The Happiness of Enjoying and Use of Christ, Part 1 · Chapter 12
CHAP. XII. Shewing that mans choyceſt excellencie conſiſteth in union with God.
THis ſheweth us wherein the choyceſt excellencie of man conſiſteth, even in being united unto God, in having God dwelling in his heart. Wherein ſtands the excellencie of Chriſt as Man, but in having the Godhead dwelling in his fleſh, in being aſſumed into the unity of the ſecond perſon? And wherein ſtands the excellencie, the glory, and the happineſſe of man, but in being reconciled and brought nigh to God, in being entred into a ſweet and gracious communion with God? Is it not the excellencie of the branches to bee united to the Vine? of the members to bee united to the head? of the wife to have communion with the husband? and of the children to have communion with the parent? And what is the excellencie, the joy and comfort of the ſoule, but ſweet and gracious communion with God in Chriſt? Jeruſalem, though the joy of the whole earth, pleaſed not Abſolom unleſſe hee mightr2 Sam. 14.32. ſee the face of his father David: The paradiſe of the world is but a wilderneſs to to the childe of God, unleſſe hee ſee the face, enjoy the comfortable preſence of God his Father. Whom doth the Pſalmiſt pronounce bleſſed? Him that hath communion with Princes in their Courts, with Nobles in their honours, with valiant men in their victories, with rich men in their wealth, voluptuous men in their pleaſures, or him that hath communion with his God in his ordinances, in his ſpirituall comforts?ſPſal. 65.4. Bleſſed (ſaith he) is the man whom thou chuſeſt, and cauſeſt to approch unto thee: whom thou chuſeſt, embracing him with thy love, adopting him for thy ſonne, and making him a member of thy Church, and cauſeſt him to approch unto thee, as a Scholler to thy Schoole, as a friend to thy houſe, as a childe to thy table, as a bride into the boſome of thy love, to know thy will, to beleeve thy truth, to receive thy grace, and to feele thy love, and to bee ſatisfied with the goodneſſe of thy houſe, even of thy holy Temple. What is the fruit and end of all the labours of Gods Miniſters, but to worke and draw home the ſoules of men to God, to the fruition & enjoyment of God, to union and communion with God? All the labour of Eleazar was to bring home Rebecca unto Iſaac, to eſpouſe her to Iſaac: and all the labour of Gods Miniſters, his ſervants, is to bring men home to Chriſt, to eſpouſe them to Chriſt; as Paul ſaith, I t2 Cor. 11.2.have eſpouſed you to one husband. This is the ſumme of all, to gather men home to God and Chriſt, as Chicken to the Henne, as Sheep unto the Shepheard, as Children to the Parent, that they may beeu2 Cor. 5.19. reconciled unto God, made one with God, and have the bleſſed enjoyment of God, as their higheſt excellency & chiefeſt good. And what are the longings of the ſoules of holy men who have diſcerned Gods beauties, who have taſted Gods loving kindneſſe, but the fruition of God in his ordinances, and in his graces?wPſ. 42.2 My ſoul (ſaith David) thirſteth for God, O when ſhall I come & appeare before God! And againe, My ſoule xPſ. 119.20.breaketh for the longings which it hath unto thy judgements at all times. Very vehement and laborious are the deſires of Gods ſervants after him and his teſtimonies; deſires which doe even conſume and weare out the ſtrength and vigour of their ſoules; deſires of perſeverance, longing at all times, in proſperitie and adverſitie. The ſoule of a good man is reſtleſſe untill it hath the enjoyment of God and Jeſus Chriſt, nothing elſe can content and anſwere it: Herein ſtands the excellencie, the glory and comfort of it; untill it attaine this it is unquiet.
Union and communion with God makes the ſoule flouriſh,Benefits of union and communion with God. as the branches by union with the vine. They yPſ. 92.12that are planted in the houſe of the Lord, that draw nigh to God, conſcionably frequent his word, and are ingrafted into Chriſt, they ſhall flouriſh in the courts of our God, as a watered garden, or a tree planted by the waters ſide: this fils the ſoule with ſpirituall life, with heavenly ſenſe and motion, as the members which are united to the head:z1 Ioh. 5.12. Hee that hath the ſonne hath life, power, ſtrength, a bleſſed fulneſſe of holy and heavenly life; hee ſpiritually moves, and eates, and walkes, and workes, and rejoyceth like a living man; this makes him ſtrong as theaMat. 7. houſe that was united to the rocke, no windes nor waves of trouble can beate him downe; this makes him ſtrong as Chriſt is ſtrong to beare afflictions, and to runne, like a ſtrong man, the race of Gods commandements; this ſuſtaines him in all worldly deſertions; this is in ſtead of light when he is in darkneſſe, in ſtead ofbPſa. 4.6. wealth when he is poore, &c. Union and communion with God anſwers all things. O be aſſured then that the top and flower of the ſoules happineſſe conſiſts in union with God, and Chriſt Jeſus: And as the fulneſſe of the Godhead dwelleth in the humane nature of Chriſt bodily, ſubſtantially; ſo labour to feele God in Chriſt dwelling in thy ſoule ſpiritually; feele him dwelling there by illumination, as the ſun dwelleth in the aire; by miniſtration, as the vine to the branches; by powerfull and gracious gubernation, as a centurion in the army, a maſter in the houſe, and a king in his courts; by ſpirituall and holy inclination, bowing, bending, and framing the heart to doe the will of God. As the pilot at the ſterne workes the ſhip towards the haven, as the ſpirit of the living creatures in Ezekiels viſion, being in the wheeles, Whereſoever the Spirit moved cEzek. 1.20.they moved: ſo feele the Spirit of Chriſt in thy ſoule, ſo poſſeſſing, ſanctifying and framing it, that there be a diſpoſition and readineſſe within thee to move as God in his word doth preſcribe, and whatſoever thou loſeſt hold faſt thy communion with God: As Joſeph left his cloake and fled from his miſtris to preſerve his chaſtity, ſo let goe thy cloake, all the bodily coverings of wealth, honour, and whatſoever elſe; flye from ſinne and keepe thy communion with thy God, as the choyceſt excellency of thy ſoule.