SERMON XI.
For I have
given unto them the words which thou gavest me; and
they have received them, and have known surely that I came out from, thee, and
they have believed that thou didst send me.—john
XVII.
8.
christ in this verse further explaineth the argument
that was urged before, which was taken from their proficiency in his school,
and that [Pg. 227] they had a right sense of and faith in the dignity and
quality of his person. This faith is set forth by all the requisites of it.
First, The means by which it is wrought; that is, the word, the
doctrine given to him by hie Father, and by him to
his apostles: for I have given unto them Ike words which thou gavest me.
Secondly, The nature of faith, which consisteth
in knowledge and acceptation: they have knoton
surely, and they have believed them. \~Ahfiv\~ and \~gnwsiv\~ are the two acts of faith.
Thirdly, The object of faith, the mission of Christ, and his coming
out from the Father: that I came out from thee, and they have believed that
thou hast sent me.
First, I begin with
the means of faith: 'For I have given unto them the
words which thou gavest me.' The only difficulty is
how the word was given unto Christ. Some think it is meant of the divine and
infinite knowledge and wisdom which was communicated to Christ by eternal
generation; but that is very improper, qucecunque
Christo dantur, secundum humanitatem dantur. It is meant of that giving which Christ had as
mediator, as the ambassador hath his instructions according to which he is to
act Now saith Christ, I have taught them according to
the instructions which I received as mediator. These are said to be given, to
be infused and revealed to his human soul.
1. Observe,
the word is the proper means to work faith. We see here the apostles had no
other means of salvation than Christ's word; when Christ giveth
an account of their faith, he doth not mention his miracles, but his doctrine.
Again, he doth not speak only of the internal manifestation of the Spirit,' I
have manifested thy name;' but also of the outward revelation, 'I have given to
them the words which thou gavest me.' We have a
general saying,
Use 1. It reproveth the folly of two sorts of
men; there are some that think the word cannot work unless it be accompanied with miracles, and others that think the
Spirit will work without the word.
1. Those
that think the word will not work without miracles, and therefore expect a
reviving of miracles, to authorise that ministry
which they mean to receive. Vain thoughts! In the primitive times, when
miracles were in force, we read of some converted by the word without miracles,
but of none converted by miracles without the word: Acts xi. 20,
21, 'Some of Cyprus and Gyrene, when they were come
to
2. Those that expect the illapses
of the Spirit, without waiting upon the word. It is true God can work
immediately, but the question is about [Pg. 228] his will. God is not tied to
means, but we are bound and tied. God may use his 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 sendeth
him to Ananias for comfort
Use 2. It stirreth us up to attend upon the word; it is God's instrument:
Rom. 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 souls. An angel could slay a hundred and eighty-five thousand men in a
night by his own natural strength; but it is easier to kill so 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 speak 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 pattern 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 [Pg. 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—\~gnwsiv\~; and \~lhfiv\~, 'they have
received them, and have known surely.'
First, I begin with the latter, in order of
words, as first in order of nature, \~egnwsan\~ \~alhywv\~, 'they have
known surely.' The word \~alhywv\~. 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: Rom. 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. i. 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 [Pg. 230] deceive us—the revelation of
the word, and the illumination of the Spirit. The knowledge of faith is lees
than the light of glory for clearness, but equal for certainty; it hath as much
assurance from God's word, though not so much evidence as ariseth
from enjoyment
3. Observe,
they know \~alhywv\~, truly, indeed. Every kind of knowledge is not enough for faith,
but a true, sound knowledge. There is a form of knowledge as well as a form of
godliness; Rom. ii. 20, compared with 2 Tim. iii. 5. A form of knowledge is nothing
else but an artificial speculation, a naked model of truth in the brain, which,
like a winter sun, shineth, but warmeth
not.
But let us a
little state the differences.
[1.] The
light of faith is serious and considerate. Faith is a spiritual prudence, it is opposed to folly as well as ignorance: Luke
xxiv. 25, 'O fools, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have said !' Faith always draweth to
use and practice. It is a knowledge with
consideration: Eph. i. 17, 'That the God of our Lord
Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, would give unto you the spirit of wisdom and
revelation in the knowledge of him.' Many have parts, but they have not wisdom
to make the best choice for their souls. There is a great deal of difference
between knowledge and prudence; it is excellent when both are joined together: 'I,
wisdom, dwell with prudence,' Prov. viii. 12. Wisdom
is the knowledge of principles, prudence is an ability
to use them to our comfort. Knowledge is settled in the brain, not the heart When
wisdom 'entereth into thy heart,' Prov.
ii. 10, it stirreth up esteem, affiance, love. A carnal man may have a model of truth, a traditional
disciplinary knowledge, such as lieth in generals,
not particulars, and is rather for discourse than life. A vintner's cellar may
be better stored than a nobleman's; he hath wines, not to taste, but sell; a
carnal man hath a great deal of knowledge for discourse, not to warm his own
heart
[2.] The
light of faith is a realising light, \~elegcon\~ \~ou\~ \~blepomenwn\~, 'Faith is in the evidence of things
not seen.' Heb. xi. 1; it maketh
absent things present to the soul. But the light of parts is a naked, abstract
speculation, it is without feeling, there is no sense and feeling of the things
apprehended. True knowledge is expressed by tasting; 1 Peter ii. 5, 'If so be that ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious.'
Tasting implieth more than seeing; there is not only
apprehension, but experience: Phil. i.
9, 'I pray God that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and in all
judgment, \~en\~ \~pash\~ \~aisyhsei\~, in all sense. To others it is but an empty
barren, notion: Phil. iii. 10, 'That I may know him, and the power of his
resurrection,' that is, experimentally. Carnal men have no feeling of the force
of the truths they apprehend, only now and then some fleeting joys; it is not realising and affective. Strong water and running water
differ not in colour, but in taste and virtue. They
may know the same truths, but it differeth in relish;
they know the things of God only as things in conceit, not in being.
[3.]
The light of faith is wrought by the Spirit, this but a hearsay, knowledge
gathered out of books and sermons; they shine with a borrowed light as the moon
that is dark in itself, and hath no light rooted in its own body. These shine
with other men's light: [Pg. 231] John iv. 42, 'Now we believe, not for thy saying, but we have heard him
ourselves, and know that this is indeed the Christ, the Saviour
of the world.' Men talk of things by rote after others, and are rather
said to rehearse than understand; it is not written in their hearts, but only
reported to their ears: Heb. viii. 10, 'I will write my law in their hearts.'
Truth is written there by the finger of the Spirit, to
others it is but traditional, learned as other arts by man. Now there is a
great deal of difference between seeing God in the light of the Spirit, and
seeing God and the things of God by the reports of men, as between seeing
countries in a map, or book of geography, and knowing them by travel and
experience.
[4.] It is a
transforming light: 2 Cor. iii. 18, 'We all as in a
glass beholding the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image, from
glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.' Looking upon ihe image of Christ, we are changed into the same image and
likeness, from glory to glory; as Moses his face shone. Conversing with Christ,
it altereth and changeth
the soul, which is hereby 'renewed in knowledge after the image of him that
created him,' Col. iii. 10. That
is no true light and knowledge of God that doth not bridle lusts and purify the
heart; a wicked man's knowledge, it is light without fire, directive, not
persuasive: 1 John ii. 3, 4, 'Hereby we know that we know him, if we keep his
commandments. He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is
not in him;' it is a lie and pretence; unactive light
is but darkness. In paradise there was a tree of life and a tree of knowledge;
many taste of the tree of knowledge that never taste
of the tree of life.
[5.] The
light of faith is an undoubted certain light, but in wicked men it is always
mingled with doubting, ignorance, error, and unbelief. It is not convictive,
but a loose, wavering opinion, not a settled, grounded persuasion; they have
not 'the riches of the assurance of understanding,' Col. ii.
2; that dependeth on experience,
and inward sense of the truth, and is wrought by the Holy Ghost. And
therefore the apostle speaketh of the evidence and
demonstration of the Spirit: 1 Cor. ii. 4, \~en\~ \~apodeixei\~ \~tou\~ \~pneumatov\~ \~kai\~ dunamewv\~, 'in the demonstration of the Spirit, and
of power.' \~Aodeixiv\~ is a clear, convincing
argument, by which the judgment is settled; it cometh in upon the soul with evident
confirmation.
Secondly, The next thing in the nature of faith is \~lhfiv\~: 'I have given them the words which thou gavest me, and they have received them.' There is a
receiving Christ and a receiving the word. Sometimes the act of faith is
terminated on the person of Christ; as John i. 12, 'To
as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even
to as many as believe on his name.' Sometimes on the promises; to show that as
there is no closing with Christ without the promise, so there is no closing
with the promise without Christ; first we receive the word of Christ, and then
Christ himself, and in Christ life and salvation; that is the progress of
faith: Acts x. 42, 'Through his name, whosoever believeth in him shall receive
remission of sins.'
Observe that
faith is a receiving the word of Christ. The notion is elsewhere used: Acts ii.
41, 'Then they that gladly received the [Pg. 232] word were
baptized.' Unbelief, it is a rejecting the counsel of the word, and faith a receiving
it Unbelief is thus described: Acts xiii. 46,' Since
ye put away the word of God from yon.' So Luke vii.
30, 'But the pharisees and lawyers rejected the
counsel of God against themselves;' that is, refused the counsel of God, to
their own loss and ruin. On the contrary, when Cornelius was converted, it is
said, Acts xi. 1, 'The apostles heard that the Gentiles also had received the
word of God. So that we may describe faith with reference to this act, a motion
in the heart of man, stirred up by the Spirit of God, to receive the whole word
of God. Let me open it a little.
1. Receiving
is a relative word, and suppoesth an offer. God offereth on his part, and we receive on ours. As in all
contracts and covenants between party and party, one party offereth
such an advantage or commodity upon such conditions, the other receiveth the offer, consenteth
to the conditions, and expecteth that the covenant
should be made good; so in the covenant of grace, Christ offereth
remission of sins, and the whole blessings of the gospel, under the condition
of faith and repentance. We are said to receive this word, or this gospel, when
we consent to the conditions, and wait for the accomplishment of the blessing;
we are willing to come to trust him for the grace of the covenant, and to come
under the bond of the duty of it
2. In this
receiving, the soul must be convinced that it is the word of God, and that he
will deal with creatures upon such a covenant. For in this covenant it is not
as it is in other contracts; the party contracting doth not appear in person,
but dealeth with us by officers and substitutes. God tendereth his covenant by the ministry of man. Now,
whosoever would receive it in God's name, must be
undoubtedly persuaded that they are commissioned and authorised
by God to tender such a covenant to us. Therefore the apostle saith, 1
Thee. ii. 13,. 'When ye received the word which ye
have heard of us, ye received it not as the word of man, but (as it is indeed)
the word of God, which effectually worketh also in
you that believe.' A man that would profit by the ministry must settle himself
in this persuasion, that the doctrines delivered in scripture have God for
their author. We come in God's stead, to strike up a bargain with you for your
souls; this bindeth the ear to attention, the mind to
faith, the heart to reverence, the will and conscience to obedience. We are to
entertain all the doctrines of the word, without any suspense of judgment and
contradiction. We are to put to our seal to Christ's testimony: John iii. 33, 'He
that hath received his testimony, hath set to his seal
that God is true.' Usually there is some privy atheism in us; we look upon the
gospel as a golden dream, and well-devised fable. This is properly assent, and should be soundly laid. Lord, thon wilt not fail thy poor creatures, if they venture their
souls on thy word.
3.
The whole word must be received. In every covenant there is a precept as well
as a promise. We mar the very form of it when we reflect on the promise, and neglect
the precept It is great error in them that think that receiving of the word is
done when we apply the promises, as if nothing were needful to salvation but to
say, I trust that my sins are forgiven me in Christ The gospel hath not only [Pg. 233] promises, but commands,
conditions, and articles of the covenant, which are no less to be received than
the promises. First, receive the commandment concerning repentance and
conversion, with a resolution to cast thyself on Christ; and then be of good
confidence, thy sins shall be forgiven thee. There is in faith not only an
assent, but consent; assent to the truth of God, consent to the articles of the
covenant; assent to the truth of the contract, consent to the terms, and
affiance or confident waiting for the promise; all these are in faith.
Hypocrites are said 'to receive the word with joy,' Luke viii. 13; but they
received only the word of promise with joy. It is pleasing to the conscience to
hear of pardon of sins. Men may have vanishing fleeting joys. A carnal man
would have God's grace, but he would have none of his counsel.
4. This must
be received with all the heart. The work of faith is not confined to the acts
of the understanding; there are some motions of the heart. Philip puts the
eunuch to this trial, Acts viii. 37, 'Believest thou
with all thy heart? and he said, I believe that Jesus
Christ is the Son of God.' God is as careful of the duty of the gospel as of
the duty of the law; he that required that we should love him· with all our
hearts hath also required that we should believe in him-with all our hearts; he
required the whole heart in love, and he expecteth
the whole heart in faith.
Now, because
this is the critical difference between true faith and counterfeit, I shall
apply this receiving to both the objects of faith, the
word and the person of Christ, because the doctrine concerning both is of near
affinity, and the one is opened by the other. In receiving the person of
Christ, there is the same method of the acts of faith as there is in receiving
the word of God. (1.) There is an offer. Faith receiving, presupposeth
an offering; we do not snatch at Christ, but receive him. Sinners snatch at
Christ sometimes, when God's hand is not open to give him. (2.) We must look at
this offering as made by God: himself. Faith taketh Christ out of his Father's hands. (3.) We must take
whole Christ, as Lord and Saviour; and (4.) We must
take him with our whole hearts.
Therefore I
shall explain this receiving with the whole heart in-reference to both objects, the word and Christ
First, What is it to receive the word with our whole hearts? There
is nothing so difficult as to draw the acts of faith into a method.
1. It implieth an act of the will; there must not only be
knowledge and acknowledgment that the doctrine is true, but an actual choice
and a willing acceptation. Faith apprehendeth the
covenant made in Christ, not only as true, but good; and so answerably there is
not only a believing with the mind, but a believing with the heart: Rom. x. 10,
'With the heart man believeth.' The faculty answereth
the object: 1 Tim. i. 15, 'This is a faithful
saying.' \~pistov\~ \~o\~ \~logov\~, and then, \~pashv\~ \~apodochv\~ \~axiov\~, 'worthy of
all acceptation,' &c. So that there is required some motion of the heart,
besides intellectual assent
2.
This act of the will is accompanied with some sensible affection: Heb. xi. 13,
\~aspasamenoi\~ \~tas\~ \~epaggeliav\~, 'they embraced the promises;' they hugged
and clasped about, and embraced the promises. All acts of faith do necessarily
imply answerable affections. The [Pg. 234] children of God embrace the promises
with delight, receive the threat-enings
with trembling and reverence, and the commandments with all cheerfulness: Acts
ii. 41, 'Then they that received the word gladly,' \~asemenwv\~, not
as a people that are overcome receive laws from the conqueror, or as Zipporah circumcised her child, with grudging and
discontent, but with hearty and cheerful consent. I confess there is,
and ever will be, an opposition of the flesh: a man doth not receive the whole
word as a thirsty man receiveth sweet drink, but as a
sick man, or one that is thirsty after health receiveth
physic, or a bitter potion, with an earnest serious desire, though his appetite
loatheth it. There is a hearty consent to God's
terms, because they know it will be for their welfare; as Laban,
when he heard Jacob's proposals, 'What shall I give thee? the
speckled and spotted among the flocks.' Gen. xxx. 34. Laban said, 'Behold, I
would it might be according to thy word.' Oh! would to
God that this were my share, that God would take up the quarrel between himself
and me.
3. This
affection is accompanied with a pursuit, or serious
making after those hopes. There is a care and anxiousness of obedience, or
taking the next course to speed, that we may find him, and feel him in our
consciences: 'They received the word gladly, and were baptized.' Acts ii. 41. In every contract where the parties are agreed
there is a signing and sealing; so 'they received the word.' and 'were baptized;
that was the next course to come under these hopes. A contract lieth void and dead if there be consent yet no performance.
So 'faith without works is dead.' Faith is a consent
to God's covenant, yet because there is no answerable obedience, this consent
is void, and to no effect Now this is the utmost extension of the will, in
motions and addresses towards Christ. Faith is expressed by coming to Christ, qui
se dot in warn. A man pntteth himself into the
way of salvation, upon a search and inquiry after Christ We know not what will
come of it, but we will continue seeking: 'I will go to my father.'
4. These endeavours are supported by affiance, or a resolution to wait
upon God till the blessings of the covenant be accomplished and made good.
Though they meet with difficulties, they keep wrestling with God: Gen. xxxii. 26, 'I will not let thee go unless thou bless me.'
There is an obstinate purpose: Job xiii. 15,' Though
he slay me, yet will I trust in him.' So they will have Christ, whatever it
cost them: Phil. iii. 8, 9, 'I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for
whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I
may win Christ, and be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which
is after the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the
righteousness which is of God by faith.' Faith may be shaken, but it will not lose
its hold; as a tree groweth though it be bended with the wind. Thus you see what it is to receive
the word with our whole heart; not only to acknowledge the truth of it, but to
choose and accept it as our direction, with all cheerfulness, and accordingly
make out after the hopes of Christianity, resolving not to be discouraged,
whatever entertainment we meet with from God and the world.
Secondly,
There is a receiving Christ with the whole heart Art
thou willing to take Christ upon these terms? Yes, saith
the soul, [Pg. 235] with all my
heart. This answer were enough, if it were simple and
genuine. But because we profane and prostitute these words to every slight
matter, the deceit is not so easily discovered. We are wont to say of every
trifle, I love such a thing with all my heart; I will do it with all my heart;
whereas these words are of a sacred sound and importance; and did not we
adulterate them so often as we do, but keep them consecrate to God, to whom
alone they are proper, the very pronouncing of them would awaken conscience; we
could not give such an answer but conscience would give us the lie. Let us then
inquire into the thing, and see a little in the nature of the thing (for there
is no trust in the expression), what this believing in Christ with all the
heart, or receiving Christ with all the heart, doth imply. I answer
1. It implieth that your whole and sole dependence must be
entirely carried out to him. God will have no rivals in the trust and
confidence of the creature. A king in his progress, that
takes up an inn, will have it wholly to himself, much less will he have
any to share with him in his own bedchamber. So here, you must trust Christ
alone with your welfare. We believe with our whole heart when we have such a
persuasion of his sufficiency that we durst venture all in his hands; m matter
of remission of sin we mind no confidence but in his grace: Heb. x. 22,' Let us
draw near with a true heart, in full assurance of faith.' \~alhyinh\~
\~kapdia\~, a heart that
doth not secretly run put to other props and confidence. Truth and sincerity in
believing is there intended, not in obedience. Faith is a simple single trust
in God's mercy; the heart is very deceitful. Christ beareth
the name, but the confidence is secretly built on our own merits; as those
women in Isaiah, Isaiah iv. 1, 'We
will eat our own bread, and wear our own apparel, only let us be called by thy
name.' People will say they trust in Christ alone,
and yet secretly rest on their own innocency and good
meanings. But most sensibly this perverseness of trust is discovered in matters
of providence; those that put half their trust in Christ, and half in the
world, do not believe with their whole hearts. They pretend they can trust
Christ for pardon, grace, and glory, and yet cannot trust him for a morsel of
bread; they find no difficulty in believing in Christ for salvation and
remission of sins, and yet cannot believe that he will give them daily bread.
What should be the reason? Heaven and pardon of sins are greater mercies, and,
if conscience were opened, we should see the difficulty to obtain them to be
greater. There are more natural prejudices, but bodily wants are more pressing
to a conscience not sufficiently convinced. And here faith is presently to be
exercised with difficulties. In matters of grace, men are more slight and
inconsiderate, and content themselves with some general cold per-suasions, and
therefore do not believe with their whole hearts. Alas I temporal salvation is
more easy. Can you look for heaven, who cannot trust
him for a crust of bread? Do you know what it is to venture your souls in
Christ's hands, notwithstanding sins, notwithstanding death, and yet soon
despond in time of danger, and when outward means of preservation fail?
2. To
receive Christ with the whole heart is to receive him as an all-sufficient saviour, when every faculty seeketh
contentment in Christ. [Pg. 236]
We ought not
only to acknowledge him to be the true mediator, but to choose and receive him
for oar all-sufficient portion. Worldly men look to Christ as fit for their
consciences, but look to the world as an object for their affections. Now
Christ should not only pacify the conscience, but satisfy the heart We should
come to him, not only as a physician to heal oar wounds, but as a husband to
satisfy and content our love, as a meet object for our affections. The whole
soul is to clasp about him. He is not only good in a way of profit, but amiable
hi away of excellency;
therefore the whole heart is to be given him. The things of the world are good
but for one thing; food is good to satisfy the appetite, yet we must have
clothes to warm the back.
But Christ
is good for all things; he is not only the physician of the soul, but the
beloved: Ps. lxxiii. 25, 'Whom
have I in heaven but thee? and there is none on earth
that I desire besides thee;' since there is none eo
fit to match and wed then affections.
3. To
receive him with the whole heart is to make after him with the earnest motions
and lively affections of the soul, as desire and delight Carnal men have a
naked imaginary persuasion, but no lively affections to Christ, unless it be
for a very small while. They never felt the bitterness of sin, and so have not
such vehement and strong motion· of heart towards Christ Conviction of
conscience differeth much from literal assent Carnal
men have a literal assent and speculative delight in contemplation, but not
such labour and travail of soul to get an interest in
Christ Swimming is for life and death; it is not a work proper for him that standeth on firm land, but for those that are ready to be
swallowed up of the waves. Nor have they such delight;
a stomach always full knoweth not the sweetness of
bread. Christ relieheth only with troubled
consciences.
Use of the whole. Well, then, you see that there is
required to faith, \~gnwsiv\~ and \~lhfiv\~, knowledge and receiving.
1. \~Gnwisv\~, knowledge. There is a knowledge
before faith, in faith, and after faith. Before faith; a man must know what he
believes, or else he cannot believe. See scriptures: John x. 38,' That ye may
know and believe that the Father is in me, and I in him;' 1 John iv. 16, 'We have known, and have believed the love that God
hath to us;' John vi. 69, 'We know and believe that
thou art Christ' We must first know before we can
believe. In faith there is a knowledge, an
apprehension as well as discourse, a pregnant apprehension. Faith is a clear light, it freeth the soul from the
mists of prejudice, by representing God in the all-sufficiency of grace and
power: Heb. xi. 3, 'Through faith we understand that the world was framed by
the word of God.' It puzzled the philosophers, but faith maketh
all clear. After faith, 2 Peter i. 5, 'Add to your
faith, virtue; and to virtue, knowledge.' Faith is the fruit of knowledge, knowledge is the fruit of faith. So Ps. cxix. 66,' Teach me good
judgment and knowledge, for I have believed thy commandments;' that is, a
fuller manifestation. First we receive the word by faith, then
we know more. Oportet discentem credere.
First we know that it is, then how it is. The ground of faith is that they
are revealed. How or what they are we learn by more acquaintance and
experience. Light is always increasing, most necessary to the Christian life.
Faith is as knowledge is, more or less [Pg. 237] explicit, yet not so explicit
but that there is some implicitness in it, as long as we live here: 1 John iii.
2, 'It doth not yet appear what we shall be; but this we know, that when he
shall appear, we shall be like him.' We have not a particular account, not a
reason of the thing, but we have a reason why we believe it.
2. \~ahfiv\~. This is a
proper act of faith. God is always on the giving, and we on the receiving hand;
we receive the word, we receive Christ, and we receive remission of sins, and
glory; the main of our duty is but a receiving.
Let me press
you to receive the word, to receive Christ.
1. Receive the
word, give it a kind entertainment There is an act of consideration; meditate
upon it seriously, that truth may not float in the understanding, but sink into
the heart: Luke ix. 44, 'Let these sayings sink down into your hearts.' Believe
it: the truth is a sovereign remedy; but there wanteth
one ingredient to make it work, and that is faith:
Heb. iv. 2, 'The word preached did not profit them,
not being mixed with faith in them that heard it.' There is an act of the will
and affections, which is called,' a receiving the truth in love,' 2 Thes. ii. 10. Make room for it, that
carnal affections may not vomit and throw it up again. Christ complaineth that' hie word had no
place in them,' John viii. 37, \~ou\~ \~cwrei\~ \~en\~ \~umin\~, like a queasy stomach possessed with choler,
that casts up all that is taken into it: 1 Cor. ii.
14, 'A natural man receiveth not the things of the
Spirit of God.' Let it lodge, and quietly exercise a sovereign command over the
soul.
2. Receive Christ
in the word. In a contract, there is not only a receiving a bond, but, by
virtue of the bond, an inheritance conveyed to us. So you must not only receive
the word; we are not saved by-giving credit to any maxim of religion, fides
non est assensus
axiomati. Not they that saw the ark—many saw it,
and scoffed—but they that were in it, were saved from
drowning. When a man is ready to perish in the floods, it is not enough to see
land, but we must reach it, stand upon it, if we would be safe. It is not a naked
contemplation, but a real implantation into Christ. Now, if you will know it,
whatever was in Christ in the history, must be in you in the mystery. You are
adopted sons, 1 John iii. 1. Christ must be formed and conceived in you, Gal. iv. 19. You must suffer, and be crucified to the world and
sin, Rom. vi. 6. You must be buried and raised up
again, Col. ii. 12. All is to be done in a spiritual
manner. I speak not this to turn all scripture into an allegory, but every act
of Christ hath some spiritual accommodation.
So much for
these two acts or parts of faith, they have known surely, and have received thy
word.
Before I go off from this
clause, there are two or three observations to be raised, especially if we
compare this verse with John xvi. 27-31, 'For the Father himself loveth you, because ye have loved me, and believed that I
came forth from God. I came forth from the Father, and am come into the world:
again, I leave the world, and go to the Father. His disciples said unto him,
Lo, now speakest thou plainly, and speakest no proverb. Now are we sure that thou knowest all things, and needest
not that any man should ask thee: by this we believe that thou earnest forth
from God. Jesus answered them, Do [Pg.
238] 238 ye now believe?' From whence I observe, that this was but a late
acknowledgment: ver. 30, 'Now we are sure, and by this we believe, that thou
earnest forth from God.' And presently, within an hour, Christ commendeth it to his Father,' They have known surely, and
have believed.'
1. Observe, how ready Christ
is to take notice of the good that is wrought in us. He watcheth for an occasion
to commend us to God. Satan and his instruments, they watch for our halting: Jer. xx. 10, 'All my familiars watched for my halting,
peradventure he will be enticed.' Let us watch, say they, we may have matter
against him. The devil is a spy, that lieth upon the
catch that he may frame an accusation against you before God—(a dog doth not
wait for a bit from his master's trencher, more than he doth for a passionate
word)—some evil gesture and practice, whereof to accuse us; so his instruments
watch to defame you in the world. But now Jesus Christ looketh
after matter of praise and commendation. 'Now we know verily, and believe;' and
Christ presently telleth his Father of it. Oh! what an encouragement should this be to press us to grow in
knowledge, and to abound in every good work (You furnish your intercessor with
matter of praise, and give your advocate an advantage against your accuser.
Christ watcheth for a good action as the devil doth
for a bad. He is a swift witness, not only against his adversaries, but for his
people: Mal. iii. 5, 'I will come near to yon in judgment, and I will be a
swift witness against the sorcerers,' &c. He
cometh to convince them sooner than they are aware; none of their sins are
unknown to him, and they are brought in court before they dream of it. And the
godly have a witness in heaven too. So Job xvi. 20, 'Behold,
my witness is in heaven, and my record is on high.' And he is a swift witness;
we-reap the fruit of many actions as soon as they are performed. A continual
experience we have of this disposition of Christ in the speedy answer of
prayers: Isa. lxiv. 24, 'And it shall come to pass,
that before they call, I will answer; and while they are yet speaking, I will
hear.' He is more ready to answer than we to crave. So it is said to Daniel, Dan.
x. 12, 'From the first day that thou didst set thine
heart to understand, and to chasten thyself before thy God, thy words were
heard.' See God's readiness to accept the services of his people; in the first
day of the three weeks he had set apart, ver. 2. Daniel thought it would be
long work, and God heard him the first day. Certainly God delighteth
in the graces of his children, when he doth so readily take notice of the first
act and exercise of them.
2. I
observe, by comparing that place with this, that the apostles' faith was weak,
not only imperfect, but inconstant, and subject to wavering, and yet Christ commendeth it to his Father: John xvi. 30, 31, 32,' We are sure thou knowest all
things, and needest not that any man should tell
thee: by this we believe that thou earnest forth from God. Jesus answered them,
Do ye now believe ? behold,
the hour cometh, and now is, that ye shall be scattered, every man to his own,
and shall leave me alone.' Yea, and indeed, if we look into the history of the
gospel, we shall find their faith was very weak. It is true they did receive
him for the Messiah, and did acknowledge that he was the Son of God, his
natural and only Son, which they knew by his baptism, [Pg. 239] by his transfiguration, by his miracles; they believed
that he was the Lamb taking away the sins of the world, that he was the living
manna that came down from heaven; but all this while their faith was weak; they
had but a confused sight of his godhead, of his eternal generation by the
Father; they knew little of his death, were leavened with the thoughts of a
terrene kingdom and pompous Messiah; understood not his predictions of his
death and passion. Peter gave him advice to the contrary, and at his death
denied him. So that though they knew him to be the Redeemer and Saviour of the world, yet the manner of his death and
passion they knew not: 'We trusted that it had been he that should have
redeemed
3. Observe again, from
Christ's mentioning their obedience, their knowledge, their faith. The Father
knew for whom Christ prayed; neither was there need to set forth their faith
and obedience in so many words, but that in the hearing of the apostles he
would draw forth the grounds of their thankfulness, and the evidences of their
interest. Well, then, this is the use we should make of our graces and duties
to praise the Lord, and to look upon them as so many arguments and evidences of
his love; partly to show them what kind of persons God will hear, such as know,
and believe, and obey, though in a weak measure.
Thirdly, The next
thing in the text is the chief object of justifying faith, and that is the
authority of Christ's mediation.
Observe,
the sum of Christian doctrine is to show that Christ was sent by God to save
sinners. This is the ground of all hope and firm confidence; he came out from
the Father to purchase grace, and went back again that we might receive it
But let us consider the
parts.
1.
'They have surely known that I came out from thee.'—This may be expounded two ways:—(1.) From thy essence, by eternal
generation; (2.) By thy command, as mediator.
If you take the former sense, it showeth that the
authority of Christ and of his Father were equal; he came out from him. If you
take the latter, it denotes their equal charity and love; the Father sent him;
and out of the same love, the Son came out from the Father; he assumed flesh,
emptied himself, and performed the office of a mediator, committed to him by
the Father. [Pg. 240]
Which is to
be preferred? Some say the first, \~para\~, \~sou\~ \~echlyon\~ it is a word
proper to the natural generation of the Son: Micah v. 2, 'Whose goings forth
have been of old, from everlasting.' The Spirit's procession is expressed by \~ekporeuetai\~, as the generation of Son by \~exercetai\~. It is said of none of the saints that they
come out from God. But though this eternal generation must not be excluded, yet
that which is chiefly intended here is that he came out by the command of God
as mediator, as is clear by that place, John xvi. 28, 'I came
forth from my Father, and am come into the world; again I leave the world, and
go unto the Father.' It is applied to his appearing as mediator before
God.
Observe the
great love of Christ, in that he came out from God for our sakes.
[1.] Consider
from whom he came, from the Father, from his bosom, from the full fruition of
the godhead, from the centre of rest, the seat of blessedness. We shall know
what place the bosom of the Father is, when we shall come to heaven, and shall
be glorified with Christ.
[2.] How he
came; not in pomp, or the equipage of a prince, but in the form of a servant He
was lord of all things, but he came now as the servant of God's decrees: John vi. 38, 'I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will,
but the will of him that sent me.' He was God's servant, not upon terms of
grace; his covenant was a covenant of works: Isa. liii.
11, 'He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied; by his
knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many.' He was subject to worldly
powers, 'a servant of rulers,' Isa. xlix. 7. He voluntarily submitted himself
to worldly powers. Nay, he came to be our servant: Mat xx. 28, 'Even as the βοή of man came not to be ministered
unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.' He came to
serve in the ministry of the gospel, to lay aside all the interests of his
human nature: Rom. xv. 3, 'Even as Christ pleased not himself.'
[3.] For
whom he came, for wretched men, to seat us in the vacant places of fallen
angels.
2. 'And they
have believed that thou hast sent me.' — There is a mission on God's part, as
well as obedience on Christ's.
Observe the
love of God in sending Christ, and giving him a charge concerning us. This
sending implieth distinction, but not inferiority.
Persons equal by mutual consent may send one another. The Father sent him
because in the business of salvation the original authority is slid to reside
in God the Father. God would not trust an angel with your salvation, but sent
his own Son: 1 John iv. 9, 10, 'In
this was manifested the love of God towards us, because that God sent his
only-begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him. Herein is
love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the
propitiation for our sins.' He thought nothing too dear nor too near for us.
His Son was not sent to treat with us, but to take our nature, to be
substituted into our room and place. But this point, of God's sending Christ,
hath fallen under our consideration in handling other verses of this chapter.