The Christians Apparelling, Part 3 · Section 6 – Section 8
Section 6
Secondly, Chriſt more specially comes and is neare vntounto vsus by his grace and gracious preſence.2. As our Sauiour, by his grace. 1. Outwardly in and by the Word, Sacraments and his Miniſters. And this is both more outwardly in and by the meanes and Miniſters of grace, and more inwardly by the preſence and motions of his Spirit. Firſt, he comes vntounto vsus by his Word, and by the Miniſtry and Miniſters thereof, as alſo by the Sacraments.
Now we are to try our vnion with Chriſt through Faith, by our louelove and affection vntounto his Word and Sacraments. For if euer wee hauehave beene begotten by the immortall ſeede of Gods word, and made the Sons and Children of God thereby, wee cannot but beare much good will and affection thereunto, as alſo to the Miniſters thereof. If then there bee that vnion betwixt Chriſt and vsus, which we make ſhew of by our outward profeſsion, then will we make further demonſtration therof by our welcoming of him in his Ordinances, whereunto wee ſhould approach with much Ioy, and with due preparation and reuerence.
It is impoſsible, if Chriſt bee once ours and wee his; if once we be eſpouſed to him and hauehave put him on, but that wee ſhould much deſire to heare his voice and to inioy his company, and reioyce therein. What man would willingly be without his garments from which he finds both a couering for his nakedneſſe, and preſeruation of his naturall heat and life? What man or woman that is betroathed to another doth not wonderfully long to enioy the company, conference and preſence of their welbeloued, and if they bee abſent, to heare often from them, and to receiue Letters and Tokens of their louelove? certainely where ſuch a bond is, there theſe longing deſires, and this ioy will be, elſe there is iuſt cauſe to ſuſpect the truth and ſinceritie of our louelove. Euen thus, if euer we hauehave found the benefit and comfort of Chriſt whom we hauehave put on, we cannot endure to be without him and his comfortable preſence any long time; and if wee be aſſured and affianced to him, we cannot but much delight in his company and conference, and (ſeeing he is in body abſent) in his Miniſters, whom hee daily ſends as his meſſengers with many ſignifications of much louelove & great good will towards vsus, and from whoſe hands he will hauehave vsus receiue, as from him, many tokens of his louelove, as aſſurances thereof vntounto vsus. Now this is done not only in the written word, which is as his Letter and Epiſtle from Heauen to vsus, but alſo by the publike miniſtry of his ſeruants, (and by the Sacraments) theſe being ſent from him to expound and declare what is the meaning both of his Word and Sacraments.
To heare Chriſts word with deſire, ioy, care, and in obediēce and feare, is that Eeare ma…k whereby his Sheepe are knowne.Now our deſire to theſe, and Ioy in theſe, and care to anſwer his will ſignified by theſe, is euer proportionable to the ſtraightneſſe of the bond and meaſure of that louelove which is betweene Chriſt and vsus. If then there be little or no deſire to draw neere vntounto God in his Word, by reading, hearing and meditation, little or no Ioy, delight and reliſh in the ſame, with as little care and conſcience to execute & performe his whole will and pleaſure, how harſh ſoeuer his Word may ſeeme to our corruptions; wee may conclude there is as little louelove of Chriſt, and not that neereneſſe and coniunction which is and ſhould bee betweeene him the eſpouſed Huſband of his Church, and ſuch as profeſſe themſelues to be affianced to him, to be members of his body, and to hauehave put him on. And hereby ſhall their hypocriſie bee diſcouered; for ſaith our Sauiour Chriſt, My ſheepe heare my voice, Ioh. 10 27.that is, they know him and his voice, which they can diſtinguiſh from the voice of a ſtranger or hireling, they receiue and heare it ioyfully, they beleeue it, and readily and moſt willingly obey it. This is that ſpeciall Eare-marke by which Chriſts Sheepe are knowne to him and to themſelues, as alſo in good part to others; as for others, as the Iewes of old, and the Popiſh and profane ſort amongſt vsus, he ſaith vntounto them, ye beleeue not becauſe Ye are not of my ſheepe: Ioh. 10.26.wheras, if yee were indeed my ſheepe, ye would moſt gladly heare, moſt ſtedfaſtly beleeue, moſt readily obey;Ioh. 8.47. Hee that is of God heareth Gods Word; yee therefore heare them not, becauſe yee are not of God. Such a hearing is there meant, as is accompanied with Faith, Ioy, and obedience; and not ſimply a bare frequenting the Church and hearing with the outward Eare, not eueryevery Ioy in hearing, nor eueryevery obedience to the things heard, for Herod heard Iohn gladly, and did many things, but hee heard him not in all, nor obeyed him in that one thing which neerlieſt concerned him, nor delighted in that one reproofe and word of God ſo much as hee did in his Whore. Wherefore that we may approue our hearing and Ioy in hearing to be ſound, wee muſt find that wee beleeue and ſtand well affected, and are ready to obey eueryevery word of God, euen becauſe it is the word and will of Chriſt our Huſband and Head, though it require of vsus the pulling out of our right eye, the cutting off of our right hand, and parting with our moſt delightſome, gainefull, and aduantagious ſinnes; and that wee reioyce in his word, and in obeying his will, more then in any contentfull thing in the world beſides, euen in this regard chiefly, becauſe there, and by the Word and Sacraments, wee enioy a bleſſed communion with Chriſt, are partakers of his promiſes, that eſpecially of the pardon of our ſinnes, and receiue further aſſurances of his louelove. All other ioy and delight in the Word, and preſence of Chriſt by it, without this now ſpoken of, may well bee ſuſpected of hypocriſie.
But becauſe Chriſt, whom we profeſſe our ſelues to hauehave put on, is not only a louing husband, and Sauiour, but alſo an awefull Lord and Maſter, the mightie God, &c. therefore his preſence in his Word and Miniſtery, as alſo in the Sacraments, muſt worke in vsus, not only Ioy, but alſo Feare, & much reſpect and reuerence to him in his Ordinances:Pſal. 2.11. Iſa. 66.2. we muſt be ſuch as ſerue him with feare, and reioyce with trembling: for ſo are Gods ſeruants deſcribed to be ſuch as tremble at his word. This ſhewes, that if we hauehave this fellowſhip with Chriſt in his Word and Sacrament, wee will reuerently repaire, and conſcionably prepare our ſelues to meet him in his ordinances, by laying aſide all malice, and guile, and hypocriſies, when wee come therevnto;1 Pet. 2.1.2. bringing with vsus teachable ſpirits, and minds reſolued to obey eueryevery word of his, not daring preſume to liue and continue in any one ſinne how beloued ſoeuer, or in the neglect of any good dutie, how harſh ſoeuer, which he in his Word ſhall on the one hand forbid, on the other command and enioyne. By this triall I take, many may bee diſcarded out of the number of true Chriſtians, who come with as little reuerence and preparation to the hearing of Gods word, as to heare an olde wiues tale told them; who giuegive credence to the Word no more, then the Inſtrument or Miniſter is of credit with them, who practiſe it with as little conſcience,Par. 3. §. 7. as if it were the bare word of man onelyonly: and laſtly, who come to the holy Communion, as they would come to ſee a dumbe ſhew acted, neuer thinking aforehand into whoſe preſence they approach, to what end they come, what dutie they hauehave bound themſelues vntounto; Chriſt in regard of his ſpirituall preſence, is as farre from their thoughts and minds, as in regard of his bodily preſence, he is farre from their eyes and bodily ſight. Are theſe men Chriſtians? HaueHave they put on Chriſt, when they hauehave him not ſo much as in their minds? where is their wedding garment?
Section. 7.
2. Chriſt comes neere vntounto ſuch as hauehave put him on,2 Inwardly by the motions of his ſpirit. in and by the ſecret motions and ſtirrings of his ſpirit, whereby according to his word, & the motiues to goodnes, and retractiues from euill, which there we hauehave, he ſtirres them vp, and remembers them of their dutie; nay, he thus generally comes neere vntounto all ſuch as liue vnderunder the meanes, & within the hearing of his voyce in the miniſtery of the Word, ſtanding at the doore of the their hearts and knocking, expecting entrance and intertainment to be giuen to him and to his motions.Reuel. 3.20. Now, whoſoeuer hauehave well indeed put him on, and are vnited to him,Which to entertaine is a ſigne of grace. heare his voyce, as being well acquainted with it, open the doore of their hearts, and bid him welcome, giuing him the chiefe roome therin, and ſuffering him to rule and command in their ſoules; that is, they dare doe nothing contrary to the will of him, who by his ſtill and ſilent voyce within them, ſuggeſts vntounto them, what, according to Gods Word they ſhould doe, or not doe. Lydia was ſuch an one, whoſe heart the Lord knocking outwardly by the miniſtery of Paul, and inwardly by his owne ſpirit opened, that ſhe attended vntounto the things which were ſpoken of Paul: ſuch open hearts hauehave all true Chriſtians.Act. 16.14. On the other hand, we hauehave many, otherwiſe wel conceited of themſelues, who, when God by any good motion comes neere vntounto them, (and here I muſt appeale to their owne hearts & conſciences) reſiſt him, and withſtand the work of his grace, ſhut him as it were, to the doore, and keepe him out of poſſeſſion, barring the doores of their hearts, by oppoſing contrary & carnall reaſons, hardning themſelues againſt him, or elſe with drawing their eare from his knockings, (who muſt either bee let in willingly, or elſe he vſeth not with violence to breake the doore,) drowning and quenching the motions of grace, by drinking, carouſing, and merry company, or by other carnall or worldly imployments, reſoluing to rule all themſelues within as they liſt, according to their owne wils and wiſdome. Whereas if Chriſt indeed were theirs,Par. 3. § 8. and they his; or that they had put him truly on (as they will yet pretend) they ſhould find themſelues willing to giuegive him intertainment, to imbrace al good motions, & to reſigne themſelues vniuerſally in obedience vntounto him, moſt glad that they hauehave ſuch a wiſe, carefull, and vigilant counſeller within them.
Section. 8.
Now ſecondly, as Chriſt comes neere vntounto vsus by the means aforeſaid:Secondly when wee draw vntounto him. ſo doe wee draw neere vntounto him more ſpecially (as hee alſo to vsus) 1. By Prayer. 2. By Death. 3. By Iudgement. By our affection to all theſe, wee may iudge of our ſelues, what vnion wee hauehave and hold with Chriſt, and whether wee hauehave ſo put him on as true Chriſtians ſhould.
1.1 by prayer. True Chriſtians come boldly (yet not preſumptuouſly) vntounto the throne of grace, Heb. 4.16.that they may obtaine mercy, and find grace to helpe in time of need. This proceeds from an aſſured confidence of Gods fauour, and of the pardon of their ſinnes through Chriſt, and that he being touched with the feeling of their infirmities, puts them on, makes their caſe his owne, and makes interceſsion to the Father for them. This makes them,To call vponupon God in Chriſt a ſigne of our vnion with him. in all their neceſsities and wants, to repaire to their heauenly Father, with much ioy, confidence and comfort, powring out their ſoules vntounto him in the name of Chriſt; nay, they neuer finde more comfort (in any eſtate good or bad) then when they inioy his preſence in the heauenly exerciſe of Prayer. Dares any then call himſelfe a Chriſtian, and profeſſe himſelfe to hauehave put on Chriſt as well as any, that dares not come into his preſence, that cannot open his mouth, nor yet his heart to him in prayer, neither confeſsing and bewailing his wants, nor begging any ſupply thereof from him? I knowe it ſhould bee high preſumption in any, to dare to looke God in the face, out of Chriſt, vnleſſe they hauehave not onelyonly a commandement, but a gracious promiſe, in his name, and for his ſake to bee heard in their requeſts: If there be any ſuch preſumptuous one, hee may iuſtly feare that whiles he lifts vp his hands and his face to heauen, God powre vponupon him, Pſal. 11.6.and raine downe ſnares, fire and brimſtone, and an horrible tempeſt, as the iuſt portion of his cup. Yet, on the other hand, for any hauing both precept and promiſe from God in Chriſt … name, to come immediately into his preſence, and to receiue what he askes; for any I ſay, not to come, not to aske, not to pray, is an argument of an vnbeleeuing, impenitent and ſenſeleſſe heart, and the true character of an Atheiſt, and of one who is without God, and without Chriſt, in that he calls not vponupon the Lord. Pſal. 14.4.Yet many ſuch there are, that eſpecially of and by themſelues neuer powre foorth a prayer to God, nor willingly with others;Par. 3. §. 9. and yet theſe men forſooth are as good Chriſtians as any, in their owne conceits, and will bee ſaued by Chriſt as ſoone as the beſt: oh ſtrange hypocriſie and deluſion!
2. Secondly, hereby alſo may a Chriſtian take a ſcantling of himſelfe, namely, by his conceit of, and affection to Death, and to Iudgement; It being appointed vntounto men (euen to the godly) once to die,Heb. 9.27. after which commeth the Iudgement, by both theſe as Chriſt drawes neere vntounto vsus, ſo doe we vntounto him. So that if once we hauehave put him, we by theſe put him more on, and draw neerer vntounto him.