Beams of Divine Light, Sermon 9 – Title page 10
THE CHVRCHES ECCHO.
REVEL. 22.17.
And the Spirit, and the Bride, say, Come.
THis Booke of the Revelation is an history of the state of the Church from the first comming of Christ to his second comming.
These two last Chapters set downe the glorious condition of the Church in the latter end of the world, and as it shall be in the consummation of all things: when the present state of things shall determine in the second comming of Christ. For howsoever (no doubt but) there is set downe the glorious condition of the Church in this world in part: yet the desire of the Church rests not in any condition here, therefore it is carried to the consummation and perfection of all. There shall be a kind of new world at the conversion of the Iewes: but when the Church is under that blessed condition, yet it is under desires still of farther perfection, till an end be made of all things. Therefore this saying here, Come, hath reference to the future state of the Church. All the desires of the Church are restles till the consummation of all things in the latter comming of Christ. It carries all before it in a desire, Come Lord therefore to call the Iewes: Come Lord to confound Antichrist, which must be before that: for the Iewes wil never come in, till the scandal of Idolatry be removed: & when all this is fulfilled, then come Lord to make an end of this sinful world.
Simile.As it is with a river, it carryes all before it, till it discharge it selfe into the Ocean, where it is swallowed up: so it is with the desires of a Christian; they carry all in the meane time, between heaven and them in a streame, and never rest …ll they be swallowed in heaven it selfe, and …e second comming of Christ to finish …s, and then is the period of all happinesse, and …he accomplishment of all promises; when Christ shall come to be glorious in his Saints.
The words they are (as it w…re) …n eccho a… answere backe againe of the Bride, the Spouse of Christ, unto his promise of his comming, which he makes twise in this Chapter, in ver. 7. Behold I come quickly, and in ver. 12. Behold, I come quickly; and he comes not empty handed, My reward… is with me. Now the Church here ecchoes backe againe, Christ saith, I come, and the Spirit, and the Bride say, come. The words containe the most heavenly desire that can be, of the most excellent personage in this world, the Queene, the Bride of Christ; and it is a desire to the most excellent person absolutely, Christ himselfe, a desire of his comming; and it is stirred up by the most excellent Spirit, the holy Spirit of God: for the meaning of the words is this, The Spirit and the Bride say, Come, not as distinct and severed, but the Bride by the Spirit saith, Come, the Holy Ghost in the Bride, as it is Rom. 8.26.Rom. 8.26. Wee know not what to pray, but the Spirit makes intercession; How is that? The Spirit makes intercession, by making us make intercession: for what Christ doth, the Spirit causeth us to do, for there is one Spirit in Christ, and us. So the Bride by the motion of the holy, and blessed Spirit, say, Come. The order of our discourse upon these words shall be this,
First, to speake of the person wishing, and her condition, The Bride.
And then of the desire of this excellent personage, the Bride.
And then of the mooving cause that stirres up the Bride to desire the comming of Christ,
First,The Church … Bride. for the person, the Bride.
The Church is sometime compared to a woman for weakenesse; sometimes to a wife, for faithfulnesse to her Husband and Christ; sometimes to a Bride; because she is contracted to Christ in this world; sometimes to a mother for her fruitfulnesse; sometimes to a Virgin, for her chastity: here to a Bride, because this life is but the time of Contract; but the consummation of the marriage shall be in heaven. Now this contract between the Church and Christ, and betweene every particular soule and Christ: for both are the bride of Christ. Even as it is the same soule that is in the little finger, and in all the whole body, the same soule enlivens both: so it is the same Spirit in the Bride in generall, and in every particular Christian, therfore the Bride is both every particular Christian, & the whole Church. Now the contract that is made betweene the soule, and between the Church & Christ, it is by the Spirit of God which knits the soule to Christ, and Christ to the soule. And for this end that Christ might be a Husband, and contract this Bride to himselfe in our nature, he married our nature, that he might marry our persons.
There is a three-fold degree of union.
An union of Nature.
An union of Grace.
An union of Glory.
The union of nature was, then Christ tooke our nature upon him. The union of grace, is when we take his nature, when wee partake of the divine nature: The union of glory is when we shall all be in heaven. The first is, for the second, and the second for the third. Christ became bone of our bone, in nature, that we might be bone of his bone, with him in grace, and so perfectly one with him in glory. We see the Bride that is the Person. Here I might take occasion to speak of the sweet comfort that issues from this, that the second Person in the Trinity should dignifie us so much, as to take us to unity, with, and contract us to himselfe; but I will not speak much of this point, having spoken more at large of it out of the Canticles.Can. 5.
If marriage be honorable, what is this marriage and contract? which is indeed the patterne of all other,Vse 1. others are but shadowes to this. Hence comes the sweet security & peace of the Church,Comfort by our marriage to Christ. from this contract between Christ and it▪ for all our debts are discharged by this, he tooke upon him our sins. And then the Church hath interest in him, and all his in this contract and marriage, which is to be consummate, all that he is & hath, is the Churches. All is yours, because you are Christs. What a large comfort is this? if we had hearts to consider of it, and to improove it; his grace serves for the Church, Of his fulnesse wee receive grace for grace. So wee may say of all the priviledges that Christ hath; they are first in him, and then in the Church, the Church shines in his beames. And as it is matter of wondrous comfort, so it is likewise matter of more speciall comfort, in case of infirmities. The Church is a woman, therefore the weaker vessell. Now God that bids us beare with the woman, as the weaker vessell, to honour her with the honour of gentle usage: (for that honor is meant) he that teacheth man his duty, will he not performe it himselfe? to beare with his Church, as the weaker vessell.Hosea 2. Especially when it is the condition of the marriage, Hosea 2. I will marry thee to me in mercy; wee may clayme mercy as a part of our dowry by Christ, pardoning mercy, forbearing, pittying mercy; we make not use of this comfort, when we are discouraged.
But this teacheth us likewise how to carry our selves to Christ as we should doe,Vse 2. chastly, to take heed how we judge of things, we must keep our judgements chast. A Christian hath not liberty to ryot in his opinion, to run at randome, to see what … reason …aith: No, he must think what Christ thinks, and submit his judgement to him. And he must have no will of his own…, he must give it up to his contracted Husband, Christ, and be content to be ruled by him in all things; be must forget his fathers house, and his former condition, and not to make this marriage, (as carnall professors doe) a cover for their adulterous unfaithfulnesse. What is the course of many Christians? They make the profession of Religion, a cover for their ill dealing, for their unfaithfull courses, what a shame is this? It is abhominable. What makes the faults of wives worse, then the fault of single persons? because they are contrary to covenants, besides many other inconveniences, the confusion of ofspring, and the like: but this is one grand difference, to make the exageration of the fault, it is contrary to former covenant. Those that are swearers, and filthy persons, that disgrace Religion, and yet notwithstanding cover themselves under p…etence, that they are contracted to Christ, they are baptised, and come to the Sacrament, &c. such wretched persons shall know ere long, what it is to dally with Religion, what is the aggravation of the faults of such persons? They deale as fil…hy adultresses doe, they make Religion a cover for their wreched courses. God is mercifull, Christ dyed, we are Christians, we are baptised, &c▪ This is an obligation to a stricte… life, it gives men no libertie, but is a stricter bond to… holy life, the renewing of the new covenant againe, and againe. Therefore there is no comfort for any such wretched persons, that countenance themselves under the profession of Religion: in adde a greater degree to their offence; Oh ye adulterer…, and adulteresses, saith S. Iames, know ye …ot that the love of the world, is unity with God? When we let … loose to vaine things, and … are c…ntracted to Christ, we are adulteres…, & adulteresses.
I beseech you there for … name of Christ, for it is our office that are … Christ and his … together …phi, friends of the Bridegroome, … new Testament. Let me … you in …, … those … not … given up their names to Christ … … with … all to him in … man, in … judgements and wil be and affections… and than you shall find … condition in this world. Indeed … fort of this condition, to be indeed… and not in outward profession … covenant with Christ, to be … to him … if you will take liberty … the profession of Religion, to live loosely, to be wearers, &c fil…hy persons; to use your tongues as you lift, as if you had made no promise to Christ, as indeed we all have, what will be the confusion of your soules ere long? oh, that we dallyed with Religion, that we were intreated to be as wee should be by all sweet bonds, and yet we preferred our owne lusts, and base affections. This will be the aggravation of hell and damnation it selfe; this intreaty of Christ, and the excellent prerogatives and priviledges, that we have in Christ; and in the meane time we stand more upon our own base courses, and will not leave any thing, to give up our selves to Christ: but I meane not to dwell on this point. This is the person: The Bride, she is called the Bride, The Church why called a Bride.and not the wife, because she is onelyonly contracted here on earth; and she is called the Bride, in opposition to the whore of Babylon in this Book, that is, the filthy adulteresse, the false Church. The true Church of Christ is a Bride, and a virgin, in heaven shee shall be a wife: the false Church is a whore; she defiles her selfe with Idolatry and abhominations: so partly for distinction from it selfe, in heaven where it shall be a wife, and partly in opposition to the false Church, she is here called a Bride.
To come in the next place, to the desire of the Church.The de…ire of Christs comming. How should the Church know she is a Bride? This is one way: The desire of the marriage; where there is a true contract, there is a desire of the marriage, of the consummation of it, a desire of the comming of Christ. In this there are two things considerable.
First, that Christ will come.
And then the Church hath a de…ire of this comming. That Christ will come. I need spend no time to proove it, for it is an Article of faith, He shall come to judge the quicke and the dead. There must be a second comming of Christ.And he will come to make an end of what he hath begun here. He came to redeeme our soules, hee must, and he will come to redeeme our bodies from corruption. Hee came to be judged, and to die for us, he must come to be judge of the quick, and dead, he came to contract us, he will come againe to marry us, and to take us where he is. He loved us so, that he came from heaven to earth where we are, to take our nature, that he might be a fit Husband, but hee will come to take us to himselfe, we shall enter into his Chamber, to the Palace of the great King, Psal. 45.Psal. 45. Hee will come; there is no question of that.
The uneven carriage of things in this world to the eyes of men evinceth so much. You see how it is here with mighty persons, that shake off Christs yoke; how they beare sway; how Satan playes reaks in opposing Christ, he rules in the children of pride: this must not alway be so, there must, and will be a time when Christ will be glorious in his Saints. Now the life of Christ in the Saints, is a hidden life, there must be a day of revelation. And even as it was in Christs first comming, there was all kind of arguments and witnesses to prove that he should come in the flesh, a Quire of Angels from Heaven to witnesse it; and on earth, the wise men among the Gentiles; and among the Jewes, old Simeon, there was men and women, all kind of witnesses. So in his second comming, there is all kind of witnesses: in this Chapter here is Christ and the Angell, and Iohn, and the Spirit, and the Spouse, the Church in generall, and every particular soule, their desire of his comming shewes that hee will come; for the desires stirred up in the heart by the holy Ghost, they will not be in vain. The desires of his comming shew that he will come; for spirituall desires must have their accomplishment; there will bee a comming of Christ, there is no question of that.
And the Church here desires it: it is the disposition of the Church to bee carried in her desires to it: wherein we will shew the ground of this desire. And then the use that wee are to make of it.
The Church desires the comming of Christ in regard,The grounds why the Church desires the comming of Christ, are manifold.
First of all, look but to the present condition of things in this world,1Of scandals. the state of things, the scandals that are in the Church: there will be a desire in the Church that all scandals and offences may be removed, as it is in the Gospel, Christ will come, and take away all that offend.
2Persecutions.Look again to the state of the Church here, it is but a persecuted afflicted estate; nay those that should countenance the poore Church, how roughly is the poor Church used ofttimes of those? Those that should encourage the Church, their rugged and rough usage stirres up this desire in the Church, whē those that should be most encouragement, are oft times the greatest discouragement.
Then again the Church hath Antichrist to oppose it,3Oppositions in the Church. and false Brethren in it; false persons that hang in their affections to the world; and however they make a shew, yet their minds are carried to pompe, and to a false Religion, because they are besotted with a proud carnall disposition, which they prefer before the simplicity of the Gospel, vaine persons in the bosome of the Church that know not what the glory of the Church is.
Then againe,4Weaknesse of Christians. if we regard even the weaknesse of the Church it selfe, it breedes a desire of Christs comming: for alas, there is but a weake sight in men; and variety of sight where there is weaknesse, breeds variety of judgement; and where there is variety of judgement, there will be jealousies even among good persons, and these are irksome to the Spirit of God in any that love the sweet peace, and concord of Christians, that are contracted to Christ: this will not be avoided in this world; only those that are wise & strōgest in grace, they wil be the greatest peace makers, and beare with the weake in this kind.
Then againe,5Corruption by Satan. while we are in this world, there is not the best thing but Satan will put his foot and claw in, except grace over-power him. The Magistracie, and ministery alas how are they many times prophaned and abused by Satan and corrupt hearted men, that know not how to manage them graciously, and fruitfully? The Magistracie that is for good, it is turned ofttimes for grievance, as if al the world were made for them, and they to doe nothing but to have others Idolize them. And then for the Ministery, those that should be teachers of others many times discourage those that they should cherish: and as the Prophet complains in his time of the false Prophets, they discourage those that they should encourage, and strengthen the hands of the wicked, and grieve those that God doth not grieve by their false carriage, taking contrary wayes to Gods Spirit; they grieve those that they should cherish, and comfort, and strengthen the hearts of those that they should take downe, by flattery and false applications: This will be to the end of the world (notwithstanding the excellent Ordinance of God, by which God workes his owne good ends) while the world stands there will be a taint upon Gods Ordinance till Christ come, and then all that grieve and offend shall bee taken away; there shall be no Sun nor Moon then, for the Lambe will doe all; there shall be no Magistracy nor Ministery then, God will be all in all.
And so for all conditions; there is no condition nor nothing that is good in the world, but Satan labours to bring a vanity upon it, and the corrupt heart of man is prone to yeeld to him: this will be to the end of the world. Therefore wee should not bee overmuch offended, to see things carried otherwise than wee would have them. Why should we wish for that condition that will never be in this world? Wish we may, but we must wish it in its owne time, it will bee hereafter. Let us labour that it may be so then, and beare with all here as patiently as we can.
Againe,5Christians conflict. take the best Christians of all, in themselves, in their own particulars. Alas, what a conflicting life hath a Christian with his own heart? Sometimes in generall he can see truths very cleare, but in a particular, some passion or other, of Anger, or Revenge, &c. it clouds his judgement, that hee cannot see what is to be done, what is best. The reason is, the imperfection of the work of mortification, hinders him in his passages, and businesse, that hee cannot clearely decide of what is best at this time. S. Paul complaines of this, that he could not doe the good that hee would, and that he did the ill that hee would not. There are none but they carry some of these dregs with them in this world, that hinders them in their designes and determinations: onelyonly those that have the power of Gods Spirit in a greater portion then the rest, they get more victory over these things, and can more clearely see any thing then others: yet notwithstanding, all have some impediment this way, even the best.
The necessities of this life inforce a great deale of trouble,6The necessities of this life. the supplying the necessities of nature, and of the condition that God hath set us in, which all shall have an end then.
Then againe, the relation between Christ, and this contracted Spouse,7The relation betweene Christ and the Church. and every faithfull soule, inforceth a desire of his comming. It is the time of the Churches contract, she is a Bride now, she is contracted: now al the time between the contract, and the marriage, it is a time of longing and desire, therefore the Church cannot but desire the second comming of Christ. It is the nature of imperfection, where there is truth in imperfection, to desire perfection: you see the little seed that is sown in the ground, it breakes through the thicke clods, because it is not in its perfection, till it be in the eare, nature hath given it an instinct to breake out: so where the seed of grace is, it will breake, out and shoot forward to desire still, and still, till it comes to perfection. Grace being an imperfect state here, it puts forward in desiring that perfection, that it cannot attaine in this world, but in the world to come: therefore the Spirit, and the Spouse say, Come.
8From the nature of love.And then from the nature of the affection of love it selfe where it is planted; it is an affection of perfect union, contract will not serve, but marriage must come after. Love will not satisfie it selfe in imperfect union, but it cries, Come, Come, still it is carryed in a restlesse desire, till it come to perfection. Therefore put the case the Jewes were called and converted, and Antichrist subdued, hath the Church an accomplishment of the period of her desires, to say no more Come? oh no: yet Christ is not come as he will, there is not a perfect consummation of all, untill that of time it selfe, there will be a desire of the Bride and Spouse, to say, come. Thus we see what grounds there are of this desire.
But is this onelyonly true of the Church militant,Question. herebelow, doth not the Church in heaven say Come too?Answer. Yes the Church in heaven saith, Come, The Church in heaven desires Christs comming.too. The Church in heaven, and earth are but one Family; they are (as it were) but one Parliament, there is the higher house in heaven, and the lower on earth, and both say come. What is the reason that the Church in heaven saith, Come? Because the Church in heaven have bodies that be rotting in earth; which bodyes helped them to serve God on earth, fasted with them, and prayed with them, and indured pains and toyle with them. The soule acccounts it selfe imperfect, till it be joyned to its old companion, the body againe; therefore it desires Come Lord, that my body may be united to me againe, that so wee may both perfectly prayse thee in heaven.
Then againe, they have not all their company, all the Saints are not gathered, and they will not be merry indeed, till they all meet in heaven: therfore that all may meet, even the Church in heaven, hath a desire, Come Lord: so both heaven and earth, agree in this, they meet in this desire.
This may be a ground of tryall,Vse 1. whether wee be truely the Bride of Christ, Tryall of our estate.or no; the ground of the tryall may be gathered hence; whither is the bent of our desire carryed? is our condition so here, as that wee desire to be as we are still? then all is naught with us. The Church we see saith come, nothing will content her in this world: so those hearts that are wrought upon by the Spirit of God, nothing here will content them but still they say come. The disposition in carnall persons is cleane contrary; they say as it is in Iob, Depart from us, wee will none of thy wayes: they are of the mind of the Devill, in the Gospel, Why doest thou come to torment us before our time? doe not come. If it were in the power of most men in the Church, whether Christ should come to judge the world or no, doe you thinke they would give their voyce that way, that Christ should come? they would never do it: for they know how unfit a condition they are in for the second comming of Christ. If theeves and malefactors might have liberty to chuse, whether there should be Assizes, or no, surely they would never have any, so it is with the men of the world, that live in sinfull wretched courses, that abuse their tongues, and their bodies, are they of the disposition of the Bride, to say, come? oh no, they know they have not done their duty: therefore let us enter deepely into our owne soules, and try whether cordially we can yeeld this desire of our hearts, to say come? Therefore to (spend a little time in a further search) if wee can truely say, Come, 1By desiring Christ to come into our hearts now.we will desire Christ to come into our soules now, to rule our soules now, to come and make way for himselfe in our hearts. Is it possible for the soule to desire to goe to Christ, that will not suffer him to come to it? If Christ rule not in us, wee shall never raigne with Christ: if Christs Kingdome come not to us, we shall never enter into Christ ▪ Kingdom: therefore the soule that hath this desire truly, to say, Come, it will give Christ entrance into it, and let him come by his Ordinances. Come Lord by thy word, come by thy Spirit into my heart, close with my heart, drive out whatsoever is there, that will not give thee liberty to raigne as thou wilt: these desires will be in a true heart, it will not cherish wilfully those desires that are contrary to this.
Shall we thinke that that Christian that saith these words in good earnest, will put Christ away in his Ordinances, and not care for to heare his word, nor care to meet Christ here in earth, and yet pretend a desire to meet him in heaven? where is Christ, here? is hee not in his Congregations, and Assemblies of his Saints? those therefore that despise the Ordinances of God, and yet pretend, that they desire that Christ should come, doe they not prophane the Lords Prayer, when they say, Hallowed be thy name, Thy Kingdome come? They patter it over, they doe not meane it in good earnest: when they despise the Ministery, and the Ministers, and whatsoever is Christs, despise the motions of his Spirit, and will not suffer him to rule in their hearts, but are ruled by rules of policy, and reason, and flesh: can they say, Come? No, they doe abhominably prophane the Lords Prayer: what kind of Service is that, when their desires are quite cleane contrary? It is a protestation contrary to their faith, and therefore it is a nullity: they professe in their prayers, that they would have Christ to come, and yet their course of life is contrary, they would not have him come. Againe, those that truly desire Christ should come, they will be subordinate helpers under Christ, 2They promote his comming.to promote those things that tend to his comming: before Christ comes, Antichrist must be abolished and consumed; the Jewes must be converted, and the number of the Elect must be consummate, and finished. Therefore what shall wee say, when those that pretend to desire the comming of Christ, shall countenance heresies that m…st have an end first? And those that are against wholesome Lawes to be made in that kind, those that countenance Idolatry, and false worship, stablishing what Christ must abolish before he come, can they say, Come in good earnest? Their course is contrary to what they pray. Therefore indeed, and in good earnest we pray, Thy Kingdome come, and say with our soules as the Church here, Come, when we set our selves to abolish heresie and false worship of God, that is adulterous, and promote the true Service of God; when we labour in our places that the number of the Elect may be consummate, when wee labour, that our children may be Gods children, and our servants, may be Gods servants, and every one in our places labour that the Kingdome of Christ may be inlarged. If wee put not to our helping hand, to that wee pray for, it is a contradiction. Those therefore that live scandalous lives, i… scandalous courses and speeches, and hinder the conversion of peoples soules, and labour to draw them to wicked hellish courses, when they post to hell themselves, and labour to draw others into cursed society with them selves, they cannot truly say, as the Church here, Come. Let us take it to heart, that we doe not mocke, and dally with Religion, it is a greater matter then we take it for. It is impossible, but a Christian that saith his prayers in earnest, should be thus affected, unlesse wee make a mockery of Religion.
Againe,3Fitting for it. if we can indeed say Come, there will be a fitting for this comming, a preparing our selves for it, for our going to Christ. Is it not so in civill things? and doth not grace worke that, that nature doth in a higher degree? If we desire that a great person should come to us, will there not be a fitting of our houses, of our apparell, and entertainement …table to the worth of the person? or else a man may say, surely you loo…e for no body this day, there is nothing fitted, and prepared: so if we pretend we desire Christ to Come, and yet notwith standing we are carelesse of getting knowledge, and of purging our soules, of growing in grace, carelesse of being such as Christ may delight to come unto: This carelessenesse of fitting, and preparing our selves, shewes that wee doe but in hypocrisie speake the words, when we have no such thing in our hearts. Those that desire the Kingdome of Christ, and the happy condition of Christians in another world, they desire the way of it here, that is, by fitting, and preparing themselves for that estate, and indeed it will worke those effects, as it is Tit. 2. and other places, what is the motive there to live a holy, and righteous and sober life? Looking, and waiting for the glorious appearing of our Lord and Saviour Iesus Christ. There he inserts a holy life betweene the two commings of Christ, shewing that the beleeving the end of both, will worke this effect in the change of our lives, To be sober to our selves, and just to others, and holy to God: The grace of God hath appeared, that is, in the first comming of Christ, teaching us to deny all ungodlinesse, and worldly lusts, &c. and then looking forward still, for the second comming of Christ. So that he beleeves, that the grace of God hath appeared in saving our soules by the death of Christ in his first comming; and hee that beleeves that hee will come to be glorious after in his second comming; certainely he will live justly and soberly, and righteously in this present world, he will fit himselfe for that estate that hee professeth to desire. Let us trie our selves by these evidences in some measure, and not thinke our state good till wee can say from our hearts, Come.
But are Christians alwayes in this state of soule, that they can say, Come?
Answer.I answere, they are alway in some degree fitting themselves for Christ;Christians not alway fitted alike for Christs comming. but notwithstanding, they are not alway so exact and watchfull, that they could wish, that he should come at this time. Take the comparison from a wife, a spouse, she heartily desires the comming home of her husband: yet perhaps sometimes things may not be in so good order, as to wish that he were here now; nay, I have not yet prepared. This is the state of careles Christians, that have soundnesse of grace, and yet are carelesse: they desire the comming of Christ, and they love the glory of the life to come, and indeavour weakely for it; yet they are so carelesse, some corruption hanges on them, that they have not so mortified, and subdued as they should doe; they are not yet so fitted as they should be. Therefore God often rouseth such by afflictions, and other courses in this world, to weane them more from the love of the world, and to prepare us, because we are sloathfull, and carelesse to prepare our selves. So I say that somtimes the best Christians sometimes may be more indisposed then at others, by reason of security growing on our soules, so weake are we, and beset with temptations: therefore let none be over-much discouraged with that; but let us strive as the Church here, to be in such an estate, as we may alway say, Come.
Well upon tryall if wee find our selves not so disposed as we should, how shall wee carry our selves,Vse. that we may say, Come?
Let us labour to purge our selves by mortification more & more,Direction to come to desire Christs comming. he that hath this hope purgeth himselfe. 1To purge our selves.And let us endure Gods purging of us, and justifie Gods purging of us by afflictions; and thinke that God hath this ayme; certainely this is to make me more heavenly minded, to rayse my affections up. I will therefore beare the anger of God, I have deserved it, and he hath holy ends in it to make me partaker of his righteousnesse. Let us purge our selves by grace, and endure the course that God takes to purge us by daily crosses; for God aymes by it to weane us more and more from the world.
2Vnloose our hearts from the world.And let us labour daily more and more, to unloose our hearts from the things below. Those that would remoove a Tree, they loosen it from the roote of it; so our affections are rooted to earthly things, therefore wee should labour to loose them daily more and more, by the consideration of the uncertainety and vanity of all things: they are not that that will sticke to us, and give us content, when wee shall stand in most need of them: here we must leave the things of the world, as wee find them here, we must part with them. Therefore wee should labour to unloose our hearts, and to plant, and set, and pitch them where they may be safe, and swallowed up in better things.
3Meditate of our happy condition.And to this end, often meditate of the excellency that shall be in the second comming of Christ; oh, the glorious time then! See the meanes how the Church comes to be stirred up here, to say Come. Christ saith before, that he was the Roote of David, the bright morning Starre, he sets out himselfe gloriously, and the gloriousnesse of that time: then the Church, hearing what the excellency of that state will …e then, and the excellency of Christ, the Church hath desires sutable to those manifestations. Therefore let us meditate of the state of the Church, what it will be, and of the excell… cy, and glory of Christ, when he… shall com… to be glorious in his Saints, what a happy condition it will be; and to feed our meditations; let us be oft in hearing, and reading, of these things. If wee hope for any thing to come in this world: as if a young heir… that shall have great possessions, the more he growes towards yeeres, the more hee thinks, I shall have this mannor, and that, hee thinkes of the possessions hee hath▪ so a Christian, the nearer hee growes to heaven, the more hee thinkes upon, and talkes, and is willing to heare of that condition that hee shall have. The more we are in meditation, and to helpe meditation▪ the more we are in thinking, and speaking, and conferring of these things, what will befall us ere long (if we be Gods,) the more our affections will be raised up, as we see in the Spouse here, upon the manifestation of th… excellency of Christ, comes this desire after the comming of Christ. This is one reason of the deadnesse of our hearts; wee doe not awaken them with such holy thoughts as we should, and wee are not under those meanes as wee might oft times. There cannot be any thing more …weet, and powerfull to drawe up our soules, then meditation in this kind.
4Labour for the Spirit.Againe, that we may be able to say, come, let us labour to be more and more spirituall, that the holy Spirit may rule our spirits, & then the spirit is alwayes for Come. Nature saith not come, because it is above nature: I meane nature not corrupt, …aith not Come. It is a hidden secret to nature, nature saith slay still, it hath no desire to it, the flesh is contrary altogether: but the Spirit in the Spouse saith, Come. The Spirit doth all, as the soule doth all in the body, it acts it, and leads it, and comforts it, and gives beauty to it: so the Spirit first knits Christ and us together: there is the same Spirit in Christ the head, and in the Church, there is one common Spirit in head, and members. And when it hath done, so it acts, and leads, and sanctifies, and purifies the Church, it acquaints the Church with the good things that God hath given her, acquaints her with the deepe meaning of God, the love of God in Christ, it acquaints God with our desires, hee knowes our meaning in our prayers, and we know his meaning, it acquaints us with the state we shall have after, and assures us of it; It is the earnest of the Inheritance: the Spirit, and the graces of it are not onelyonly the earnest, but a part of that Inheritance, a part of heaven, where our bodies shall be spirituall; not that they shall turne to be spirits, but they shall be ruled wholy by the Spirit, as the soule rules the body.
As it is in a river, it is impossible that the streame should run higher then the spring-head from whence it comes: so it is impossible that our desires should rise higher then the spring from whence they come; the desires of nature cannot goe higher then nature; the desires of the flesh are fleshly: but spirituall desires, as they spring from heaven, (they have a noble originall, and head) so they carry to heaven againe. Therefore as the Spirit comes from God the Father and the Sonne; so it carries us backe againe to the Father, and the Sonne; as it comes from heaven, so it carries to heaven back againe. That is one way to know whether our desires be spirituall or no; our desire of death, and of the comming of Christ, if it be from wearisomnesse of life, and from afflictions in the world, so nature may desire. I were better be dead then to be thus; as Ionas wished death, and the children of Israel, and Elias in a passion; oh that I were dead, &c. but if those desires spring from the Spirit, then they come from heaven: from the consideration of the excellency of the state wee shall have there, that it shall be better with us, and that death is but a darke passage to a glorious condition. We may know our desires are spirituall from the rise of them, if they come from spirituall, and holy, and heavenly considerations: the Spirit doth all in the Spouse that is holy and Spirituall.
Therefore let us give entertainment to the Spirit of God,Meanes to get the Spirit. and be where we may have further, and further communion with the Spirit, in spirituall Ordinances. The preaching of Gods holy Word, (though it be meanely esteemed by the world) it is the Ministerie of the Spirit; in the hearing of it, the Spirit is given: if we would have the Spirit, let us attend upon the Ministerie of the Spirit. And let us study Christ, and make him all in all. Saint Paul questions with the Galathians, saith hee, I would know of you, how came ye by the Spirit? by hearing of Christs Gospel, or of the Law preached? No, it was by the Gospel: so that not onelyonly the Ministerie in generall, but the Evangelicall Ministerie that unfolds Christ, and the infinite love of God in Christ, the excellent condition we have in this world, and look for in the world to come: the Spirit is effectuall with these thoughts to make us holy and heavenly. The Law beats downe; but the Gospel, especially these Evangelicall truths make us spirituall. Therefore wee should be willing to heare spirituall points. There are a company of men, that love to heare curious and nice points, and if a Minister be quaint, an… satyricall, and unfold points sutable to their apprehension, they can digest this: but come to speake of things above nature, of Christ, and the benefits by him; they are spirituall, they are remote, and transcendent above their nature, that they cannot relish them. But he that hath the Spirit of Christ, of all points, there are none to those that unfold Christ, and the benefits by him, the glory that wee hope for by him in another world.
And let us not grieve the Spirit, but give way to his motions. The Spirit is now among us in his Ordinance knocking at our hearts, and desiring entertainement, let us give way, and not quench the good motions that hee stirres up, and the Spirit shall be given more and more to us; The Holy-Ghost is given to them that ebey him. And let us beg the Spirit, God will give his holy Spirit to them that aske him, Luk. 11.Luke 11. As if hee should say, the Spirit is the best thing that God can give, you that are evill, can give good things to your children: but your heavenly Father hath one good thing instead of all, he will give his Spirit. Therefore, when wee find our hearts dead, and d…ll, and earthly, and base-minded, thinke thus: Alas, I am a lump of flesh now, where is the Spirit of God? certainely if I had the Spirit in me, I could not be as I am. If we love our soules, we will take this course, wee trifle with Religion else. God doth all by the Spirit, the Spirit is Christs Vicar: here is no need of a Ministeriall head betweene the Spouse and Christ, the Spirit and the Spouse are so neere together: there is such a conjunction betweene Christ and his Church, that where the Spirit is, hee stirres up desires of his comming. OnelyOnly let us attend upon the meanes, and Ordinances, that hee hath left in his Church. And let us consider wee are not for this life, we are not to live here alway: the child in the wombe is not for that life, and when it is in the world, it is not for this life, there is a third life that we are for. An imperfect state rests not till it come to perfection: our best is behind: let those that are naught, feare the second comming of Christ. Let Herod, and Iudas, and the beast of Rome feare, that shall be cast into the burning lake. Let Felix tremble, the corrupt Judge, and all that live in corrupt courses. But wee that professe our selves to be Christians, and hope for better things in another world, let us labour to banish base feares: and to this end, let us labour to be spirituall, and not to be lead by the flesh, Whosoever is Christs, hath the Spirit of Christ, or else he is none of his, as it is sweetly, and largely, and heavenly prooved, Rom. 8. We have nothing to doe with Christ, unlesse we have his Spirit, to stirre up motions, and desires of better things then this world can afford.
FINIS.
DAVIDS CONCLVSION: OR, THE SAINTS RESOLVTION.
In one Sermon.
By the late learned, and reverend Divine, RICHARD SIBBS. Doctor in Divinitie, Master of Katherine-Hall in Cambridge; and sometimes Preacher at Grays-Inne.
Ieremy 30.21.
Who is this that ingageth his heart to approach unto me, saith the Lord?
James 4.8.
Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you.
LONDON, Printed by E. P. for Nicholas Bourne and Rapha Harford. 1639.