The Happiness of Enjoying and Use of Christ, Part 1 · Chapter 6
CHAP. VI. Diſcovering the folly of not comming fully home to Chriſt, in whom is all fulneſſe.
THis layeth open the folly of ſuch as ſtand aloofe off from Chriſt, continue ſtrangers, and come not fully home to Chriſt, in whom all fulneſſe is to be found, and by whom the Lord hath ordained to miniſter all fulneſſe to the ſo…l…s of men, and without whom there is an utter emptineſſe of grace in them: yet as ſometime Jephtha his brethrene… 1. rejected him, though the Lord had appointed no other to deliver them; in like ſort many refuſe Chriſt, keep a great diſtance from Chriſt; they will not come unto him, receive him, lay hold on him, though the Lord hath appointed no other helper, no other deliverer, given no other name whereby f…ct. 4.…2.they may be ſaved. It is uſuall with men to put the loweſt price on that which God hath ordained to be the meanes of their greateſt good. Men are commonly very evill chuſers, very unhappy refuſers in matters concerning their everlaſting happineſſe. Chriſt, ſaith the Evangeliſt, came among his gJoh. 1.11.owne, and his owne received him not: He came among his own by incarnation, taking our nature upon him, appearing in the forme of a ſervant, but they refuſed his ſervice; he came in the miniſtery of the Goſpel as an Ambaſſadour, publiſhing the tidings of ſalvation, but they ſtopt their eares, and would not hearken to him; as a glorious and a ſhining Sun, but they ſhut their eyes and would not behold him: he came as a Phyſician to heale them, but they regarded not his medicine; hee came as a Shepheard to gather them home into his Fathers fold, but they would not be gathered by him; he came as a full and living fountain to fill them, but they would neither draw nor drinke of the wells of ſalvation which hee opened to them: they received him not by knowledge as their counſellor to inſtruct them, by faith as their garment of righteouſneſſe to cloath and cover them, as their rocke to ſupport them; by love as their bridegroome to marry their ſoules unto him, by feare as their Prince to ſubject themſelves unto him. Chriſts bleſſed, free, and gracious tender of eternall happineſſe is very ſlenderly eſteemed, very ungratefully refuſed by many perſons: Ordinarily nothing is more unwelcome then that which moſt concerns mans ſalvation.hMat. 23.37. O Jeruſalem, Jeruſalem, thou that killeſt the prophets, & ſtoneſt them that are ſent unto thee, How often, ſaith Chriſt, wold I have gathered thee together, even as a hen gathers her chickens under her wings, & ye would not? Chriſt, like a hen to her chickens, ſhewed his love to them, his care for them, his willingneſſe to gather them home unto himſelfe, his readineſſe to hide and protect them under the wings of his power, his grace and fulneſſe, from the Divell and other inſtruments of cruelty which, like kites in the aire, ſought to make a prey of them; but they would not, they would not come unto him, they would not beleeve in him, they would not embrace and receive him. The ſoules of men are great enemies to their owne happineſſe, very profanely refuſing Chriſts choiceſt mercies, highly valuing the emptineſſe of the world, baſely prizing Chriſts fulneſſe: So that as ſometime Diogenes taxed the folly of the men of his time, quòd res pretioſas minimo emerent, venderentque viliſsimas plurimo; ſtatuam tribus nummûm millibus emunt, quum farinae choenix duobus aereis veniret: becauſe they would buy precious things cheape, and ſell baſe things at a deare rate; becauſe they valued a ſtatue at three thouſand pieces, and ſold a meaſure of corne for two farthings, though the life of man had no need of a ſtatue, but could not live without corne: Thus may we juſtly taxe the folly of men for under-valuing Chriſt, the moſt precious of all things; for over-valuing the world, which is but dung iPhil. 3.8.and droſſe in compariſon of Chriſt; ſelling their liberty, peace, quiet, even their very ſoules, for the world; unwilling to depart with any thing for the enjoyment of Chriſt, when yet the world is but even a dumb ſtatue, a dead idoll which can doe little or no thing for them, and Chriſt is the true Manna, thekIoh. 6.1 bread of life come down from heaven, giving life to all that beleevingly come unto him; without whom men have no life of God within them; for,l1 Ioh. 5.12. he that hath the ſonne hath life, he that hath not the ſonne hath not life.
And whence is it that men are ſo backward to come to Chriſt, to entertain Chriſt,Foure grounds of this. to receive of Chriſts fulneſſe, tomProv. 9. eate of his bread, and drinke of his wine which he hath mingled, to partake of all the good things which God the Father hath given him to communicate and beſtow upon the ſoules of men, but 1. from their ignoranceIgnorance of Chriſt; thenIoh. 1.10. world doth not know Chriſt. As the blind man doth not know the Sun, though it ſhine upon him; no more doth the carnall and worldly man know Chriſt, though he ſhine upon him in the Goſpel: for the light oIoh. 1.5.ſhineth in the darkneſſe, and the darkneſſe comprehendeth it not. Such is mans ignorance, that as the light ſhining in Goſhen, did not pierce the darknespExod. 10. where the Egyptians ſate; no more doth the light of the Goſpel penetrate their ſoules, but they ſit in darkneſſe and the ſhadow of death; at theqIſa. 59.10. noone day of the Goſpel they are in the midnight of ignorance: To ſuch our Saviour ſaith, Ye neither rIoh. 8.19. Iſa. 53.2.know me nor my Father: They know not the beauties of Chriſt, they ſee no comelineſſe in him for which they ſhould deſire him; he is no more to them then another beloved: They know not the power of Chriſt in ſoftning their hearts, as the ground knowes the power of the dew in ſuppling it; in quickning their ſoules, as Lazarus knew the power of Chriſt in raiſing his body; in reſtoring them to ſpirituall liberty, as Peter knew the power of the Angell in ſmiting off his fetters, in ſetting him free from Herods priſon: They know not the death of Chriſt, as the members know the death of the head, and the branches the death of the root, in withering and dying with it: they doe not ſo know his death, that theirſRom. 6.6 old man is crucified with him, that the body of ſin is deſtroied, and they no more ſerve ſin: They know not the reſurrection of Chriſt, comming forth of the grave of their ſin, as the dead knew the reſurrection of Chriſt, their bodies comming out of the grave with him: They know not the gracious preſence and inhabitation of Chriſt in their ſoules, as Obed-Edom knew the preſence and dwelling of the Ark in his houſe, cauſing all that he had to t2 Sam. 6.11.proſper, making their ſoules flouriſh in all ſaving graces: They know not the love of Chriſt, as the Bride in the Bride-chamber knows the love of the Bridegroome, as the gueſts in the banquetting houſe know the love of the maſter of the feaſt, as David knew the love of Jonathan: Chriſt is not like Jonathan to David, very u2 Sam. 1.26.pleaſant unto their ſoules; his love is not to their ſenſe and feeling wonderfull, paſsing the love of women: They know not Chriſt in his Goſpel, as a friend in his letters, as a King in his Embaſſadours of peace; as a Muſician in his muſicall inſtrument, making a joyfull ſound in their eares; as the lamewIohn 5.4, 5. man knew the Angell in Betheſda healing their diſeaſes: They know not Chriſts fulneſſe as the ſeeing eye knowes the fulneſſe of light in the Sunne, as the thirſty palate knowes the fulneſſe of water in the fountaine; and becauſe they doe not know him, they regard not to come unto him. Ignorance is a great impediment of mans comming to Chriſt Jeſus. Hagar xGen. 21.came not unto the Well, untill her eyes were opened to ſee the Well: No man embraceth Chriſt, untill his underſtanding is enlightned to ſee and diſcerne Chriſt aright. Men through ignorance have very diſhonourable opinions of Chriſt, remaine great ſtrangers to Chriſt, and are very injurious againſt Chriſt.
2. Unſenſibleneſſe.Unſenſibleneſſe of the want of Chriſt: It was a law of Plato that no man ſhould draw water out of his neighbours Well, untill he had digged to the Potters earth in his own court: It is a law in nature, Man never commeth unto Chriſt, never endevours to partake of his fulneſſe, untill hee hath tried, and knowes his owne emptineſſe, untill he diſcernes his want of Chriſt. TheyIoſ. 10.6. Gibeonites ſent not to Ioſua untill they ſaw themſelves beſieged by the Amoritiſh Princes.Iud. 11. The Elders of Gilead hated Ieptha, and expelled him out of their fathers houſe, came no more unto him, untill they were in diſtreſſe, ſaw their want of him, plainly perceived that none elſe could help them. Mans opinion of his owne fulneſſe makes him under-value the fulneſſe of Chriſt. Chriſt is never pretious in the eyes of man untill man feele his want of him: As man is more or leſſe ſenſible of his want of Chriſt, ſo hee is more or leſſe induſtrious in approching unto Chriſt. ThezProv. 27.7. full ſtomacke regards not the hony combe: The full ſouleaIo. 9.41. Matth. 9. Rev. 3.17. loatheth Chriſt, who is ſweeter then the hony or the hony combe. Chriſt is ever moſt pretious with the ſoule that knowes its owne emptineſſe.
Unwillingneſſe to bee at the coſt of comming unto Chriſt:3. Unwillingneſſe. Though Chriſt proffer himſelfe freely, yet man muſt bee at ſome coſt, or hee cannot come to Chriſt, hee cannot enjoy Chriſt.bGen. 35.2. Iacob cannot come to Bethel unleſſe hee put away way his Idols. Exod. 3.5.Moſes cannot come nigh the burning Buſh, unleſſe hee put off his ſhooes from his feet. Man cannot come nigh unto God and Chriſt,Ia. 4.8. unleſſe he purge his heart, and cleanſe his hands. The Merchant in the Parable ſold cMat. 13.44.all that hee had to buy the pretious pearle, to make that his owne: Man that will come to Chriſt, and make Chriſt his, muſt ſell all that is his owne: Man muſt firſt come out of himſelfe, before hee can come to Chriſt. If dLuke 9.23.any man (ſaith Chriſt) will come after mee, let him deny himſelfe and take up his croſſe daily and follow me: Hee that will come to Chriſt, muſt deny his owne wiſedome, and be as ae1 Cor. 3.18. Rom. 7.18 foole in his owne apprehenſion; hee muſt deny his owne fulneſſe, and be as an empty houſe in his owne ſenſe and feeling; he muſt deny his owne righteouſneſſe, and bee as a naked man in his owne underſtanding; hee muſt deny his owne reputation in the eyes of men, and bee contented to have his name fLuke 6.22.caſt out as abominable, & to be accounted more vile, as David for dancing before the Arke:2 Sam. 6.22. hee muſt bee willing to bee in the world as nothing, who will have Chriſt and his fulneſſe to bee all in all unto him: Men are loath to bee at this coſt, and therefore come not to Chriſt. The young man that came to Chriſt, hearing hee muſt ſell all, and follow him,gMat. 19.21. went away ſorrowfull: Hee that carries the love of the world in his heart, will faint by the way, and never come to Chriſt. The over-valuing of the world makes the doctrine of the Goſpel a ſorrowfull doctrine, and mans endevour to come to Chriſt, unfruitfull. Many hIoh. 12.42.among the chiefe Rulers beleeved on Chriſt, made ſome ſteppes towards him, but becauſe of the Phariſees they did not confeſſe him, they came not boldly, freely, and fully home to Chriſt, leſt they ſhould bee put out of the Synagogue. Hee that cannot eſteeme all as nothing for Chriſt, as dung and droſſe in compariſon of Chriſt, will never really and in deed come to Chriſt: Hee is but like a man that cheapes and buyes not, becauſe hee will not give the price.
Subjection under the creature:Subjection under the creature. They are under the power and command of the creature; this is faſtned on them as Birdlime on the wings of the Bird, that they cannot mount up to Chriſt; they are intangled in this, as the feet in ſnares and fetters, that they cannot move nor come to Chriſt. As Pharaoh ſaid of the children of Iſrael, TheyiExod. 14.3. are intangled in the land, the wilderneſſe hath ſhut them in; ſo may we ſay of many men, They are intangled in the creature, the world hath ſhut them in, ſo ſhut them up, that they cannot come to Chriſt; it hath ſo ſhut up their underſtanding, that they cannot diſcerne Chriſt; their wills, that they cannot imbrace Chriſt; their imaginations, that they cannot meditate upon Chriſt; and their affections, that they cannot feare, truſt, love, nor rejoyce in Chriſt. As thekIoſ. 10. five Kings were hid in a cave, and Ioſua rowled great ſtones upon the mouth of the cave, and ſet men by it to keep them, that they might not come forth: ſo worldly men are ſhut up in the cave of the world, and hardneſſe of heart, like a great ſtone, is rowled upon them, honours, riches, pleaſures, like ſo many keepers, doe ſo beſet them, that they cannot come forth; they are held and kept under the creature as alMatth. 6.24. ſervant under his maſter, as an adulterermIam. 4.4. under the harlot, as Iſſacar nGen. 49.24.under his burthens; the worlds imployments keep them under as Pharaohs oExod. 1.11. Iud. 16.Taske-maſters the Iſraelites: Theſe, like Delilah, ſhave off their locks, and make them weak, that, like Sampſon, they cannot goe forth, they cannot come to Chriſt:Matth. 22. Luke 1….14. Matth. 13.22. This with-held the gueſts in the Parable from comming to the marriage feaſt of the Kings ſonne: this made the Phariſees deſpiſe Chriſts doctrine: this fruſtrates all holy inſtruction and gracious perſwaſion, as the thornes make the ſowing of the ſeed unfruitfull: this extinguiſheth the love of Chriſt, as a ſtrange lover in the boſome of the wife, puts out the love ſhee ſhould have to her husband. The ſoule which is not divorced from the world, cannot marry Chriſt. Chriſt is never pretious in mans apprehenſion as long as the world ſeemes glorious to him.Bern. Cui Chriſtus incipit dulceſcere, neceſſe eſt amareſcere mundum, ſaith Bernard: as wee begin the reliſh ſweetneſſe in Chriſt, ſo the world beginnes to bee bitter to us; the more ſweetneſſe wee taſte in the one, the more bitterneſſe we taſte in the other: If the world be as a pleaſant feaſt, Chriſt is but as an emptie diſh. And theſe are maine grounds of mans neglecting Chriſt, ſtanding aloofe off from Chriſt, and refuſing to come freely and fully home to Chriſt.
Folly of not comming to Chriſt illuſtrated.And this is a very great folly of man: For what is man not comming unto Chriſt, nor partaking of Chriſt in whom is all fulneſſe, but an emptie man, a broken ciſterne, wherein is no water of grace; an emptie pHoſ. 10.1.Vine, whereon growes no good fruit, no ſweet grape; 2. A dead man in whom is no life of God, a withered branch ſeparate from the vine? As Lazarus remained dead in theqIoh. 11.44. grave till Chriſt came and raiſed him: ſo doth man in the grave of ſinne, untill Chriſt commeth to him,1 Joh. 5.12. and he to Chriſt; for he that hath not the Son, hath not life; 3. ArHeb. 6.7, 8. barren man, as a woman that abides without a husband: all our fruit is but as an illegitimate birth, untill wee are married unto Chriſt; if wee come not to Chriſt as to a husbandman to manure us, as to a cloud to water us, wee are but as a barren heath; 4. A blind man: As hee that comes not to the Sunne, ſits in darkneſſe; ſo hee that comes not to Chriſt, hath no good knowledge: for no man ſMat. 11.27.knowes the Father but the Son, and hee to whom the Sonne will reveale him. Without the knowledge of God and Chriſt Jeſus mans greateſt knowledge is but ignorance; 5. A bond-man, as Peter till the Angell c…me and ſmote off his fetters. Spirituall freedome comes to Gods children onelyonlytIoh. 8.56. by Chriſt; none brings the ſoule a diſcharge from Satans bondage, beſides the Lord Jeſus; 6. A ſicke man, an uncleane and a loathſome man. Naaman continued leprous untill he came to Iordan: t2 Kings 5.the woman diſeaſed of the bloudy iſſue had her flux of bloud running on her untill ſhee came to Chriſt:Mark. 5. None but Chriſt Jeſus purgeth the leproſie of ſinne,u1 Ioh. 1.7. and the flux of ungodlineſſe from the ſoule of man; if wee come not to him wee continue uncleane; 7. A poore man, not one dramme of ſpirituall riches in his ſoule, not one rag of righteouſneſſe to cover him. ThewIſa. 20.4 Aſſyrian led away the Egyptians naked and barefoot: without Chriſt the Prince of darknes leads man captive, xRev. 3.17.poore, blinde, naked, miſerable and wretched; 8. A baſe man, a diſhonourable man; baſe for his birth, being of the Divell; baſe for his condition, the ſlave and ſervant of a thouſand luſts and vanities; baſe for his qualitie, groveling like a ſwine upon the earth, delighting himſelfe in nothing, but, like a baſe worme, in the ſlime and mud of the world; baſe in the whole way and worke he undertakes, having baſe thoughts, baſe purpoſes, and baſe intendments. Very great is mans baſeneſſe without the Lord Jeſus, who is the onelyonly crowne and glory of man; 9. A perplexed man, a ſtranger to all ſpirituall and heavenly peace: The ſoule without Chriſt is like ayPſa. 42.2. chaſed Hart without the water brookes. The Dove found no reſt for the ſole of her foot, untill ſhee returned to thezGen. 8. Ark: the ſoule never meets with true reſt untill it come to Chriſt; but, As the Diſciples in the ſhip were toſſed with the ſtorme, and had noaMatth. 8.26. reſt untill they came to Chriſt, cried to Chriſt, and Chriſt awakened, and rebuked the windes and waves, and made the Seas calm; thus the ſouls of men are as a toſſed Sea, untill Chriſt ſpeakes peace unto them: he is the Prince bIſa. 9.6.of peace, and peace is a priviledge belonging to the ſubjects of his Kingdome, and hee is ſtiledcEpheſ. 2.14. our peace; by way of declaration hee reveales it, by way of merit hee hath purchaſed it, by way of communication hee miniſters it by way of preſervation hee maintaines and perfects it. The nearer man comes to Chriſt, the more hee enjoyes of Chriſt, the ſweeter and ſtronger is his peace: The more man is eſtranged from Chriſt, the further hee is from true peace; 10. A diſcontented man, a man unſatisfied: all fulneſſe is in Chriſt, the world cannot fill the ſoule that is not filled with Chriſt; the ſoule that feeds not on Chriſt, but on the world, like Pharaohs dGen. 41.leane Kine that fed upon the fat, eate them all up, and yet were ſtill leane and ill-favoured: ſo this, after long feeding upon all the fat of the world, yet as hungry and greedy as ever; the more hee eates, the more hee hungers, hee is ever diſcontented, nothing long pleaſeth him, nothing fully anſweres him: the eye that doth not ſee Chriſt, is never cEccl. 1.8.ſatisfied with ſeeing; the eare that doth not heare Chriſt, is never ſatisfied with hearing; the palate which doth not reliſh Chriſt, is never ſatisfied with taſting; nothing is ſweet and full without Chriſt: as Auguſtine ſometime having read Cicero's workes, commended them for their eloquence, but paſſed this ſentence upon them, Dulces non ſunt, quia nomen Jeſus non eſt in illis, they are not ſweet, becauſe the name of Jeſus is not in them. Without Chriſt the bed is a bed of thornes, the bread is full of gravell, the cup is full of gall; nothing filleth, nothing ſatisfieth, but every thing vexeth, diſpleaſeth, leaveth a ſting behind it, and the heart, like the horſe-leeches daughter, ever criesfProv. 30.15. Give, give, and never can have enough. And here is the miſery of man without Chriſt, the folly of man that will not come to Chriſt, without whom hee muſt ſtarve, gLuk. 15.as the prodigall without his Fathers houſe; without whom hee muſt abide robd of all his ſpirituals, and wounded, hLuk. 10.and halfe dead in his naturals, like him that lay robd and halfe dead between Iericho and Ieruſalem, before the Samaritan came and cured him; without whom he muſt continue beſieged, aſſaulted, vexed with temptations, feares, troubles, diſtractions, as Gibeon iIoſ. 10.6.with the Amoritiſh Princes before Ioſua came and removed them; without whom they muſt needs periſh, as the old world that came not to the Arke. It is mans greateſt folly and madneſſe to eſtrange himſelfe from Chriſt Jeſus.