William HuntingtonXXV. Gods Greatest Treasure in Mans Worst Part
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 steadfast 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 usefullness 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." |