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A47178
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A sermon preach'd at the parish-church of St. Helen's, London, May the 19th, 1700 by George Keith.
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Keith, George, 1639?-1716.
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1700
(1700)
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Wing K211; ESTC R18917
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16,538
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34
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most excellent Arguments and Reasons why we should so do the greatest of which are taken from these words which are contained in the Text Because God so Loved us that he gave his Son for us unto Death and Christ so Loved us that he gave himself to Die for us therefore we ought to Love him and Serve him and Live to him who Died for us and Rose again and also to God the Father through him and with him Christ's Dying for us is such an Argument why we should be wholly his and wholly Love him and Live to him That it is our Duty so to do not only in point of Gratitude but in point of Justice and this both St. Paul and St. Peter did argue with them to whom they writ 1 Cor. 6.20 For ye are bought with a price therefore glorifie God in your Body and in your Spirit which are God's And v. 19. Ye are not your own And 1 Pet. 1.18 For as much as ye know ye were not Redeemed with Corruptible things as Silver and Gold from your vain Conversation received by Tradition from your Fathers but with the precious Blood of Christ as of a Lamb without Blemish and without Spot And 1 Pet. 2.24 Who his own self bore our Sins in his own Body on the Tree that we being Dead to Sin should Live unto Righteousness by whose Strength ye are Healed The Love and Bounty of God in our Creation and Preservation and all the Blessings of this Life are arguments very convincing and perswading why we should Serve and Glorifie God and the consideration of his Glorious Greatness and Power in his Creating all things and Upholding them and of his most Wise and Just and Powerful Providence in the Government of the World obvious and apparent to the Eyes of all Mankind ought greatly to move all Men to Fear and Reverence him as well as to Love and Serve him to their utmost ability and knowledge But the Light of the Gospel wherewith God has been pleased to enlighten us Christians not only furnisheth to us all these Arguments taken from the Power Wisdom Goodness and Justice of God and other his Glorious Attributes that are clearly to be seen by his works of Creation and Providence obvious to Heathens both more clearly and abundantly out of the Holy Scriptures but with greater Arguments than these taken from the great work of our Redemption by Christ's Dying for us c. It moveth us to Love and Fear God and Live to him and to Christ who Died for us and is both his own and the Fathers Gift unto us most freely given for our Eternal Salvation But that the Argument taken from the Death of Christ may be the more effectual to perswade us to Live to him who Died for us let us Consider the excellent way of the Apostles Arguing here in the Text which he doth from the Extent of it Because said he we thus judge that if one Died for all then were all Dead There are some that say Christ Died not for all but for some to wit such only as shall be Converted from the beginning of the World to the end of it and by his Dying for all they say must be meant Genera Singulorum but not Singula Generum i. e. all kinds of Men Jews and Greeks Scythians and Barbarians Noble and Ignoble Bond and Free but not all individuals of Men. But this cannot be the meaning here otherwise the Apostles Argument would not be Convincing Because Christ Died for All therefore All were Dead The word All in the Proposition must have the same Signification with the word All in the Conclusion which is deduced from the Proposition otherwise St. Paul's Argument would not be Logical and sufficient Now the word All in the Conclusion signifies all Individuals of Mankind All are Dead in Adam Death both Spiritual and Temporal is come upon all Adam's Posterity by his Sin and Fall which the Apostle here proves from this That Christ Died for All for if All had not been Dead in Sin and Transgression as well as subject to Bodily Death Christ had not Died for All for it was not needful that he should Die for them who were not Dead It is a good Rule in Divinity That the words of Scripture ought to be understood in their proper and full Signification and Extent except some necessary Reason can be given to the contrary which cannot be given in this case But divers strong Reasons can be given why they should be understood as above mentioned By Christ's Dying for All an offer is made unto All to whom the Gospel is Preached to receive that high Dignity and Priviledge to which they are called and without this Universal Offer to All who have the Gospel Preach'd unto them a ground of Doubt would be laid whether this Love extends to us if it doth not extend to All as it is said in the 17th Article of the Church of England We must receive Gods Promises in such wise as they be generally set forth to us in Holy Scripture But to teach that Christ Died not for All is I think some hinderance for us to receive Gods Promises in such wise as they be generally set forth in Holy Scripture It is true all have not Salvation by Christs Death even to whom it is Preached but who have it not it is their own fault Nor are the Benefits of Christs Death equally extended to All. And tho' I believe according to the Holy Scripture That there is a Predestination to Life yet I no where find in Scripture that God by any absolute Decree hath made Salvation impossible to any part of Mankind for such an absolute Decree were utterly inconsistent with Christs Dying for all Men. The Decrees of God some are Absolute and some are Conditional I mean Conditional not Subjectively but Objectively i. e. Not that there are two Wills or Decrees in God the latter depending upon the former Conditionally but by one and the same Eternal Act of Gods Will and Purpose he hath Decreed such an order of Causes and Effects and of some things to follow after others Conditionally that will or will not come to pass as the Conditions do or do not goe before as Plowing and Sowing before Reaping Repentance and Faith before Remission of Sins and Eternal Salvation Thus having shown That the Death of Christ as having Died for All will be the more effectual to work upon us by the Grace of God to move us to Live to him who Died for us That we believe he Died for all and Consequently for us and that in Love to all Let me a little yet further set forth his Love to us that it may have its Influence upon us Greater Love hath no man than this said Christ that a man lay down his Life for his Friends John 15.13 But God commended his Love to us in giving his Son to Die for us who were Enemies Rom. 5.8 9 10. If you ask How
A Sermon Preach'd at the Parish-Church OF St. Helen's LONDON MAY the 19th 1700. By GEORGE KEITH Being his Third Sermon after Ordination LONDON Printed for J. Gwillim against Crossby-Square in Bishopsgate-street 1700. Mr. KEITH's SERMON Preach'd at St. HELEN's LONDON May the 19th 1700. A SERMON Preached at the Parish-Church of St. Helen's LONDON 2 Cor. V. 14 15. For the Love of Christ constraineth us because we thus Judge that if one Died for all then were all Dead And that he Died for all that they which Live should not henceforth Live unto themselves but unto him who Died for them and Rose again I Shall not take up much time to Explaine the Words of the Text they being plain enough to ordinary intelligent Christians only I intend to take notice of the force of the Greek word that is here Translated Constraineth which is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is variously Translated in the New Testament and tho' I find no fault with the Translation of it as it is in the Text yet there is more understood by it than what either the word Constraineth or any other one word of the English Language can express A Learned Author Translates it thus The Love of Christ nos totos possidet i. e. Possesseth us whole doth as it were fill our Hearts up to the top that there is no room left in them for the love of Sin The same Greek word I find in St. Luke 8.45 where it is said The multitude Throng thee and Press thee and sayest thou Who Touched me Again in St. Luke 22.63 I find the same Greek word where it is said The Men that held Jesus i. e. That kept him Prisoner Mocked him and Smote him And in St. Luke 19.43 there is the same Greek word where it is said by our Saviour who Prophesied concerning Jerusalem and was accordingly fulfill'd For the days shall come upon thee that thine Enemies shall cast a Trench about thee and compass thee round and keep thee in on every side And in St. Luke 4.38 where it is said Simon ' s Wives Mother was taken with a great Fever And Lastly to mention no more at present Phil. 1.23 where St. Paul said I am in a strait betwixt two c. In all these places there is the same word or theme in the Greek and in all the several Significations of it in the places mentioned it may be understood here as importing the great influence that the Love of Christ hath upon sincere Believers and then had upon St. Paul and his Brethren The love of Christ constraineth us i. e. It taketh the whole possession of our Souls and leaves no room empty to receive the love of Sin The love of Christ doth so throng and press upon us that there is not access for Satan or the World to prevail against us The Love of Christ doth hold us and make us Prisoners putteth us in her Chains that we cannot get out no more than a Man can get out of a strong Prison they are very Blessed who by Experience witness such a State that the Love of Christ hath such a powerful Influence and such mighty Effects upon them thus to fill them thus to throng and press in upon them thus to imprison them and captivate them such Captivity is the greatest and most perfect Freedom thus to Besiege and Compass them round and keep them in on every side that they cannot easily get to their old Lovers their formerly belov'd Lusts that the Love of Christ like a Coelestial Fire doth take hold of them as a Fiery Fever taketh hold of such as are afflicted with it and raiseth a vehement thirst in them after Holiness and those Divine Consolations which are to be found in Christ Such sort of a Heavenly Burning or Fever had the Spouse Cant. 2.5 That is the Church and every Faithful Soul that is very inwardly and deeply touched and affected with the Love of Christ when she said Stay me with Flaggons comfort me with Apples for I am sick of Love As when one is very Thirsty it is not a little Drink that will quench or satisfy his Thirst no less than Flaggons will do it These and the like things are the experiences of faithful well-grown and advanced Christians and they are Blessed who find it so to be with them and all should endeavour to attain to such a State and Growth There are Three things which I shall God willing and assisting me particularly take notice of unto you from the Words First The High and Excellent Priviledge and Dignity of a Christian that he is called unto and his High Calling as it is called Phil. 3.15 And Holy Calling 2 Tim. 1.9 And Heavenly Calling Heb. 3.1 The which is held forth in the words of the Text. 1. Negatively That we should not henceforth live unto our selves 2. Positively and Affirmatively But unto him who Dyed for us and Rose again Secondly The Author by whome we are called and made capable to attain unto this high Dignity viz. The Lord Jesus Christ who Dyed and Rose again who is both God and Man Thirdly The Means by which he calleth us and enableth us to attain unto it 1. By his Death and Resurrection 2. By his Love which was the moving and impulsive Cause that moved and constrained him to Dye for us As his Love to us ought to constrain us to Live to him who Dyed for us so his Love to us did constrain him to that undertaking as he said Luke 12.50 I have ◠Baptism to be Baptized with and how am I straitned till it be accomplished Here again is the same Greek word as is mentioned both in the Text and in the other places above recited this was the Baptism of his Death and Sufferings whereby he was Baptized as with his own Blood that he might wash us with the same as it is said of him That he hath loved us and washed us from our Sins in his own Blood Rev. 1.5 His being thus straitned until this his Baptism of Sufferings should be accomplished doth signifie his exceeding great desire out of his great love to us to suffer Death for us as also when he said Luke 22.15 With desire I have desired to eat this Passover with you before I Suffer For then it was immediately after the Passover that he was to Institute the Holy Memorials of his Death and Passion to wit the Sacrament of the Lords Supper which was to continue until his last coming This Love of Christ we are to consider it as a two-fold Love the one of his Godhead the other of his Manhood for as Christ had and still hath a two-fold Nature distinct but not divided and a two-fold Will the one as God the other as Man so he had and still hath a two-fold Love towards Men called the Philanthropie Tit. 3.4 i. e. His Man-Love or his Love to Men not only as he was and is God but as he was and is Man yet one