how they goe in the Court about his buſineſſe, that he may know how farre he hath proceeded, and where they ſtick: So the Lord Jeſus Chriſt, he is the holy one there ſpoken of; You have received an unction from him, he ſends downe his holy Spirit into your hearts, and lets you ſee and know all the petitions and requeſts that God grants you; you ſhall no ſooner have a petition granted, but you ſhall have it certified to you by this unction of the holy one, whereby you know you have them granted, and for whoſe ſake it is that they are granted by this unction; you know all things pertinent to life and godlineſſe. And this is that which the Apoſtle Paul ſpeakes, 2 Cor. 2.12. God ſends forth his owne Spirit into our hearts to let us know ſo much, and this is a marvellous point that the Holy Ghoſt gives us to know all things that are done in Heaven for us, and how farre God hath accepted us.
Further, If you be inquiſitive to know, why the Spirit of God doth certifie the ſoule of this.
Firſt, the Spirit certifies us of this, that ſurely our Petitions are heard and granted, becauſe he hath given us an heart to pray, he hath helped us to pray, we could never have prayed fervently, and feelingly, unleſſe the Holy Ghoſt had helped us; we know we have ſtraight hearts, and if we therefore come and pour out our ſouls to God in any ſpirituall affection, then we know we have this unction, the Holy Ghoſt came and opened our mouthes, and healed our lips, and made us pray affectionately, and feelingly; and that is a great light to the hearing of our petitions, for a prayer well made, is never ill heard, and therefore you know what is ſaid, Pſalm. 10.17. Thou prepareſt the heart to pray, and thou haſt heard the deſire of the poor. How ſhall a poor Chriſtian know that his deſire is heard? Why, thou haſt prepared the heart to pray; If God prepare our hearts, then he will cauſe his eare to heare, theſe alwaies accompany one another; That is ſomething that this unction doth, it works in all our hearts to pray according to Gods will, and to pray in the name of Chriſt, and ſo ſatisfies us.
Secondly, This Spirit of God that we receive from the holy one, it is alſo a ſpirit of faith, that inwardly perſwades us that God hath indeed heard us, and that he will doe for us whatſoever we deſire, and will ſometimes evidently beare witneſſe of it to the heart of a man, Ma…. 11.24. What thing ſoever ye deſire when ye pray, beleeve that ye ſhall receive them, and ye ſhall have them. We muſt beleeve that what we have ſaid to God he will certainly doe it, and the ſpirit of faith will come, and ſay to the heart, God in heaven ſaith Amen to it, he gives out a f…at, let it be done, Pſal. 6.8. David was in a grievous affliction, both in bodily affliction, and ſpirituall deſertion, as in the beginning of the Pſalme, He cryed out day and night, God had forſaken him, and his ſoule was ſore vexed; but thou O Lord, how long, &c. And now away from me all ye mine enemies, for the Lord hath heard my petition, and he will accept me; ſo that even while he is in bitter complaints, and grievous mourning; while he is yet ſpeaking, this unction comes, and reveales to him Gods acceptance of him, and therefore now he encourages himſelfe, and caſts a defiance upon all the troubles of his ſoule, he lookes at them all as vaniſhing away like ſnow before the Sun, and now he comforts himſelfe therein.
And this oftentimes and uſuall, when the ſoule makes uſe of Gods Ordinances, and Priviledges which himſelfe hath granted, that ſurely God hath heard our requeſts, he never refuſeth to grant that prayer which he ſtands to heare; for this purpoſe is that you read of the good woman Hannah, 1 Sam. 1.15. to 18. Ely ſuſpected ſhe was in ſome diſtemper, but ſaith ſhe, I have poured out my ſoule before the Lord. She prayed feelingly, and fervently, and faithfully, not words, but her ſoule before the Lord; ſhe had prayed with her whole heart, and her ſoule did raiſe up it ſelfe heavenward, the ſtrength of her deſire was ſet upon that; and he then ſaid, The Lord give thee favour in his eyes, and grant thy requeſt; which was, as if this anſwer had come from heaven, for God doth reveale himſelf in his Ordinances: She looked at him as the high Prieſt, and ſo a Type of the Meſſiah and ſhe tooke it as a voyce from heaven, and the text ſaith, She went home, and looked no more ſad. God hath ſet it on, and ſpoken comfort to her heart, ſo as that her faith was eſtabliſhed, ſhe ſaw the voyce of God in it, and went home reſolved upon it, and takes ſuch encouragement to her ſelfe from thence as to feare no more in that kinde. When Gods ſpirit gives us to pray affectionately, and to beleeve confidently, then we know we have our petitions, we are perſwaded of it.
But beſides this cofident perſwaſion this followes, there is another worke of faith, and that is a conſtant wraſtling againſt all diſcouragements that falls between our requeſts, and the accompliſhment of our petitions. Famous is that ſtory of the woman of Syrophenicia, Matth. 15. from 23. to 29 you know the manifold diſcouragements ſhe met with, ſhe prayes, and at firſt God gives her no audience, anſwers her not a word; ſhe prayes againe, and then he gives her a deniall to grant her any ſuch requeſt, and tells her plainly, It is not ſutable to his calling, and therefore he may not apply himſelfe unto her; yet ſhe is not diſcouraged with this (which is very much) but ſhe followes him ſtill, and though yet reproached, and called a dogge, yet ſhe is not diſcouraged, but out of the word of reproach gathers ſome hope of comfort; if ſhe be a dogge, why then let her have that which belongs to doggs, let her have but the crums that fall from the childrens table: Shee is not diſcouraged with all the difficulties that lay in her way, nothing ſhall cut her off from importunity, and when he could forbeare no longer, he then tells her, O woman, great is thy faith, be it unto thee even as thou wilt. To ſhew you, that if the Holy Ghoſt doe but give a Chriſtian ſoule ſo much reſolution and confidence, as not to give over praying, till God be pleaſed to give over anſwering, It is a good ſigne, this ſpirit of faith will certainly prevaile at length, All things are poſſible to them that beleeve, and not only poſſible but certaine.
Thirdly, There is a third worke of this Spirit, and that is this; it workes as it is a ſpirit of hope, and that moves a man to waite upon God, that though God ſhould tarry long, and he ſhould pray heartily for ſuch and ſuch requeſts to be granted; in ſuch a caſe as this our ſpirits would be ſad and uncomfortable, and give over, and be ready to ſay, Wherefore ſhould I waite on the Lord any longer (as that prophane Prince ſaid, 1 King. 6. laſt,) having been long preſt with Famine, he in the end burſt forth with this, This evill is of the Lord, why ſhould we waite on him any longer? our fooliſh hearts ſoone grow impatient, and we cannot dance after attendance upon God; and therefore in this caſe though fleſh and bloud be ſhort winded, and ſoone weary, yet the truth is, this unction when it workes in us a ſpirit of hope, it ſtill waites upon God, it ſets it ſelfe to waite upon him, and is very well contented to ſtay Gods leiſure, though he ſhould tarry very long, Pſal. 62.1. & Pſal. 130.4, 5. and 2 laſt, he ſets both morning and evening watch for him, and he is well contented to waite for him, and Pſal. 123.1, 2, 3. Our eyes waite upon the Lord our God; ſo that when God gives us a ſpirit of waiting, then doth he certainly ſeale up unto us the granting of our petitions, for when a man attends at the Court for an anſwer upon his petition, if the King bid him attend, it is a good ſigne he meanes to grant him his requeſt, elſe he would have rejected it; but a wiſe Prince, if he ſee a man come in good ſort, and deſire a reaſonable requeſt of him, that ſuch a thing is according to his Princely will, and he bids him to attend and ſtay there, a ſigne he meanes to take it into conſideration, at leaſt, and good hopes it will be accepted. Now God conſults with no body, but if he give us a heart to waite and ſtay, aſſure your ſelves he meanes not to ſend you empty away, but it is an undoubted argument he will give us an anſwer, becauſe thou canſt thus waite upon him.
Fourthly, There is a fourth worke of this unction, and it tends marvellouſly to the ſpeeding of our requeſts, and that is that which you read, Pſal. 145.19. He will fulfill the deſires of them that feare him. Doeſt thou finde that the Lord hath wrought a ſpirit of feare in thy heart, ſo as that thou walkes awfully before him, and in the feare of his name goes about every duty, and in his feare dependeſt upon him, and endeavoureſt to approve thy ſelfe before him? truly he will aſſuredly fulfill the deſires of them that feare him, when we reverence him in his Ordinances, pray with reverence, and in an holy feare, Pſal. 2.11. Them that goe about holy duties in a reverent and holy feare, doe all things in the feare of the Lord, he hath a ſpirit of power to prevaile with God; this is ſuch a feare as whereby a man keeps Covenant with God, and conſequently prevailes with God to keep Covenant with them, Jer. 32.40. This feare is it which makes us keep Covenant with God, this feare of God alwaies keeps poſſeſſion for God, ſo as that we dare not doe that which is unlawfull, we dare not ſinne againſt God, nor performe good duties careleſly, and feareleſly, for the feare of God bowes us to goe about holy duties, in an holy and reverent manner, and bleſſed is that man that ſo feareth alwaies. If therefore God take from us a wanton and wilde heart, a looſe and unreverent heart, and worke in us an awfull reverent feare of his name, in every duty of his ſervice, and our owne callings, that keeps us from departing from God, and it keeps God from departing from us, that we alwaies have him neare at hand, to heare all the deſires of them that feare him. It is that ſpirit of which you read, ſpoken of concerning our Saviour, in which he ſhall proſper in all the workes of his hands, Eſa. 11.2. The Spirit of the Lord ſhall reſt upon him, &c. A ſpirit of power, and of the feare of the Lord, and that ſhall make him quick of underſtanding, and ſo ſhall proſper, which is a bleſſing promiſed our Saviour, Eſa. 53.10. It pleaſed the Lord to bruiſe him, and to put him to griefe, but the pleaſure of the Lord ſhall proſper in his hand. This is the end of this bleſſing, when God puts us to griefe and humiliation, and ſo workes in us the feare of his great name (which ever accompanies thoſe diſpenſations) then the worke of the Lord proſpers in our hands. If God give us a Spirit of his holy feare in any duty we goe about, then it will aſſure us that God will heare our deſires.
Fifthly, But yet further, there is a ſpirit of obedience, which doth marvellouſly ſeale up unto us the hearing and granting of all our prayers and petitions, 1 Joh. 3.22. Whatſoever we aske we receive of him, becauſe we keepe his Commandements, and doe thoſe things which are pleaſing in his ſight. It is of neceſſary uſe, that when God gives us hearts to liſten to every word of his mouth, he will then liſten to the deſires of our ſoules, Prov. 28.8. The prayer of the wicked is an abomination to the Lord, but the deſires of the righteous are his delight, and he that turneth away his care from hearing the Law, his prayer ſhall be abominable. But if a man lend a liſtening eare to Gods Law, it makes his prayer acceptable; hearken to the Lord, and the Lord wil hearken to you, elſe not. It is to this purpoſe what you read, Judg. 9. latter end of the ſeventh verſe, Hearken unto me, that God may hearken unto you. If God gave them hearts to hearken to what he ſpake to them in Gods name, then God will hearken to them. If we ſpeake, and doe as Eli taught Samuel to ſay, Speake Lord, for thy ſervant heareth, 1 Sam. 3.10. If we come before God with ſuch a reſolution, that whatever God ſpeakes to us we will heare it, and doe it, we ſhall finde this upon it, whatſoever we ſpeake to God he will anſwer us, and worke it for us; ſo that an obedient Chriſtian is a powerfull petitioner, he is powerfull in prayer. And this we may attaine to, by making uſe of this holy Epiſtle of John, that is written to all that beleeve on the name of Chriſt; this is a fourth direction that Iohn gives us in this Epiſtle, whereby you ſee how mighty this ſame Epiſtle is to ſatisfie, and fill our hearts with fulneſſe of joy.
Reaſ. The reaſon of this confidence ſprings from the promiſes, and the diſcerning of them clearly to belong to us, now all theſe things diſcover to us many promiſes, confidence ſprings partly from Gods nature, and partly from Gods promiſe, and partly alſo from our owne experience, and theſe are the ſtaffe of our confidence; and from hence it is that we grow to ſee many promiſes belong to us, we ſee the nature of God become fatherly to us, and we from hence in time gather many experiences of Gods acceptance of us, and this ſtrengthens our confidence in his hearing of our petitions. Our Adoption aſſures us of Gods nature to be ours, whereby God takes us to be his Children, and he is one that is full of grace and goodneſſe, nothing is wanting on his part; he is a Father to us, and that is a great matter.
And in regard that Chriſt is our Advocate and Attonement, he brings all the promiſes to us, which in Chriſt are all, yea and amen, 2 Cor. 1, 20. And this holy Spirit of God gives us experience of all that goodneſſe that is in God, and the truth in his promiſes, yea and it gives us experience in this alſo; that he that hath given us his owne Sonne, will not be give us all things elſe? Rom. 8.32. He gives us Election, Redemption, fatherly Adoption, and effectuall Vocation to the wayes of his grace, and ſo he gives us experience of the greateſt matters, and from hence we know, that he will not deny us ſmaller things, as victory againſt the remnant of our corruptions, the greateſt part of them is ſcattered before, the ſtaffe and ſtrength of them already broken, and we now conflict but with remnants of corruption.
But now when the Holy Ghoſt ſaith, we know this, it goes farre; for confidence and faith ſprings from the teſtimony of him that ſpeakes, or from the nature of him upon whom we truſt; but knowledge doth not ſo much ſpring from the teſtimony of any, either God, or man, but is commonly gathered from ſence and experience, and experience is both a ground of confidence, and knowledge; and hence comes the knowledge of all Arts and Sciences, whence is their knowledge, but from their obſervation of many experiences? Phiſitians know it, and they therefore ſet it downe in their bookes, they know it is ſo. Things that we gather from ſence and experience, we are ſaid to have the knowledge of; now this experience doth not only give us confidence but knowledge, for by the unction that we have received, we doe know the love of God that paſſeth knowledge, Chriſt dwelling in our hearts by faith, we come to know the love of God towards us, Eph. 3.17.19. There is not any thing that concernes the love of God towards us, but the Spirit of God dwelling in our hearts by faith, it comes to paſſe that we are able to comprehend the height, and depth, length, and breadth of the love of God towards us. This Spirit of God in our hearts gives us ſenſible experience and knowledge of Gods love to us, of his attonement and grace to us, our Conſciences that had hels in them before, all ſuch darkſome evils are now vaniſht and ſcattered, and we know that ſenſibly we had power given us to pray, and to beleeve that our prayers are granted; and can wait upon God, and feare God, and make conſcience of obeying his will. Now this Spirit of prayer that diſcovers theſe things plainly to our inward man, the ſence and experience of it makes a Chriſtian able to know what God hath done for him, and makes him able to beleeve what God hath promiſed him; and thus now when we aske any thing according to Gods will, he doth not only ſay, It is well ſaid, but he takes a courſe to anſwer our requeſts, we have certaine grounds to move us in what we aske, and the ends of our requeſts are right. Now God conſiders not alwaies ſo much the letter of our prayers as the grounds, and ends of them, the ſcope we ayme at, and God will ſo accordingly anſwer us.
Vſe 1. Let it be firſt a ground of encouragement to every Chriſtian ſoule that beleeves in the name of Jeſus Chriſt, truſt not in your owne good parts, and good gifts, if any ſuch things increaſe, ſet not your hearts upon them; truſt not in any worldly bleſſing, but beleeve on the name of Chriſt. And therefore that you may beleeve, humble your ſoules before him in regard of your ſins, and pray heartily in the faith of Chriſt. And why ſo? The ground is in the text, you ſhall not only be confident and aſſured of your ſalvation, which is a great mercy of God to my ſoule, and a greater then all the whole Church of Rome would grant; they may goe to Rome, and from thence to Jeruſalem, and from one place to another to have ſought for pardon of ſin, and yet not ſo much comfort promiſed them, that after all this they ſhall finde it, but in the end to Purgatory they muſt goe; and that is as ill as Hell fire (ſay they) ſave only in durance;) and this is all the helpe they have, they might whip and ſcourge themſelves, and give all their goods away to the poore, and themſelves goe in ſackcloth and aſhes all their dayes, and when all comes to all, they muſt not be ſure of any mercy or favour from God; which to beleeve would be Hereticall preſumption; but they muſt notwithſtanding all this reſt in Hell fire till the day of Judgement, unleſſe they will be at coſt to purchaſe freedome from it; and (which is ſtrange) though they would not ſuffer them to beleeve a releaſe by Chriſts pardon, yet upon the Popes pardon they might have hope, and ſo they take more pains for an uncertainty, then we for certainty and knowledge, but you ſhall not only attaine certainty of ſalvation, but certainty of the granting of all your requeſts; no peace to the peace of a Beleever, and therefore lay aſide all your confidence in the world, but be confident in the name of the Lord Jeſus, and be certaine of Gods favour and goodneſſe to you in him, and then here is ſuch bleſſings as will keep a mans heart warme in the worſt houres.
Vſe 2. To teach ſuch as beleeve on the name of the Lord Jeſus, how you may come to be confident, and certaine of the hearing and granting your petitions; How may wee come to that? Haſt thou good evidence to thy ſoule of thy Adoption, that God is thy Father, then meditate well upon this point, that Chriſt is thy Advocate, to make interceſſion and Attonement for thee, in caſe thou haſt diſpleaſed thy heavenly Father. Theſe two things will much prevaile, they be ſtrong helps to a weake faith; and then conſider what unction thou haſt received, and look up to God that he would give thee a ſpirit of prayer, to pray feelingly, and fervently, and humbly before him, and then labour for a ſpirit of faith, which if God give thee ſo much faith as to perſwade thee, thy requeſts are heard, and to wraſtle againſt diſcouragements, and that the ſpirit of faith doth worke in thee grace to hope and waite upon God, and withall an holy feare of his name, and obedience to walke obediently in doing his will, and patiently to ſuffer his will under his hand; and obſerve how the Spirit ſpeakes evidently in this and that kinde, and it will be a notable means to helpe thee to grow confident, and certaine that all thy prayers are heard. Now many a Chriſtian ſoule falls ſhort of this, he conſiders not the Attonement of Chriſt in his prayer; but many times thus ſtands the caſe with them, there is much deſoluteneſſe in their lives, and looſeneſſe and fearleſneſſe in their hearts before God, rejoyce not with trembling, God ſees his Servants looſe in their obedience, and when diſobedient they ſeek not to Chriſt for Attonement; whence it is that many times they are ſo full of doubts.
Vſe 3. Of much conſolation to all thoſe that beleeve on the name of the Lord Jeſus, and make uſe of theſe bleſſed meanes; this is our confidence, that whatſoever petitions we aske he heareth us, and we know it. See how comfortable a Chriſtians eſtate is, he growes certaine not only of his owne ſalvation, but he is certaine of the hearing and granting of all his petitions, if he can but pray well, he makes account all is well, let his diſtreſſes be what they will be.