England Faithfully Watched, Lecture 79
COLOS. 1.27.
Among the Gentiles, or in the Gentiles.
foreign Ethnick, This is the word in the originall by which we are called, it may be from foreign two words which ſignify a minde accuſtomed to ſome thing, a heart evill and onelyonly evill, that is, ſtout enough, and ſuch neither can nor will be made otherwiſe: it ſpeakes a nature of ſinne, a body of death, one in the fleſh and led by the fleſh. I will diſcribe a Gentile to you generally and particularly: tis one uncircumciſed in fleſh and ſpirit, that hath not the externall ordinances of Chriſt, nor the internall efficacy, this is to ſpeake properly and fully a Gentile, though where the latter is wanting under the fruition of the former, ſuch are called Gentiles. For that he hath brought into my ſanctuary ſtrangers uncircumciſed in heart, and uncircumciſed in fleſh, to be in my ſanctuary to polluate it; Eſe. 44.7. they which are called here ſtrangers were Gentiles, and their condition is deſcribed, they were uncircumciſed in heart and fleſh, and this to ſpeake properly and fully is a Gentile; one that is beſide all culture, that that is without the viſible Church, and without the inviſible grace of ſuch eſtate. There is a Gentile in the fleſh, and a Gentile in the ſpirit, and a Gentile in both. The Apoſtle, makes this deſtinction and in theſe termes. Wherefore remember that yee being in times paſt Gentiles in the fleſh were called the uncircumciſion by that which is called the circumciſion in the fleſh, which is made with hands Eph. 2.11. They were Gentiles in the fleſh as well as in the ſpirit, they were ſuch that had not ſo much as that circumciſion which was made with hands, much leſſe that circumciſion which was made without hands by the ſpirit.
A Gentile in the ſpirit, is one ignorant, without God in the World, that is, without the knowledge of God; it is explained ſo by another expreſſion like this, that at that time, yee were without Chriſt, being Aliens, Eph. 2.12. And by another expreſſion to them that are without the Law as without the Law, 1 Cor. 9.21. that is, ſuch as had no knowledge of the Word of God, nor did acknowledge any ſuch thing as a rule of life, but their own blind traditions and cuſtomes. Gentiliſme is a meere Chaos, a little World lying all in confuſion, darkeneſſe upon the face of the deepe; the underſtanding which is as the face of the ſoule, blind, not able to finde out God in his Word or Workes, what in eſſence, or what in exiſtence, what hee is or what he doth, in Heaven, in Earth, in the ſoule of man, nor what hee will doe, though all theſe expreſt, and told of at large; a Gentile in ſpirit is one that cannot ſee God nor feele after him, that can uſe neither head nor hand, no reaſon nor ſenſe divinely; one that fits in darkeneſſe, and cannot ſtir any power internall or externall, towards the true God. One that fits in darkneſse, wich is an expreſſion I thinke in alluſion to the Egyptians, who had thicke darkeneſſe, ſuch obſcurity of darkneſſe as the originall ſaith that they ſaw not any man his brother, neitheir roſe any man from his place for three dayes mittacheaif de ſub ſe, not from under himſelfe, or not from off himſelfe, and theſe were Gentiles, and in this, I thinke, the lively type of all Gentiles, who are in ſuch thick darkeneſſe ſpiritually, that they ſit ſtock ſtill, not one can ariſe from of himſelfe, to apprehend any thing out of himſelfe, and above himſelfe; that which hee worſhips is himſelfe, the imagination of his own brain; his zeale is ſeated in blind principles, and this is his God that he knowes no God. As I paſſed by and beheld your devotion, I found an Altar with this inſcription, to the unknowne God, and theſe were Gentiles, and this blind principle was foreign Inn…itten or written in them, for the Altar was but an emblem of their heart, they did hold out by this what was in them, to wit, a God adored, but no body could tell what, no not they themſelves, any further then ſelfe; ſome carnall fancies hotly purſued, and after no other light would they ſearch with braine or ſenſe. The Apoſtle reproves them in this ſcope, though you have not the Word of God yet you have had the workes of God; if you had purſued theſe, as blind men that uſe their hands in ſtead of their eyes, and make a good ſhift to finde their way, you would certainly have found out God to better purpoſe, then this inſcription quotes, and then relates the ſtory of the Creation, viz. who hath made of one bloud all Nations, if happily they might feele after him, foreign the word notes touching or groaping with the hand, not able to imploy underſtanding, nor ſenſe about the Word or Workes of God, to finde out God, which is juſt the ſtate of a brute, and ſo are the Gentiles ſhadowed to be in Pauls viſion; there were all manner of Beaſts, in the ſheet that was let downe to him, but nothing elſe.
A Gentile in ſpirit is one blinde and obſtinate, he ſhuts his eyes againſt ſome things and none muſt open them, opens his eyes to other things, and none muſt ſhut them: he loveth darkneſſe, better then light, and no body muſt ſtir nor wake his love till hee pleaſe; this obſtinacy is well expreſt by Chriſt, Mat. 18.17. if hee [will not] heare the Church, let him be as a Heathen, an Ethnick which is the ſame word, with the Text I ſtand on; if hee will not heare, let him be accounted a Gentile; a Gentile, is a wilfull perſon. Let a man be in Church-ſtate, and under-light, yet if wilfull in ſinne, loving darkneſſe, and againſt light, hee is as a Heathen, that is, he is a Gentile in ſpirit, hee is formerly and really a Gentile, onelyonly he is not outwardly called ſo, he is not called ſo by men, but he is ſo by God. The Jewes, the greateſt amongſt them, the Scribes and Phariſees that inſtructed company, although of the Jewiſh Church, and eminent in Office, yet as obſtinate and raging oppoſers of Peter and his Miniſtery, are cald by the Spirit of God Ethicks; and in the ſecond Pſalme, where the Prophet ſpeakes of Heatheniſh great ones oppoſing Chriſt, applied it to them as fulfilled in them, Acts 4.25. when they were let goe they reported to their owne company, that is, to the reſt of the Apoſtles and Diſciples, all that the chiefe Prieſts and Elders had ſaid to them, and when the Apoſtles heard it, they lifted up their voice with one accord, and ſaid, O God which hath made Heaven and Earth, who by the mouth of thy ſervant David haſt ſaid, Why doe the [Heathen rage] and ſo forth; and there cals them Ethnicks Gentiles, and becauſe of this, that they were wilfull and raging in their blindneſſe and wickedneſſe againſt Chriſt. This property alſo of ſtubbornneſſe was lively ſhadowed in that Type of the Gentiles forementioned, there were ſuch and ſuch kinds of beaſts in the ſheet that was let down to Paul, and [wild] beaſts, ſaith the Text, to note that this is one eminent property in an ethnicall ſpirit, wildneſſe, headineſſe, obſtinacy in his blinde courſe.
Spirituall gentiliſme is opened; have I not done two works at once? opened the Doctrine, and opened your condition? are ye not Gentiles in heart, though not ſo call'd? truth ſhould be own'd whether with us or againſt us, or there is no remedy: confeſſion of ſinne is a neceſſary Goſpell requiſite, ſinners can have no mercy without it; if ye lay not open your ſinne to God, twill lay open you to God, Angels and men; and a ſoule laid open by the word, is one found out in the fact; when God hath found out and ſeiſed upon a ſinner, for him then to deny the fact or ſeeke to breake away from him, as one that breakes bolts, by being more boyſterous in ſin, this man will die for it, and not have pardon, no not hope on't, hee'l not have his booke; there is not the leaſt tender of grace to the ſoule, whilſt convictions are ſtrangled, but treaſuring up wrath againſt the day of wrath, to burne hornets in their neſt, ſeeing they will not come out: convictions ſtifled is like Powder in a mine, that when ſprung it blowes up all, and no fire ſo terrible as this ſtifled fire, for renting, and tearing the ſoule. A mans ſoule diſcovered by truth, God hath found out the man, the effect will be this, the man will now prove a deare friend, or a deſperate enemy to Chriſt, the viſion of convictions make a man fall at the feet of Chriſt, or flee in his face, Haſt thou found me, O mine enemy? Wounds that goe to the heart, if they let not out corruption and pride, they make men deſperate and bleed them to death deſperately; a proud man ſtab'd to the heart by the word, if it be not ſanctified to let out his pride, he will ſpet the blood of his ſoule, in the face of him that wounded it.
Are you Gentiles in heart? then be ſo in name; doe not miſcall yourſelves. Tis a thouſand pities that many are called Chriſtians. You doe onelyonly but flatter them, that flatter themſelves enough, and too much; you helpe hug ſoules to death. The name of a Chriſtian given to ſuch a one that hath not the nature of a Chriſtian, is ſatans chariot, in which he hath carried thouſands to hell aſleepe. Let perſons and things be called as they are, let us name things according to their nature, let Divinity have its name, Morality its name, Barbarity its name. You give men their ſeverall diſtances, as they ſtand ranked by a common providence one to another; but we doe not give men their diſtance as they ſtand all rankt by ſpeciall providence, in order to God and the higheſt greatneſſe. Let us follow Chriſt in this, ſay, ſome are neere, ſome are far off, ſome are in the Kingdome of God. The Kingdome of God is [in you] ſaith he to ſome; tis neere you, ſaith he, to others; tis far off from you, ſaith he, to others. Let us give all perſons and things their due diſtances, in order to God, as they diſcover themſelves. Doe not waſte breath vainely, to make a gale, a pleaſant gale, to blow ſoules faſter to hell,Iitten gnatſabeth Prov. 10.10. which are ſailing thither but too faſt of themſelves; He that winks with his eye cauſeth ſorrow, ſaith Solomon, dabit dolorem, he will give ſorrow; he that puts out his owne eyes, and others to, he will give a great deale of ſorrow to others, and yet keep a great deale more for himſelfe; and yet this is common, blind lead one another neither knowes whether.
Make not a bad condition hopeleſſe, tis not ſo in it ſelfe, here. A Gentile ſimply as a Gentile, was without hope, becauſe out of roade of God. Enter not by the way of the Gentiles, and into any City of the Samaritans enter ye not, Matth. 10.5, 6. but goe rather to the loſt ſheep of the houſe of Iſrael, ſaid Chriſt when he ſent forth the word. The preaching of the word is the meanes of life, to whom this is denied death is concluded, the people neceſſarily periſh, where this viſion muſt not come. This was our condition but tis not now; the channell of love is turned toward us, not from us; life is come amongst us, as the expreſſion here is, the riches of this myſtery among the Gentiles, or in them, ſaith the originall. The expreſſion notes effectuall mercy is now revealed, an efficacious proffer; a light of life ſhines amongſt us, ſuch as makes ſight, and makes bleſſedneſſe to us as much as to the Jewes; ſo is this expreſſion explained, Matth. 4.16. tis called foreign a great light, and that which they did ſee; they which ſat in darkneſſe [ſaw] great light, Matth. 4.16. All this was ſhadowed in giving the promiſe to Abraham before Circumciſion, and before the Law, to note that the Uncircumciſion, to wit, the Gentiles, ſhould be partakers of the promiſe, as well as the Circumciſion: And the Scripture foreſeeing that God would juſtifie the Heathen, through faith, preached before the Goſpell unto Abraham, that is, before the Law, ſaying, in thee, and in thy ſeed, ſhall all the Nations of the earth be bleſt. Gentiles, you that ſee your ſelves ſuch, Dogs, Wolves, Lyons, effectuall mercy is tendred to you. You that lie in the high way and villages, blinde, lame, halt, you are invited; the others had their excuſes, ſome had bought Oxen, others Farmes, others had married wives; the meaning is, covetouſneſſe and voluptuouſneſſe, carnality did cut off the carnall Jew, and nothing but this will cut off you too. Undervalue every thing in order to Chriſt, which now invites you to him: the creature hath our hearts, which is a ſtrange act, a man ſtretching out himſelfe for the grave. The luſt of the Gentiles ſpoyles them; twas ſhadowed by the Prodigall; if any of you be come to your ſelves, like him, to returne and looke after Chriſt, you may finde grace and mercy as he did; If you finde your hearts averſe, Chriſt will by his Word, if you attend it, perſwade them. And he reaſoned in the Synagogue every Sabbath, ſaith the Scriptures of Paul, and perſwaded the Jewes [and the Greekes] Acts 18.4. the Spirit of Chriſt, is a Spirit of perſwaſion now, to the Greekes, that is to the Gentiles as well as to the Jewes. Perſwaſion, notes the power of the Word, the Word carried to the heart, and this Chriſt hath engaged himſelfe to doe, Hoſea 2.14.Gnal libbah. Therefore behold I will allure thee, and bring her into the wilderneſſe and ſpeake [comfortably] to her, the word is, to the heart. I will allure her, and ſpeake to her heart. God in them ingaged himſelfe to us, and ſtands obliged now to every poore ſoule that complains of his averſneſſe to Chriſt, to allure theſe ſoules, and to ſpeake to their heart.