England Faithfully Watched, Lecture 59
COLOSS. 1.23.
From the hope of [the Goſpel.]
WEE have conſidered the grace of hope in it ſelfe, and have found it a ſweet flower, as any grows in the garden of God: wee are now to conſider the ſtocke out of which it ſprings; the mold that likes it,The Engliſh word, Goſpel, notes, Good ſpeech: ſpel formerly ſignified ſpeech. Goſpel, quaſi God ſpel God ſpeech and that is glad ſpeech indeed. and out of which it growes, is the Goſpel, foreign, it ſignifies a glad word or meſſage. When God ſmiles upon the ſoule, then the ſoule ſmiles in its courſe: our death or life, ſits upon the lips of Chriſt: as Chriſt ſpeaks, the ſoule opens or cloſes, lifts up or hangs downe the head. Thou haſt made my mouth like a ſharp ſword, a poliſhed ſhaft, ſaith Chriſt of the Father, Eſa. 49.2. What a wombe the Goſpel is! it brings forth twinnes, two, and the greateſt that can be thought on, death and life; 'tis a poliſhed ſhaft, not ſimply a ſhaft to kill, but a poliſhed ſhaft, to make death in order to life. The Goſpel is a wombe that brings forth twinnes indeed, earth and heaven, heaven here; 'tis like the Hebrew women, quicke of delivery. They were Goſpel-words, which God ſpake to Adam after his fall, when he ſpake about the ſeed of the Woman, and theſe words re-inſtated him in earth, and in heaven, he had loſt both elſe. His ſoule ſunke within him, which made him hide and run away, and theſe words fetcht life againe to the ſoule, and the man againe to his place. Doct. The Goſpel is a grand bleſſing, a glad word, a God-ſpeech.
Our Sun was ſet at noone, and yet no more to have riſen in this Horizon: God after our ſin, had ſhut up his loving kindneſſe in diſpleaſure, and all this world was to lie under all the wrath of God, to all eternitie, without one good word, without one good look; man the glory of the world, was proclaim'd a Traytor, Abſaloms doome was upon him, Let him ſee my face no more; in this caſe no Mediator durſt appeare, not one of all the Angels in Heaven would know man after his fall, for any favour: the King had withdrawne himſelfe, and all his traine, he had bounded himſelfe in univerſally like Abaſuerus, that none might come to ſpeake to him for favour in mans behalfe, upon paine of death, no not concerning any matter of mercy towards man, he that ſhould come about any ſuch thing, came upon perill of eternall death: yet in this deſperate ſtrait, Chriſt like Eſther puts forth, and takes his life in his hand, pleads with wrath it ſelfe, for a few, that they might be kindly entertain'd againe, kindly thought of, and kindly ſpoke to: if thou muſt have bloud, take my bloud, onelyonly write downe with it a few names in the booke of life, a ſmall company to be kinde unto for ever, to looke pleaſantly upon them, and to ſpeake ſweetly to them here, and for ever hereafter. That which coſt Chriſt ſo deare, ſurely is no ſmall favour; he gave his bloud, for a good word from God to man, a good word therefore from God, is certainly a great favour, for Chriſt lays not out his bloud for trifles, as ſometimes we doe.
Its price, its property ſpeakes it a grand bleſſing: The Goſpel is light, prime light, it makes exact diſcretion, it ſhines into the heart, that's the expreſſion of it which the Apoſtle gives, 2 Cor. 4.6. But God which commanded the light out of darkneſſe, hath ſhined into our hearts. You may diſcerne a moate, a haire, the ſmalleſt thing that is, by a ſhining light; the Goſpel diſcovers beames, moats, yea theſe perfectly: Then ſhalt thou ſee [perfectly] the moat that is in thy brothers eye. Take in but Goſpel-light, and lay aſide thine own conceited light, and thou ſhalt ſee every thing exactly, in thy ſpirituall ſtate. The light of the Goſpel diſcovers thoughts, and intentions of the heart, it divideth between the marrow and the bones, it ſhews how the ſoule is joynted, marrowed, how every ſinew and ſtring lyes, and what oyle is in the veſſels to ſupple them, and make them laſt, whether any or none. The heart is call'd the hidden man, and 'tis hid indeed, from all creatures in the world, from the man himſelf: that's a notable light that gets into a dungeon, a vault deep under ground, that is full of damps, and makes diſcovery there of all the mud and dirt, of all the frogs and toads that lie there, and yet ſuch is the light of the Goſpel; where ever it comes, though into never ſo dark a ſoule, it lays open all very exactly, that is, to conviction. He that is unlearned cometh in, and he is convinced of all, and fals downe, ſaith the text; it tels a man all that ever he did, and very exactly. A true glaſſe, is of worth: All light flatters, but the Goſpel. That's an oyntment indeed, which takes off all ſcales, and makes perfect ſight in any one, and this is the propertie of the Goſpel; to whom ſoever it comes, though an ideot, as the originall is, he is convinced of all; 'tis ſpoken as the naturall property of this light, man cannot hide any thing from it.
It makes an exact diſcovery of man, and an exact diſcovery of God, ſo far forth as ſuch powers as we have here are comprehenſible: it ſhines into our hearts, and gives the light of the knowledge of [the glory of God;] it diſcovers mans glory, to wit, his ſoule; and the glory of God, to wit, his heart and his ſoule towards man, two ſuch properties as are not to be found in any light. The glory of God is his face, all other light diſcovers but his back parts, or if it ſpeake any thing about the face of God, 'tis as vailed. To ſee the King is a great favour, but to ſee him in ſtate, that's a great friendſhip indeed. There be many things have glory, which if any one could give one eyes to behold, wee ſhould account it a great priviledge; if any one could ſet me, as Satan would have ſet Chriſt, to behold the kingdoms of this world, and the glory of them, as is there expreſt, I ſhould be ready to thinke it a great priviledge, and yet all this glory, not comparable to the glory of God; all theſe things that glitter here below, are but the duſt of that gold above, but ſome old caſt garments, which the King lays at his feete, and gives to ſome poore ſervants and ſlaves, they are but as caſt-rags, given to diſeaſed creatures. The glory of God is not to be expreſt: the Goſpel helpes us to Pauls viſion, to behold unutterable things. The face of God is his glory; the face of a man is his glory. Diſtinguiſhing propriety, whether ſuch a one be a brother, a ſiſter, a father, I can tell you when I ſee his face, which is glorious to me when I behold. The Goſpel gives a diſtinct knowledge of God, by this, and by this alone; I am enabled to look as it were in his face, and to diſcerne in what relation I ſtand to him, and he to me, whether I be his childe, and he my father, or otherwiſe. Mercy conſidered in ſuch a latitude, as eternally to ſave, is cald the glory of God; condiſcenſion to the creature offending, taking him up in his armes. 'Tis cald the glory of a man to paſſe by a fault, to abide ſweet when others are bitter, to ſmile and embrace, when there is no invitement, but all diſcouragement; this is cald the glory of a man, and this is cald the glory of God. The Goſpel and no light elſe, holds forth tranſcendent condeſcenſion in God; by all other light, wee conceive of him as one that is auſtere, as one that will not yeeld a whit, as one that will have the utmoſt farthing, his own with advantage, or inflict death. The Goſpel holds forth all ſweet condeſcenſion in God, it ſets him forth, as one inviting, come, blinde, halt, as one waiting to be gracious, thirty, forty, fifty, threeſcore yeares, to the laſt houre, and yet giving a penny to him that came in laſt, as well as to him that came in firſt; it ſets him out as one that goes about to folkes-dores and knockes, ſinners doe you need any mercy? doe you need any thing for your ſoules or bodies, to make you bleſſed for ever? you may have it for nothing, Milke and honey, wine and oyle, tryed gold, and royall apparrell. The Goſpel ſets out God as one that expoſtulates with man, about the matter of his good, Why doe you lay out your money for that which is not bread? And why will you die? The Goſpel ſets out God, as one beſeeching man to be reconcild, as one that delights to exerciſe loving-kindneſſe, to make it his work, his daily buſineſſe, to forgive ſins, and to bring ſouls to heaven at his own coſt; this is tranſcendent condiſcenſion, and this is the glory of God in the eye of a poor ſinner; this makes him ſhine more glorious then any thing in the world; and all this, the light of the Goſpel diſcovers, diſcovers in us; hath ſhined [into our hearts] to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God.
Ʋſe. The Goſpel is a grand favour, but I am affraid we do not count it ſo: Manna is loathed, we love darkneſſe more then light. That light which diſcovers us, and makes our nakedneſſe appear, is a plague and no bleſſing to thouſands. What is more inraging and more deadly to ſome perſons, then the powerfull words of the Lord Jeſus? What is more inraging at this day, then the ſhining light of the Goſpel? Our miſery is great, the cauſe apparent, we ſhut our eyes againſt the light. The Prince of darkneſſe ſhall rule; this is the vote of thouſands. Where Satan raigns, do you expect any other but a hel, rending and tearing, howling and yelling. Brave England is turn'd into a hel, oppreſſing, racking, rending weeping, wayling, and gnaſhing of teeth, and why? Certainly the Prince of darkneſſe raigns amongſt us; have you a glimpſe of that feind in all this our hel and miſery? If there were indeed a true love of the Goſpel amongſt us, could there be ſuch fighting abroad and at home amongſt us as there is? As light is precious, it conquers; as light conquers, pride falls; pride fallen, the Lion is a Lamb, Lambs rend not, nor tear one another. We rend and tear one another, name, ſtate, all that is dear, and would be to one another as the very devils are. Ah Lord! Is this a Chriſtian Land, a Land honouring the Goſpel? Doth it conquer us? Is the Spirit of the Goſpel in us, whoſe hearts burn like hel in pride and malice againſt one another? The hand of the Lord is upon an hypocriticall people, get it off who can. You ſay you love the Goſpel, and yet think the Land too good for them that faithfully profeſſe it: He that hates his brother in his heart, is a murtherer; a bloody ſpirit is in you, a bloody hand of juſtice is upon you, if this right not the innocent, and publiſh the hyporciſie of this generation to all the world, then ſay, that Chriſt hath not ſpoken by me.
Would the ſword were ſheathed, ſaith many: would it had done its work, ſay I. We needed through launcing, mens baſeneſſe comes out freely: 'tis a mercy to know who loves the Goſpel, and how. How long will England bleed, ere good blood appear? Will that good bloud be ſo little, as not enough to hold life in the State? O that will be ſad! Sinners, look about you, you that diſſemble with your light, are the plagues of the Land: doe you call whom you will, troublers, this will be found the truth which I have ſaid, you are the troublers, and the deſtroyers of the Land, and the ruine of all will be charged upon you. Know the ſymptome of a dying State: when death is ſeized upon the vitals, and blacke vapours beat up ſtrong againſt the braine, we cry draw the curtaines, ſhut the windows, keep them darke, they will be mad elſe. Light is ſcoft at now, never more, this makes thouſands cry, draw the curtaine, ſhut the windows, keepe ſoules darke, they will be mad elſe: and this is the glory of thouſands, that they keep where they were, and ſhut out light: it is I feare a deadly ſtate. Mayſt not thou come as far ſhort of truth, as thou judgeſt others to overſhoot themſelves? Doſt thou thinke that none hit the white but thee? Are not errors on the left hand, as dangerous as errors on the right? Is not a cold frozen ſoule, a ſoule ſetled upon its lees, as baſe a prizer of the Goſpel, as a wanton that is too laviſh?
I have but one thing more, let love be returned. Doth God give grand favours, returne anſwerable to him. The light which ſhines ſweetly and gloriouſly upon you, let it gaine your ſoules to God. Doth Chriſt ſpeake kindly unto you? Speake ſo to him. Doth Chriſt ſpeake for your hearts, to lay them in his boſome, and for no other uſe? How can you deny him? Give Chriſt your heart, 'tis no great favour, yet Chriſt accounts it ſo, becauſe 'tis your prime jewel: Chriſt doth take things according to your account, which is tranſcendent love: what you account your jewel, that Chriſt takes for one. If you make a ſin, a jewel dearer then any thing, yet if at the call of the Goſpel, you ſacrifice this, and offer it to Chriſt to doe what he will with it, kill it or keepe it alive, he accounts this for a great favour, a jewel; What you indeed and in good earneſt account great, that doth Chriſt, when in plainneſſe and in ſimplicitie you give it to him. Iſaac was eſteemed by Abraham a great favour from God, and when he was willing to offer this againe to God, 'twas taken by God as Abraham accounted it, a great favour. The Sunne loſes none of its rayes, by all the courſe it runs, none darkened nor ſpoyled, but ſets as big, as glorious, and as ſmiling, as it did ariſe. Shall wee darken any beame of that light, which ſhines upon us? Shall we ſad the face of that Sunne that ſmiles upon us? And yet ſo wee doe, when Chriſt cannot gaine us by his beames of love which ſhine upon us. Conſider how long time the Goſpel hath been amongſt you, and how little good it hath done. O that a heart ſhould be ſo cold, that twenty or thirty yeares lying in the Sunne, will not warme it. Hold a multiplying glaſſe, upon the Sunne that ſhines upon your ſoules, and ſee what this will doe: ſay to thy ſoul, How many precious Goſpel-Sermons have I heard! and how many thouſand thouſand ſecret words in them! how have theſe ecchoed, with a ſweeter report from one within, then they were at firſt ſpeaking from the perſon without, which delivered them! how many ſweet Goſpel-words! yea, how many ſweet Goſpel-workes, have I had! how many heart-liftings heaven-ward, and yet downe againe! Hath any body ſuch a cold heavie heart as I? 'Tis good to complaine of ones heart much for its badneſſe, to him that can make it better: 'tis good to complaine much of this badneſſe, badneſſe under goodneſſe, prime goodneſſe, badneſſe under the Goſpel. Cold-hearted ſinners, thus taber upon your breaſt, when you are alone; if any thing warme, 'tis well: if nothing will, draw the curtaine, and take leave of friends; if the Sun-ſhine of the Goſpel can by no meanes fetch heat in thee, thou canſt not live long, if thou wouldſt give all the wealth thou haſt, the fruit of the body for the ſin of the ſoule.