Exposition of the Apostles Creed, Part · Sermon 48
The hope or expectation of a true Christian.
Phil. 3.20.
From whence also we look for a Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ.
MAN of all Gods Creatures, was framed with his face upward, that he should look to Heaven: And of all men, a Christian should most bend his eyes that way, because from thence he looks for a Saviour. Before you have heard what his Life and Conversation ought to be; now you shall see what his Hope and Expectation is; an Expectant he is, and he looks for the Redemption of his body. Rom. 8.23.Content he is not with his present estate, and therefore waits and longs for a better: Two dayes he knows there are which will make him a happy man; the first, the day of his death; the other, the day of Christs appearing, and therefore he waits for both. With patient Job, All the day…s of his life he waits till his change come; Job 14.14.and his Conversation is in Heaven, because he waits for his Saviours second coming. With Saint Paul, He believes that for him there is laid up a Crown of righteousness; and not for him alone, but for all those who love Christs second appearing. 2 Tim. 4.8.This rich grace was bestowed upon the Corinthians, They waited for the appearance of Christ. This grace was bestowed upon the Philippians, 1 Cor. 1.7.in whose name, and all the faithful, the Apostle professeth, Our Conversation is in Heaven, whence we look for a Saviour. In which words I commend unto you two things.
1. The condition of good Christians, that they are Expectants, they look for, they wait.
2. What it is they expect, A Saviour from Heaven, which is Christ the Lord.
1. We look, foreign.
God doth not presently satisfie the desires of his children, because he would have them wait upon him; he defers Abrahams seed four hundred & thirty years, before he would give them livery and seisin of the promised Land.Exod. 12.40. And puts off the suits of his Saints in Heaven, though they seem to complain of an Ʋsque quo, Rev 6.10.How long Lord, how long? to make a true proof of their patience.
For man is of an over-hasty spirit, he loves not to be delayed; what he would have, he would have it presently, or else 'tis not worth thanks. Let God but carry the Israelites abour in the Wilderness,Numb. 11. Exod. 17.4. Prov. 13.12. they'le murmur at it, and be ready to stone their Governours; for a gift that is deferred, breaks the heart; this is the humour of flesh and blood: But the Spirit infuseth other thoughts, and therefore they are willing to stay Gods pleasure and leasure, knowing well, That the Ʋision is for an appointed time, and in the end it will not lye; though therefore it tarry, Abac. 2.3.they will wait for it; and strong Reasons there are which move them to it.
1. Gods fidelity and promise, Whose gifts and calling are without Repentance. Rom. 11.29.Three things there are in us that cause Repentance: Mutability, and unwillingness of mind to perform what we have promised: Ignorance, which causeth new consultations: Impotency, to effect our promises; none of which being to be found in God, he cannot repent, he cannot revoke his Word; having therefore said he will come and save us, we may, and must safely continue in our expectation.
2. But another Reason there is, that may in gratitude moves us to it; he hath waited long at the door, and stood, and knock'd, and call'd, Open to me; waited there till his head is filled with the dew, Cant. 5.2.and his locks with the drops of the night; 'tis but reason then we wait and expect for his promise, who hath waited and expected thus long for us; more dayes and houres for our Conversion, than we have done years for our Reward and Crown.
3. And yet there is another, that when he comes,Isa. 35.4. He will come with a recompence; he will bring that with him, which we most want, and will be most beneficial to us; viz. Salvation; our God will come and save us; that we need, that we expect, and that he will give; for saith the Apostle, He is a Saviour who shall free from all evil, and estate us in all good; change what is base and little worth, into that which is glorious, and of esteem; free the body from dishonour, and invest it with power.
Lord, how heartless and dead all our labour of Christianity would be, were it not for this expectation! The expectation of this glory in Heaven, is that alone which makes our Conversation to be in Heaven: This is the Cork that keeps up the Net, that the cold and heavy lead of impediments sink it not; this is the Helmet that keeps off many a knock; to leave the broad way of sin, and to enter and walk along in the narrrw path that leads to life, is labour sure,Mat. 7.13, 14. and very great labour; and labour is but an unpleasant thing. That which makes us go on pleasantly, and tread under all difficulties, and break through all enemies we meet by the way, is this daughter of hope, expectation, which bids us, foreign, Live in all good conscience before God; Acts 23.1. 1 Pet. 5.4. 2 Tim. 4.8.because there is a Crown of immortality laid up for us. In every place of Scripture, where we are exhorted to wait and expect Christs second coming, still the benefit we shall have by it, and the greatness of the reward is propounded, as a Motive to encourage us to wait and abide with patience under this hope still.
The Worldlings Motto is, A Bird in the hand; but the Christians Symbol, Spero meliora. Now between hope and having, there is want of the thing desired, which being delayed, is troublesome. Now for this want, delay, fainting, patience is necessary, whose daughter expectation perswades us to be content; for in a fit time we shall reap, if we faint not: Faint not at our work,Gal. 6.9. 1 John 3.3. 1 Thess. 2.12. never give over to purifie our selves. Walk worthy of God, saith the Apostle; why so? for you are call'd to his own Kingdom of glory. And he infers mortification meerly out of this Postulatum, When Christ shall appear, Col. 3.3.you also shall appear with him in glory; mortifie therefore your earthly members: And not to search further than this very Text, Saint Paul professeth, Our Conversation is in Heaven, because from thence we look for a Saviour.
Upon this confidence it was, that Abraham left his Countrey; his expectation of a City, whose builder is God, made him undervalue his Kindred,Heb. 11.8, &c. and his Fathers house. Upon this ground it was, that Moses disesteemed all the pleasures of Egypt, Choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, Ver. 24, 25.than to enj…y the pleasures of sin for a season. But what spake I of Gods servants, when his own Son endured the Cross, and despised the shame, out of this expectation,Hebr. 12.2. of that glory which is set bef…re him. Should it be inquired, why at this day many wise and pious men hav… forsaken Hous…s, and Brethren, and Sisters, Mat. 19.29.and Fathers, and Mothers, and Wives, and Children, and Lands, and Lives, no other Reason can be given, but that they are perswaded, that Christ prepares cloaths of Immortality to invest them, and holds a Diadem of glory in his hand to crown them, and this they expect. To see a Stephen in a showre of stones, an Ignatius in the Theatre compassed with Lyons, a Lawrence lying upon the Gred-iron, a Pelagia singing Te Deum in the burning Phalaris, a Tiburtius walking on the glowing Coals, as on Roses; a Marcus to be anointed with honey, hanged in the Sun, to be devoured and stung by Wasps; to behold a John in a Vessel of scalding oyle, or a Peter hanging on the Cross; what a strange spectacle is this? The Tormentor threatneth, the Martyr fears not; the Torment or heaps pains upon pains, the Martyr shrinks not; whence comes this courage? whence this strength, but from the hope and expectation of a reward in heaven?
The glory of this World dazles mens eyes; the readiest way to remove these glimmerings, is, the meditation of the glory above; the labour and travel of a Christian-conversation weakens mens knees; all the strength they gather, is from the assurance of refreshing above. The expectation of a transitory Kingdom, when it is but once digested, and devoured by hope, makes men neglect Lives, Lands, Friends, Oaths, Souls and all. Violatur jus regnandi causa; castitas, pietas, fides, privata bona sunt, &c. The Merchant out of an expectation of some gain, commits his life to a plank not three inches thick; contemns the anger of the Sea, and the rage of the seditious winds; hope of earth doth thus much, nay more; for what is it that wings all our professions, but an expectation of some profit, some in-come by them? This stears the Ship, this stirs the ground, this turns the book, this sheaths and unsheaths the Sword. Remove an expectation of a reward from labour, and you shall have labour and labourers accordingly. 'Tis fo… in Religion; Men may frame to themselves what speculations they please, but hope of a reward in heaven is it, when all's done, that bows every knee, that keeps open every eye, that knocks every breast, that foreign, or foreign, that gives so many black and blue eyes to the body, 1 Cor. 9.27.that beats it down, and keeps it under.
Saint Paul keeps his Audit, Casts up his sufferings on one side, and what was coming to him on the other;Rom. 8.18. and then after a just reckoning collects, that one bore no proportion to the other. As if he had said, I have suffered all kind of crosses, hunger, thirst, cold, nakedness; in all places, at Sea, at Land, in the City, in the Desert, many persecutions; by all sort of men, Jews, Gentiles, false Brethren;2 Cor. 11.23, 24, &c. but yet foreign, and yet I reckon that the afflictions of this present time are not worthy to be c…mpared with the glory that shall be revealed in us. Much he did suffer, but he valued it not, because it was with him, as with other Creatures, he had an foreign, he did as it were thrust forth his head, and look still, when he should be freed from this service of corruption, and be seated in the glorious liberty of the sons of God. This is the Christian Anchor to secure his Vessel upon every storm, this is a Christian Armour to ward off all assaults; Finally, this is the only rest set up in the heart of a vertuous man, that come life, come death, come health, come sickness, come wealth, come poverty, come what will, or may come, Expectamus sweetens all.
Say that a Christian hath but a faint heart, and his treadings are well nigh gone,Psal. 27.13. Psal. 55.5. Psal. 73.2. when he sees the prosperity of the wicked, and the flourishing estate of the ungodly; administer to him a dram of this Cordial, put him in mind of a Saviour, whom he expects from heaven, and his spirit will presently come again: Say a man grow weary of his Conversation, hath less life and alacrity in the way of godliness, there is no better way to enlive these his dying affections, and bring them back to their first temper, than this daughter of hope.
Yea, but who hath not this hope? Ask the veriest Varlet that can be found in all Christendom, and he will face you out, that he expects a Saviour, hopes to be saved as well as the best. Though he never serve God scarce an houre in his whole life, yet he hath heard that God is merciful, and Christ is bountiful; and if therefore he can but say, Miserere mei, at the last gasp, he never doubts to go to heaven.
But is not the expectation of the ungodly like thistle-down,Wisd. 5.14. Isa. 28. Job 8.14. purling in the wind, or like a thin bubble, which breaks and vanisheth? Is there not a lye in their right hand? and dwell they not in the Spiders house? Mark but the Apostles connexion here, of foreign, & foreign▪ They which had their Conversation in Heaven, these looked for a Saviour; as much as to say, there could be no good to be hoped for, no Saviour to be looked for, if there were not a heavenly Conversation going before. The endeavour of a good life, is the main ground upon which we must build our assurance of salvation in heaven; the purging of the life and heart from sin is it that makes men with comfort capable of the promises of Christ, He that hath this hope, 1 John 3.3.this hope to see him as he is, purifieth himself: And David asking the question, Who shall dwell in Gods holy hill? resolves it thus, He that hath clean hands, Psal. 15.2, 3, 4.and a pure heart.
For however the truth and power, and mercy of God, be the foundation upon which we build our expectamus; and the active and passive obedience of the Son of God the meritorious cause, why God should make good his truth, make use of his power, and apply his mercy for our good; yet the fruits of the Spirit are the earnest of our inheritance; we shall never be assured that we are his, or that we shall have our share of what is his, except we find in our selves those graces to which he hath annexed his promises; they who make use of these, …re those servants, that have th…ir loyns girded about, Luk. 12.35.and their lights burning: These are the men who are ready, and wait for the Lord; and whereas others at his coming shall find him a Judge to condemn them, they shall find him their good and gracious Lord to save them; as they look for, so they shall have him a Saviour.
2. We look for a Saviour.
A Saviour? why what needs that? some will say: shall a mans Coversation be in heaven, and yet a Saviour necessary? such an one a man would think were fit for those whose Conversation is in Earth, who were of rebellious spirits, and followed their own lusts; whose god was their belly, whose glory their shame; Phil. 3.19. Psal. 119.59.and not for such who were no… afraid of all their wayes, and were of a Celestial and Angelike Conversation. But even these need a Saviour, this Saviour also; for there is nothing men can do, which is worth heaven, no works which they can perform that will save them. I find one in this Chapter, that could say more for himself, than any Jew of them all; touching righteousness which is in the Law, he was blamel ss; but those things which were gain to him, Phil. 3.4, 5.he counted loss for Christ: Yea doubtless I (saith he) count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, Ver. 6, 7, 8,for whom I have suff…red the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ, and be found in him; 9,not having mine own righteousness, which is of the Law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith: 10.For this legal righteousness is defective and imperfect in many respects, and therefore needs the righteousness of another to help it out; when the Lord shall appear, it may not be pleaded, for these Reasons.
1. Man is Gods Covenant servant; let him do what he can, he can but do his duty, no nor that neither; for unprofitable he is, when he hath done all; Luk. 17.10.which plain confession of necessary duty, and defect in every holy action, openly proclaims that the man stands in need of a Saviour.
2. Besides, all the good he doth, is but foreign, an ability proceeding from the free favour of God, who enabled him: If he have a good thought,1 Cor. 4.7. he must not call it his own, God put it into his heart; if he speaks gracious words, they are Gods, not his; if he do a good work, that's not his neither, God put it into his hand; but when the Spirit of God hath thus enabled him, yet this grace passeth through an impure pipe, and so contracts much soile. In respect then of the principal Agent, the work may be perfectly good; but in respect of the instrumental Actor, a leak it hath of manifold infirmities; for these then, bring the best work-man before Gods Bar, and then he will need one to save him from the defects and pollutions of those thoughts, words and works.
When that wise, that glorious, that powerful, that holy, that angry Judge shall sit upon the Bench, who is it that dares appear in the confidence of his own innocence? let the proudest Pharisee that stands so much in the confidence and performance of Moses Law; or that forward Lawyer, who boasted, All these things have I kept from my youth; or that arrogant brood of the new Pharisees, Matth. 19.20.in whose mouths there is nothing else but merit, and works of supererogation: Let I say, any of these appear before Christ at his second coming, and then they will find in their guilty and amazed consciences more matter of fear than confidence; more glad they will be to hear of a Saviour, than a Judge.
A worth I confess this Conversation in heaven hath, and a reward accordingly it shall have; but the worth depends meerly upon Gods acceptation, and the reward upon his promise, who waits that he may have mercy upon us: Our Saviour commands us to put this into our prayers,Luke 21.36. Pray that ye may be accounted worthy; out of which words Saint Chrysostem lends us this distinction, of foreign & foreign, Dignitas & dignatio; worthiness in it self, or a thing so far dignified that it may be held for worthy. In the first sense put our holy Life and Conversation into the Scale, and weigh it with the Crown of glory, and it will be too light; but put it into the Scale again, and weigh it with the allowance that God grants, and then sat dignus, quem Deus dignatur, that holy Life and Conversation is worthy, which God designs and accepts for worthy.
And this it seems they, who in the School plead so earnestly and proudly for merit, yet at their parting with the World, acknowledge and teach; Then they confess they need a Saviour,Bellar. and that it is the safest way to repose their whole confidence in the sole mercy and goodness of God.
Let then those of the Church of Rome fill and feed themselves and Prosylites with this empty aire, that their holy Conversation will save them; while the best servants of God upon the view of their own lives, crave pardon, and call for mercy,Psal. 143.2. praying with David, Enter not into judgment with thy servant; and confess with Job, If I wash my self with snow-water, and make my hands never so clean, Job 9.30, 31.yet shalt thou plunge me in the Ditch, and my own cloaths shall make me to be abhor'd; for he is not as man, that I should answer, should we come together in judgment; neither is there any days-man betwixt us, that might lay his hands upon us both.
How! no Days-man, no Umpire! what means these last words? These be words of worm-wood; for if the Conversation of those who live in heaven be yet unclean, how miserable is the case of all, since all must appear to hear the final sentence! Behold, here stand a company of poor prisoners at the Bar, to abide the verdict of the Judge! no man is able to open his mouth for himself, the Angels dare not plead for them; the matter being come to this pass, the good-will and love of Christ our Saviour appears; he lends them his long white Robe to cover their deformities,Titus 2.11. Isa. 61.10. Revel. 6.9. & 7.9, 14. Isa. 2.10. and his blood to wash away their uncleanness; and opens the wounds in his side, and his hands to let them in, and hide them, till the anger be past; so that all who have had their Conversation in heaven, shall with comfort say, We have looked for, and we have found a Saviour.
3. The Lord Jesus Christ.
So he writes in his stile, and such we must expect him; the Lord is a name of power; Jesus of love, Christ of office; and all we need at that day; and of all these he will make use for our benefit; of his power, to raise us; of his love, to save us; of his office, to redeem, to deliver us. Were it not for his power, we must lie in our graves for ever; were it not for his love, we must rise to condemnation; were it not for his chrisme or unction, we knew not what to answer; well therefore it is for us, that the Judge before whom we must appear, is the Lord Jesus Christ.
Princes often use to take many Epithits of vanity and arrogance in their titles to themselves, swelling and glorious, but of little use for their people, because they aim more at their own honour, than their Subjects profit: But the honourable titles of our good Prince, vel sonant Majestatis potentiam, vel pietatis gratiam; either express the power of his Majesty, or the grace of his affection; and that power employed for our good, and that grace appearing in our salvation.
Of these powerful and sweet names I shall now say the less, having before been so copious upon them; yet out of those full sheaves, I shall take liberty to collect these few ears, which I will thresh out, and make into several loaves for our present repast.
1. The Lord.
And this is the first notion in which we are to reflect upon him, and to acknowledge him by way of Emphasis, The Lord, not a Lord qualified, or confined to this or that Seigniory, but the Lord paramount; The Lord that can do what he will in heaven and earth, help the infirme, cure the diseased, raise the dead, performe what we expect from him, easily change and make our vile bodies like his glorious body.
Now to this Lordship he hath a threefold right; by inheritance, by purchase, and by dowry. For first, the inheritance was his, as he was the eternal Sonne of God, he was the right and sole heire of all.Hebr. 1.2. Had he never become Jesus to save, nor Christ to redeem, this dominion and title had belong'd to him. Then again he was pleased to purchase it at a dear rate; he paid for it with his life, and bought it with his blood; and what one buys and truly payes for, of that he is the true Lord. And after the purchase, he was put into possession of it by way of dowry, God the Father giving unto him the utmost parts of the earth for his possession, he then being exalted by him to be Lord and Christ.
And now consider what an influence this title may have upon your conversation, and expectation; For can your life be other than heavenly, when you reflect upon this Lord? Can you do other than expect a Saviour in your graves, when you consider his power? This title Lord is foreign, a meere relation, and it imposeth upon us the duties of obedient creatures, of good servants, of loving wives. The Lord he is that made us, it is fit we do him homage,Psal. 95.6. and bear his image. The Lord he is that bought us, we must then be his servants. The Lord he is our hus and, we ought then to be obedient wives,2 Pet. 2.1. Isa. 54.5. 1 Pet. 3.6. and live in subjection, as Sarah did to Abraham, calling him Lord. Reflect upon the title in what sense you please, it will charge you with service, whether created or purchased by him, or espoused to him. And a greater Lord you cannot serve, for there's no end of his greatness;Psal. 145.3. Psal. 52.2. and a better Lord you cannot serve, for there's no end of his goodnesse; and when great and good meet in the Lord, it must be both honour and profit to a servant. And here they meet, for this Lord is
2. Jesus.
This is an Hebrew word, and the Apostle interprets it by the Greek foreign, which comes from a root that signifies to save.Luke 19.10. Now to that purpose he first came into the world, and to that end he will come again, to save all those who have had their conversation in heaven, and expect him for a Saviour.
When that great day of wrath comes, men will truly understand the power of this Name. While men here flow in pleasures, and wallow in plenty and prosperity, they care not much to know what Jesus and his salvation means. But in that terrible day, when the heavens shall passe away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth and also the works which are therein shall be burnt up; 2 Pet. 3.10.when men shall say to the rocks and mountains Fall on us, Rev. 6.36.and hide us from the presence of him that sits upon the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb: Then they will judge those only happy, that have served this Lord, and expected him a Jesus. Since he that is a Lamb to his own, will look to the wicked like a devouring Lion. These mockers in their ruffe scoffed and ask'd, Where is the promise of his coming? but they shall then see that the day of his wrath is come,2 Pet. 3.3. the day that they despised and scorned, and thought would never be; in which, what will be matter of terror and amazement to the wicked, will be an occasion of joy and refreshing to the godly, because the one shall find a Lamb turned into the terrible face of a Lyon; but the other shall find him, what they looked and expected, a Jesus, a Saviour, one anointed to that end, for he was Christ.
3. The Lord Jesus Christ.
The Lord is a name of terrour; for he may use his absolute power for our destruction: But if he be Jesus, a Saviour, he is not like to do it to such who expect salvation from him, much less, if he be Christ anointed for that purpose; surely he will not destroy, whose main office and end is to save. O happy combination, when the Lord and Jesus, Jesus and Christ, Christ the Lord meet in one person, and happy the men for whose sake they were so conjoyned!
Saint Bernard upon that Text of the Canticles, His Name is an oyntment poured forth, finds an Analogy betwixt him and oyle in three respects; oyle, lucet, pascit, & ungit; and such in effect is Jesus Christ, lux, cibus, & medicina; light, meat, health.
1. By him it is we have light; by him to the Gentiles that sate in darkness,Luke 2.32. light rose up; and when it was put into the Apostles Lamps, and carried into the World, many Nations that sate in darkness, came clearly to see by it; and when they should appear, what answer to put in.
2. In the mean time, as oyle feeds the Lamp, so also he feeds the soul, and keeps it alive, which otherwise would despair, and dye. What doth so much strengthen the mind! what so much revive ovr wearied indeavours! confirm in us all vertues! quicken our celestial Conversation! nourish our affections, as this anointed and perfumed Name Jesus! 'Tis well therefore we shall appear before him who was anointed to be a Prophet to instruct, a Priest to intercede, and a King to defend us.
3. Lastly, Him it is that we expect, who hath healing in his wings, in which he resembles the medicinable vertue of oyle;Mal. 4.2. for in this Name is balm to heal the Nations. Physitians tell us of Panacea's, Catholick Receits, that cure all diseases, but they do but talk of them, there cannot be a Probatum est set upon any, but this Name; for this is a Catholick-cure for all soul-soars, both original and actual sins; the foulest Conversation hath been cured by it; from an earthly, turned into an heavenly; from an impure, to a pure course of life; in which if they indeavoured to walk, they might with a good conscience expect the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ.
Saint Paul had no stronger Argument to move his Philippians to continue in their heavenly Conversation, than to put them in mind that they had a Saviour alive, and that this Saviour was the Lord, one able enough to save them, and that this Saviour was Jesus by nature, and Christ by office, one anointed to save them; & therefore they should make no doubt of salvation in the great and fearful day; what God hath joyned together, let no man put asunder; apply to your selves such a Saviour as God hath sent, divide not this Name, but let this Jesus be to you Lord and Christ.Isa. 26.19.
Lord he is; you that sit in the dust, arise and sing; for do your duty, and you shall see one d…y, that bonum habetis Dominum, you serve a good Lord; Acts 3.15. 1 Cor. 2.8. Matth. 25.21.for he will impart to you of whatsoever he is Lord himself. He is Lord of life, and life he bestows. He is Lord of glory, and glory he gives. He is Lord of joy, and joy he imparts. He will say to you, as he did to that good servant, Enter into the joy of thy Lord.
And this Lord is Jesus; you that at the sight of your sins give your selves for lost, take heart again, for here is good news for you;Luke 19.10. Dominus venit cum salute, the Lord Jes…s did come once to seek… and save that which was lost; and he will come once again to revive and glorifie the body as good as lost. And you that were sick to death, gasping and giving up the Ghost,Isa. 1.5. for fear of that death of death, In whom there was nothing but soars and ulcers, the whole head sick, and the whole heart faint; bless God for the means of you recovery; the Son of God became Christ; that is, was anointed to heal your broken and contrite hearts with the sweet balsome and oyle of mercy.
It is Jesus that justifi…th, who shall condemn?
It is Christ that heals, who dare wound?
It is the L…rd that exalts, who can cast down?
Believe that Jesus Christ is the Lord of glory, and you shall be saved, you shall be healed, you shall be crowned: For Brethren, the Lord you serve, is the heir; Matth. 21.38.devoutly entertain him, submit your selves to him, be at his service, trust, depend, Rom. 8.17, 32.and rely upon him, and you shall be co-heirs with him. The Father which hath given you his only Son to be your Saviour, will no doubt with him bestow all things upon you. All things that shall be necessary for this life, while you are his servants here; and for your good and faithful service, a Crown of glory in the life to come.