The Happiness of Enjoying and Use of Christ, Part 1 · Chapter 3
CHAP. III. Diſcloſing the folly of not cleaving to, and contenting our ſelves with Chriſt, but going aſide to vaine inventions.
THis diſcovers the vanity of their minds, the folly of their hearts, the perill of their ſoules, who cleave not to Chriſt, who reſt not, quiet not, content not themſelves in Chriſt and his fulneſſe; but ſtep out, goe aſide, turne away from Chriſt to vaine doctrines, humane devices, and carnall obſervations: like the two c2 Sam. 15.11, 12.hundred men of Ieruſalem, that turned aſide from David, and went after Abſolom. As they went in the ſimplicity of their hearts; ſo theſe in the folly of their ſoules: As they knew not any thing; ſo theſe know not any thing truly and ſavingly of God, of Chriſt, of the deceit of Satan, of the danger of their eſtate and doing: As they took unto themſelves Achitophel, a Counſellour of David; ſo theſe take unto themſelves ſome Teacher, ſome Miniſter, who by calling is one of Gods Counſellours, one that ſhould plead Gods cauſe, and open Gods counſel: And as their conſpiracy was ſtrong againſt David; ſo is theſe mens conſpiracie ſtrong againſt God, againſt his truth, againſt the good of their owne ſoules. Hee that cleaves to corrupt doctrine, conſpires againſt Chriſt and his owne ſalvation. And whence is it that falſhood is more welcome then truth; a man that comes in hisdIoh. 5.43 Five Grounds hereof. owne name, more acceptable then hee that comes in Gods name, but, firſt, from the dominion and fulnes of corruptiō? A deformed face pleaſeth it ſelfe in a deceitfull glaſſe; the malefactor rejoyceth to heare of a corrupt Judge; ſome diſeaſed ſtomackes deſire to feed on aſhes; a rotten heart and a rotten doctrine are very ſuteable. Ahab havinge1 Kings 22. ſold himſelfe to commit wickedneſſe, was very attentive to the falſe Prophets. Men (ſaith our Saviour)fIoh. 3.19.20. love darkneſſe rather then light, becauſe their deeds are evill. Hee that doth evill hateth the light, neither commeth hee to the light, leſt his deeds ſhould bee reproved. Iob ſaith of Theeves,gIob 24.17. The morning is to them as the ſhadow of death: if one know them, they are in the terrours of the ſhadow of death. To men that rob God by their impieties, the morning, the truth which ſhineth forth like theh2 Pet. 1.19. Morning ſtarre, is as the ſhadow of death; if one know them, if the Miniſter detect and lay open their ſinne, their profane and evill eſtate, it is a great terrour to them, it troubles them, as the ſtar didiMat. 2.2. Herod & the men of Ieruſalem. Man can never take pleaſure in that fulneſſe of light which ſhineth from Chriſt Jeſus, untill hee hath emptied himſelfe of the fulneſſe of his corruptions. Secondly, from the want of love to the truth: The woman that wants love to her husband, readily proſtitutes her ſelfe to ſtrangers: The ſoule that loves not Chriſt and his truth, doth eaſily open it ſelfe to corrupt and deceitfull doctrines; becauſe theyk2 Theſ. 2.9, 10. received not the love of the truth that they might bee ſaved; for this cauſe, ſaith the Apoſtle, God ſhall ſend them ſtrong deluſions, that they ſhould beleeve a lye. Corrupt and carnall doctrine is very welcome where the love of the truth is wanting: hee that receives not the truth into his affection, as well as into his judgement, will ſoone bee drawne from it. Under the Law it was uſuall for a man that married alDeut. 24.1. woman, if hee loved her not, to give her a bill of divorcement, and ſend her out of his houſe: It is common with men under the Goſpel, who, in regard of externall covenant and profeſſion, are married to the truth; yet afterwards, through the want of love, they give the truth a bill of divorce, and become ſtrangers to it. It is love to the truth that cauſeth man to continue conſtant with it.mCant. 8.6, 7. Love it and you ſhall never depart from it. Thirdly, from a deſire of novelty: Men naturally deſire new things; as they deſire new faſhions of apparrell for their bodies, ſo new doctrines for their ſoules. The eye is little affected with the Sun, becauſe it ſhineth every day; it much admires a blazing ſtar, becauſe but ſeldome ſeene. Things of greateſt worth, becauſe common, are little eſteemed; vaine and empty things, becauſe new, are much regarded. Saint Paul tells Timothy, that the time will come when men will not n2 Tim. 4.3.endure ſound doctrine, but after their owne luſts ſhall they heap unto themſelves teachers, having itching eares. Men having the itch, delight in ſcraping; men over-ſpred with the loathſome ſcab of unclean luſts, deſire to bee ſoothed, daubed, flattered in their ſinnes, and to have their eares tickled and pleaſed with ſome new and ſtrange things, withoIſay 30.10. ſmooth things, and deceits, with thep1 Cor. 2.3. enticing words of mens wiſedome. The Iſraelites qNumb. 11.5.loathed the Manna, and luſted after the Onions of Egypt. Men of corrupt hearts, after a while, loath the pure and plaine preaching of Chriſt, and fall a luſting after Philoſophicall, ſuperſtitious and vaine doctrines. No man ſo deſires change of new and ſtrange doctrines, as he that meanes not to change his converſation: were the hearts of men truly changed, the true and common doctrine of Chriſt would bee very pleaſant, the ſoule would never grow weary of it. Fourthly, from their eſtrangement from Chriſt, they diſcerne not Chriſts beauties, they taſte not Chriſts ſweetneſſe, they feele not Chriſts goodneſſe: there is no ſutableneſſe between Chriſt and their hearts; they have notrEpheſ. 4.21. learned Chriſt as the truth is in him; they have not learned the wiſedome of Chriſt to bee guided by him, the authoritie of Chriſt to ſubject themſelves unto him, the beauties of Chriſt to admire him, the love of Chriſt to delight themſelves in him, the death of Chriſt to mortifie their luſts, the reſurrection of Chriſt quickning them to a new life, the power of Chriſt to depend upon him, the holineſſe of Chriſt to imitate him, the all-ſufficiencie of Chriſt to content themſelves with him. Chriſt is to them aſRev. 2.17. hidden Manna whom they taſte not; they ſeetIſay 53.2. nothing in him for which they ſhould deſire him. It is recorded of Ageſilaus, comming to help the King of Egypt in his diſtreſſe, that, ob corpus incultum, & veſtis vilitatem venit in contemptum ejus gentis hominibus, qui ſperarunt ſe viſuros Spartanum regem talem, qualis eſſet rex Perſarum, corpore decentiſsimè ornatum: for the unhanſomneſſe of his body, & baſeneſſe of his garment, hee was had in contempt among the men of that nation; who hoped to have ſeene a Spartan King, ſuch as the King of the Perſians, moſt comely adorned in his body: So Chriſt comming to helpe us in our diſtreſſe, for the want of externall pompe in his Ordinances, and worldly glory in his Miniſters and Members, & the ſplendor of humane eloquence in his doctrines, is deſpiſed by the men, who frame and forme unto themſelves a Chriſt like to one of the mighty Monarches of the earth. Hee that diſcernes not the ſpirituall beauty of Chriſt in his doctrine, doth eaſily degenerate to humane ſuperſtition. Fifthly, from the diſagreement betweene them and Chriſts doctrine: There is no proportion, no likeneſſe, no anſwerableneſſe betweene their hearts and this doctrine: they are darkneſſe, and this is light; they are carnall, and this is ſpirituall; they are from beneath, and this is from above: their wayes are contrary to it, their hearts are full of enmitie againſt it, they hate it asu1 King. 22.8. Ahab hated Micaiah, becauſe hee never propheſied good to him. Such is the brightneſſe, the holineſſe, the power of it, that they cannot endure it; they are loath to bee ſearched, to have their ſinne diſcovered, as Rahel when ſhee ſate upon her Idoll, unwilling to bee reproved; to have their luſts mortified, as David was to have Abſolom put to w2 Sam. 18.3.death, and therefore charged the Captaines of his Army to deale gently with the young man. The rough handling of profane mens vices, makes them weary of Gods ordinances, and moves them to ſeeke out ſome more gentle and eaſie doctrines.
But, brethren,The vanity of humane doctrine diſplayed. as Solomon ſometime ſaid of Laughter, It is mad; and of Mirth, what doth it? ſo let me ſay to you of this rotten, deceitfull, and pleaſant doctrine, It is mad, the words of wiſedome and ſoberneſſe are not in it; and of all humane obſervations, and Philoſophicall dictates in the Schoole of Chriſt, What do they? Why ſurely they doe,xIſai. 8.20. not diſcover ſinne: they ſearch as Laban did, not as the Maſter in Ionah did; they are but a key of ſtraw, they open not the doore of the heart, they leave man ignorant of God and himſelfe. No doctrine can ſhew us God, but that which is from God. Secondly, they humble not the ſoul. As Zebah & Zalmunna ſaid of Iether, yIudg. 8.21.Such as the man is, ſuch is his ſtrength; ſo, ſuch as the doctrine is, ſuch is its ſtrength. The Divell regarded not the ſonnes ofzActs 19.15. Sceva's adjuration, his holds are never caſt downe by a humane doctrine. Thirdly, they nouriſh not. TheaLuke 15. Prodigall duplicate page duplicate page was like to ſtarve before hee returned to his fathers houſe. Hee that feeds on the huskes of forraine and ſtrange doctrines, will ſtarve his ſoule, if hee returne not to God his fathers houſe, where is heavenly bread enough: man may feed on theſe plentifully, and yet like Pharaohs leane bGen. 41.kine after their eating up the fat, be as leane as ever. Fourthly, they pacifie not: Like Iobs friends, they are miſerable cIob 16.3.comforters; they dZach. 10 2.comfort in vain: TheeMark. 5.29. woman in the Goſpel ſpent all upon the Phyſitians, and yet could not be cured, untill ſhe came to Chriſt; there is no cure for wounded conſciences, unleſſe they come to Chriſt Jeſus. Fifthly,f2 Corin. 11.3. they deceive, as the Serpent deceived our firſt parents; and asg2 Kings 18. Rabſeca would have deceived Ezekiahs ſubjects. Sixthly, they allure and draw to ſinne, as thehProv. 7. harlot allured the young man. Seventhly, they impoveriſh the ſoule, as by meanes of a whoriſh woman, a man is brought to a morſell of bread. Eighthly, they captivate and bring the ſoule into bondage, make man the ſervant of men, the ſervant of corruption; as Delila by her ſinging cauſed Sampſon to ſleepe, and cut off his lockes. Ninthly, they adulterate the true doctrine of Gods Miniſters; as tares corrupt the wheat, and as a little leaven doth ſeaſon the whole lumpe. Tenthly, they derogate from the dignity and honour of Chriſt. Eleventhly, they deny Chriſts authority, by making men our Lords and Maſters. Twelfthly, they deny Chriſts wiſedome, by ſetting up other rules to direct us, as if Chriſt had not wiſedome enough to guide us. O then, hold faſt that forme of doctrine which Chriſt hath taught you, walke in that light which he hath ſet up to conduct you; and beware of making the doctrines of men the rule of faith or life; feed not on them, leſt they poyſon you; build not upon them, leſt they ſinke under you; leane not on them, leſt they pierce you; walke not after them, leſt they deceive you: but take all your direction from Chriſt Jeſus, in whom is all fulneſſe.
This muſt teach us to ſuffer our ſelves in all things to bee guided by Chriſt,2. An admonition to wait on Chriſt, & receive all direction from him. to wait upon him, to take all our direction from him. As Moſes received the whole patern of the Tabernacle from the Lord, and accordingly framed it: ſo let us receive the whole paterne of our faith and life from Chriſt, & accordingly beleeve & walke, repent and obey. Let us wait upon him, and receive our commiſſion from him, asi2 Sam. 18. Ahimaas ſometime waited upon Ioab, and ran when he bid him. Let us feele Chriſt in his fulneſſe ſhining into our hearts, as the Sunne in the fulneſſe of his ſtrength ſhineth into the aire, filling us with ſuch divine and heavenly light, that we may ſee our owne vileneſſe, as a man in a glaſſe beholds his ſpots; that wee may diſcerne the things that differ, as in the day men diſcerne colours; that wee may bee humbled in the apprehenſion of our owne unworthineſſe, as Paul fell unto the ground when the light ſhined about him; that wee may know and feele the vanitie and emptineſſe of the creature, as the children of the Nobles knew thekIer. 14.4. emptineſſe of the pits, when they came and found no water in them; as Iacob knew the vanity of Laban, having changed his wages ten times; that we may ſee the neceſſitie we have of Chriſt, as the Elders of Gilead ſaw the need they had of Ieptha, and the Gibeonites their need of Ioſua; that we may behold God in Chriſt, as a Father regenerating us, as a King of merciemercy pardoning us, as a gracious friend cōming neare unto us, beſtowing all heavenly gifts upon us, enriching us with all bleſſings in Chriſt Jeſus: that we may have a cleare apprehenſion of Chriſts beauties, and bee thereby drawne to value him above all treaſures, to love him above all friends, to honour him above all commanders, to deſire him above all riches; to ſolace our ſelves in him, as in the Paradiſe of all our comforts, to ſtay upon him in all diſtreſſes, to intend him in all our undertakings, to meditate upon him at all ſeaſons, receiving daily more and more of the fulneſs of his grace, that at length wee may reigne with him in the fulneſs of his glory.