First Epistle of John Applied Part 1, Lecture 32
THE FIRST EPISTLE OF St. JOHN.
CHAP. 2. VERS. 24. & 25.
Let that therefore abide in you, which ye have heard from the beginning; if that which yee have heard from the beginning, ſhall remain in you, yee ſhall continue in the Son, and in the Father.
And this is the Promiſe that hee hath promiſed to us, even eternal life.
ZEal, Sincerity, and Perſeverance, are not ſo much particular graces, as each of them neceſſary ingredients to every grace; Zeal being the fervor; ſincerity the truth; and perſeverance, the duration of all graces; of theſe three, the last is not the least needful, ſince conſtancy is the beſt evidence of ſincerity; nor will fervour avail without permanency; no wonder if it be called by Bonaventure, conditio annexa cuilibet virtuti, anBonavent. in ſent 3. diſt. 24. Aquin. 1a 2ae quaeſt. 26. ar. 2 inſeparable condition of every vertue, and by Aquinas, donum que caetera ſervantur d…nae, that gift which preſerveth all the reſt: without perſeverance, our Love will prove not a Star but a Comet; our Devotion not a flame, but a flaſh; our Repentance not a River, but a Pond; our Hope not a Staff, but a Reed; and our Faith not a ſub-ſtance, but a ſhadow. And ſince this grace of Faith laſt mentioned, is indeed the Firſt, the Root, the Mother Grace, conſtancy is not more needful in any than this. The truth is, there is no Grace more oppugned by the Devil than our faith, hee well knoweth, that if hee can undermine the foundation, hee ſhall ſoon overthrow the building; for which reaſon, having obtained leave to ſift S. Peter, our Saviour prayeth for him, that his faith may not fail, Upon this account it is, that more or leſſe in all ages, the Devil hath raiſed up falſe Teachers in the Church, whoſe indeavour it is to with-draw the people from the Ancient Catholick, and Apoſtolick Faith, and for this cauſe no doubt it is, that one of the chief deſigns of the holy Apoſtles in all their Epistles, is to ſtabliſh Chriſtians in the faith. A pregnant instance whereof wee have in this Epistle, particularly in theſe verſes, whoſe ſcope is, by moſt obliging arguments, to perſwade a ſtedfaſt adherence to the truth which they had embraced, Let that therefore which you have heard from the beginning, &c.
Which words do plainly part themſelves into two generals, a mandate and a motive, a command and a comfort, an exhortation and an incitation.
The Exhortation enjoyneth a needful duty, Let that therefore abide in you which ye heard from the beginning.
The Incitation adjoyneth a powerful motive, drawn from the preſent comfort and future bliſſe of perſevering Saints, If that which you have heard from the beginning, ſhall remain in you, yee alſo ſhall continue in the Son and in the Father; And this is the Promiſe which he hath promiſed, eternal life.
Begin wee with the Duty, which wee ſhall findeGen. 1. to bee in order the ſeventh step of that lightſome walk the delineating whereof I have once and again told you, is the principal deſign of this Epiſtle.
The firſt word wee meet with in the Greek, foreign, ſeemeth here to be ſuperfluous, as alſo in the beginning of the ſeven and twentieth verſe; but whether wee look upon it as transpoſed, or put abſolutely, it will bear a good conſtruction. By way of transpoſition, foreign is as much as foreign, Thus our Tranſlators here read it, Let that therefore which you have heard, and alſo in the other verſe, The annointing which you have received. Abſolutely taken both here and there, it is an Ellipſis, and the ſenſe is as much as, As for you therefore, as if hee ſhould have ſaid, however others fallaway, yet let that which you have heard abide in you. Theſe Antichriſts (with their followers) forſake, but do you continue in the Apostolical Doctrin; nay, therefore becauſe they are fallen, do you ſtand the more firmly. In this ſenſe the Apoſtles counſel is much like Joſhuahs Reſolution, But as for me, and my Joſh. 24. 15houſe, wee will ſerve the Lord. Indeed, it is the glory of a Chriſtian, like fiſh, to keep freſh in ſalt waters; to profeſſe Chriſts name where Satans throne is, and like ſtars inRev. 2. 13 a dark night, to ſhine in the midſt of a crooked and perverſe generation; the truth is, to bee Antichriſtian among Antichriſts is uſual, to bee a Chriſtian among Christians is laudable, to bee Antichriſtian among Christians is abominable, but to bee a Chriſtian among Antichriſts is admirable; no ſuch Tryall of Conſtancy, as in times of Apoſtacy; Vertue is never more amiable in Gods eies, than when ſhee is out of faſhion in the World; It is ſaidGen. 6. 7 of Noah, that hee found grace in the eies of the Lord, and the next verſe tells the reaſon, He was perfect and upright in his Generation: Grace, though onelyonly in the heart, finds grace in Gods eies, but eſpecially in the life, and more especially when (like Noah) it is in a degenerating generation; Mat. 26. 33had Peter done as hee ſaid (though all me… ſhould bee offended, yet will not I) hee might well have challenged the priviledge of being Chriſts beloved Diſciple. Oh let us fix in our mindes this holy purpoſe of cleaving to Chriſt and his Truth, though others leave it; yea, let their defection by a kind of Antiperiſtaſis corroborate our reſolution of continuing in the Doctrin wee have received.
More particularly, in the Exhortation, wee ſhall take notice of the Object, which it concerneth, and the duty which it requireth; the object propoſed, is that which they had heard from the beginning, the duty required, is, that it abide in them.
1 The matter ſpoken of is, That which they had heard from the beginning. By beginning in this place is to be underſtood the beginning of the Preaching of the Gospel to them, ex quo inſtitui coepiſtis, ſo Beza gloſſeth, ſince you Beza in loc.began to bee inſtructed in Chriſtianity, for it is not ſaid, Let that abide in you which was from the beginning, then the date might have been taken from the beginning of the World, ſince ſo ſoon as Adam fell, the Gospel was Preached, but that which you have heard from the beginning, and though at the ſeventh verſe the phraſe of an Old Commandement gave juſt occaſion to refer that from the beginning, to a further diſtance, and ſo of interpreting there you by your Anceſtors, yet here there being no ſuch reaſon enducing wee are not to recede from the moſt plain meaning of the letter, eſpecially when wee conſider that the Exhortation, Let that abide in you, moſt rationally refers to what they themſelves had heard, and therefore in this place, thoſe words from the begnining, refer to the time of their firſt reception of the faith.
If you ask what it was that they heard from the beginning, the Anſwer is returned, either particularly, Primarium dogma de Chriſti divinitate, So Juſtinian, the fundamental Justin. ibid.verity of Christs Divinity, or Generally, The Whole Evangelical Doctrin of Salvation by Chriſt, which had been Preached to them by the Apoſtles.
If you `ask', why it is thus phraſed, not, let that which the Gospel revealeth, but that which you have heard from the beginning. I Anſwer upon a double account, to let us ſee.
1 What is the true Doctrin, namely, that which was delivered from the beginning, for though it is poſſible for falſhood to bee Ancient, yet Truth is alwaies firſt. The Envious man may ſow his Tares, in the field where the good ſeed was ſown, and poſſibly the tares may grow ſo faſt as to hide the Wheat, but ſtill the good ſeed was firſt ſown; prime Antiquity is a ſure note of verity. The Primitive times and truths, were of all other the pureſt, like the clear water at the spring-head; but of this I have ſpoken heretofore.
2 By what means they received the Evangelical Doctrin, namely, by hearing.
Among thoſe ſeveral ſenſes, with which God hath inveſted man, I know not any more needful than that of hearing, in what capacity ſoever you conſider him, eſpecially as hee is, foreign, by nature, a reaſonable, by converſe, a ſociable, and may be by grace, a new, a divine creature.
1 Reaſon is the perfection of man, and hearing is the improvement of Reaſon. Auris, ſay ſome, quaſi hauris ab hauriendo, the ear being the ſenſe by which wee ſuck in knowledge, in which reſpect the Son of Syrach ſaith, God hath given man ears, and an heart to underſtand. Knowledge Eccl. 17. 5is as the liquor, the ſoul the veſſel, and as the tongue is the tap to let it out, ſo the ear is the tunnel to let it in. Whence it is that Learners are called Auditores, Hearers. Upon this account perhaps it is, that whereas other parts have their ſhuts, ſometimes to cloſe them up, the eies, lids like Curtains, to draw over thoſe Chriſtaline windows, and the Tongue encompaſſed with an Ivory wall of teeth, only the noſtrils and the ears be alwaies open, thoſe for breathing, theſe for hearing, that man which is ever learning, might be ever hearing.
2 Society is the delight of man, and hearing is the ſenſe of Society, Auribus alienas ſermones admittimus & mente recondimus, ſaith a Rabbin, by hearing wee have converſe L. Gerſh.each with other, wee injoy the comfort one of anothers advice, diſcourſe, conference. A deaf man is as a dead man to others, and liveth onelyonly to himſelf, as being unfit either for company, or traffique, or Magiſtracy, and therefore the Ancients, though they painted their Judges without eies, becauſe they ſhould not respect perſons, and without hands, becauſe they ſhould take no bribes, yet not without ears, nay, with both ears, becauſe they were to hear both parties, ſo needful is this ſenſe, for all civil tranſactions.
3 But laſtly, Hearing is not onelyonly ſenſus diſcipline et ſocietatis, but fidei et Religionis, the ſenſe of Diſcipline, and Converſe, but of Faith and Religion, in which reſpect St. Paul is expreſſe, Faith commeth by hearing, Aurium Rom. 10. 17 Lactaut. l, 6. c. 21ſenſus ideo datus eſt, ſaith Lactantius, ut doctrinam Dei percipere poſſimus, for this cauſe chiefly is our hearing given us, that wee may receive Divine truths, ſuitable toTertul. Scorp. c. 3. which is that of Tertallian, Vera ornamenta aurium dei voces, Gods Words are the best Jewels wee can hang at our ears; indeed ſuch is our preſent ſtate, that wee receive the greateſt ſpiritual advantages by hearing, oculus organum patriae, auditus viae, when wee come to our Country, wee ſhall uſe our eies, but whileſt wee are in the way, our chiefeſt uſe is of the ear; faith (ſaith the Apoſtle) is the evidence of things not ſeen, and wee are moſt properly ſaid to beleeve what wee do not ſee, but ſtill wee beleeve what wee hear, and by hearing wee come to beleeve; at S. Pauls Converſion there was a light ſeen, andAct 9. 4 a voice heard, the light astoniſhed, but the voice converted him, and in this reſpect wee may call the Ear the in-rode and thorough-fare of grace, the ſouls custome-houſe for her spiritual traffique in Divine Wiſdome, the matrix or wombe of our New-birth, the pale into which is put the milke of the Word, the ſtill or limbeck of the dew of heaven, the window to let in the light of the Gospel, the channel of the water of Life, the Pipe for the conveyance of Faith; in a word, the Orifice or Mouth of the Soul, by which it receiveth ſpiritual food, for by this means it was, theſe Chriſtians did partake of the Goſpel. That which you have heard.
But yet this is not all that is intended in this phraſe, for in as much as by Hearing we are brought to Beleeving, therefore Hearing is uſed to connote Beleving. Thus2 Tim. 1. 12 Timothy heard the form of ſound words from the Apoſtle Paul, that is, ſo as to embrace it, and therefore he exhorts him to hold it fast, in this ſenſe no doubt it is here to bee understood, for in that our Apoſtle would have it to abide, it intimateth they had heard, ſo as to receive it, ſo that wee are here implicitely taught, wee muſt ſo hear with our Ears, as to beleeve with our hearts, Evangelical Doctrins. This is the Character which our Saviour giveth of the good ground, that it heareth the word with a good and honeſt heart, which is, when the heart Luk. 8. 5doth firmly aſſent and conſent to that which is heard. It is the Counſel of Solomon, keep thy foot when thou goeſt to Eccl. 5. 1the houſe of God, and bee ready to hear; the latter words in the Hebrew are, and near to hear, which being joyned with the former clauſe, ſeem to intimate, that the foot ſhould bee near to hear, and indeed hee onelyonly heareth aright, who heareth with his foot and his heart, as well as his ear; hee heareth with his foot who ſo heareth as to obey, and hee heareth with his heart, who ſo heareth as to beleeve. I ſhut up this with that uſual cloſe of the Epiſtles to the Churches of Aſia, He that hath an ear to hear, let him hear, though all men have ears, yet all have not ears to hear; there are too many Idol hearers, of whom it may bee ſaid, as the Pſalmiſt ſaith of Idols, ears have they, but Pſal. 115. 6▪ Aug de bono perſever. l. 2. c. 14.they hear not, audientes videlicet corporis ſenſu, non audiunt cordis aſſenſu, as St. Auſtin elegantly; hearing with the ſenſe of the body, they hear not with the aſſent of the mind. Oh let us beg of God that which Solomon telleth us, isProv. 20▪ 12 onelyonly in his power to give, the hearing ear: Indeed, whether we underſtand it in a corporal or a spiritual notion, it is Gods gift, hee rightly diſpoſeth the Organ, and it is hee who fitly qualifieth the minde, the former whereof maketh it an hearing ear in a natural, and the latter an hearing ear in a ſupernatural ſenſe; our ears in reference to the Word of God and Chriſt, are ſtopped, not with wax Zech. 7. 11or wool, or frankincenſe, but earth, let us beſeech God to open them, they are dull and heavy, let us pray him to awaken Iſa. 50. 5them, that wee may bee diligent and attentive hearers, and having by the door of our hearing admitted the Gospel into the cloſet of our ſouls, that which will be moſt needful to preſs upon us, is the
2 Duty here required, Let that which you have heard abide in you. A duty which may bee capable of a double notion, either as injoyning a careful remembrance of, or 2 reſolute adherence to that which they had heard from the beginning.
1 Let that which you have heard abide in you, by a faithful recordation. To this St. Jude exhorts, But beloved remember the words which were ſpoken before of the Apoſtles of Jude v. 17our Lord Jeſus Chriſt. Our memories muſt bee ſtorehouſes, and r Teaſuries of pretious Truths, and holy inſtructions, and like books in a Library muſt bee chained to them: with this agreeth that advice of our Saviour to the Angel of the Church of Sardis, Remember therefore Rev. 3. 3how thou haſt received, and heard, and hold fast, by hearing wee receive, and by remembring wee retain and hold faſt Evangelical Doctrins.
Nor is this exhortation needleſſe, when wee conſider the badneſſe of our memories in Divine matters, we ought to give (ſaith the Author to the Hebrews,) the more earneſt heed to the things which wee have heard, leſt at any time we ſhould let them ſlip, tacitly reſembling our craſy memories Heb. 2. 1to leaking veſſels, out of which the water of life ſoon ſlips, if they bee not ſtopped. Perhaps, like ſieves, whileſtthey are in the water, they are full, but no ſooner are they taken forth, but all runs out preſently; we can remember ſomewhat whileſt wee are hearing, but ſoon after we are gone out of Gods houſe, what wee heard is gone out of our minds, in this ſenſe therefore it is needfull counſell, Let that abide, &c.
2 But that which I conceive is the Duty here perſwaded, is, Let that abide in you which you have heard from the beginning, by a conſtant adheſion to the end; ad fidei conſtantiam hortatur, is Calvins gloſſe, it is an exhortation Calv. in loc.to conſtancy in the faith, wee may very well expound it by that of St. Paul to the Coloſſians, If you continue in the faith grounded and ſettled, and bee not moved away from Col. 1. 23 Vide Daven. ib.the hope of the Gospel which you have heard, where the two words grounded and ſettled, are metaphors borrowed the one from building, the other from a Chair; ſo that as buildings which are upon rocky and firm foundations, are not quickly thrown down; or as men that are fixed in their Chair, are not eaſily moved out of their place; no more muſt wee Chriſtians, bee withdrawn from our aſſent to, and love of thoſe truths wee have heard. This is that1 Cor. 16. 11 2 Tim. 4. 7 which is expreſſed by thoſe phraſes of ſtanding faſt in the Faith, like a Souldier which keepeth his ground, of keeping the faith, as a Commander keepeth a Caſtle, and of holding faſt, by which three Greek words are tranſlated, and all of them very emphatieal, hold fast that which thou haſt, ſaith Christ to the Angel of the Church of Philadelphia, Rev. 3. 11where the Greek Verbe is foreign from foreign, that ſignifieth ſtrength, and intimateth holding fast with a ſtrong hand, by force or might, as wee do one that would get away from us; Hold faſt that which is good, is1 Theſ. 5. 21 St. Pauls advice to the Theſſalonians, where the word is, foreign, which noteth a firm holding with both hands, and is uſed of them that are violently held in Priſon. Holding faſt the faithful word, is St. Pauls word to Titus, Tit, 1. 9where the Greek Verbe is, foreign, by which the Seventy render the Hebrew Verb foreign and which according to its derivation, ſignifieth to hold faſt againſt oppoſers; thus muſt wee by divine ſtreugth ſo hold that which wee have heard, as reſolving not to let it go whatever befall us.
Nor is it without cauſe, that our Apoſtle adviſeth to this stedfaſt retaining of the Evangelical Doctrin, if wee conſider what danger they were, and more or leſſc Chriſtians in all ages are, of being deprived of it. That which wee have in poſſeſſion may bee taken from us three waies, rapto, furto, dolo, by manifeſt Theft, by ſubtle fraud, and by violent force, by all theſe means do our ſpiritual enemies endeavour to bereave us of that which wee have heard.
1 Very often the luſts of the fleſh, and the delights of the World, steal away that which we have heard, out of ourMat. 13. 4 hearts, as the fowles of the Air plucked up the ſeed which fell by the High-way ſide. Oh how many are ſo bewitched with carnal pleaſures, that they let go spiritual truths? like the Dog, who loſt the fleſh in his mouth, by catching at the ſhadow of it in the water.
2 Not ſeldome falſe Teachers by their fair pretences of divine Revelations, ſublime notions, Goſpel-light, endeavour to cheat us of that wee have heard from the beginning. S. Pauls phraſe is very appoſite to this purpoſe, where hee ſpeaketh of foreign, the ſleight Eph. 4. 14. Vide Eraſm. ib.of men, tacitly comparing them to falſe gameſters, who have devices by cogging a dye, to deceive the unskilful; nothing more uſual, than for Hereticks by ſubtle inſinuations to be guile the unlearned and unſtable of thoſe pretious truths which they had before received.
3 Sometimes the Devil ſtirreth up wicked Perſecutors, who ſet upon us with open violence, to make us let go our hold of the Goſpel, and as Lactantius well, Haec vera eſt constant…a, …t nullus terror à Deo poſſit avertere, then doth that wee have heard abide in us, when no terrors can divert us from it; that is a truely Heroical ſpirit, which will not bee dared out of his Religion, which determineth to let go eſtate, liberty, nay life it ſelf, rather than that which it hath heard and embraced; it was a brave reſolve of the Spartan, foreign, either to bring back his buckler, or to be brought back upon it; ſuch ſhould bee a Chriſtians reſolution in point of Religion, either to defend it, or dye for it, we know not what ſtorms and Tempeſts may ariſe, needful it is wee ſhould be unmoved, like the rocks, in the midſt of oppoſition.
But oh what cauſe is there of bemoaning the unſettledneſs of many in matters of Religion? Pliny reports of a ſwimming Iſland, which never appeareth in the ſame place one whole day together, and Caryſtius of a flower that changeth colour three times in one day, how fit emblemes are theſe of the Profeſſors of this age, who are ever and anon changing their Religion, like the ſhip without an Anchor, that is toſſed to and fro in the Sea, or like the chaff that is carried up and down with every blaſt? let any one ſtart up, and broach ſome new doctrin under the mask of a glorious truth, and how do the giddy multitude run after him, forſaking thoſe Orthodox Doctrines in which they were heretofore inſtructed? What went you out for to ſee, a Reed ſhaken with the wind? too many ſuch reeds may be ſeen every where in theſe Apostatizing days, men as of barren lives, ſo of fickle mindes, unprofitable in their converſations, and unſtable in their judgements. And especially if any thing of ſelf-intereſt, as to Profit, or Honour, or Pleaſure, come in competition, Oh how eaſily are they removed from their former Profeſſion? no wonder if when danger approacheth and looketh them in the face, their trembling hands let go their hold, and they forgoe the truth. In few words, ſome are ſo fooliſh, as to bee cheated, more are ſo careleſs, as to bee robbed, the most are ſo cowardly, as to bee frighted out of the truth which they have heard and profeſſed.
Receive then a word of admonition, to retain and maintain the ancient Catholick and Apoſtolick faith.
Indeed it is that which by way of Analogy may be preſſed upon the Miniſters of the Gospel, Let that abide in them which they have taught from the beginning. In the Law, the ſhoulder of the Beaſt that was Sacrificed was the Prieſts, and that is foreign, an embleme of ſtrength. The firſt Prieſts name Aaron, ſignifieth a mountain of ſtrength; and the Altar was called Ariel, The Lyon of the Lord, by all which is intimated how valiant they ſhould bee for the Truth, who ſerve at the Altar, and are the Priests of the moſt High God. It is ſet down by the Apoſtle as one of the Characters of a Biſhop, Tit. 1. 9.holding fast the faithful Word, for this the Angel of the Church of Philadelphia is highly commended, and comforted, Becauſe thou haſt kept the Word of my Patience, and it is the Apoſtles charge to Timothy, that good thing Rev. 3. 10 1 Tim. 6. 20which is committed to thee, keep. Indeed, the Evangelical Doctrine, is a ſacred depoſitum, which Chriſt hath left with the Biſhops and Paſtours of the Church, To us (ſaith the Apoſtle) is committed the Word of Reconciliation. Oh let us not bee ſo unfaithful, as to betray our truſt.
But yet it is not onelyonly the Ministers, but all Christians who are concerned in this duty; as that muſt abide with the Preachers which they have taught, ſo that muſt3 Cor. 5. 19 abide with the People they which have heard from the beginning. This was that which St. Paul, and Barnabas perſwaded the Jews and Religious Profeſſors, which followed them, namely to continue in the grace of God, for this end they returned to Lyſtra, and Iconium, and Antioch, to confirm the ſoules of the Diſciples, exhorting them to continue in the faith. It is ſage Counſel of the Wiſeman, Buy the Truth, but ſell it not, buy it at any rate, but ſell it at none; Prov. 23. 23▪ Act. 13. 4…. 14. 22.truth, as it is the Miniſters truſt, ſo it is the Inheritance of all Chriſtians; ſay wee therefore with Naboth, God forbid I ſhould ſell the inheritance of my father. Beloved, now is the time of trial, whether we will dye like Souldiers, or run away like Cowards; whether we will quit our ſelves like men, or bee toſſed to and fro like children. God, Angels, Men, are ſpectators to ſee how wee will acquit our ſelves, and whether we will adhere to the truth we have embraced. And truly, when wee conſider how tenacious Hereticks are of their Novel errors, it may put bluſhing into our faces, who are ſo apt to bee withdrawn from primitive truths; beſides, what will it avayl us to have heard, and that ſo as to beleeve, if thatJoh. 8. 31 which wee have heard doe not abide? If you continue in my word (ſaith our bleſſed Saviour) then are you my Diſciples indeed; as vertue, ſo truth ſaith to us, Either never chuſe me, or never leave me, Fides, non accepta ſed Cypr. l. 1. Ep. 5.cuſtodita vivificat, it is not the receiving, but the keeping of the faith which entituleth to life. Indeed, as the Pilot keeping the ſhip is kept by the ſhip, ſo by the Goſpels abiding in us, it is that we are preſerved to life eternal. In one word, that which you have heard, is the faith Jude v. 4.which was once delivered to the Saints, once for all, unalterably, unchangeably, as it hath been delivered to, let it be preſerved by you; wee cannot alwayes remain with you, but oh, let that which you have heard from us remain with you, and as you have heard it from the beginning, ſo let it abide with you to the end.
That this counſel may bee the better followed, obſerve theſe ſhort directions.
1 Strive for a well-grounded knowledge; he that embraceth the truth, he knoweth not why, will leave it, hee knoweth not how; the Ship that is not well ballaſt may ſoon be overturned, ſilly women are eaſily captivated, by crafty teachers; let that which hath been heard by you, be aſſented to upon good grounds, and then it will abide with you.
2 Keep the mind lowly. Ignorance is a ſpunge to ſuck in, and Pride is a bawd to vent error; none more likely to fall, than he that proudly leans to his own underſtanding; nor are any hearers more fooliſhly fickle, than they that think themſelves wiſer than their teachers.
3 Love the truth affectionately; Hold faſt (ſaith St. Paul to Timothy) that which thou haſt heard of mee in faith and love; theſe are the two hands by which wee both receive, and retain what we hear; love is the beſt key to open the heart for receiving Gods Word, and the ſtrongeſt lock to keep it in when we have received it; the reaſon why they of whom St. Paul ſpeaketh were carried 2 Theſſ. 2. 8away with deluſious, is, becauſe they received not the truth in the love of it. Love ſaith to truth, as Ruth did to Naomi, Where thou goeſt, I will goe, nothing ſhall part thee and me but death.
4 Practice what you have heard; that meat which turneth into good nouriſhment ſtayeth with us; hee that digeſteth the word by obedience, retaineth it by perſeverance. St. Paul ſaith of them who put away a good conſcience, 1 Tim. 1. 21that they made ſhipwrack of their faith; a good conſcience is as the Bark, and Faith as the Commodity; if the Bark miſcarry, the commodity cannot bee ſafe.
5 Be ſtrong in the Lord, and in the power of his might▪ Neque enim quae habemus ab eo, ſervare, aut tenere poſſimus ſine eo, ſaith St. Bernard; truly what wee receive from him we cannot keep without him; as the hearing ear, Bern. Serm. 3 qui habit.ſo the holding hand is his gift.
6 Finally, fixe your eyes on the advantage of Chriſtian conſtancy both here and hereafter, as it is ſet forth in the text, which leads me to the
Motive, by which the duty is inforced, and that
1 In reſpect of the preſent comfort which attendethGen 2. upon them, in whom what they have heard abideth, as it is expreſted in this verſe, If that which you have heard from the beginning ſhall remain in you, you alſo ſhall continue in the Son, and in the Father; in which clauſe are conſiderable, the condition required, and the benefit aſſured.
1 The condition required, is the ſame with the duty preſcribed in the fore-going clauſe, and therefore will not need any further explication, only the different manner of propoſal would not be paſſed by, that it may appear the repetition is not needleſſe.
That which is before expreſſed as the matter of a precept, is here repeated as the condition of a promiſe; whereby is intimated to us, a double neceſſity of this, as indeed of all other duties, namely, according to that known diſtinction in the Schools, praecepti & medii, of the precept, and the means.
1 The neceſſity of the precept, is that whereby every Creature is obliged to obey the command of its Creator; wee have an uſual Proverb, Muſt is for the King, much more for the King of Kings. It is ſaid by theTacit. Hiſtorian, of Caeſars Souldiers, Imperium potius quam conſilium ſequebantur, receiving a precept they needed not perſwaſion; not, why but what is the queſtion which every inferiour ought to make in reference to the Supream power, and upon this account the duty of perſeverance in the faith, though there were no benefit accruing to us, is neceſſary, becauſe required by him.
2 But loe yet another neceſsity of the means, which is in order to the obtaining of an end, that which is called a conditional neceſsity, and is true of all ſuch means, without which it is impoſsible the end ſhould bee accompliſht; if a man will goe to an Iſland, he muſt paſſe over the wa…r; if he will preſerve his life, hee muſt eat and drink; if we will continue in the Father, and the Son, that which we have heard muſt abide in us. Thus is Almighty God pleaſed to enforce that upon us for our own ſakes, which we ought to doe for his ſake, herein condeſcending to our infirmity, which ſtands in need of manifold obligations to our duty.
2 From the Condition proceed wee to the benefit, and therin take notice of theſe two things▪ its proportionality, how ſuitable, its excellency, how pretious.
1 How ſuitable is the benefit to the condition? here is continuance recompenſed with continuance, the remaining of the Word in us, that is the Duty, remaining in the Father and the Son, that is the mercy. It is that which is not onelyonly here but elſewhere, and that very often to bee obſerved. Indeed, that which is called a Geometrical proportion, not onelyonly of quality, but equality, is onelyonly to bee found in Threatnings, between the ſin and the puniſhment, (ſince the largeſſes of mercy are far beyond our performance… ) and this not in all threatnings neither, onelyonly in thoſe which denounce eternal vengeance. But the Arithmetical proportion which is of quality, by way of Analogy, is that which wee finde, as in Threatnings, ſo in Promiſes, between the Service and the Reward, and this expreſſed two waies.
1 Sometimes one contrary is promiſed as the recompenſe Mat. 5. 3, 4, 6 James 4. 10 Pſal. 126. 5of another; To the Mourners is aſſured comfort; to the Hungry, fulneſſe; to the Humble, exaltation; to the Poor, a Kingdome; and to them that ſow in tears, a joyful Harveſt; in all which how great a congruity there is, is obvious at the firſt view.
2 Sometimes Like is promiſed as the reward of like, 1 Sam. 2. 30 Ioh. 14 23 Mat. 6. 14 Luk. 6. 38 Mat. 5. 7 Rom 2. 6thus wee read of Honour to them that Honour God, and Love to them that Love him, of Giving to them that Give, Forgiving to them that Forgive and Mercy to them that are Merciful, of Eternal life to them that continue in well doing, and here of eternal life, and continuing in the Father and the Son, to them that continue in what they have heard.
2 How pretious is the benefit conſidered in it ſelf? you ſhall continue in the Son and in the Father, that is,Occumen. in loc ſaith the Greek Father, foreign, and ſo the ſame in ſubstance with that in the former Chapter, Our fellowſhip is with the Father and his Sonne Jeſus Chriſt, onelyonly the manner of expreſſion is ſomewhat more …mphatical, whileſt the Prepoſition foreign in noteth the Propinquity, and the Verbe foreign, the permanency of this fellowſhip.
That Queſtion why the Holy Ghoſt is not mentioned, is thus reſolved by Eſtiu…, Quia de eo non erat oborta queſtio, Eſt. ibid.becauſe as yet there was no controverſy raiſed, and ſo no need of mentioning him.
If it bee asked why the Son is put before the Father, the anſwer is well returned, becauſe the Apostle had juſt before inveighed againſt thoſe, who though they pretended to acknowledge the Father, yet deny the Son. Though withall there may beſides bee a double reaſon aſſigned. The one to inſinuate, that the Son is not leſſe than the Father, but that they are equal in eſſence and dignity, upon this account, moſt probable it is, that the Apoſtolical benediction beginneth with the grace of our Lord Jeſus Chriſt, and then followeth the love of God the Father. The other, becauſe as Beda well gloſſeth, No man commeth to; or continueth in the Father, but by the Son; who ſaith of himſelf, I am the way, the truth, and the life.
To draw it up, lo here, Eximia laus doctrinae, an high commendation of Evangelical Doctrin, that it leads up to Chriſt, and by him to the Father; the water riſeth as high as the spring, from whence it floweth, no wonder, if the Goſpel which commeth from God through Christ, lead us back again through Chriſt to God; and as by hearing and beleeving this Doctrin, we are united to, ſo by adhering to, and perſevering in it, wee continue in the Son, and the Father. Suitable to this is that promiſe of our bleſſed Saviour, If any man love mee hee will keep my Word, and my Father will love him, and wee will come to him, and Joh. 14. 23make our abode with him; if wee not onelyonly receive, but keep Chriſts word, he and the Father will not only come, but continue with us.
They who never heard nor received the Gospel, are without God, and without Chriſt, ſo St. Paul ſaith of the Epheſians, whileſt they were in their Heatheniſh condition.Eph. 2. 8
They who having heard the Goſpel, and for ſake it, are far from God and Chriſt, God himſelf ſaith, If any man draw back my ſoul ſhall have no pleaſure in him, but if that which wee have heard abide with us, wee ſhall continue in the favour and affection of, in …nion and communion with Chriſt and the Father.
And now beloved, if the Pſalmiſt ſaid, Bleſſed are they that dwell in thy houſe, much more may I. Bleſſed are they Pſal. 84. 4that continue in the Son and in the Father, if S. Peter ſaid of being on Mount Tabor with Chriſt at his Transfiguration, it is good for us to be here, much more may we ſay, It is good for us to be with the Son and the Father. If hee that was asked, where his treaſure was, anſwered, foreign,Xenoph. Cyr. where Cyrus was his friend, well may the Chriſtian, foreign, place his wealth, in the friendſhip of, and fellowſhip with the Son and the Father.
Let me then be speak you in thoſe words of St. Jude, keep your ſelves in the love of God, which though it be chieflyJude v. 18 underſtood in the active ſenſe, keep in you a love to God, yet withall it may admit a Paſſive Interpretation, keep your ſelves in Gods love; not is there any better way than by keeping Gods word in our ſelves, if Chriſts word dwell in us, he himſelf will dwell with us, the Ark was a bleſſing to Obed Edoms houſe, ſo is the Goſpel to the place where it is Preached, much more to them who ſo hear as to receive, and ſo receive as to retain it. Let that therefore abide in you which you have heard, that you may continue in the Son and the Father, ſo much the rather when we conſider what Followeth in the next verſe, an aſſurance that this continuance ſhall know no end, but being begun on earth, it ſhall be perpetuated in heaven to all eternity, for this is the Promiſe which he hath promiſed … ▪ eternal life, which God willing, in our next diſcourſe, ſhall bee unfolded.