The Happiness of Enjoying and Use of Christ, Part 1 · Chapter 10
CHAP. X. Perſwading to full and conſtant acquieſcence in Chriſt.
AS there is all fulneſſe in Chriſt, ſo all Chriſtians muſt worke their hearts to a holy, gracious, full and conſtant acquieſcence in Chriſt, to ſtay on Chriſt, to quiet and content themſelves in and with Chriſt, never declining from Chriſt, never ſtepping out, nor going aſide from Chriſt to any other helper; but as the eye doth quiet it ſelfe in the fulneſs of the light of the Sun, and looks for no other light; the builder quiets himſelfe in the ſtrength of the rock, and looks out for no other foundation to build upon: So let us quiet our ſelves in Chriſt, and looke for no other guide, no other ſupporter, no other helper, no other comforter, no other Saviour. As old Iacob ſometime ſaid of Ioſeph, It is fG…. 45.…8.enough, Ioſeph is yet alive, I will goe and ſee him: ſo let us ſay, It is enough, Chriſt liveth, Chriſt reigneth, Chriſt hath fulneſſe, wee will goe to him, ſtay on him, ſatiate and delight our ſoules in him: This the Lord requires, Hee gIſ…y 5….10.that walkes in darkneſſe and hath no light, let him ſtay upon the Lord, and truſt in the name of his God. Mat. 6.As the houſe in the Parable ſtayed upon the rocke when the windes did blow, and the waves did beat: thus in the windes and waves of all trouble, let us ſtay on Chriſt without wavering; to this the Lord gives many ſweet encouragements,hPſal. 37. Verſe 3. Truſt in the Lord with a full, a quiet, a compoſed and reſolved minde, and doe good, live graciouſly, walke holily, keepe cloſe to God, ſo ſhalt thou dwell in the land; thou ſhalt not bee diſmayed with any feares, nor grow impatient with troubles, nor bee overcome with ſorrowes, nor removed from thy ſtation, but verily thou ſhalt bee fed, thou ſhalt enjoy every neceſſary good thing with a ſettled, quiet & contented minde:Verſe 4. Delight thy ſelfe alſo in Lord, as a childe in the father, as a wife in the husband, as a rich man in his treaſury; delight thy ſelfe in the commandement of God as in the light which guides thee, in the promiſe of God as in the ſtaffe which ſuſtaines thee, in the favour of God as in the warmeſt Sunne that ever ſhined upon thee, in the attributes of God as in the branches ſhadowing, and ſtreams refreſhing thee: Thus delight thy ſelfe in the Lord, and hee ſhall give thee thy hearts deſire; he ſhall fully anſwer all thy holy and gracious deſires, when thou haſt thus fully committed thy ſelfe unto him, and quieted thy ſelfe with him:verſe 5. Commit thy way alſo to the Lord, receive all thy direction from him, doe all according to his preſcription, leave the iſſue of all to his diſpoſition, and he ſhall bring it to paſſe, give it ſuch an iſſue as ſhall be greatly for thy comfort:verſe 7. Reſt in the Lord and wait patiently for him; though thou ſuffer many evils, doe not repine, doe not limit nor preſcribe God, doe not ſtep aſide from God to any forbidden helpes, ſuppreſſe the tumults of thy heart, and wait as Noah did for the abatement of the waters, and comming of the Dove, quiet thy ſelfe in Chriſt: looke upon the authoritie of Chriſt, to diſpenſe all as hee pleaſeth; upon the wiſedome of Chriſt, to make a way for thy ſoule to eſcape; upon the power of Chriſt, to deliver thee; upon the preſence of Chriſt, to miniſter encouragement to thee; upon the love of Chriſt, to ſweeten the bittereſt eſtate unto thy ſoule; upon the faithfulneſs of Chriſt, never to forſake thee; upon the happines of cleaving cloſe to Chriſt, thogh all the world oppoſe thee; and upon the abundant fulneſſe that Chriſt is to thy ſoule, when all other things are taken from thee, and thou ſhalt ſolace and ſtay thy ſelfe upon Chriſts fulneſſe with a full acquieſcence.
From the fulneſſe of the Lord JESUS flowes a full fountaine of conſolation to the ſoules of all beleevers,7. Conſolations flowing from Chriſts fulneſſe. conſolation againſt all externall wants: He cannot bee poore that hath Chriſt, in whom is all fulneſſe; when hee is ſpoyled of all, hee hath an abiding ſubſtance. Chriſt is the Sunne in whom is all light, the Pearle in whom is all worth, the Tree on whom grows all fruit: The Soule which is eſpouſed to the heire of all things, hath no cauſe to complaine of the want of riches: hee that enjoyes Chriſt, and diſtracts himſelfe about worldly abilities, knowes not his own happineſſe; under-values the portion which God hath given him, having a feaſt of fat things, a rich jewell, a living ſpring, a glorious Sunne at home, ſeekes abroad for huskes to feed him, droſſe to enrich him, a glow-worme to warme him, and ditch and dirty water to quench the thirſt that is within him. What is the vintage of Abiezer to the gleanings of Ephraim? the onions and garlicke of Egypt to the grapes of Canaan? Is Pharphar like Jordan? Is the broken ciſterne like the fountaine? The fulneſſe of the world to the fulneſs of Chriſt is nothing: hee that hath Chriſt, hath the richeſt portion, though he have nothing beſides him. Here is conſolation againſt the want of carnall friends, earthly peace, and worldly comforts: though Saul cannot be merry without a Fidler, Ahab without Naboths vineyard, Haman without Mordecays courteſie, a man that hath Chriſt, hath that which makes him merry without all theſe. If Plato could tell the Muſicians that Philoſophers knew how to dine and ſup without them, much more they who enjoy Chriſts fulneſſe, know how to ſolace themſelves in the abſence of earthly comforts. Here is conſolation againſt all oppoſing powers: in Chriſt is all fulneſſe; hee is a Shepheard able to deliver his flock from the Beare and the Lyon, hee is a wall of fire able to defend his citizens and burne their enemies, hee is a husband able to reſcue his Spouſe, and deſtroy them that make warre on her, as David reſcued his wives, and deſtroyed the Amalekites that carried them away captives. Here is conſolation againſt all ſoule infirmities; in Chriſt is all fulneſſe, fulneſſe of merciemercy to pity and pardon us, fulneſſe of power to ſtrengthen us, fulneſſe of grace to heale us, fulneſſe of love to ſolace us, fulneſſe of peace to quiet us, and the fulnes of all goodnes to perfect us. The Lords ſervants ſhould not bee ſo much dejected with the thought of their owne emptineſſe and weakneſſe, as revived and cheared with the meditation of Chriſts fulneſſe.