England Faithfully Watched, Lecture 78
COLOS. 1.27.
To whom God would make known [what is the riches of the glory of this myſtery, &c.
ANy mercy, any thing that is or imports the leaſt kindneſſe to man now, may be called riches, riches of glory, at ſuch a great diſtance is man now from God. But the Goſpell is great riches, to wit, as much as man hath loſt, and more; it ſets man as high as ever he was, and higher, which is riches of glory indeed, conſidering how glorious once man was. It muſt be a great deale to ſet up a broken man; but to ſet him up higher then ever he was before fallen is glorious riches, i. unexpreſſeable.
The Goſpell in the intention of it is nothing but love. A voice of joy, a voice of gladneſſe, a voice of the Bridegroome, and a voice of the Bride, a voice of them that ſhall ſay God is good, and his mercy endures for ever, Jeremy 33.11. This is the Goſpell, and you ſee that there is nothing in it but joy and gladneſſe: the Goſpell is a ſalutation of love, of the ſweeteſt love, it holds forth boſoming love, i. marriage love, a voice of the Bride, and the Bridegroome, ſaith the text, i. the ſtrongeſt love, glorious love: it holds forth love not to laſt for a little while, but to laſt as marriage love, yea to laſt longer then that can doe, mercy enduring forever, ſaith the Text, which is rich and glorious, that will hold its ſtrength and its warmth; its a breaſt and boſome worth the being in, that will never be cold.
The Scripture uſeth three words, which will fitly ſerve to open this expreſſion in the Text, what glorious riches the Goſpell is. The Goſpell is foreign Chriſt kind to man, or a word holding forth man friendſhip, which no other ſubject beſide doth: thats a rich and a glorious booke which when I open, ſmiles upon me as ſuch a creature, and no where elſe to be read the like. Man is a very miſerable creature, and yet as miſerable as he is, nothing ſpeakes to him, no volume writes about him, but onelyonly the Goſpell; not with any matter of hope; any other Volume no ſooner opened but man reads his doome in every line.
The booke of the creatures opened, which is a great Volume, and yet not a line in it that ſmiles upon man; nay any one may better looke into the booke of creation then man; man no ſooner lookes into this Volume but all the creatures fall a bleeding preſently, as having eſpied their murtherer: thou haſt murthered me ſaith one creature, and thou haſt murthered me ſaith another, and this is the bloody tone to the very teeth of man throughout all the creation. The gronings of the whole creation are throwne as it were by each creature in the face of man, they all hold up their hands together againſt man and ſay, this is he that hath deſtroyed us. There is not a ſinner upon the face of the earth, but is in ſome degree in Cains caſe, beſet with all the creatures, every buſh ready to fly in his face, to ſcratch and accuſe him; all the creatures are out with huy and cry after man as their murtherer, which was the reaſon why Cain was ſo fearfull everywhere he came, the whole creation was up in an outcry againſt him. Man is the prime creature miſerable, and yet the prime creature cryd out upon to be more miſerable: man is not miſerable enough yet; let me overwhelme and drown all ſaith the Sea let me not leave a man alive ſaith the deepe. Let me open my mouth, and eate up all the men in the world, ſaith the earth. Let me breake forth and burne all, ſaith the Heavens. There is a ſtrong propenſity in all the creation, to make an utter end of man, without the leaſt compaſſion towards him in any breaſt. There is a joynt conſpiracy in the creation, juſt as there was in Noahs latter time to ſwallow up all, and the creation ſhall obtaine its will upon all, the wicked world at laſt, and when that time comes you ſhall ſee what Goſpell is in the creation; not a dram of mercy ſhall any wicked ſoule finde; ſo will Heaven, and earth, and the deepe conſpire. And as for the Law, that is a Volume which heigthens all this cry, and avers the juſtice of the creation in its cry, and cries out for blood ſtronger then it. Not a dram of any compaſſion to be found in the breaſt of any thing towards man, no not ſcarce in man to man, Acts 21.1, 2. The Apoſtle after he had eſcaped ſhipwracke, wondred to finde man-friendſhip, foreign.being caſt upon the Iſland of Melita, the inhabitants there, ſaith he, made a fire for us, becauſe of the raine, and becauſe of the cold, and they ſhewed us no little man-friendſhip; he wondred, having eſcaped the Sea, that the people of the Iſland had not eaten him up, and therefore the words that follow are obſervable, When we came to land then we knew the name of the Iſland, Melita, quaſi Melifluae inſula, i. an Iſland flowing with honey, becauſe he had found flowing merciemercy, double kindneſſe by Sea and Land. The Goſpell holds out this man friendſhip, tis a Volume full of compaſſion to man, ſo doth the Apoſtle expreſſe it, Titus 3.4. But after that the kindneſſe of man-friendſhip of God our Saviour appeared; expreſſing the Goſpell.
The Goſpell is foreign a volume that holds forth Chriſt, not onelyonly as compaſſionate, but as very facile this way, and that is riches of glory indeed. Love and kindneſſe, in order to any but Chriſt, are wrought things; there is a great deale of art to make ſome perſons ſmile; and it is ſo generally in point of kindneſſe and mercy; there muſt be a great deale of art uſed to any but Chriſt to bring them to it; men muſt be heated and warmed againe and againe, to make them beath and bend ſtrait to my purpoſe; but Chriſt is facile this way, Titus 3. But after the gentleneſſe foreign or facileneſſe of God our Saviour appeared. foreign.Chriſt is gentle and facile towards man, ready to be brought on to doe him good in the ſaddeſt ſtate, the word is ſo tranſlated Galat. 5. The fruit of the Spirit is gentleneſſe. Chriſt gives and forgives very much, and he doth it without much …, eaſily, chearfully; tis his meat and drinke to doe his Fathers will, yea and tis his meat and drinke to doe our will ſo farre forth as it doth conduce to righteouſneſſe, and unto holineſſe; tis his meat and drinke to give us meat and drinke, although it be his body and blood. Love comes from Chriſt juſt as ſhowers from Heaven, and not as water out of a pump. I will come as the formes and the latter Raine ſaith the Prophet, and every word of this Goſpell, and not ſuch another word in any other Book to be found. As the formes and the latter Raine (i) very naturally. Love comes from Chriſt juſt as leafes out of a Tree; thoſe leafes you reade of in the Revelation, which are good to heale, bud out naturaly, and that but an illuſtration how love comes from Chriſt, it growes and buds out of it ſelfe where no body can by any art fetch it out; and then when buded out, ſmiles and lookes greene upon men: truly this is riches of glory indeed, and yet thus doe the greateſt acts of mercy come from Chriſt to man. The Apoſtle to the Hebrewes mentions a great act of mercy, and he mentions this very circumſtance with it, to wit, how facile it comes. But God willing more abundantly to ſhew his love to man and immutability of his counſell, did make an Oath. To this great act of mercy ſolemne ſwearing, to ſeale and eſtabliſh man, God comes off very willingly, or with much ſtrength of affection, and ſo the word is reade ſometimes; hee was ſtrongly carried this way, to ſweare to eſtabliſh and make weake hearts ſtrong; God was in ſuch a temper in this very act, as he was when he gave up his life: J have a ſacrifice, and O how I am preſt together within my ſelfe till it be ſacrificed! which expreſſion ſhewes the great willingneſſe of Chriſt, to drinke off that deadly Cup. You have the ſame word uſed where the Apoſtle ſayes love conſtraines mee. This is the riches of the glory of the Goſpell, it holds forth compaſſion with much ſtrength, (i) bowels ſounding very loud: The Apoſtle faſtens upon this circumſtance, to no to the kindneſſe that comes from God to be exceeding riches, becauſe it goes forth ſo facile, Eph. 2.7. That in Ages to come he might ſhew the exceeding Riches of his grace in his gentleneſſe or facileneſſe towards us. This doth note exceeding riches indeed, that Chriſt ſhould bee facile in kindneſſe towards man that arch Rebell.
The Goſpel is foreign which is an expreſſion uſed by the Father of his Sonne,foreign. to ſet forth that infinite reſt he had in him for perſon and action as our Mediator, tis a terme that notes ſuch large affection as is competent onelyonly to God, ſuch as is a Heaven to him. The Goſpel holds forth Chriſt in this very frame of love towards man, even as one in Heaven, when he thinks of bringing man thither, which ſpirit is called a thing of higheſt glory, Luke. 2.14. foreign, glory in the higheſt things? what are thoſe higheſt things? Peace in Earth. And what next? foreign reſt and ſolace in men, which is a high thing indeed, and may well be called one of the higheſt things of glory, that God ſhould finde reſt in man. As God ſpeakes of Chriſt, ſo doth hee of thoſe that are in him, this is my beloved Sonne in whom J foreign ſolace my ſelfe, have had my Heaven from all eternity. And ſuch a thing is it now for God to looke in Chriſt towards ſinners; it is a Heaven to him, tis his reſt to lie in the boſome of a ſinner, to lie in the place where his Sonne lies, though in a Manger, which is riches of glory indeed, riches which make glory; Tis the pleaſure and the grace of God to ſave, and ſo is the word tranſlated, 2 Theſſ. 2. Where tis uſed in order to the wicked, having foreign pleaſure in unrighteouſneſſe, &c. You may imagine how much the Word doth import being uſed to ſet out a ſinners love and ſtrongeſt affection to ſinne. What a pleaſure is a wicked mans ſinne to him! Can you expreſſe it? why ſo ſays God, tis to mee now to looke towards poore loſt man, and to ſit downe in his ſoule. The Word is uſed by the Apoſtle elſewhere, 'tis my hearts deſire that Iſrael might be ſaved, &c. Juſt as if the Apoſtle ſhould have ſaid, it would be my Heaven that Jſrael might come to Heaven, tis my Heaven to thinke that ever they ſhall have Heaven, and O that they might be called; and he ſpeakes there but in the ſtraine and ſpirit of the Goſpell, the riches of the glory of this myſtery that I am opening, the heart of God and the heart of Chriſt now to man.
Ʋſe You ſee now what is the riches of the glory of this myſtery, tis the proffer of mercy to man with much ſtrength of affection, a proffer of Heaven in Heaven (i) as one in Heaven, a proffer of Life in Life or with Life: and ſo are all the diſpenſations of the Goſpell typified, Revel 4. A throne was ſet in Heaven, to ſet out the things of Heaven. Let poore ſinners know what is the riches of the glory of this myſtery, and inrich themſelves by it. Bleſſed are they that know the joyfull ſound, which words point at Aarons bells; his going into the holieſt of all, made a joyfull ſound to them that could underſtand it; it pointed at Chriſt offering up his life for us, and yet doing it as it were with Muſick, cheerfully and delightfully. You have had this myſtery explained all along my diſcourſe; do you underſtand it ſinners? then inrich your ſelves with it.
The Sunne is the riches and glory of all the World; ſuch a Sunne is the Goſpell of Chriſt; deſire that this Sunne may ſhine into the little World; if the Sun did not ſhine in this great World, it could not inrich it nor glorifie it. The Apoſtle ſpeakes of this very thing, to wit, the Goſpell, and under this Metaphor of the Sun, and he uſes ſuch tearmes as ſignifie in apparition and illuſtration. But after that the kindneſſe and gentleneſse of God appeared, foreign the word is uſed to expreſſe the ſecond comming of Chriſt, and that will be bright and glorious indeed, 2 Theſs. 2.8. (i) in apparition, for otherwiſe it had beene of no force to thoſe effects which he there mentions, a like place, 2 Tim. 1.10. But is now made manifeſt by the appearing of our Saviour Jeſus Chriſt who hath aboliſhed death and brought life and immortality to light through the Goſpell. It is plaine by theſe following words, that the apparition here ſpoken of meanes in apparition; death could not be otherwiſe deſtroyed, nor immortality be brought to light. And the learned agree that the word notes a mighty ſhining light that ſearches every corner of the heart: is the light that you have of ſuch illuſtration? hath it brought life and immortality to light (i a holy life) that never end. There is a great deale of light now in the World, but when wee looke how it illuſtrates it ſelfe we are ſad, becauſe it comes to no more ordinarily then the light of a comet that falles, and the matter that bore it reſolving it ſelfe into a filthy ſtinck, to the great diſgrace of the Goſpel, to the death of brave perſons and Kingdomes. What is it that makes ſuch bloudy worke in the Chriſtian World now but this, that the riches of the glory of this myſtery, doth nothing in men? this hath made a long night to our brethren the Iewes, and is like to doe the like to the Gentiles.
The Goſpell being riches, prize Chriſt and his Miniſters; let them be glorious in your eye, which bring glorious things. Know which way the riches of glory comes to you, it comes but by one gate. Which puts me in mind of a ſtory; In the County of Saba which ſignifies a myſtery, when Frankinſence was brought into the chiefe City thereof, it was ordered by the Prieſts that it ſhould come in but at one Gate upon paine of death, to wit that which they had conſecrated for that purpoſe. Tis of lively uſe, the riches of glory come in but one way, by Chriſt and by the Miniſtry of his Word, and therefore keepe open this Cate; if all the money in your purſes will do it, if all the bloud in your veines will do it, let all goe rather then this and the Goſpel; when this departeth the glory departeth, the riches of glory departeth.
There is but one thing that is eminently acceſſary to the deſtruction of the riches of glory, and that is hardneſſe of heart. The Balme-Trees when they had wounded them to get the vertue of them to drop forth, they laid Wooll upon which the drops might fall, that ſo they might be ſure to ſave it; ſo to gaine the riches of the glory of the Goſpel, to ſave the drops that fall from Chriſts mouth, you muſt lay ſoft hearts, tender and fleſhy hearts; otherwiſe you will die poore and miſerable, notwithſtanding all the riches of glory that are amongſt you.