None but Christ, Chapter 24
CHAP. XXIIII. An exhortation to thankfulneſſe for Chriſt revealed in the Goſpel.
IN the laſt place it is a uſe of exhortation to ſtir us up to thankfulneſſe to God for the revelation of the Goſpel; That Chriſt is preached among us, without the knowledge of whom there is no ſalvation;Eccleſ. 11. 7. We rejoice in the light of the Sunne, what were the world without it, but a dungeon of darkneſſe? but we have much more cauſe of joy that the Son of righteouſneſſe doth ſhine among us, with healing in his wings. Mal. 4. 2. For conſider that,
1. Firſt as Chriſt is given but to few, ſo he is revealed but to few; It is a myſtery hid from ages and generations, though now manifeſted to us in this Iſland. He hath not Col. 1. 26.dealt ſo with every nation, Pſal. 147. 20. nay ſcarce with any nation as with us; The moſt part of the world never heard of Chriſt, who ſit in Egyptian darkneſſe and the ſhadow of death, againſt whom The wrath of God is revealed from heaven, Rom. 1. 18. but no mercy or glad tidings of ſalvation, have ever ſounded in their eares; The Goſpell is hid from their eyes, and they are left blindfolded by the god of this world, to their eternall deſtruction, 2 Cor. 4. 3. 4. being ſtrangers from the Covenant of promiſe, having no hope and without God in the world, Eph. 2. 12.
Yea it is not above an hundred and odde years ago, ſince England was in darkneſſe and a ſinke of Idolatry, and therein our forefathers lived and died, witneſſe Queen Maries dayes and before. But we live in Goſhen. We that ſate in darkeneſſe now ſee great light, and to us Matth. 4. 16.that ſate in the region and ſhadow of death, is light ſprang up: yea, amongſt us Chriſt is not only revealed, but more clearly then ever ſince the world began; O what glorious lights, (almoſt in every Congregation) are daily ſet upon the candleſticks; how many kings and Princes would have been glad to have ſeen the things that we ſee, but never ſaw them!
In the old law Chriſt was revealed indeed (to a few) but darkly; as to Adam in that dark promiſe, The ſeed of the woman ſhall break the ſerpents head; ſo Abraham ſaw my day, (ſaith Chriſt) and rejoyced, Iohn 8. 56. and Moſes ſaw Chriſt, (yea glorious amidſt reproaches, Heb. 1…. 16.) yea all the beleeving Jewes ſaw the bloud of Chriſt, ſtreaming in their bloody ſacrifices, and they expected a Saviour by the promiſed ſeed, but darkly as in ſhadows and glaſſes, Col. 2. 17. they ſaw Chriſtum velatum, we revelatum; they ſaw Chriſt vaild, but we revealed; their light was but like a candle under a buſhel, but ours is ſet on a candleſtick. They expected a Saviour indeed, but 1. ſuch a one that ſhould be a great king upon earth, as appears, Act. 1. 6. wilt thou at this time reſtore again the kingdome to Iſrael? Secondly, only for themſelves, but not for the Gentiles, as in Eph. 3. 5. 6. Now it is revealed, ſaith the Apoſtle, that the Gentiles ſhould be partakers of his promiſe in Chriſt by the Goſpell. Thirdly, with the obſervation of Moſes Law. Fourthly and laſtly, it was ig…is umbratalis, they knew but little of the manner of his birth, death and ſufferings, reſurrection and aſcenſion in reſpect of us.
2, Secondly as it is a bleſſing beſtowed but upon a few, ſo, it is a great bleſſing, becauſe when the Goſpel is revealed, where Chriſt is preached, there God dwels with his ſpeciall and gracious preſence. He walketh in the midſt of his golden candleſticks, Rev. 2. 1 we may ſay of ſuch places as Jacob of his brethren, where God appeared▪ this is the gate of heaven, this is the houſe of God, Gen. 28, 17. Here God is made known unto us, in Judah is God known, and his name is great in Iſrael, Pſal. 76. 1. for we enjoy neer communion with him, which was the happineſſe of Adam in paradiſe. and is the happineſſe of the Angels and Saints in heaven where God and his preſence is all in all. Hence Moſes prayed when God ſaid, my preſence ſhall go with thee, and I will give thee reſt, if thy preſence go not with us, carry us not hence ſaith he, Exod. 33. …4. 15. Now what a mercy is it to live in Bethel where God dwels▪ and not in Bethaven among Idolaters?
Yea here is the Pearle of great Price, the Lord Jeſus Chriſt revealed to us, a Pearle richer then all the mines of gold and ſilver in both the Indies, which if they were in England, we would count them great riches, yet are not ſo great riches as is the Goſpel. In other places may be found the fatneſſe of the earth, but here is the dew of heaven; Here is Manna bread from heaven, & that is the ſweeteſt bread; who cannot but cry, Lord evermore give us this bread? Here is water out of the rock, and thats the ſweeteſt water; who cannot but long with David to drink of the waters of Bethlehem, and to be ſatisfied with theſe breaſts of conſolation? Here is Paradiſe, as the French Proteſtants cald one of their Churches, and ſo long as the Goſpel is preached among us, we live as it were in Paradiſe, and who can but ſay its good being here? yea and here are the glad tydings of ſalvation preached, and what ſweeter tidings canRom. 10. 1 Pet. 1. 21. we hear of? yea here is the kingdome of God, Matth. 3. becauſe it is the ordinary meanes to bring men to heaven and ſalvation, cald the power of God to ſalvation, Rom. 1. 16.
Hence it is that Noahs prayer for Japhets kindneſſe was only this; God perſwade Japhet to dwell in the tents of Shem. And hence it is that David deſired to dwell in the houſe of the Lord all the dayes of his life, and that he ſo longed for it, when he was deprived of it, as appears, Pſal. 27. 4 and 42. 1. and 84. 10.
3. Where Chriſt is revealed▪ and the GoſpelPſal. 128. 5. Pſal. 133. ul…. is preached, there we are ſure there be ſome elect to be ſaved; If three grounds be bad, yet one of foure will prove good ground; the Goſpel ſeldome or never comes but as a bleſſing to ſome; Hence Paul deſired to come among them, with the abundance of the bleſſing of the Goſpell of Chriſt, Rom. 15. 29. Indeed theAct. 18. 10. Rom. 10. 17. Goſpel is preached to reprobates, but it is as the weeds are watered for the flowers ſake.
4. Where the Goſpel is revealed, and where Chriſt is preached, uſually outward bleſſings do accompany; The Goſpel is called Cornu copia the horn of plenty,2 Sam. 6. 11. 12. Iudg. 17. 13. as when the ark was in Obed-edoms houſe. all his houſe was bleſt for the Arks ſake, & as Mich… ſaid, now I know the Lord will bleſſe me, ſeeing I have got a Levite to be my Prieſt; according as the Lord promiſed, Exod. 20. 24. In all places where I record my name, I will come unto thee, and I will bleſſe thee; And in Exod. 23. 23. yee ſhall ſerve the Lord, and he ſhall bleſſe your bread and water; and eſpecially David, Pſal. 132. 13. 14. 15. The Lord hath choſen Sion, he hath deſired it for his habitation, this is my reſt for ever, here will I dwell, for I have deſired it, I will abundant…y bleſſe her proviſion, I will ſatisfie her poor with bread. O then that we could ſing the ſong of Zachary, Luk. 1. 68. to the end; bleſſed be the Lord God of Iſrael, that hath given light to us that ſate in darkneſſe, as v. 79. But alas how many are weary of the Goſpel of Chriſt, and the revelation of him? like ſore eyes, they love not the light of the Sun; He that doeth evill hateth the light, Iohn 3. ver. 20. like thoſe Ethiopians that live under the ſunne, and are ſcorched with the heat of it, they curſe the Sunne,Mal. 1. 13. Amos 8. 5. and ſhoot arrows againſt it. They hate, deſpiſe the meſſengers or candleſticks that hold forth this light; Never were they more vilified and reproached then among us at this day, 2 Chron. 36. 16. Nay, how weary are they of hearing of the Goſpel. Man Hu? the bread from heaven is light bread, men and women will ſcarce come out of doores to receive it. The wiſe men in Matth. 2. went many weary hundreds of miles to find Chriſt at Jeruſalem, (ſome think neere a thouſand miles.) The Queen of the South went farre (ſome ſay 964 miles) to heare the wiſedome of Solomon; The holy Martyrs thought no weather too hot, no winter too cold, no journey too farre, no torments too great to enjoy the preaching of the Goſpel though darkly. O how will they riſe up injudgment againſt ſome of us, that thinke any paines too much, account any journey too farre, any weather too hot, or too cold, and will ſcarce come out of their doors to the Temple to hear Chriſt revealed to them. One week in their ſhops is ſweeter then all the Sabbaths in the year, as if they would tell the world, they have got more there, and found more ſweetneſſe there, then ever they did in hunting and ſeeking after Chriſt; And how juſt were it with Chriſt, to ſay to thoſe men, verily I ſay unto you none of thoſe that were bidden ſhall taſt of my ſupper. Luk. 24. 14. Theſe ſhall be eſteemed one day as deſpiſers of Chriſt, yea this is the condemnation that light isLuk. 10. 16. come among us, but we love darkneſſe more then light, ſaith our Saviour; To be in darkneſſe is a great evill, but this aggravates it to chooſe, embrace and love darkneſſe; the poor heathens whom we eſteem accurſed, are infinitely happier thenMatth. 11. theſe men; Wo to thee Chorazin, &c.
Nay, may we not juſtly feare God will take away the Goſpell for our contempt of it and leave us and our children in darkneſſe, as our forefathers were? and go to ſome other people that will more embrace it, and more highly priſe it? Act. 13. 46. This judgement God threatned the …ewes, Amos 8. 9. 11. 12. that their Sunne ſhould go down at noon day, an… that he would ſend a famine▪ not of …read or water, but hearing the word as v. 1…. O Jeruſalem ſaith Chriſt, Luk. …9. 42. that thou hadſt known, (that is regarded) in this thy day, the things that belong to thy peace, but now they are hid from thine eyes. As Moſes ſaid, Exod. 1. 6. there roſe up a generation that knew not Joſeph, ſo perhaps there may ſpring up a generation that never knew of our plenty but may meet with as many yeers of famine, as we have done of plenty; and the wayes of S…on may mourn among us, as they have a long time rejoyced, and all for our contempt of the Goſpel, and the preaching of Chriſt. What is now become of the ſeven Churches of Aſia? are they not now dungeons of darkneſſe, and cages of unclean birds that were onceLam. 1. 4. ſeven golden candleſticks? nay in Ireland and Germany to what a low ebbe is the Goſpel brought, where the enemies have burnt up all the Synagogues of God in the land? And then if the Goſpel be gone; Icabod, our glory is departed from this our Iſrael; wo to us if once God departs from us; and he departs when his Goſpel departs, or when Chriſt can be preached no longer among …s… which judgment the Lord divert from us. Then wo to them that put out the lights, when they go not out by being waſted in Chriſts work, but ſome ill breath has blown them out, which elſe might ſtil have been burning and ſhining lights; but happy are they that ſhall ſnuffe the lights to make them burn the clearer, and tread out ſuch ſnuffes as rather ſtink then give light. And let us pray that lights may be ſet up in all the dark corners of the land, yea that in every congregation there may be a faithfull Paſtor to preach Jeſus Chriſt ſavingly to the people.
To God be glory for ever. Amen.
FINIS.
End of the text · John Wall, None but Christ (1648)