Two Sermons, Sermon 1
TWO SERMONS: PREACHED By that Faithfull and Reverend Divine, RICHARD SIBBES, D. D. and sometimes Preacher to the Honorable Society of Grayes Inne; And Master of Katherine Hall in CAMBRIDGE.
Printed at London by T. Cotes, for Andr. Kembe, & are to be sold at his Shop at S. Margarets Hill in Southwarke. 1639.
Imprimatur
Tho. Wykes. Aprill 12. 1638.
TO THE RIGHT WORSHIPFVLL Sir John Howland, Knight.
SIR,
THese two Sermons were brought unto me for the Sermons of that learned and religious Divine, whose name they beare: and, so farre as I am able to judge, the stile and spiritualtie of the matter argue no lesse. Being earnestly requested to peruse them, I thought fit to commend them to the world under your name, because I know that you so well affected the Author. Now my request unto you is, that you would be pleased to accept the Dedication of them as a testimony of his sincere affection, who labours, and prayes for your good in the best things,
Your Worships to be commanded in all Christian service; R. T.
THE SPOVSE, HER Earnest desire after Christ her Husband.
OR, A Sermon preached on CANT. 1. Vers. ….
By that Faithfull and Reverend Divine, Richard Sibbes, D. D. and sometimes Preacher to the Honorable Societie of Grayes-Inne: And Master of Katherine Hall in Cambridge.
PSAL. 73. 25. Whom have I in Heaven but thee? and there is none upon earth that I desire besides thee.
THE SPOVSE, Her earnest desire after Christ.
CANT. 1. ….
Let him kisse mee with the kisses of his mouth, for thy love is better then wine.
THE HOLY Ghost is pleased here to cōdescend to Loquitur ad modum nostrum, agit ad modum suum, Augustin.our infirmities, and that wee might helpe our selves, in our spirituall estate, by our bodily; hee speaketh here of heavenly things after an earthly manner, and in a comfortable mystery. As in other places the Holy Ghost sets out the joyes of Heaven by a sweet Ban quet: so here hee sets out the union that wee have with Christ, by the union of the Husband with the wife. And that wee might the better understand what this union is, hee condescends to our weake capacities, that wee might see that in a glasse of resemblance which wee (through our corruptions) cannot discerne in the owne nature. This booke therefore is nothing else but a shadowed demonstration and setting forth of the love of Christ to his Church, and of the love of the Church to Christ under certaine earthly similitudes so familiarly and naturally, that the Iewes tooke, and doe take great scandall at it, and therefore would not have any to reade it, till they should come (at least) to the age of thirty yeares; and this, least they thereby should be tempted to wantonnesse and foule incontinency; where in they should seeme wiser then God himselfe, and teach the holy Ghost to speake. But the Holy Ghost is pleased thus by corporall, to set out spirituall things, which are of a higher straine, that by some deeper thoughts, and more then a taste of the one, they might bee made to transpose their affections (which in your youthfull age are most strong) from the heate of naturall love to a flame of spirituall desires, and to the things of God. All therefore who are spiritually minded, (for whom chiefly the Scriptures, and this holy booke of Scripture were written) must indeavour out of this shell, to take out the sweete kernell of our blessed Communion with Christ, howsoever others (otherwise minded) take offence hereat; for here, the union betweene Christ and his Spouse is so familiarly and to the life pensilled out by that union which is betweene the Husband and the Wife, that though ungodly men may stumble here, as at some stone of offence, yet the godly may by a better hand receive instruction and much bettering from the same.
To come to the words themselves, they are the words of the Spouse to Christ, containing in them two particulars.
First, an earnest desire in 1.these words, Let him kisse mee with the kisses of his mouth.
In which note 3. things further; as,
First the person desiring, the Church.
Secondly, the person desired, Christ.
Thirdly, the thing desired, A familiar kisse of his mouth.
Secondly, the ground of the desire, fetelit from the excellency of the thing desired, in these words, For thy love is sweeter then wine.
From the whole in generall; observe a spirituall contract Doct. Generall.betweene Christ and his Church. There is a civill contract betweene man and wife; answerable to wch the spirituall betweene Christ and his Chuch holds fit resemblance.
1. That this civill contract may hold; both parties must consent. So it is betweene Christ and his Spouse; hee was so in love with mankind that he hath taken our nature upon him, and this his incarnation is the ground of all this union of ours with him. For first, his incarnation is the cause or ground of our union with him in grace here: and secondly, our union in grace is the ground of our union with him in glory. And now that we may be a Spouse to him, he gives us his Spirit to testifie his love to us, that we might give our consent in love to him againe; and that wee might be made a fit Spouse for him.
2. Likewise in marriage there is a communicating of all good things; and so it is here. Christ here in this spirituall contract gives himselfe, and with himselfe all good things unto us. The Spirit therefore is the Churches; his happinesse the Churches, his graces are the Churches, his righteousnesse the Churches; In a word, all his priviledges and prerogatives are the Churches; as saith the Apostle, all things are Christs, and Christ is yours; and the reason is given for all are Christs, and all that are 1 Cor. 3. 21.Christs are yours by this spirituall symbolizing contract. This excellency is spoken of by the Prophet Hosea; where speaking of Hos 2. 19. &c.this spirituall contract betweene Christ and his Church he saith;
In that day when he shall marry her unto himselfe in faithfulnesse, he will make a covenant for her with all creatures; with the beasts of the field, the foules of heaven, and all that creepeth upon the earth: so that upon this contract commeth in a traine of familiaritie, or league of close union between the Church and all the creatures. All that he hath done, all that hee hath suffered, by this contract is made ours, and we have the benefit of all, by being his members, and of his body.
Object. But what have wee to bestow upon him againe?
Sol. Nothing at all, neither portion nor proportion; neither beauty nor riches; but a miserable and base condition that he took upon him. For use:
This is a welspring of much comfort, & a ground Vse. Twofold.of many duties. For our comfort.
Christ condescended so First of comfort.farre unto us, and into such a neare aquaintance tooke us as to make us his Spouse, he who did so hath al things at his command: and then what can wee want at the fountaine? Wee can want no protection; for that is the covering of this Well: we can want no good thing, for all goodnesse is in this Well of life; we have free accesse unto Christ as the wife hath to her hus band, for who should have free accesse to the husband but the wife; or who so free as shee? So, who hath free accesse to Christ, but the Spouse, or so as shee hath.
Yea, but we have infirmities, Object.and are by them a wife too farre unfit for such a husband?
True indeede: but shall Sol.man beare with his wife, because shee is the weaker vessell, and will not Christ much more with his Spouse? But this union of man with wife is but for a short time; death cuts that wife, but here (which is our chiefest comfort) this contract is not for a time but for ever. I have married thee unto my selfe for ever saith the Lord. And therefore wee shall never want potection or direction, or good thing while we are his; and his wee shall hee ever. And thus stands the case betweene Christ and us
Now for the duty on our part it is to love him againe with a mutuall and obedient love, to honour him as Sarah did Abraham, when 1 Pet. 3. 6.shee called him Lord; and to manifest it by doing what hee would have us to doe, and by suffering what he would have us to beare for his sake.
But to come to particulars.
First, we have the person desiring, Let him kisse me; Secondly the person desired, let Him; Thirdly, the things, the kisses of his mouth.
For the first; Me, it is here the speech of the whole Church, and so of every particular member, every of which is the Spouse of Christ. The point from hence is:
All Christian savours belong Doct.to all Christians alike; wee (all alike) have one Faith, one Baptisme, one Spirit, and every Christian may say mee: so saith the whole Church; and every Christian as well as it may so say: for all Christian priviledges belong to all alike.
Herein take comfort then, Vse 1.that who soever belongs to the Church in generall, belongs to thee as a particular of the whole. I name but this.
Now secondly, this teaches Vse 2.us by steps of reason to ascend from one spirituall priviledge to another, as thus; Abraham beleeved, and it was counted to him for righteousnesse; and therefore if I beleeve, I shall be counted righteous. David sinned; and David sinning repented and found mercy, and therefore if I repent I shall finde mercy. And thus all priviledges belong alike to all Christians. Every Christian soule is the Spouse of Christ as well as the whole Church. Therefore Saint Paul thus propoun's himselfe an example to all that would beleeve in Christ, 1 Tim. 1. 16. God had mercy on me. Where therefore hee encourageth all to come unto Christ, by his owne experience, videlicet, that hee will have mercy on thee, as he had on him. Whatsoeever then is promised to the whole Church, that apply to thy owne soule in particular; and whatsoever is required of the whole Church, that know to bee required of thee in thy particular by Christ, if thou be a member of his body, and beest in his service. But though in spirituall favours all have alike portion and proportion; yet it is not so in outward things. For here some are rich, some poore, some honorable, and some base, and all with some difference: but in the best priviledges and best gifts there is an equall extension to all; to the poore Christian as much and as soone as to the rich: to him that is base in the eye of the world, as well and (perhaps) sooner then to him that is honorable.
And now secondly, for the person desired; Let him.
Many make love to this Spouse; the divell, the world and the flesh. The divell and carnall persons make love to the soule to draw her away from Christ, but shee will not turne aside, but lookes to Christ still, Let him kisse me. Shee goes not (as Papists doe) to Peter and Paul, or any Saint; but to Christ, and to him onelyonly. Saith shee, he is my welbeloved Cant. 2 16.and I am his, hee is my inclosure, and I am his peculiar; none have I in heaven but him, and there is none that I desire in comparison of him. Hee hath singled out me, and I him; Let Him kisse me, saith the Spouse, and I will kisse none but him.
For the third thing, the thing desired; Let Him kisse me, &c.
The thing desired here, is a kisse. There are divers sorts of kisses spoken of in Scripture: there is a kisse of superiours to inferiours, and of inferiours to superiours. Also there is an holy aRom. 16. 16.kisse, and an hypocriticall kisse, as b2 Sam. 20 10.Ioabs was to Amasa, and as cMat. 26. 49.Iudas kisse to 1 Cor. 16. 20, &c.Christ. There are kisses of love, so d1 Sam. 20 41.Ionathan kissed David; there are kisses of subjection; and here what is sayd, may well bee taken in sence as there, ePsal. 2. 12.kisse yee the Sonne, &c.
But this kisse is of a superiour to an inferiour; Let Him kisse me with the kisses of His mouth: that is, let him shew me a further testimony of his love by his presence; and let mee enjoy a further communion with him: or let him further assure me of his love. Consider the Churches meaning here: the Church, however shee had good interest in this spirituall joynture at the marriage making; yet shee, (according to the different degrees of time) had different degrees of desires to bee further and further assured. From Solomons time, and before, even from the beginning, there was ever a desire in the Church to these kisses of Christs mouth; which is, that hee would come in our nature; and that he would manifest by little and little, and clearer and clearer, his comming in the flesh; which accordingly he did by degrees, and with open countenance at last. As first in Paradise; aGen. 3. 15.The seede of the woman shall breake the Serpents head; then to Abraham, bGen. 12. 3In thy seede shall all the families of the earth be blessed; aftēr that, to one Tribe, the Tribe of cGen. 49. 10.Iuda; then to one Family of that Tribe, the house of David; Heb. 7. 14. Rom. 5. 5.and sweetly to his Prophet Esay, dEsa. 7. 14.A Virgin shall conceive; and after with the finger of the Baptist, Iohn pointing to Christ; eIoh. 1. 29.Behold the Lambe of God that takes away the sinnes of the world; and so you see how Christ did reveale himselfe often, and by degrees unto his Church; answerable to which were the desires of the Church for the comming of Christ; as the Prophet Isaiah, where hee Esa. 64. 1.saith, Oh that thou wouldst breake the heavens and come downe. Where hee prophesied of those that should waite for the consummation of Israel: And thus before Christ came in the flesh; the Church had a great longing after his incarnation; as here: Let him kisse me with the kisses of his mouth. But this is not all, and shee was not ignorant that this could not bee till the last time of dayes; therefore she desireth some further meanes of aquaintance with Christ, & knowledge of him; desiring that hee would manifest himselfe more and more by his word, by his graces, and by his Spirit. As therefore then the desire of the Church was for the comming of Christ, so now that which Christians should desire and long after, is not that Christ might come to them, but that they might goe to him, and that they might bee with him in glory. They love his appearance; but because this cannot be yet; (though the Church be still in expectation) therefore he desireth to heare his words, or that hee would kisse her with his mouth in his Word. And yet that is not all neither; but that shee might finde his Spirit now walking with her here; and further that he would kisse her with his mouth, by encreasing his good graces in her, and by manifesting his love unto her: this is the desire of her soule. This is the whole suit of the Christian Church, and of every Christian soule: namely that Christ would thus kisse her, and that he would reveale himselfe every day more and more unto her, in his Word, in his Sacraments, by his Spirit, and by increase of graces with a plentifull addition. This I say, is the desire of the Church; and it is the desire also of every Christian faithfull soule, even that Christ would thus breath upon her with the holy kisses of his lippes.
And now wee come to the ground of this desire taken from the excellency of the love of Christ, which is here sayd by an experience of the whole of Christianitie, and by the particular of every Christian soule, to bee sweeter then wine.
From hence wee note two things.
First, that every Christian Doct. 1.soule and the Spouse in generall hath a sweete taste of the love of Christ, even in this life.
2. That after this contract Doct. 2.and taste of this love, shee hath ever springing up in her a further desire of the encrease and manifestation thereof.
For the first; As after the Doct. 1.contract there is a more and more evident manifestation of love then was before; yet not so full as after the marriage: so Christ, though hee doe give his Spouse a taste of his love here, and sends certaine love tokens unto her from heaven, some graces whereby his love is made more manifest then before it was, (as Isaack Gen. 24.sent to Rebecka some Iewels and Bracelets to manifest his love to her:) yet his love is not fully manifested in this life, but is kept close untill the day of the great solemnitie. But because Christ cannot delight in his Spouse, unlesse she be decked with some of his graces here; therefore here hee gives hee some hand sells of them, which are not onelyonly a taste of his favours but the fruite of his love.
The reasons are divers.
The first reason is because Rea. 1.hee would minister to her some solace after the long time of her absence from him, and that shee might not faint, but having some sweet taste of his love here, might stay her stomacke upon that, somewhat in hand, till the day wherein the Lord Christ will fully manifest his love unto her. The Lord seeth that his children are apt to bee opprest with heavinesse here; and therefore he gives them a taste as the earnest of the bargaine, till the whole come; that is, somewhat to comfort them till that come that will wipe away all teares, and shut out sorrow; when there shall be no woe.
Secondly, the Lord gives his children a sweet taste of Reas. 2.his love here, that by weaknesse and frailty they might not fall away and so lose their first love (but if they should slip) that then they might recover their first grounds, and say with the Church; wee will goe and returne to our first husband; for it was better with us then, then now, Hos. 2. 7. so strong was that love, and so sweet that wee had from him.
Thirdly, and this is because Reas. 3.the manifestation of this his love doth wonderfully strengthen a Christian, causing him to goe lightly through the heaviest affliction: for when Christ assures a Christian of his love, then no affliction will seeme grievous, but hee'l through all, hee'l suffer whatsoever shall be fall him for Christs sake with joy.
Lastly, Christ gives his Reas. 4.Church, and so every Christian a taste of his love in this life, because he knowes we have many temptations in this world which are ready to steale away our affections, and, to rob God of his part in us; as carnall pleasures, riches, honours, and the like. Now that these might not draw away our affections; he gives us a taste of his love, which is better then all these, and all things else; sweeter then the sweetest wine, or best thing that can bee desired. I say God gives us the first fruits of his love here; and it is that our affections might be preserved chast to him, and wee kept from wandering in the love of a stranger. And so hee gives us a sweet taste of his love in this life; that neither afflictions, on our left hand, might too much presse us downe or discomfort us; nor the pleasures and delights of this life on our right steale us from God.
The use is to teach us to admire at the goodnesse of Use.God in this, that he is pleased so to provide for us, that is, so sufficiently as to keepe us from being too much overcome with heavinesse, through the multitude of temptations and afflictions, which in this life wee are subject unto, and to expell the bitternesse there of with the sweetnesse of his love, as with Sugar in the cup; and all to have us fast unto himselfe, and our affections proper unto him.
And so wee come to the second Doctrine, which is this:
That the Church (and so Doct. 2.every Christian) after this contract and first taste of Christs love, and evermore springing up in him, an insa. tiable desire after a further taste and deeper pledge of that love.
The reasons why are two.
The first may bee taken from the nature of true Reas. 1.love, which is never satisfied. And hence it is that though Christ give his Spouse a taste of his love in his word, by sending his Embassadours, his Ministers with his love-letters, unto her in the Gospell, giving her therein a large volume of his love; as also in the seale of his Spirit, and Sacramēnts (those love-tokens) and in many other worthy influences; yet all this cannot satisfie her thirsty and more desiring soule; but Christ, having thus manifested his love unto her, in the first fruits, shee must have more of the same, and still longs to have a further assurance.
The second reason may bee drawne from Christs Reas. 2.infinite riches, who (therefore) is so infinite in his gifts and glory, in his power, in his bountie, in his pleasures, joyes, and the like, that we know no end thereof. He hath all things, All power is given him in Mat. 28. 18heaven and in earth; every way infinite in himselfe and in his bounties infinitely magnificent, and how (then) can the Spouse but have an infinite desire to a further and still further taste of his love, and of a nearer communion with him? And so whether we regard the nature of love, which is never satisfied; or whether wee consider Christs infinite riches manifest in his truth; there must be an in satiable mind of desire in a Christian, to bee further filled with, and more fully assured of the love of Christ. Where grace is, there is a further desire of growing in grace; and it is an higher degree of love to desire an enjoying of the presence of Christ, then to desire to enjoy heaven it selfe, which cannot be yet.
Therefore here let us try Vse 1.our love by our labouring, for that sight of Christ wch we may have of him in this life below; and here lot us desire often and much to see him in his ordinances, where hee manifests himselfe in a speciall manner. Therefore I say, art thou sicke and in prison, or so lame of thy limbes that thon canst not come to the assembly? and is it therefore thy greatest trouble, and the great greefe of thy soule that thou art thus shut out from the presence of Christ and the Angells in his ordinances, and from the congregation of the Saints, where he by familiar kisses useth to manifest his love to thee and to them? and if so, it is well. But here I cannot but wonder how some persons dare to take upon them the name of Christianitie; and yet thinke the men too holy, and the course too strict that lookes that way. Surely such want the true Character of a right Christian, which is to have a further and further desire of the manifestation of Christs love. Many of these neglect the ordinances of God, or if they come where they may bee had, never desire by them a further increase, as it were the inward kisses of Christs mouth: but content themselves with the outward; even the barke of those ordinances.
When the Spirit should witnesse and seale up this love, the love of Christ to their soules by an inward kisse, they content themselves with the outward, the bare hearing of the word: But mark what I say; where this further desire of familiaritie with Christ is not, there is but a barren soile and soule of a Christian: there is no true taste of Christs love; for if there were, there would be a further desire of growth in that affection. There are some that make a faire profession like unto many that marry to cloake their adultery; for so, such professe Christ to cover their strong covetousnesse and other strong faults, that they may have more libertie to commit sin. But Christians, truly religious must not content themselves with outwardnesse in these kisses, but give, as the outward man, so the sacrifice of the inwaid (the soule) unto God. Let those that finde (after such tryall) these desires springing up in them; comfort themselves in this, that they are Christs, and that Christ will manifest his love more and more unto them. For he hath promised to grant the desires Psal. 37. 4.of the righteous. Hast thou then a longing desire to have a further taste of the love of Christ? Vse the meanes conscionably, and then be sure that Christ this Ioseph will open himselfe further and further unto thee, and thy soule shall know it. This for one use;
Another is for exhortation and spirituall direction, Use 2.as how wee shall come to a further assurance, signe, and fruit of this love of Christ. My beloved if we desire it; wee must labour to have; first, chast judgements, and secondly, chast affections. A chast judgement from errour, heresie, and schisme; and affections chast from the world, from pleasures and the like: for Christ is wonderfull jealous both of our judgements, and of our love. Therefore Paul desires to present the Corinths a pure Virgin unto Christ. 2 Cor. 11. 2.And further as we must affect goodnesse, so wee must professe truth; wee must have chast judgements, as well as chast affections: the Spouse of Christ as shee is pure in affections, so shee is is pure in judgement; shee heares his voyce and followes him. Whatsoever comes not from the Word she receives not but rejects it. And as her judgement is right set, so her affections are pure and holy.
Now therefore labour for these; that is, for chast affections. Christ will not have us to divide our affections; some for him, and some for the world; or partly for pleasures, and partly for him; no, hee will not have it so: for, a fire divided hath lesse heat. Hee will have the whole heart and the whole of our affections, or he will have neither heart nor affection. If wee give our hearts to the world or to the pleasures of the world, (the love of which is enmity with God) then Iam. 4. 4.have wee an adulterous heart: which to doe is a double sinne, as it is for a wife to commit whoredome; for in her whoredome there is a breach of chastitie, and breach of the marriage band. And indeed to embrace the world after we are contracted unto Christ, what is it lesse then whoredome, and a breach of covenant in our spirituall contract with Christ? therefore, beware of worldly-mindednesse, which as glew will tie all thy affections so fast to the earth, that thou shalt not be able to lift any to Christ. Take heede of the pleasures of the world, least they drowne thy soule in perdition and destruction, as the Apostle saith, 1 Tim. 6. 9. for many soules hath this Sea covered, even of those that have professed with the best, and have gone for good Christians.
But thirdly, if wee will 3.grow in the assurance of the love of Christ, and have more familiar kisses of his mouth; then labour we to get an humble heart, by searching out our owne great unworthinesse, in respect of what wee are, or were by nature. Indeed, we may disparage our credits by abasing our selves in respect of men, but never can wee be too much humbled to our Saviour, in acknowledging our selves unworthy of all that wee have. There is no danger in debasing our selves to our Saviour; nay 'tis for our greater honour with God: for, those that thus honour him, hee will honour and grace with his blessings, who giveth grace to the humble. In such a Spirit he delights to dwell as a man at home, Esay 66. 3. Let us with all humilitie (then) acknowledge all to bee from his free grace; and with Iacob, that we our selves are lesse Gen. 32. 10.then the least of his mercies.
Againe fourthly, if wee 4.will grow in the assurance of the love of Christ; let us give Christ no peace, nor take any nay of him till hee hath given us the sweet kisses of his love. Many times he delayes the manifesting of his love; but what though? yet waite thou his pleasure; he hath waited long upon thee. We see Mary Magdalen, what a doe shee made when shee could not finde Christ; at last he manifested himselfe unto her, and called her by Luk. 7. 47.her name, demanding for what shee wept, and whom she sought; but it was some time first. Doe thou as she, give him no rest, take no deniall of him, nor give off till he answer thee: for, hee will doe it first or last. What did the woman of Canaan? shee gave Christ Mat. 15. 22.no rest till hee did encline unto her. So Iacob wrestled Gen. 32. 24with God, & would not let him goe till he had assured him of his love and favour; he I say, who hath promised to grant the desires of Psal. 37. 4.the righteous. O then hath he given thee any the like strong desire after him? continue constant, importuning him by earnest and fervent prayer, and not taking off, till he incline unto thee. Hee cannot stand out with thee long, hee cannot deny thee though he differ for some time and cause best knowne to himselfe; the assurance will come, and though it tarry, doe thou waite, Hab. 2. 3.
Fiftly, and againe, take every thing for thine advantage, and improve thy former experience as what former love, and favour, & power and fidelitie and stabilitie thou hast had, and make thy benefit of them all to thy best helpe, and till hee answer thee as hee will at last, and as hee did the woman of Canaan; plead hard for thy selfe (as shee) till then. Christ accounts her a Dog, Matth. 15. 26. I am indeed so, saith shee; but, meane time, takes good advantage of his words, and thereby pleades strongly for herselfe: no otherwise then the servants of Benhadad, who watched the words of Ahab, and drew comfort from them, 1 King. 20. 33. So here, make thou thy plea strong by thine owne experience, and take all advantages. God hath beene thus and thus good unto thee for many yeares; these and these meanes hee hath given thee, and thus and thus they have wrought for thy good; therefore say then: I will for this follow him still, and untill hee assure mee of his love in a further degree, and further doe for me.
Sixtly, but see thou bee 6.modest in thy desires of this kind. Desire no great matter at the first, that is, not so full an assurance of this love of Christ, at the beginning of thy desires, but with observation and attendance fitting. And here observe the degrees of these kisses, and manifestation of this love. The theefe on Luk. 23. 42.the Crosse desired but to bee remembred of Christ when hee came into his Kingdome no more but to bee remembred, and so no great matter. So doe thou; doe but desire a taste of his love, though never so little. For so the deare children of God have done. They have first desired the pardon of their sinnes; which obtained, they have proceeded to more, as humbly to beg such and such graces of the Spirit as seales to assure them further and further to seale up his love unto them with his nearer communion.
But this communion is Object.not alway felt.
I answer, if Christ be Sol.strange to us, the fault is our owne not his; for he is all love. And so it is eyther 1.because our loose hearts runne after some carnall contents; and what marvell then that Christ should shew himself strange unto us who runne from him? and that wee should goe mourning all the day long without any sense of his love? Or else it is because 2.we will not seeke for these his kisses; that is, for a further taste of his love as wee should in his ordinances; or because we doe not exercise those graces that wee have as is required by our attending upon them, and by resting by Faith upon Gods promise for a blessing: Or because wee 3.are negligent to stir up those graces of God in us by private duties: or because wee trust our selves to bad companies, and to persons led about with evill desires, or possessed with an evill Spirit: Or because God would exercise and try our Faith, and so let us see our selves; that is in our owne naturall state of weakenesse. For thus hee left Peter. Otherwise it is Christs nature to manifest himselfe and his love unto his by the familiar kisses of his mouth. Now search into your hearts, and you shall finde that these or such like as these are the causes why Christ is strange unto you, and why you are so sencelesse of your communion with him.
Consider yet againe 7.when it is, and at what time that we have Christs sweetest kisses, and are most refreshed with his loving countenance. It is not when wee lay our strength (all of it) upon good meanes? and so when wee strive with God in prayer, and labour in all humility, rightly, and profitably to use all his holy ordinances? Marke these well, as the meanes to preserve and encrease the assurance of Christs love in you.
And further consider by what meanes and how you may fall into this deadnesse of heart, and what were the causes of it.
Secondly, observe how you may come to have most communion with Christ, and at what time, and after what performances: as to be able to say, I was thus and thus dead and sencelesse of Christs love; but now I am thus and thus comforted and refreshed with it, I was strong for my pleasures; now I am strongly bent to please God, and my selfe no way with his dishonour; I was all for my selfe, now I am the least part of my selfe, so God may have all: I denyed my selfe nothing, now I pull in all things, and resigne up my selfe and all to Gods will. If thus wee deny our selves in every thing and serve God in all, and this because wee will breake away from all impediments in heavenly courses, God will be sure to recompence us in spirituall things abundantly, yea and in temporall also, so farre as he shall see them to be good for us.
Adde yet this consideration more, that when thou wast afflicted and hadst none to comfort thee, that then, and even then the Lord was most sweet unto thee, that then he refreshed thy soule with the balsome of his love. Consider this and thou canst not but know what mouth hath kissed thee.
These may helpe us much in getting a further assurance of Christs love; …e stirred up therefore to a desire to be where Christ is, and to have the kisses of his love in his ordinances, so often as wee have a tender of them: So shall we get more store, and further testimonie of his favour, and so shall wee more encrease in grace, and communion with Christ. So shall wee never want good assurance for a good estate in heaven, or comfort in any other estate. For cast such a man into a Dungeon, hee hath a Paradise there. And why there? Because Christ comes to him. Further, if wee have this cōmunion with Christ, then though we are compassed about with death, death Psal. 23 4.shall not affright us, because the great God is with us. Doe with such a man what you will; cast him into hell if it were possible; hee having a sweet communion with Christ would be joyfull even in that prison of the damned. And take this with you: the more sence you have of the love of Christ, the lesse you will regard the pleasures, the riches or contempts of the world. And indeed what joy can bee compared with this, that the soule hath communion with Christ? All the world is nothing to this.
And now seeing you cannot require this love of Use. 3.Christ, yet shew your love to him as you may, and as you may manifest your love to his members, and kisse them with the kisses of your love. Doe good to the poore; especially to those poore that have the Church of God in their Families. As the woman powred her oyle on the head of Christ; so doe you powre some of yours upon the feete of Christ. That which yee would doe to him if hee were here, that doe to his members, in whom he is after a sort present with you. Thereby you may further your communion with him, and make him your debter; then, as one saith well: hee can be no loser, that makes God his debter.