Bowels Opened, Sermon 20
THE TWENTIETH SERMON.
CANT. VI. II.
I am my Beloveds and my Beloved is mine, hefeedeth among the Eillies.
THE Church you see here, though she stood out a while against all Christs invitation and knocking, yet at length shee is brought to yeeld herselfe up wholy unto Christ, and to renounce her selfe, which course God takes with most, yea in a manner with all his duplicate page duplicate page people are they goe out of this world to lay all high thing… low, beate downe every high thought and imagination, which exalteth it selfe against him,2 Cor 10. that they may give themselves and all they have to Christ,Luk 14. …6. if he call for it, for he that doth not so is not worthy of Christ, if we doe not this at least in preparation of minde, let us not owne the name of Christians, least we owne that which shall further increase and aggrava… our condemnation, prosessing religion one way, &yet alienating our minds to our lusts and pleasures of the world another way, to have peculiar love …its of our owne distinct from Christ, how stands this, with, I am my Beloveds and my Beloved is mine, how stands it with the self resignation that was spoken off before.
Now this followes upon apprehension of Christ being ours,Reasons of selfe resignation to Christ being perswaded that … is ours. I am my Beloveds, because my … is … first, there are foure reasons why Christ must be given to us, before wee can give our selves to him by this selfe resignation.
1. Because he is the chiefe spring of all good affections, which he must plant in us, loving us, ere we can love him, 1. Ioh. 4. 10, 19.
2. Because love descends, though it be of a fiery nature, yet in this it is contrary, for love descends, whereas fire ascends, the superiour first loves the inferiour, Christ must descend in his love to us, ere we can ascend to him in our affections.
3. Because our nature is such that wee cannot love but where we know … selves to be loved …, therefore God is indulgent to us herein, and that we may love him he manifests his love first to us.
4. Because naturally … selves being c…nscious of guilt are full of fears from thence: so that if the soule be not perswaded first of Christs love, it … away form him, as Adam did from God, and as Peter from Christ: depart from me for I am but a sinnefull man So the soule of every man would say if first it were not perswaded of Gods love in Christ,Isa. 33. who amongst us shall dwell with the everlasting burning, therefore to prevent that disposition of soule, which would rise our of the sence of guilt and unworthinesse, God first speakes to us in Christ; at length saying unto our soules, I am thy …alvation, Whereupon the soule first finding his love, loves him backe againe of whom it …inds if selfe so much beloved, so that our love is but a reflection of his, I am my Beloveds, because my Beloved is mine.
It is with the Spirit of God, as with the spirits in the soule and body of a man, there is a marriage betwixt the body and soule, the spirits joyne both together, being of a middle nature, for they have somewhat spirituall neare the soule, and somewhat bodily neare the body, therefore they come betweene the body and the soule, and are the instruments th…reof, whereby it workes. So it is with the Spir…t of God, the same Spirit that tells the soule that Christ is ours, the same Spirit makes up the match on our part, and gives us up to Christ againe.
Let this then bee the tryall, that wee are Christs by the spirituall Eccoe that our soules makes to that report which Christ makes to our soules, whether in promises or in instructions.
See hence likewise,Vse. I. the nature of Faith: for these are the words of Faith,Of Instruction. as well as of love,That faith hath a double worke, as to receive Christ, so to give us backe againe to Christ. Faith hath two branches, it doth give as well as take. Faith receives Christ, and sayes, Christ is mine, and the same Faith saith, I am Christs againe. Indeed our soules are empty, so that the maine worke of Faith is to be an empty hand, Mendica manus, (as Luther calls it) a beggers hand to receive, but when it hath received, it gives backe againe, both our selves and all that we can doe. as 2. Cor. 8. 5. the Churches of Macedonia gave themselves, and then they gave their goods. Where Faith is, there will be a giving of our selves and our goods, and (by a proportion) our strength, wits and all backe againe. This discovers a great deale of empty false Faith in the world, for undoubtedly if it were true Faith, there would be a yeelding backe againe.
And againe,That the Churches confidence …he…es a mutuall counterview of justification and santification. these words discover the mutuall coherence of Iustification and Sanctification, and the dependance one upon another, I am my Beloveds and my Beloved is mine, Christ is mine, his righteousnesse is mine for my iustification, I am clothed with Christ, as it is, Rev…. 12. The Spouse there is cloathed with the Sunne, with the beames of Christ: but is that all? No, I am my Beloveds, I am Christs, there is a returne of Faith in Sanctification, the same Spirit that witnesseth Christ is ours, it sanctifies and alters our disposition, that we can say, I am Christs. It serves to instruct us therefore in the necessary connexion of these two, Iustification and Sanctification, against the idle slander of Papists, that sinnefully traduce that Doctrine, as if we were Solifideans, as if we severed Iustification from Sanctification. No, we hold here that whensoever Christ is ours, there is a Spirit of Sanctification in us, to yeeld all to Christ, though this resignation bee not presently perfect.
This likewise helps us (by way of Direction) to understand the Covenant of grace,Vse. 3. and the Seales of the Covenant,A direction how to understand the Covenant of grace. what they inforce and comprise, not onelyonly what God will doe to us, but the duty we are to doe to him againe, though we doe it in his strength. A Covenant holds not on one side, but on both, Christ is mine, and I am Christs againe, I will bee their God, but they must have grace to be my people, and then the Covenant is made up. The Covenant of grace is so called, because God is so gracious as to inable us to performe our owne part
And so in the Seales of the Covenant,Instanced in the Seales of the Covenant. in Baptisme, God doth not onelyonly binde himselfe to doe thus and thus to us, but binds us also to doe backe againe to him. So in the Communion we promise to leade a new life, renewing our Covenant, and therefore we must not thinke that all is well, when wee have received our maker, though wee continue in a scandalous, fruitlesse course of life. No there is a promise in the Sacrament, the Seale of the Covenant of grace, to yeeld up our selves to God, to returne to Christ againe with our duty, then wee come as we should doe, when we come thus disposed. This for direction, My Beloved is mine and I am my Beloveds.
To proceed to make an Use of Comfort to poore doubting Christians,Vse. 4. I am my Beloveds, is the voice of the whole Church,For Comfort to the weaker Chrstians & to the whole Church. that all ranks of Christians (if they be true) may without presumption take up. I have not so much Faith, so much love, so much grace, so much patience, as another (saith a poore Christian) therefore I am none of Christs▪ but wee must know that Christ hath in his Church of all rancks, and they are all his Spouse, one as well as another, there is no exception, there is a little spirit of emulation, and a spice of envy in Christians that are weaker, if they have not all that great measure of grace which they see in others, they feare they have none at all, as if there were no Babes in Christs schoole, as well as men,That the nature of Faith is the same in the whole Church as in every particular member. and growne persons.
Then againe, we see here the nature of Faith in the whole Church, it is the same that is in every particular, aud the same in every particular, as it is in the whole Church. The whole Church saith, I am my Beloveds and my Beloved is mine, I appropriate him, there is a spirit of appropriation in the whole, and there is so in each particular. Every Christian may say with Paul, I live by Faith in the Sonne of God, Gal. 2.that hath loved me and gave himselfe for me, and with Thomas, my God and my Lord.
The ground hereof is, because they are all one in Christ, and there is one and the same Spirit in the whole Church and every particular Christian, as in pipes, though of different sounds, yet there is the same breath in them. So Christians may have different sounds from the greater or lesser strength of grace that is in the one and in the other, but all comes from the same breath, the same Spirit. The Spirit in the Bride saith come,Reve 2…. the whole Church saith it and every particular Christian must say it; because as the body is acted by one Spirit and makes but one naturall body, though consisting of many parts weaker and stronger. So should there be a harmony in this mysticall body acted by that one Spirit of Christ, who so regards all, as if there were but one, and regards every one so, as he doth not forget the whole, Sic omnibus attentus ut non detentus, &c. Christ so attends to all that hee is not deteined from any particular, and he so attends every particular that he is not restrained from all, there is the same love to all as to one, and to every one, as if there were no other, hee so loves each one that every Christian may say as well as the whole Church, Christ is mine and I am Christs.
In those things that we call Homogeniall, there is the same nature in each quantity as in the whole, as there is the same nature in one drop of water as in the whole Ocean, all is water, and the same respect of a sparke, and of all the element of fire. So Christ beares the same respect to the Church as to every particular, and to every particular as to the Church.
To come to make an Use of Direction, Vse. 3.how to come to be able to say this,How to have direction to bee able to say with the Church, I am my Beloveds &c. I am my Beloveds and my Beloved is mine? For answer heereto take notice in the first place from the dependance, Christ must be first ours before wee can give our selves to him, therefore we must dwell in the consideration of Christs love, We must dwell in the consideration of Christs love to us.this must direct and leade our method in this thing. Would we have our hearts to love Christ, to trust in him, and to embrace him, why then thinke what is hee to us? beginne there, nay and what we are? Weake, and in our apprehension lost, then goe to consider his love, his constant love to his Church and children, whom he loves he loves to the end, John 13. 1.we must warme our soules with the consideration of the love of God in him to us, and this will stirre up our Faith to him backe againe, For we are more safe in that hee is ours,Gal 4. 9. then that we give our selves to him:Phil. 3. 12. we are more safe in his comprehenaing of us, then in our clasping and holding of him: as we say of the mother and the childe both hold, but the safety of the child is that the mother holds him; If Christ once give himselfe to us, he will make good his owne part alway, our safety is more on his side then on ours. If ever wee have felt the love of Christ, we may comfort our selves with the constancy and perpetuity thereof, though perhaps we finde not our affections warmed to him at all times, nor alike, yet the strength of a Christians comfort lies in this, that first, Christ is mine, and then in the second place,2. Dwell in the consideration of our misery without Christ, and our necessity to have him. that I am his. Now (I say) that we may be able to maintaine this blessed tradition of giving our selves to Christ, Let us dwell in the consideration of his love to us, and of the necessity that we have of him, how miserable we are without him, poore, beggerly, in bondage to the Divell, therefore wee must have him to recover us out of debt, and to enrich us. For Christs love carries him foorth not onelyonly to pay all our debts for us, but to enrich us, and it is a protecting, preserving love, till he brings us to Heaven his owne place, where we shall ever be with him: The consideration of these things will warme our hearts, and for this purpose serves the Ministrie.
We should therefore in the next place attend upon the Word,We must dili gently attend the ministry of the Word. for this very end. Wherefore serves the Ministrie? Among many others, this is one maine end, to lay open the unsearchable riches of Christ, therein you have something of Christ unfolded, of his Natures, Offices, and benefits we have by him, Redemption, and freedome, and a right to all things in him, the excellencies of another world, therefore attend upon the meanes of Salvation, that wee may know what riches wee have in him, this will keepe our affections close to Christ, so as to say, I am his.
And labour wee also every day more and more to bring all our love to him,We must labour every day what we can to contract, draw and to bring all our love to Christ. wee see in bu…ning glasses, where the beames of the Sunne meete in one, how forcible they are, because there is an union of the beames in a little point. Let it bee our labour that all the beames of our love may meete in Christ, that he may be as the Church saith, our Beloved, My Beloved is mine and I am my Beloveds (saith shee) as if the Church had no love out of Chri…t. And is it love lost? No, but as Christ is the Churches Beloved, so the Church is Christs love againe, as we see in this booke oft, my Love,How farre wee may love other things besides Christ. my Dove. As all streames meete in the great Ocean, so let all our loves meet in Christ. We may love other things, and we should doe so, but no otherwise then as they convey love to us from Christ, and may be meanes of drawing up our affections unto Christ. We may love our friends (and we ought to doe so) and other blessings of God, but how? No otherwise then as tokens of his love to us: we love a thing that our friend sends to us, O but it is as it doth convey his affection to us. So must we love all things as they come from Gods love to us in Christ.
And indeed whatsoever we have is a love token,That all we receive from Christ, even afflictions are love tokens. even our very afflictions themselves, whom I love, I rebuke and chastise.
Againe, that we may inflame our hearts with the love of Christ,Wee must preserve our hearts in the love of Christ. as we are exhorted by Iude, Let us consider the vanity of all things that should entise us from Christ,Jud. ver. 21. and labour every day more and more to draw our affections from them, as we are exhorted, Psalm. 45. Hearken o daughter and consider, and incline thine eare, forget also thine owne people and thy Fathers house, so shall the King greatly desire thy beauty. So if we will have Christ to delight in us, that wee may say we are his, let us labour to sequester our affections more and more from all earthly things, that we may not have such hearts, as Saint I ames speaketh of, adulterous hearts. O ye Adulterers and Adulteresses know you not that the love of the world is emnity with God.
Indeed there is reason for this exhortation, for all earthly things, they are all vaine and empty things, there is an emptinesse in whatsoever is in the world (save Christ) therefore we should not set our affections too much upon them; A man cannot be wise in loving any thing but Christ, and what he loves for Christ. Therefore let us follow that counsell, to draw our selves from our former company, acquaintance, pleasures, delights, and vanities, wee cannot bestow our love and our affections better then upon Christ. It is a happinesse, that we have such affections, as joy, delight and love planted in us by God, and what a happinesse is it, that wee should have such an excellent object to fill those affections, yea to transcend and more then satisfie them. Therefore the Apostle wisheth that they might know all the demensions of Gods love in Christ, there is a height,Eph. 3. 1…. breadth, length, and depth of the love of God.
And let us thinke of the demensions, the height, breadth and depth of our misery out of Christ. The more excellent our natures are, the more miserable they are if not changed: for looke what degree of excellency wee have (if it be not advanced in Christ) we have so much misery being out of him; therefore let us labour to see this, as to value our being in him, so to be able upon good grounds to say, I am my Beloveds and my Beloved is mine.
Againe, let us labour to walke in the light of a sanctified knowledge to bee attained by the Gospell,1 Iohn 1. 3. for as it is, 1. Iohn 1. 3. the end of all our preaching is to assure Christ to the soule, 1 Iohn 5. 13.that we may be able to say without deceiving our owne soules, I am my Beloveds and my Beloved is mine. The maine end of preaching.All preaching (I say) is for this end, the terrour of the Law and the discovery of corruption is to drive us out of our selves to him, and then to provoke us to grow up into him more and more. Therefore saith Iohn, All our preaching is that wee may have fellowship with the Father and the Sonne, and they with us: And what doth he make an evidence of that fellowship,1 Joh. 1. 7. walking in the light, as he is light, or else wee are lyers; hee is bold in plaine tearmes to give us the lye, to say wee are Christs, and have communion with the Father and the Sonne, when yet wee walke in darkenesse, in sinnes against conscience, in willfull ignorance, the darkenesse of an evill life, wee have no communion with Christ; therefore if we will have communion with him, let us walke in the light, and labour to be lightsome in our understandings, to have a great deale of knowledge, and then to walke answerable to that light and revelation that we have. Those that live in sinnes against conscience, and are friends to the darkenesse of ignorance, of an evill life, Oh they never thinke of the fellowship with Christ and with God, these things are meere riddles to them, they have no hope of them, or if any, their hope is in vaine, they barre themselves of ever having comfortable communion with Christ here, much lesse shall they enjoy him hereafter in Heaven.
Therefore labour every day more and more to grow rich in knowledge, to get light and to walke in that light: to which end pray with the holy Apostle, Ephes I. That you may have the Spirit of Revelation, that excellent Spirit of God to reveale the things of God, that wee may have the light discovered to us.
What a world of comfort hath a Christian that hath light in him and walks in that light,The exce…ency of a Christian walking in di vine light above others. above another man, whether he live or dye, the light brings him into fellowship with the Father of lights, he that hath this light knowes his condition and his way, and whither hee goeth, when he dyeth he knowes in what condition hee dyeth, and upon what grounds. The very light of nature is comfortable, much more that of grace, therefore labour to grow daily more and more in the knowl…dge and obedience of the light.
All professors of the Gospell are either such as are not Christs,A serious ex…ort…tian for such who are not yet in Christ, to come in. or such as are his, for such as are not yet, that you may be provoked to draw to fellowship with Christ, Do but consider you are as branches cut off, that will wither and dye, and be cast into the fire, unlesse you be grafted into the living stock, Christ, you are as naked persons in a storme not cloathed with any thing to stand against the storme of Gods wrath, let this force you to get into Christ.
And next for incouragement consider,That in the Gospell Christ by the Ministery offereth himselfe unto all. Christ offereth himselfe to all in the Gospell and that is the end of the Ministrie to bring Christ & our soules together, to make a spirituall marriage, to lay open his riches and to draw you to him, if you confesse your sinnes he will forgive them,1 John 1. 9. and you shall have mercy, Herelieves those that are wearied and heavy laden, Prov. 28.and bids those come to him that are thirsty,Mat. 11 ult. J… 55. 1Christ came to seek, and to save that which was lost. Christ offers himselfe in mercy to the worst soule.
Therefore if there be any that have lived in evill courses, in former times, consider that upon repentance all shall bee forgotten, and as a mist scattered away and cast into the bottome of the Sea. Christ offers himselfe to you, these are the times, this is the houre of grace, now the water is stirring for you to enter: doe but entertaine Christ, and desire that hee may bee yours to rule you and guide you, and all will be well for the time to come.
Doe not object I am a loathsome creature full of rebellions.Object
Christ doth not match with you,Answ. because you are good, but to make you good, Christ takes you not with any dowry, all that hee requires is to confesse your beggery and to come with emptinesse. He takes us not because we are cleane, but because he wil purge us, he takes us in our bloud when hee first takes us,Ezek. 16. Let none despaire either for want of worth or of strength,Ephe. 5. 27. Christ seeth that for strength we are dead, and for worth, we are enemies, but hee gives us both spirituall strength and worth, takes us neare to himselfe and enricheth us. Let none therefore bee discouraged, it is our office, thus to lay open and offer the riches of Christ, if you will not come in, but love your sinnefull courses more then Christ, then you perish in your blood, and wee free our hands, and may free our soules from the guilt thereof, therefore as you love your owne soules, come in at length and stand out no longer.
And for those that have in some measure given themselves up to Christ,Exhortation to them that have given themselves to Christ and can say, He is mine and I am his, let them goe on with comfort, and never bee discouraged for the infirmities that hang about them. For one part of Christs Office is to purge his Church by his Spirit more and more, Ephes. 5. 27. not to cast her away for her infirmities, but to wash and cleanse it more and more till it bee a glorious Spouse like himselfe. For if the husband will by the bond of nature, beare with the infirmities of the wife (as the weaker vessell) doth not Christ binde himselfe by that which hee accounts us bound? Is there more love and mercy, and pittie in us to those that we take neere us, then there is in Christ to us? What a most blasphemous thought were this to conceive so? Only let us take heed of being in league with sinne, for we cannot give our soules to Christ, and to sinnefull courses too; Christ will allow of no bigamy or double marriage where hee hath any thing to doe, wee must have single hearts, resolving though I fall, yet I purpose to please Christ, and to goe on in a good conversation, and if our hearts tell us so, daily infirmities ought not to discourage us, wee have helpes enough for these. First, Christ bids us aske forgivenesse, and then we have the mercy of Christ to beare with weaker vessels, then his Advocation, he is now in heaven to pleade for us: if we were perfect,1 Ioh 2.…. we needed not that office; let none be discouraged therefore, but let us labour more and more that we may bee able to comprehend in some measure the love of Christ,That to suffer and to facilitate all duties we should labour more and more for the love of Christ. so will all duties come off sweetly and easily, and then we shall be enabled to suffer all things, not onelyonly willingly, but cheerefully, and rejoyce in them. Love is of the nature of fire, which as it severeth and consumeth all that is opposite, all drosse and dregs, and dissolves coldnesse, so it quickens and makes active and lively, it hath a kinde of constraining force, a sweet violence, (as the Apostle saith) the love of Christ constraineth, 2 Cor. 5. 24.
Let a man that loves the Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity, be called to part with his life, he will yeeld it as a Sacrifice with comfort. Come what will, all is welcome when wee are inflamed with the love of Christ, and the more we suffer, the more we finde his love, for hee reserves the manifestation of his love most for times of suffering, and the more we finde the manifestation of his love, the more wee love him backe againe, and rejoyce in suffering for him, that we love so, whether they be duties of obedience, active or passive, doing or suffering, all comes off with abundance of cheerefullnesse and ease, where the love of Christ is, that the soule can say, I am my Beloveds, and my Beloved is mine: nothing in the world is able to make such a soule miserable. It followes.
He feedeth among the Lillies.
The Church here shewes where Christ feeds.Quest. But the question is, Whether it bee the feeding of the Church and People that is here meant, or whether he feeds himselfe. For answer, hee both feeds his Church among the Lillies,Answ. and delights himselfe to be there; the one followes the other, especially it is meant of the Church, those that are his, he feeds them among the Lillies,
How.
Lillies are such kinde of flowers as require a great deale of nourishment,What meant by Christs feeding among the Lillies. and grow best in valleys and fat ground, therefore when shee saith, he feedes among the Lillies, the meaning is, he feedes his Church and people in fat pasture; as sheepe in such grounds as are sweet and fruitfull, such are his holy Word and the Communion of Saints, these are especially the pastures wherein hee feeds his Church. The holy truths of God are the foode of the soule, whereby it is cherished and nourished up to life everlasting. This whole Booke is a kinde of Pastorall (to understand the word a little better) a Song of a Beloved concerning a Beloved, therefore Christ in many places of this Booke, he takes upon him the terme and carriage (as it were) of a loving Shepheard, who labours to finde out for his sheepe the fattest, fruitfullest, best and sweetest pastures, that they may grow up as Calves of the Stall, as it is Malachy 4. 2. that they may grow and be well liking.
You have (to give light to this place) a phrase somewhat likethis, where he followes the point more at large,Cant. 1. 7. Cant. 1. 7. the Church there praiesto Christ. Tell me O thou whom my soule loveth, where thou feedest, where thou makest thy flocks to rest at noone. Those that are comming up in the Church desire to know with whom they may joyne, and what truths they may embrace. Tell me where thou feedest and where thou makest thy flocke to rest at noone: that is in the greatest heate and storme of persecution, as at noone day the Sun is hottest: For why should I be as one that turnes aside by the flocks of thy companions? that is, by those that are not true friends, that are false shepheards, why should I be drawne away by them? I desire to feed where thou feedest among thy sheepe. Why should I be as one that turnes aside by the flocks of those that are Emulators to thee? as Antechrist is to Christ: thus the Church puts forth to Christ, whereunto Christ replies, verse 8. If thou know not O thou fairest among women, goe thy way forth by the footsteps of the flocks, and feed thy kids beside the Shepheards tents: that is, if thou know not, goe thy way forth, get thee out of thy selfe, out of the world, out of thy former course, put thy selfe forward, stay not complaining, goe on, putthy selfe to endeavour, goe thy way forth, whither? in the footsteps of the flocks, see the steps of Christians in the best times of the Church in former times, tread in the steps of those that lived in the best ages of the Church; feed thy kids, thy Christians, besides the Shepheards tents, the best shepheards; marke where the Apostles and Prophets fed their sheepe, there feed thou, and marke the footsteps of the flock that have lived in the best times, for of all times since the Apostles and Prophets, we must follow those Virgin best times. All Churches are so farre true Churches as they have Consanguinity with the Primitive, Apostolicall and Propheticall Churches.
Therefore we are now to goe out by the footsteps of the flock. Marke the footsteps of former Christians, Abraham, Atoses, and David, and in Christs time, of Iohn, Peter, and the rest, blessed Saints, walke as they walked, goe their way, and feed your selves by the shepheards tents: marke the shepheards where they have their tents. So these words have reference to the Propheticall, especially to the Evangelicall times, whereunto we must conforme ourselves, for the latter times are Apostate times, after a certaine season the Church kept not her purity, which the Scriptures foretold directly, that we should not take scandall at it, the Church did fall to a kind of admiration of Antichrist, and embraced doctrines of divels;… Tim. 4. therefore now we must not follow these companies that lead into by paths, contrary to the Apostolicall wayes, but see wherein our Church agrees with the Apostolicall Churches and truth, and embrace no truth for the food of our soules, but that wee finde in the Gospell. For Antichrist feedes his flockes with winde, and with poyson, and with empty things. For what hath beene the food in Popery? sweet and goodly titles, as if they poore soules had the best Pastors in the world, when as they administer to them nothing but that which will be the bane of their soules, full of poison and fraud. This is spoken to unfold that place which gives light to this, spoken off the pastorall care of Christ, he feedes his flocke among the Lillies, plentifully and sweetly. From hence may bee briefly observed, first,
That Christ feedes as well as breeds.
Observ.And we have need of feeding as well as breeding: where dost thou feed? that is,That wee need… feeding as well as breeding in Christianity. build up thy children, and goe on with the worke begun in them. We have need to be fed after wee are bred, and Christ (answerable to our exigence and necessity) he feeds as well as breeds,1 Pet. 1. 2 3. and that Word which is the …eede to beget us, is that which feeds too. What is the seed of the new Birth, the Word of God, the holy Promises they are the seed, the Spirit mingling with them, whereby a Christian is borne, and being borne is cherished and bred, therefore, As new borne babes, saith the Apostle, 1. Pet. 2. 1. desire the sincere milke of the Word, that you may grow thereby. So that the same thing is both the seede of a Christian, and that which breeds him, the blessed truth and promises of God.
If you aske,Quest. why wee must grow up and bee fed still?
Doe but aske your owne soules,Answer 1. whether there be not a perpetual renewing of corruption, which still breakes out into new guilt every day.In regard of daily new guilt. Therefore we have need to feed every day anew upon the promises, upon old promises with new affections, somewhat breakes out ever and anon which abaseth the soule of a Christian, that makes him goe with a sharp appetite to the blessed truthes that feede his soule.
And then againe,Ans. 2. Because wee need much strength. we need a great deale of strength, which is mainetained by feeding, besides the guilt of the soule, there needs strength for duety, which must be fetched from the blessed Word of God, and the comforts thence, whereby we are able to withstand and resist, to stand and doe all that we do.
And then we are set upon by variety of temptations within and without,Ans. 3. which require variety of wisedome and strength, In regard variety of temptation needs variety of wisdom…all which must begotten by feeding, and therefore you see a Christian for his subsistance and being, hath need of a feeding, cherishing, and maintaining still by the sweet and blessed directions and promises out of the Word of God.A refutation of their error who sleight religious walking with God and the exercises of religion.
Therefore you may see what kinde of Atheisticall creatures those are, and how much they are to be regarded that turne off all with a compendium in Religion, tush if we know that we must love God above all, and our neighbour as our seves, and that Christ dyed for all: we know enough, more then we can practise, they thinke these Compendiums will serve the turne, as if there were not a necessity of growing still further and further in distinct knowledge. Alas the soule needs to be fed continually, it will stagger els and be unsufficient to stand against temptation or to performe duties.
A second generall point out of the text is this, That as Christ feedeth still his flocke and people, so hee feedes them fully, plentifully, and sweetly among the Lillies. There are saving truthes enough, there is an all-sufficiency in the Booke of God, what need we goe out to mans inventions, seeing there is a fullnesse and all-sufficiency of truth there. Whatsoever is not in that is winde, or poison, in the Word is a full kind of feeding. In former times when they had not the Scriptures, and the comforts of them to feed on, what did the poore soules then? and what doe those remaining in Popery feed on? Upon stones (as it were.) There was a dreame of an holy man in those times (divers hundred yeares agone) that he saw one having a deale of manchet to feed on, and yet all the while poore wretch he fed on stones. What folly and misery … this, when there are delicate things to fe…d on, to gnaw upon stones? and what is all the schoole learning almost, (except one or two that had better spirits then the rest) but a knawing upon stones, barren distinctions, empty things, that had no substance in them? they had the Scriptures (though they were locked up in Latine, an unknowne tongue) they had the sweete pastures of Christ to feede in, and yet all this while they fed (as it were) on stones.
This should shew us (likewise) our owne blessednesse that live in these times wherein the streames of the Gospell runne aboundantly,Our happinesse to bee borne under such plenty of spiritual food sweetly and pleasantly. There is a fullnesse among us (even in the spirits of the worst sort) there is a fulnesse almost to loathing of that heavenly Mannah: but those soules who ever were acquainted with the necessity of it rather finde a want then a fullnesse, and still desire to grow up to a further desire, that as they have plentifull meanes, so they may have plentifull affections after, and strength by those meanes: let us know our owne happinesse in these times. Is it not a comfort to know where to feed and to have pastures to goe to, without suspition of poyson? that we may feed our selves with comforts fully without feare of bane, or noysome mingling of Coloquintida in the pot, which would disrelish all the rest? To know that there are truths that we may feede on safely. This the Church in the former place, Cant. 1. 6, 7. accounted a great priviledge, Oh shew mee where thou f…dest at noone, In the greatest heat of persecution, that I may feed among them; so then it is a great priviledge to know where to feed, and so to be esteemed, that thereby we may be stirred up to be thankfull for our owne good, and to improove these priviledges to our soules comfort.
But the second branch that must be touched a little, Observ.is, That there is fulnesse no where but in Gods house, and that there and there onelyonly is that which satisfieth the soule with …atnesse and sweetnesse.
Nay not onelyonly the Promises but the very rebukes of Scripture are sweet, That the rebukes of Scripture are sweetthe rebukes of a friend, they feed the soule, for we have many corruptions which hinder our Communion with God, so that a Christian delights to have his corruptions rebuked; for he knowes if he leave them, he shall grow into further communion with Christ, wherein stands his happinesse in this world, and the fulnesse of his happinesse in the world to come.
If this be so, let us know then, that when we come to Religion we loose not the sweetnesse of our lives, but onelyonly translate them to a farre more excellent and better condition, perhaps we feede before upon vaine Authors, upon (as it were) gravell, vaine company, but now we have our delight (and perhaps finde … pleasure) in better things, instead of that which fed our idle fansie (vaine trea…es and the like) now we have holy truths to delight our soules, Beleeve it, a Christia… never knowes what comfort is to purpose till … be downe right and sincere in Religion. Therefore Austine saith of himselfe, Lord I have wanted thy sweetnesse over long, I see all my former life (that I thought had such sweetnesse in it) was nothing at all but huskes, empty things; now I know where sweetnesse is, it is in the Word and Truth. Therefore let us not misconceive of Religion, as of a mopish and dull thing, wherein we must loose all comfort, if we give our selves over to the study therof; must we so? must we loose our comfort? Nay, we have no comfort till we be religious indeed; Christ feeds not his among Thornes and Briers and stinking weeds, but among Lillies; dost thou thinke he feeds thee among unsavoury, harsh, fretting, galling things? No, he feeds among Lillies. Therefore when thou comm…st to Religion, thinke that thou commest to comfort, to refresh thy soule, let us make use of this for our soules comfort to make us in love more with the waies of Christ.
Now to seale this further,How Christ the true shepheard feeds, is further explained. see what the Scripture saith in some paralell places, Psal. 23. The Lord is my Shepheard, and what is the use that David presently makes hereof? Why, I shall want nothing, hee will feed me plentifully and …boundantly, the whole Psalme is nothing but a commenting upon that word, the Lord is my Shepheard, how doth he performe the duty of a shepheard, He makes me to lye downe in greene pastures and leads me by the stil waters, it is not only meant of the body, but of the soule chiefly, he restoreth my soule, that is, when my soule languisheth and is ready to faint, he restores it, and gives me as it were a new soule, he refresheth it. We see say recreation is the creating of a thing a new, so he restores my soule, he gives me my soule a new with fresh comforts: Thus the blessed Shepheard doth, and how? Because, he feedes among the Lillies, the promises of the Gospell; then hee doth not onelyonly doe good to the body and soule, but hee guides all our waies, all our goings out, Hee leads us in the paths of Righteousnesse, and why, because I deserve so much at his hands? No; for his owne name sake, because hee hath a love to me, because he hath purchased me with his blood, and given his life for his sheepe, hath bought me so deare, though there bee no worth in me. He goes on, though I walke through all temptations and troubles, which are as the valley of the shadow of death, that is (where there is nothing but disconsolation and misery) yet I will feare none ill, thou with thy rod and staffe dost comfort me. If I, as a wandring sheep, venture to goe out of the way, thou out of thy care being a sweete and loving Shepheard wilt pull me in with thy hooke and staffe againe, he hath not care onelyonly to feed us, but to … verne us also. What a sweet Shepheard and Saviour have we in covenant that … thus with us, and so he proceeds, thou … prepare my table in the presence of mine …, and for the time to come hee promi…eth himselfe as much that God as he hath beene a Shepheard (for the presen…) to provide all things necessary for body & soule and guidance, so surely the goodnesse of the Lord shall follow me all the daies of my life, for he is a perpetual Shepheard, he will not leave us till he hath brought us to Heaven. Thus we see in this place the sweete care of Christ.
The like place you have, Isa. 40. 11. Hee shall feed his flocke like a Shepheard, he shall gather the Lambs with his armes and carry them in his bosome, and shall gently leade those that are with young: So he leads them into the pastures and feeds them plentifully and sweetly, not onelyonly with sweet things, but with a tender care, which is sweeter. As a Shepheard he takes into his bosome the poore lambs that cannot walke themselves, and the sheepe that are heavy with young, he cares for them, he gently leads them that are poore, weak. Christians that struggle and conflict with many temptations and corruptions, Christ hath a tender care of them, he carries them (as it were) in his bosome and in his armes, and leads them gently: for indeed all Christs sheep are weake, every one hath somewhat to complaine off, …refore he hath a tender care, he feeds them tenderly and sweetly, or else they might perish.
An othe… place (notable for this purpose) see Ezek. 34. …. wherein you have the same metaphor from … loving Shepheard, and it is but a comment upon the text, therefore being paralell places they may helpe our memories: I will feed them in good pastures upon the high mountaines of Israel, there shall their fold be, there shall they lye in a good fold and in a fat pasture, I will feed my flocke and cause them to lye downe, saith the Lord God, I will seeke that which is lost, and bring backe that which was driven away, I will bind up that which was broken, and strengthen that which is sicke, and destroy the fat and the strong and feed them with judgement. Those that are Christs true sheepe have somewhat to complaine of, either they are sicke, or broken, or driven away, somewhat is amisse or other, but Christs care preventeth all the necessities of his sheepe, he hath a fit salve for all their sores: And (to apply this to the businesse in hand) doth not Christ feede us among the Lillies, doth he not now feede us with his owne body and blood in the Sacrament? would you have better food? My body is meate indeed, and my blood is drinke indeed, that is, it is the onelyonly meate (with an Emphasis) the onelyonly meate and drinke that our soules could feed upon, God gave his Sonne to death to shed his blood for my sinnes. What would become of the hunger bitten, thirsty soule that is stung with …tan and his temptations, were it not f… the blood of Christ to quench our … the body of Christ given by the Fath… …o death for sinne, were it not that the soul… …ould think upon this, where were the … of the soule? All this is represented to us heere in the Sacrament, we feed on the body and blood of Christ spiritually, and are refreshed thereby, as verily as our bodies are refreshed with the bread and wine. For God doth not feede us with empty symbolls and representations, but with things themselves, that the soule which comes prepared by Faith, is partaker of Christ crucified, and is knit to him though now in Heaven; there is as sure an union and communion betweene Christ and the Christian soule, as there is betweene the food and the body when it is once digested.
Therefore let us come to this blessed, to this sweet food of our soules with hungry appetites, and thankfull hearts, that God hath given us the best comforts of his Word, and fed us with the sweet comforts of the Sacraments, as a Seale of the Word. Wee should even spend our lives much in thankfullnesse to God for this, that he will feede us so sweetly, that thinkes nothing is good enough for our food, but his owne selfe with his owne gracious Word and Truth. Thus wee should bee very thankfull unto God, and now at this time labour to get hungry appetites fit for this bles…d food to receive it.
… shall we do that?How to get hungry appetites to the Sacrament.
… seriously of the former part of thy life,To thinke seriously of former and present sins and … weeke past. For Christ (the food of the soul… … wel with the sowre hearbs of Repentanc… ▪ Let us stirre up in our hearts Repentance for our sinnes, and sorrow in the consideration of our owne corrupt nature and life, and when we have felt our corruptions and have the sense of our want, then Christ will be sweet to us, the Paschall Lamb was to bee eaten with sowre hearbs, so Christ our Passeover must be eaten with Repentance.
Then withall there must be purging,There must bee purging. there are many things which clogge the stomacke; come not with worldly, wicked, malicious affections which puffe up the soule,I am 1. 21. 1 Pet. 2. 1. But lay aside (as the Apostle wisheth) all guile, malice, and superfluity, empty the soule of all sinne and prepossessing thoughts or affections.
And then consider the necessity of spirituall strength that we have need to grow up more and more in Christianity to be feeding still,Consider the necessity of spirituall strength. we have need of strong Faith and strong assurance that Christ is ours, and that we are his. Let us often frequent this ordinance, and come prepared as we should, and we shall finde Christ making good his owne ordinance in his owne best time: so as we shall bee able to say in truth of heart experimentally and feelingly with the Church; My Beloved is mine and I am his he feedeth among the Lillies.
FINIS.