A Fathers Testament, Chapter 11
CAP. XI.
All Blessedness is found only in the Lord Iesus Christ.
THE whole Portion of man, all treasures, and true riches, which fill man with true blessedness, are stored up in Christ: Riches, and honour are with him, yea durable riches, and righteousness, Prov. 8.18. In him are hid all the treasures of wisdom, and knowledge, Col. 2.3. He is full of grace, and truth, and from his fulness we all receive, and grace for grace, Joh. 1.14, 16. and so are we filled with the fulness of God, Ephes. 3.19. It will therefore be not more needful, than delightful to take a further view of this glorious inheritance; so to kindle, and inflame our dull hearts with more love, and longing after him, to drive us to seek, and quicken us in seeking, that …o we may find him.
Of all the Artifices devised, and practised by that envious, and subtle Serpent this is the principal, to draw a Curtain before this express Image of Gods person; who being the Brightness of his glory, (Heb. 1.3.) if we could behold with open eyes his Divine beauty, would wonderfully ravish our enamoured spirits, and so attract, win, and hold our eyes, and hearts that he would utterly raze out all other vain loves and washy colours, and cause us wholly to despise all those painted flowers of counterfeit beauties, which grow not in his face, and shine not in his eyes.
As therefore that our heavenly Father (the Father of lights) in his gracious wisdom, to draw us to Christ, commands his light to shine out of darkness, and opens for it a window in our hearts, to give us knowledge of the glory of God in (no other object but) the face of the Lo…d Iesus Christ, (2 Cor. 4.6.) so this Prince of darkness imployes all his Engines, with all diligence, to obscure that light of the Gospel, lest in it this Image of God should shine out unto us, 2 Cor. 4.4. And as he by his false Apostles (deceitful workers) labours to distort those amiable lineaments, and darken the radiant beauties of the Lord Iesus: so our God sets his servants of the Ministry on work, (foreign) Gal. 3.3. to limb out Christ in all his love, and excellency to us.
Now it is he who hath committed that pencil of his Gospel into my weak hand. I desire therefore, as I can, (a poor Apprentice in my trade) and as I have learnt of him, to describe him to you; you know well, as other Princes, so this King of Kings wooes by picture. He sends here unto you drawn by a rude hand his pourtrait, which (as dimm as it is by reason of my unskilfulness) is able (through his working) to enflame your hearts with love, with sickness of love, with ardent desire, and restless longings after him.
As in the Creature there is a double quality which kindles affection, either simple, whereby it self is perfect, or relative, whereby others are bettered; so is there in our Lord, and Creator a double excellency, …imply considered wherein himself is incomprehen…ibly blessed in his most glorious perfections, relative in his infinite both goodness, and fulness to supply our imperfections, and fill us with blessedness.
For the first, because our infirm eyes would soon be dazeled with the rayes of that Sun of Righteousness (if in open light, and full view he were presented to us,) therefore the Lord is pleased to mask the face of …hat glorious lustre with shadows of earthly comparisons, and to let us (here) see the …ight of it as through a cloud.
Now as corporal beauty consists, 1. Of a …omely feature, (when the whole body, and …very limb is cast into a due frame, keeping …ust proportions, and every one fashioned in … right mould, neither excessive, nor defe…tive) and 2. Of an amiable colour, dispread …ver the whole body, and every member; …hen each part is dressed, and tired in such …livery as most commends it to the eye of the …eholder; so also doth the spiritual: view … curiously drawn, Cant. 5. from the 10. v. … the end. There may you behold our be…ved excellently pourtrayed by the hand of … own Spirit, as well in all his excellencies, … head, locks, eyes, cheeks, lipps, hands, leggs, … countenance, mouth, as also in his most …vely colours, white, and ruddy, &c. The meaning is, Look as a person excellently comely in all the lineaments, and proportions of every member, and exquisitely fair in the natural tapestry of a pure complexion is a most ravishing object to an eye of flesh; so in that second Adam (the quickning Spirit) could we lift up our eyes to take a full view of his dazeling beauties (which now are veiled from our imperfect sight, for no man can see him and live) could we behold (in their measures) those his most glorious Attributes, and then clearly discern that infinite purity, shining, and sparkling in every one of them, it would (as once it certainly shall) fill our spirits with heavenly raptures, and ravishing extasies in contemplation of those divine beauties.
Take a more particular, and distinct view of these most glorious perfections. Look what comeliness is in man, that in Christ is Omnipotency, or All-sufficiency. Comeliness i… nothing else but that form of body, whereby every limb is so placed, grown, and proportioned, that it is apted for its office, an… for the use of the body: were the Ey… (the Spy of the body) placed elsewhere tha… in the Watch-towre, were the hand, or fo… turned backward; how should they execu… their office, and discharge their duties? Bu… when the eye, the ear, and every part is … seated, and shaped, as that it is most fitted, and best enabled for the work unto which it is designed, and no work of the body which some part is not able to effect for it, then it is seemly, and lovely: So what is that All-sufficiency, and Omnipotency in Christ, but that infinite, and excellent measure in all his divine Attributes, whereby he is able to do, and doth all things in Heaven and earth?
Look then upon the Lord Iesus, and behold in him. 1. His Almighty eye of Wisdom, and providence, running to and fro through the whole earth, to shew himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect with him, 2 Chron. 16.9. Consider that his Almighty ear of grace, and mercy, which hears …rom the ends of the earth, (Psal. 61.2.) and from the belly of Hell, Jon. 2.2. Behold that his Almighty mouth, which speaks, and it is done, commands, and it stands fast, Psal. 33.9. Take a view of the Almighty arm of his …ower, and hand of his justice, effectually working, and equally distributing whatsoever, and howsoever he wills in Heaven, and Earth, subduing all things to himself, and …isposing all events, and Creatures at his …leasure. As therefore it is the Comeliness of …an that all his limbs are so ordered, and …amed that he can with all facility, and agility do every work which concerns the good of the body; so that which sets an excellent luster upon Christ in the eye of a Christian is that his Almightiness, whereby (in all his Attributes) he is able perfectly to work whatsoever is necessary, or convenient for his Body, and Spouse, and to do whatsoever he will in all the world.
2. As all the limbs of the body are not a little commended to the eye by the fairness of the skin, not dryed in the smoak of a burnt constitution, nor drowned in the paleness of a phlegmatick complexion, but every part drest in those colours of beauty (red, and white) shining in their natural pureness; so is there in Christ an excellence of spiritual purity, far surmounting the expr…ssion of words, or comprehension of thoughts in any creature.
This purity is nothing else but his holiness; the beauty, and glory of all the rest… His wisdom is an holy wisdom, his merc… an holy mercy. His mouth, a…m, han… altogether, and infinitely holy. Whe… comely proportions of body march unde… those lovely colours of Beauties ensign… how easily do they make a breach in th… eye? conquer, and lead captive the heart and swear it a willing servant to fleshly love… But when the Lord Iesus looketh forth of … Window when he sheweth himself (but) through a lattise, (Cant. 2.) He wounds the hearts of men, and Angels; he ravishes the soul, captivates the understanding, fires the affection with unquenched longings: no such hell as to be estranged from him; no such Heaven as union with him. We have a proverb that love will tune a very harsh, and unstringed heart into poetry, and singing. But when the Creatures, though with covered faces, (for who is able with open eye to behold the full blaze of his beauty?) look upon the face of his Holiness, they are swallowed up in admiration of his excellence, and fill their mouths, and the world with songs of his beauty. They call up one another in their Antiphones, or Verses, to praise him, Psal. 30.4. & 97.12. and all (men, and Angels) joyn in the Chorus, chanting Holy, Holy, Holy Lord of hosts, Isa. 6.3. Rev. 4.8. Clean wayes how easie, and pleasant? clean linnen how sweet, and sightly? pure ayer how wholesome? pure metals (gold, or silver) how precious? what then is that purity of the divine essence? how glorious in holiness? Exod. 15.11. In this alone see the excellency of it. It is a working beauty, mightily, almightily working on every ob…ect that looks upon it. How long may we behold the fairest Virgin on Earth, and yet our selves be no whit the fairer? But when we fasten our eyes upon this beauty of Christ, it leaves the impression of the same glory, and excellency upon us. And as it is with that great Light, (the Sun) it guilds the Heaven, starrs, earth, trees, and every Creature with which it converses, and paints them with his light, and luster; so that greatest, and uncreated Light, that Sun of Righteousness, when we behold him, stamps his divine nature, and glorious image upon us: If Moses do but see his back only, his face shines, and glitters, so that his Brother Aaron feared to approach him, Exod. 34.30. If Christ in his humanity converses with his Father, not only his face sparkles, as the Sun … (Matth. 17.2.) but his very rayment shines, and glitters in pure whiteness (Mar. 9.3. Luk. 9.29.) and hence is it that when we shall see him as he is, we shall be as he is, 1 Joh. 3.2.
Secondly, Look to that relative excellency wherein we communicate with him; w… must know that whatsoever is his, is ou… also (by participation) when he is ours, an… we are his. He endows us with all his goods… not only with these outward things, (Pa… Apollos, Cephas, the World, life, death, thing… present, future all are ours, 1 Cor. 3.22.… but withall those excellencies which are i… himself: His arm of power, his hand of justice, his ear of mercy, his eye of Providence, all is ours: he with-holds nothing from us, not his glory: he will have us to see it, and by seeing to have it, Ioh. 17.22, 24.
Nay he so far is pleased to descend unto us, that he not only gives himself for us, but will himself be to us whatsoever we want. We are excluded, shut out from God, without God in the World (Ephes. 2.12.) he becomes a Door to let us in Ioh. 10.9. we were strayed sheep wandring in our lost paths, (Isa. 53.6.) he is the Way to bring us back to the Heavenly flocks, and solds, Ioh. 14.6. when we were darkness (Ephes. 5.8.) he would be our Light, Joh. 8.12. we were harbourless, without any continuing City, (Heb. 13.14.) He will be our House: we dwell in him, (1 Joh. 4.13.) for our house (or mansion) is not Heaven, but in Heaven; not made with hands, but uncreated; not temporal but eternal, 2 Cor. 5.1. we were hungry, and pined, feeding on ashes, (Isa. 44.20.) himself will be our Bread from Heaven, Joh. 6.35. he our drink indeed, Ioh. 6.55. we filthy, and even stinking in our filthiness, (Psal. 14.3.) he our Fountain for sin and uncleanness, Zech. 13.1. we naked, (Rev. 3.27.) he our cloathing, Gal. 3.27. we in debt, owed thousands of talents, had nothi… to pay, (Matth. 18.24.) he our Surety, (Heb. 7.22.) who hath cancelled our bonds, and blotted out the hand-writing which was against us, (Col. 2.14.) we were Captives, (2 Tim. 2.26.) he the Price of our Redemption, (Matth. 20.28.) we were fools, (Tit. 3.3.) he our wisdom, (1 Cor. 1.30.) we poor, (Rev. 3.17.) he our Riches, (Col. 1.27. Rev. 3.18.) we Vile, (Job 40.4.) he our Praise, and Glory, (Deut. 10.21. Luk. 2.32.) we joyless, (our very joy madness, (Eccles. 2.2.) he our exceeding joy, Psal. 43.4. To conclude, We dead, (Ephes. 2.1.) he our Life, (Joh. 14.6.) we Vanity at our best, (Psal. 39.5.) and very nothing, (2 Cor. 12.11.) he All in all (Col. 3.11.) we empty, he our fulness, Ephes. 1.23.
Oh that the Lord would embrighten our eyes to behold some sparks of this glorious excellency, and our happiness in beholding it! that the eyes of our understanding being opened, we might know what is the hope of his calling and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the Saints, Ephes. 1.18. If our God should create for us as many worlds as we could number, what were all these Creatures in comparison of the Crea…our? a drop of a bucket, or the dust of the ballance, Isa… 40.15. He is the glorious Spouse of ou… souls, but all the Creatures his servants, and in him, ours. Let him therefore be the Covering of our eyes unto all that are with us, and with all others, (Gen. 20.16.) upon him let us fasten our sight with all admiration, and burning affection, but on them (in comparison of him) let us look as upon loss, and dung, Phil. 3.8. A chaste Spouse will respect her servants, and behold them, in their affliction with pitty, in their wants with mercy, in their diligence, and service with a kind acceptation, but in competition with her husband (if they would presume to be Rivals in his love, and sharers of her heart, and his bed) with disdain, scorn, and hatred. Let us therefore stir up, and quicken our dull hearts with some such meditation.
I.
How is't, my soul, that thou giv'st eyes their sight
To view their objects, yet hast none
To see thine own?
Earths, ayers, Heav'ns beauties they discern; their light
Fair flowers admires; their several dresses,
Their golden tresses;
The Lilly, Rose, the various Tulip, scorning
The pride of Princes in their choice adorning.
II.
They joy to view the ayers painted Nations;
The Peacocks train, which th' head out vies
With fairer eyes,
And emulats the heav'nly constellations;
The Ost…ich, whose …air plume embraves
Kings, Captains, Slaves;
The Halcions, whose Triton-bills appease
Curl'd waves, and with their Eggs lay stormy seas.
III.
Pilots fixt eyes observe the Artick Bear,
With all her unwasht Starry trains
In Heav'nly plains.
Night-Travellers behold the Moon to steer
Her Ship, sailing (while Eol raves)
Through cloudy waves:
Our less Worlds sunns with pleasure view the light
Which gives all beauties beauty, them their sight.
IV.
Thou that giv'st …ight to clay, to blackness light
How …rt so dull, so dimm in duty
To view his beauty,
Who quickens every life, lights every light?
His height those Eagles eyes surpasses;
Thou wants thy glasses:
Take up that Perspective, and view those streams
O… light, and fill thy waning Orb with beams.
V.
Then see the flowers clad in his Liveries,
And from his cheek, and lovely face
Steal all their grace.
See Fouls from him borrow their braveries,
And all their feather-painted dresses
From his fair tresses:
See Starrs, and Moon, the Sun, and all per…ection
Beg light, and li…e from his bright eyes re…ection.
VI.
Look on his lipps; heav'ns gate there open lies:
Thence that grace-breathing Spirit blows,
Thence honey flowes.
Look on his hands, the Worlds full treasuries;
Fix all thy looks his heart upon,
Loves highest Throne.
And when thy sight that radiant beauty ble…rs,
And dazels thy weak eyes; see with thine ears.