The Glorious Feast of the Gospel, Sermon 7
THE Seventh Sermon.
ISAIAH 25. 8.
And the rebukes of his people ſhall he take away from all the earth: For the mouth of the Lord hath ſpoken it.
THis is a great promiſe,Vſe 2. and I pray you be comforted with it.For comfort to the godly, their rebukes ſhall bee taken away. For of all grief that Gods people ſuffer in the world, there is none greater than reproach, diſgrace, and contumely, Movemur contumeliis plus quam injuriis: We are more moved with reproaches than injuries. Injuries come from ſeverall cauſes, but diſgrace from abundance of ſlighting. No man but thinks himſelfe worthy of reſpect from ſome or other. Now ſlanders come from abundance of malice, or elſe abundance of contempt; and therefore nothing ſtickes ſo much as reproaches, ſpecially by reaſon of opinion, and fancy that raiſeth them over high.
Our Saviour Chriſt endured the Croſſe and deſpiſed the ſhame. That ſhame that vaine people caſt upon Religion, and the beſt things, they deſpiſe that, and make that a matter of patience: They knew the Croſſe would not be ſhaken off, Perſecution and Troubles muſt be endured, and therefore they endured the Croſſe, and deſpiſed the ſhame. Now to bear Croſſes take the counſell of the Holy Apoſtles, look up to him, conſider Chriſt, and whatſoever diſgrace in words or carriage wee ſhall endure, we are ſure, (though wee ſhall never know it, till wee feele it by experience) The ſpirit of glory ſhall reſt upon us, and rebuke ſhall be taken away.
Ere long there will be no glory in heaven and earth, but the glory of Chriſt, and of his Spouſe, for all the reſt ſhall be in their owne place: as it was ſaid of Judas, that he went to his place. Their proper place is not to domineere, but to be in hell, and ere long they ſhall bee there. Heaven is the proper element of the Saints, that is the place of Chriſt the head. And where ſhould the body be, but with the head? where the Spouſe, but with the Husband? I ſay this ſhall come to paſſe, that all the wicked ſhall be in their place, and all the godly in theirs, with Chriſt, and then ſhall the rebukes of Gods people be taken away. A great matter, and therefore it is ſealed with a great confirmation, The Lord Jehovah hath ſpoken it; therfore it muſt, and will be ſo: The mouth of the Lord hath ſpoken it. This is not in vaine added, for the Lord knoweth well enough we need it, to believe ſo great things that there is ſuch a Feaſt provided; And that there is ſuch a victory over death our laſt enemy,God is the author of promiſes. and that there will be ſuch glory, that all the glory ſhall bee Chriſts, and his Spouſes, that the wicked that are now ſo inſolent, ſhall be caſt into their proper place with the Devill, by whoſe Spirit they are led: They bee great matters; and there is great diſproportion between the preſent condition, and that condition in heaven, and infidelity being in the ſoule, its hard to faſten ſuch things on the ſoule, that ſo great things ſhould be done; but they are no greater than God hath ſaid, and hee is able to make good his Word, The Lord hath ſaid it; and when God hath ſaid it heaven and earth cannot unſay it; when heaven hath concluded it, earth and hell cannot diſanull it; The mouth of the Lord hath ſpoken it, That is▪ truth it ſelfe hath ſpoken it, that cannot lye. A man may lye, and be a man, and an honeſt man too, he may ſometimes ſpeak an untruth, it taketh not away his nature: But God who is pure truth, unchangable truth, truth it ſelfe, cannot lye.
When we heare of great matters,Uſe. as matters of Chriſtianity be great matters,Conſider God in the Promiſes to helpe our faith. they be as large as the capacity of the ſoule, and larger too; And yet the ſoule is large in the underſtanding, and affection too; When wee heare of ſuch large matters, wee need a great faith to believe them. Great faith needeth great grounds, and therefore its good to have all the helps we can. When we heare of great things promiſed, great deliverances, great glory; to ſtrengthen our faith, remember God hath ſpoken them; He knoweth our weakneſſe, our infirmity, and therefore helps us with this prop, The mouth of the Lord hath ſpoken it. Let us therefore remember, thoſe great things are promiſed in the word of God, in the word of Jehovah, that can make them all good, that gives a being to all his promiſes: He is being it ſelfe, and gives being to whatſoever he ſaith; he is able to doe it. Set God and his power againſt all oppoſition whatſoever from the creature, and all doubts that may ariſe from our owne unbeleeving hearts; The mouth of the Lord hath ſpoken it.
But yee will ſay,Queſt. the Prophet Eſay ſaith it, whoſe words they were.How is it the the word of God, ſith Iſaiah ſpake it. I anſwer, Iſaiah was the Pen-man, God the mouth; the head dictateth, the hand writeth; Chriſt the head dictates, and his ſervant writeth: So that holy men write as they were inſpired by the holy Ghoſt,Anſw. a better ſpirit than their owne. Why doe yee look on me, He did but write, God did dictate.ſaith Iſaiah? thinke not it is I that ſay it, I am but a man like your ſelves; but the mouth of the Lord hath ſpoken it.
VVee ſhould not regard men,Wee ſhould not ſo much look on the Miniſters, as from whom they ſpeak. nor the Miniſterie of men, but conſider who ſpeaks by men, who ſendeth them, with what commiſſion doe they come: Ambaſſadors are not regarded for themſelves, but for them that ſend them. And therefore Cornelius ſaid well; We are here in the preſence of God, to heare what thou wilt ſpeake in the name of God, Acts 10. 33. And ſo people ſhould come with that reverend expreſſion, VVee are come in the preſence of God the Father, Sonne, and Holy Ghoſt, in the preſence of the bleſſed Angells, to heare what thou ſhalt ſay in the Name of God, by the Spirit of God. VVe are not to deal with men, but with God: And therefore he ſaith, The mouth of the Lord hath ſpoken it.
Hence may this queſtion be eaſily anſwered;Queſt. 2. VVhence hath the Scripture authority?Whence hath the Scripture authority? VVhy from it ſelfe: it is the Word, it carryeth its owne Letters teſtimoniall with it.Anſw. Shall God borrow Authority from men? No, the Authority the Word hath,From its ſelfe. is from it ſelfe▪ It hath a ſupreame authority from its ſelfe: And wee may anſwer that queſtion,The Spirit of God in Scriptures Judge of all controverſies. about the Judge of all controverſies; What is the ſupreame Judge? the Word, the Spirit of God in the Scriptures: And who is above God? It is a ſhameleſſe ridiculous impudency of men, that will take upon them to be Judges of Scripture, as if man would get upon the Throne, and as a Judge there Judge. The Scriptures muſt judge all ere long, yea that great Antichriſt. Now an ignorant man, a ſimple man, that perhaps never read Scriptures muſt judge of all controverſies,Queſt. 3. yea, that that is the Judge of all, and of himſelfe,How may wee know it is the Word of God, but by the Chu…ch? the Word which is from the very mouth of God.
You will aske me, how ſhall I know it is the Word of God, if the Church tells us not?
A Carrier ſheweth us theſe bee Letters from ſuch a man,Anſw. but when wee open the Letter and ſee the hand and ſeale,As wee know a Letter from a friend. we know them to be his. The Church knowes the Word and explaneth it,Simile. and when wee ſee and feele the efficacy of the Word in it ſelfe,The word knowne to be of …od. then we believe it to be the Word; for there is that in the Word, that ſheweth it to bee the Word; the Majeſty that is in it, the matter that is myſterious,1. By its Majeſty. forgiveneſſe of ſinnes through a myſtery,2. Myſteriouſneſſe. forgiveneſſe of ſinne, victory over death, life everlaſting in the world to come; great matters, which eye hath not ſeen, nor eare heard, nor entred into the heart of man. If it had not been revealed it could not have entred into the heart of Angels: It containeth ſuch glorious tranſcending myſteries.
And then againe the Word to all them that belong to God,3. Witneſſe of the Spirit. hath the Spirit of God▪ by which it paſſeth, rightly accompanying it, witneſſing to the ſoule of man that it is ſo,4. Divine efficacy. and by a divine efficacy it is mighty in operation. What doth it in the heart?1. In warming It warmeth the heart upon the hearing, and ſpeaking, and diſcourſing of it. As when the Diſciples went to Emaus. It hath a heat of Spirit going with it to affect the heart with heavenly joy and delight:2. Comforting. it hath power going with it by the Spirit to raiſe joy unſpeakable and glorious: It hath a power to pacifie the ſoule amidſt all troubles. When nothing will ſtill the ſoule, the Spirit of God in the Word will doe it, by its divine power.
Yea it will change a man from a beaſtly or devilliſh temper,3. Changing. to a higher, and happier eſtate, as you have it Iſaiah 11. 6, 7, 8, 9. It makes Lions Lambs, Leopards Kids; And what is the ground of all? In that very place, the earth ſhall be full of the knowledge of the Lord. The knowledge of God reconciled, is ſuch a powerfull knowledge, that it hath a transforming vertue to alter mens diſpoſitions. What was Paul before Converſion, and Zaccheus? Therefore it is the Word, becauſe it hath divine operation,4. Caſting down the ſoul. to heat the ſoul, and raiſe the ſoule, and change the ſoule, and caſt downe the ſoule, as low in a manner as hell, in ſenſe of its owne miſerie. It will make a Foelix to tremble; a man that it doth not effectually worke upon. The Truths of it are ſo moving, that it will make a carnall man to quake. When Paul ſpake of judgement to come, of giving account of all that is done in the fleſh, when a poſſibility of it was apprehended, it made Foelix to quake; It makes mountains levell, and it fills up the valleyes: The Word can raiſe up the ſoule; when man is as low as hell, and looketh for nothing but damnation, the Spirit with the Word will fetch him from thence:Acts 16. 31. as the Jaylor, Acts 16. there was little between him and hell, What ſhall I doe to be ſaved? Why believe in the Lord Jeſus. And with theſe words there went out an efficacy▪ he believed, and he afterward was full of joy.
The firſt Goſpell ever preached in pardon was by God himſelfe:Adam neareſt damnation. never was any creature ſo neare damnation as our firſt Father Adam, caſt from the greateſt happineſſe; Miſerrimum eſt fuiſſe faelicem; for he that enjoyed before communion with God and his Angells, having ſinn'd, and having conſcience of his ſinne, conſidering his great parts, and apprehenſion of the ſtate he had beene in, this muſt needs affect him deeply; and being in this condition, the promiſe of the ſeed of the VVoman to breake the Serpents head revived him.
There is a ſtrange efficacy in the Goſpell: The Roman Empire was the greateſt enemy that the Church ever had. The ten Perſecutions you ſee what they were, and yet notwithſtanding the VVord grew upon them and never reſted, the ſpreading of the Goſpell, and the Spirit with it, till the Croſſe got above the Crown, as it did in the time of Conſtantine, and ſo it continueth.
And muſt not this be a divine word which hath this efficacy, to revive, comfort, change, caſt downe, raiſe up againe,5. Searching. ſearch ſecrets, ſearch the▪ heart to the bottome. A poore Ideot that comes to heare the word of God, when he heares the ſecrets of his heart laid open by the word, he concludes certainlyb1 Cor. 14 25. God is in you, and you are Gods Miniſters. The wordcHeb 4. 12. divideth betweene the marrow and the bone, it arraigneth the heart before Gods Tribunall Seat. Thoſe that are ſaved, it hath theſe effects in them that I have named.5. The word proved to be of God from our experience. And if you ask how they know whether the word be the Word? A man may anſwer, I have found it to be ſo, raiſing me up, comforting me▪ and ſtrengthening mee: I had periſhed in my affliction if the word had not raiſed mee. Principles are proved, you know, from experience, for they have nothing above them. There is no other Principle to prove the word, but experience from the working of it. How know you the light to be the light but by it ſelfe? and that fire is hot, but by it ſelfe. Principles prove themſelves onelyonly by experience. And this Principle is ſo proved by it ſelfe, that there is no child of God but can ſay by experience, that the word is the word.
If a man might goe to reaſon,6. By reaſon. one might bring that which could not be eaſily anſwered for the ſatisfaction of an Atheiſt. Let him but grant there is a God, hee will grant one thing in Religion or another. But let him grant there is a God and a Reaſonable Creature, then there muſt be a ſervice, a Religion; and this ſervice muſt bee according to ſome Rules preſcribed; for the ſuperior will not be ſerved as the inferior pleaſeth: he muſt diſcover what good the ſuperior intendeth, and what duties he expects: this muſt be revealed in ſome word; God and the Reaſonable Creature, and Religion, make a neceſſity of a word, and that muſt be the word we have, or another; and what word in the world is probable to bee the word but this?
You will ſay it may be corrupt.Object. The Jewes looked to the old Teſtament,The word may bee corrupted. that it ſhould not be corrupted; for they knew every ſillable in it and preſerved every letter. It is one part of their ſuperſtition,Anſw. and God bleſſeth that ſuperſtition to take away all ſuch cavills.The Jews lookt to the Old Teſtament. For the New Teſtament the Jewes cared not for: but Hereticks on their ſide watch over it that there ſhould be no corruption,Hereticks over the new. they will ſo obſerve one another. But what are theſe reaſons to thoſe which the ſoule of a gracious Chriſtian knoweth by the operation of the Word upon the heart?
And therefore let us regard it as the word of God,Uſe 1. hear it as the word of God,Let us regard, heare Scriptures as the word of God. read it as the word of God. A company of prophane wretches you ſhal have, the ſcums, and baſeſt of the people, that will diſcourſe, and to grace their Diſcourſe, they muſt have Scripture phraſes: but whoſe word is it? it is the word of the great God. Eglon was a Heathen King, and yet when a Meſſage came from God, hee aroſe up and made obeyſance. Wee ſhould never read the Word but with reverence, conſidering whoſe book it is, and that we muſt be judged by it another day.
If it be the word,Uſe 2. I beſeech you conſider what we ſay, and know that God will make every part of it good,Know, 1. God will make every part good. Every threatning in it is ratified in heaven. there ſhall not a jot of it faile, nothing of it ſhall miſcarry; God ſpeaketh all theſe words: And therefore if you be blaſphemers you ſhall not carry it away guiltleſſe, God hath ſaid it; if you continue not to obey you are under Gods curſe, unleſſe you repent you ſhall periſh; every threat God will make good; you muſt repent and get into Chriſt, elſe periſh eternally: God hath ſaid it, and we may confirme it in the unfolding and reading of it, the time is comming for the execution of it, and then God is peremptory. Now God waiteth our leiſure, and intreateth us, but if wee will not repent, wee ſhall have that Arrow in our ſides that will never be gotten out till we dye in hell: whoſe ſinnes are condemned in Scripture, they are condemned by God; and whom we ſhut heaven to, by opening the Scriptures, God will ſhut heaven to. The opening of the Scriptures is the opening of heaven: If the Scripture ſaith, a man that liveth in ſuch a ſinne ſhall not be ſaved, heaven ſhall be ſhut to him, he is in a ſtate of death, he is ſtrucken, and remaineth in danger till he repenteth. How many live in ſins againſt Conſcience, that are under the guilt and danger of their ſinnes, they be wounded, they be ſtruck by the word; there is a threat againſt their ſinnes, although it be not executed; and they be as much in danger of eternall death as a condemned Traytor, onelyonly God ſuffers them to live, that they may make their peace, they have bleſſed times of viſitation. O make uſe of it, it is the word of God, and know that God will make every part of his word good in threats, as well as in promiſes.
Take occaſion from hence likewiſe to ſhame our ſelves for our infidelity in the promiſes,Uſe 3. Let us take ſhame to our ſelves for our infidelity in the promiſes. when wee are in any diſconſolate eſtate, we are in Jobs caſe, being in trouble the conſolation of the Almighty ſeemed light to him; Theſe be the comforts of God. When we come to comfort ſome, though the ſweet promiſes of the Goſpell be opened, yet they doe not conſider them as being the word, the conſolations of the Almighty, and therefore they ſeem light to them. But it ſhould not be ſo. Conſider they be the comforts of the word, and therefore we ſhould heare them with faith, labour to affect them, and ſhame our ſelves. Is this Gods word that giveth this direction, that giveth this comfort, and ſhall I not regard it? Is it the conſolation of the Almighty, and ſhall not I embrace it? Therefore we ſhould be aſhamed, not to be more affected with the heavenly ſweet things promiſed of God, than we are.
A man that refuſeth heavenly Comforts to imbrace comforts below, how ſhould hee reflect upon himſelfe with ſhame? Hath God promiſed ſuch things, God that cannot lye, and ſhall I loſe my hope of all theſe glorious things, for the enjoying of the pleaſures of ſin for a ſeaſon? I profeſſe my ſelfe to be a Chriſtian, where is my faith? where is my hope? A man muſt acknowledge either I have no faith; for if I had faith believing God ſpeaking theſe excellent things, I would not venture my loſſe of them to get the enjoyment of poor temporary things here, for the good things promiſed in another world. Labour therefore to bring mens hearts to believe the word, and deſire God to ſeale it to our ſoules, that it is ſo.
I will give one direction:Meanes. Labour for the Spirit of God that writ the word,To regard the word, labour … ſpirit that indited them. that indited the word. Beg of God to …eale to our ſoules that it is the word, and that he would ſanctifie our hearts to be ſuitable to the word, and never reſt till wee can finde God by his Spirit ſeaſoning our hearts, ſo that the reliſh of our ſoules may ſuit to the reliſh of divine truths, that when wee heare them we may reliſh the truth in them, and may ſo feele the worke of Gods Spirit, that we may bee able to ſay, hee is our God. And when we heare of any threatning, we may tremble at it, and any ſinne diſcovered, wee may hate it: For unleſſe wee by the Spirit of God have ſomething wrought in us ſuitable to the word, we ſhall never believe the word to bee the word. And therefore pray the Lord by his Spirit to frame our hearts to be ſuitable to divine Truths, and ſo frame them in our affections, that we may find the word in our joy, in our love, in our patience, that all may be ſeaſoned with the word of God. When there is a reliſh in the word,Reliſhing the word makes a man a Chriſtian indeed. and in the ſoule ſuitable to it, then a man is a Chriſtian indeed to purpoſe; till then men will Apoſtatize, turne Papiſt, turne Atheiſt, or any thing, becauſe there is a diſtance betweene the ſoule and the word; the word is not ingraffed into the ſoule, they doe not know the word to bee the word by arguments fetched from the word, and therefore they fall from the power of the word. But if we will not fall from divine truths get truth written in the heart, and our hearts ſo ſeaſoned by it, and made ſo harmonious and ſuitable to it, that we may imbrace it to death, that we may live and dye in it.
To goe on:
In that day ſhall it be ſaid, loe this is our God we have waited for him.
Here is a gracious promiſe that ſhutteth up all ſpoken before. He ſpake of great things before: And now here is a promiſe of a day, wherein hee will make all things promiſed good to the ſoule of every believing Chriſtian.
In that day it ſhall be ſaid, this is our God, wee have waited for him, he will ſave us.
It is an excellent portion of Scripture to ſhew the gracious diſpoſition that the Spirit of God will worke in all thoſe that imbrace the gracious promiſes of God. The time ſhall come when they ſhall ſay; Loe, this is our God, wee have waited for him, and now wee enjoy him.
The points conſiderable are theſe.The points conſiderable.
Firſt of all by ſuppoſition that there bee glorious excellent things? promiſed to the people of God; Rich and precious promiſes of Feaſting, of taking away the vaile of conqueſt over death by victory, of wiping away teares and removing rebukes: great things, if vve goe no farther than my Text.
Secondly, theſe have ha… day vvhen they ſhall bee performed, vvhichwhich is not preſently; for the end of a promiſe is to ſupport the ſoule till the performance. God doth not onelyonly reſerve great things for us in another vvorld, but to comfort us in the vvay, doth reach out to us Promiſes to comfort us till vvee come thither. There is a time when he will performe them, and not onelyonly a time, but there are likewiſe promiſes of performance: at that time the promiſes of theſe great things ſhall be performed.
The next thing is, that God will ſtirre up in his Children a diſpoſition ſuitable: That is, the Grace of waiting. As great things were promiſed before, ſo the ſoule hath a grace fit for it: Wee have waited for thee.
And as they wait for them, while they are in performing, ſo they ſhall enjoy them: Wee have wayted for thee, and wee will bee glad in thy ſalvation. We ſhall ſo enjoy them, that we ſhall joy in them: Good things when they be enjoyed, they bee joyed in.
Againe, wee ſhall rejoyce in our ſalvation; wee ſhall glory in our God. After they bee a while exerciſed in waiting, then commeth performance, then they bee enjoyed, and they bee enjoyed with joy, in glorying in God. For that is the iſſue of a Chriſtian, when hee hath what hee would enjoy, when hee enjoyeth it with joy, when the fruit of it is, that God hath his glory, and therefore the heart can rejoyce in his ſalvation.
Then there is a day, as for the exerciſing of his people here by waiting: So there is a day of performing promiſes. In that day. That is, a day of all dayes: When that day commeth, then all Prophecies and Promiſes ſhall be accompliſhed to the uttermoſt.
But before that great day, there is an intermediate performance of Promiſes aſſiſted by waiting, to drop comfort to us by degrees: He reſerveth not all to that day, there be leſſer dayes before that great day. As at the firſt comming of Chriſt, So at the overthrow of Antichriſt, the Converſion of the Jewes, there will be much joy; but that is not that day, theſe dayes make way for that day. VVhenſoever Prophecies ſhall end in Performances, then ſhall bee a day of joying and glorying in the God of our ſalvation for ever. And therefore in the Revelations where this Scripture is cited, Revelations 21. 4. is meant the Converſion of the Jewes, and the glorious eſtate they ſhall enjoy before the end of the world: We have waited for our God, and now we enjoy him. I, but what ſaith the Church there? Come Lord Ieſus come quickly: there is yet another come Lord, till wee be in heaven. So that though intermediate, promiſes bee performed here, yet there is another great day of the Lord to be performed, which is ſpecially meant here.
The laſt thing conſiderable in the words is the manner of expreſſion: They are expreſſed full of life, and with repetition, to make them ſure and more certaine, In that day it ſhall be ſaid, this is our God, wee have waited for him, he ſhall ſave us: He bringeth them in ſpeaking theſe words of affection.
Indeed when wee come to enjoy the performance of Gods gracious promiſes, if we ſhould live to ſee the fulneſſe of the Gentiles come, and Jewes called, wee ſhould ſpeake of it againe, and againe: Affections are large, and few expreſſions will not ſerve for large affections. It will be no tautology to ſay, This is our God, wee have waited for him.
Beloved, times are yet to come which may much affect the hearts of the Children of God. Howſoever we may not live to ſee the performance of theſe things, yet wee ſhall all live to ſee that day of Judgement, and then we ſhall ſay, This is our God, wee have waited for him. VVee now ſee God in the Promiſes, and then wee ſhall ſee him face to face whom wee have waited for in the Promiſes, and we ſhall ſee him in heaven for ever.
Loe, this is our God, we have waited for him. VVhile we live here we are in ſtate of waiting, wee are under Promiſes, and a condition under promiſes is a waiting condition; a condition of performance is an enjoying condition. VVe are in a waiting condition till our bodies be raiſed out of the grave: for when vve dye vvee vvait for the reſurrection of our bodies. VVe may ſay as Jacob vvhen he vvas dying, I have waited for thy ſalvation. VVe are in a vvaiting condition till body and ſoule bee joyned together at the day of judgement for ever.
And therefore vve ſhould labour to have thoſe graces that are ſuitable for this condition. The things vve vvait for are of ſo tranſcending excellency, as glory to come, that they cannot bee vvaited for, but the ſpirit by the things vvaited for, fitteth us to vvaite for them. A man cannot vvait for glory of ſoule and body, but the Spirit that raiſeth up faith to believe, and hope to vvait, vvill purge, and fit, and prepare him for that glorious condition. He that hath this hope purifieth himſelfe, as hee is pure. Oh it is a quickning waiting, and a purging waiting; it is efficacious by the Spirit to fit, and purifie his ſoule ſuitable to that glorious condition hee waits for. Where that is not, it is but a conceit; a very ſlender apprehenſion of the glory to come will make men better. He that hath hope of heaven and happineſſe under glory, it will make him ſuitable to the place hee looketh for.