THE sacrament is an abridgment of the gospel, and we shall best suit the end of it when we lay before you the sum of the gospel in one entire view. This scripture presenteth us with the principal parts of it. It carrieth the form of a doxology or a thanksgiving; wherein observe -
1. The person to whom this doxology is directed, 'To him;' that is, to Jesus Christ, 'the faithful witness, the first begotten from the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth.'
2. The reasons or matter of it. Wherein - (1.) The moving cause of all that Christ hath done for us, 'He loved us.' (2.) The benefit obtained for us, 'He hath washed us from our sins in his own blood.' (3.) The fruit of it, 'And made us kings and priests unto God and his Father.'
3. The doxology itself, 'To him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.'
Doct. That the Lord Jesus deserveth everlastingly to be honoured, lauded, and praised by all the saints that make mention of his name.
John having occasionally mentioned Christ, falleth into this doxology.
Reasons. (1.) From what he is; (2.) For what he hath done for us; (3.) For the fruits and benefits we have thereby.
I. From what he is. He is described - (1.) To be 'the faithful witness,' who hath made known the will of the Father with all fidelity and certainty. (2.) As one who, being crucified, rose from the dead as our first-fruits, ascertaining our resurrection: 'The first begotten from the dead.' The apostle saith, Col. i. 18, 'The first-born from the dead.' The resurrection is a kind of birth, and Christ is the first-born or first-begotten, because he was the first that rose from the dead in his own strength, and vanquished death. Others were raised before him, but to die again; they were raised in their own single persons, he as a public person: 'But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the first-fruits of them that slept,' 1 Cor. xv. 20. And he will by the same power raise again all his members to immortality and life (3 ) He is 'the Prince of the kings of the earth;' one that hath all power given him in heaven and in earth, and is superior to all princes of the world, not only in regard of eminency, as a far greater prince than they, but authority and power over them; he is their Lord and sovereign as well as ours: as it is said, Dan. iv. 17, 'The Most High ruleth in the kingdoms of men, and giveth them to whomsoever he will.'
1. Observe, these titles are given to Christ with respect to his three offices of king, priest, and prophet. (1.) His prophetical office is implied in that term, 'The faithful Witness;' one that hath brought the gospel out of the bosom of God, and plainly and clearly revealed it to the world, and hath confirmed the certainty of it by divers miracles, especially by his death, from which he rose again, and ascended, and poured out the Spirit upon the disciples for a testimony; and still continueth that dispensation in part of giving the Spirit, so far as to assure the hearts of his people that this is the truth. (2.) His priesthood is implied in that expression, 'The first-begotten from the dead.' He died, and so offered himself as a sacrifice of atonement to God; he rose again, and is entered within the veil, to continue the exercise of that office by his constant intercession. (3.) His kingly office is implied in that other expression, 'The Prince of the kings of the earth.' They are all his vicegerents, absolutely at his dispose, and can do neither more nor less than he will have them: Mat. xxviii. 18, 'All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.' He hath supreme and absolute authority given him over all things, both in heaven and earth, for the good of the church; and in the church he is the only head and king, to appoint and maintain the way and means of gathering, preserving, ruling the church, and ordering all the affairs thereof to the world's end.
2. Observe, that all these titles are suited to the present occasion of this prophecy, which is to encourage his people to suffer persecution for the gospel's sake. (1) As he was 'The faithful Witness,' it assured their cause to be right. The gospel is called 'The testimony of Jesus Christ,' ver. 2. He declared nothing to us but the will of God. The flesh hath such a value for and tenderness of its interests, that men will soon distinguish themselves out of their duty if there be the least doubtfulness in the cause for which they suffer, or any suspicion of it. Therefore now, when dreadful troubles attended the profession of the gospel, he setteth forth Christ as 'The faithful Witness,' to heighten their zeal. As also, Rev. iii. 14, 'These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true Witness.' (2.) As he was 'The first-begotten from the dead,' it still encourageth them more, by assuring them of a joyful resurrection if their lives should fall in this quarrel and conflict. This should allay all the fears of death. Christ is not called the first-born of the living, but the first-born from the dead, to own a relation to us in every condition, dead as well as living: he, as the first-born, rose as a pledge and pattern of what should be done to us. (3 ) As 'Prince of the kings of the earth,' of whose power and persecutions they were so much afraid, but needed not; for they are not only accountable to Christ at last, which those adverse powers little valued, having not embraced the profession of the gospel; but were held in by the reins of his government for the present, so as they could not so much as touch an hair of their heads without his leave. So that here was much encouragement for suffering Christians, who at that time were to conflict with great difficulties, and exposed to the slaughters and butcheries of cruel enemies.
3. Observe, all these titles serve to beget a reverence and great respect in our hearts to the person that owneth them; he is 'The faithful Witness.' The great prophet of the church should be regarded by us: ‘This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye him,' Mat xvii. 5. We are to hearken to him, believe him, obey him, as knowing that we must stand or fall at the sentence of his word. He is the greatest and most excellent of all the prophets, and far above them all, who knew more of God and of his mind than all they joined in one; and hath declared his will more fully, clearly, and powerfully; and shall we set at nought his counsel? Some that despised the counsel of an ordinary prophet smarted for it: Heb. x. 28, 29, 'He that despised Moses’ law died without mercy under two or three witnesses: of how much sorer punishment suppose ye shall he be thought worthy who hath trodden under foot the Son of God?' who came out of his bosom on purpose to teach us the way of salvation. If he require repentance and faith, with a promise of righteousness and eternal life, and a commination of eternal death unavoidable, if we believe not, nor repent, we are to believe it with all certainty, to set about this work with all care and diligence, and continue therein with all constancy and perseverance: Heb. xii. 25, 'See that ye refuse not him that speaketh; for if they escaped not who refused him that spake on earth, much more shall not we escape, if we turn away from him that speaketh from heaven.' Christ came from heaven at first, returned to heaven again, from heaven sent down the Holy Ghost upon the apostles, and by that Spirit enabled them to preach the gospel with success. Oh, surely we should attend to his doctrine, and receive it with firm assent, and obey it with humble submission.
Again, he is 'The first-begotten from the dead.' That he died should render him dear to us, for it was for our sakes, as I shall show by-and-by. That he rose again was for our sakes, for our justification: ‘Who was delivered for our offences, and rose again for our justification,' Rom. iv. 25; for it showeth that his sacrifice was accepted as sufficient for our atonement. Yea, for our blessed resurrection : 1 Cor. xv. 20, 'But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the first-fruits of them that slept;' as the whole harvest was blessed and sanctified in a little handful of the first-fruits offered to God. But I urge it now as an argument why we should give him glory, as deserving it by the greatness of his person. This made it evident that he was the Son of God: Rom. i. 4, 'Declared to be the Son of God with power, by the resurrection from the dead.' The true Messiah, and judge of the world: Acts xvii. 31, 'Because he hath appointed a day in the which he will judge the world in righteousness, by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead.' If he had been an impostor, neither could he have raised up himself, being a mere man, nor would God have raised him up; for we cannot imagine that divine providence would co-operate to countenance a lie or cheat. As then you would not be found enemies to Christ in his imperial day, give him glory and dominion. If you slight him, you despise one that is evidently declared to be the Son of God. And there is no medium; either he must be your loving Saviour or your terrible judge. If you neglect him, he will not be the first-born from the dead to you, nor the first-fruits to you - the first-fruits did not bless the tares, or the cockle, or darnel, or filthy weeds, but only the good corn-though raised again you shall be by his judicial power.
Again, he is 'The Prince of the kings of the earth,' and therefore highly to be respected. Respect to great ones and fawning upon great ones is the practice of all the world; all will seek the ruler's face. As all rivers run to the sea, so do all the respects of the world to the great and the mighty; and is not the Son of God worthy of our respects, that is set down at the right hand of majesty above all? If we did live by faith as much as by sense, we would see it is our interest as well as our duty to honour Christ; we would not fear a mortal man, that can threaten us with a prison, but Christ, who can threaten us with hell; nor be dismayed at the frowns of men when Christ smiles: 'Who would not fear thee, O Lord, and glorify thy name?' Rev. xv. 4. We would yield up ourselves to be his willing subjects, and obey his laws, who can reward us, not with temporal dignities, but eternal life. The authority and power that all others have is but derived from Christ, and subordinate to him; therefore, if he smiles, whose frowns need we fear? He is the one lawgiver, that hath potestatem vitae et necis, power of life and death; he is able to destroy absolutely, and you may be safe in his protection. Well, then, if we consider what he is, he deserveth everlastingly to be honoured.
II. What he hath done for us, 'He loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood.' And there we begin -
First, With the fountain and bosom cause of all, and that is Christ's love: 'To him that loved us.’
1. Christ's love is the ground of man's redemption; that stirred all the causes, and set them a-work, that concurred to this end. Other attributes were manifested in the redemption of mankind, as God's wisdom, power, justice, holiness; but they are all subservient to love: but love is at the upper end of all causes, subservient to nothing but itself. If you ask a reason of other things, it may be assigned; but if you ask a reason of his love, that cannot be given but from itself. If the question be, Wherefore did God discover such riches of wisdom, goodness, and power, for the saving poor worthless creatures? He loved us: John iii. 16, 'God so loved the world, that he gave his only-begotten Son.' Wherefore did Jesus Christ submit to such bitter agonies, such an accursed death? He loved us: Eph. v. 2, 'Walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling savour;' Eph. v. 25, 'Christ loved the church, and gave himself for it;' and Gal. ii. 20, 'Christ liveth in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh, I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.' But now put the question, Wherefore did he love us? Love only is the reason of itself; he loved us because he loved us: Deut. vii. 7, 8, ‘The Lord did not set his love on you, nor choose you, because ye were more in number than any people, &c., but because the Lord loved you.'
2. As it is the fountain cause, so it was that property that shined forth most conspicuously in the work of redemption: Rom. v. 8, 'God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.' And therefore this is that which we should most admire and be ravished with in our thoughts. Here, next to the description of the excellency of Christ's person, the first thing mentioned in the doxology itself is this, 'To him that loved us.' This is a comfortable word, as if Jesus would be described and known by nothing so much as by his love. What was the Son of God but love incarnate, love born of a virgin, love conversing in the world, and preaching salvation to poor sinners; love going about and doing good; love relieving the diseased and the possessed, curing the deaf, and the dumb, and the blind, and the lame; and finally, love dying and hanging on the cross? 'God is love,' 1 John iv. 8. The angels in heaven adore this love, though spectators, not parties interested; he came not for their sakes, but ours only. We have a little notional knowledge of it, but could we once find the saving effects of God's love in Christ, impressed upon our hearts by the Spirit, how would you be melted and ravished, and ever be thinking what glory and honour you might bring to him that thus loved you? You and I may discourse of it; it is not a few cold thoughts of the love of Christ will work on us, but ‘the shedding of this love abroad in your hearts by the Holy Ghost,’ Rom. v. 5. There is no knowledge like the experimental knowledge which ariseth from the felt and known effects of this love; this would awaken your hopes, fill you with solid comfort, excite you to your duty: 2 Cor. v. 14, 'For the love of Christ constraineth us.' However, till you have this, the means you must use are sound belief and serious consideration.
[1.] Embracing by faith the love of God in Christ, and the good things prepared by it, as they are revealed and offered in the gospel; that is the way to get this fuller insight and experimental knowledge and feeling of this love; for so the apostle prayeth, Eph. iii. 17-19, 'That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; and to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge;' 1 John iv. 16, 'We have known and believed the love which God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him.'
[2.] The serious contemplation and meditation of it. It is your duty to study it with the deepest, serious, and most ponderous thoughts you can use: Eph. iii. 18, 'That we may comprehend the breadth, and length, and depth, and height of it.' We are not to content ourselves with a superficial view of God's love in Christ, but must take an accurate inspection of it, in all the dimensions thereof, upward, downward, on the right hand and left. Narrow thoughts and shallow apprehensions do little good, either as to God's glory, or our solid comfort, and that earnest constraint or encouragement to duty which it is wont to produce in the heart. We must neither do it slightly nor seldom. Our hearts are too narrow to understand it all at once; it is so vast and boundless, so rich and unsearchable, yea, infinite. We never know so much but there remaineth more still to be known. Therefore we must often renew the meditation, and continue it so long, till the heart be warmed, and ready to break out into praise; and till our wonder and admiration be raised, and we see the object too big for the faculty, for it is beyond all created understanding; till we be swallowed and overwhelmed in this deep and bottomless ocean, and through a penury of thoughts cry out, Oh, the depth of the riches of the mercy and love of God! For the present I shall content myself with four properties of this love.
(1.) It was a free love: 'I will love them freely,’ Hosea xiv. 4. If he did not love us with a free love, how could he love us at all? What could he foresee in us but what was the effect of his own grace? We were neither loving nor lovely. Not loving; we did not prevent God. To love those that love us, it hath nothing singular; that is the ordinary courtesy of the world. By nature we were God's enemies, and what could an enemy deserve? Not lovely; all that grace that is wrought in us afterward is his gift; therefore this was at first a free love, that had no motive nor foundation but within itself. He loveth us, not because he seeth anything lovely or amiable in us, but only because he will demonstrate the absoluteness of his own will, and self-inclination to do us good.
(2 ) It was a real love, not an empty complimenting love; it rested not in good wishes; there was great proof and manifestation of it: 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.' It was such a love as made him leave the height of his glory, and assume our nature, and die in that nature, and shed his blood, and by it wash us from our sins. There was a benevolence in it, and a beneficence also. A man may wish health when another is sick, and supplies when another is poor; but Christ did not wish us well only; but as fire showeth itself by heat and by light, so love by the real effects of it. Perhaps thou sayest to another, Believe that I love thee; but while this is only professed in words, he may believe it, but he cannot see it; but if upon occasion you do anything for him, or expose yourself to danger for his sake, then he saith, Now I see that thou lovest me. So God to Abraham: Gen. xxii. 12, 'Now I know that thou fearest God, seeing thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only son, from me.' Here is a plain proof and signal evidence. So here; Christ hath demonstrated the reality of his love; the man seeth it
(3.) It was eminent and transcendent love. Compare it with the love of one creature to another, and in all the world you cannot find a parallel to equal it: John xv. 13, 'Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friend.' But where is that rare instance of friendship? Rom. v. 6-8, 'For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die; yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die. But God commendeth his love towards us, in that, while we were yet enemies, Christ died for us.' He died, the just for the unjust, the judge for the offender, God for sinners. It can be resembled by no love upon earth; therefore he himself compareth his love to lost sinners with the Father's love to him: John xv. 9, 'As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you.' It is eternal, incomprehensible, and unchangeable.
(4.) It was a full love, removing our misery, procuring all blessings for us, to make us completely happy; for as it fetched us from the lowest hell, it leaveth us not till it bringeth us to joys and happiness in the highest heavens: 1 Thes. v. 9, 10, 'For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ; who died for us, that, whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with him.’ Well, then, if I should stop here, I hope you have so much ingenuity and sense of your Redeemer's affection to you as to say, 'To him be glory and dominion, even to him who loved us.'
Secondly, The signal act of his love to us: 'He washed us from our sins in his own blood.'
1. Observe, this is put as the great instance of his love. We cannot know the love of God by any other fruit and benefit till this be done. By the bounty of his general providence he provideth for all his creatures, and feedeth them, and maintaineth them in that kind of being unto which he hath raised them out of nothing. So he supplieth the young ravens and the beasts of the field; much more is he good to mankind; he giveth them food aid raiment convenient for them, and beareth with them notwithstanding their renewed provocations: Acts xiv. 17, 'Nevertheless, he left not himself without witness, in that he did good, and gave us rain from heaven, and fruitful seasons, filling our hearts with food and gladness.' The heathen might trace God by acts of bounty rather than acts of vengeance. But hereby they can have no assurance of God's special love to them; for 'No man knoweth love or hatred by all that is before them,' Eccles. ix. 1. Thou canst not say, God giveth me riches, therefore he loveth me; or sendeth me poverty, therefore he hateth me. No; he may give these things to his enemies, and deny them to his friends; but you may undoubtedly conclude, He loveth me, for he hath washed me from my sins. Clear this once, and you have a full and concluding proof of God's special love to you.
2. The value and worth of this benefit is exceeding great. This will appear if you consider -
[1.] The necessity of it. We were all defiled with sin, which is such a filthiness and stain as cannot easily be washed away. The party displeased and provoked is God, and the party defiled is the immortal soul of man, which being subject to the power of God, and bound by his laws, upon disobedience is conscious to itself of the merit of death and punishment, and debarred from all communion with God. And it cannot have any sound peace till it knows that God is satisfied, and that it shall be admitted again into terms of grace and favour with him. That sin hath made us filthy and loathsome to God, that we cannot please him, nor be accepted with him, the word doth not only assert it: Ps xiv. 2, 3, 'The Lord looked down from heaven upon the children of men, to see if there were any that did understand, and seek God. They are all gone aside, they are altogether become filthy, there is none that doeth good, no not one;' Job xv. 14, 'What is man, that he should be clean? and he that is born of a woman, that he should be righteous?' Job xiv. 4, 'Who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean? not one.' But conscience is in part sensible of it, so that a sinner hath a secret dread and shyness of God, especially upon the commission of actual sins: 1 John iii. 20, 21, 'For if our heart condemn us, God is greater than our heart, and knoweth all things. Beloved, if our heart condemn us not, then have we confidence towards God.' I know generally man looketh to the foulness and cleanness of the body, but is insensible of the stain of the soul. Yet we cannot always exempt, no, not the worst, from a secret sense of this. However, our misery and happiness dependeth upon God's judgment, not our own; if in the eye of God all of us are polluted and unclean, lying in our blood, defiled with the guilt of sin already committed, and the filthy vileness of sin yet indwelling. This is evident, we were miserable enough till God found out a remedy; and this misery is the deeper, because man loveth what God loatheth; as the swine loveth wallowing in the mire, and therefore it is a creature loathsome to us. We count sin a bravery, when it is the greatest impurity, a filthiness deeply ingrained in our natures, and therefore not easily washed away, both us to the guilt, as also to the stain and blot.
[2.] This being our misery, Christ came to wash us, and with no other laver than his own blood, as a priest offering himself a sacrifice for our sins. The remedy for so great a mischief must have a noble and excellent cause. That blood was necessary appeareth by the types of the law, for the typical expiation was made by the blood of bulls and goats offered in sacrifice. And that no blood but the blood of Jesus Christ would serve the turn is evident, if you consider the party displeased and provoked, who was God; the party defiled, the immortal spirit of man; and the heinous nature of the offence, which was a breach of his righteous and eternal law. Therefore it is said, 1 John i. 7, 'The blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin;' Heb. i. 3, 'He by himself purged our sins;' and Heb. ix. 13, 14, 'If the blood of bulls and of goats, and the ashes of an heifer sprinkling the unclean, sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh, how much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works, to serve the living God?' There is virtue and efficacy enough in the blood of Christ, partly from the institution of God, and its own manifold worth and value, as being the blood of God; partly by the way and manner in which it was offered, by an act done in our nature, of the greatest obedience and self-denial that ever was or can be, and so God is fully repaired in point of honour.
[3.] This sacrifice thus offered was accepted of God in the behalf of sinful man, as a full price and merit to procure for us both justification and sanctification. We needed both, being polluted both with the guilt and stain of sin. Both are a trouble to a sensible conscience or an awakened sinner, who is in the next capacity to receive this sacrifice: 1 John i. 9, 'If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.' As a man that hath broken his leg is not only troubled with the pain, but would have it set right again. Both are implied in this washing, and both are effectually accomplished by virtue of his bloody death and sacrifice: 1 Cor. vi. 11, 'And such were some of you; but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified, in the name of our Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.' And Christ hath obtained both by virtue of his bloody death and sacrifice for our pardon and restitution to God's grace and favour: Rom. v. 1, 'Therefore, being justified by faith, we have peace with God, through our Lord Jesus Christ.' As also the gift of the Spirit, to sanctify and renew us to the image of God: Titus iii 5, 6, 'Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost, which he shed on us abundantly, through Jesus Christ our Saviour.'
[4.] Besides the impetration of this benefit, we must consider the application. The sacrifice had power to purge us and wash us from our sins, as soon as it was offered and accepted of God. The procuring of the power is the impetration, which was antecedent to actual pardon and sanctification; therefore it is said, 'When he had by himself purged our sins, he sat down at the right hand of the majesty on high,’ Heb. i. 3. Then he interposed the merit; then was the first grant made or liberty given. But then for the application: It is applied when we submit to those terms that are agreed upon between our Redeemer and God, as our supreme judge and lawgiver. As when this sacrifice is believed and depended on, and pleaded in an humble and broken-hearted manner, and improved to thankfulness, and resolutions to return to the obedience of our creator, then is sin actually pardoned, and our hearts cleansed. He did not pardon, nor cleanse, nor sanctify, as soon as this blood was shed upon the cross, until it be effectually applied to the filthy soul by a lively faith: Acts xv. 9, 'Purifying their hearts by faith;' and a serious and broken-hearted repentance: 1 John i. 9, 'If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins.' We must bewail our sins, depend upon the sacrifice of Christ, sue out the virtue of it by prayer: Ps. li. 2, 'Wash me thoroughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin.' Extinguish the love of sin by godly sorrow and all holy means, and mortify the flesh by the help of the Spirit: Rom. viii. 13, 'If ye through the Spirit mortify the deeds of the body,’ &c.; and more and more interest ourselves in his cleansing.
[5.] Because the application is a difficult work. Besides the purchase of the gift of the Spirit, Christ hath instituted the help of the word and sacraments, to bring us into possession of this benefit: Eph. v. 26, 'That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word.' The merit of his death falleth upon these means, that we may use them with the more confidence: John xv. 3, 'Now are ye clean through the word which I have spoken unto you.’ The word is the glass wherein to see corruption, which sets a-work to seek purging; by that our sense of our natural impurity is revived, the means and causes of our cleansing set down, that we may with deep humiliation confess our sin, humbly sue out the grace offered, and wait for it in the conscionable use of all the means of grace. And for the sacraments: As the word containeth the charter and grant of Christ and all his benefits to those that will receive him, so this is the seal of the grant: Rom. iv. 11, 'He received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of faith;' whereby we are more confirmed in waiting for the Spirit, and excited to look for this benefit from Christ. Well, then, we must still lie at the pool of the word and sacraments.
And now you have my second argument why Jesus Christ should be honoured, lauded, and praised by all the saints; because he hath done so great an office of love, and procured so great a benefit for us, as the washing away of our sins in his blood, that we might be admitted to communion with God.
III. The fruits and benefits that we have thereby: 'He hath made us kings and priests unto God, and to his Father.' This doth oblige us the more to ascribe, and give glory and dominion to him for ever and ever, since he hath brought us into communion with God, and set us apart as consecrated persons, such as kings and priests were of old, to perform daily service to God.
In this third thing -
1. Observe the order. We must be washed from our sins before we can be kings and priests, or minister before the Lord. Aaron and his sons, though they were formerly designed to be priests, yet they could not officiate and act as priests before they were consecrated. So must we be consecrated and made priests to God, and that by the blood of Christ. They were seven days in consecrating. This whole life is the time of our consecration, which goeth on by degrees, and will be made complete, both for body and soul, upon the resurrection, when we shall be fit to approach the throne of glory, and serve our God in a perfect manner, in the eternal temple of heaven. For this life, though our consecration be not finished, yet here we are styled an holy priesthood, to minister before the throne of grace, though not before the throne of glory. Now, if we be washed from our sins in the laver of regeneration, we may draw near to God, as the priests under the law were washed in the laver, and then came to the altar. It holdeth good both in this life and in the life to come, that none but the washed can come so near to God, either before the throne of grace or throne of glory. The throne of grace: Heb. x. 22, 'Let us draw near with a true heart, in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water.' So Heb. ix. 14, 'How much more shall the blood of Christ, who, through the eternal Spirit, offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?’ In the state of glory: Rev. vii. 14, 15: 'These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. Therefore are they before the throne of God, and serve him day and night in his temple.' The persecuted saints, who came out of great tribulation, they first washed their robes in the blood of the Lamb, before they were admitted, as priests, to stand before the throne of God, to serve him day and night in his temple. Sanctification must go before consecration; and the more sanctified, the more consecrated. When our sanctification is finished, then our consecration is consummate; and then we shall have a full communion with our God, a clear vision of his eternal beauty, and as great a fruition of his godhead as we shall be capable of, in a state of full contentment, joy, and blessedness.
2. The privileges are exceedingly great, to be consecrated to so high a dignity; that we should be consecrated or set apart for God, to be objects of his special grace, and instruments of his glory and service. Much more, that we should be advanced to so great a dignity as to be kings and priests to God. We share in Christ's own dignity. He was a king and a priest, so are we; he had an unction, so have we; he was Christ, we are Christians: by virtue of our union with him, we are partakers of his kingdom and priesthood. The church of Israel was called 'a kingdom of priests,' Exod. xix. 6; and believers in the new testament are called 'a royal priesthood,’ 1 Peter ii. 9; not to disturb civil kings, or the order God hath instituted in the church; for it is kings and priests 'to God,’ not to the world. Let us consider these privileges asunder.
[1.] Kings. King is a name of honour, power, and ample possession.
(1.) Here we reign spiritually, as we vanquish the devil, the world, and the flesh in any measure. It is a princely thing to be above these inferior things, and to trample them under our feet in an holy and heavenly pride. An heathen could say, Rex est qui metuit nihil, rex est qui cupit nihil - He is a king that fears nothing, and desires nothing. He that is above the hopes and fears of the world. He that hath his heart in heaven, and is above temporal accidents, the ups and downs of the world, the world beneath his heart and affections, this man is of a kingly spirit. Christ's kingdom is not of this world, neither is a believer's: Rev. v. 10, 'Thou hast made us unto our God kings and priests, and we shall reign on the earth,’ viz., in a spiritual way. It is a beastly thing to serve our lusts, but kingly to have our conversations in heaven, and vanquish the world: 1 John v. 4,5, 'Whosoever is born of God overcometh the world; and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith. Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?' To live up to our faith and love with a noble royal spirit.
(2.) Hereafter we shall reign visibly and gloriously, when we shall sit upon thrones with Christ, at his last coming to judge the world, and angels themselves: Mat xix. 28, 'Verily, I say unto you, that ye which have followed me, in the regeneration, when the Son of man shall sit on the throne of his glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel;' Luke xxii. 29, 30, 'I appoint unto you a kingdom, as my Father hath appointed unto me; that ye may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom, and sit on thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.' This was spoken at the Lord's supper, which is a pledge of it: 'The upright shall have dominion over them in the morning,’ Ps. xlix. 14.
(3.) They shall be kings eternally in heaven: Luke xii. 32, 'Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom;' 2 Tim. ii. 12, 'If we suffer, we shall also reign with him;' that is, in heaven. With respect to this right, title, and interest, so they are made kings. We are heirs in Christ: Rom. viii. 17, 'If children, then heirs, heirs of God, and joint heirs with Christ: if we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.' We are heirs of a kingdom that cannot be shaken.
[2.] Priests. That was a great dignity among the Jews. To this all Christians are now advanced: 1 Peter ii. 5, 'Ye are an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.' Our sacrifices are not expiatory, but gratulatory; not sin-offerings, but thank-offerings; not typical, but spiritual. Jesus Christ is the only sin-offering. Our thank-offerings are either ourselves: Rom. xii. 1, 'I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.' Or our duties, which are spiritual offerings. We offer not beasts, which were typical, but the calves of our lips, our prayers and praises: Heb. xiii. 15, 'By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually; that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to his name.' Or alms: ver. 16, 'But to do good, and to communicate, forget not; for with such sacrifices God is well pleased;' Phil. iv. 18, 'But I have all, and abound; I am full, having received of Epaphroditus the things which were sent from you; an odour of a sweet smell, a sacrifice acceptable, well pleasing to God.' Now this is a great honour, that we should be separated by the Lord from all the rest of the world, and admitted into such a nearness and access to God with boldness, and hope of being accepted through Christ.
Use 1. In the general, all this should stir up our hearts to give continual praise and glory to Christ our blessed Redeemer. So doth the apostle here; that is the use he maketh of it: 'To him be glory and dominion for ever and ever, Amen.' It is a thing to be reproved in Christians that we take so little time to admire, honour, and praise our Redeemer, which yet is a great part of our work. Surely if you had a due sight of his excellency, or a sense and taste of the riches of his goodness and love, you would be more in this delightful work. Usually praise is a stranger to our worship; and however we are enlarged in confession of sin or supplication for such things as we want, yet we are straitened in our gratulations. Surely lauding and praising God in Christ is as necessary as the other parts of worship: Ps. xxii. 3, God is said to 'inhabit the praises of Israel;' that is, in Israel, where he is praised. The great end of worship is not the relief of man so much as the honour of God; therefore we should not only ask things needful for ourselves, and mind merely the supply of our necessities, but the honour of Christ: Ps. 1. 23, 'Whoso offereth praise glorifieth me.' If God will account it an honour to be well thought of and spoken of by his creature, we should more abound in this work. Why are we then so scanty in praises and thanksgivings? The reasons of this defect are self-love; we are eager to have blessings, but we forget to return to give God the glory. Prayer is a work of necessity, but praise is a work of mere duty. Self-love puts all upon prayer, but the love of God upon praise. Again, stupid negligence; we do not gather up matter of thanksgiving, nor watch in our prayers, nor seek after matter for it: Col. iv. 2, 'Continue in prayer, and watch in the same with thanksgiving.'
2. More particularly, let us take our example from this doxology, 'To him be glory and dominion for ever and even Amen.’ We can but ascribe to Christ what he hath already, but we must do it heartily. Observe here - (1.) The things ascribed to Christ, 'Glory and dominion.’ (2.) The manner of ascription; it is imperative. (3.) The duration, 'For ever and ever.’(4.) The seal of all, in the word 'Amen.’
[1.] The things ascribed to Christ, 'Glory and dominion.’ In other places it is honour and power everlasting: 1 Tim. vi. 16, 'Who only hath immortality, dwelling in the light which no man can approach unto; whom no man hath seen, nor can see; to whom be honour and power everlasting, Amen.’ In the Lord's prayer more fully: Mat vi. 13, 'For thine is the kingdom, the power, and the glory, for ever, Amen.’ Where by 'kingdom' is meant right and authority to dispose of all things according to his own pleasure; by 'power,’ strength and all-sufficiency to execute what he pleaseth; by 'glory,’ his honour, which is the result of all that he doth. Clara cum laude notitia -Excellency discovered with praise. We desire that he may be more honoured, and brought into request and esteem in the world. Here we have but two words, 'glory' and 'dominion.’ 'Glory,' that is, just praise and esteem; gracious hearts think they can never set Christ high enough in their esteem and praise; this is all they can return to him for his great benefits. 'Glory,’ that he may have the honour, as they the comfort. 'Dominion' implieth lordship and sovereignty; this they would have given to Christ as his due by his own purchase and God's assignment: Rom. xiv. 9, 'For to this end Christ both died, and rose, and revived, that he might be Lord both of the dead and living.’ It was God's end: Phil. ii. 10, 'That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow.’
[2.] The form is imperative, as binding themselves and others to give him glory and dominion. Themselves in the first place, and that not only with the tongue, but with the heart; not only in word, but in deed. So they would give him glory, praise him with their lips, and honour him with their lives. They would make that their work and scope, that this may be the real language of their hearts and actions, which speak much louder than words. These 'show forth the praises of him who hath called them out of darkness into his marvellous light,' 1 Peter ii. 9, that really they may be the glory of Christ: 2 Cor. viii. 23, 'They are the messengers of the churches, and the glory of Christ;' 2 Thes. i. 12, 'That the name of our Lord Jesus Christ may be glorified in you.’ So for dominion; the practical acknowledgment is better than the verbal: Luke vi. 46, 'Why call ye me Lord, Lord, and do not the things that I say?' Mat. vii. 21, 'Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven, but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.' Christ was mocked when they cried, 'Hail, king of the Jews!' Mat xxvii. 29, and yet they crucified him. If we would have dominion given to Christ, we must look upon ourselves as not our own, but his; not live to ourselves, or use ourselves for ourselves, but resign up ourselves absolutely to him. Then for others, such is their love to Christ and the souls of men, that true Christians desire that Christ may not only be glorified by themselves, but others; that he may be known, worshipped, and believed on in the world, especially those about them; as fire turneth all things about it into fire.
[3.] The duration, 'For ever and ever.' In all doxologies a long duration is expressed. They desire not only the present age may glorify God, but the future. When we are dead and gone, the Lord remaineth, and they would not have him remain without praise and honour. It is the comfort of their souls, when dying, that God shall have a people to praise him; and they prize their own salvation the more, that they shall live for ever to glorify God; that, as God's blessings are everlasting, so shall be their praises.
[4.] It is ratified by a solemn attestation, 'Amen.' It is nota desiderii et supplicationis - by it we testify our fervent affection, and strength of desire after the glory of Christ. We should have an Amen for our praises as well as for our prayers; not only to say, 'Jesus, master, have mercy on us, Amen;' but, 'To him be glory for ever and ever, Amen.'
Home | Sermons | Biography | Writings | Links