Christ the Fountain of Life, Sermon 4
SERMON IV.
1 JOHN 5.12.
He that hath the Son, hath life, and he that hath not the Son, hath not life.
THere yet remaines two things for ſignes of having Chriſt, for in all this point of our Chriſtian faith, there is no word but of more then ordinary and common uſe; And therefore when he ſaith, he that hath the Sonne hath life, ſome ſignes may be gathered from the word, having him, and ſome from having him as a SONNE; and ſome from this word Life, by which we may know, whether we have the Son and life in him.
Wee now come to ſpeak of the ſecond ſort of ſignes, Hee that hath the Son hath life, then if we would have life in Chriſt, we muſt have him as a SON.
The thing then to be opened is, What it is to have Chriſt, as the Son of the moſt high God, and that will give further light to the Text, and to the conſciences of them that would ſee the ground of their hopes ſettled upon a foundation, Hee that hath the Son hath life.
There bee three things implyed in having Chriſt as a Sonne.
Firſt it implyes, that ſuch as have Chriſt in truth, and ſo having him,Firſt thing conſidered in having Chriſt as a Son. have life by him; they do not reſt in having any of the benefits of Chriſt, though they be ſpirituall, but they cheifely affect to have himſelfe, not ſo much his benefits as himſelfe; he doth not ſay, hee that hath ſuch and ſuch ſpirituall gifts hath the Son; no, though you have never ſo many gifts, and they ſuch as doe accompany ſalvation, but that which he principally commends to us is himſelfe; you ſhall read of a company of Profeſſors that had Chriſt, and affected to have him ſo farre as they, might have Loaves from him, Joh. 6.26, 27. but our bleſſed Saviour bids them in ſeeking Chriſt, ſeeke not for loaves that periſh, but labour for the meate which endureth to eternall life; and that is only the Lord Jeſus Chriſt himſelf: Labor not for any loaves, whatſoever you might finde in your purſuit after Chriſt. It was this by which Peter did diſcover the hypocriſie of Simon Magus, he deſired the gift of the Holy Ghoſt, but for Chriſt himſelfe, his heart was not ſet upon him, but he only deſired that in which lay moſt profit; for had it been in his power, that upon the laying on of his hands upon any, Tongues might have been given, and Sickneſſes healed, he might have grown mighty in the world by that trade, Act 8.18, 19. And Balaam he was ſomewhat more upright in his deſire then Simon Magus was, one would thinke that he had ſought after Chriſt, for he wiſhed not for any temporall thing in this world, only that he might have a comfortable end, he would feather his neſt with Immortality, and inveſt himſelfe with the Robes of incorruption, and ſuch kinde of other glory, as the Saints in light doe partake of, but it was no more his deſire then the other, to deſire Chriſt for himſelfe, but only a bleſſed end, that he might be tranſlated into immortality and glory, and ſo might be kept from fellowſhip with thoſe Devils, and evil Spirits he had been acquainted with all his life long, that he might not have fellowſhip with them when he departed hence; but did not deſire Chriſt for himſelfe, and therefore whatever gift he had, as he had a notable ſpirit of Propheſie, as the Spirit then came upon him, ſpeaking of the marvellous bleſſings reſerved for Gods people, yet notwithſtanding he never ſought Chriſt in any of them, and therefore though he might have ſome glimpſe of the Viſion of God, yet of Chriſt he had none; whereas there is no true Chriſtian that doth moſt eſteeme the having of Chriſt, but doth not only ſeeke Chriſt without reſpect of Loaves, or Money, or of a quiet Conſcience in time of death, but even in the very time of this life, when he ſeekes after the Ordinances of God in this life, there to live according to God, and to finde pardon of ſinne and peace of conſcience, and ſubduing of his luſts, and ſtrength of grace, and power of godlineſſe, yet even in ſeeking the very Ordinances of God (out of which theſe are not to be found) yet in ſeeking of theſe, he doth not ſo much ſeeke theſe, or any bleſſing they doe afford, as the finding Chriſt in them; the ſtory is notable, and famous in, 2 Sam. 15.25, 26, 27. When David fled from Jeruſalem, the Prieſts and Levites carried the Arke after him, and when David ſaw them overtake him with the Arke of Gods preſence, in the enjoyment whereof ſtood the life of his life, the aſſurance of the pardon of his ſinne, the aſſurance and preſence of Gods favour, ſtrengthening of his ſpirit in grace, and ſubduing his luſts) yet ſaith he, Carry it back againe to Jeruſalem, if I ſhall finde favour in the eyes of the Lord, he will bring me backe againe, and ſhew me both it and his habitation; but if he thus ſay, I have no delight in thee, behold, here am I, let him doe to me as ſeemeth good to him. He would not wrong himſelfe, nor doe the Church of God ſo much prejudice as to wrong God, and his Sacrifice, they were not to offer ſacrifice elſewhere; nor could they finde any ſolemne preſence of God any where but there, there were they all to meet, and it was the place where God had put his name; and he conſidering that, he could not have the Arke with him, but Gods Name ſhould be diſhonoured, and the Church of God would finde much prejudice with the loſſe of Gods Arke; and therefore rather then God ſhould be diſhonoured, and the people diſcouraged and prejudiced by the want of it, he would ſend it back againe, and is content to looſe outward bleſſings; his care was not ſo much about outward things, his chiefeſt care was, if he might have had his wiſh, that he might all his time dwell in the houſe of the Lord, Pſal. 23.4. and oh that he might be but a doore-keeper in this houſe, rather then to reſt in the tabernacle of wickedneſſe; but yet when he could not have this great bleſſing, but with diſhonour to God, and prejudice to the Church of God, he rather layes downe the comfort that he might have from Gods Ordinances, and the help he might have from them, and thoſe helps were very great; as pardon of ſinne, and peace of conſcience, growth in grace, ſubduing of luſts, and eſtabliſhment of his heart in aſſurance of his election, and vocation; yet he is content to let them all goe that he might have what he hath without ſinne to himſelfe, and diſhonour to God, or wrong to the Church; and this is a notable ſign of a mans integrity and uprightneſſe of heart, he would not have any thing whereby God might have diſhonour; he would not have the Ordinances with the Churches loſſe, but rather ſit out, and ſhift for himſelfe as wel as he could, and would adventure the loſſe of them all rather then he wil ſtand to contend for them with the loſſe of Chriſt himſelfe: And this kinde of frame of ſpirit was in Moſes, he intreates God that he would not deſtroy the Iſraelites in the Wilderneſſe, leaſt his name ſhould be diſhonoured, but rather blot his name out of the Booke of Life then cut them all off, Exod. 32.32. Such is the uprightneſſe of the frame of the heart of a Childe of God, that he deſires not Spirituall bleſſings ſingly for himſelfe, not for the peace of his owne Conſcience, nor for the ſubduing of his luſts, nor for the ſtrengthening of his grace, further then may ſtand with the glory of God; and above all things elſe he ſeekes the honour of God, the comming of his Kingdome, and the doing of his will; and if theſe concur not in his way, he would rather looſe them, then diſhonour Chriſt by having of them; he hath a ſingleneſſe of heart in ſeeking ſpirituall bleſſings; he ſeekes them not for his owne ends, as you ſee in Davids deſire, Pſal. 63.1, 2, 3. My ſoule thirſteth for thee, my fleſh longeth for thee, to ſee thy power, and thy glory, as I have ſeene thee in the Sanctuary; becauſe thy loving kindneſſe is better then life, therefore my lips ſhall praiſe thee. He deſires not there the injoyment of the preſence of God, or the ſubduing of his luſts, that he might live at more eaſe, and have more comfort (though that be a lawfull end) but he would ſee the power of Chriſt more magnified in him; he would ſee a mighty increaſe of the grace of God in him, not that he might be more excellent then his neighbours, more eminent in gifts, and ſo be better then others, or ſo eſteemed; but he deſires that all his luſts may be ſwallowed up, and that the life of Chriſt might more mightily over-rule, and over-ſway him, and dwell mightily in him, that he might not live after his owne wil, nor to himſelfe, nor would he live by the graces of the Spirit in him, but the life that he would live, is by the faith of the Son of God, Gal. 2.20. that Chriſt and his life in him might worke all his workes in him and for him; and in that at any time he deſires death, it is not that he might be freed from evil and miſery, but that hee might be diſſolved, and be with Chriſt, Phil. 1.23. Though the other be a lawfull deſire, but chiefly his deſire is, that he might ſee Chriſt, whom from his firſt converſion he hath moſt loved, and in whom he hath lived all his life, and now to be wholly poſſeſſed of him, and wholly acted and ſwayed by him, not that he might have his heart filled with joy, but that he might be with Chriſt, not only as chiefeſt of ten thouſand perſons, but as the chiefeſt of ten thouſands benefits of God, that ſhould God give us pardon of ſinne, his Word and Sacrament, and victory over all our luſts, ſtrength of every grace of God, and everlaſting life, and therewith fellowſhip with all the bleſſed Saints and Angels, yet to us Chriſt is the chiefeſt of them all, none greater then the gift of Chriſt; and this is the ſincerity of a Chriſtians ſoule, he deſires more any benefit for Chriſts ſake, then Chriſt for any of his benefits ſake; for he whoſe heart is ſet upon Chriſt, more then upon the pardon of ſinne, or ſalvation, that ſoule hath Chriſt, and life in him; he that hath Chriſt in his eye and heart above all bleſſings, he indeed is a true Chriſtian, and hath Chriſt.
Reaſ. Chriſt muſt ſo be had, and we muſt ſo receive him as God gives him; now God gives us firſt Chriſt in all his Ordinances, and then in Chriſt all other things, all benefits in and through Chriſt, Act. 8.35. We preach to you Jeſus; we offer you him, all luſts layed aſide, all ſinfull corruptions put away, whatever ſeparates between God and us, that being done away: We now offer you Chriſt, and in Chriſt plentious redemption; but if we be without Chriſt, we are without true life.
As in the Sacrament, firſt you have the body and blood of Chriſt ſet before you, Matth. 26.26. and then ſealed up, and confirmed to you in the Sacrament, and together with that juſtification, and further degrees of the ſanctifying ſpirit, and further pledges of everlaſting life, and glory; No benefit, but its conveyed through him; Chriſt firſt, and then the benefit. It is true, Herod received joy, but Foelix trembling, and Jehu zeale, but none of theſe received Chriſt; they received the huske, but wanted Chriſt; they had the ſhell, but not the marrow and kernell within; they received the benefit, but Chriſt they did not receive, and for want of him they had no life at all. Simon Magus hee beleeved, Acts 8.13. but he had no lively faith, becauſe he would receive the benefit, but Chriſt he minded not to receive: Unleſſe the heart be knit to Chriſt, and the ſoule more ſeek Chriſt then pardon of ſinne, or ſubduing of luſts, he hath no life in truth, he that hath the Son, he hath life; not ſo, he that hath the gifts and benefits of the ſon: But Christ firſt, and in having Chriſt we have all.
Chriſt muſt be received as God gives him, we muſt acknowledge there is no life in any grace, but in Chriſt, Hoſ. 14.8. On me is your fruit found, and without me can you do nothing John 15.5. Now then carry this truth home with you, and gather from hence a true eſtimate of your own eſtates, whether you may judge of your ſelves as living or dead Chriſtians, Upon our having or not having of Chriſt depends our having or not having of life. How will you know, whether you have life or no, you ſay you have Chriſt, how know you that? Whether is your hearts more ſet upon Chriſt, then the gifts of Chriſt; Whether do you labour more for gifts, or for Chriſt himſelfe. And if you finde this, that in the truth of your hearts, you come not to the Ordinances, but to find your beloved there, not out of unclean and wanton ſpirits, but to ſeeke him whom your ſoule moſt deſires; whoſe favour and countenance you would rather behold, then to hear the voyce of a pleaſant ſinger, and you are not ſatisfied with any thing unleſſe you find him; then ſhal you find life in ſo coming to the Ordinances Can. 3.1, 2, 3. By night in my bed I ſought him whom my ſoule loved, &c. The bed was the Temple, wherein God did reveale himſelfe in his Ordinances, and diſperſe himſelfe to his people in the bed of his love. Shee came to the Temple, not to ſeek any of the Preiſts and Levites there; She goes indeed to the Watch-men, and makes her moane and complaint to them, that ſhe could not finde Chriſt in his Ordinances, and ſhe durſt not reſt upon their opinions; but ſaith, have you not ſeen him whom my ſoul loveth? can you tel me any newes, or give me any intelligence of my beloved Saviour? Thus ſhe inquires of the Watch-men: And from them ſhe goes to the Daughters of Jeruſalem, to her Chriſtian friends and chargeth them to tell him, that ſhe is ſick of love. Now if thus to deſire him, is to find Chriſt, then there is no more to be doubted of in ſuch a caſe as this; But the heart thus ſeeking him in his Ordinances, and the affections gon after him there, more then after any of his benefits, then in truth we have the Sonne, he could not have our hearts, if we firſt had not him; And therefore it is a ſtrong evidence we have him, becauſe our hearts are ſet upon him. We ſearch for nothing ſo much as for him; This is part of the meaning of that place in Pſal. 73.25 Whom have I in heaven but thee, or in earth in compariſon of thee? he deſires nothing more then him, neither peace of conſcience, nor joy in the Holy ghoſt, nor any thing ſo cheifly, and principally as God; but if wee have a longing affection after pardon of ſinne, and peace of conſcience, and aſſurance of ſalvation, after ſubduing of luſts and growth in grace; theſe be bleſſed deſires, and uſually upright, and ſincere, but there may be hypocriſie even in theſe very deſires, and in uſing the meanes to attaine theſe; for ſometimes by this meanes we ſeek Chriſt, and him in his Ordinances, not ſo much for himſelf, as for the benefits we have by him, which is a ſpirit of harlotry; As in a woman that it may bee hath a ſtrong affection to match with ſuch a man; but it is, but that hee might pay her debts, and that ſhe might be well provided for, for the world, and that he might be availe, and a protector to her, theſe be lawfull ends to aime at; but if it be only and cheifly for theſe ends, it is not true conjugal affection, for if another man could do this for her as well as he, ſhe could make choyce of another as well as of him, and ſhe deſires him, not for his, but for her own ends; And juſt ſo it is alike in this caſe, If a man deſire the Lord Jeſus Chriſt to this end, that he may have his ſinne pardoned, and be furniſhed with grace, though theſe be ſpirituall ends, yet ſo much as wee prize the benefit above Chriſt, ſo much are we halting in the truth of our affection to him. If a woman in true conjugall affection, looke at no more but at the very bare man,True love to Chriſt wherein it is. if there be true love in her towards him, ſhe is content to have him, though ſhe have nothing elſe but his perſon; ſo if our hearts be truly ſet upon Chriſt we are content to have him, though wee ſhould never ſee good day with him; though wee ſhould never ſee peace of conſcience with him, though no comfort of grace in him, yet would the ſoule ſay, that is truely affected to Chriſt, give me Chriſt, and I have enough, who, or what is there beſides Chriſt? What is there? Why, there is variety of excellent graces: But whom have I in earth but thee? As if ye ſhould put all other things in compariſon againſt, or with Chriſt, they are nothing to him, then ſurely you have Chriſt.
But how much will this diſcord from the fellowſhip of Chriſt, the Sonnes and Daughters of men, who when they ſee the coſtlineſſe of the wayes of Chriſt, they will neither ſeeke after Chriſt nor his benefits: But as for pardon of ſin, as it paſſeth all underſtanding, ſo it paſſeth their deſires; And for peace of conſcience, they hope they have a good conſcience; or if not, they doe not ſearch to know it; and as for the graces of the ſpirit, and ſubduing of luſts, they have a good hope, and beleive as well as the beſt: And for the Kingdome of glory, they hope if God grant them mercy they ſhall come to heaven at the laſt: Theſe men are far from having the Lord Jeſus, and life in him; they are ſo far off from ſeeking the Sonne, as that they do not ſo much as ſeek thoſe mercies and benefits which in Chriſt are conveyed to their ſoules, they neither have him nor none of his. They ſay to the Almighty depart from us, for we deſire not the knowledg of thy law, Job 21.14. of ſuch God ſaith, They would have none of me, Pſal. 81.11. not only have him, but none of him; that is, nothing that was his, not any ſaving benefit of his; the world we would have, but none of thoſe choyce and heavenly bleſſings of Chriſt; no pardon of ſin, no peace of conſcience, no care of Chriſtianity, or faithfull Miniſtery, no feare of God, nor keeping of his Commandements; deare hearts for us, how ſhall we ever conceive that ever we ſhould have life in Chriſt, when we doe not ſo much as deſire the very benefits of Chriſt? which yet a man may deſire and looſe all too, and when a man hath not ſo much as an affection to the things of Chriſt it is very dangerous.
But ſecondly, when a man is in this caſe, that there is a deſire in a man after the benefits of Chriſt, more then after Chriſt himſelfe; all this while you want that ſincerity upon which Chriſt wil give us a comfortable meeting, and ſpeake peace to our ſoules; we are not yet come to that condition, as in which he wil ſay; My wel-beloved, thou art all faire, and there is no ſpot in thee, he yet ſees not a true conjugall affection in us towards him; ſo as that though we ſhould never finde grace nor glory by him, yet he is the chiefe deſire of our ſoules. Suppoſe a woman should ſee a man that hath a deſire after her, but he chiefly aimes at her eſtate, to provide for himſelfe, and looks no further, wonder not if ſhe ſhould ſay to him; You ſeek not me, but mine, ſhe may wel rid her hands of him in ſuch a caſe; and truly ſo is the caſe here between us & the Lord Jeſus, ſo long as he findes that we come to him, and ſeek, and pray, and wraſtle, and what would we have? Oh, pardon of ſinne, and peace of conſcience, and power of grace, to be but as other Chriſtians are; that we could pray, and beleeve as they doe, and finde ſuch comfort as they have, and this is the thing that the ſoule is chiefly ſet upon; now all this while that we come thus to Chriſt, we muſt not think that Chriſt is to blame, if he tarry a little longer then we expect, for we may ſeek him and not finde him, becauſe we ſeeke not ſo much him as his benefits, and the rich treaſures of grace, and mercy, and peace, that are layed up in him without meaſure; the greateſt part of the world doe not love their ſoules, nor the Lord Jeſus ſo wel, as to love him for his grace and goodneſſe ſake; but yet among better men, there is a world of ſelfe love, many a man would have his ſinne pardoned, becauſe he would have his conſcience at quiet; we may thanke our ſelves for ſuch affections as theſe, not but that ſuch affections may ſpring from the grace of God, for men by nature never dreame of ſuch things as theſe be, but yet though ſuch affections may ſpring from the grace of God, yet you ſhall ever finde ſuch ſoules to detaine the grace of God in unrighteouſneſſe, and out of ſelfe love, uſe them all to their owne ends; and looke not that God may be glorified in and by them, nor that his wil be done; but oh, that the ſoule might have peace, and that ſinne might be pardoned, and there it reſts: When our deſires is chiefly ſet upon ſpirituall gifts, if wee looſe much comfort and fellowſhip with Chriſt, that elſe we might have had, we muſt not marvell at it, for our deſires are ſet not chiefly upon Chriſt, but upon the things of Chriſt; our deſire is not after the perſon, but after the goods and benefits of Chriſt. Obſerve the Apoſtles expreſſion, Rom. 8.32. He hath given us his owne Sonne; he doth not ſay, he that hath given us peace and pardon of ſinne, will not he give all other things alſo? Or, wil not he give us Chriſt? He reaſons not from Chriſts benefits, to Chriſt, but thus he reaſons; He that hath given us his owne Sonne, will with his Sonne, and after his Sonne, give us all other things. At the ſecond hand comes in all theſe benefits of pardon of ſinne, and ſtrength of grace, and power againſt our luſts, &c. theſe things come in as attendants upon the former; and therefore if God give us firſt to looke at Chriſt, that in him we have life of juſtification, and ſanctification, and conſolation, eternall glory, peace, and grace, and all; then we have him, and life in him, elſe we may have the outward comforts, but ſtand long enough at Chriſts Bed-chamber doore, before he let us in. Let it therefore be a word of direction and exhortation, to every ſoul that deſires to have that truth of life, and peace, and grace wrought in his heart that wil never dye; have you reſpect chiefly to the Lord Jeſus Chriſt, and long and ſeeke more after him, then after all Spirituall bleſſings, and much more above all worldly bleſſings. If you ſhall therefore refuſe Chriſt, becauſe you thinke he is but a melancholly perſon, you wil never have him, if you ſtand upon ſuch terms, if you wil not have him unleſſe he be thus and thus qualified; then let him alone, never talke of him, reſt not in looking after any of his benefits, it is a good thing to looke for ſuch benefits as accompany Chriſt; but reſt not there, content not your ſelves in ſuch wraſtlings, never thinke you are of a right ſpirit, and that you have a lively life, and ſuch as by which you ſhall maintaine conſtant fellowſhip with God, unleſſe you finde your hearts longing after Chriſt; My ſoule is a thirſt for the living God, Pſal. 42.1, 2. Let your hearts be chiefly ſet upon him for his owne ſake, you can tell what it is to ſet your affections more upon a perſon then upon their eſtate; and you muſt know, that your affections are more ſet upon Chriſt, then upon any benefit he hath, unleſſe you finde Chriſt more then his gifts, you ſhall finde little peace in your way; you muſt ſee that all, even the worſt of his things are beautifull and comly, and is more to be deſired then Gold, is ſweeter then the Honey, or the Honey-combe; he that thus hath the Sonne he hath life, the Sonne of God; God and Man, as he is our Son, and our Saviour; let the deſire of your ſoule be unto him, and your affections run out after him; be you for him, and then he wil be for you, Hoſ. 3.2, 3, 4. Stand not ſo much upon this, what Chriſt wil be for you, but be ſure that you be for him; let friends and all goe, and be ſure you be only for him: Though Chriſt love us firſt, yet he wil make us no aſſurance of his love to us, till he ſee us love him; and if we chuſe him firſt, before and above all his benefits, then we ſhall have him; make him then your aſſurance, and your Kingdome ſhall not be ſhaken; thinke not that he wil make you a feoffement before you be married to him, but we muſt be content to come to him, and take him as he is, and ſtand upon no conditions with him; You muſt not looke for aſſurance of Chriſts benefits till you have himſelfe, and if you chuſe him, then you ſhall have aſſurance to your ſoules, that he hath choſen you firſt; you cannot aske more then hee wil give; but firſt you muſt have himſelfe, he wil give you a kingdome, but you muſt firſt be a little flocke, all is yours, and ye are Chriſts, and Chriſt is Gods. Thus chuſe him above all his benefits, and you ſhall have him, and life in him.