Bowels Opened, Sermon 15
THE FIFTEENTH SERMON.SER. XV.
CANT. V. X.
My Beloved is white and ruddie the chiefest among ten thousand.
LOve is such a boundlesse affection that where it once breakes foorth in praises upon a good foundation, it knowes no measure, as we see here in the Church, who being provoked, and (as it were) exasperated by the daughters of Ierusalem to explaine the excellency of him shee had with so much affection incessantly sought after. That she might justifie her choice duplicate page duplicate page (ere she descend into Particulars) she breakes foorth into this generall description of her Beloved, whereby she cuts of from all hopes of equalling him, My Beloved is white and ruddie, (exceeding faire) nay, the cheefe among ten thousand, (none like him) she would not have us thinke she had bestowed her love but on the most excellent of all, the cheefe of ten thousand. Well were it for us that we could doe so in our love, that we might be able to justifie our choice, not to spend it on sinfull, vaine and unprofitable things, which cause repentance and mourning in the conclusion, whereof the Church here worthily cleereth herselfe; in that she had chosen the cheefe among ten thousand.
And most justly did she place her affections upon so excellent an object, who was so full of all the treasures of wisdome and knowledge,Colos. 1. 11. the life of our life, in whom dwelt all the fulnesse of the Godhead bodily, in whom was a gracious mixture and compound of all heavenly graces, where Greatnesse and Goodnesse, Iustice and Mercy, God and Man meete in one Person. Such in one who breakes no bru…sed reed,Mat. 12. nor quenches the smoaking flax, who refuses not sinners, but invites them unto him: offering to heale all and cure all who come unto him: he is a King indeed; but this also approoves her choice;Ioh. 5. he rules all, commands all, judges all, what then can she want who hath such a friend, such a husband, whose government is so winning, mild and mercifull?
He is not such a Monarch as loves to get authority by sternesse like Rehoboam. But by those aimeable graces of gentlenesse and love, all the excellencies of holinesse, purity and righteousnesse, are sweetly tempered with love and meekenesse in him:Luk. 7. 44. you may see for instance how hee takes his Disciples part against the Pharisees, That Christ takes part with the a…flicted side.(and the poore womans that came to wash his feet and kissed them,) against the Pharisee that had invited him to dinner. The Church is a company of despised people, that are scorned of Pharisaicall proud spirits, who perhaps have morallity and strength of parts to praise them with. Now Christ takes part with the broken spirits against all proud spirits, howsoever he be gone to Heaven (where he is full of Majesty) yet he hath not forgotten his meekenesse nor changed his nature with change of honour. He is now more honoured then he was, for, he hath a Name above all Names,Acts 9. in Heaven or in Earth, yet he is pittifull still. Saul Saul why persecutest thou mee? He makes the Churches case his owne still, together with beames of glory there are bowells of pitty in him, the same that he had here upon earth. Which makes him so lovely to the truly broken hearted beleeving soule, My Beloved is white and ruddy.
He is set out likewise by comparing him with all others whatsoever, hee is the cheefe of ten thousand, a certaine number for an uncertaine, that is, the chiefe among all, in all things Christ hath the preheminence: hee is the first borne from the dead, hee is the first borne of every creature, he is the eldest brother, he is the cheefe among all. For all Kings, Priests and Prophets before were but types and shaddowes of him: Hee the body, the truth and the substance. And (as was shewed before) he is all three in one, King, Priest and Prophet, the great Doctor and Prophet of his Church, that spake by all the former Prophets, and speakes by his ministers to the end of the world. The Angell of the covenant, that foreign the word, that expresseth his Fathers brest, that as he came from the bosome of his Father so laies open his counsell to man-kind.1 Pet 3. 19. It was he that spake by Noah, and preached by his Spirit to the soules that are now in prison, (as Peter speakes) so, he is the cheefe among all. But especially in regard of his Righteousnesse;Phil. 3. 8. for which Paul accounted all dung and drosse to be found in Christ, not having his owne Righteousnesse, but the Righteousnesse that is in Christ: which is more then the Righteousnesse of an Angell, being the Righteousnesse of God-Man, and above all the Righteousnesse of the law.Quest.
But what is this to us or to the Church? Answ.yes, for his beauty and excellency is the Churches,That peculiaritie of interest … with the excellencie of Christ is that which so … the Church. because hee is the Churches. My Beloved is white and ruddie, and my Beloved is the chiefe among ten thousand. It is the peculiar interest that the Church hath in Christ that doth relish her spirit, excellencie with propriety in him: I am my Beloveds and my Beloved is mine. The more excellent the husband is, the more excellent is the wife, shee onelyonly shines in his beames, therefore it is the interest that wee have in Christ that indeares Christ to us. But to come to more particular application of it. Is Christ thus excellent, superexcellent, thus transcendently excellent, white and ruddie, the cheife of ten thousand this serves,
To draw those that are not yet in Christ unto him.
To comfort those that are in Christ.
First,Vse. 1. those that are not yet in Christ, not contracted to him to draw them;That supereminent excellencies in Christ ought to draw those to him who are not yet drawne to him. what can prevaile more then that which is in Christ? Beauty and excellencies, greatnesse and goodnesse. And indeed one maine end of our calling the ministery is, to lay open and unfold the unsearchable riches of Christ, to digg up the mine, thereby to draw the affections of those that belong to God to Christ.
But it is not enough to know that there are excellencies in Christ to draw us to him,That with a sight of Christs excellencie, wee must see our owne debt, beggery and misery to draw us unto Christ. but, there must be a sight of our misery, what beggers we are and how indebted. Before we are in Christ we are not our owne, the Divell layes claime to us that we are his, death laies claime to us, we are under sinne, we cannot satisfie one of a thousand, therefore this inforceth to make out to joyne with him that can discharge all our debts, answer all our suits, and non-suite Sathan in the Court of Heaven. When once we are married to the Lord of Heaven and Earth all is ours,1 Cor. 3. 2…. we have a large Charter, All things are yours,Quest. and you are Christs and Christs is Gods
Why are all things ours?Answ.
Because wee are married to Christ who is Lord of all.That seeing the en… of our misery is to woe us to come unto Christ, wee should not be d…scouraged to come unto him. It is the end of our calling to sue for a marriage betweene Christ and every soule, wee are the friends of the Bride, to bring the Church to him, and the friends of the Church to bring Christ to them: It is the end of our ministry to bring the soule and Christ together, and let no debts, no sinnes hinder, for especially he invites such as are sensible of their sinnes,Rom. 3. 20. where sinne abounds, grace abounds much more.Mat 11. 28. Come unto me all ye that are weary and heavy laden. Luk. 19. 20.And, hee came to seeke and to save that which was lost. He requires no more, but that we bee sensible of our debts and miseries, which sence hee workes likewise by his holy Spirit.
Againe,For those in the state of grace to see what an excellent person they have entertained. for those that have entertained Christ, let them see what an excellent gracious Person they have entertained, who is the cheefe of ten thousand. The world thinks them a company of silly meane people that make choice of Christ, Religion, the Word, and such things, but here is a justification of their choice, they choose him that is the cheefe of ten thousand, Let him kisse me with the kisses of his mouth (saith the Spouse,Cant▪ 1.) for thy love is better then wine, nay then life it selfe: Luk 10. 41.A Christian may justifie the choice that he hath made with Mary of the good part; against all those that shall disparage his choice. Let the world account Christians what they will; that they are a company of deluded besotted persons, fooles and madmen. The Christian is the onelyonly wise man: Wisdome is seene in choice especially; and here is the choice of that which is excellent and most excellent of all, the cheefe of ten thousand.
So also,Vse. 3. Wee may see here the desperate and base f…lly of all whatsoever (save true Christians) what doe they make choice of to joyne to,The desperate miserable choice of most men. that which is base, the co…demned world, vaine transitory things, and refuse Christ…? Are they in their right wits who refuse a Husband that is noble for birth,Simile. rich for estate, mighty for power, abundant in kindnesse and love it selfe, every way excellent? and take a base, ignoble, beggerly person? this is the choice of the world.Psal. 81. God complaines Israell would none of mee, &c. What shall we judge therefore of those that will none of Christ when he woes and sues them, but prefer with Esaw a messe of portage before their eternall birthright, with Adam an apple before Paradice, and with Iudas thirty peeces of silver before Christ himselfe, this is the state of many men. To be married to Christ is to take him for an husband,What it is to be married to Christ. to be ruled by him in all things. Now when we prefer base commodities and contentments before peace of conscience and the enjoying of his love; what is it, but for pelfe and commoditie, thirty peeces of silver (perhaps for six pence a thing of nothing) to refuse Christ, yet this is the condition of base worldlings that live by sense and not by faith. So then as it serves to comfort those that have made a true choice, so it serves to shew the madnesse and folly of all others, which one day will feele their hearts full of horrour and confusion, and their faces of shame, when they shall thinke, what hath Christ made such sute to my heart to winne my love? hath he ordained a ministery for to bring me in? made such large promises, is he so excellent? and was this discovered to me and yet would I none of him? what did I choose, and what did I leave? I left Christ with all his riches, and made choise of the pleasures and profits of sinne,Heb. 11. which are but for a season. When the conscience is once thoroughly awaked this will torment it, the punishment of losse, not of losse simply, as the losse of Christ and the losse of Heaven,That the greatest losse of all is Christ discovered in his excellencie. but, the losse of Christ and of Heaven so d…scovered and opened: therefore there is no condition in the world so terrible as of those that live in the Church, and he are those things of Christ crucified unfolded to them before their eyes, as Paul speakes of the ministery,Gal. 3. it makes Christs crosse so open to them as if he had beene crucified before their eyes, yet notwithstanding yeeld to their base hearts desires and affections before these excellencies, which if they had a spirit of faith would draw their hearts to him.
Therfore let us consider how we heare those things,To take heed how we …eare. it concernes us neerely: on the one side we see what we get if we joyne with Christ, we have him and his: on the contrary we loose him; and not onelyonly so, but we gaine eternall misery, and perish eternally. O what basenesse of mind possesseth us, Christ left all things in love to us, and we leave Christ for any paultry thing in the world, almost to please and content the humours of sinnefull men, to attaine a few empty titles, to get a little wealth, injoy a little pleasure. You see then the equity of that terrible commination that you have, 1 Cor. 16. If any man love not the Lord Iesus Christ let him be Anathema maranatha. Let him be accursed for ever that loves not the Lord Jesus Christ, if any man sinne there is a remedy to discharge his sinne in Jesus Christ, if he will marry him and take him: but when Christ is offered and we will have none of him, we sinne against the Gospell; and then there is no remedy, there is nothing but Anathema, and maranatha; therefore the most dangerous sinnes of all, are those against the light of the Gospell: when yet we choose rather to live as we list, then to joyne our selves to Christ. To this purpose Heb. 2. S. Paul makes an use of the first chapter, wherein he sets out the excellency of Christ whom the Angels adore, he is so beautifull, so lovely that God the Father is in love with him,Mat. 3. 17. and pronounceth this is my Beloved sonne: In the beginning of the second chapter, Wherefore (saith he) how shall we escape if wee neglect so great salvation, Heb. 2.for, If they escaped not that despised Moses law, &c. How shall we escape if we neglect so great salvation? he saies not, if we oppose Christ: but if we neglect him, if we doe not love so great salvation, as 2 Thes. 1. 8. it is said, Christ will come in flaming fire to take vengeance of all those that doe not know God, and obey not the Gospell of Christ, though they do not per…ecute it.
Therefore this reprooves all civill morrall persons that thinke they have riches enough, not onelyonly debauched persons, but selfe-sufficient persons, that thinke they have any Righteousnesse of their owne, let them know, that Christ shall come in flaming fire, to take vengence of such: This is the scope of the second Psalme, which yee know sets out the excellency of Christ,Psal. 2. I have set my King upon Zion, God the Father there annoints Christ King of the Church: To what end? That wee should kisse the Sunne, kisse him with the kisse of subjection (as subject…s doe their Prince:) with the kisse of love, What it is to kisse the Sunne.as the Spouse doth her Husband, and with the kisse of faith. But what if we doe not kisse him, and subject our selves to him; love him and beleeve in him? If his wrath be once kindled happy are all those that trust in him: Hee is a Lambe, but such a one as can be angry, as Rev. 6. It is said, The Kings and great persons of the world, fly from the wrath of the Lamb, he that is so sweete mild and gentle, if we joyne with him, on the contrary, if we come not unto him, we shall finde the wrath of the Lamb, a terrible wrath, which the greatest Potentates in the world shall desire to be hid from. If his wrath be once kindled, blessed are all those that trust in him, and woe be to them that doe not receive him.
For us that professe our selves to be in Christ,Vse. 2. and to be joyned to him that is thus excellent,For those who are in Christ to make him the rule of our choice in other things. In friendship. let us make this use, to make him the rule of our choice in other things. In the choise of friends, choose such as are friends to Christ, take heed of society with Idolaters, or with prophane wretched persons. If you will be joyned to Christ, and professe your selves to be so, then let us joyne to none but those that we can enjoy and Christ too.In Marriage. So in marriage let the rule of choice be, the love of Christ; and likewise let the measure of our respect to all things be, the respect to Christ,In all things whatsoever love all with reference to Christ. let us measure our love to wife and children, to kindred, friends, and to all creatures whatsoever, as it may stand with love to Christ. Obey in the Lord, Marry in the Lord, doe all things in the Lord,1 Cor. 7. 39. so as may stand with the love and allowance of the Lord.
Make also,Vse. 3. a Vse of Direction, How to come to valew Christ thus:For direction. as to keepe an high esteeme of him, for this followes infallibly and undeniably: If Christ be, the cheefe of ten thousand, he must have the cheefe of our affections, above ten thousand: for, as he is in excellency, hee must have place in our hearts answerable thereunto; for, then our soules are as they should be, when they judge of, and affect things as they are in themselves.
First, Let us enter into a serious consideration of the need we have of Christ,Answ. 1. of our misery without him,By a deepe consideration of our necessity with out him. of our happinesse if we be joyned with him, the soule being thus convinced, the affections must needs follow the sanctified judgement.
What will come of it,That exa…ting Christ high in the heart is a strong prefervative against sinne. If Christ be set in the highest place in our heart, If we crowne him there, and make him King of Kings and Lord of Lords, in a hearty submitting of all the affections of the soule to him; while the soule continues in that frame, it cannot be drawne to sinne, discomfort, and despaire. The honours pleasures and profits that are got by base ingagements to the humours of men, what are these to Christ? when the soule is rightly possest of Christ and of his excellency, It disdaines that any thing should come in competition with him.
Againe, It stands firme against all discouragements whatsoever: for, it sets Christ against all, who is the cheefe of ten thousand. The soule in this case will set Christ against the anger and wrath of God, against Sathan and all our spirituall enemies. Christ is the Angell of the covenant: Sathan is a Lyon, a roaring Lyon: Christ the Lyon of the tribe of Juda: Sathan a Serpent, a Dragon: But Christ the true Brasen Serpent, the very looking upon whom will take away all the stings and fiery darts of Sathan whatsoever: wherefore it is said, I Iohn. 5. that Faith is that that overcommeth the world. How doth Faith overcome the world? Because it overcomes all things in the world, as on the right hand pleasures and profits and honours, and on the left hand threatnings, paines, losses and disgraces, by setting Christ against all.
Againe,We must labour to weane our hearts from other things. if we would have a right judgement and esteeme of Christ, Let us labour to weane our affections as much as may be from other things. Fleshly hearts that have runne so deepely into the world and vanities of this present life, It is in a sorte an extraordinary taske for them to be drawne away, and pulled from the world (as a child from a full brest) which they have sucked so long. Now for sweet affections that are tender, it is an excellent advantage they have to consider betimes that there is that in Religion and in the Gospell which is worth their best and prime affections, the flower and marrow of them,Tim. 3. 15. let them begin with young Timothie, Daniell and Ioseph to love Christ from their childhood.The danger of delaying to seek Christ late in our old age. It is a desperate folly on the other hand to put off the regard of good things till after when we shall be lesse fit, when the understanding will be darkened, and the affections blunted, when we shall not have that edge, nature being decayed and the world having taken such possession of the soule, that we shall not value this excellencie. Therefore let us begin betimes to make up the marriage between Christ and the soule, no time indeed is too late, but it were to be wished that those that are young would be thus wise for their soules betimes.
Besides if wee would highly value Christ,To value Chr…st we must beg of God a spirit to judge aright of our corruptions. (beg of God a spirit that wee may judge aright of our corruptions,) for, In what measure we can discerne the height, and bredth, and depth of our corrupt nature, In that measure shall we judge of the height, and bredth, and depth of the excellency of Christ. The sweetest soules are the most humble soules, those that love Christ most, are those that have beene stung most with the sence of their sinnes,Rom. 5. where sinne most abounds in the sence and feeling of it, grace much more abounds in the sence and feeling of that. Did ever soule love Christ more then that woeman that had so many Divels cast out of her?Luk 7. And, Paul that had such great sinnes forgiven. Doth any man so love his creditor as he that hath much debt forgiven him? It is our Saviour Christs owne reason, therefore these two goe alwaies with the true Church.Two attendants of the true Church. 1. The true knowledge of the corruption of nature, and misery by reason of it. And 2. The true sence and feeling of it, with true and hearty sorrow for it, &c. In Popery they slight Originall sinne,Why sin is so …l…ghted in Popery. that mother breeding sinne, Actuall sinnes be veniall, and many sins no sins. And therefore they esteeme so slightly of Christ, that they joyne Saints, the Pope, Works and Satisfaction with him, because they know not the depth of the malady, how blacke sinne is, what a cursed estate we are in by nature: they have slight, shallow and weake conceipts of sinne, therefore they have answerable weake, and shallow conceipts of Christ and of his Righteousnesse and excellency. Therefore the conviction of our sinnes goeth before the conviction of righteousnesse in Christ, (as it is said, Ioh. 16.) The Holy Ghost shall convince the world of sinne and then of righteousnesse: for except the soule be convinced of sinne and of ill in it selfe, it will never bee truely convinced of good and of righteousnesse in Christ.
The Passeover was alwaies eaten with sowre herbes,Why the Passeover was eaten with sowre herbes. because it should ad a rellish to the feast. So Christ the true Passeover we never rellish truely without sower herbes, the consideration of sinne with the desert of it. Christ savours otherwise to a man humbled for his sinnes, then he doth to another man not touched therewith: otherwise to a poore man then he doth to a rich: otherwise to a man that the world goes not well on his side, then to a prosperous man. One savoury discourse of Christ relisheth more to an afflicted soule, the seven discourses with such as are drunk with prosperity, not having a brayne strong enough to conceive, nor an appetite to rellish heavenly things.
Therefore why doe wee murmure at the crosse,That it is our great …lly to murmure at the crosse which recovers our spirituall taste and r…llish. when all is to recover our spirituall taste and rellish? Salomon had lost his taste and rellish of Christ, he never made his song of songs when he was in his Idolatrous way, nor was so in love with Christ and his excellencies when he doted so much upon his wives: no, but when he had recovered his spirits tast and rellish of heavenly things once, then made he the Booke of the Preacher. When he had runne through variety of things, and saw all to be nothing but vexation of spirit, and besides that, vanitie: then he passeth his verdict upon all things, that they were vanity. So it is with us, we can hardly prize Christ without some afflictions, some crosse or other: therfore here the Church is faine to indure a spirituall desertion, to set an edge upon her affections? Now when she is thus in her disertions, Christ is white and ruddie, the cheefe of ten thousand.
We▪ Want makes us value things the more.valew more, and set a higher prize on things in the want of them (such is our corruption) then in the injoying of them. And if God remember us not with affliction, then let us afflict, humble and judge our selves: enter into our owne soules to view how we stand affected to Christ, to Heaven, and to heavenly things: how doe I rellish and esteeme them? if … have lost my esteeme and valuing, where have I lost it, consider in what sinne, in what pleasure, in what company J lost it; and converse no more with such as dull our affections to heavenly things.
And,To esteeme Christ highly using our infirmities to this …nd looking upon them. Isa. 64. 6. Let us make use likewise of our infirmities and sinnes to this purpose, to set an high prize on the excellencies of Christ, we carry about us alwaies infirmities and corruptions, what use shall we make of them? not to trust to our owne righteousnesse, which is as a defiled cloth: But fly to Christs Righteousnesse, which is the Righteousnesse of God-man, all being as dung and drosse in regard of that: Often thinke with thy selfe what am I, a poore sinfull creature, but I have a Righteousnesse in Christ that answers all, I am weake in my selfe, but Christ is strong, and I am strong in him. J am foolish in my selfe, but I am wise in him, what I want in my selfe, I have in him: he is mine, and his Righteousnesse is mine, which is the Righteousnesse of God-man, being cloathed with this I stand safe, against Conscience, Hell, wrath and whatsoever. Though I have daily experience of my sinnes, yet there is more Righteousnesse in Christ who is mine, and who is the cheefe of ten thousand, then there is sin in me. When thus we shall know Christ, then wee shall know him to purpose.
The end of the fifteenth Sermon.