Chapter 21
IT is not a form of godliness without the power, nor an empty profession void of possession; nor is it a dry barren ministry, whether heterodox or orthodox; that will incur the displeasure of these despisers.
A profession made under the influence of the spirit of this world, and a system of gospel truths preached by the children of the flesh, will make but little stir among these enemies. Hypocrites and impostors are the best friends the devil has; for by these he counterfeits the kingdom of God to support his own empire. Men may preach about creation and providence, about election and redemption, about justification and sanctification: Satan cares nought about that; for all these may be in the head while the strong man reigns in the palace. Satan knows that the kingdom of God stands not in word, but in power; and nothing but divine power can dethrone and dispossess him. The above things have been and still are enforced by many who are enemies to God, in alliance with Satan, and in union with those whose guests are in the depths of hell. By such instruments he communicates hardness of heart, impenitency, daring boldness, arrogance, blind zeal, false faith, and perilous presumption; all which are profitable to the devil. And this may be called spiritual wickedness; for it is the influence of Satan counterfeiting the full assurance of faith in the unsanctified souls of hypocrites. That which makes a man despised, and which, by Satan's help, fills the despiser with all his rage, is the faith of Gods elect; which faith is both Gods gift and Gods work: it flows from Gods eternal love, through Christ the mediator, and is wrought in the soul by the powerful arm of God revealed. This faith deals with the Lords atonement, and purifies the heart by it; it puts on an imputed righteousness, gives the sinner an existence in the heart of Christ, and Christ a dwelling place in the sinners heart. This faith overcomes the world, and explodes the spirit of it, and purifies the heart from the root of all evil, and lays hold of the love of God, and works by it, which is the root of all real godliness: it applies the promises, it attend our petitions, mixes itself with the word preached, assures us of our sonship, and is always attended with the witness of the Holy Spirit. Take faith in a twofold point of light: first as a grace from Christ acting, and take Christ as the object of faith acted upon, and faith is the substance of things hoped for; for what can a sensible sinner hope for but the enjoyment of Christ? Faith is the evidence of things not seen, which things are the glories of heaven; and the firstfruits of the Spirit are the earnest of that glorious harvest; and faith is one of those firstfruits, and is our assurance of it, and is wrought in our souls to persuade us that the promised inheritance is sure to all the seed. Now all this being Gods own work in us, it must be despised. "Behold, ye despisers, and wonder, and perish; for I work a work in your days, a, work which ye shall in no wise believe, though a man declare it unto you." And this may be seen in Paul at Jerusalem. While Paul declared his extraction, his education, manner of life, and his persecution of the Christians, they heard him with. all attention; but, when he delivered his conversion, and call to preach to the Gentiles, then they lifted up their voices and said, "Away with such a fellow from the earth, for it is not fit that he should live." "Make haste," said the Lord, "and get thee quickly out of Jerusalem, for they will not receive thy testimony concerning me." That which these men despise is not us, but God's work, God's dear Son, and God himself for revealing him in us; and so says the Lord himself: "He that despiseth you despiseth me; and he that despiseth me despiseth him that sent me." But each of these despised ones hath got a servant; therefore he is better than he that honoureth himself, and lacketh bread.
I must now describe the servant, Our Jacob, the everlasting father of Israel, served for a wife, and for a wife he kept sheep. Nor is he ashamed to be called our husband; for he made himself of no reputation, but took on him the form of a servant, and in that form he served for his wife, and obtained her as the reward of his work, Hence she is called the travail of his soul. To purchase her, discharge her debts, and to rescue her from the hands of thieves, robbers, and usurpers, was all his labour and travail. "The Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister." He washes her from all her sins in his own blood and, if he wash us not, we have no part in him: yea, he disdained not to wash his disciples feet, and to wipe them with the towel wherewith he was girded, John xiii. 5. And this is repeated again and again, for he makes us feel the need of it often; and we are as sensible of it when it is done. And, after his resurrection, his disciples found a fire on the sea coast, and fish laid thereon, and bread; himself made the fire, and dressed the dinner, and he called his disciples to it, saying unto them, "Come and dine," John xxi. 12. "Whether is greater, he that sitteth at meat, or he that serveth? Is not he that sitteth at meat? but I am among you as he that serveth." This is the angel that redeemed Jacob, and the God that fed him all his life long. And surely washing us, washing our feet, making a fire, dressing our meat, and calling us to the entertainment, is the menial work of a servant. But what is that which divine and invariable love will not do? Nor does he stop here, but he puts on our clothes, and all our trinkets; for we have neither eyes to see them, nor hands to apply them, ourselves. "I will greatly rejoice in the Lord, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for he hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, he hath covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decketh himself with ornaments, and as a bride adorneth herself with her jewels," The crown upon her head, the chain upon her neck, the bobs in her ears, the bracelets on her hands, and the shoes on her feet, are of his preparing and putting on, Ezek. vi. 9:12. All her inward glory and outward ornaments, the provision of Zion's table, and the furniture of her toilette, the powder of her hair, and the perfumes of her robe, are all prepared and provided for her. Wisdom prepares her bread, kills her beasts, mingles her wine, furnishes her table, and bids her guests, saying, "Come, eat of my bread, and drink of the wine that I have mingled." This is the provision of her table. And, as for her apparel, he says, Thou art comely through my comeliness that I have put upon thee. He is her watchman by night, and her guardian by day, and never slumbers nor sleeps; he refreshes her every moment, and keeps her by his power: she is indebted to him for both her food and her physic; and he makes all her bed in her sickness; he supports her on the bed of languishing, and he attends her both in the furnace and in the bath, to keep the flame from kindling, and the waters from overflowing; nor will he relinquish his endearing attention till the solemnization of the eternal nuptials takes place. "Let your loins be girded, and ye yourselves like unto men that wait for their Lord, when he will return from the wedding. Blessed are those servants whom the Lord when he cometh shall find watching: verily I say unto you, that he shall gird himself, and make them to sit down to meat and will come forth and serve them," Luke xii. 37. Oh, unparalleled condescension! He will gird himself with all the power, glory, and majesty, of infinite deity, raise his church from the dead, form it and fashion it like unto his own glorious body, present her to himself without spot, wipe all tears from her eyes, lead her to living fountains, feed her with his own fulness, and set her down amidst all the realities and dainties of paradise. A despised one, that hath such a servant, is better than.
"He that honoureth himself, and lacketh bread." Are we blind also? say the Pharisees. O no; burning and shining lights. They shine in the counterfeited rays of Satan, and burn in rage against Christ as he did. They do the works of their father.
"Stand by thyself, come not near unto me, for I am holier than thou," said another. "These many years do I serve thee," said the elder son in the parable, "and never at any time transgressed I thy commandments." "All these have I kept from thy youth up," said the young man; "What lack I yet?" All these honoured themselves, and received honour one from another. And we have plenty of such in our days. The papist, whose obedience exceeds the demands of the law; the perfectionist, who is complete in the flesh; the self-righteous, with all his stock of natural power and inherent grace; and those who boast of all their light within, but have none without: these all honour themselves, and are therefore in unbelief; for, "How can ye believe which receive honour one of another, and seek not the honour which cometh from God only?" These must want bread, because they cannot believe. "I am the bread of life," says Christ; and "He that believeth on me hath everlasting life." But how can you believe? And, if they have no faith, they have no bread.
Their pride will attend them out of the world, for they will honour themselves at the great day. "When saw we thee an hungered, or athirst, and did not minister unto thee?" And again, "Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name, and in thy name have cast out devils, and in thy name done many wonderful works?"
The grand contest between God and all graceless professors is, who shall have the glory of a sinners salvation. This glory God claims, and will never give to another; nor will the self-righteous ever give it to him. Hence the Saviour, who stood in the gap and made up the breach, is rejected, and any thing substituted in his room. Free agency is opposed to his sovereignty; the workings of a natural conscience are called inherent grace, and are set up in opposition to the Lords fulness; dead works stand as a rival to his spotless obedience; and sinless perfection in competition with his sanctification: while, on the other hand, the Lord seeks the lost, shines upon the blind, quickens the dead, gives power to the faint, saves the vilest, heals the sick, and justifies the ungodly. And this is the glory of Gods elect, while all others labour in vain. It is going about to establish their own righteousness, being too blind to see, and too proud to submit to the righteousness of God. Such shall stumble, and fall, and be snared, and be broken, and be taken. They stumble and take offence at the Son of God; they are broken off from both covenants, and taken in their own craftiness; for what can men hang upon who reject Christ? And this is now the case with the Jews; they are driven to such shifts as to pray on their death-bed that their own death may atone for their sins. These are the men who honour themselves and yet lack the bread of life, and will perish to all eternity in their wants. It is intolerable to them to have their honour laid in the dust, and therefore it must he in the flames; for, "He that exalteth himself shall be abased." At the great day it will be seen, and shall be acknowledged by all, that "He that is despised and hath a servant, is better than he that honoureth himself, and lacketh bread."
He that is despised is better than he that honoureth himself, &c. Blessed are they that are reviled and persecuted for Christs sake, for great is their reward in heaven. But the Lord pronounces his wo upon professors when all men speak well of them.
But a member of the Laodicean church, who is rich, increased with goods, and in need of nothing, thinks it strange to be invited to buy wine and milk without money and without price; and, even if at any time conscience pinch him, he turns a deaf ear to the voice of divine bounty. "Wherefore do ye spend money for that which is not bread, and your labour for that which satisfieth not? Hearken diligently unto me, and eat ye that which is good, and let your soul delight itself in fatness." All such kind invitations are lost upon a free-willer. "The full soul loatheth an honeycomb." And therefore wo unto them that are full, for they shall hunger. All that come to the feast must be brought; a bare invitation brings no guest. "None of those men which were bidden shall taste of my supper;" therefore bring in the poor, the maimed, the halt, and the blind, that my house may be filled with guests. These, these shall eat bread in the kingdom of God, when many shall beg in harvest, and have nothing. Better is he that is despised and hath a servant, than he that honoureth himself, and lacketh bread.
Chapter 22
THERE are few texts in the Bible that have appeared more dark and obscure to me than this, and that for various reasons.
1. There is nothing, that I know of, following this passage in the New Testament, which appears to me to explain, or that leads to the sense of it, as is frequently the case in other matters; as, for instance, when the Lord said, "There be some of them that stand here which shall not taste of death till they have seen the kingdom of God come with power." Again: "John truly baptized with water, but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence." On the day of Pentecost, when the Holy Spirit descended as a cloven tongue of fire, and abode upon the apostles, and filled them, they were baptized with the Holy Ghost and with fire. And as the kingdom of God stands in righteousness, peace, and joy, in the Holy Ghost, the kingdom came at this time with power, and those that were enlightened saw it and felt it. But were have we any account in the New Testament of the angels of God being seen ascending and descending, as here described, except in the foregoing passage?
2. Whatever be the meaning of the passage, it contains a promise of something to be seen by Nathanael, though perhaps not to the exclusion of others. The matter in the text is expressive of something exceeding great; for upon Nathanael's confession of faith this promise was given. "Rabbi, thou art the Son of God, thou art the king of Israel." In answer to which Jesus replies, "Because I said unto thee, I saw thee under the fig tree, believest thou? thou shalt see greater things than these." Nathanael had seen the Son of God and king of Israel with the eye of faith, and with the eyes of his body he saw him in the flesh; he believed in him, and confessed his faith in him as his own saviour, king, and lord, and was accepted and approved; and he obtained a good report, through faith, that he was "an Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile."
And what sight under heaven can be greater than this? What are angels? the work of the Saviour's hands, the creatures of his care, and his most noble and honourable servants. But sure I am that a sight of all the angels together, both ascending and descending, can never equal, much less excel, a believing view of Christ, as Christ declares this sight shall: "Because I said, I saw thee under the fig tree, believest thou? thou shalt see greater things than these; for verily, verily, I say unto you, hereafter ye shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of man."
3. Whatever may be the sense of this text, it is plain that it is something to excite Nathanael's admiration, and to encourage his faith and hope; whereas a view of angels has often awakened the fears and terrors even of the best of saints, and has rather frightened than encouraged them. Daniel's comeliness turns into corruption, and he faints away, at the sight of one. Zacharias, at the sight of an angel, was troubled, and fear fell upon him, Luke i. 12; and Manoah concluded that he should surely die, when an angel had appeared to him. And even Jacob himself, who really saw the angels of God ascending and descending upon a ladder, and from which vision the words of my text are taken, even "he was afraid, and said, How dreadful is this place!
4. I have at times doubted whether the appearance of angels has been so frequent under the gospel dispensation as under the law. The law was given by the disposition of angels; "It was ordained by angels in the hand of a mediator." But not so the gospel, for that "at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him." Hence the gospel of the Messiah, which the Jews always called the world to come, dividing the world into three periods: the first before the law; the second under the law; the third the world to come, or the days of the Messiah. "For unto the angels hath he not put in subjection the world to come, whereof we speak," Heb. ii.5.
5. The next difficulty that appears to me in this text is, the angels ascending and descending upon the Son of man. The elect angels never sinned. God and they were never at a distance; nor were they ever at enmity, so as to stand in need of a mediator; nor are they included in his mediation; and it is certain that Christ took not on him the nature of angels, but the seed of Abraham, Heb. ii. 16. "There is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus." He, by his blood, is the new and living way, which he hath new made for us, and the redeemed shall walk there, Isaiah xxxv. 9. The office of Christ as mediator, and his whole work of mediation, being appointed for men, and confined to men, it appears strange to me to find the angels ascending and descending on the Mediator, or in that way which is consecrated for us.
It is true, every spiritual blessing from God the Father comes to us through Christ, and every acceptable sacrifice goes up from us to God the same way, and no other; but then the angels do not go and come on the Son of man in this work; for it is not angels, but the Holy Ghost, that brings every promise and blessing through Christ to us. Some say the sense is, that there would be immediately made such clear discoveries of his person and grace by his ministry, and such miracles would be wrought in confirmation of it, that it would look as if heaven was open, and the angels of God were continually going to and fro, and bringing fresh messages, and performing miraculous operations; as if the whole host of them were constantly employed in such service. But their bringing messages, and performing operations, is what I do not understand. And their saying that it would look as if heaven was open, &c. that If, and that Look, or mere appearance does not seem to require the double asseveration of Verily, verily, I say unto you. Besides, the Lord does not say that it shall look as if it were so and so, but Verily, verily, you shall see heaven open, &c.
The heavens opening at certain times is what we often read of, as in Ezekiel. He tells us first that the heavens were opened to him, and that he saw visions of God. In which vision he saw a whirlwind, the emblem of the Holy Spirit of God, and a fire enfolding or catching itself in after every breaking forth; which fire represented the word and grace of God, which are to inflame the souls of Gods saints as the Holy Spirit is pleased to communicate them; and upon the back of every breaking forth there succeeds a catching in; and this every child of God knows and laments. Out of the flames came four living creatures, quickened and inflamed by the Holy Ghost; which were hieroglyphical representations of gospel ministers, burning and shining lights. Read Rev. v. 11, 12. On the sides of the living creatures were wheels, prefiguring the churches of Christ, called Gilgal, or rolling, and because they were spiritually circumcised, and their guilt and the reproach of it were rolled away from them, Josh. v. 9; and so, being disburdened of their sins, and fired with love, they were like the chariots of Amminadib, the chariots of my willing people, Song vi. 12. These living creatures being inspired by the Spirit of life and love, the spirit of these living creatures was in the wheels; hence they move in concert; if one went, the other went; if one rose, the other rose; they rise and fall together; as all ministers and churches do, if they are of Gods spiritual family; for, if the eye of the body mystical be single, the whole body will be full of light; and, if the preacher be a hypocrite, so will his followers; for "there shall be, like people, like priest." Above all these there is a throne exhibited, and upon the throne a man in a fiery appearance, which was the Son of God on a throne of glory, attending the church with his presence. And all this was fulfilled on the day of Pentecost, when the heavens were opened by Christs sacrifice and satisfaction, and by his mediation and intercession; when the Holy Ghost descended like a rushing wind and a cloven tongue, and abode upon all the apostles. Then was the Lord seen over them; the arrows of his quiver went forth like lightning, and pierced the hearts of rebels. The great trumpet was then blown to call perishing sinners to the sacrifice; and he went forth with whirlwinds of the south, which heavenly gale is for the regeneration of his own elect, read Zech. ix. 14. Thus are the heavens opened, and a new and living way consecrated through the veil into the holiest of all; which way was not made manifest while the first tabernacle was standing, Heb. ix. 8.
2. By the heavens being opened is signified a glorious breaking forth of gospel light and power, after a long eclipse of darkness, deadness, errors, and heresies, which often obscure the church, and almost bring her into the smoke and smother of ignorance and confusion, and make her look like the chaff and stubble of carnal and outer-court worshippers. But when it pleases God to pour down his Holy Spirit, and to revive his cause, and raise up his poor oppressed family, he shines into their hearts, opens the heavens to them, and shows them afresh the mysteries of his covenant. "And the temple of God was opened in heaven, and there was seen in his temple the ark of his testament; and there were lightnings, and voices, and thunderings," &c.
3. The heavens are said to be opened to Peter, when in vision he saw a large vessel knit at the four corners, and filled with beasts, fowls, and reptiles, representing Gods elect among thee, Gentiles; and he was bid to Arise, kill, and eat, Acts x. 11.
4. The same opening of the heavens appeared to Stephen, when the sentence of death and the execution of it was coming upon him: "And he said, Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing on the right hand of God." This was to inform the martyr that the heavens, the holiest of all, were opened to him, and that his Lord was ready to receive him, and that he should commit his departing soul to him, as to a faithful Creator, his covenant God, and his Saviour. "And they stoned Stephen, calling upon God, and saying, Lord Jesus, receive my spirit."
Something of this sort appears to every convicted sinner upon his conversion; for, while he is labouring under the legal bondage of the law, the heavens over him appear to be brass, and the earth that is under him iron; so that he can neither ascend to God in prayer, nor hide himself from his terrible majesty. And it is as sensibly felt and enjoyed by the poor sinner, when God rends the heavens, and comes down and makes the mountains to flow down at his gracious presence, Isaiah lxiv. 1. "Drop down, ye heavens, from above, and let the skies pour down righteousness: let the earth open, and let them bring forth salvation, and let righteousness spring up together: I the Lord have created it."
But this opening the heavens, in my text, signifies the new and living way, which was opened by our forerunner, when reconciliation was made, and he, from the tomb, trod the path to immortal life; when mercy and truth met together, when righteousness and peace kissed each other. Truth sprung out of the earth at the resurrection of Christ, and righteousness looked down from heaven propitious. Then the Lord gave that which was good, by sending his Holy Spirit, and the barren land yielded a spiritual increase; righteousness went before the Mediator, to procure his acceptance, and, when imputed, or placed to our account, it sets us in the way of his steps, Psalm lxxxv, 10-13.
I now proceed to shew what these angels are; which I take to be not angels by nature, but angels by office, or spiritual messengers; for, if the four generals of the Turkish armies were called angels, as they are in Rev. ix. 14; and if the name of angel is given to such a messenger as Abraham's steward, when he went to espouse Rebekah to Isaac, 1 Cor. xi. 10; surely the name must be much more applicable to the saints of God, who are called spiritual men. The ministers of the churches of Asia are called the angels of the seven churches. And the apostles and evangelists which Christ sent truth to preach his gospel, being spiritual messengers, bear the same name. "And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other," This trumpet is our jubilee trump; it proclaims a release to sensible debtors, and invites us to the feast of our passover, and is a fulfilment of that prophesy, "And it shall come to pass in that day, that the great trumpet shall be blown, and they shall come which were ready to perish in the land of Assyria, and the outcasts in the land of Egypt, and shall worship the Lord in the holy mount at Jerusalem." And, "Blessed is the people that know the joyful sound; they shall walk, O Lord, in the light of thy countenance. In thy name shall they rejoice all the day; and in thy righteousness shall they be exalted." All Gods elect are compared to angels: "For in the resurrection they neither marry, nor are given in marriage, but are as the angels of God in heaven," Matt. xxii. 30. These are the messengers that make use of the Mediator in all their approaches to God; and these are the angels for whom, and for whose sake, the heavens are opened; the way through the vail of Christs flesh is consecrated for us; and these ascend and descend upon the Son of man; nor can they ascend any other way. "I am the door; by me if any man enter in he shall be saved, and shall go in and out and find pasture." If it should be asked what this going in and out means, Paul tells us, that "through him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father," Eph. ii. 18. Our Lord informs us, in his prayer, that Gods residence is in heaven; "Our Father, which art in heaven." This is the holy habitation of God; and Paul says; that through the Mediator we have an access by one Spirit unto the Father; and, when indulged with this sweet access, we enter in and find pasture; but, when this sweet access is denied us, then we go out again, crying; "My leanness, my leanness; wo unto me!" until we are permitted to go in again. And the weakest soul in the household of faith is up to this going in and out; it is so conspicuous, that even his countenance proclaims it; for, when it is denied, like Joseph's fellow prisoner, he looks sadly; and when granted his face shines; the Lord being the health of his countenance and his God, Psalm xlii. 11. And this ascending and descending on the Son of man is expressive of the glorious raptures of the mind, when furnished with the law of faith, and influenced with the quickening spirit of God; under which sweet operation the mind is ranch in heaven, meditating on heavenly things; and while the mind is stayed on these it is sweetly enriched and entertained. "To be spiritually minded is life and peace." And it is said that God hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ, Eph. ii. 6.
2. This ascending and descending is expressive of the exercise of grace upon God the Father, through the Mediator; for faith and hope both centre in God, through Christ, as saith the apostle Peter; "Who by him do believe in God that raised him up from the dead, and gave him glory, that your faith and hope might be in God." Now, if faith and hope through Christ are both in God, and if our affections are to be set above on the right hand of God, where Christ sitteth, this ascending and descending respects the heavenly mindedness of the saints when, in their most rapturous frames, and in their most devout and lively acts of devotion, and in the exercises of faith, hope, love, and joy, they approach God. And, when any minister of the spirit in his work is thus ascending, it is perceptible to spiritual worshippers, for such ascend and descend with him; so that many in the prescript day, as well as Nathanael of old, see this. Yea, there are enemies that behold this, as well as spiritual worshippers; for the ascension of saints to heaven, after dreadful conflicts and persecutions, mentioned in the Revelation, is nothing else but souls ascending to God upon the out-pouring of the Spirit which quickens the poor lifeless witnesses, after their long lifeless state of absolute silence. "And, after three days and an half, the spirit of life from God entered into them: and they stood upon their feet, and great fear fell upon them which saw them. And they heard a great voice from heaven, saying unto them, Come up hither. And they ascended up to heaven in a cloud, and their enemies beheld them;" if so, much more their friends.
Chapter 23
THE LORDS BOOK OF WARS,
AND THE WARS
OF THE LORD.
Numbers xxi. 14.
IT has been a matter of wonder with some where Jude got the prophecy of Enoch from, which is mentioned in the 14th verse of his epistle; and I have heard of some who formerly offered a large sum of money for that book, if it was extant, and could be procured; and that a gentleman was imposed upon by a spurious composition, which passed for Enochs prophecy. I have read also, in Mr. Bruce, that he brought a book, called Enochs Prophecy, from the city of Gondar, in Abyssinia. The account that he gives of it is as follows: There are other books of less size and consequence, particularly the Organon Denghel, or, The Virgin Mary's Musical Instrument, composed by Abba George about the year 1440, much valued for the purity of its language, though he himself was Arminian. The last of this Ethiopic library is the book of Enoch. Upon hearing this book first mentioned, many literati in Europe had a wonderful desire to see it, thinking that, no doubt, many secrets and unknown histories might be drawn from it. Upon this, some impostor, getting an Ethiopic book into his hands, wrote-for the title, The Prophesies of Enoch, upon the front page or it. M. Pierise no sooner heard of it than he purchased it of the impostor for a considerable sum of money. Being placed afterwards in Cardinal Mazarine's library, where Mr. Ludolf had access to it, he found it was but a Gnostic book upon mysteries of heaven and earth, but which mentioned not a word of Enoch or his prophecy, from beginning to end; and from this disappointment he takes upon him to deny the existence of any such book any where else. This, however, is a mistake; for, as a public return for the many obligations I had received from every rank of that most humane, polite, scientific nation, and more especially from the sovereign, Louis XV, I gave to his cabinet a part of every thing curious I had collected abroad, which was received with that degree of consideration and attention that cannot, fail to determine every traveller of a liberal mind to follow my example.
Amongst the articles I consigned to the library at Paris, was a very beautiful and magnificent copy of the Prophecies of Enoch, in large quarto; another is amongst the books of scripture which I brought home, standing immediately before the book of job, which is its proper place in the Abyssinian canon; and a third copy I have presented to the Bodleian Library at Oxford, by the hand of Dr. Douglas, the Bishop of Carlisle. And concerning the passage in Jude, he says as follows: And, indeed, the quotation is, word for word, the same in the second chapter of the book? Bruce's Travels, folio, Vol. I. p. 497-499. I will not tell my reader how much my ears have itched to hear the contents of that book.
But, as for the book in my text, I believe it to be no other than the writings of Moses, which contain several wars of the Lord, and especially these two that are mentioned:
He distressed them in their cattle also, by sending a grievous murrain among them. And he brought such instruments of death forth from his armoury as are not in the power of an earthly prince to furnish out.
Nor was the beginning of this war army against army, but rather single combat. The Lord of hosts fought the field; his troops were making brick in Goshen. He sent frogs, lice, pestilence, hail, and fire, into the land, which destroyed their corn, trees, and vines; then he sent darkness; and, last of all, smites the heir apparent, and all the firstborn of the land; and having humbled them, and spoiled them of their treasure, he enriched his own subjects with the spoil. He led his armies out with an high hand, and with the full consent of the truly mortified king of Egypt.
But he, repenting of his submission, and of the compulsive terms he had agreed to, pursues them with all his strength. Moses, as their leader at the head, seeing they were likely to be surrounded, calls to his Sovereign for aid. He is ordered to divide the sea, and lead the armies of the Lord into it; and, they being hid as in an ambuscade, their enemies pursue; but, lest the pursuers should travel too fast for the pursued, the wheels of the war chariots drop from their axles, and this troubles the host, and impedes their march. The armies of God gain the shore, when the returning waves, like soldiers in ambush, fall upon their enemies in the rear and overwhelm them. This raises the Lords honour, and spreads his fame: "And, in very deed, for this cause," says God, "have I raised thee up, to shew in thee my power, and that my name may be declared thoughout all the earth." And, indeed, it is upon this stroke that Jethro so much admires him: "Now I know that the Lord is greater than all gods: for, in the thing wherein they dealt proudly, he was above them," Exod. xviii. 11. And upon this also the Almighty got a new title; "The Lord is a man of war: the Lord is his name."
And upon this victory was that famous song composed, which will be sung once more upon the destruction of another Egypt, and upon the completion of a better salvation: "Thy right hand, O Lord, is become glorious in power; thy right hand, O Lord, hath flashed in pieces the enemy. Thou didst blow with thy wind, the sea covered them; they sank as lead in the mighty waters," Exodus xv, The manner of Israel's obtaining this victory is worthy of our observation. Israel wins the day by fearing, crying, and running away; while Pharaoh loses the battle, his own life, and that of all his army, by triumphing, boasting, and pursuing. And what army, except the Israel of God, ever made such a slaughter without blood, without a sword, and got such a victory without a blow? And we are under the same captain, commander, and leader, now. Our Lord, single-handed, without any to help, overcame Satan, and all his devils with him. He overcame the world, and all the serpents seed that is in it. He overcame death and the grave, and then ascended to heaven with a shout; the Lord with the sound of a trumpet; and led captivity captive; and then sends his Spirit upon rebels, telling them that his victories are placed to our account: "Be of good cheer; I have overcome the world." And our victory in every skirmish depends upon fearing the Lord, crying for help, and running to him for support, succour, and safety. And he that confides in his Lords love not only wins the field, but never diminishes aught of his strength; for "We are more than conquerors through him that hath loved us." So much for the war at the Red Sea.
Now for the brooks of Arnon; where we have an account of another war of the Lord, and of another victory obtained. "Rise ye up, take your journey, and pass over the river Arnon. Behold, I have given into thine hand Sihon the Amorite, king of Heshbon, and his land: begin to possess it, and contend with him in battle. This day will I begin to put the dread of thee and the fear of thee upon the nations that are under the whole heaven, who shall hear report of thee, and shall tremble, and be in anguish because of thee," Deut. ii. 24, 25. The wonder that appears in this account is, that the Captain of our salvation had given into their hand Sihon before they had seen him. He had given them also his land before they entered into it, and the victory before the sword was drawn. The next wonder is the quick dispatch of the messengers of dread and of fear; which were to reach the nations that were under the whole heavens. All these were to hear the report of Israel, and should tremble and be in anguish because of them. And I do not think this war is quite ended yet; for, although it be true that "the earth is given into the hand of the wicked: he covereth the faces of the judges thereof: if not, where, and who is he?" yet I think that God's Israel are still fighting to gain the possession that God has given them. There is a new earth that we look for, according to his promise, Wherein dwelleth righteousness, or righteous persons, possessing righteousness. The heirs of promise look for this. "Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth." This promise is by no means fulfilled in the present state of things; for, if there be any of the meek and quiet who have any worldly possessions, none fall a prey to the litigious so much as these. But there is another earth: "Behold," says God, "I create new heavens, and a new earth. But be you glad and rejoice for ever in that which I create: for, behold, I create Jerusalem a rejoicing, and her people a joy." Hence we read, in Johns visions, of the new Jerusalem being let down from heaven as a bride adorned for her husband, and of a great shout on the occasion, saying, "The tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell among them."
This Jerusalem is the covenant of grace, and all the elect are called the children of the covenant, being secured within the bonds of it, These are the bride, the Lambs wife; for there can be no lawful wife without a marriage covenant. "And, as the new heavens, and the new earth, which I will make, shall remain before me, saith the Lord, so shall your seed and your name remain," Isaiah lxvi.
Jerusalem is created to be a rejoicing, and her people a joy; and indeed there can be nothing else; corruption being put off, and incorruption put on; vile bodies changed, and glorious bodies fashioned; death swallowed up, and immortal life brought to light. A fulness of love within furnishes out an everlasing joy to the daughters of this Jerusalem; and Jerusalem herself is to be a rejoicing, because endless love, joy, and gladness, are promised in this covenant, and treasured up in the covenant head and husband of the church; and it will be the husbands delight to fill the soul of his wife with it.
The monster that reigned in this country, by the river Arnon, was Sihon; and neither he, nor any of his subjects, would suffer Israel to pass through their land, though on foot; no bread would they sell them for money, nor one drop of water, though Moses offered to pay for them. And Satan and his seed serve Israel the same way now.
Arise, says God, and pass over the river Arnon, and contend with him in battle. And this is war. And surge I am that this long and lasting campaign is not finished yet. The world, the flesh, and the devil, are still engaged. And there is a kingdom for which we also suffer; and one branch of that kingdom is the thousand years reign in the new earth; and we must pass through this present world to it, and fight our way, in order to gain and possess it.
Sihon, and all his princes, and all his people, were delivered into the hand of Israel to be slain. Satan and all his principalities are to be bruised under our feet shortly; and power is given us to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy; and in this conflict there will not be the loss of one single soldier; "For nothing," says Christ, "shall by any means hurt you." Yea, "we shall judge angels," says Paul; and destruction shall succeed the judgment passed. But the gospel of Christ, and the preachers of it, and the real professors of it, and the very profession that they make, all, all, are a savour of death unto death, both to Sihon and to the Amorites. But it shall be preached and professed in all the world for a witness; a witness in behalf of some, and a witness against others. And Moses and his forces utterly destroyed the whole country, king and people, women and children; they left none alive.
But, for the present, we must do under our Mediator as Israel did under Moses. "And I sent messengers out of the wilderness of Kedemoth, unto Sihon king of Heshbon, with words of peace, saying, Let me pass through thy land: I will go along by the highway, Thou shall sell me meat for money, that I may eat; and give me water for, money, that I may drink: only I will pass through on my feet. But Sihon king of Heshbon would not let us pass by him: for the Lord thy God hardened his spirit, and made his heart obstinate, that he might deliver him into thy hand, as appeareth this day." Ambassadors of peace, and sons of peace, must still send and sound out messages of peace; and it is still seen that words of peace are rejected. God hardens the spirit, and makes the hearts of thousands obstinate, even when words of peace are sounding in their ears. "Behold, ye despisers, and wonder, and perish: for I work a work in your days, a work that you shall in no wise believe, though a man declare it." To such we are a savour of death unto death. The Lord slays these with the word of his mouth. And, when all these despisers are slain, and the sword of the Spirit returns to its scabbard, a universal dread and fear will go through the world; for even the most daring despisers of the witnesses will dread the witnesses they have despised; for they will see these enter the marriage-chamber, and themselves shut out. And I believe this wedding-chamber, in which our Lord will present his church to himself as a glorious church, having neither spot nor wrinkle, will be this new earth promised to us, in which the Bridegroom and his bride will enjoy each other a thousand years. Then, then shall be brought to pass these sayings, that are written: "Then shall Jerusalem be holy, and there shall no strangers pass through her any more," Joel iii. 17. "And in that day there shall be no more the Canaanite in the. house of the Lord of hosts," Zech. xiv. 21.
But before all this takes place the wonders wrought in the Red Sea will be re-acted in a future period. The 14th chapter of the Revelation describes the destruction of Mystery Babylon, and the victory of the Lamb over her is expressed by a wine-press of blood, and her dreadful end by the smoke of her torments ascending for ever and ever, Rev. xiv. 11, 20. Upon the destruction of Pharaoh at the Red Sea the song of Moses was sung. The subject matter of the song was Gods power and glory, their own deliverance, and the destruction of their enemies. All this is yet to be sung again in truth, as the former was in type. "And I saw as it were a sea of glass, mingled with fire; and them that had gotten the victory over the beast, and over his image, and over his mark, and over the number of his name, stand on the sea of glass, having the harps of God. And they sing the song of Moses, the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb." These are some of the contents of the book of the wars of the Lord, and of what he did in the Red Sea.
And, if I am not much mistaken, there will be a repetition of the wonders performed at the brooks of Arnon; for the next country which Israel took in the same war was all the regions of Argob, Deut. iii. 4. And these two kingdoms bear the names of Gilead and Bashan: "And we took at that time out of the hand of the two kings of the Amorites the land that was on this side Jordan, from the river of Arnon unto mount Hermon; all the cities of the plain, and all Gilead, and all Bashan." There is a singular prophesy to the inhabitants of Gilead and Bashan: "Feed thy people with thy rod, the flock of thine heritage, which dwell solitary in the wood, in the midst of Carmel: let them feed in Bashan and Gilead, as in the days of old," Micah vii. 14. For, as the new earth is to be given to the saints, who can tell but that part conquered by Israel will be the chief paradise, and Christ receive the highest praises where he suffered the greatest shame? The prophets request is, that the chief Shepherd, with his crook and sceptre, would feed the flock of his heritage in Gilead and Bashan as in the days of old, when he gave Israel all that country, and the treasures of it. And true it is, that the Lamb in the midst of the throne will feed them, and lead them to living fountains of water; and when we are thus fed we shall be perfect in knowledge, and able to comprehend the contents of this book of the wars of the Lord; and what he did in the Red Sea, and in the brooks of Arnon. Until then, the good Lord the Spirit direct our hearts into the love of God, and into a patient waiting for Christ!
Chapter 24
THE INHERITANCE OF THE WISE, AND THE
PROMOTION OF FOOLS.
PROVERBS iii. 35.
THERE is no greater folly than to put away the evil day, and cause the seat of violence to come near. The beginning of wisdom with us is when God brings our sins and his law, death and judgment, home to our mind and conscience, and sets them all before our eyes. "O that they were wise, that they understood this, that they would consider their latter end!" These things brought home and deeply impressed on the soul, are attended with great consternation and fear; and although this fear is coupled with much bondage and slavery, yet it is attended with a desperate war against sin, and with a departing from it, and from all our companions in it. "The fear of the Lord, that is wisdom, and to depart from evil is understanding." And to this agrees the wise man; "A wise man feareth, and departeth from evil; but the fool rageth, and is confident."
The next step that the wise man takes is to search the scriptures, to see if there be any ground of relief, instruction, encouragement, or hope; which he most earnestly desires, because he is deeply sensible of his need of these. "Through desire a man having separated himself, seeketh and intermeddleth with all wisdom." And as sure as the word of God becomes his study, so sure will the saints of God become his chosen and most favourite company. He that walketh with wise men shall be wise: but the companion of fools shall be destroyed." All convictions that come from God by the Spirit will be complied with and yielded to by the convicted sinner; he will and must come to the light of truth, that his deeds may be made manifest that they are wrought in Gods power, and under Gods influence. The word is a light to our feet, and a lamp to our path; and the scriptures are able to make us wise unto salvation, through faith that is in Christ Jesus, Tim. iii. 15. All soul trouble which does not drive us to the light, to the word of God, to the ministry of it, to the servants and saints of God, is sure to leave us where it finds us — both fools and blind. "Lo, they have rejected the word of the Lord, and what wisdom is in them?" Jer. viii. 9. By the word of God preached, read, or meditated on, is wisdom conveyed to the soul; hence the word is called the word of wisdom, 1 Cor. xii. 8; and that part of it which is called the gospel, is the wisdom of God in a mystery, 1 Cor. ii. 7. When the Spirit of God opens up, and applies the promises with power, the hungry soul relishes them, feeds and feasts sweetly upon them; no honey to the mouth so sweet as the words of life to the soul. "Thy words were found, and I did eat them; and thy word was unto me the joy and rejoicing of mine heart." "My son, eat thou honey, because it is good; and the honeycomb, which is sweet to thy taste: so shall the knowledge of wisdom be unto thy soul: when thou hast found it, then there shall be a reward, and thy expectation shall not be cut off." The entrance of the word of wisdom gives hope, it respects the future and great reward; and the expectation founded on hope is not to be cut off from the reward promised. And it is an experience of comfort by the word that brings hope: experience worketh hope, but not the experience of bondage, fear, and wrath; these work despair. It is the entrance of comfort that brings hope." "For whatsoever things were written aforetime, were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope." The next most noble branch of spiritual wisdom lies in taking the gospel lamp in the hand of faith, and oil in the vessel to feed the flame. The foolish virgins which took their lamps took no oil with them. The best account of the saint's lamp is as follows: "For Zion's sake will I not hold my peace, and for Jerusalem's sake I will not rest, until the righteousness thereof go forth as brightness, and the salvation thereof as a lamp that burneth," Isaiah lxii. 1. Zion and Jerusalem here are the elect of God, and the covenant of grace which God has made with Christ in their behalf. Read Heb. xii. 22, 23.
There are two things in this text that go forth hand in hand; and they always come to the heart of poor sinners together: the one is righteousness; the other is salvation. A divine radiance attends the one, and a flaming fire attends the other. Righteousness goes forth as brightness, and salvation as a lamp that burneth. This, this is the wise virgins lamp. But, then, what is salvation?
It is the forgiveness of sins, and the knowledge of it; as it is written, "To give knowledge of salvation unto his people, by the remission of their sins, through the tender mercy of our God, whereby the dayspring from; on high hath visited us, to give light to them that sit in darkness, and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace." The fire that attends this salvation is the love of God shed abroad in the heart by the Holy Ghost; for the fullest discovery and sweetest enjoyment of divine love are made known to the soul at the time of pardon and forgiveness; and this overflowing of divine love in us inflames the whole soul with love to God again: or, to speak more evangelically, the Holy Spirit filling us with Gods love through Christ, his love is reflected back again, attended with the renewed affections of the pardoned sinner. Hence it is said, Where much is forgiven, the same loveth much; and where little is forgiven, the same loveth little, Luke vii. 47. Sin is removed by faith in a Saviours blood. This heals the conscience, and brings health and cure; while love binds up the broken heart, and fills it with joy and peace. This is salvation, and the burning flame that attends it; and justification always goes with it; for the same faith that purifies the heart puts on the wedding-garment; the fatted calf and the best robe are brought forth together, Luke xv. 22,23. The prophet ascribes fire to salvation, and brightness to righteousness; and no wonder; for when God accepts us in his Son as clean, and in his righteousness as just, he reveals his dear Son in us, with all his saving benefits, and with all his fulness: and this is called the Sun of righteousness rising upon us with healing in his beams, attended with the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. Pardon removes sin, and righteousness removes the curse, and all condemnation. In this work we are baptized with the Holy Ghost, and with the fire; with God the Fathers love, through Christ; for this is shed abroad in our heart by the Holy Ghost. Hence the Holy Spirit is called the Spirit of burning, Isaiah iv. 4. The word of life, in the love of it, is a live coat from the altar, Isaiah vi. 6. And joy in the heart is the flame that blazes forth from this lamp, and is expressly called light: "The light of the righteous rejoiceth, but the lamp of the wicked shall be put out." This lamp of salvation will afford a blaze of joy, when all joy raised by moving the passions will be put out: a consciousness of sin, and the expectation of wrath, are sure to extinguish it. The ground and foundation of this joy in my text is, first, the forgiveness of sins. And such worshippers, once purged, shall have no more conscience of sins, Heb. x. 2. Thus "Israel shall be saved in the Lord with an everlasting salvation." The believer puts on an everlasting righteousness. This, says the prophet, goes forth as brightness, as being the righteousness of God, and in which the righteous shall shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father, Matt. xiii. 43. And both the atonement and the best robe are brought nigh, and applied by the Holy Spirit of God; for we are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God, 1 Cor. vi. 11. Which most holy and blessed Spirit is a comforter that abides with us for ever. Thus salvation is attended with the fire of love, and righteousness with the brightest flames of heavenly joy; as it is written, "I will greatly rejoice in the Lord, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for he hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, he hath covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bride adorneth herself with her jewels," Here is the wise virgin, made wise to salvation, going forth to meet her great Redeemer, who hath washed her from her sins in his own blood. She is going to meet her dearly beloved with his love shed abroad in her heart. She sets out in her wedding robe to meet her bridegroom; she goes to meet her head of influence, under the influence of his Spirit; and she rejoices in hope of an endless enjoyment of her own husband. Nor is she in any danger of her lamp going out; for she has the promise of returning to Zion with songs, and everlasting joy upon her head, Isaiah li. 11. And so far is she from being shut out of the marriage-chamber, that it is with gladness and rejoicing she shall be brought, and shall enter into the kings palace, Psalm xlv. 15. So much for the wisdom of the wise.
Now for the glory; "The wise shall inherit glory." There is a glory already put upon the wise, and it begins with the first entrance of the Spirit of God into the heart. Under his first operations the poor sinner begins to separate himself from the world. This brings the odium of the world upon him: "If ye be reproached for the name of Christ, happy are ye; for the Spirit of glory and of God resteth upon you?"
2. The light of Gods countenance, in which our secret sins appear; the light which makes manifest all things that are reproved, and which shines upon the sure word of prophecy till the day-dawn, and day-star arise in the heart; even this is no less than glory; yea, and the glory of God too. "Arise, shine, for thy light is come, and the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee. For, behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people: but the Lord shall arise upon thee, and his glory shall be seen upon thee."
3. There is a wonderful display of divine glory in the creation and formation of the new man. God shining upon the soul, and giving us a discovery of his own glory in the face of Christ, reflects the image of God upon us; and under this glorious rising and shining is the new man formed, and the divine image imprinted on the soul. "But we all, with open face, beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image, from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord." The love that fills the soul at this time, and the unutterable joy that springs from love, has, according to Peter, a fulness of glory in it. "Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory," 1 Peter i. 8. Glory, as mentioned in the scriptures in the general, means light;. "I could not see," says Paul, "for the glory of that light;" and again, "The Lord shall be unto thee an everlasting light, and thy God thy glory;" and again, "Arise, shine, for thy light is come, and the glory of God is risen upon thee."
The word, light, in scripture signifies various things.
1. It signifies the light of faith. By faith Moses saw him that is invisible. The patriarchs saw the promises afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them. And again, "He that believeth on me shall not abide in darkness, but shall have the light of life."
2. Sometimes it means love. "He that hateth his brother, is in darkness, and walketh in darkness; but he that loveth his brother abideth in the light, and there is none occasion of stumbling in him."
3. It signifies enlightening the understanding to discern spiritual things. "Call to remembrance the former days, in which, after ye were illuminated, ye endured a great fight of afflictions." Again, "The eyes of your understanding being enlightened, that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints."
4. It signifies joy and gladness of heart. "Light is sown for the righteous, and gladness for the upright in heart." Again, "The light of the righteous rejoiceth, but the lamp of the wicked shall be put out."
5. Wonderful deliverances, and prosperity upon it, are called light. When Haman was caught in his own trap, and God turned his violent dealings upon his own pate, it is said that the Jews had light, and gladness, and joy, and honour, Esther viii. 16. So much for the wise man's begun glory, even in this life. We read also of a glory that is to be put upon the bodies of the saints at the resurrection of the dead; that Christ shall change our vile bodies, and shall fashion them like unto his own glorious body. We read also of a crown of glory that fadeth not away. And I believe I may, in a few words, set forth both the glory of Christ, and the glory of the saints. The glory of Christ is his church: "Thou shalt also be a crown of glory in the hand of the Lord, and a royal diadem in the hand of thy God," Isaiah lxii. 3. The crown of the saints follows: "In that day shall the Lord of hosts be for a crown of glory, and for a diadem of beauty, unto the residue of his people," Isaiah xxviii. 5. This is the glory of the wise, and the wise mans crown of glory; and he that can find out God unto perfection, he may describe it; as for me, I cannot. But thus much I may say, that whatever in the word of God is called a crown, may, in the highest sense, be referred to Christ Jesus. For instance: "The hoary head is a crown of glory, if it be found in the way of righteousness." Christ is the ancient of days, and the hair of his head like pure wool, Daniel vii. 9. "The prudent are crowned with knowledge." Christ is made of God unto us wisdom; and to know God, and Jesus Christ whom he hath sent, is life eternal. We read of a crown of righteousness laid up for all that love his appearing, 2 Tim. iv. 8. Jehovah-tsidkenu, Christ is the Lord our righteousness, Jer. xxiii, 6. "The crown of the wise is their riches." The Lord is the portion of our souls. We read of being crowned with lovingkindness and tender mercies, Psalm ciii. 4. Christ is love, he is kindness, and all the sure mercies of David are in him. There is such a thing as the crown of life, James i. 12. Christ is our life; and, "When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall we also appear with him in glory." Again: "And when the chief Shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away." But this text that follows includes and contains the substance of all the above: "In that day shall the Lord of hosts be for a crown of glory, and for a diadem of beauty, unto the residue of his people." This is our cap of state, our joy, the crown of our rejoicing, the glory of our head, and our eternal honour, dignity, and majesty.
I come now to describe the worst creatures in all this world, except the devils; and these are, that sort of fools which are mentioned and meant in my text: for there are several sorts of fools described in the word of God; but that sort in my text is not an understrapper; he is not one of the lowest, nor one of the second class, but of the highest rank, being exalted above every other denomination or species of fools; for so says my text, "Shame shall be the promotion of fools."
1. There is a sort of fools that are mere muck-worms, who are so blinded and buried in the earth as never to spend one thought either upon God or conscience. "And he spake a parable unto them saying, The ground of a certain rich man brought forth plentifully. And he thought within himself, saying, What shall I do, because I have no room where to bestow my fruits? And he said, This will I do; I will pull down my barns and build greater, and there will I bestow all my fruits and my goods. And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years, take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry. But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be which thou hast provided? So is he that layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich towards God."
2. There is another sort of fools which are by nature so; that is, persons of weak intellects and of shallow capacities, and, as we commonly say, soft and simple; and there are not a few of this sort among the elect of God. "For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called: but God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty; and base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are," 1 Cor. i. 26-28. Now this sort of fools are so naturally, and are called the foolish things of the world.
3. There is another sort of fools, that are not so in reality, but are nicknamed so; and their godfathers that gave them this name are not men truly wise, nor wise in the judgment of God, nor in the opinion of wise men; but they are wise in their own conceits like the Jewish scribes and pharisees of old, who became vain in their imagination and their foolish hearts were darkened. "Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools," Rom. i. 21, 22. Now, though these men were fools in grain, fools in the abstract, and the very quintessence of folly, yet these became the Godfathers of men that were truly wise, and, out of their great hatred to God, call souls, that God has inspired, fools. "The prophet is a fool, the spiritual man is mad, for the multitude of thine iniquity, and the great hatred," Hosea ix. 7. And those in the New Testament which, Christ says, saw and hated both him and his Father, gave the same title to the apostles, as Paul relates, "We are fools for Christs sake," 1 Cor. iv. 10. And these fools God undertakes to lead, protect, and guide, in his way; and takes such pains to make the road plain, that these wayfaring men, though fools, shall not err therein, Isaiah xxxv. 8.
A fourth rank of fools are such as make a profession without possession, Neither driven to Christ by a sense of guilt and wrath, nor drawn to him by a sense of mercy and love, they seem to me to be volunteers in religion. They think it an honour to have the name of being devout Christians; or else, what could induce the foolish virgins to set out, and to set off, to meet the bridegroom, seeing they had no knowledge of him, no love to him, no sense of their need of him, nor any one promise of life from him. They had not his Spirit in them, nor one grace from his fulness, to influence them. They had no unction, no oil, no anointing from him; for they took no oil with them. These are called foolish virgins.
5. The next class of fools are such as are blinded, influenced, pushed on, and puffed up by Satan, to assume and invest themselves with the office of the ministers of Christ. And there are many of them so duped, blinded, and inflamed, with a false zeal. by the devil, as to think that God really sent them; and they often challenge the Almighty for their sovereign and their patron, as Balaam did when he said, If Balak would give me his house full of silver and gold, I cannot go beyond the word of the Lord my God, to do less or more." This class of fools so effectually mimicked the servants of Christ as to make many hearts glad who were the simple followers of the Lamb. Of such simple believers Paul sarcastically says, "Ye suffer fools gladly, seeing ye yourselves are wise." Wise you must be, because you gladly suffer false apostles to lead you. But the fool in my text is a more exalted character than any of these; he is ranked in the highest class, and is, in his own conceit, the wisest creature in all the celestial or terrestrial globes; for he attributes folly to both worlds, as will appear in the following account of him. We are to know this fool from all others by the appellation that is joined to his name, "Proud and haughty scorner is his name, who dealeth in proud wrath," Prov. xxi. 24. Proud and haughty scorner is his name; pride and wrath he at the bottom of all his hard speeches. And scorning eases the burden of his heart, and affords him some desperate, infernal, and momentary delight. These scorners are said to delight in their scorning; and, though fools, yet they hate knowledge, Prov. i. 22.
This sort of fools make a mock at sin. And, in doing this, they mock at all the anger, wrath and just indignation of God. They mock at all the dreadful threatenings, sentences, and curses of a broken law; yea, they mock at all the weeds, briers, and thorns, on the earth, and at all the toil of man in rooting them up, and keeping them under. They mock at all the chains and torments of devils; at all the labour, toil, and misery, of men; at all the sufferings and agonies of the Son of God; at all the sorrows and afflictions of the saints; at the day of judgment; at the awful sentence of God; and at all the groans of the damned; for not one of these had ever been either revealed, threatened, feared, felt, borne, or endured, if sin had not entered into the world.
A scorning fool is one that scoffs at all real religion, and makes a jest of the worship and worshippers of God. The very preaching of Christ, Paul says, is the power of God, and the wisdom of God; and even this the scorning fool calls the weakness of God, and the foolishness of God. Be it so, says Paul; "The foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men," 1 Cor. i. 25. Thus this fool sets his mouth against the heavens, and his tongue walks through the earth. He sets his mouth against the heavens by insulting his Maker, and ridiculing his gospel, which is from above, and by despising those that are born from above; and his tongue walks through the earth by his pupils and admirers, who zealously circulate his bold and arrogant speeches.
We are forbidden to offer any advice or counsel to this character: "Speak not in the ears of a fool, for he will despise the wisdom of thy words." No reproof nor rebuke, no judgments nor afflictions, can have any humbling or softening effects upon him, he is so completely in league with Satan, and so hardened under his influence. "Though thou shouldst bray this fool in a mortar among wheat with a pestle, yet will not his foolishness depart from him," it is so interwoven in his soul.
I come now to shew his promotion. In every class of rational creatures there are some promoted above the rest. We read of angels and archangels in heaven; and of thrones and dominions, of principalities and powers; and, even among fallen angels, we read of a king, which is Satan, and his inferiors, who are in subjection to him. And we read of Beelzebub, the prince of devils; yea, Paul says that Christ, by his death, spoiled principalities and powers upon the cross, and made a show of them openly, triumphing over them in it. And so in bodies politic, and in all senates and civil societies, there are promotions. Hence we hear of emperors and empires; of kings and kingdoms; of princes and principalities. The house of lords hath a speaker, the house of commons the same; and all assemblies and clubs of inferior rank, even these have a chairman.
Now, the fool in my text, which Solomon describes to be a fool that delights in scorning, and hates knowledge, this dignity that he is in, this promotion, is refused by all but the scorning fool, according to Jotham's parable; for, when all the corrupt trees went to anoint a king over them, every plant in the wood begged to be excused but one. "They said unto the olive tree, Reign thou over us. But the olive tree said, Should I leave my fatness, wherewith by me they honour God and man, and go to be promoted over the trees? And the trees said to the fig tree, Come thou, and reign over us. But the fig tree said unto them, Should I forsake my sweetness, and my good fruit, and go to be promoted over the trees? Then said the trees unto the vine, Come thou, and reign over us. And the vine said unto them, Should I leave my wine, which cheereth God and man, and go to be promoted over the trees?" All these trees seem to show some regard either to God or man, and therefore refuse promotion. But the next offer is made to the scorning fool. "Then said all the trees unto the bramble, Come thou, and reign over us. And the bramble said unto the trees, If in truth ye anoint me king over you, then come and put your trust in my shadow," Judges ix. 8-15. None in all this parable would accept of promotion but the bramble, and that is a badge of Gods curse upon the earth, and a lively type of that sort of sinners called briers and thorns, which are rejected, and are nigh unto cursing, and whose end is to be burned, Heb. vi. 8. The same choice has been put to this sort of trees since, and the choice was the same: "Not this man, but Barabbas. Now Barabbas was a robber."
Among all the classes of sinners, heretics, hypocrites, impostors, mammonists, and worldlings, there am none promoted so high as the scorning fool. He is the chairman; he stands first and highest, and is at the front of all that enter the gates of death. "Blessed is the man that walketh not in the council of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful."
I read of no exalted chair, or seat of promotion, among sinners, but the above, which is called the seat of the scornful. And, as this chairman is sure to have many pupils, followers, and admirers, so he is sure to gain many proselytes; many of which look up to him, and wish they could imitate him in art and craft, in eloquence and fluency, in parts and abilities, in wisdom and knowledge. This person being a ringleader, and gaining much applause by mocking of God, it is but right that he should be supreme in misery, as well as supreme in wickedness. And God declares, in the very verse preceding my text, that he will deal with this sinner as he has dealt with God. "Surely he scorneth the scorners: but he giveth grace unto the lowly. The wise shall inherit glory, but shame shall be the promotion of fools." And as, in this world, those that despise Christ shall be lightly esteemed, so these scorners, at the day of judgment, will be despised, destroyed, and abhorred, even by their own proselytes and admirers; and they will hate him, and curse him, and torment him, to all eternity, as their worst enemy, and soul-destroyer. And God declares that he will pay him in his own coin; that is, he will laugh at his calamity, and mock when his fear cometh. His own atrocious crimes, and the heinous guilt of them; his fears, anguish, and torments; shall be his promotion in the great day, as soon as the last trumpet shall be blown. "Many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt." Shame and everlasting contempt will be the promotion of this fool. His chiefest glory has been in his own shame, and shame shall be his future promotion.
Chapter 25
GODS GREATEST TREASURE IN MAN'S WORST PART.
I CORINTHIANS XII. 24, 25.
The apostle, in this chapter, is comparing the church of Christ to a human body, and the different members of the body as representing so many particular members of the church. And as there is an union, both in flesh and spirit, between Christ and his people, first, by his incarnation, and, secondly, by our regeneration, (for by the former he took our flesh, and by the latter we are made one spirit with him, and the Saviour and his church being husband and wife;) so they are for ever one, as man and his wife are one. Hence she bears his name, and is expressly called Christ: "For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body being many are one body; so also is Christ." Now, as Christ signifies anointed, the unctuous Spirit of God being upon all believers, the church bears this name, for we are anointed with the same Spirit; as it is written: "Now he which establisheth us with you in Christ, and hath anointed us, is God." "For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit." This spiritual baptism that Christ came to administer, to which John himself gave testimony, when he said, "He shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire," is what the Saviour promised just before his being apprehended; "Ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost, not many days hence." And, on the day of Pentecost, the Spirit was most plentifully poured forth upon the apostles, which made them ministers of the Spirit, not of the letter. They all drank into one Spirit, according to the Lords promise. Their poor, dry, barren, lifeless, and thirsty souls came to him, and drank freely of the well-spring of life; and, in their ministry, out of their bellies flowed rivers of living water. "This spake he of the Spirit which they that believe on him should receive." To be baptized with the Holy Ghost is to be regenerated and renewed by the Spirit of God; and to be baptized with fire is to have the love of God shed abroad in the heart by the Holy Ghost given unto us, Rom. v.5. And this most holy Spirit being one in them all, made them all one in themselves, and members one of another. "For the body is not one member, but many." The human body consists of various parts, and each member is assigned to its own proper use and office in the body; and though their offices may differ, yet they are intended for the mutual use, aid, and assistance, of every member. Now, as the different members of the body are of different uses, so are the different members of Christ's mystical body. "If the foot shall say, Because I am not the hand, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body?" The foot most certainly is the greatest slave in the human body, because it bears the greatest weight, and is the lowest member in the whole frame; and perhaps may mean one in the lowest stage of grace, with some life, faith, hope, and expectation, and yet not a little burdened with corruption, temptation, doubts, and fears, as some are all their life time in bondage through the fear of death, and misgivings of heart; and so, like the foot, are the lowest and meanest. And such are often least and last of all in their own eyes, and, like the feet, much pressed down to the earth, and seldom joyful, or heavenly-minded; and yet, like the foot, diligent in the means of Gods appointment; though often staggering, halting, limping, and meeting with so much opposition, they are often discouraged because of the way. However, the feet belong to the body; and if these be out order; all the members are in a concern about them, for the whole is confined from travelling. And so the foot, in the body mystical, serves to excite the pity, compassion, yea, and the patience too, of those members that are more strong; for they are often lain with a weight upon the minds of others; hence we read of some who are borne upon the sides, and dandled upon the knees, of Zion; which would not be the case, if they had but good use of their own feet. "I was feet to the lame," says Job. "Confirm the feeble knees," says Paul. The feet seem to want the most attention of any; for they are the same in the body as the ewe great with young is in the flock. And the devil often bruises this heel of Christ, as Amalek did in the wilderness, who could not reach the front, but fell upon the rear, and cut off all that were faint, and feeble; and God swore that he would have war with him for ever for so doing, Exod. xvii. 16.
"Because I am not the hand, I am not of the body." The hand, to me, appears to be one whose faith is come to some degree of maturity, who hath laid hold on eternal life, and who holds fast and abides close by the covenant head. He holds fast the form of sound words, and continues stedfast in the apostles doctrine, and is able at times to hold forth in private the word of life, a word of reproof, instruction, counsel, admonition, exhortation, comfort, or encouragement, to others. And he may be called a hand, because of his ability to assist, and willingness to communicate, to the necessitous; as wisdom describes the church as reaching out her hand to the poor and needy. The foot at times may be provoked to jealousy, and be led by Satan to envy the happiness of such who seem to excel, and to draw conclusions from thence that, because I am not the hand, I am not of the body; "But is it therefore not of the body?"
"And if the ear shall say, Because I am not the eye, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body?" 1 Cor. xii. 16. The ear appears to be an attentive hearer. And how delightful is a wise reprover upon an obedient ear; an ear that is circumcised to hear and understand the Shepherds voice; an ear that can try the word as the mouth tasteth its meat; which can discover and disrelish perverse things, such as the allurements of designing men, who he in wait to deceive; and who, knowing the joyful sound, is able to detect the Lo here, and Lo there, of the minister of Satan. The ear is not to say,
"Because I am not the eye, I am not of the body." The eye appears to me to be a real minister of the gospel, or a cherubim, one of Johns living creatures, full of eyes before and behind, who have the first views and discoveries made to them of the mysteries of the kingdom, and whose work is to call others to come and see. Hence John is called a burning and a shining light, because he let his light shine before men. And if thine eye be single, saith the Lord, liberal and bountiful, seeking Christs honour, and the good of his chosen (for it is a bountiful eye that will pity the poor, Prov. xxii. 9,)and deal out truly, freely, and bountifully, the truths, promises, and blessings, of the everlasting gospel, to the enriching and enlarging the poor in spirit; such an eye being single the whole body shall be full of light, as when the bright shining of a candle doth give the light. But, if the eye be evil, the whole body is full of darkness; as are many congregations of poor formalist Arminians, heretics, and hypocrites, like the kingdom of the beast of Rome, full of darkness. The ancient name of a minister sent of God is that of a seer, because the light of God shined into him. And another name is that of a watchman, who requires eyesight to see into the dark designs of thieves and robbers, and took after the fafety of the citizens. The name of shepherd also, which takes the oversight of the flock. Another of their names is that of seraphim, which signifies inflaming, because the Lord makes his ministers a flame of fire, to warm, enlarge, and inflame, the souls of the saints. And much fire such want, in order to set forth the ever-blessed Spirit of God, the eternal love of God, the joy of God, and the comforts of God. And this fire gives a true light to them; and much light they want in order to look into the mysteries of God, into arch impostors and deceivers, who are ministers of Satan transformed. And they want eyes to discern spirits, false from true; and to read hypocrites and saints, to distinguish the vile from the precious, and a work of grace from devilism; which is Satan's craft, intended to imitate the work of God upon the soul, that he may sow tares among the wheat, in order to deceive. A near sighted seer, a blind watchman, and a shepherd that cannot understand, are Zion's worst enemies. And this was Israel's case, as God complains: "His watchmen are blind; they are all dumb dogs, they cannot bark; sleeping, lying down, loving to slumber. Yea, they are greedy dogs which can never have enough, and they are shepherds that cannot understand," Isaiah lvi. 10, 11.
"If the whole body were an eye, where were the hearing?" If the whole church were ministers, where would be the hearers? God gives the discerning eye to his church, that his people may be fed with knowledge and understanding; and he gives the obedient ear also: "As soon as they hear of me, they shall obey me." And the Lord hath blessed both: "Blessed are your eyes, for they see; and your ears, for they hear."
"If the whole body were hearing, where were the smelling?" The mystical body of Christ is not without a nose. This is twice commended by the Lord in the seventh chapter of the Song of Solomon. All Christ's garments smell of myrrh, aloes, and cassia; and the whole of his sacrifice is a sweet-smelling savour, a savour of life unto life to all that believe; and a quick-scented believer is of great use in the body, in smelling out wolves and foxes, who, like the flies in the apothecary's ointment, send forth a stinking savour.
"And the eye cannot say unto the hand, I have no need of thee; nor again, the head to the feet, I have no need of you." The head of the church is Christ; and though it is true we have all need enough of him, yet I do not know that it can be said of him that he stands in need of us. However, the mediatorial King will have his subjects; the great Shepherd will have his flock; the Captain of salvation will have his good soldiers; the Husband will have his wife; the everlasting Father will have his children about him; and the Head will have his body. These characters, which he is pleased to assume, make the other necessary. And sure I am, that the covenant Head never will say to his little ones, no not to the least, "I have no need of thee;" though perhaps the most ancient and most honourable members in a church who are sometimes called elders, may be meant here by the head, because the ancient and the honourable he is the head of a society; and the prophet that teacheth lies he is the tail; but Christ's body has no such tails to it. However, the most ancient and honourable member cannot say to the least and lowest I have no need of thee; for without such there would be no increase, no succession, and of course the church must discontinue.
"Nay much more those members of the body which seem to be more feeble are necessary." I know of nothing belonging to the human body that are more feeble than the hairs of our head; and yet even these are all numbered, and not one of them shall perish, Matt. x. 30. Luke xxi. 18. And, as weak believers are sometimes compared to these, a third part of the hairs cut off from the prophets head were to be bound up in his skirt; Ezek. v. 3. Hairs are given for ornament, and so weak believers, who are in the simplicity of the gospel, are the ornamental hair of the church: "Thy hair is as a flock of goats from Gilead." And these often appear in the ornament of a meek and a quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price. Hairs, though feeble, stick close to the head; and I know of none who stick closer to the Head of the church than the weak and feeble ones. "He gathereth the lambs with his arms, and carries them in his bosom, and gently leadeth those that are with young." And who stick closer to the heart of Christ than those who ride in the bosom of love?
"And those members of the body which we think to be less honourable, upon these we bestow more abundant honour." The back parts of the human body are deemed less honourable than the face, neck, hands, and arms; but upon these we bestow, or put on, more abundant honour than we do upon the face or hands, by covering them; as Aaron's garments were made for glory and beauty, to ornament and adorn him. And so we read of the raiment of Solomon, which astonished the Ethiopian queen; and even the Lord calls this his glory: Even Solomon, in all his glory, was not arrayed like the lily; because Solomon's glory was artificial; but that of the lily is natural to itself. The poor, weak, ignorant, and foolish, of this world are represented by these: But God hath chosen the foolish to confound the wise, and the weak to confound the strong, and the base, and those lightly esteemed; yea, the off-scouring of the earth; and has sent his gospel to them, and chosen them rich in faith, and hath made them heirs of his everlasting kingdom, having adopted them into his family. And it is often seen that the poorest and weakest saints are much more favoured with life, power, presence, comfort, and countenance, of God, than those who are brighter in parts, and better in circumstances.
"And our uncomely parts have more abundant comeliness." When sin entered into the world, and guilt and shame followed upon it, and conscience began to reproach our first parents, they, being stripped of all righteousness and innocency, immediately invented a covering for these. But the Lord condescended to make them a better one himself; prefiguring thereby an imputed righteousness, which justifies from all things, and effectually covers from all sin and filth, from guilt and shame. These parts, some have thought, represent backsliding and fallen believers, who bring a reproach and scandal upon the church~ and who require a deal of love to cover and hide their sin and shame from the world, that the good ways of the Lord be not evil spoken of. Though, for my part, I rather think that those parts of the human body which distinguish the sexes have a much higher and a more noble meaning. We read of the church's pregnancy, and of her pain and travail to be delivered; and we read of gospel ministers begetting many to Christ; as it is written, "Though ye have ten thousand instructors, yet have ye not many fathers," says Paul: "I have begotten you." Zion, in the mystery, is not without her fruitful womb: "Shall I bring to the birth, and not cause to bring, forth? shall I cause to bring forth, and shut the womb? saith thy God." Nor are the ministers of the Spirit, which the Lord sends, destitute of divine power; nor yet destitute of the incorruptible seed, the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever. Hence it appears to me, that the usefulness of a minister in converting, and the increase of a lively, fruitful church, are signified by these parts; though it may be objected, that such preachers and churches cannot be called the uncomely parts. To which it may be replied, that such are the most despicable in the eyes of the world, or else they would not call such fruitful souls as the apostles the filth and off-scouring of the earth. A dead preacher, and a barren, lifeless congregation, do not incur the worlds displeasure; they generally get the name of pious, honourable, moderate, candid, quiet, and inoffensive people. Under such preachers the devil keeps his, captives, and the world keeps its companions; and as these sustain no loss, so the others have no persecution. But let the Spirit of God be poured out upon such a preacher, and upon such audiences; let the work of begetting, conceiving, breeding, travailing, and bringing forth, go on among them: and away goes the world's good word for evermore; and they would appear to be the uncomely parts at once. Hence I conclude, that powerful preachers, who are owned, honoured, and much blessed in this work, and churches which are the most fruitful to God, are intended.
These have more abundant comeliness. All that are called by them, love and honour them for their works sake. What is more delightful, to the real lovers and friends of Christ, than to see a successful preacher, and a fruitful church? And when such friends of the Bridegroom bring poor, blind, ignorant souls, or persons prejudiced against the word, under the means, and it pleases God to send the word home to them, how pleased such are to find the poor sinner is caught in the net; and upon such young fruit, just sprung from the womb, they also waiting upon them, watching over them; and when the work appears genuine, they esteem them, in their simplicity and humility, better than themselves. And for these the best robe, ring, fatted calf, and shoes, are brought forth, which is the comeliness of Christ, and is put upon them, which such souls need, and which gives them more abundant comeliness.
"For our comely parts have no need." The face, checks, eyes, mouth, and nose, of the human body, have no need of a covering to preserve them; for these comely parts are intended to be seen, and to set off and recommend the whole body. And by such the apostle means real and conscientious saints, who are sincere in heart, and circumspect in life; like one who wears the name of God in his forehead. The cheeks mean the modest and virtuous saint, who will take shame and blush at the thoughts of bringing any reproach upon the cause of Christ; of whom the Lord says, "Let me hear thy voice, let me see thy face; for sweet is thy voice, and thy countenance is comely."
The eye, the nose, &c. have been before described as the discerning preacher and quick-scented believer. But these comely parts have no need, in the sense the others have; for their iniquity is forgiven, and their sin is covered, and the grace of God is abundant upon them; these are all fair, and there is no spot in them.
"But God hath tempered the body together," by joining high and low, strong and feeble members, in one covenant, in one mystical body; and hath joined them together in judgment, touching their ruin in Adam, and restoration by Christ; and respecting their condemnation by the law, and justification by the gospel; and hath bound and braced them together in the unity of one faith in Christ, in the bond of peace, and in the more perfect bond of love; and hath tried them, humbled them, melted them, meekened them, and softened them, by humbling dispensations, which makes the heart contrite; and by which means he hath cemented them together, that they may need each others assistance, feel for each others infirmities, hear each other's burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ; and, by administering comforts by the Spirit, which supplieth every part, the whole edifying itself in love, and increaseth with the increase of God. The worst part of this mystical body is the natural head of it, I mean Adam. The first Adam in his fallen state, corrupted it all; and the body must be infected with the leprosy while the plague is in the head, Levit. xiii. 44. For Adam, having lost the image of God, he begat sons in his own likeness. Not in light, but in darkness; not in righteousness, but in condemnation; not in love, but in enmity; not in holiness, but in sin; not in wisdom, but in ignorance. And this earthly image God despises. We are conceived in sin, and shapen in iniquity; for, through the disobedience of Adam, judgment came upon all men unto condemnation. Hence the elect are by nature the children of wrath, even as others. "Now the children of the flesh, these are not the children of God; but the children of the promise are counted for the seed." And over this seed God has appointed a new head, a second Adam, the quickening Spirit, the Lord from heaven, He takes part of the children's flesh and blood, and is born under the law. He obeys the law that Adam broke; he bears our sins that Adam communicated, and endures the curse that Adam incurred; satisfies the justice of God that Adam had offended, and suffers the wrath brought on us by Adams fall, and dies the death denounced on Adams sin. In this business the devil will be busy, and makes better haste than good speed; and of the wisest of all serpents he becomes the greatest fool. He gains both Jew and Gentile to assist him against the Son of God, and works in them all to conspire his death, the death of the cross. And here the devil falls in his own pit; the most artful fowler is taken in his own snare, and all his violent dealings return on his own pate. To the cross the Saviour nails the law of death; upon the cross he takes away the sting of death; and, by redeeming man, he through death destroys, as a usurper, him that had the power of death, that is, the devil. On the third day he rises from the dead; righteousness looks down from heaven well pleased, and truth springs out of the earth in eternal triumph; to heaven he reascends, lord both of the dead and of the living, and bears the keys both of hell and of death; and, upon taking his throne as king mediator, he receives and sends truth his most holy Spirit of promise to blot out the image of the earthly Adam, and to reinstamp his own, consisting of glorious light, righteousness, love, holiness, and spiritual knowledge; and to setup an empire of grace, supported, ordained, and established, by the Holy Ghost, which preserves this image, and supports this empire for ever more. Thus are all the elect restored and reinstated in God's love, and in the image of the second Adam; while the devil and his angels, together with all the seed of the serpent, who hate the church and her seed, are left in the chains of sin, and under the wrath of God, and the dominion of endless death.
Nothing of Satan's usurped dominion remains in the elect of God but the body of death, the old man. This remains to magnify the grace of God, to keep the saints watchful, humble, and diligent, and to make the glories of another world appear an eternal weight. At death the old man is removed; at the resurrection mortality, corruption, and death, are swallowed up, the devil and his adherents judged and damned, a new heaven and a new earth appear, in which righteous persons shall dwell; and this will be the destruction of the devil and all his works. Thus have I shewed the new head of the church Christ Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering death, now crowned with glory and honour, God having put more abundant honour upon that part that lacked. But this glorious Head must be loved, honoured, adored, and always uppermost in the heart and affections of his saints.
Another part which much lacked is the heart, which is the strong mans palace, a den of dragons, a cage of unclean birds; from whence evil thoughts, thefts, blasphemies, adultery, fornication, covetousness, enmity, malice; rebellion, infidelity, and every other evil, proceed. But abundant honour is put upon this: Christ dwells in the heart by faith. With the heart man believes unto righteousness. The heart is circumcised to love God. Here the laws of God are written; and here the fear of God, the word of God, and the grace of God, are put; yea, God dwells with the broken and contrite heart. All which is abundant honour; and it is put upon that part which lacked. Nothing can be a greater honour to a poor sinner than that of adoption. To be a son of God, what can come up to it! "And because you are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father." there is the Spirit of God in the heart, claiming in us the honour of adoption, and bearing his witness to the truth of it. Now this abundant honour is given to that part which lacked.
"That there should be no schism in the body;" that is, no division or separation. And those who are united in heart to Christ, and made one spirit with him, and who know the plague of their own heart, and whose hearts have been made broken and contrite; in whose heart Christ the hope of glory is formed; and who are of one judgment in the truth; who are of one heart and one soul; who are cemented together with meekness, tenderness, and humility, and bound up together in the bundle of life with the Lord their God: these, in heart, will cleave close to Christ and to one another, even when the chaff is blown away, the vile separated from the precious, the heretic discovered, and the hypocrite banished from the presence of God; as we see by the apostles when Judas was gone; by the friends of David when Ahithophel was made manifest; and by the fear that fell upon the churches when Ananias and Sapphira were sent out of the world. For at such times God gives more grace to his own dear children, that the weak may say I am strong, when the towers fall, and even after fanning times, which are suffered in order to purge the floor; at which times the Lord often visits his own people with more of his presence, which makes the union of the saints the stronger, and their affections to each other wax the warmer, and abound.
"That the members should have the same care one for another;" a concern for each others welfare, bearing a part of their burdens when in trouble, and sharing their joys when in prosperity. If one member suffers, all the members suffer with it, and if one member be honoured, all the members rejoice with it. Souls bound together in the threefold cord of everlasting love, live in concord and move in concert; and if one is in affliction the Spirit will touch the hearts of the rest to put up their prayers for it, and mingle their sympathy with him; and when God comforts Ephraim, he comforts his mourners also. Daniel is in danger of being slain with the wise men of Babylon, and he requests his three friends to assist him in desiring mercy of the God of heaven concerning the secret of the kings dream. The three friends of Daniel get into the furnace; Daniel is out, that he may pray for them. Daniel goes into the lions den; the three friends are out to pray for him. Peter gets into prison; prayer by the church is made to God without ceasing for him. Peter is let out; and they open not the door for joy at the sight of him. "Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity! It is like the precious ointment upon the head that ran down upon the beard, even Aaron beard, that went down to the skirts of his garments; it is like the dew of Hermon, on the mountain of Zion; where God commanded the blessing, even life for evermore."
Chapter 26
THE WONDERFUL CLIMAX, OR, THE CHAIN OF
HEAVEN AND EARTH.
HOSEA ii. 21, 22.
THE day here spoken of does not appear to me to be the time of Christ's appearing, when the dayspring from on high visited us, to guide our feet into the way of peace. The ten tribes were then in captivity; and where they now are, seems to be a mystery.
Nor is the day here spoken of the day in which the gospel was published to the Gentiles, when the apostles became "a tabernacle for the sun; which is as a bridegroom coming out of his chamber, and rejoiceth as a strong man to run a race;" when their line went out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world, Psalm xix. 4, 5; Rom. x. 18. The day spoken of in my text is yet to come. For although some few of the ten tribes might be gathered in when the gospel was preached in and about the countries where the ten tribes were scattered, and a church elected together was founded, even in Babylon, 1 Peter. v. 13; yet, as a body, they have not been restored to the favour of God by the gospel; nor will they be until the fulness of the Gentiles comes in. "Then said God, Call his name Lo-ammi; for ye are not my people, and I will not be your God. Yet the number of the children of Israel shall be as the sand of the sea, which cannot be measured nor numbered: and it shall come to pass, that in the place where it was said unto them, Ye are not my people, there it shall be said unto them, Ye are the sons of the living God. Then shall the children of Judah and the children of Israel be gathered together, and appoint themselves one head, and they shall come up out of the land: for great shall be the day of Jezreel." Here we have the rejection of Israel with a Lo-ammi put upon them, which still continues; next we have the adoption of the Gentiles, formerly not a people, but now the sons of the living God; and, when the fulness of the Gentiles be come in, then the Deliverer goes forth out of Zion, and turns ungodliness from Jacob; and so Israel is saved at last. And to this agrees Isaiah: "And in that day there shall be a root of Jesse, which shall stand for an ensign of the people; to it shall the Gentiles seek: and his rest shall be glorious. And it shall come to pass in that day, that the Lord shall set his hand again the second time to recover the remnant of his people which shall be left, from Assyria, and from Egypt, and from Pathros, and from Cush, and from Elam, and from Shinar, and from Hamath, and from the islands of the sea. And he shall set up an ensign for the nations, and shall assemble the outcasts of Israel, and gather together the dispersed of Judah from the four corners of the earth." At this time, says Hosea, the children of Judah and of Israel shall be gathered together, and appoint themselves one head; that is, they shall both unite, and embrace Christ Jesus and his gospel. "I the Lord will be their God, and my servant David a prince among them: I the Lord have spoken it." Under this head they shall return to their own country; they shall come up out of the land; "for great shall be the day of Jezreel." This great day is the day spoken of in my text, in the which "I will hear, saith the Lord."
"I will hear the heavens." The heavens are to intercede for Jezreel whenever this great day comes. And by the heavens being heard we are to understand the intercession of Christ; the Holy of holies, eternal in the heavens, is his sanctuary; into the most holy place he entered with his own blood; and there to this day his sacrifice and satisfaction abide a sweet-smelling savour to God. And it is with the abundance of his grace, and with the sweet savour of his grand oblations, that all our prayers are perfumed to this day, if they ever ascend with acceptance to God.
Moreover, as Christ, in the days of his flesh, prayed for all his elect, so his prayers must be answered for them all. "Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word; that they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us." The many promises that are made to Christ and his seed are all yea and amen in him; and therefore must be fulfilled. The petitions put up by our High Priest in behalf of all his elect must be heard and answered. The sacrifice offered, the satisfaction made on their account, and the ransom price paid down for them, the whole of which being now in the presence of God for us, demands and calls for the eternal salvation of all the sheep, whether Jews or Gentiles, and that on the footing of truth and holiness, law and justice. And to this God promises the strictest attention, and enforces it with a repetition, "I will hear, saith the Lord, I will hear the heavens."
1. The heavens are in the plural. And by these, in the next place, we are to understand the church, which is often so called, our high birth, doctrine, and worship, being all from above. Hence the gospel church is called a wonder in heaven, Rev. xii. 1. The ministry of the gospel is set forth by an angel flying in the midst of heaven, and preaching as he flies; and yet he preaches it to them that dwell on the earth, Rev. xiv. 6. The great red dragon, with its seven heads and ten horns, is called a wonder in heaven, Rev. xii. 13. In all which places the gospel church is meant. Now this is one of the heavens that is to pray for Jezreel whenever her day comes on. And this will be the bounden duty of the Gentile church; for the Jewish church prayed publicly for the Gentiles from age to age. Even Noah brought in Japheth in his predictions; Moses tells the Gentiles to rejoice with Gods people; Solomon puts up his prayer for us, I Kings, viii. 41-43; and the Jewish church prays for her little sister that had no breasts, and promises to preach to her, and to build her up, as soon as the Messiah should send out orders to call her, Song viii. 8, 9, which the Lord did, Matt. xxviii. 19; and which promise the Jews fulfilled when they sent their ministers to the Gentiles, and bore their charges themselves; "For his names sake they went forth, taking nothing of the Gentiles." Now the Jews are to be prayed for, when this great day comes on, by the Gentiles; for out of Gentile Zion deliverance is to go to Jacob; and the mercy of Christ is to go to them through the mercy of the Gentiles. "For as ye in times past have not believed God, yet have now obtained mercy through their unbelief: even so have these also now not believed, that through your mercy they also may obtain mercy." And when this great day of Jezreel comes, and the Gentile church has her bowels of mercy stirred up in behalf of the Jews, then shall the Jews, who first carried the gospel to the Gentiles, come to the Gentiles to receive the gospel back again. "Behold, I will make them of the synagogue of Satan, which say they are Jews, and are not, but do lie, behold I will make them to come and worship before thy feet, and to know that I have loved thee." But we must descend three times more before this great day of Jezreel and her cry comes on; for so says my text, "I will hear, saith the Lord, I will hear the heavens."
"And they shall hear the earth," &c. By the earth is meant Gods elect uncalled, unconverted, in their dead, carnal, earthly-minded state, being by sin earthly, sensual, devilish. Now this heap of earth is to cry, and the heavens are to hear the cry of the earth. But will such a dead lump of earth and sin ever cry to the heavens for help? No; they will not till they are compelled, and unless God smite them, and quicken them to feel the stroke; and this he promises shall be done by the King of kings, and Lords of lords; and, if mount Sinai trembled at the voice of God, it is no wonder if this animated clay should cry under his alarming stroke; for, "he shall smite the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips shall he slay the wicked." The person that is to smite the earth is the King of saints; the rod is his sceptre, the gospel, which is the ministration of the Spirit; his word is spirit, and it is life. With this rod of his mouth the earth is to be smitten, reproved, rebuked, scourged, and chastened; and to these it is the savour of life unto life; but to the unbelieving and wicked it is the savour of death unto death; "With the breath of his lips he shall slay the wicked." The earth being smitten is to cry. This may be seen in Peter's audience; they being smitten, and the force of truth reaching the heart, they cried out, saying unto Peter, and the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do? Acts ii. 37. The poor jailer, when he was smitten, cries also, saying, "Sirs, what must I do to be saved?" You see what is meant by smiting the earth; and you have heard the cry of the earth when it is smitten. And here I must drop a few thoughts which have just come flying into my head. A little before this cry was made Christ was praying to the Father, and he was answering him by a voice from heaven. Soon after that the apostles were praying that signs and wonders might be done by the name of the holy child Jesus. And here is the earth crying out to the apostles, "Men and brethren, what shall we do?" "Sirs, what must I do to be saved?". Now my text says that the heavens shall hear the earth; and so they do. As soon as the earth cried out the heavens heard and answered. Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and you shall receive the Holy Ghost as well as we; for the promise is to you, &c. "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ," says Paul, "and thou shalt be saved, and all thy house; and he rejoiced, believing in God with all his house." Thus God hears the apostles, and the apostles hear the poor sinners crying out of the dust. There is one observation in my text which I would by no means overlook. There is no sort or class of men under heaven that feel their need so deeply as poor blind sinners, when first smitten and wounded by the word; and there is no sort of men that cry, in all my text, that have so many attending to the voice of supplication as that of the earth. All and every thing of God that has a voice, must attend when the earth begins to cry. God makes the most provision for them that are ready to perish. God hears the heavens; that cry comes from two quarters; but the cry of the earth has no less than five different voices answering to it; for so says my text. "The heavens shall hear the earth, and the earth shall hear the corn, the wine, and the oil." The high priest, the church, the corn, wine, and oil, are all to hear the earths cry. But then what voices can come from corn, wine, and oil?
The corn most certainly has a voice. The death and resurrection of Christ is compared to corn sown, and springing up with much fruit. "Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit."
2. By corn is meant the word of God, especially the promises, which are the words of life. "Thou shalt not muzzle the ox when he treadeth out the corn." That, says Paul, is spoken for our sakes no doubt. Treading out the corn is explaining the word of God, Deut. xxv. 4; 1 Cor. ix. 9. "Corn shall make the young men cheerful and new wine the maids."
3. The children of God are compared to wheat, and the children of the wicked one to tares, in our Lords parable. And again: "For, lo, I will command, and I will sift the house of Israel among all nations, like as corn is sifted in a sieve, yet shall not the least grain fall upon the earth." The death of Christ has an attracting voice to poor sinners. "And I, if I be lifted up, will draw all men unto me." The promises are God's alluring voice to sensible souls, who feel their need of mercy. Nor is there any state that the elect of God can be in, unto whom the promises of God are so innumerable, and to whom they speak so sweetly endearing and encouraging, as to awakened sinners, who tremble at the law, and are both poor and needy. The promise is to you, says Peter; and Paul brings forth the promises made to the Gentiles in his ministry: "And when the Gentiles heard this, they were glad, and glorified the word of the Lord." Every true believer in Christ, whether weak or strong, has an ear to attend to the voice of awakened sinners. "And they call the blind man, saying unto him, Be of good comfort, rise; he calleth thee," Mark x. 49. And thus the crucifixion of Christ, the promises of life, and every living saint, have a voice of good news to the poor awakened sinner. There-fore let the earth hear the voice of the corn.
II. the earth is to hear the wine. To wine the cleansing blood of Christ is compared; and it is set forth by this emblem in the Lords supper, and was by the Lord himself, who says, "My blood is drink indeed." And there is a voice in this; and it is called the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things than that of Abel, Heb. xii. 24. It speaks pardon and cleansing, reconciliation and friendship with the Lord, the abundance of peace and communion with God through Christ. And no voice so suitable as this to convinced and convicted sinner, when first awakened; and with this voice the apostles went forth. "And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem," Let the earth hear the voice of the wine.
Again: by wine we are to understand the love of God in Christ Jesus. This is wine on the lees well refined. "Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth: for thy love is better than wine." Now my text says, that he shall smite the earth with the rod of his mouth; and it is most certain that there is a voice that attends the rod. "Hear ye the rod, and who hath appointed it." The wine hath her first voice to us in the rod. "As many as I love [there is the wine], I rebuke and chasten; be zealous therefore, and repent," Rev. iii. 12.
III. The oil also has a voice to the earth. And by oil we are to understand the Holy Ghost; for with this oil of gladness was Christ anointed above all his fellows; and the Spirit speaks an invitation to all that feel their need. "The Spirit and the bride say, Come." Yea, the Spirit is held forth to all that Christ smites. "Turn you at my reproof; behold, I will pour out my Spirit unto you." Again: by oil we are to understand joy, for Christ gives us the oil of joy for mourning. Now the oil of joy has a voice; it has a voice to all mourners; for they that mourn shall be comforted. In the day of prosperity be joyful, in the day of adversity consider; God also has set the one over against the other." the voice of joy and comfort always speaks to the afflicted; he shall comfort all that mourn. "As ye are partakers of the sufferings, so shall ye be also of the consolation." And, last of all,
These, all these, are to hear the voice of Jezreel, whenever Jezreel's great day shall come on. God himself will hear her in time to come. For, "as touching the election, they are beloved for the fathers sake," Rom. xi. 28. Christ will hear Jezreel when the fulness of the Gentiles is come in. For, Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled;" but no longer. Then the Jews shall serve the Lord, and David their king, whom I will raise up unto them, Jer. xxx. 9. The Gentile church shall hear Jezreel cry, and she shall obtain mercy through their mercy. Yea, the corn, the wine, and the oil, shall hear the cry of Jezreel. What a day must that be with the Jews when the Messiah, whom their fathers rejected and murdered, and whom their posterity ever since have despised and blasphemed; when these come to unite together, and to appoint by choice this covenant Head over them; when they join with the Gentiles in serving the Lord, and David their king, whom God will reveal to them; and that same Saviour, that has been loaded with so many blasphemies by them, shall with one heart receive him as the most blessed and only Saviour of them. And sure I am they shall never see the Lord Jesus as he is, nor shall they embrace him as their Messiah, until this time comes, and they are prepared to heap ten thousand blessings on him. "Behold, your house is left unto you desolate. For I say unto you, Ye shall not see me henceforth, till ye shall say, Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord." Hence I conclude, that the voice of God in his covenant, the voice of Christ in the promises, the voice of saints in their prayers, the voice of the atonement, and the voice of the Holy Spirit, will all attend to the cry; and speak to the comfort of Jezreel.
Chapter 27
THE WISE PUPIL, AND HIS DOMESTIC TUTOR.
PROVERBS vi. 23.
For method's sake, and to inform my reader's judgment, and to assist his memory, I will lay down my intended plan of operation in the following manner, and execute it under the following heads.
II. What we are to understand by the heart; for it is his heart that teacheth his mouth.
III. Who it is that furnishes this mans heart. with all this~ wisdom, and these mighty works.
And,
IV. The progress that he makes in learning; his heart not only teacheth his mouth, but adds learning to his lips.
First, I have treated largely of the wisdom of the wise in this little work before; but, as that subject is copious, much more may be said upon it.
It lies principally in these four things:
I. In the divine instruction which is given to the sour by the Holy Spirit of all grace when he condescends to regenerate and renew the soul, and to lead it into the truth as it is in Christ. "The wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be entreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy. And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace."
1. That the Holy Spirit and his grace are meant in the above passage, appears plain, by its being first pure. God sprinkles clean water upon us, which is his Spirit, in order to purify us, and to cleanse us from all our filthiness, and from all our idols.
2. The Spirit testifies of Christ as our peacemaker; and one fruit of the Spirit himself is peace, for he fills us with joy and peace in believing.
3. Gentle. It is under the Spirits humiliating and meekening operations that the turbulent soul is tamed and made tractable. "The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall he down with the kid, and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together, and a little child shall lead them," Isaiah xi. 6.
4. This wisdom that is from above is easy to be entreated, but cannot be driven; as may be seen in the prophet Elijah, who had much of the spirit of power upon him. For, when king Ahaziah sent a captain of fifty with his fifty to the prophet with this message, "Thou man of God, the king hath said, Come down, and Elijah answered and said to the captain of fifty, If I be a man of God, then let fire come down from heaven and consume thee and thy fifty; and there came down fire from heaven and consumed him and his fifty. Again also he sent unto him another captain of fifty with his fifty; and he answered and said unto him, O man of God, thus hath the king said, Come down quickly. And Elijah answered and said unto them, If I be a man of God, let fire come down from heaven and consume thee and thy fifty. And the fire of God came down from heaven and consumed him and his fifty. And he sent again a captain of the third fifty with his fifty: and the third captain of fifty went up, and came and fell on his knees before Elijah, and besought him, and said unto him, O man of God, I pray thee, let my life, and the life of these fifty thy servants, be precious in thy sight. Behold, there came fire down from heaven, and burnt up the two captains of the former fifties with their fifties: therefore let my life now be precious in thy sight. And the angel of the Lord said unto Elijah, Go down with him; be not afraid of him. And he arose, and went down with him unto the king," 2 Kings, chap, i. By all which it appears, that the Holy Spirit is easy to be entreated, but he is not to be commanded, much less driven.
5. This wisdom is said to be full of mercy; for the