Christs Communion with his Church Militant, Title page – To the reader
CHRISTS COMMVNION WITH HIS Church Militant. Firſt preached, and now publiſhed, for the good of Gods Church in generall.
By. Nicholas Lockyer, Mr. of Arts.
Cant. 1.13.
A bundle of Myrrhe is my well-beloved unto me, he ſhall lye all night betwixt my breaſts.
LONDON, Printed by E. G. for Iohn Rot…w…ll, at the Sunne in S. Pauls Church-yard. 1640.
TO The vertuous Lady, Aunt SUSAN CECILL, Grace and peace be multiplyed, by Ieſus Chriſt.
MAdam: The ſweet taſte I have had, of your Ladyſhips love to the beſt things, hath encouraged me, humbly to preſent this little tract unto you. What Solomon ſpeakes from experience, that you upon triall have found true, That the most promiſing contents of this life, are vanity and vexation of Spirit. Our wiſe and mercifull Father, doth uſually thus imbitter the ſweeteſt things of this world to us, that we may the more cordially relliſh, and fervently ſeek after, that full ſatisfying and everlaſting ſweetneſſe and comfort, which is in communion with Chriſt our heavenly Husband, in whom all fulneſſe of conſolation dwels. A drop of this tranſcendant fulneſſe, your Ladyſhip (I hope) ſhall finde, diſtilled into your ſoule, by reading this little worke now come to your hands, which like Aqua Vitae, ſhall cheere and revive your ſad ſpirit, when ready to faint. Fainting perſons, carry little bottles of reviving liquids, alwayes about them; if your Ladyſhip ſhal think fit, to make this little Tract, your pocket-companion, and peruſe a little of it ſtill, when you feele ſoule-qualmes to ſeaze upon you, you ſhall finde (I truſt) through the bleſſing of Chriſt, much eaſe and comfort; and ſo ſpend and end your aged dayes, in more true ſolace of heart, then you have done your primeſt dayes of flouriſhing youth. The accompliſhing of this, is the ſincere and holy aime of your much obliged Nephew, in this his firſt offering to publick view. Which ſimple aime, that the Lord may graciouſly anſwer, to your Ladyſhips comfort here, and eternall happineſſe hereafter, I ſhall ſtill continue my prayer, (though here I end my Epiſtle) that the Lord will ſtill attend this my poore endeavour with his rich bleſſing, to all the partakers thereof, and in ſpeciall to you.
Your much obliged Nephew, Nicholas Lockyer.
Chriſtian Reader.
COmmunion with Chriſt, is our happines in this world, and in the world to come: that which makes every bitter thing ſweet, and every ſweet thing ſweeter. With this ſweet ſubject is this little tract, now come to thy hand, taken up. Poore fallen man is ſtill complaining of one want or other; and when the thing is given which he longed for, yet his ſoule is as far from content, as before; like to a childe that cries for this and that, and yet when he hath what he cryed for, continues crying ſtill, and cannot tell well what he would have. All our want is this, the want of Communion with Chriſt: this is the cauſe of all complaints; the infelicity of the ſoule; the ſumme of mans miſery, here and hereafter; but poore blindman ſees it not, and therefore complaines of twenty things, twenty miles a this ſide his diſeaſe; and ſo ſpends his dayes in labour and ſorrow, and yet loſes happineſſe, both here and hereafter too. A full fruition of Chriſt, is full felicity: a full fruition of any thing below Chriſt, without Chriſt, is but vanity and vexation of ſpirit. The more then, O fallen man, thou canſt get into communion with thy God, the more will thy great loſſe bee repaired, thy complaining ſoule ſatisfied, & thy tranquillity ſetled upon thee againe. Hunt not then after riches, honours, pleaſures, and ſuchlike low delights of the ſonnes of men, with this deluded miſtaken world, which lyes in wickedneſſe; for felicity is not in theſe: but ſtudy and ſtrive after a nearer communion with Chriſt: the next way to get moſt in with him, is the ſpeedy way unto all happineſſe: ſo much as thou canſt get of his company, ſo much art thou in Heaven. How precious are thy thoughts unto mee, O God, (ſaith David?) how great is the ſumme of them? If I ſhould count them, they are more in number then the ſand: when I awake I am ſtill with thee. Pſal. 139.17,18.This is Heaven upon Earth; and that true nobility and honour, which wee ſhould all bee ambitious after; to loſe our ſpirits in God. What an unſpeakable felicity is it, to bee ſtill with God in our thoughts? This ennobles the ſpirit of man, and makes it a companion to the King of Kings: this gives evenneſſe and ſteadineſſe to a mans courſe; and makes him walke in all the wayes of God blameleſſe: this gives tranſcendant peace & tranquility to a mans ſpirit; and makes him unmoveable in the midſt of feares: this gives bread, in famine; drink in drought; peace, in warre; health, in ſickneſſe; life, in death. Devote thy ſelfe therefore to Chriſt, that he may devote himſelfe to thee: and as a poore medium of communion, make uſe (if you pleaſe) of this enſuing Treatiſe. If thou get any good, give glory to God; and make the poore Pen-man, a conſtant ſharer in thy prayers.
Thine in Chriſt. Theophilus Philanthropus.