The Happiness of Enjoying and Use of Christ, Part 1 · Chapter 14
CHAP. XIIII. Setting forth the ſuperlative excellency of Chriſt above all creatures.
HERE, as in a glaſſe, wee may behold the tranſcendent and ſuperlative excellency of Jeſus Chriſt above all the creatures.2 Sam. 18 3. David was better then ten thouſands of the people: Chriſt is more excellent then all the thouſands of men and Angels;Pſ. 148.13 his name alone is excellent, for his divine originall, for his union of two natures in one perſon, and for the mighty workes which have beene wrought by him.Phil. 2.9. God hath given him a name above every name, for dignity, majeſty, authority, power, and moſt complete perfection; as the name of kings is above the name of ſubjects, the name of an heire above the name of ſervants, the name of a centurion above the name of ſouldiers, the name of ranſomer above the name of redeemed captives; excelling all the creatures, as the talleſt cedars the loweſt ſhrubs, the moſt glorious Sunne the weakeſt lights, the deepeſt Sea the ſmalleſt drops, the higheſt Prince the pooreſt beggars, and the richeſt jewell the moſt unworthy ſtone. The Apoſtle ſaith of the glory of the Law in compariſon of the glory of the Goſpel,2 Cor. 3.10 That which was glorious had no glory, by reaſon of that which excelleth: Thus the glory and excellencie of all creatures, is as no glory and excellencie, in reſpect of the ſurpaſſing glory and excellencie of Chriſt Jeſus. Full of divine and heavenly, ſweet and ſoule-raviſhing excellencie, are the names given in ſacred Scripture unto Chriſt; as Immanuel, Eſay 7.14.God with us, in regard of his perſon, being God and Man in the unity of his perſon; and in regard of his office, being with us, by interceſſion with his Father for us, by protection againſt all enemies, by ſuſtentation in all adverſities. Chriſts being made one with us, is the fountaine of all our happineſſe. Sometimes hee is ſtiled Ieſus, Mat. 1.21.a Saviour, no typicall, but a proper, true, ſpirituall Saviour; no mediate, but an immediate Saviour; a Saviour by merit, obtaining ſalvation by his perfect obedience and ſatisfaction; a Saviour by efficacie, applying all his benefits by the operation of his Word and Spirit; a Saviour in regard of the terminus à quo, the ſinnes, wrath of God, and condemnation from which hee ſaves us; and in regard of the terminus ad quem, the perfect righteouſneſſe, favour of God, and life eternall whereunto hee brings us. Chriſt is the complete and perfect authour of ſalvation to all Gods children. Full of heavenly ſweetneſſe is the name Ieſus to all true beleevers;Mel in ore, melos in aure, jubilus in corde. Hony in the mouth, muſicke in the eare, a jubilee in the heart, ſaith Bernard. Superlatively ſweet and excellent is that ſalvation which Chriſt brings to all that unfainedly receive him Sometimes his name is called Wonderfull, Iſay 9.1.Counſellour, the mighty God, the everlaſting Father, the Prince of Peace: Wonderfull for the admirable union of two natures in one perſon, for his wonderfull conception and birth of a Virgine, and Wonderfull for the adminiſtration of his kingdome, wonderfully ſaving his ſervants, wonderfully deſtroying his enemies. Counſ…llour, for the wiſedome which he revealeth, and counſell which hee giveth the elect, by the Goſpel, making them wiſe unto ſalvation. The mighty God, for the miracles hee wrought, the donation of the Spirit, and regeneration of Gods choſen. The everlaſting Father, for the life of grace and glory which hee miniſters to all true beleevers: And the Prince of Peace, for the peace which hee makes between God and his choſen, for the concord which hee workes between Gods children, and the heavenly tranquillity which hee puts into the conſciences of contrite and broken-hearted ſinners. The names of the Lord Ieſus are Characters full of wonders in the eyes of all beleevers, and beames miniſtring the heavenly light of wiſedome, and conſolation to all that come unto him. Sometimes he is figuratively ſtiled a Head, Eph. 1.22.for the excellency, dignity and eminency of his condition above others, as the head is the moſt noble, and eminent above all the members, for his myſticall conjunction with true beleevers, direction, gubernation, protection, which hee miniſters to them, and for the communication of all ſpirituall life, ſenſe, motion, and every good thing to Gods children. Sometimes hee is ſtiled a Rocke, 1 Cor. 10.4 1 Pet. 2 5.and the head ſtone of the corner, for his conjunction of Jew and Gentile in one Church, and for his might in ſuſtaining all ſuch as are by a lively faith built a ſpirituall houſe upon him. Sometimes hee is called a Lyon, the Lyon of the tribe of Juda, Rev. 5.5.for his principality and eminence, as the Lyon is the King of all beaſts; for his vigilancie, as the Lyon ſleeps with his eyes open: Chriſt is a keeper that never ſleeps; for his power & efficacie, in plucking us out of the mouth of the roaring Lyon, the Divel; for his cuſtody, keeping us as the Lyon his whelps; for the terrour he caſts upon the hearts of his enemies, by the preaching of his word, as the Lyon by his voyce makes all the beaſts to tremble; and by the raiſing of his choſen unto life, as the Lyon by his cry awakens his young which ſleepe. Sometimes hee is called the Sunne: Mal. 4.2.the Sunne is the Prince of the Starres, Chriſt is the Prince of the Kings of the earth; the Sunne is the eye of the world, Chriſt of the Church; the Sunne conferreth light with his beames, Chriſt conferres the light of knowledge, faith, and all grace to the ſoule; the Sunne is in the midſt of the planets, Chriſt is a middle perſon betweene God and man; Chriſt gives the light of glory to the Saints above, the light of grace to beleevers here beneath: The Sunne warmes the earth, Chriſt the heart with his divine love; the Sun makes the earth fertile, Chriſt makes the ſoule fruitfull; the Sunne caſts his light upon the poore mans cottage as well as on the kings palace, Chriſt ſhines as clearely and comfortably unto the heart of the pooreſt as of the richeſt Chriſtian. Sometimes he is ſtiled a Bridegroome, a husband,2 Cor. 11.2. for his dominion over, deſpenſation and betrothment with, and ſingular affection to his Spouſe the Church; for his protection, nutrition, & communication of honour to the children of God, for his entire union with, & acquiſition of his Spouſe. Sampſon and David obtained their Brides by ſhedding the bloud of their enemies, Chriſt hath obtained his Spouſe by ſhedding his owne bloud, and diſſolving the workes of the Divell, his & their adverſary. Moſt excellent is the authority, dignity, majeſty, power, beauty, wiſedome, love, and chiefeſt goodneſſe ſhining forth to the ſoules of Gods ſervants in and through the names of Chr…ſt Jeſus.
Foure excellencies in Chriſt, on which men are to faſten the eyes of their faith. 1. Excellency of dominion.Let us therfore lock and faſten the eies of our faith, Firſt, upon the excellency of Chriſts dominion: behold him reigning as King of kings, and Lord of lords, and vaile and bow to him. As Pharaoh put all the people of his land, from the loweſt to the higheſt, under Joſeph, becauſe none was excellent as Joſeph: ſo let us put all the faculties of our ſoules, and all the members of our bodies, the whole man under Chriſt; let all be ſubject and ſerviceable unto Chriſt, let all be ruled and guided by Chriſt; Chriſt hath abſolute and moſt excellent authority over us; and therefore, as all that travell in the day, are guided by the Sunne, as all Iſrael were guided by the pillar, as all the members of the body are guided by the head; ſo let us in all things be guided by Chriſt,Mat. 8.8 let us goe and come at Chriſts command, as the ſouldiers did at the command of the Centurion. All mans goings are aberrations, if he be not guided by Chriſt Ieſus: nothing is wel done but that which anſwers Chriſts direction: they that walke after their owne fancies, walke in darkeneſſe. It is recorded of the wheeles in Ezekiels viſion,Ezek. 1.21 that when the living creatures went, the wheeles went; and when the living creatures ſtood, the wheeles ſtood; when the living creatures were lifted up, the wheeles were lifted up over againſt them; for the ſpirit of the living creatures was in the wheeles. Thus let our motion & ſtation be according to Chriſts preſcription, having, as the Pſalmiſt ſaith,Pſa 40.8. the law of the Lord in our hearts: And as Chriſt hath excellent dominion, ſo let us feele him reigning and ruling within us; by illumination, as the Sun doth rule the day by filling the aire with light; by ſubjugation & putting under all our unruly luſts, as Ioſua ruled in Canaan, by treading upon the neckes of the kings of Canaan, and putting them to death; by direction and guidance of our ſouls to move aright in the wayes of God, as the pilot doth guide the ſhip; by love, as the husband doth rule the wife; by inhabitation & poſſeſſion, as the dweller doth rule the houſe; by gracious & heavenly influence, as the hand doth guide the pen, and the load-ſtone doth turne and draw the iron towards it: It is the glory of mans heart to become the Throne of Chriſt, the honour of mans life to bee wholly ſubject unto Chriſt, it is a far greater honor to be Chriſts*Bonus obediens, domini ſervus, proximi ſocius, mundi dominus, ſuperiora habet ad gaudium, aequalia ad conſortium, inferiora ad ſ…rvi…ium. Bern. gracious ſervant, then the worlds profane commander. Hee that is moſt ſpiritually ſubject, is moſt truly excellent; of all men he hath the choyceſt dominion, that yeelds to Chriſt moſt ready & free ſubjection: Every thing ſhall ſerve him, who readily ſerves the Lord of all things.
2. Excellencie of power.Looke upon the excellency of Chriſts power, behold him as one to whom power belongeth; power of creating and making all, power of diſpenſing and adminiſtring all, power of ſupporting in the greateſt weakneſſe, and power of diſſolving the greateſt forces; looke upon him as on the rock which never ſinketh, as on the captaine that ever prevaileth, as on one whoſe arme is never ſhortned, and build upon him as the wiſe man built his houſe upon the rocke, and thy ſoule ſhall never ſinke; hide thy ſelfe under the ſhadow of his wings, as the chicken under the wings of the hen, and the infernall vultures ſhall never make a prey of thee. And as Chriſt hath excellent power, ſo ſtrive to feel this power of Chriſt inwardly in thy heart and ſoule,1 Ioh. 3.8. 2 Cor. 10.4, 5. Acts 12.7. in diſſolving the workes of Satan, in caſting downe his kingdome and mighty holds within thee; as Peter felt the power of the Angel in ſmiting off his fetters, & bringing him forth of Herods priſon; as they who were poſſeſſed, felt the power of Chriſt in caſting out the Divell. Labour to feele this power healing all thy ſpirituall maladies, as the deſeaſed woman felt the vertue of Chriſt curing her ſickeneſs;Marke 5. Gen. 7.17. Dan. 3. Col. 1.11. ſuſtaining thee in all afflictions, as the Arke ſuſtained Noah in the deluge; reſtraining all the fiery darts of Satan, as he reſtrained the fiery furnace from hurting the three children; filling thy ſoule with all ſpirtuall and heavenly might, making thee ſtrong in knowledge as the Sun in light, ſtrong in faith as the tree in roots, ſtrong in love as a fire of much wood in heate, ſtrong in motion and comming home to God, as a river of much water is ſtrong in comming home to the Ocean. Man that feeles Chriſts gracious power and vertue, is the man that diſcernes Chriſts excellency: Chriſt is even nothing in mans apprehenſion untill man hath experience of this his powerfull and mighty working. When Iſrael ſaw the mighty worke of David in overthrowing the great Goliah, 1 Sam. 18.then David was much ſet by. Mans experience of Chriſts mighty and gracious working, makes Chriſt very precious to him.
3. Excellency of love.Looke upon the excellency of Chriſts love, ſee him loving and imbracing the humble and penitent ſoules of men, as the bridegrome his ſad and ſorrowfull bride; ſee him binding up the broken hearts of men, as the tender and carefull phyſician the wounds of them that are diſeaſed, with Ladies hands, with ſingular renderneſſe and compaſſion; behold him gathering to himſelfe and bearing in the boſome of his love, and comforting with the promiſes of his word the wounded in ſpirit and afflicted in conſcience, as the carefull ſhepheard gathers and carries the weake Iſa 40.11and feeble ſheepe; behold him like Jacob in his love ſerving in the heate and in the cold for Rachel; Gen. 29.27.ſerving in manifold afflictions from his cradle to his croſſe for our ſakes, to make us a ſpouſe unto himſelfe; ſee him in his ſympathy & fellow feeling afflicted in all the affliction of his people, Iſa. 63.9.as a head with the affliction of the members, as a nurſe with the affliction of her childe; look on him,Phil. 2.7. and ſee him in love ſtripping himſelfe of his glory, dignity and life it ſelfe for us,1 Sam. 18. as Ionathan in his love ſtript himſelf of his ſword & garment, & gave them to David: Looke upon this excellent love of Chriſt, and price it more highly than the thirſty man doth wine, Cant. 1.3. Pſal. 4.1. Pſa. 63.3.then the worldly man his Corne and Oyle, or the living man his life. Of all poſſeſſions the love of Chriſt is moſt precious: nothing ſweet like Chriſts loving kindneſſe to the ſoules of Gods ſervants: nothing can make man miſerable, or his condition uncomfortable, that hath the feeling of Chriſts love within him.I…hn 2. Chriſt at the marriage in Cana turned water into wine; the marriage of the ſoul with Chriſt, the having of the love of Chriſt turnes the cloudes of ſorrow into a Sun of comforts, the duſt of diſgrace into a crowne of honour, the tempeſt of trouble into a calme of peace, and the empty ciſterne into a full fountaine. O how ſweet, how honourable, how full, how well pleaſing doth the love of Chriſt make their condition, who have the beams of his countenance ſhining upon them!
4. Excellencie of conſolations.Looke upon the excellency of Chriſts conſolations, which water and refreſh the ſoule, as the Rivers did the garden of Eden; which revive the heart and make the inward man to flouriſh after a long winter of affliction, as the beames of the Sunne doe the earth in the ſpring ſeaſon; conſolations externall in the miniſtry and doctrine of the Goſpel, and internall in the ſweet and peaceable operation of the ſpirit: Thus you may heare Chriſt comforting his ſpouſe after her long troubles,Cant. 2.11 Loe (ſaith he) the winter is paſt, the raine is over and gone: the troubles and grievances raiſed by the malice of the world, feares, terrours, and ſorrowes of ſoule cauſed by ſinne, and raiſed, like a tempeſt, by the ſenſe of Gods wrath, are gone, appeaſed, and put away by the ſweete, gracious, & comfortable comming of Chriſt unto the ſoule, as the winter by the returning of the Sunne. The flowers appeare: the graces and conſolations of the ſpirit appeare againe, adorning and ſweetning the ſoule, and making it looke with a joyfull face, as the flowers doe the earth. The time of the ſinging of Birds is come: the houre of the Saints conſolation is come, Chriſt makes them joyfull with the feeling of his word and ſpirit,Epeſ. 5.19. and they with Pſalmes and hymnes and ſpirituall ſongs doe ſing, and make melody in their hearts unto the Lord. The Lord Jeſus ever miniſters ſweete refreſhments after long afflictions to the ſoules of his ſervants; hee gives them water out of the rocke, and hony out of the Lyon; he makes their heavineſſe matter of rejoycing, and their ſufferings an occaſion of triumph and exaltation. Now hee comforts them as a haven the Mariner after a long ſtorm, becomming to them a place of refuge, Iſay 4.1. Iob 33 24. Ezra. 9.8.and a covert from the ſtorm and from the raine. Now he ſolaceth them with the aſſurance of the pardon of their ſin, as a King the malefactor with a pardon, after much ſorrow, and long ſupplication. Now he reviveth them with the light of his countenance, as David, after many dayes, let Abſolon ſee his face. Now he cheereth them with his preſence, as a Bridegroome the Bride after long abſence: Now he quiets them as he did the ſtormy waters,Mat. 8.26. and gave a calme to his Diſciples: Now he ſends his Spirit with a certificate of peace to their conſciences,Rom. 8.16. as ſometime the Dove came to Noah with an Olive branch: Now he lets them ſee the end of their feares and ſorrow, as Noah after many dayes, ſaw the dry land appeare. Chriſt is very wiſe & wonder ull in the diſpenſation of comforts to his afflicted ſervants; he ever takes the fitteſt opportunities both to ſweeten and remove mens miſeries: when the over-flowing flood of worldly comforts prove an emty pit, and broken ciſterne, then appeare Chriſts comforts as a living ſpring that never faileth.
And herein is the excellencie of Chriſts conſolations, that they are, Firſt, ſeaſonable, as light in darkneſſe; as the Well to Hagar when her Bottle was empty: Secondly, that they are full conſolations, their latitude equall to mans miſeries: Thirdly, that they are ſtrong conſolations, overcomming mans diſtractions and diſtreſſes: And fourthly, everlaſting, abiding to the end with Chriſts members: And O how ſhould this excellencie of Chriſt Jeſus fill us with high and excellent thoughts of Chriſt, with ſtrong and excellent faith in Chriſt, with fervent and excellent love to Chriſt, with humble, hearty, and excellent ſubjection under Chriſt, with full, conſtant, and moſt excellent contentation with Chriſt, having him in whom is fulneſſe infinitely ſurpaſſing the fulneſſe of all creatures!