CHAPTER II. That our worthy and suitable living under the ordinances of the gospel brings a blessing
and then a blessing from God comes, as it is said, Heb. 12:11, of affliction, that 'afterwards it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby.' It is afterwards, not presently, and after having been exercised thereby long.
Obs. 3. That the heavenly influence by ordinances compared here to the rain, is not always violent or sudden, but gentle and sweet. It sends down τὸ ὑετὸν, molliores et minores guttas (so Hyperius observes the word here used is), signifying that smaller rain that falls softly, wets and soaks in by degrees, as Moses in Deuteronomy compares the word: 'Deut. 32:2, 'My doctrine shall drop as the rain, my speech shall distil as the dew; as the small rain upon the tender herb, and as the showers upon the grass.' And in Isa. 55:10, the word is compared both to the snow and the rain; the snow always falls gently and so soft, that if a man were blind he would scarce discern its falling. The rain sometimes falls more violently; and the snow lies often long upon the ground unmelted as it fell; but then a thaw comes and melts it, and it soaks by degrees into the earth, and serves to make it fruitful as well as the rain. So ordinances work often not so much by violent but still impressions, as they after the habit of the mind, as a diet drink doth that of the body, and work not as vomits, purges, or such like violent physic. For impressions that are violent have their violence from the stirring of self in men's hearts (which is an impetuous principle when once raised), and not from grace.
CHAPTER II
That our worthy and suitable living under the ordinances of the gospel brings a blessing, but the contrary a curse on our souls.—The
danger of those who, living under the preaching of the word of God, indulge their lusts, or are unfruitful.
The last and main observation is this, that our worthy or unworthy living under the outward ordinances of the gospel, and those dews that accompany them, especially the word of God, is of infinite moment and consequence for blessing, or a curse unto men's souls; and therefore men should be wary how they deal with them.
I take in both sorts of means: 1. The rain; 2. The labour of the husbandman; and add especially the word, for he speaks there especially of the doctrine of salvation. There are those that look for rain immediately and alone from heaven, but they shall never have the benefit of it, if they neglect or despise the means that are needful to make the ground fertile. Paul plants, Apollos waters, God gives the increase, but by their watering and planting; and therefore they are said to be co-workers with God, 1 Cor. 3:9.
To make the main observation good, I shall go over the instances of all outward ordinances of the gospel, and shew the danger of neglect in making due improvement of any of them.
1. In the beginning of the gospel and the first dawning of it, when the kingdom of heaven was but at hand, John Baptist came preaching and baptizing. 'The law and the prophets were until John, but now the gospel is preached,' says Christ, Luke 16:16, and one seal thereof, and but one, viz., baptism, was administered together with it. Now see and consider what a more severe warning John gives thereupon, both to the receivers or the rejecters of it. Now 'bring forth,' says he,
'fruits worthy of repentance.' Now nothing will do but fruits worthy, that is, suitable, answerable to the profession of repentance, which by so powerful a means and ordinance God called for and required.
By fruits worthy is meant, that they should behave themselves like to
true penitents (as, Luke 12:36, the phrase is), like unto men that wait. The words here in the text, 'fruits meet,' help to expound it.
Fruits meet are such that are proportioned to the cost; as when he elsewhere says, Walk worthy of the gospel, because now God will not bear so long as formerly, for 'now the axe is laid to the root.' If before, when you sinned against the dispensation of the law and the institutions of it, God punished with temporal punishments, and did only lop off the branches, and did not smite the root, the spirit, but the outward man was then perhaps smitten, and it may be it was long first too; yet now the axe is laid to the root, that is (as I take it), to men's souls; for he compares the persons of men to trees, and the soul is the fountain of life, as the root is to the body of the tree. In the old law men were caused in the field, and in the bushel; but now they are cursed in the church, at a sacrament or sermon. And he says now, to shew that God will not stay long with the most of men, ere he strike their souls with hardness and impenitency. Every word is in the present, the axe is laid, not shall be; every blow, inward check, and motion tends to ruin, if there be not fruitfulness. The unfruitful tree is cut down, is cast into the fire, as elsewhere it is said, 'He that believes not is damned already,' John 3:18. God takes less time to despatch men's souls, makes quick work with them, and either hardens or softens them. These threatenings (I take it) are not spoken of Jerusalem's destruction, and rooting up the nation; that was forty years after; but this here is threatened more speedily to the persons he speaks to. 'Every tree in particular shall be cut down, and cast into the fire, even to hell.' All this John says of his baptism, and the doctrine that accompanied it, to forewarn them that if they took that engagement upon them, they should consider what they did. But then the Pharisees thought with themselves, if your baptism be such an edge-tool to cut to the roots, we will not meddle with it, and so avoid the curse you threaten. Hear what he says of them, and let all learn to fear and tremble; Christ says of the Pharisees, Luke 7:30,
that 'they rejected the counsel of God against themselves, being not baptized of John.' This baptism, thus requiring and obliging unto true repentance and regeneration those that received it, was called
'the counsel of God,' because it was that which by God's counsel or institution was appointed for their salvation. But seeing that in the end and intent of it as appointed by God, it required repentance and fruits worthy of amendment of life, they chose to reject it, they slighted or rejected it, it was against themselves they did this, and to their own ruin; and so their rejecting of it God took more heinously at their hands than others' unfruitfulness and impenitence that received it.
2. Of Christ's ministry, that followed upon John's, Luke 3:16, 17, it is said, 'He shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire: whose fan is in his hand, and he will throughly purge his floor, and will gather the wheat into his garner,' &c. That fanning there is in this life, for it is of the corn whilst in the floor (if you mark it), afore it be laid up in the garner, heaven; and by it is meant the speedy discovery and separation that Christ makes by his Spirit of the spirits of men by spiritual judgments for neglecting the means, and thereby severing temporary believers from true, leading them forth with the workers of iniquity. Others take this fanning for that discovery which shall be made at the day of judgment; but to me it seems clear to be in this life, whilst the corn is in the floor, as the several degrees of this comparison do shew. The first whereof is the bringing in the corn into the visible church or outward profession, which in the analogy of this comparison is as the harvest. Answerable is that speech of Christ, 'The harvest is great'—that is, many are to be brought in—'but the labourers are few.' 'The regions,' saith he, 'are white to the harvest:' this was spoken when men yet stood as corn in the field, not reaped, but ripe for it; and the harvest was the bringing them in. The next to this is that fanning here spoken of, and the
thrashing and fanning in the floor are the means used after they are come in. Then the third and last thing is the laying them up safe in heaven till the latter day, which is called 'gathering them into his garner.' Now, this fanning or severing here in the floor is more expressly intended of temporaries than of men loose or worldly; for it is the chaff whom the fan is said to deal withal, not the tares. And the harvest to which the preaching the word is compared, calls men out from the world; but this fanning is of the chaff brought in by the harvest, and it is severing it from the corn. So then Christ prepares in this life for the day of judgment, severs, discovers men here; and he does it by the fan in his hand, the Spirit accompanying his outward administrations. I shall close this of Christ's ministry with that dreadful prophecy of Malachi, prophesying of the ministry of John
Baptist that foreran, and also of Christ that followed. How terribly doth he speak of both as of a day of judgment! 'Who may abide the day of his coming? and who shall stand when he appeareth? for he is like a refiner's fire, and the fuller's soap,' Mal. 3:2. And in verse 5 saith he, 'I will be a swift witness against the sorcerers, and against the adulterers, and against the false swearers.' And chap. 4:1 he says,
'Behold, the day cometh that shall burn as an oven; and all the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly shall be stubble.' This bright and hot season of the gospel ministry and ordinances concluded the rejecters under a state of hardness and condemnation more than ages before had done.
3. As to hearing the word preached by ministers to the end of the world, Christ in many parables gave great warnings concerning it, but more eminently in Luke 8:18, 'Take heed therefore how ye hear, for whosoever hath, to him shall be given; and whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken, even that which he seemeth to have.'
Compare this with Mark 4:24, 'Take heed what you hear, with what measure you mete it shall be measured to you, and unto you that
hear shall more be given.' He had shewed in the foregoing parable (as here in the text) the state of the stony and thorny-ground hearers and professors, and his conclusion or inference from thence is,
Therefore take heed how and what you hear. I may add, from the drift and connection, take heed what kind of hearers you be.
(1.) What kind, for of four sorts but one is good; and therefore be solicitous that you have good and honest hearts, such as the fourth ground had.
(2.) Take heed what you hear, Mark 4:24; that is, take heed to give answerable attendance to the weight of the matter, according as it falls out to be delivered, for these are the 'great things of the law.'
And he adds a reason, 'with what measure,' &c. God deals in a proportion; look what from a sermon one gets and brings again with him to the next, that will cause an increase by the next, else there is danger of a decrease.
(3.) Take heed how ye year; and Christ's reason in Luke is, 'To him that hath' (that is, useth that which he hath received by hearing well),
'to him shall be given.' For so Matthew, speaking of the talents, warrants us to interpret it: 'Whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken away what he hath,' Mat. 25:28, 29. He that used not his talents is said not to have it, which is thereupon given to others, even what thou shouldst have had, but through careless neglect hast missed it.
Unto this so grave and solemn a caveat of our Lord and Saviour, add the consideration of these dreadful properties and efficacies and operations of the word set before us by the apostle, on purpose to make us know and understand of what moment and consequence it is unto us, how we shall have to do therewith; Heb. 4:12, 'For the word of God is quick and powerful, sharper than any two-edged
sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discoverer of the thoughts and intents of the heart.' In the 2d and 3d chapters and beginning of this, he had given abundant warning to take heed of neglecting the word that was preached to them, and to enforce it in this verse, bids them consider what a word they had to do withal; it is a living word, it is a quick word, and an eternal word. And therefore, as the apostle says, chap. 10:31, 'It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living
God;' so say I of the living word, it revived the sense of sin; when the light of it came into Paul's conscience, 'then I died,' says he, Rom. 7.
As some metals will not melt till some other metal be put to them, so nor will sins melt or dissolve into the conscience till the word comes as fire and mingles with them; and when God sets it on work again, then it runs through the soul like hail shot, or like quicksilver.
It is a living word also in this respect, that it is eternal. You may think it vanisheth with our breath, but it lives for ever, and your thoughts will have to do with it for ever: 1 Peter 1:23, 'The word of God abides for ever.' And if you ask what word it is, even that, says Peter, which we preach to you. What if the word is conveyed and set on in that ordinance of preaching, if it is written in the heart, it goes to heaven with you; if it is neglected, yet the Holy Ghost will bring it to your remembrance, and so it will abide and go to hell with you. You shall repeat sermons enough there, and the sermons will be the doctrine, and all your sins will serve for matter of uses of terror and dread for ever; Isa. 55, 'His word shall not return empty or in vain.'
2. The apostle adds in Heb. 4, that the word is mighty in operation; as in its own nature it is all life and spirit, so it is in operation. It will exquisitely torture, and become an executioner of men in hell: 'it divides,' says he, 'between the marrow and the bones,' which expresseth the most exquisite pains. God's wrath and his word do
torment men for ever in hell: 2 Cor. 10:6, 'It hath in a readiness to avenge all disobedience, when your obedience is fulfilled.' He compares it there to an armoury of weapons and instruments of death of all sorts, that are made ready (as the Psalmist speaks) and laid up to be brought forth. And the apostle there suggests to men's consideration what mighty effects it will at last have in avenging all disobedience, by what in the mean time it hath in converting and bringing the godly into obedience, and in subduing their lusts. 'It is mighty, 'says he there, 'in casting down strongholds, and high towering imaginations.' Have you seen hurricane winds or earthquakes as they are in some parts of the world, that overthrow towers to the very foundations, tear up hills by the roots and throw them into the sea, toss up ships riding at anchor like tennis balls, and hurl them upon the dry land? Or have you considered the power of lightning, when it breaks the bottles that hold it, or thunder when it roars in the midst of heaven, blasting every green thing where it lights, and withering them to a deadness in an instant, shivering the mightiest trees to splinters, dishevelling and tearing off the bark, drinking up the vital sap? Such and so great (though not so visible to the outward view or present sense) is the power of the word. 'The voice of the crier cries, 'All flesh is grass,' and instantly 'the Spirit of the Lord blows upon it,' withers all the glory of the world to a believing soul, and 'every valley is filled, every mountain is brought low.' It tears men's hearts rooted in evil (as low as the centre of them) from their dearest lusts; it makes their consciences to boil as a pot, and the waves thereof to roar, and then with one word stills them, and calms the winds and the waves, and they obey it, and the heart is pacified. As an hammer it breaks the rocks, and as fire it melts the elements with fervent heat, melts and dissolves the most rocky, stony, and stubborn heart to water, and works it to such a softness as fits it to take any impression. Now the apostle from hence argues (as you see) the operations upon the godly in this world, in
their conversions, to bring them to obedience; and the same word will be as mighty to revenge when your obedience is fulfilled, the word hath had its full work upon all the saints; until then, these energies of it upon the hearts of wicked men are suspended; but then it will work as powerfully another way, yea, more powerfully, in avenging, because it will take hold of the whole that is in them, which is nothing but matter for it to work upon; and it will work at once, whereas on the godly it works gently and but by degrees. Look, as strong physic, if it works not to purging out humours, works out to death and tortures, so in the godly, their lusts are purged by the word here, but in the souls of others it works pain and anguish. 'He shall slay the wicked by the breath of his mouth.' This sword which comes out of Christ's mouth (Rev., chap. 1 and chap. 19) will cut (Acts 7:54) to the heart, and divide between the marrow and bones, and will be directed by his skill that gave it, and that knows how to torture exquisitely by it, and who knows what parts are most sensible, and who will apply it to them. Both the word of God and the wrath of God are compared to fire: Jer. 5:14, 'I will make the words of thy mouth as fire, and this people as stubble, and they shall devour them.' Fire came out of the witnesses' mouths, Rev. 11:5, the word spoken by them, which kindles the fire of hell in men's souls, and devours the adversaries; and therefore take heed how ye hear. If you were to take some desperate remedy that hath a danger in it, ends or mends (as quicksilver in some cases), how wary would you be to take it right!
Such if this word, and every portion of it; therefore take heed how ye hear. Men feel not this now, nor do they imagine what a design God hath upon men in this disposition of hearing and preaching. He prepares and lays a train for the other world; yea, and this instrumentality serves to all his designs upon the ungodly that obey not his word.
1. It prepares for the great assize at the last day, by sending out hue and cry after wicked men, whose damnation pronounced slumbers not nor lingers, 2 Peter 2:3. It also makes inquisition for blood, adultery, and all other sins, finds them out, and in God's name arrests the offender: these things hast thou done, and thinkest thou to escape? It is a swift witness against the adulterer and forswearer,
Mal. 3, because when they go to commit these sins, it comes in and says, 'Thou shalt not commit adultery,' &c. Also, it serves to bind men over to hell even whilst in this life. As the truth of the gospel makes the believers free indeed, as Christ says, John 8:32, so it claps irons upon others, and binds them over to the great assize. It is as the coroner's inquest that prepares the indictment for that day; as the devils are reserved in chains (as Jude speaks), so wicked men by the cords of this word; for whose sins we bind (if they repent not) they are bound in heaven. The word makes men's mittimuses for hell, that prison Peter speaks of, and wicked men resent this sufficiently, which causeth their opposition against it. It is to them the savour of death unto death, which strikes them dead even here, as many poisonous vapours in caves and caverns use to do.
2. At the latter day the word will do its office yet farther.
(1.) Then the word will be the discoverer of all sins known and unknown. It searcheth the heart and reins, Heb. 4. It penetrates the thoughts and intents of the heart; and as a searching drug gathers all the humours into the stomach, so will this word gather the sad remembrance of all sins into the conscience; or as angels will gather together men's persons, so will the word gather thy sins from all the four corners of the world, in what place soever committed.
(2.) It will be men's judge: John 12:48, 'He that rejecteth me, and receiveth not my words, the word that I have spoken, the same shall