SERMON X.
Now they
have known that all things, whatsoever thou hast given me, are of thee.—john XVII. 7.
in this verse
there is another argument why he should be heard for the apostles, which may be
taken either from the towardliness of the disciples,
or the fidelity of Christ The one is implied in the other; the towardliness of the apostles in discerning the divine
nature and mission of Christ; the fidelity of Christ in referring all to his
Father; 'they know it,' and 'I have taught it them;' for he urgeth
not only their proficiency, 'they have known,' but his own faithfulness, he had
glorified his Father in his doctrine. Both which are
arguments; they that have made such progresses are to be respected; and I that
have been faithful have deserved it in their behalf.
I shall first open the words.
'Now.'—Heretofore
they were ignorant, but now I can say this for them, 'they have known,' Ac.; as
a schoolmaster, when he hath taught a child, looketh
for his reward when the work is done.
' They have
known.'—Things above reason are known by faith and revelation; by my teaching
and illumination they are brought to conceive and acknowledge it; for be saith before, 'I have manifested thy name to the men that
thou gavest me out of the world.'
' That all things
whatsoever thou hast given me.'—It doth not refer to what he had received from
God by eternal generation as the only-begotten Son of God, but to what he had
in commission as mediator; and he saith,' all things
whatsoever,' as implying his authority over the world: ver. 2, 'Thou hast given
him power over all flesh.' Hie interest in the elect,
'Thine they were, thou gavest them me,' ver. 6. His
doctrine; it was given him in charge by the Father; Christ taught no other
doctrine but what he received from his Father: John vii. 16,' My doctrine is not mine, but his that sent me.' It was not
of his invention, but delivered according to the instruction received from his
Father. His power to work miracles, that it was not by
magical imposture, or the help of the devil, but by the power of God. [Pg. 219]
The Pharisees would not
believe it: Luke xi. 20, 'If I by the finger of God cast out devils, no doubt
the kingdom of God is come upon you:' Mat xii. 28,' If
I cast out devils by the Spirit of God, then the
' Are of thee;'
that is, ratified by thee as the supreme judge; invented or found out by thee
as the supreme author; all is from thy sovereign favour
and gracious decree, flowing from thee as the supreme cause and power. Of thee as an author, of thee as a cause, of thee as a judge.
Observations.
1. Observe Christ's
faithfulness to his Father, in two things—in revealing his mind; in referring
all things to his glory. In revealing his mind, he acted according to his
instructions: 'The doctrine is not mine, but his that sent me,' John xii. 50; 'Whatsoever
I speak, even as the Father said unto me, so I speak.' In
referring all things to his glory: John vii. 18, 'He that speaketh of himself, seeketh his
own glory: but he that seeketh his glory that sent
him, the same is true, and no unrighteousness is in him.' Now, if we would
glorify God, we should learn of our Lord and master, not speak from our own
fancy, nor to our own ends; either way we may be false prophets, when we speak
false doctrine, or for wrong ends; the one leads the people into error, the
other into formality, or a dead powerless course; though usually both are
coupled together: Acts xx. 28,' There shall arise from among you men speaking
perverse things, to draw disciples after them.' Perverse doctrine and a
perverse aim are seldom severed; as a bow that is warped can hardly shoot
right.
Use 1. Be
persuaded of the truth of what you deliver, and look to your aims; the best of
us know but in part, and are apt to err; and we are renewed but in part, and
are apt to warp, and to look asquint on our own interests. Little do you
know what smugglings we have to satisfy our own souls, and then regulate and
guide our aims.
2. It is
useful also to hearers. If you would glorify God, you must learn of Christ; not
live according to your own wills, nor for your own
interests. The end falleth under a rule as well as
the action. You are not to be led by fancy, but scripture; not to aim at your
own profit, but God's glory. It is hard to say which is worst, to baulk the
rule or pervert the end. He that doth evil with a good aim maketh
the devil serve God, though ignorantly and sinfully; but he that doth good with an evil aim maketh God
serve the devil; 'you make me to serve with your iniquities.' It is sad to
wrong God, as the highest sovereign, by breaking a law upon any pretence
whatsoever; and it is worse to wrong God as the utmost end: the one is the effect
of [Pg. 220] ignorance, the other of disobedience. Natural light showeth that the supreme cause must be the utmost end. A
man may err in a positive law; but this is the standing law of nature and
reason, that all our endeavours should be to God.
2. Observe,
the proficiency of the apostles in Christ's school; they knew that all things
whatsoever was given him, was of God. At first they were rude and ignorant; and
Christ saith,' Now they know:'
and they had many disadvantages; they were conscious to all the natural weaknesses
which Christ discovered in his conversation, his hunger, thirst, weariness; and
yet 'they have known,' &c. How did they come to know this? I answer—Partly by the internal light of the Holy Ghost: Mat. xvi.
16,' Thou art Christ, the Son of the living God;' ver. 17,' And Jesus answered,
Blessed art thou, Simon Bar-jona; for flesh and blood
hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven.' The saving
knowledge of Christ's person and offices cannot be gotten but by special
revelation from God; we must see God as we see the sun, by his own beam and
light. Partly by the consideration of his miracles, in which some beams of the
Godhead did shine forth, and by which his human nature was, as it were, counterbalanced:
John iii. 2, 'Rabbi, we know that thon art a teacher come from God; for no man
can do these miracles that thou dost except God be with him.' Partly by special
observation of the singularity and excellency that
was in Christ's person, his conversation, miracles, doctrine, which made his
testimony more valuable, and in a rational way served to beget respect to him,
and a human belief that he was a person of great holiness and strict innocence,
without partiality: Mark xii. 14, 'Master, we know that thou art true, and carest for no man; for thou regardest
not the person of men, but teachest the way of God in
truth.' With such fidelity as to God; he came not in his own name: John v. 42,'
I am come in my Father's name.' With such grace and authority: Mat. vii. 29, 'The people were astonished at his doctrine; for he taught
them as one having authority, and not as the scribes.' All he did was with
heavenly majesty and authority; a sovereign majesty was to be seen in Christ's
teaching, proper to himself. Besides his faithfulness as a minister, with such
clearness, evidence, and demonstration, there was sufficient declaration to the
world, at his baptism: Mat. iii. 17, 'Lo, a voice from heaven, saying, Tins is
my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased;' agreeing with the prophecy of him,
Isa. xlii. 1,' Behold my servant, whom I uphold; my elect, in whom my soul delighteth.' At his transfiguration before three persons, that for the holiness of their lives were of great
credit, Mat. xvii. 5. Before all his disciples, John xii. 28, 'Father,
glorify thy name: then came there a voice from heaven, saying, I have both
glorified it, and will glorify it again.' To the world, at his resurrection,
Acts xvii. 31,' Whereof he hath given assurance unto
all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead.' To which resurrection the
Jews were conscious. Those that reported it wrought miracles; these men sought
not themselves, had no advantage, but visible hazards; their witness was
agreeable to the writings of the prophets; the doctrine built on it very satisfactory;
there is in it what every religion pretendeth to,
though in a higher way. Though miracles are now ceased, yet it is [Pg. 221] confirmed
by the truth of the word; God continually confirmeth
it by the seal of the Spirit, and there is an inward certioration,
whereby believers are satisfied: John xviii. 37, 'For this cause came I into
the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth: every one that is of the
truth, heareth nay voice;' that is, enlightened by
the Holy Ghost, receiveth and believeth it; but those
that have a mind to
wrangle, God will not satisfy. And then for his miracles, they
were not miracles of pomp and ostentation, not destructive miracles, but
actions of relief. When the pharisees said, 'He casteth out devils by Beelzebub, the prince of devils,'
Mat. xii. 24, he proveth that his main aim was to
cast out Satan: ver. 26, 'If Satan cast out Satan, he is divided against
himself.' Would Satan consent that his kingdom should fall? He would not go to
dispossess himself. All his aim was to promote holiness and the
I note this:
[1.] That you may know that
the apostles had sufficient means to convince the world of the certainty of the
Christian doctrine. The inward testimony of the Spirit, the apostles would not
allege it; by miracles and rational probabilities they were fitted to deal with
the world, and
to appear as witnesses for him, when they were to give an account: Acts v. 32, 'And
we are witnesses of these things, and so is the Holy Ghost, whom God hath given
to them that obey him.' This inward witness is proper to believers; the other
may be alleged to infidels. By the Spirit is meant there a power to work
miracles.
[2.] That you may know the
way of God's working with men, usually all these three concur to the working of
faith—there is the light of the Spirit, external confirmation, and the use of
fit instruments.
(1.) The light of the Spirit,
without which there can be no grace nor faith: 1 John v. 6,' It is the Spirit
that beareth witness, because the Spirit is true;'
that is, that word which the Spirit himself hath revealed is truth, for he is
not only the author and inditer of the word, but the
witness; he worketh in the hearts of the faithful, so
that he persuadeth them of the truth of the word.
(2.) There is external
confirmation. Though miracles cease, yet we have the testimony and consent of
the church, who by undoubted and authentic rolls hath communicated her
experience to us, which is visibly confirmed by the providence of God, not
suffering the truth to be oppressed.
(3.) There
is the use of fit instruments, specially gifted for this purpose. Though the
effect of the word doth mainly depend on the Spirit, yet there is a ministerial
efficacy in the messengers: Acts xiv. 1, 'They so spake, that a multitude both of the Jews and also of the
Greeks believed.' Not that the faith of the hearers doth merely depend upon the
excellency of the preacher; yet certain it is that
one way of preaching may be more fit to convert than another, both in regard of
matter and form. Pure doctrine, for the matter, is more apt to convert than
that which is mixed with falsehood: as pure water cleanseth
better than foul, and good food nourisheth better
than that which is in part tainted. He that can divide the word aright, and
prudently apply it, is more powerful to work than he that seeth
by an half light, or presseth truth loosely, and not
with judgment and [Pg. 222] solidity. Not as if they could infallibly convert,
but they are mow likely; they do not carry the grace of conversion in their
months. Then for the form, with more plainness, clearness, strength of argument
God hath given to some gifts above others, not to bind himself
to them, but in the way of instruments they are more powerful, though the
weakest gifts are not to be despised. And in the quality of the persons, holy
persons are more polished shafts in God's quiver.
[3 ]
I observe it to press you to regard all these things—
(1.) The power of the Spirit,
if you would profit in Christ's school. The watering-pot will do nothing
without the sun, nor the word without his testimony: 1
Cor. iii. 7,' So then, neither is he that planteth anything, neither he that watereth,
but God that giveth the increase.' The Spirit is to
confirm truth to you by way of witness and argument. By way of witness: 1 John
v. 7. 'For there are three that bear record in heaven, the
Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost.' There is a secret persuasion,
especially when you are reading and hearing, that insinuateth
itself with your thoughts; doubtless this is the word of God: Acts xvi. 14, 'Whose
heart the Lord opened, that she attended to those things that were spoken by
Paul.' By way of argument; working such things, from whence you may conclude
it in God's word: John viii. 32, 'Te shall know the truth, and the truth
shall make you free.' When ye are freed from the bondage of sin, then ye are
enlightened to see the truth of the gospel; by experience ye shall know the
truth.
(2.) Take in the advantage of
external confirmation. By miracle» Christ's testimony was made valuable to the
apostles. You have not only authentic records, wherein these miracles are
recorded, which as a history may be believed, but the testimony of the church,
which hath experience of the truth and power of the gospel for many ages; the
lives of the godly, who are called God's witnesses, 1 Cor.
xiv. 26; the providences of God in delivering his church, in their miraculous
preservations: Pa lviii. 11, 'verily there is a God
that judgeth in the earth.' Answers of prayer
grounded on the word.
Upon all
these grounds practise upon this truth, that
Christ came out from God.
(3.) Choose out to yourselves
faithful teachers, such as Christ was, delivering the word with authority and
faithfulness to God and men; such as do not seek their own things, fear no
man's face, and come with the powerful evidence and demonstration of the Spirit
And indeed ministers should be careful to manifest themselves to the consciences
of those with whom they deal, that they may have 'a testimony of Christ
speaking in them,' 1 Cor. xv. 3, that he teacheth in and by them; they should be assured of their
doctrine, that Christ brought it out of his Father's heart, not speaking by
rote like parrots: 1 John i. 1,' That which was from
the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we
have looked upon, and our hnnds have handled of the
word of life;' that which our hearts have felt, that which we have not by rote,
not by guess, but by experience: 1 Tim. vi. 13, 'Jesus
Christ, witnessed before Pontius Pilate a good confession.'
3. Observe
Christ's gentleness in bearing with their failings: 'Now they have known.' It
was a long time ere they could be gained to a [Pg. 223] sense of his divine power, therefore he chargeth them
with hardness of heart, 'Mark vi. 52, 'They considered not the miracle of the
loaves, for their hearts were hardened.' So Mark viii.
17, 'Perceive ye not yet, neither understand? Have ye your hearts yet hardened?'
And now, in his intercession to his Father, he mentioneth
not their hardness, nor the obstinacy of their prejudices, nor their present
weakness, but their knowledge: 'Now they know;' they have been obstinate, but
he covereth that, at least doth but imply it. How willing is Christ to spread a garment on our
nakedness! Past sins shall not hurt us when they do not please us. When a man turneth from grace to sin, then all his righteousness is
forgotten: Ezek. xviii. 24, 'All his righteousness that he hath done shall not
be mentioned.' So he that turneth from sin to grace,
or from grace to grace: ver. 22, 'All his trangressions
that he hath committed they shall not be mentioned unto him;' it is all undone
by repentance and reformation. How do men differ from Christ! We upbraid men
with past failings, when they are repented of. It is hard to put off the
reproach of youth; when God maketh them vessels of
mercy, they will not suffer them to be vessels of honour;
Hi homines invident mihi gratiam divinam.
As the elder brother upbraideth
the reformed prodigal: Luke xv. 30, 'As soon as
this thy son was come, which hath devoured thy living with harlots, thou hast
killed for him the fatted calf.' This is an envious disposition, and cross to
God; you go about to take off the robes of honour
which God hath put upon them, and to despoil them as the spouse was of her
ornaments.
4. Observe what
is the chief object of faith; to believe the divine authority and commission of
Christ, and that his power to dispense salvation to the creatures was given
him from his Father. There is a world of comfort in this. The Father, being
first in order of the persons, is to be looked upon as the offended party, and
as the highest judge.
[1.] He is
to be looked upon as the offended party. All sin is against God: Ps. li. 4, 'Against thee, thee only,
have I sinned, and done this evil in thy sight.' He had offended Uriah, abused Bathsheba; the injury was against them, but
the sin against God: 'against thee, thee only.' This may be referred to all the
persons, but it chiefly con-cerneth the first person,
to whom we direct our prayers, and who is the maker of the law. Christ, the
second person, satisfied for the breach of it: 'It is against thee, thee only.'
Now this is our comfort, that our guilt and sin was not cast on Christ's person
without the Father, without his privity and consent;
nay, it is his own plot and design; it was the Father's counsel, rather than
the creature's desire. So that we may quiet our consciences
by that promise, Isa. xliii. 25, 11, even I,
am he that blotteth out thy transgressions for my own
name's sake.' God the Father would have you look to him as one that hath only
to do in this matter. Sin is a grief to the Spirit, it is a crucifying of
Christ; but in the last result of it, it is an offence to God the Father,
because it is a breach of his law. God is the fountain of the divinity; yea,
all that is done to the other persons reboundeth to the
Father, as our Saviour reasoneth:
'He that despiseth me despiseth
him that sent me.' [Pg. 224]
[2.] The Father is the
highest judge. All the persons of the Godhead are co-essential, and co-equal
in glory and honour; only in economy or dispensation
of salvation, the Father is to be looked upon as judge and chief. Man is the
debtor, Christ the surety, and the Father the judge before whose tribunal the
satisfaction is to be made; therefore Christ saith, 'My
Father is greater than I.' And in the whole work of our redemption he is to be
considered as a superior; therefore all the addresses, not only of the
creatures, but of the Son of God himself, are to his Father for pardon, as if
it were not in his own single power: Luke xxiii. 34, 'Father, forgive them;
they know not what they do.' If it passeth
with God the Father, then the business is ended. So 1
John ii. 1, Christ is said to be 'an advocate with the Father.' as
supreme in court, as the advocate is beneath the judge. So
John xiv. 16, 'I will pray the Father, and he shall give you the
Comforter:' pardon, comfort, and grace cometh from the Father. It is true, it
is said. Mat ix. 6, 'that the Son of man hath power on earth to forgive sine;'
but it is by commission from the Father, as we shall see anon. Well, then, the
Father is the supreme judge: whatever passeth in his
name is valid and authoritative. Now it is he that committed the work of
redemption to Christ; he is the supreme judge. Eli saith, 1 Sam. ii. 25,' If
one man sinneth against another, the judge shall
judge him; but if a man sin against the Lord, who shall entreat for him?' The
meaning is, if one man hath trespassed against another, the magistrate may
take up the controversy, by executing justice, and causing the delinquent to
make satisfaction to the party offended; but who shall state the offence, and
compose the difference between God and us? The sin is committed against the
judge himself, the highest judge, from whom there is no appeal; no satisfaction
can be male by mortal men, and no person is fit to arbitrate the difference.
Therefore God himself is pleased to find out a remedy; and in all that the Son
did, he hath a great hand and stroke in it. The Father's act is authoritative
and above contradiction. If he had not given us a mediator out of his own
bosom, we had for ever lain under the guilt and burden of our sins. This had
its rise from the grace And mercy of the Father.
But let us see what the
Father doth in the business of our redemption, that
we may with comfort look upon Christ as a constituted authorised
mediator by the decree and counsel of heaven.
(1.) As the
supreme author, it was the Father's contrivance and motion to Christ to regard
the case of sinners: I look, and there is no intercessor; I see there is none
fit to go between fallen man and me. Son, you shall take their case in hand.
And therefore he is said to give Christ: John iii. 16,' God
so loved the world that he gave his only-begotten Son.' In the purpose
of his thoughts to send Christ: Gal. iv. 4, 'When the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made
of a woman.' I shall open it in the next verse. To sanctify him: John x. 36, 'Say
ye of him whom the Father hath sanctified and sent into the world?' &c. To
consecrate him for the great work of redemption; as when a thing is set apart
for divine uses and purposes, it is said to be sanctified; so was Christ
sanctified when he was set apart for the work of redemption. Nay, to seal him:
[Pg. 225] John vi. 37,' Him
hath God the Father sealed;' a metaphor taken from those who give commissions
under hand and seal. Christ is a mediator confirmed and allowed under the broad
seal of heaven. So Heb. x. 5, 'A body hast thou prepared for me;' and ver. 7, 'Lo,
I come; in the volume of the book it is written of me, to do thy will, Ο God;' as if God had set down in a book a draft
and model of his designs, and then showed it to Christ.
(2.)
As
the supreme cause, in whom divine power was eternally resident, he assisteth Christ in the accomplishment of this work, and qualifieth him for his office, with power and mercy. Christ
in his own person would show us the fountain from whence all mercies do arise:
Fs. xlv. 7, 'He was anointed with the oil of gladness above his fellows.' The
Father is not only said to beget him, but to anoint him. His compassionate
spirit he received from the Holy Ghost: Luke iv. 18, 'The
Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because the Lord hath anointed me to preach the
gospel,' &c. God gave him tenderness and bowels to poor
broken-hearted sinners. So for power and strength: John v. 19, 'The Son of man
can do nothing of himself,' as separate and distinct from the Father; not out
of any weakness, but because of the unity of the essence, as God, and on the
federal agreement, as mediator.
(3.) As
supreme judge, he appointeth his sufferings, and the
measure of the satisfaction he was to make: Acts iv.
28,' To do whatsoever thy hand and thy counsel
determined before to be done.' Whatever men did to him, it was by his hand and
counsel. We must look to a higher court, from God's providence to God's decree.
If it had been
done without his knowledge and consent, nothing would have been
done for our salvation: 'Him being delivered, etoorov,
by the determinate counsel of God, ye have taken.' Acts ii.
23; a word taken from alms
to beggars. We wanted a price for our redemption, and God gave it out of
his own treasury: Rom. iv. 25, 'He was delivered for
our offences;' a metaphor taken from a judge who delivereth
up the malefactor into the hands of the executioner. Christ was delivered by
God as our surety, one that by his decree was to be responsible to his justice
for man's sin. The Father was to reward him for this by raising him from the
dead, and to give him leave to return to his own glory; therefore he asketh leave to return to heaven, ver. 5,' And now, Ο Father, glorify thou me with thine own self,
with the glory which I had with thee before the world was.' After the price and
ransom was paid, the Father was to give Christ a power to rise from the dead,
and to go into heaven. There is pottstas and
potentia,\~dunamiv, exousia\~. Christ had
power in himself, and leave from the Father; till the Father should declare
himself to be satisfied, Christ was not to be dismissed from punishment. Oar
surety was not to break prison, but honourably to be
brought out by the judge, for this was the assurance God would give the world:
Acts xvii. 31,' He will judge the world in righteousness, by the man whom he
hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath
raised him from the dead.' It is not only an effect of the divine power, but an
act of divine justice And being raised up, he is to be
crowned with glory and honour, as having abundantly
done his work for the salvation of creatures: Heb. ii. 9, 'We see Jesus, for
the suffering of death, crowned with glory and [Pg. 226] honour.' The Father's heart was
so taken with it, that he hononreth Christ for this
reason. And again, he giveth power and authority to
save sinners: Acts v. 31,' Him hath God exalted to be a prince and a saviour, to give repentance to
Use 2. Glorify God
the Father; it is the end of the whole dispensation of grace. Glorify him in
your expectations; the Father himself loveth you.
Glorify him in your enjoyments, all is 'from the Father of lights,' James i. 17. There is no defect in Christ: John xvii. 23, 'I in
them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world
may know that thou hast sent me, and that thou hast loved them, as thou hast
loved me.' God hath loved him, not only as hi» own Son, but our saviour: John x. 17,' Therefore doth my Father love me,
because I lay down my life, that I might take it again.'
228 SERMONS UPON JOHN XVII. [SfiR. XI.
his will. God
is not tied to means, but we are bound and tied. God may use hie liberty, but this doth not dissolve our duty and
obligation; we are to lie at the pool, if we expect the stirring of the waters.
There is a great deal of difference between the want of means and the contempt
of them. I should always suspect that grace that is wrought in us in the
neglect of the means. The regular way of faith is by the word; it hath pleased
God to consecrate it God could have converted the eunuch without Philip, but we
are to submit to his will. Paul that received his consternation miraculously,
had his confirmation from Ananias; Christ had
preached him into terror from heaven, but he eendeth
him to Ananias for comfort
Use 2. It stirreth us up to attend upon the word; it is God's instrument:
Bom. i. 16,' I am not
ashamed of the gospel of Christ; for it is the power of God to salvation, to
every one that believeth;' the meaning is, it is a powerful instrument to work
faith; as the first sermon that ever was preached, after the pouring out of the
Spirit, converted three thousand souk An angel could
slay a hundred and eighty-five thousand men in a night by hie
own natural strength; but it is easier to kill 00 many men than to convert one
soul. All the angels in heaven, if they should join all their forces together,
they could not convert one soul to God; but yet this power
will God discover in the ministry and co-operation of weak men. Those that do not delight to hear the word have no mind to see the
miracles of grace. The power is of God, yet it is wonderfully joined
with the word; it is not enclosed in it, but sent out together with it when God
pleaseth. It is God's ordinance, and under the
blessing of an institution.
2. Observe, again, the
certainty of Christian doctrine. The word delivered to the apostles was
received from the Father by Christ It was no invention of his own, but brought
out of the bosom of the Father: John vii. 16, 'My doctrine is not mine, but his that sent me.' So John xiv.
10, 'The words that I speak, I epeak
not of myself;' that is, not as mediator. It was prophesied of Christ, who was
the great prophet of the church: Deut xviii. 18, Ί will raise them up a prophet from among their brethren, like unto
thee, and will put my words in his mouth, and he shall speak unto them all that
I shall command him.' Christ said,' his Father gave it him.' Christ was
consecrated prophet of the church by the Trinity: Mat iii. 17, 'This is my
beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.' There was the Father's voice, the Holy
Ghost as a dove, and the Son was there in person.
Use. Which should stablish us the more in the
truth, and is a pattefti to ministers. It is
excellent when we can say, 'My doctrine is not mine, but his that sent me;' or,
as Paul, 'That which I received of the Lord I have delivered to you,' 1 Cor. xi. 23.
3. Observe, among the things
which the Father gave to the Son, one of the chiefest
is the doctrine of the gospel. Let us look upon it as a gift; the Father gave
it, the Son gave it. Here is a double gift; it was a gift from the Father to Christ, and from Christ to the apostles: 'I have given them
the word which thou gavest me.' Next to Christ the
gospel is the greatest benefit which God hath given to men. He that despiseth the gospel, despiseth the very bounty of God, and men cannot endure to
have their love and bounty despised. As when David
vkb. 8.] sermons
upon john xvii.
229
sent a courteous
message to Nabal, and he was refused, he threatened
to 'cut off from Nabal every one that pisseth against the wall.' Take heed you despise not God's
special gifts. The preaching of the word, it was Christs
largest in the day of his royalty: Eph. iv. 8,11, 'When he ascended up on high, he gave some, apostles;
and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;' as
princes, when crowned, nave their royal donatives. Those that grudge at the
ministry, and count it a burden, they do in effect upbraid Christ with his
gift, as if it were not worth the giving. Those that labour
in the ministry, are his especial gift to us. They are
but sottish swine that trample such pearls under feet
We should think of them as the special favours of Christ. I do not speak of the persons, but the
calling. This disposition showeth no love to Christ
Secondly', The next thing is the nature of faith. There are two things
spoken of in the text—γνωσκ;
and λ^ψ·<9, 'they have
received them, and have known surely.'
First, I begin with the
latter, in order of words, as first in order of nature, έγνωσαν αληθώς,
'they have known surely.' The word αληθώς. which signifieth truly, surely, is used to exclude that literal
historical knowledge which may be in carnal men.
1. Observe, faith cannot be
without knowledge. It is not a blind assent: Bom. x.
14, 'How shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard?' We must know
what Christ is before we can trust him with our souls: 1 Tim. L 12, 'I know
whom I have believed.' We must see the stay and prop before we lean upon it,
otherwise we shall neither be satisfied in ourselves, nor be able to plead with
Satan, nor answer doubts of conscience. He that is impleaded
in court, and doth not know the privileges of the law, how shall he be able to
purge himself? Fears are in the dark. The blind man spoke reason in that
conference between Christ and him, when Christ asked him, 'Dost thou believe on
the Son of God? He answered and said, Who is he, Lord,
that I might believe on him?' John ix. 35, 36. We must know what God is. Till we have a distinct
knowledge of the nature of God, and the tenor of the covenant, we shall be full
of scruples. Well then—
Use 1. It discovereth the wretched condition of ignorant persons. We
are not so sensible of the danger of ignorance as we
should be. God will render vengeance 'to them that know not God, and that obey
not the gospel.' 2 Thes. i. 8. Poor wretches! they live sinfully and die sottishly; they live sinfully, they are under no awe of
conscience, because they have no knowledge; and when they come to die, they
die sottishly; like men that leap over a deep gulf
blindfold, they know not where their feet shall light. In their lifetime, at
best they live but by guess and some devout aims; and when they come to die,
they die by guess, in a doubtful, uncertain way.
Use 2. To press Christians to gain more distinct knowledge, if you would
settle your souls in a certainty of salvation. God may lay trouble of
conscience upon a knowing person; but usually persons ignorant are full of
scruples, which vanish before the light as mists do before the sun.
2. Observe, they know surely.
In the knowledge of faith there is an undoubted certain light. It dependeth upon two things that cannot