Sermon 16

Exodus 3:13-14. And Moses said to God, Behold when I come to the children of Israel, and shall say to them, the God of your fathers has sent me to you, and they shall say to me, what is his name; what shall I say to them? And God said to Moses, I AM, THAT I AM, etc.

If you ask the question, how a man shall come to this greatness of mind, what rise it has from the greatness of God, I answer.

First, it arises thus from it. When a man considers that GOD is so exceeding great, and that he has interest in him, that will make him to despise all other things, as small things in comparison of him. Indeed, if GOD was great, and we had no interest in him, then there was no cause why we should take to ourselves this magnanimity upon any such ground: but seeing that he is so great, and that his greatness shall be improved to our advantage, what addition can anything else make to us? You shall see that Paul raised his heart upon this ground (Philippians 3:8): considering the privileges that he had in Christ, this makes him to account other things as nothing. Hence in (James 1:10): Let him that is of a high degree, rejoice in that he is made low: that is, let him rejoice that he is enabled to look upon his riches which he did so highly magnify before, to think them as nothing, but as fading flowers; let him rejoice in it, because now he is made a greater man, because he seems too big for them; they are no such things, as before he thought them to be: not that they are made less, but because he is exalted and lifted above them.

Secondly, so likewise there is a rise for it in this regard, because he is able to defend us, and protect us, and bear us out against all opposition. You see that men look great, because they have got great men or Princes to bear themselves upon. But when men consider that they have the great God on their side, to bear themselves upon, why should not they have great minds? Thus Moses (Hebrews 11) regarded not the wrath of the King, because he did see that GOD that was invisible: that is, when he considered GOD in his greatness, the King and his wrath were nothing to him. So that the way to get this magnanimity, is, to believe that GOD is our GOD: and according to the greatness of a man's faith, such will be this greatness and magnanimity of mind that we commend to you. Saul, when he was a King, had a new heart, and a new spirit, because when he believed in earnest that he was a King, he looked upon things after another manner; he had other thoughts and other affections than he had before: and so would any man else, if he were advanced from a mean estate to a kingdom. And, if we did believe that we were the sons of the great God of heaven and earth, we would have great minds; therefore the stronger our faith is, the greater our mind is. Only this is to be added; that this faith must not be in the habit only in you, but it must be exercised and renewed continually: there must not be only [in non-Latin alphabet], but [in non-Latin alphabet], the actual use of it. And were that which GOD said to Abraham, (I am your exceeding great reward,) were this beheld of any of us, that GOD is so great, and that this greatness is our exceeding great reward, then all other rewards would seem but small things. You shall see what David did upon this ground, in (Psalm 27:1): The Lord is my light, and my salvation, whom shall I fear? the Lord is the strength of my life, of whom shall I be afraid? See, here are two things: First, he considers that GOD is his; He is my salvation. Secondly, he considers the greatness, and strength and power of God; and from there he draws this conclusion, whom shall I fear? For in you do I trust; that is, in this power and greatness of GOD, and the interest that I have in him. (Psalm 46:1-3): GOD is our refuge and strength: a very present help in trouble, Therefore will we not fear though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the Sea: though the waters thereof roar and be troubled, and though the mountains shake with the swelling thereof: that is, when GOD is seen in his greatness, when we look upon him, and believe him to be such a God, and that we have interest in him, in the greatest trouble and confusion that can befall us: though the earth be shaken, and the mountains cast into the midst of the Sea, yet the mind will not be shaken, but still remains the same. They bear out all, because they have a great God, to bear themselves upon, who will protect and defend them upon all occasions.

Use 2. If God be so great and infinite (as he is), from this we should learn to fear him, and to tremble at his word. A great and potent enemy, men will fear: therefore this is one use that we are to make of the greatness of God, that his wrath is exceeding great, and so is his goodness; and both are to be feared. We ought to fear his wrath, lest it come upon us, and his goodness lest we lose it: for he is a great God, and his wrath is able to crush in pieces, and to consume us, as he expressed it, when he put forth but some part of his strength, as when he consumed them with their censers, even the company of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram. Who can dwell with everlasting burnings? As if he should say: he is a great God, who can come near him? Who can converse with him? How shall men deal with him? Some of them there made an evil use of it: but we must learn to make use of it for our own advantage; to take heed, how we provoke him: for is it a small thing to have the great God of heaven and earth our enemy? Let them consider this, that live without God in the world, that sin, and will sin — they are told of their particular faults, of their idleness, etc. and they are so and will be so still: but let them consider that which is spoken in (1 Corinthians 10:22). Do we provoke the Lord to jealousy? Are we stronger than he? He speaks it to them that receive the sacrament unworthily: as if he should say; both in this, and in all other sins that you do commit, you do, as it were, contend with the great God, which is a vain thing, if you consider his greatness: for are you stronger than he? So (Psalm 90): Who knows the power of his wrath?

And so should we do in regard of his goodness (Hosea 3, last verse): Men shall fear his goodness: that is, if his goodness be so great and infinite, as himself, then the loss of it, is a loss above all things in the world. Whatever is precious to us, that we fear the loss of, as our liberties and lives: and as things are more precious to us, the more we fear the loss of them. Now the goodness of God is greater than all other things, it is beyond all these, as having all these in it: therefore we are to fear the loss of it as the greatest evil in the world.

Therefore if we could see the extension of his wrath and goodness, the loss of the one would be the greatest loss, and the other the greatest cross; the enjoying of the one the greatest good, and the [reconstructed: loss] of the other the greatest evil in the world: and the consideration of this would help us to guide our hopes and fears aright: for a great cause of misleading us in our ways, are the vain hopes and fears that we are subject to: we fear the loss of friends, and loss of lives and liberties; but these in comparison are not to be feared. This use Christ makes of it: Fear not those that can kill the body, but fear the great God, that can destroy both body and soul. The greatness of his wrath we should fear as the greatest evil: and his goodness as the greatest good: and our thoughts and intentions being taken up about these two, it would set our hopes and fears aright; and worldly things, as credit, and profit, etc. would seem nothing to us, and prevail nothing with us.

Use 3. If God be so exceeding great, then there is no love enough, no affection, no desire answerable to him. If our love were perfect, yet it could not reach to him, whose greatness does far exceed it: but being imperfect, as it is, it falls exceeding short of him. Therefore let no man fear that he can go too far, that there can be too much holiness and strictness in our ways: but let him remember the great God of heaven and earth, and what is due to him, and then think how far you fall short of that which you should do to him. It is an expression of Christ (Luke 14:26; Matthew 10:37): He that loves father or mother more than me, is not worthy of me. That which I would have observed out of these places is, He is not worthy of me: that is, if men considered my greatness, and excellency, they would easily see me worthy of more love, than this of friends; and except you can do so, except you can prize my love above these things, indeed even hate them all, if they come into competition with me, you are not worthy of me. Consider therefore, how much love he is worthy of, and see if there be not reason for the commandment, where we are commanded to love the Lord with all our strength: that is, if you would love God with that love that he is worthy of, you would love God with all your strength: that is, whatever strength a man has, his love should put it forth to do service to God. If a man be rich, he is able to do more for God than a poor man; if he be a magistrate, he can do more than a private man; if he has learning and knowledge, he has much more strength than another: now the improvement of these to the glory of God, this is to love him with all our strength. And if you consider how great a God he is, you will see great reason why you should love him thus with all your strength. Therefore we should check ourselves when we see the dullness of our hearts, how ready and how apt we are to bestow our love upon any besides him: we should observe all those rivulets wherein our love goes out, and runs to other things, and bring them back again into the right channel. For if you consider the greatness of God, you will see, that there is no love to spare.

Objection: But may we not love him, and love other things also?

Answer: You cannot with an ordinate, but with a subordinate love you may: that is, you cannot love him, and the world, for they are opposed. (1 John 2:15): Love not the world, neither the things of the world: if any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. So (James 4:4): Do you not know, that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? Whoever therefore will be a friend of the world, is an enemy to God. All our love must be bestowed upon him, as most worthy of it: there is not one particle to be bestowed upon any other thing.

But then he gives us our love again, and then we may disperse it here and there. As for example: he has commanded us to love father and mother, and friends: and the ground that you have to do it, is, because he has commanded you, and gives you leave to it.

So he has given you leave to love recreations and other things that are suitable to our desires, but you must remember, that the end is, that you may be made more serviceable to him, to quicken and strengthen you to do his service, and thus it may be bestowed upon other things.

But that which we have in hand, and commend to your consideration is this: that if he be so exceeding great in goodness, that therefore he deserves your whole love. (1 Corinthians 16:22) If any man love not the Lord Jesus Christ, let him be Anathema, Maranatha. Paul comes with indignation, considering the great good that Jesus Christ had done for us: if any man love not him, he is worthy to perish, let him be accursed even to death. I say, if we consider the greatness that is in him, you shall see some reason for that curse, that indignation of the Apostle, whereby he expresses it: and so far as we fall short, we should go to Christ, and beseech him to make it up, that our defects may be supplied, and that we may be accepted in him.

Use 4. Again, if he be so great, then we should learn to reverence him, to come before him with much fear when we perform any duty to him. According as a man is great, so we fear him. This use is made of it in (Malachi 1:14). Cursed be the deceiver, that has in his flock a male, and vows and sacrifices to the Lord a corrupt thing: for I am a great King, says the Lord of hosts; and my name is dreadful among all nations: that is the reason, that the Lord there uses to stir them up, I am a great King. So that the consideration of his greatness should cause us to fear before him.

When he appeared to Jacob, when he fled from his father's house to his uncle Laban, (Genesis 28:17). Jacob says of the place wherein God appeared to him, Surely this place is exceeding fearful: the reason was, because God appeared there, because he was present there, his presence struck him with an awful reverence, that he said, the place was exceeding fearful. So we should think of his dreadful presence when we come before him. (Ecclesiastes 5:2). Be not rash with your mouth, and let not your heart be hasty to utter anything before God: for God is in heaven, and you on earth, therefore let your words be few: that is, he is exceeding great, and he is in heaven, therefore learn to fear him, when you draw near to him. That which may help us in this, is to consider how glorious his apparitions were, when he appeared to Moses, to the Prophets, as Elijah, and Ezekiel: and you must remember, that though you see not these apparitions, yet consider that you have the same God to deal with: and though he does not show it so now, yet he is as great now as then; and so fear before him. And this is to sanctify God in our hearts: that is, when we conceive of him as he is, and do accordingly fear, when we come before him. And thus much in general of this attribute.

Now this greatness of God is seen in four particulars.

First, in the infiniteness of his presence.

Secondly, in the infiniteness of his power, which is his Omnipotence.

Thirdly, in the infiniteness of his wisdom.

Fourthly, in the absoluteness of his will, that it is without all bounds and limits.