[page 170 of volume 5]
For many walk, of whom I have told you often.
These words contain a reason of Paul’s exhortation; and from the connection we may observe, that where truth is, error is. Where wheat is there are tares. Walk as I do, for there are many with whom ye converse that walk as enemies to the cross of Christ. Our enemies tell us, because of our errors we are not the true church. They may better conclude contrarily, that because we have some few errors, therefore there is a true church amongst us. Where truth is there will be opposers, and therefore we are not to be scandalized hereat. The skill and courage of a Christian is seen most where truth is in danger, as the goodness of a pilot is seen specially in a tempest.
The papists will not have the word read in the vulgar tongue. Why? Because they say many errors will thence arise, while the common people understand it not. They may as well argue, because there is much deceit, therefore I will not buy nor sell. St Paul was of another mind. He would preach at Ephesus, ‘for a great door and effectual was opened,’ though he knew there were ‘many adversaries,’ 1 Corinthians 16:9.
In the next place, observe he saith, ‘many there were,’ meaning of the better and more eminent sort, that is, of teachers. A pitiful thing, that in the golden times of the church the chief leaders of the church should be misled; and therefore we are not to wonder that we should find it thus, and therefore we must not be scandalized by the multitude. One Micaiah is better than four hundred false prophets; and therefore we must not number the followers, but weigh them aright.
To proceed. He saith there are ‘many.’ He nameth none in particular, yet no doubt but noted scandalous persons may and ought to be particularly named, that others may take notice and heed of them; yet this must be warily done. The apostle curses the coppersmith, but only names Demas. Those that are weak must be gently touched; those that are obstinate and scandalous must be plainly made known; and this draweth some of our writers particularly to lay open the vices and falsehoods of those that are obdurate, and therefore we must not take scandal thereat, it arising from a zealous care of God’s church, not of malice.
In the next place, he saith he told them ‘often.’ The apostle was affectionately bent for their good, and therefore to write the same things often to them it was not grievous to him, seeing to them it was false. For the nature of man is very dull in conceiving of things that belong to salvation, and their memories are but brittle. If therefore we do often inculcate and lay open the danger of that whorish religion long since condemned, it must be well taken in these times, especially wherein men are so secure, daring to venture on anything, yea, to go to their masses, upon pretence of their strength, that they can come away without being defiled.
And now tell you weeping.
As if he should have said, if nothing else will make yon beware, yet let my tears move, my tears proceeding from grief and compassion of the miserable estate of such teachers, and of such as are led by them.
Affections therefore are lawful, yea, necessary in God’s children. All actions in God’s worship are esteemed according to the affections that they are done with. We are as we love, not as we know. What is the life of a Christian but the performance of things with courage, delight, and joy? And therefore the strongest Christians have strongest affections. For religion doth not harden the heart, but mollifies it; and regeneration doth not take affections away, but restores them sanctified and pure.
But to come particularly to the matter here. He is compassionate, and so compassionate as his natural constitution will admit; he expresseth this with tears, which ariseth from grief for something within ourselves, or by reason of sympathy with others for some danger that they are in, or like to fall into.
Reason 1. The reasons hereof are, because they are led by the Spirit of Christ, who was all made of compassion; for he wept for his friends, for Lazarus, and for his enemies. ‘O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, how often would I have gathered you, and you would not.’ He was tender in bearing the infirmities of his weak disciples and of weak women. His compassion was such as drew him to the lowest degree of humiliation to free us from danger.
Reason 2. Secondly, The saints have dear sanctified judgments to apprehend true causes of remorse. They know what danger is, as Paul saw here that the sheep were in danger of wolves, and saw the danger so much the greater by how much they saw not the danger they were in.
Reason 3. Thirdly, The saints have their hearts broken with sense and feeling of Christ’s compassion in their hearts, and so are mollified, expressing it outwardly towards their brethren; contrarily, the wicked never felt any remorse or pity of Christ in them, and therefore know not what compassion means, so as their mercies are cruelties. Use this as a note whereby we may discern of our Christian estate; for surely where there is no compassion there can be no excellent estate.
Again, From the apostle’s object of compassion and weeping observe, that spiritual evil and danger is the most proper object of Christian compassion. Paul be pities not himself because of his fetters he was in, but it was the bonds of sin made him cry, ‘O wretched man that I am, who shall deliver me from the body of this death?’ Romans 7:24. And good reason, for these spiritual evils of error in judgment, hardness of heart, security, seared conscience, and the like, they lead us the assured way to damnation, as it is said in the words following, ‘whose end is damnation.’ Contrarily, outward crosses being sanctified to us, they bring us to heaven, as it is 1 Corinthians 11:32, ‘We are chastened of the Lord, that we should not be condemned with the world.’ For those crosses are occasions of good affections, purging the heart from deadness and fleshly trust, they draw us to God; and therefore spiritual danger is the proper object of pity. It is otherwise with us. We lament Christian bloodshed. But how many souls are carried into error daily, turned to popery, and no remorse, no pity! There is great need thereof both in the magistrate and the minister, that they should be moved to provide remedies against such mischiefs.
And let us be far from envying such as are in ill courses; let their outward pomp be never so great, rather lament their misery. Alas! poor souls, how are they hurried, nay, do willingly run to destruction, while they are blinded with those idle shows of vanity.
But much more miserable is their estate that draw on others to mischief that are brethren in evil. What other end can they look for but to be as tares bound up and cast into the depth of hell, being guilty of as many men’s deaths as they are of ill examples in their past life?
But for ourselves, let not our souls come into their secrets; let us mourn at the lewdness of some, and the danger of all. And to this end let us consider duly the afflictions of Joseph, taking heed of sensualities, which, as Hosea saith, taketh away the heart, Hosea 4:11. Moses saw the misery of his brethren, and pitied them; so should we consider of the danger of popery, of schism, and rebellion: and this will break our hearts, and cause us, with Jeremiah, to mourn in secret for the sins of the times, Jeremiah 13:17.
They are the enemies of the cross of Christ.
1. The enemies of this cross are, first, such as added hereto the ceremonial obedience to the law and their own satisfactory works.
2. Secondly, Such as are carnal, denying the power of Christ’s crucifying in not crucifying their affections.
3. Thirdly, Such as could not endure or suffer for the testimony of Christ’s crucifying; and therefore to avoid persecution, they pressed circumcision with Christ, and so were enemies to his cross, Galatians 6:12. Such were the enemies thereof then, and such have we now of the papists; let them brag never so much of their esteem and reverence they give to the sign thereof. While they seem to kiss it, they betray it Judas-like. For while they teach merits, satisfaction in purgatory, indulgences, and the like, they make the cross of Christ of none effect, which is only and wholly sufficient in itself.
And whereas they say they do add, they take nothing from the sufficiency of Christ:— I answer, Circumcision was added here by those, who are notwithstanding condemned. For as to join poison with wholesome meat takes away the nourishment of the meat, so if we be circumcised, Christ shall profit us nothing; and grace is no grace where there is merit, Rom. xi. 6. Again, consider the equity thereof in natural reason. Can it be thought likely that God should become man, to do anything which lies in the power of man to patch up and make good, or else it is insufficient? Shall finite corrupt man be able to make an infinite work perfect. No. God will not give his glory to another; and will he part with his glory in this great work, which propounds his glory as the main end thereof? Ephesians 1:6, 12.
4. Fourthly, There are another sort of enemies, such as cast not themselves on the merits of Christ’s cross, those whose consciences were never convict of sin. Abundance there are who glory in their proud presumptuous swaggering courses, showing that they are either blind or stark mad. They wilfully run to perdition, they will not hear nor be controlled. Others that see their forepast life how wicked it hath been, they are so far from casting themselves on Christ’s merits, as they despair and grow more and more obstinate therein, even to their own destruction; either by not seeing the merits of Christ, or through want of confidence on them, though they see his righteousness to be above their sins. And some are so detestably wicked, as because they see no salve for them, they run desperately into a custom of sin, and continue therein to their death. As we would desire to avoid this fearful estate and condition, so let us take heed of custom of sinning, for that will make us senseless, and will move God to give us over. And therefore let us take heed that we receive not the grace of God in vain, it being so freely proffered to us. And to this end, know that so far as we suffer our lusts to overrule us, and we not crucify them, so far we are enemies, Galatians 5:4. For while we know and consider Christ as crucified for our sins, it will make us, if we have any grace, think of sin as of a thing that deserves to be crucified, and hate that that caused the death of our dear Saviour; for they were the cruel tormentors of Christ. And if we embrace Christ, we shall have the same affection to sin that Christ had; for Christ will not lodge but in a heart humbled for sin. And the estate of those men is miserable, that are so far from crucifying lusts, as they thrust themselves upon all occasions of temptation and sin, and esteem them as their only enemies, that tell them of their unchristian courses. Surely, however they may daub for a time, yet their outward profession will never administer sound comfort to them, but they shall find bitterness at their latter end.
5. There are yet another sort of enemies, namely, such as trill endure nothing for Christ; who notwithstanding bore his cross, and bids us take up our cross of reproach for religion. Some will endure any pain, travail, danger, and watchings, for riches or ambition, but dare not speak a word, or appear in Christ’s cause. Are not these enemies? Shall Christ out of his love come from heaven to the basest abasement for us, and shall not we endure for a while here, seeing it is also for our own good, and we are gainers thereby, and considering that Christ called us to suffer. For while we live here, and embrace true religion, there will ever be a cross and shame in the world, accompanying the profession thereof, if it be sincere.
Preachers therefore that preach not Christ plainly and boldly, and hearers that come to the hearing of the word rather for rhetorical flourishes, witty sentences fit only for discourse sake, even thus far they are enemies. For if Christ be not preached mainly and chiefly to this end, to amend the lives of men, to win souls to Christ; and if men, coming to hear, come not even for this end mainly, to be bettered in their salvation, to be strengthened in grace; they shall be damned as enemies for this, that the means of salvation they profane and despise.
And therefore let tis abase ourselves for our sins, and magnify God’s goodness in affording means of salvation. Labour also to shew how we profit by suffering for the gospel, and count it an honour, and ‘rejoice that we are worthy to suffer’ for Christ, Acts 5:41, labour to overcome the world and our lusts, and to honour Christ even in his meanest children. If the love of Christ will not constrain us, no motives will draw us.
Standing Before God, This We Are and No More 