The Happiness of Enjoying and Use of Christ, Part 1 · Chapter 8
CHAP. VIII. Perſwading to come unto, and get intereſt in Chriſt.
AS all divine and heavenly fulneſſe is in Chriſt, ſo it ſhould move and perſwade all men to come to Chriſt, to get intereſt in Chriſt, to ſeeke for all fulneſſe in him. As Hagar went to the full Well, and filled her emptie Bottle; ſo let us come to Chriſt, the true and living fountaine, and fill our empty ſoules with the fulneſſe of his grace. Fulneſſe is the common deſire of all perſons; the ambitious deſires fulneſſe of honours, the covetous fulneſſe of riches, the voluptuous fulneſſe of pleaſures: they are very greedy, and can never have iIſa. 56.10.enough of this fulneſſe. Much more ſhould Chriſtians deſire the fulneſſe of Chriſt, the onelyonly true and deſirable fulneſſe. As Davids Worthies in the day of Davids thirſt, brake through the Philiſtian Army, and drew water out of the well at Bethel: ſo let us in the day of our Chriſt, in the time of our want, breake through all impediments, all armies of trouble and oppoſition raiſed againſt us, and come to Chriſt, the Well, whence come the waters of ſalvation. To this Chriſt himſelf invites us,kMat. 11.28. Come unto mee; Come unto me as the ſick unto the Phyſician to heale you of all your ſinfull maladies: Come unto me as the Traveller to the Sunne, to fill you with all divine and heavenly light, to guide you in all your goings: Come unto mee as the thirſty to the living fountaine, to ſupply all your wants, to fill all your deſires: Come unto me as the Sheepe to the Shepheard, to lead you beſide the ſtill waters, and to feed you in the greene paſtures: Come unto mee as the Chicken to the Hen, to hide you under the wings of my protection: Come unto me as the poore unto the rich, as the Buyer to the Merchants ſhop, and buy of mee,*Non precio ſed prece. not for price, but by prayer,lRev. 3.18 gold tried in the fire, that thou mayeſt be rich; and white rayment, that thou mayeſt bee cloathed; and eye-ſalve, that thou mayeſt ſee: And thus runnes the charge of the Lord by the Prophet,mIſa. 45.22. Look unto mee, and bee yee ſaved, all yee ends of the earth: Looke unto mee with the eyes of faith, beleeving in mee and my promiſes; with the eyes of godly ſorrow, mourning for your ſinnes and offences; with the eyes of love, embracing me as the husband of your ſoules; with the eyes of obedience, fearing and obeying mee above all commanders. Thus looke unto mee, and bee yee ſaved; ſaved from ſinne, that it ſway not over you; ſaved from Satan, that hee rule not within you; ſaved from affliction, that it ſhall not ſwallow you; and ſaved from the Law, that it ſhall not condemne you. Chriſt miniſters all ſalvation to them that by a lively faith come unto him: this is the end and fruit of Chriſts comming by his Word and Spirit to the ſoules of men: My nCant. 2.10.beloved (ſaith the Spouſe) ſpoke unto mee, outwardly by his Word and Miniſters, and inwardly by his Spirit, Ariſe up, my Love, my faire one, and come away: Riſe up from the death of ſinne, as ſometime the dead roſe up from the grave; from the diſeaſe of ſinne, ignorance, unbeliefe, impenitencie, as the ſicke ariſe from their diſeaſe, and returne to health; from the ſleep and ſlumber, reigne and rule of ſinne, as Peter aroſe from his ſleepe, his fetters, the two Souldiers, and came forth of Herods priſon; from communion and fellowſhip with corrupt and carnall men, as Lazarus roſe out of his grave from the fellowſhip of the dead: Riſe up and come away from the world, carnall acquaintance, and fleſhly delights, as the Bride comes awayoPſal. 45.10. from her owne people, and her fathers houſe, unto the Bride-groome; as ſometime Abraham pGen. 12.1.came away from his owne countrey, and from his kindred, and from his fathers houſe, unto a land which the Lord ſhewed him: Ariſe and come away from all ſinfull pleaſures, as Samſon aroſe from Delilahs lap, burſt his withs aſunder, and came away from her: Riſe up and come away from all corrupt and carnall doctrine, as the prodigall aroſe from the huskes and the ſwine, and came to his fathers houſe, to eate his fathers bread: Riſe up and come away even from thy ſelfe, by ſelfe-deniall, and putting off thy old man, as Lazarus roſe up, put away his grave-clothes, and left them behinde him: Thus riſe up and come away to Chriſt. That man alone comes to Chriſt Jeſus, who riſeth up from the world, himſelfe, and his own corrupt affections: And unto him let us come as the lame man came to Betheſda, that we may be healed; as the Elders of Gilead came to Jeptha, that we may be preſerved, protected, delivered; as the thirſty come to the full fountaine, that wee may be filled, and all our wants ſupplied.
Three things perſwading to come to Chriſt.And the more effectually to move and perſwade you to come to Chriſt, faſten your hearts and thoughts ſeriouſly upon theſe three things:
1. Neceſſitie of Chriſt.Mans neceſſity of Chriſt, Mans miſery without Chriſt: Man is ſpiritually dead, and none but Chriſt can raiſe him. The life of the ſoule is hid in Chriſt, as the life of the branch in the root. Gehazi q2 King. 4.with Eliſhah's ſtaffe without Eliſha himſelfe, could not reſtore the woman of Shunems child to life: the Miniſter, with the Word of Chriſt without Chriſt concurring and working with him, cannot quicken the ſoule that is dead in ſinne: all the inſtruments and meanes of grace leave the ſoule ſtill graceleſſe, unleſſe Chriſt, the authour and fountaine of grace, joyne his bleſſing to their endevours:rIoh. 5.5. The Sonne quickneth whom he will; hee that eates ſIoh. 6.53not the fleſh of the Sonne of man, and drinkes his bloud, hee that comes not unto, that beleeves not in Chriſt crucified, hath no life in him; no life of God, no life of grace here, no life of glory hereafter. The life of man without faith in Chriſt, is as no life, but a very death: man is dangerouſly diſeaſed, no Balme can heale him, no Phyſician can cure him. The art and labour of all Phyſicians about the diſeaſed woman in the Goſpel, were fruitleſſe,Mark. 5. untill ſhe came to Chriſt Jeſus. The Poole at Betheſda cured no man unleſſe the Angell moved in it: the ordinance of God cures not, unleſſe Chriſt move in it, worke together with it; hee alone is the Sunne of righteouſneſſe, that hath healing in his wings, curing the wounds which are given by ſin and Satan. Man is poſſeſſed by an uncleane Spirit, and none but Chriſt can eject him: the ſoule of man is an uncleane dwelling, untill Chriſt takes poſſeſſion within him; he rebukes the Divell, & cauſeth him to depart whom the Diſciples cannot tMat. 17.19, 20, 21.caſt out. David overthrew Goliah, with whom no Iſraelite durſt enter combate: Chriſt overthrowes the Divell, who, without the power of Chriſt, is invincible; man of himſelfe can no more overcome him, no more deliver himſelfe from him,1 Sam. 17. then the ſheep under Davids cuſtody, was able to deliver it ſelfe from the Beare and the Lyon. Man is blinde, in darkneſſe, and the ſhadow of death, and no Sunne but Chriſt can enlighten him. Man is naked, and no garment but Chriſt can cloath and cover him; all other garments are but rotten rags, and fading leaves, like Adams Figge-leaves, a poore and baſe covering. Man is poore, and no treaſure but Chriſt can enrich him, all is but dung and droſſe beſides Chriſt. Man is indebted, and none but Chriſt can make ſatisfaction for him;Mich. 6. a thouſand Rammes, and ten thouſand rivers of Oyle, nay, ten thouſand worlds, if man were Lord and owner of them, were an inſufficient price for the leaſt ſinne of man: None but Chriſt, a price infinite and invaluable, is the price of mans redemption. Man is empty, and none but Chriſt can fill him; the world is a feaſt, the more man feeds upon it, the more his hunger is increaſed; like the dropſie man, the more hee drinketh the more hee thirſteth: Chriſt alone ſatisfieth, he givesuJoh. 4.1. water whereof whoſo drinketh, thirſteth no more. Not the creature but the Lord Jeſus is mans fulneſſe. Man is diſtreſſed, perplexed, tormented, and none but Chriſt can quiet him: hee caſteth out the tormenting ſpirit, hee appeaſeth the ſtormy tempeſt, hee calmeth the violent and ſurging waves and waters; he leads him through the ſea of affliction, to a wPſa. 61.2.Rocke that is higher then man, to an eſtate and condition ſecure and ſafe from all oppoſing power: Endleſſe and eaſeleſſe are the ſoules perplexities which comes not to Chriſt Jeſus: As Bernard *Incaſſum laborat in acquiſitione virtu…um, qui eas alibi quam in Chriſto quaerit.ſomtime ſaid, He labours in vaine in the acquiſition of vertues, that ſeeks them elſewhere then in Chriſt. Thus man labours in vaine that ſeekes peace, ſafety, comfort, any where except in Chriſt: and what is man that wants Chriſt, but a body without a head, a dead and idle, a loathſome lump; a houſe without a foundation, which cannot ſtand; a field without dew, which withers; and a branch without root, abiding barren, and haſtening to the fire. Behold then, O man, thy neceſſity of Chriſt, thy miſery without Chriſt, and give thy ſoule no reſt untill thou art come home to Chriſt.
Faſten your thoughts upon the vanitie of all things without Chriſt:2. Vanitie of all things without Chriſt. What is worldly fulneſſe to him that comes not to Chriſt Jeſus but vanity xEccleſ. 2.11.& vexation of ſpirit; a bed of thornes, on which hee can…ot ſleep without terrour;*Auru…a …, p… … po… …, aurum … lus … nus, p… …or ſervus. Aug. a way of ſnares, … …hich hee cannot walke without ſtum…ng, …ruiſing and hurting himſelfe; a cup o… g…ll, of which hee cannot drink with any comfort; like the waters of Marah to Iſ…ael without the tree, burthens oppreſſing, chaines fettering, arrowes wounding, …as toſſing, and winds ſhaking, are all worldly poſſeſſions to them that poſſ…ſſe not Chriſt Jeſus. What was Paradiſe to Adam when hee had deprived h…mſelfe of the tree of life, by eating of the tr…e of forbidden fruit, but as a wilderneſſe of thornes and briars, a place of extreame torture and diſquiet? The worlds choyceſt Paradiſe proves at length full of bitterneſſe to him that hath deprived himſelfe of Chriſt Jeſus. Auguſtine ſaith,*Quid prodeſt diviti quod habet, ſi Deum qui omnia dedit non habet. What doth that profit the rich man which hee hath, if hee hath not God which gave all? What availes the having of the ciſterne without the fountain? The having of all things is as nothing, if man have not Chriſt with them. Happy is the man that ſo lookes upon the creatures emptineſſe, that he is thereby ſtirred up to ſeeke Chriſt and his fulneſſe.
The excellencie & the worth of Chriſt.3. Dignity of Chriſt. As they ſaid of David, Hee is better, more worthy then all the y2 Sam. 18.….thouſands of the world: As they ſaid of the Centurion, Hee is zLuk. 7.4.worthy for whom thou ſhalt doe this thing: Much more may I ſay of Chriſt, Hee is worthy that you ſhould come unto him; in him are all the load-ſtones of vertue, power, beauty, and whatſoever can be ſpoken, to move and draw the ſoule of man towards him: In him is wiſedome ſurpaſſing the brightneſſe of the Sunne, even all the aCol. ….3.treaſures of wiſedome hidden: In him is power excelling the ſtrength of all Rockes; hee is not onelyonly ſtrong, butbPſal. 18.1. ſtrength it felfe: In him is honour, tranſcending all the Kings of the earth; for hee iscRev. 19.16. King of Kings, and Lord of Lords; hee isdPſa. 104 1, 2. cloathed with honour and majeſty, and covered with light as with a garment: In him is beauty excelling the eCant. 2.2.Roſe of Sharon, and the Lilly of the valley; hee is thefCant. 5.10. faireſt of ten thouſand, fairer then all the flowers of the field, then all the pretious ſtones of the earth, then all the lights in the firmament, then all Saints and Angels in the higheſt heavens: In him isgEpheſ. 3.8. riches above all the riches of the world, as in the Pearle above the droſſe. All worldly wealth is but poverty to the riches which is in Chriſt: In him arehPſa. 16.11. pleaſures excelling all earthly pleaſures, more then ever paradiſe excelled the barren wilderneſſe. All pleaſures are but ſorrowes and tortures to the pleaſure which the ſoule doth finde in Chriſt. Surely, all wiſedome is folly, all power weakneſſe, all honour ignominy, all beauty deformity, all riches poverty, all pleaſures anguiſh, and all fulneſſe emptineſſe, in compariſon of the wiſedome, power, glory, beauty, riches, pleaſures, and fulneſſe that is in Chriſt Jeſus. O therefore come to Chriſt that you may bee enlightned, ſtrengthened, honoured, enriched, protected, ſolaced, and your ſoules every way filled. O come as the Queene of the South came fromi1 King. 10.1, 2. farre to Solomon, that you may learne his wiſedome. O come as the ſtones in the building to the headk1 Pet. 2.5. corner ſtone, that hee may ſupport you; come as the ſubjects come the Kings Court, that hee may advance and honour you; come as poore men to a golden Mine, that hee may enrich you; come as Naaman came tol2 King. 5. Iordan, that hee may ſanctifie and cleanſe you: O come as the Prodigall came to his fathersmLuk. 15. houſe, that Chriſt may kill the fatted calfe for you, feed you with his ordinances, with himſelfe, with his graces, and put the robe of his righteouſneſſe upon you: O come as a diſconſolate man unto his friend, that Chriſt may comfort you with the ſweetneſſe of his preſence, the ſenſe of his love, and all the comforts of his Spirit: O come as the chicken to the henne, that his wings may hide and ſhadow you. Under the wings of Chriſt (ſaith*Sub Chriſti ſcapulis quatuor nohis beneficia conſeruntur, &c. Bernard) foure benefites are beſtowed upon us; Here wee are hidden and protected, Here wee are refreſhed, Here the ſcorching heat of affliction is repelled, And here wee are fed and nouriſhed. Chriſt (ſaith†Chriſtus omnia, ut qui omnia propter Chriſtum dimiſerit, unum inveniat pro omnibus, & poſsit libero clamare, Pars mea Dominus. Ierome) is all things, that hee who for Chriſt hath let goe all, may find one for all, and may freely ſay, The Lord is my portion. For as Ambroſe ſayd,*Omnia habemus in Chriſto, & omnia in nobis Chriſtus; ſi à vulnere curari defideras, medicus eſt, &c. We have all in Chriſt, and Chriſt is all things in us: if thou deſire to be cured of thy wound, hee is a Phyſician; if thou burne with Fevers, hee is a Fountaine; if thou art burthened with iniquity, he is righteouſneſſe; if thou wantteſt help, hee is ſtrength; if thou feare death, hee is life; if t…ou flye from darkneſſe, hee is light; if thou deſireſt heaven, hee is the way, if thou ſeekeſt food, hee is nouriſhment. Therefore to him let us come as ſheep to their Shepheard, as captives to their Ranſomer, as children to their Father.
The manner of comming to Chriſt. 1. SpeedilyTo him let us come, firſt, ſpeedily, without all delay, as Eagles to the carcaſſe. As the woman of Shunem n2 King. 4.ſadled her Aſſe, and made haſte to the man of God, for the recovery of her dead childe: ſo let us make haſte to Chriſt for the recovery, life, health, comfort, and welfare of our poore ſoules; let us come unto him while hee may bee found, and call upon him while hee is neere at hand. As the Angell haſted, and thruſt Lot out of Sodome, and bid himoGen. 19 haſte to Zoar, and eſcape thither: ſo let us haſten our ſoules out of the Sodome of ſinne unto Chriſt; O let us with all ſpeed eſcape to Chriſt from the world and our corruption: Of all undertakings man muſt uſe moſt ſpeed and diligence to come to Chriſt Jeſus. Secondly,2. Fully. to Chriſt let us come fully, in reſpect of the terme from whence wee come, from the world and all the vanities thereof. As Abraham pGen. 22 5.left his Aſſe, and all his ſervants at the foot of the hill behinde him, and went up to offer his ſonne Iſaac to the Lord: ſo let us leave all the vanities of the world behinde us, and come and offer our ſelves to Chriſt, let us come from all ſinne. When a captive woman joynes herſelfe in wedlocke to an Iſraelitiſh Souldier, ſhe muſtqDeut. 21.12. change her apparell, ſhave her head, and pare her nailes, and ſo come to bee joyned in wedlock to her husband: hee that will come to Chriſt, muſt change his apparell, put off the old man, ſhave his head, remove the ignorance and errour of his underſtanding, and pare his nailes, reforme all his outward wayes, and ſo come to Chriſt. To Chriſt let us come fully in reſpect of the affection with which wee come, with all our hearts, and with all our ſoules; with our underſtanding to know him, with our wills to chuſe him, with our imaginations to thinke upon him, with our affections to feare, truſt, love and rejoyce in him. To Chriſt let us come fully in reſpect of the Medium by which we come, even in the uſe of all the ordinances of God; and in reſpect of the terme whereunto we come, even unto whole Chriſt; unto the wiſedome of Chriſt, to bee guided by it; unto the power of Chriſt, to depend upon it; unto the righteouſneſſe of Chriſt, to bee juſtified by it; unto the merit of Chriſt, to receive all good things through it; unto the promiſes of Chriſt, to beleeve them; unto the commandements of Chriſt, to obey them. Hee that comes not fully, comes deceitfully to Chriſt, & departs unprofitably from Chriſt: He alone enjoyes Chriſt, who comes univerſally to Chriſt. Thirdly,3. Holily. to Chriſt let us come holily. The ſtranger under the Law that came to the Paſſeover was firſtrExo. 12.48. circumciſed; He that comes to Chriſt muſt circumciſe the foreskin of his heart. There is no acceptable appropinquation to Chriſt Ieſus without true holineſſe.4. Hungrily. Fourthly, to Chriſt let us comeſIſa. 55.1. hungrily, as a thirſty man to the waters: no man is welcome to Chriſt, but hee that comes with a holy hunger and thirſt. Hee ſends the rich empty away, and tLuke 1.53. 5. Humblyſills the hungry with good things. Fifthly, to Chriſt let us come humbly, with a lively ſenſe and feeling of our wants, in godly ſorrow and true repentance, as the ſervants of Benhadad came to the King of Iſrael, with u1 Kings 20.ropes about their neckes; and ſack-cloth about their loines. Sixthly,6. Lovingly. to Chriſt let us come lovingly, as the Bride unto the Bride-groome; Strongly, 7. Strongly.as the waters to the Sea; Joyfully, 8. Ioyfullyas the rich man to his treaſure; And conſtantly, 9. Conſtantly.comming more and more, daily drawing neerer and neerer unto Chriſt, to a more full and perfect participation and fruition of Chriſt and his fulneſſe.
And to the end wee may all come to Chriſt, and for the better diſpoſing and fitting of our hearts thus to come to Chriſt,Foure meanes diſpoſing men to come to Chriſt. 1. Senſe of emptineſſe. wee muſt firſt bee ſenſible of our emptineſſe without Chriſt, feele our ſoules as an empty ſtomacke wherein is no meat, as an empty lamp wherein is no light, as an empty or withered arme wherein is no ſtrength. The people in the famine being ſenſible of the emptineſſe and want of corne at home, came to Ioſeph, with whom was all the fulneſſe of Egypt. Hee alone doth truly prize Chriſts fulneſſe, that feeles his owne emptineſſe. The ſonnes of Iacob went not out of their owne countrey downe to Egypt for bread, untill they found the want thereof at home: Man never goes out of himſelfe to Chriſt, till hee knowes the vanity and emptineſſe of his owne heart; hee that knowes this, will haſten his ſoule to Chriſt, as Iacob haſted his ſonnes to Egypt.2. Conſideration of Satans Siege. Secondly, wee muſt ſee and conſider how Satan doth beſiege and aſſault us: How, like a man of warre, hee ſets upon us; how, like a roaring Lyon hee goes up and downe, ſeeking to devoure us. The Gibeonites ſeeing themſelves beſieged by the Amoritiſh Princes, ſent to Ioſua to helpe them. Paul being ſenſible of the buffetings of Satan, addreſſed himſelfe to God byw2 Cor. 12.7, 8. fervent and frequent ſupplication: the ſoule of man that feeles Satans buffetings, is even reſtleſſe, untill he comes fully home to Chriſt Ieſus; hee flies to Chriſt as a ſheep to the Shepheard, driven by the Dogge, and as axPſ. 42.2. chaſed and wounded Hart to the water brookes. Thirdly,3. Experience of inſufficiencie of the creature. wee muſt bee experienced in the inſufficiencie and inabilitie of the creature to helpe us, to ſatisfie us, to make us happy. Noah knowing that theyGen. 7. waters would overflow the earth, and that there would bee no reſting place thereupon for his foot, betooke himſelfe unto the Arke, and entred into it: Mans experience of the vanitie and inſufficiencie of the creature, feeling that there is no reſt nor ſtay for his foot thereon, betakes himſelfe to Chriſt, lookes to him, ſeekes for intereſt in him, expects all ſafety from him. Fourthly, wee muſt have anguiſh in our hearts for ſinne, 4. Anguiſh for ſinne.bee out of love with our ſelves, diſcontent with the naughtineſſe of our hearts. The people that were in debt, z1 Sam. 22.1.in diſtreſſe, & in diſcontent, came to David, and made him their captaine: Man takes no pleaſure in Chriſt, till hee is diſpleaſed with himſelfe. Spirituall diſtreſſe and anguiſh makes Chriſt pretious: hee that knowes the greatneſſe of his ſoules debt, comes to Chriſt to make payment; the more bitterneſſe man doth taſte in ſinne, the more ſweetneſſe hee doth finde in Chriſt: this makes Chriſt very amiable and pretious, very ſatiſfactory and joyous, and fills the ſoule with ſuch longing after him, that as Naomi ſaid of Boaz, The man will not bee in reſt untill hee hath finiſhed the thing this day; no more is man in any reſt untill hee hath finiſhed this thing, untill hee hath wrought home his ſoule to Chriſt, as a Mariner the ſhip unto the Haven of all peace and ſafety, of all ſatisfaction and tranquillity.