Divine Drops Distilled from the Fountain of Holy Scripture, Part 22
Expoſitions and Obſervations on 2 COR. 11. 3.
But I fear leſt by any means, as the ſerpent beguiled Eve through his ſubtilty, ſo your mindes ſhould be corrupted from the ſimplicity that is in Chriſt.
I Shall not expound it, but only out of the preſumption I have of your goodneſs, and the love of God in you, that you will hear a ſpirituall word in any ſhape; therefore though brokenly, and confuſedly; I would take occaſion from theſe words to exhort you to ſtick to the ſimplicitie of the Goſpell, my meaning is this, that
The Goſpell is a far more ſimple and plaine thing then moſt people conceive it to be.
Truly (beloved) I think that our growing now we The ſimplicity of the Goſpel.are come out of Antichriſt is not to grow in higher notions, and ſpeculations of things, but to grow more ſimple in the worſhip of God. We ſhall be leſs curious a great deal when Chriſt ſhall ſet up his worſhip, then when Antichriſt ſet it up. Our growing in knowledg is not as honeſt Doctor Preſton ſaith, to know new things, ſo much as to know old things in a new manner. The Goſpel is a plain, ſimple thing. There are theſe three reaſons I ſhall give you.Argued from three reaſons. 1. The matter of it.
Firſt I finde that the matter of the Goſpel is a plaine, ſimple thing, not of ens, and non ens, and notions that none can apprehend them, as people every where diſcourſe above the Moon. I underſtand not their words, no not grammatically, not in the letter, and this is their high, and glorious light. But I ſee the Apoſtles preached Chriſt, they tell a ſtory of a man born of the Virgin Mary, apprehended of the Iewes, and he was a publike perſon, and bore the ſins of his people, and he was put to death, and roſe again for our juſtification. In the preaching of the Apoſtles in the Acts we finde none of thoſe Chymeras, and Ideas, and diſtinctions that we generally finde profeſsors now aiming at. But to know plain Chriſt crucified in a ſpirituall manner. As compare, 1 Cor. 2. with Philip. 3. we ſhall ſee clearly, Paul ſaith he knew what the world did not know, that eye did not ſee, nor ear had heard, and what was that? Chriſt crucified, and the power of his reſurrection, as he opens it, Phil. 3.
And beſides, as we finde it is a plaine, ſimple thing: 2. The inſtruments divulging it.ſo we ſee the Lord choſe ſimple people to go, and preach it, he choſe generally fiſher men, and ſuch poor men, and women ſometimes. Rude men, in a manner without learning; theſe were to go and tell a ſimple ſtory of Ieſus Chriſt, and him crucified, &c.
I finde alſo the parties to whom the Goſpell is directed, 3. Thoſe to whom it was directed.2 Cor. 1. not to the learned, nor to the wiſe, but to the baſe and fooliſh; to baſe things of the world, and deſpiſed things, and things that are not. And ſo we finde by experience, that the Lord ſends the Goſpel to poor ſilly people: the ſimpleſt people moſt commonly underſtand the Goſpel of Jeſus Chriſt beſt.
Every body ſeeks to dreſs the Goſpel, and to make it more curious, but few labor to reduce the Goſpel to its native ſimplicity. One Generation dreſſeth the Goſpel moſt bravely with humane learning. Though I will not ſimply ſpeak againſt humane learning, it is good, as fire when it is put on the hearth; ſo humane learning when it is put in its own place, it is a good thing; but the uſe that men make of it, to dreſs the ſimplicity of the Goſpel with it, makes it abominable.
Others dreſs the Goſpel, and multitudes now adays, (I ſpeak not to cenſure them, or out of ſpight againſt them; but rather out of a zeal I have, that you and I may be found at the laſt day in the ſimplicity of the Goſpel,) they make a jingle of the Goſpel, they ſublimate it, as though it were as the Philoſophers conceits were, Notions above the Moon, or things that they cannot conceive what they be, exiſtent, and conſiſtent, and viſibility, and contrarietie, and forms, and I know not what. Thus the Goſpel is perverted. I have been troubled more, then modeſtly I may ſpeak to a Congregation, to ſee how the plain Goſpel of Jeſus Chriſt; preached by Fiſhermen, to ſimple people of Chriſt crucified: That people ſhould ſublimate it almoſt into air, to nothing; that all things is God, and that God is all things; and that God is eſſentially in us, and we in him: And we muſt do all things to God paſsively, and not actively. Such a metaphyſical kinde of Goſpel, and ſuch terms as confound your ſouls, and bring them in the end to nothing.
Therefore I exhort you to ſtick to the ſimplicity of the Goſpel: And do not think it is a ſmall thing; it is a great buſineſs that I exhort you to. Why ſo? Becauſe I finde that there are many ſouls that make ſhipwrack of their own ſalvation, by flying too high above the Goſpel of Jeſus Chriſt: They loſe themſelves, they run through all Religions (as ſome ſay) and at laſt come to be nothing at all. And I am ſure of it, they deſtroy the faith of others, I am ſure of that, almoſt by experience, as Paul ſaith of Hymeneus and Alexander, They deſtroy the faith of many. That when a poor tender-hearted Chriſtian hears them talk ſo high, and is not able to underſtand litterally a word that is ſaid, ſaith he, I have nothing in the world, I never knew God aright, becauſe I ſee that I cannot underſtand a word of this, and a world of evils more.
And I have obſerved, and do obſerve it, That uſually thoſe kinde of people that are ſo led, when they, have ſuch Chymera's and Notions in their heads, they nullifie all Religion beſides, and all but that is nothing; and one Chymera carries the bell one quarter of a yeer, and then that is laid aſide, and then they have another notion, and that is all the Religion; and then away goes that, and then there comes a third. Theſe deſtroy the faith of poor ſouls in Chriſt crucified, and juſtification by him, and holineſs to him; and all holy duties in the Goſpel by the Spirit: this is deſtroyed.
Therefore my Exhortation to you, is, and it is a bleſſed word that I have thought much of, in Rom. 12, Be of the ſame minde one towards another. Minde not high things. Mark that word. We have a kinde of expreſſion in our times of higher and lower light; and (which is more, immodeſt) people attribute the higher light to themſelves: We are of the higher light, ſay they. Saith the Apoſtle, Minde not high things. How? It is not meant in carnal things, that is, Minde not to get high Offices, or places, or preferment, or the like. But he ſpeaks of ſpiritual things, as it is clear, if you compare the third verſe. For I ſay, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you; not to think of himſelf more highly, then he ought to think, but to think ſoberly, according as God hath delt to every man the meaſure of faith. As if he had ſaid, I finde many among you, that ſublimate the Goſpel almoſt into air, in high conceits, and Idea's, and notions, and leave poor Chriſt crucified, and the ſimple Goſpel preached by fiſhermen. I would not have you wiſe, above that which is meet; not to minde high things, but condeſcend to them of the lower ſort. The excellency of the Goſpel of Jeſus Chriſt, is the plainneſs of it; and that is the reaſon, that you mar it with any kinde of dreſsing, becauſe it is excellent in it ſelf If a man have a ſuite of Skarlet that is extraordinary good, all-to-be-laid with copper lace, it mars it, becauſe the cloth is good of it ſelf. So all dreſsing of the Goſpel, marrs it, becauſe it is excellent of it ſelf.
When you meet with people that tell you, that all your Religion is nothing, and tell you Chymera's, and high things that may ſhine bravely for a while: Think of this, I muſt not minde high things, but condeſcend to them that are low. Therefore the Apoſtle in thoſe times, when the Goſpel was preached, and perverted by Philoſophy, and oppoſitions of Science, falſly ſo called, many fine tricks they had to adorn the Goſpel; he calls them alway to Chriſt crucified, and tells them, that was the height, and depth, and bredth, and length of all knowledg; as the height, and bredth, and length, and depth of a board, or of a thing; it is the whole dimenſions of a board, it is the whole board. So the knowledg of Chriſt crucified, is the height, and depth, and bredth, and length of all knowledg; that is, It is all knowledg to know Chriſt crucified in the ſimplicity of the Goſpel. He oppoſeth not Philoſophy to Philoſophy, or Science to Science; but he ſaith, Ye are compleat in Chriſt, and calls them to his death, and reſurrection. So keep cloſe to that.
I ſpeak it the rather, becauſe where there are ſuch notions ſtarted up among us daily now of late, they clearly draw us from Chriſt crucified. A Platonical kinde of Religion, a kinde of Heatheniſm, a kinde of conſideration of God in his own nature and eſſence without Chriſt. Beware of this ambition. It is enough for you, and me to know Ieſus Chriſt, and him crucified, and the power of his death and reſurrection, according to the ſimplicity of the plain Goſpel once preached by fiſhermen, to fooliſh and baſe people, and things of no worth.
Therefore I beſeech you ſtick to Chriſt crucified, and to the ſimplicity and plainneſs of the Goſpel. I would not have you to ſtick in the Letter, and to go no further, but labor for the Spirit of God through the Letter, to be in your ſouls. I know God many times by theſe broken words, may do your ſouls good; but this is a thing, that I confeſs my ſoul is ſo full of, that I am not able to expreſs it, to vent, and open my ſelf. The miſchief, and miſery that befals people, by ſoaring above the Scriptures, above the plainneſs and ſimplicity of the Goſpel, ye hear that they do themſelves, and others; and the ſafeties, and ſecurity, that will be to your ſouls in keeping to the plain, ſimple way of the Goſpel of Ieſus Chriſt.
I had another ſhort leſſon, but I am loath to thruſt out one duty with another. It is a rule, by which, I would alway walk: I cannot now handle it, but only mention it to you; and if God lead us by his bleſſed Spirit, we may learn a little of it. I thought to ſhew you
The Oneneſs that is betwixt us, and Ieſus Chriſt.
Methinks it is a more glorious Truth, then we have judged it to be, that poor Saints are one with Chriſt. The Lord Ieſus Chriſt is anointed, and ſo are they; we have the ſame unction with Chriſt; we have the ſame name with Chriſt; we have the ſame Offices with Chriſt; we have the ſame love of God with Chriſt; we have the ſame Spirit with Chriſt; and the ſame Kingdom with Chriſt in Heaven. The Church is the fulneſs of Ieſus Chriſt. Chriſt is not properly a Chriſt without his Members. This is a glorious thing to conſider, how the poor Saints and Ieſus Chriſt make up one compleat Body. He is no Chriſt (as it were) were it not for his members: The Church is the fulneſs of him that filleth all in all. It is ſaid of the oyl that was poured on Aaron, It ran upon the skirts of his garments. So Chriſt being anoynted, that oyl runs on us. As he is a Prophet, ſo are we; as he is a King, ſo are we; as he is a Prieſt, ſo are we; onelyonly with this difference, That in all things he might have the preeminence. He is the higheſt King, the beſt Prophet, the moſt excellent Prieſt. But otherwiſe, whatſoever Chriſt is, that are we; whatſoever he hath, that we have; nay, we have his name. So alſo is Chriſt, 1 Cor. 12. We, head and members, are called Chriſt: And the leaſt Saint of God, is a Prophet, as well as the greateſt; and a Prieſt, as well as the greateſt; and a King, as well as the greateſt. Nay, he is as real a Prophet, Prieſt, and King, as the Lord Ieſus was, onelyonly in all things he muſt have the preeminence. We have a ſhare in all his actions; we are one with him in his graces, in his life, and death, and reſurrection, and aſcention: There is nothing in Chriſt; there is nothing that Chriſt is, or hath, but we are one with him in it.
Therefore this uſe we ſhould make of the Scriptures; not to be as babies always, to read a Chapter morning and evening; but you that are experienced Chriſtians, when you have a truth hinted to you, be alway at the Scriptures to beat it out. As for inſtance, go home now, and ſtudy that Oneneſs, that Ʋnion that is between Chriſt, and us, and beat it out to the utmoſt, and what the excellency of the Spirit of God in the New Teſtament is, and not to tie your ſelves to read ſo many Chapters a day, but be alway ſtudying the Scripture. As David ſaith, Bleſſed is the man that exerciſeth himſelf day and night, in the Law of God. Thus the ſpiritual man doth, not ſo much read Chapters, as compare Scripture with Scripture, and is bolting out ſpiritual truths, till they be fully fixed and faſtened upon his ſoul. I ſhall, it may be (if God will) explain that union to you further, in the mean while ſearch for it; and ſo I ſhall leave it here, and hear what the Lord hath further to ſay to us.