England Faithfully Watched, Lecture 87
COLOS. 1.28.
That we may preſent every man [perfect in Chriſt Jeſus.
THis terme perfection is not found in ſome Greeke copies, but read onelyonly thus, That we may preſent every man [in Chriſt. Tis a reading very honourable, compared with other copies, for it intimates that to be preſented at the great day in Chriſt, is all. You may call ſuch a ſoule what you will that is Noble, holy, unblameable, unreproveable in Gods ſight; as this terme perfect is interpreted, at the 22 verſe of this Chapter; or, if there be any tearme amongſt us more ſignificative, you may uſe it and apply it, to him that is ſet downe before God in Chriſt; you may call him eximium adultum, a man come to full age, a man ſingular, choſen out from among thouſands by royall favour, ſuch a one in whom the eye of God can ſee nothing amiſſe, no defect, no exceſſe, no preſence of ſinne, no abſence of grace; a man come to his journeys end; all this the originall word will beare. As ſoone as one comes into Chriſt, then a mans journey as a Chriſtian begins; the ſoule that is thus come into the Arke, when the Arke leaves floating and toſſing the ſoule, and lands it ſelfe and its fraught upon the mountaine, in that place above, where God, Angels, and juſt men made perfect are, then tis come to its journeys end, then is man a perfect man.
All our perfection is in Chriſt. Perfection is of things above or below; both are in Chriſt. There is a creation here, which gives all parts of a perfect creature, and therefore cald perfect; new; all new. Old things are paſt away, and all things are become new, but this is not till the ſoule be in Chriſt. He that is in Chriſt, is a new creature. A man whilſt in himſelfe, whatever parts he hath, or advantage of externall tuition, he is an old creature, that is, adhering to, and led by that which God of old condemned in the Angels and in Adam, private will, ſelfe will and worth, which is the originall of all evill within and without. A man in Chriſt, that is, a man in the grace and ſtrength of Chriſt, renounceth this, to wit himſelfe, his owne will, which is the ſeat and ſpring of all carnall luſts, and in no other ſtrength whatſoever can he doe it; My grace is ſufficient. The old man is bed-ridden, never goes out of his chamber, never out of himſelfe, what ever brave things you diſcerne him doe or ſay; nor can. Perfection here is the through death of ſelfe, [I] am crucified. Crucifixion ſpeakes many deaths; head, hands, feet, ſides, breſt, all wounded, nailed; it notes much paine, but through worke; all powers and parts of ſelfe, tortured, crying out eloy, much anguiſh and great earth-quakes; but ſelfe at laſt, quite giving up the ghoſt, [I] am crucified, the heart blood of all, that may ſpeake me, in any thing that is good, is out; and this through death of ſelfe is wrought with no other engine but Chriſt; that with which ſelfe is crucified, is with Chriſt, I am crucified [with Chriſt.] This is the ſtone that ſlaies Goliah, that ſinkes into the braine of the Gyant. Our being in Chriſt is the death of ſinne, and the life of grace; as Jonas being in the Whale was the death of his pride; this makes perſonall action truly pure, that is of ſuch riſe, and of ſuch reach as fully ſuits the Goſpell, and without which none can be or act. The Apoſtle gives this bound to ſanctity, if any be ſanctified here, tis in Chriſt, to them that are ſanctified in Chriſt Jeſus, 1 Cor. 1.2.
Sanctification, and glorification is in Chriſt. There is a fulneſſe here, and a fulneſſe hereafter; a perfection of quantity, and a perfection of quality: a perfection of quantity is that which Divines call a perfection of parts, as a child hath every finger and every toe, every limbe of a man, though theſe not growne to a mans maturity. Then there is alſo perfection of quality, which Divines call a perfection of degrees, when all parts and gifts are throughly come to maturity; the eye ſo ſtrong, and ſo cleare as able to behold all things that are in God to bleſſe the ſoule; and ſo the eare hearing all things, the tongue taſting all things, the hand feeling all things, that are in and from that bleſſed being, to make the being of the ſoule like it: all this perfection is in Chriſt, and this by the pleaſure of God. It pleaſed the Father that in him ſhould [all fulneſſe] dwell; grace, glory. Whatſoever God gives forth here, whatſoever he gives forth above, Chriſt is the continent in which tis laid With thee is the fountaine of life, and in thy light ſhall we ſee light, Pſal. 36.9. There are ſtreames and broad rivers which runne to ſoules here; the fountaine of theſe is with him; that is, the whole that God is to man in this world, or will be to man in the world to come, which is explained in that which followes, with thee is the fountaine of life, meaning Chriſt, in thy light we ſhall ſee light. In Chriſt wee have all the bleſſedneſſe that God gives in this world, and in him we ſhall ſee, that is actually poſſeſſe, all that God gives above. Therefore tis that David ſaith, All my ſprings are in thee, thoſe that runne above; and therefore alſo are the rivers of pleaſure there ſaid to be at Gods right hand, the place where Chriſt ſits. In Chriſt wee ſtand and ſee God here in every thing; in Chriſt we ſhall ſtand and ſee God above face to face, that which we cannot doe here and live, no nor there out of Chriſt; in his light we ſhall be able to maſter that great object, in his light we ſhall be able to ſee that great light, that dazles all the creation to behold, and then hath the ſoule all that ever it is to have; all that ever it deſires to have. With reſpect to this wide ſcope I am upon, and affirming concerning Chriſt, is Christ cald the heire of all things, Heb. 1.2. Earth, Heaven, grace, and glory. The Apoſtle is yet more expreſſely particular in this thing, and ſaith, that we are glorified in him. That the Name of our Lord Jeſus Chriſt might he glorified in you, and [ye in him] according to the grace of our God, 2 Theſ. 1.12. In him we are heires, and in him we are actuall inheritors.
Perfection is hotly purſued by all, to wit, a compleate ſtate, though what it is and in whom, be miſtaken almoſt by all. The ſoule of man is the greateſt traveller that you have read off; if its travells could be written out, or if any volumne would containe them, you would ſay ſo: as full of motion as there be objects in the world and minutes in the day and in the night, to finde out one fully to bleſſe it ſelfe in, and reſt, but cannot, becauſe Chriſt is overlookt, and therefore dies in travell. Prudence will ſpeak much of this in many experienced perſons, yet Chriſt never the more regarded nor ſought after; this is ſad. Every ciſterne is broken, every veſſell full of leakes, ſaith the ſinner, and yet he is found ſtill ſtopping up theſe leakes, and going out againe to Sea, venturing Life, Soule, Heaven, all that ever is, in theſe broken bottomes: I tremble at no ſtate but this. Conviction abuſed, converſion is farther off the man, then from him that is a ſimple ſinner, that taſts no bitter in any diſh at the Divils table. Folly found out, and yet made further triall of, the man will not, he cannot eſcape puniſhment; if the foole go on, hee will be puniſhed. Firſt-folly is pittied and diſcovered, that is, ſimple ſimplicity, ſimple ſinning as one would ſay, when a man doth thus and thus for want of knowledge: but when the foole is found out, and yet will on, he will now die in his folly. Conviction is ſanctified, when experienced emptineſſe of the creature, makes the ſoule looke out where indeed fulneſſe is; when the Canticles follow next after Eccleſiaſtes, when the ſoule with Solomon, having found and confeſt the vanity of the creature, falls a breathing and a panting after Chriſt.
Balaam was convinced: ſtopt with a drawne ſword from Heaven, and yet would on, the Aſſe could not go, and yet Balaam would. God Iames and ſlayes things under us, that we ride with our affections like mad men, and yet we have no mind to alight and come off them: things we dote upon, God by ſome ſtroak or other upon them, makes them ſpeake in our conſcience like that Aſſe to Balaam, why wilt thou on O my ſoule any further this way? death is before thee, the ſword of Gods diſpleaſure is drawne, and at thy breaſt becauſe of this wicked motion: ſtop ſinner now, ſtop now, caſt thy eye an other way towards Chriſt, and ſee what is in him, taſte how good and gracious he is; no I will not, I will have the tother bout, I will ſpurr a little farther, and ſee to the utmoſt, if I can curſe Jſrael and get that great pay proferd. There is a perfection of miſery, as well as of felicity, and this forementioned is it, when a ſinner will purſue his ſinne to the utmoſt, go to the end of long ſuffering, then wrath comes inevitably upon him, and to the utmoſt: when the man ſay's that his ſinne ſhall out-live every object, ere it ſhall ceaſe, and rides every horſe to death, to fetch and find out pleaſures to keepe his luſt alive, then God ſay's that this luſt ſhall out-live the man too, and then it out-lives all indeed, when the ſoule is rid to death. As there is a never pardoning of ſinne till the ſoule die, ſo there is a never ſubduing of ſinne (for theſe are neceſſarily ſubordinate) till the ſoule die never a taking off the love of ſinne from the ſoule, till the ſoule grow ſicke and die in love.
All perfection being in Chriſt, tis well onward toward all that neede it, ſuch as are in diſtreſſe for grace, or glory, ſhould ſo account and be incouraged. Sinne is a very burdenſome thing, when God opens the eyes: the aggravations and multiplications of this by conſcience, over-beare the ſoule much. When Chriſt puts not in, how ſhall I withſtand ſo many enemies, get off ſo much pollution; what ſhall I do for this, what ſhall I do for that ſaith the ſoule. Why think on this, all perfection is in Chriſt, and becauſe in him it lies ready for thee. Every good and perfect gift, as the Apoſtle James ſpeakes: thou needeſt diſpenſations which have a perfection of goodneſſe in them; Chriſt hath every good and perfect thing in him, and becauſe he hath them; they are all ready to be beſtowed on thee, to be beſtowed for nothing: every perfect good he hath is a perfect gift, and comes downe ſaith the Text when the ſoule doth not fetch it. Thou haſt many imperfections, and Chriſt hath many perfections, and thou canſt do nothing to get theſe; not one of theſe: if thou couldeſt doe any thing, they would not come this way, for they are al gifts, perfect gifts, and come downe upon us, and are not puld downe, as the next verſe doth there interpret, of his [owne will] hee begat us. As Chriſt doth begin, ſo he doth finiſh all of his owne-will. Chriſt is given, which is, ſummum or perfectum cardinale, and then every good and perfect thing in him muſt needs be ſo too, gifts, and given freely with him as the Apoſtle ſpeakes. Having given us Chriſt, hee will with him freely give us all things, Rom. 6.32. 'tis not an eaſy thing to bring the ſoule to belive every perfect good, to be a perfect gift, to be as perfectly a gift, as 'tis perfectly good. There is an order in grace, but no merit; firſt this thing is done, then that, but all freely; through this medium and through that, as a Pipe, through Preaching and through Praying, and through Hearing, but not for any of theſe: And therefore when a ſoule objects this, and objects that, he cannot doe this, nor he cannot do that; I will anſwer as many objections of this kind, as any one can poſſibly make; in one word; what ever you need, is a perfect gift, I cannot believe, nor do no thing to make ſaith, yet there is no cauſe of dejection; faith is a perfect gift, more perfectly a gift, then in the formality of the thing perfect: ſo may it be ſaid of all other things, that the ſoule complaines on; grace hath no merit, but order, which is this, when Chriſt would perfect a ſoule in himſelfe, he turnes a man off, and out of himſelfe; out of creatures of Gods making, and out of creatures of the mans owne making, out of his prayers and all his duties; and this he doth ſometime, by letting the man fall into ſin, when proud of any parts or workes; and ſometimes in a more mild ſweet way, where nature is more meek and ſweet; and then when the ſoule is turn'd off, and turnd out of all, he that is indeed all, preſents himſelfe to him, and woes and wins the ſoule; I will be a husband to thee, ſaith Chriſt, friends, riches, honours, whatſoever can be deſired to make one bleſſed; the great world is han'gd upon nothing ſo is the little world, to wit, a Chriſtian, brought firſt to be nothing: in underſtanding but a brute; nothing in action but worſe then a brute, a devill, very poore, very poore in ſpirit, and then bleſt with a Kingdom; and now the ſoule that was nothing nor could do nothing for Chriſt or againſt ſin, can do all; having regnum he hath proprium regni; having a Kingdome, he hath the proprium of that Kingdome, which is dominion over all; hee that is made a King and hath a Kingdom, doth not rule in this Town only or that Town, but over all parts in the Kingdom; and this order Chriſt will move in towards you that deſire it; for this Kingdom and all belonging to it, is a perfect gift.