Christ Crucified, Sermon 10
SERMON X.
ISAIAH LIII.I.
Who hath believed our report? And to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed?
WE have ſpoken ſomewhat theſe days paſt, to ſundry Doctrines from this part of the Verſe, and particularly of the ſad Complaint which Iſaiah hath in his own name, and in the name of all the Miniſters of the Goſpel, that the ſavoury Report concerning Jeſus Chriſt is not received, and that though Life and Salvation through Him be offered to many, yet there are but few, ſcarce here one and there one that do embrace it, this is the ſad reſult, Lord, who hath believed our report? Words, that being ſpoken by ſuch a Prophet, and ſo often mentioned in the New-Teſtament, may and ſhould as often as we ſpeak, hear, or re…d them, put both Miniſters and People to a holy demur, and to look what becomes of all our Preaching and Hearing, when this was all the Fruit, even of Iſaiah's Preaching, as to the greateſt part of his Hearers.
Ere we leave this part of the Verſe, it will not be unmeet that we ſpeak a little to theſe three. Firſt, To what may be the Cauſes why, when the Goſpel is powerfully Preached, there are ſo few Believers. Secondly, How it comes to paſs, ſeeing ſo few Believe, that generally ſo many think they Believe, and ſo few ſuſpect their own Faith. And Thirdly, To the neceſſity that lyes on the Hearers of the Goſpel, to enquire at, and try themſelves concerning their Faith, and to have ſome ſolid Satisfaction in it.
Although we mention no particular Doctrines now, yet conſidering the Doctrines we ſpoke to before, theſe things will not be unſuitable to them, nor impertinent to you.
For the firſt, The Cauſes why ſo few believe the Goſpel, we cleared to you already, That generally the powerful Preaching of the Goſpel hath been with little Fruit, ſo that Iſaiah hath this ſad Complaint, Lord, who hath believed our report? and our Lord Jeſus hath it alſo on the matter, Mat. 11.7. We have piped to you and ye have not danced, we have mourned to you and ye have not lamented, and in the ſame expreſs words, John 12.38. And when it is ſo with ſweet Iſaiah in the Old Teſtament, and with our bleſſed Lord in the New, that ſpoke with ſuch Power and Authority, ye may ſee there is reaſon for us to enquire into the Cauſes, why it is that ſo few Believe? In ſpeaking to which. 1. We intend not to touch on all the Reaſons that may be gathered together, of Peoples not profiting under the Goſpel, but of theſe that ye have moſt reaſon to look to, and that are moſt obſtructive of Faith in you. 2. Though we might ſpeak of Reaſons on the ſide of them that ſpeak to you, for who is ſufficient for theſe things? and we ſhall not deny but we have culpable acceſſion to your Unfruitfulneſs, yet it were not much to your edifying to inſiſt on theſe. 3. Neither will we ſpeak to theſe ſoveraign Cauſes on God's part, who in His Holy Juſtice gives up People to Unfruitfulneſs, when they receive not the Truth in Love. Neither 4ly. Shall we inſiſt on theſe Cauſes that may ariſe from the Devil, who waits on wherever the Word is preached, to mar the Fruit of it, as we may ſee Mat. 13.19. the evil Spirits, like as many Crows, when the Seed of the Word is ſowen, waiting on to pick it up, and ye would know, that ye never come to hear the Word, but there are, as it were, Flocks of Devils attending you; Hence it is that ſome are rocked and lulled aſleep, ſome have their Minds filled with worldly Thoughts, ſome forget all that they Hear ere they go out of Doors, thus it is with many Hearers of this Goſpel, their Hearts are trode upon as the Way-ſide by Devils and Foul-Spirits, that never a word takes impreſſion on them, and though ye may think ſuch expreſſions uncouth-like and ſtrange, yet they are ſadly true; Satan waited on when Chriſt preached, and ſure he will ſcar no more to do ſo at our Preaching than he did at His, if he ſtood at Joſhua's right Hand to reſiſt him, he will no doubt be at ours; But we ſay we will not inſiſt on theſe. But 5ly. We ſhall ſpeak a little to theſe Cauſes that are common in you, which ye your ſelves m…ght know if ye would obſerve them, and we would exhort you to take notice of them, when we tell you of them.
Firſt, Then we offer, or rather aſſert this for a Cauſe, The want of ſerious minding the great concernment of the work of your Salvation, and that this preached Goſpel is the Word of the Lord by which ye muſt be ſaved; Alace! though ye have immortal Souls, and though this Word be the mean of your Salvation, yet there are Hundreds of you that never lay it to Heart, that your Souls are in hazard, and that this Word muſt be it that ye muſt live by, and live upon; I appeal to your Conſciences if ye think upon this ſeriouſly, want of this Conſideration foſters Security, breeds Lazineſs, and makes and keeps you Careleſs and Carnal; I ſhall inſtance the want of it in three reſpects. 1. Look how ye are affected towards this Word, and your own edification by it before ye come to hear it, How few are hungering and thirſting, or preparing for benefite by it, or preparing to meet with God in it? In effect ye come not with a deſign to profite; ſo that if it were known, it would be wondred at, wherefore ye come to hear the Word, as Chriſt ſays of ſome, They came not becauſe they ſaw the miracles, but becauſe they did eat of the loaves and were filled; ſo may we ſay of you, that ye come not to profite by the Word, but on ſome crooked carnal deſign. 2. Look how ye carry when ye are come, How many ſleep a great part of the Sermon? ſo that it's a ſhame to look on the face of our Meetings, when in every corner ſome are Sleeping, whoſe Conſciences God will waken ere long, and the Timber and Stones of the Houſe will bear witneſs againſt them; Were you in any other Meeting, about ordinary Buſineſs, there would not be ſuch Sleeping; But when ye are Waking, what is your Carriage? for ye may be Waking, and your Heart far away, or faſt aſleep, how ſeldom can ye give account of what is ſaid? though your Bodies be preſent, your Hearts are wandering; ye are like theſe ſpoken of Ezek. 33.31. who ſat before the Prophet as God's people, but their hearts went after their covetouſneſs; how often while ye are ſitting here is your Heart away? ſome in their Thoughts running after their Trade, ſome after their Merchandice, ſome after one thing, ſome after another: This is one ſad inſtance of it, that there are many of you who have had Preaching fourty or fifty Years, that can ſcarce tell one Note of it all, and no wonder, for ye were not attentive in the Hearing of it. 3. Look how ye carry after the Word is heard; What unedifying Diſcourſe will ye be engaged in ere ye be well at the Door? how carnally and careleſly do many ruſh unto, and go away from hearing of the Word? and when ye get a word that meets with your Souls Caſe, do ye go to your Knees with it before God, deſiring Him to breath on it, and to keep it warm? or do ye meditate upon it? Now put theſe three together, your Carriage before, in the time, and after your Hearing the Word, ye will find that there is juſt cauſe to ſay, that the moſt part that hear this Goſpel are not ſerious, what wonder then that it do them no good? In the end of that Parable of the Sower, Matth. 13. Mark 4. and Luke 8. its ſaid by the Lord, Take heed how ye hear, for whoſoever hath, to him ſhall be given, &c. If ye improve well your Hearing, ye will get yet more, but ſo long as ye take no heed how ye hear, ye cannot profite.
A ſecond Ground or Cauſe is this, That the moſt part of Hearers never come to look on this Word as the Word of God, they come never almoſt to have a Hiſtorical Faith of it, it's ſaid Heb. 11.6. He that comes to God muſt believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of them that ſeek Him diligently; But when Folk do not really believe that God is, what wonder they ſeek Him not, that they fear neither Judgment nor Hell, and that they ſtudy not Holineſs? they ſay in their Hearts they ſhall have Peace, though they walk in the imagination of their own Hearts, and that the way to Heaven is not ſo narrow as Miniſters ſay it is, that God will not condemn poor chriſtned Bodies, this is the language of many Hearts and of ſome Mouths; Need there any evidences of it be given? if ye believed that the way to Heaven is ſo ſtrait, and that Holineſs is ſo extenſive, could ye poſſibly with any ſeriouſneſs reflect on your Heart and Way and not be affrighted? But the truth is, this Word gets not leave to ſink in you as the Word of God, therefore ſayeth our Lord to His Diſciples, Luke 9.44. Let theſe ſayings ſink into your ears; There are theſe things I fear ye do not Believe, and let me not be thought to take on me to judge your Conſciences, when there are ſo many that profeſs they know God, but in works they deny Him, as it is Tit. 1.16. when we ſee ſuch things in your Carriage, we know that there is a principle of Unbelief whence they ſpring. 1. There are many of you that really believe not there is a God, or that He is ſuch as His Word reveals Him to be, to wit, Holy, Juſt, Powerful, &c. elſe ye durſt not live at feed with Him, The fool hath ſaid in his heart there is not a God, they are corrupt, &c. your practical Atheiſm and Prophanity ſay ye believe not there is a God. 2. Ye never believed the ill of your Nature, Do ye think (as James beſpeaks theſe he writes to, chap. 4.5.) that the Scripture ſaith in vain, the ſpirit that is in you luſts to envy? Ye do not think, that your Heart is deceitful and deſperatly wicked? though we ſhould Preach never ſo much on this Subject, yet ye lay it not to Heart, ye take it not to you in particular. 3. We are afraid that many of you believe not a Judgment, and your particular and perſonal coming to it, nay there are among you, who are like to theſe Mockers ſpoken of by Peter in his ſecond Epiſtle, chap. 3. ver. 3, 4. who ſay, where is the promiſe of his coming? And as there were in Paul's days ſome th…t denied the Reſurrection, 1 Cor. 15. ſo there are ſtill, who do it on the matter, at leaſt; Ye have the ſame corrupt Nature; We would think that we had prevailed to ſome purpoſe, if ye were brought really to believe that there is a God, Life to come, and a Day of Judgment; and if ye did ſo, ye would be more ſerious in Duty, and would come more Hungry and Thirſty to the Word. 4. The Mean and Mids of Salvation is not believed, to wit, That the way to Peace with God is Faith in Jeſus Chriſt, and that there is no way to Heaven but the way of Holineſs; If all your thoughts were ſpoke out, it would be found that ye have another mids than Faith, and another way than that of Holineſs; And to make out this, we need go no further then to your Practice, we are ſure many of you live in Prophanity, and yet ye have all a hope of Heaven, and what ſays this? but that ye think not Faith and Holineſs neceſſary, but that ye may come to Heaven another way, and this is an old Fault and Deceit, it was in Moſes his days, for ſome are brought in (Deut. 29.19.) ſaying, I ſhall have peace though I walk in the imagination of my own heart, and add drunkenneſs to thirſt, though I tipple daily at my Four Hours, though I follow my Luſts and Pleaſures, and take my fouth and fill of the World, we cannot be all Saints, &c. The Lord will not ſpare that man, but His anger and jealouſie ſhall ſmoke againſt him, and all the curſes that are written in this book ſhall ly upon him, and the Lord will blot out his name from under Heaven; and though this be not now believed, it ſhall be found verified; There are many when they come to Judgment, that will know to their coſt, the truth of many things they never believed before? as we find in that rich Man, who ſays to Abraham, Send ſome to tell my brethren, that they come not to this place of torment, it ſays as much, as that He in his life-time did not believe how terribly-tormenting a place Hell is, and it is even ſo ſtill; Though Men and Women have immortal Souls, yet they go on following their ſinful way, and believe not that any evil ſhall befall them, till God's Curſe and Vengeance overtake them.
A third Ground or Cauſe is, That Folk never think themſelves in hazard, nor ſuffer their hazard to affect them, and therefore they ſeek not after the Remedy, hence the J…ws, Scribes, and Phariſees rejected Chriſt, why? they were righteous Perſons whole, and needed not the Phyſici…n; And thus it is with many of you, ye will take with it that ye are Sinners, but not with the graceleſneſs of your Nature, and this makes it, that when Life, and Reconciliation with God, are offered, we have almoſt none to accept of it, why ſo? ye are generally in your own opinion, good Friends with God already, none of you almoſt think that ye have hatred at God, and ſo ye careleſly and unconcernedly let the opportunity of making your Peace with Him ſlip over, even like theſe Jews ſpoke of Joh. 8.44, 45. who when Chriſt ſaid to them, Ye have the devil to your father, anſwered, he had a devil, and that God was their Father, that they were come of Abraham, and were not born of fornication; So it is with many of you, ye could never endure to even your ſelves to Hell, nor to take with it that ye were heirs of Wrath, as if ye had been born with other Natures then the ordinary Race of Mankind is, and this keeps ſo many of you that ye get no good of this Goſpel, for it ſeeks Sinners to pardon them, and Enemies to reconcile them, and till the Feud be once taken with, the Friendſhip will never be ſought after, nor will it find Merchants, though when once the Enmity is taken with, the Goſpel hath many ſweet, peaceful, and comfortable words to ſpeak to the Man afterwards.
A fourth Ground is, The love of Money and of the World, which is the root of all ill, This is given as a main Cauſe, Matth. 13. why the Word profites not, The ſeed is ſowen among thorns, and the thorns ſpring up and chock it, the cares of this life and the deceitfulneſs of riches chocked the Word; This is not oppreſſion nor ſtealing, but entanglement with, and addictedneſs to the things of this preſent World, Folks allowing themſelves too much ſatisfaction in their Riches and Pelf, counting themſelves as if all were well if they have it, and grieved if they want it, as if there were nothing but that to make Happy, being wholly taken up about it, and leaving no room for the concerns of their Souls, for Prayer and Seeking of God, nor for Challenges to work on them, they are ſo wholly taken up with their Callings and Buſineſs; for they lay it for a Ground that they muſt be rich, and then they give themſelves wholly to all things that may contribute to that end, and that chockes and ſuffocates the Word that it never comes up, that nothing comes to perfection, therefore Chriſt ſays, Luke 21.24. Take heed ye be not overcharged with ſurfetting and drunkenneſs, and cares of this life; I am afraid that many moe among you who are civil, and eſteemed vertuous and frugal, ſhall periſh in this Pit of Worldly-mindedneſs, then ſhall periſh by Drunkenneſs, Gluttony, Fornication, or the like, and yet there is nothing more frequent in Scripture, then words ſpoken to ſcar Folk from Earthly-mindedneſs, How hard is it (ſays Chriſt) for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of Heaven? and ſuch a Man is he that is taken up with Riches, and places his Happineſs and Contentment in them, whether he have more or leſs of them; We ſpeak not this to foſter Idleneſs in any, but to preſs Moderation in the uſe of lawful things; Ye think it enough if we cannot charge you with Oppreſſion, Stealing, Whoring, and the like, but this Goſpel will charge you with the love of Money, and if it find the love of the World in you, the love of the Father will not be found in you; Doth not your experience tell you, that it's not an eaſie matter to be much taken up with the World, and to win at a ſuitable diſpoſition for Duties of Religion, and to be painful in them?
A fifth Ground is, Folks little prizing of the Goſpel and the Benefites that come by it; They look not upon it as their Happineſs to have Communion with God, they who are invited to the Marriage of the King's Son, Mat. 22. will not come, and the reaſon is given, they made light of it, the Offer of the Goſpel hath no weight, it reliſhes not; If a Market of fine things at a cheap Rate were procla…med, ye would all run to it, but ye delight not in the Word of God, ye prize not the Goſpel and the precious Wares that it expoſeth to ſale amongſt you: And to evidence and make out this, I would aſk you theſe few Queſtions, And 1. I would aſk you how often, or rather how ſeldom have you ſitten down purpoſly and thanked God for ſending the Goſpel to you? ye have given thanks for your Dinner, but how often have ye given Him thanks that ye have the Goſpel Sabbath-days, and Week-days? 2. How little do many of you wait on the Preaching of it? were there a Meſſage ſent to you but from ſome ordinary Man, let be from a great Man, ye would ſtraiten your ſelves and your Buſineſs too ſomewhat that ye might hear it, and yet it's a wonder to think how ſome in this Place, except on the Sabbath, will hardly be ſeen in the Church from one end of the Year to the other. 3. Had ye any evident to draw of Houſe or Land, ye would ſeek to have it drawn very well and ſure, but many of you never ſought to have the evidents of Heaven made ſure; ye know, how interruptions of, and threatnings to remove the preached Goſpel from you, never troubled you; That buſineſs of the Tender gave a proof, that if ye might brook your eaſe and the things of the World, ye cared not what became of the Goſpel and of the Liberties of Chriſt's Kingdom among you; nay we may ſay, the Goſpel was never leſs ſet by, never more reproached, deſpiſed, and trode upon, then in the time wherein we live, and who lays it to Heart? If it were well tried, there is more pains taken on ſeckleſs particulars in a Week, then ye take upon your Souls in a Year, and which may be ſpoken to the ſhame of ſome, more time taken up in Tipling, Drinking and Debauching, then in Prayer, or any other Religious Duty; And is not that an undenyable evidence that ye make light of the Goſpel? They made light of it, and went their ways, &c. ſaying on the matter, care for yonder Invitation who wili, as for us, we have ſomewhat elſe to do.
A ſixth Ground or Cauſe, though poſſibly it be not ſo rife, is a ſhifting of Convictions and Challenges, a quenching of any begun Exerciſe in the Conſcience; Some of you have been made ſometimes to tremble as Felix did, but ye ſhifted it, and put it off to another time, and went away to ſome Company or Recreation, that ſo ye might ſtifle it, and drive it out of your thoughts; Is there any of you, but in Sickneſs, or under ſome other ſad Croſs, or at a Communion, ye have had your own Convictions, Challenges, and Frights about your Souls eſtate? and yet ye have ſmothered, extinguiſhed, and put them out again.
A ſeventh Ground or Cauſe (which is as large and comprehenſive as any,) is Folks reſting and ſitting down, before they have any ſolid Ground to reſt upon, taking a counterfite Work for a real one, like theſe ſpoken of Hoſea 7.16. of whom it's ſaid, They return, but not to the moſt High; Some attain to a ſort of out-ſide Reformation, and they trow that on that account they are well enough and in good terms with God, and when ſuch are called to return, they ſay as theſe do, Mal. 3.7. Wherein ſhall we return? they think they are returned, and that their Peace is made already; They cannot endure to be bidden Believe, or to lay a new Foundation, for they think it's laid already: In a word, as Laodicea did, they think themſelves rich and encreaſed in goods, when yet they are poor, blind, miſerable, wretched and naked, but they know not, and ſo are well ſatisfied with themſelves as gracious Perſons; reſting on theſe and the like Grounds, As 1. It may be they Pray and think ſomething of that. 2. They think they have Faith enough, if they have a Hiſtorical Faith. 3. It may be they have had ſome reſolutions, and fits of a ſort of Tenderneſs, and theſe they reſt upon: We ſhall not inſiſt to ſhew the rottenneſs of theſe Props, but ſhall only ſay, it were in ſome reſpect good for many of you, that ye had never had the little pieces of Profeſſion ye have: There is a ſort of civil, legal, formal, fairfaſhioned Men and Women among us, whoſe Converſation and Communication reliſhes to none but themſelves, and ſpeak the Word who will, they think that they are without the reach of it; I muſt ſay this ſad word, th…t I think m…ny of you have as much believing as keeps you from Faith in Chriſt, that is, ye have as much Preſumption and Security as makes you that ye are never ſerious with the Lord to amend it, and to bring you indeed to Believe, ſo that it's a greater difficulty, to beat you off from your rotten Grounds, then it is to get you right, though both require the Omnipotent Power of God; ye think ye Believe always, and ye have no Doubts about it, and therefore ye think ye have Faith enough to do your turn; Ah! when will ye know that Security is no Faith, and that there is great difference betwixt Preſumption and ſolid reſting by Faith on Chriſt?
Eighthly, We think that this wrongs many of you, becauſe ye are not among the worſt ſort, and others eſteem well of you, ye think ye are well enough, and this makes us, that as to many of you we know not whether to be more familiar with, or to ſtand at a diſtance from you, becauſe ye are ready to reſt on ſo very ſlender Grounds; It is not the commendation of Men, but the commendation of God that ye ſhould ſeek mainly after, and yet if ye think good Men eſteem well of you, ye apprehend ye are good enough; This was it that mad… the fooliſh Virgins ſo ſecure, becauſe the wiſe took them and retained them in their Company, and this is the neck-break of many, eſpecially when they look about them and obſerve ſome Sin in others which they have win to abſtain from; As if it had been enough in Herod, and a ſufficient proof of the reality of his Religion, That he heard John gladly, and did many things on the hearing of him.
A ninth Ground is (and it's a very poor one,) Folks ſitting down on the Means when they have them, as if when they have gotten the Goſpel they were in no hazard, and could Believe when they liſt; I make no queſtion, but where the Goſpel is powerfully in any meaſure preached, there are many more ſecure and fearleſs then if they had it not, and it's very probable ſomewhat of this is hinted at, Luke 13.26. where ſome are brought in ſaying to Chriſt, We have eaten and drunken in thy preſence, and thou hast taught in our ſtreets, who when He boaſts them away from Him at the great Day, they will in a manner hardly believe that He is in earneſt, and they give this for the reaſon of it, that they have heard Him Preach, and they have run out to the Fields after Him; It were good to fear while ye have the Word, leſt ye miſs the Fruit of it; compare to this purpoſe Heb. 3. at the cloſe, with Heb. 4.1. and we will find this commended to us, So we ſee, ſaith the Apoſtle, that they could not enter in becauſe of unbelief, let us therefore fear lest a promiſe being left us of entering into his reſt, any of us ſhould ſeem to come ſhort of it; It's much, yea the firſt ſtep to Faith, to get Folks made ſuitably affraid to miſs the Fruit and Bleſſing of the Ordinances while they have them; It's good to be affraid, to come to the Church and not to get good of the Preaching, or to go and read a Chapter of the Bible and not profite by it, always to put a difference betwixt the Ordinance and the Bleſſing of it, and to be affraid in the uſe of the Ordinances to miſs the Bleſſing of them.
There may be many other Cauſes, and we would not ſtint and limit you to theſe, but ſure theſe are Cauſes why this Goſpel profites not: We may add theſe few, 1. There are ſome that ſtumble at the Meſſenger, ſome at the Meſſage; Some thought Chriſt a Friend of Publicans and Sinners, and ſaid He had a Devil, and ſo they ſaid of John Baptist; There are ſome that can abide neither free nor fair Speaking, and they think it's not the Word but the Speaker that they offend at, but Prejudices againſt the Carriers of the Word have never done good, but much ill; and ye would guard againſt them. 2. Sometimes there is a ſtumbling at the Spiritual Truths of the Goſpel, and a ſort of new-fangleneſs in the Hearers of it that laſts not; John's Hearers rejoiced in his light for a ſeaſon; ſomething of it alſo was in Chriſt's Hearers, but they ſoon turned the Back on Him when He tells them of eating His Fleſh and drinking His Blood, and of the neceſſity of it, elſe they could have no Life in them; This (ſay they) is a hard ſaying and who can bear it? If we would conſider theſe things, we might ſee convincing Cauſes of our little Thriving, and they might alſo (through God's Bleſſing) be made uſe of for directions to Thriving, and if we could once bring you to be ſingle and ſerious in Hearing, and ſpiritually Thrifty, in making uſe of every Sermon and Sabbath for edification, we had gained a great point of you.