The Saints Amity with God in Christ, Discourse · Part 1 · Book 1 · Chapter 1
CHAP. I. Of Friendſhip in General: with the Explication of Joh. 15.14. Ye are my Friends, if ye do whatſoever I command you.
SECT. 1. Of Friendſhip in General.
EVery Good, whether natural, civil, Of Friendſhip in general.or Divine, is by ſo much the better, by how much the more Ʋniverſal and Communicative it is; and the more univerſal and communicative any Good is, the more amicable or friendly it is. There is a kind of natural Friendſhip amongſt Inanimates: Natural friendſhip.The Elements of Nature are under ſuch an eſſential combination of natural friendſhip, as that, to preſerve the Intereſt of the whole, they oft denie, yea move contrary to their proper natural inclinations Amongſt the four elements Fire ſeems the moſt noble and friendly; becauſe moſt publicly active and communicative of its good. Yea the Sun, aThat the Sun is, foreign, a celeſtial fire, is the perſuaſion of the greateſt Philoſophers both Pagan and Chriſtian, as wel moderne as ancient; not to mention many Reverend Divines and learned men of this Age: Of which elſe where.which is ſuppoſed to be no other than a celeſtial fire, is of al Inanimates moſt noble and friendly; becauſe moſt univerſally active and communicative of its heat, and influence; according to that deſcription of the Pſalmiſt, Pſ. 19.5, 6. where the Sun is brought in under the ſhadow of a friendly Bridegroom, rejoycing in his amicable communications to the Creatures: yea its ſaid, there is nothing hid from the heat thereof, i. e. not only the beautie of the Roſe, and virtues of al plants; but alſo the perfections of Minerals, the luſtre of Gold and Silver, the ſparkling of the Diamond, with other precious ſtones, which lie hid in the bowels of the earth, owe their original to the Sun's friendly communications of heat and influence.
The proper ſeat of Human Friendſhip is civil Societie, Human friendſhip.either perſonal, domeſtick, or more politick: and the more publick-ſpirited and communicative men are, the more noble and friendly. Narrow-ſpirited and ſelfiſh perſons, ſuch as are wholly clung to their own Intereſts, as they are the reproches of al ſocieties, ſo likewiſe the moſt unfit to make friends. He that cannot denie himſelf wil ſoon denie his friend: he who is wholly wedded to himſelf, wil not ſtick to break with his beſt friends, if they ſtand in the way of ſelf-exaltation. It is the generous noble ſelf-denying ſpirit, that makes the beſt friend in al ſocieties and relations, whether conjugal or more commun. But of this more anon.
As for Divine Amitie or friendſhip;Divine friendſhip. God in Chriſt muſt neceſſarily be the beſt friend, becauſe the moſtbThe Philoſophers make this one character of their chiefeſt Good that it be foreign, moſt diffuſive or communicative of it ſelf. Whence Plato ſaith foreign, that The chief Idea of Good is the productive cauſe of al Good. univerſal, diffuſive, and communicative Good. God is ſuch a Good as is commun to al, and yet proper to each of his friends. Chriſt has no Intereſt of his own Croſſe to the main Intereſt of his friends. Sin is therefore the worſt evil, and that which moſt obſtructs the courſe of friendſhip, becauſe it moſt contracts and narrows the heart (which in it ſelf is an univerſal, infinite appetite) unto private, ſelfiſh ends, and Intereſts. Whereas Grace, ſo far as it is predominant, makes men generous, publick-ſpirited and communicative in al deſigns, and actions; and therefore it makes the beſt friends in al relations, conditions, and ſtations. For Grace, being the Reſſemblance or Image of God, the moſt univerſal, beſt good and friend, the more it prevails in any ſoul, the more friendly and actively uſeful wil ſuch be, in al Relations and Capacities. Hence it appears, that the Saints Amitie or friendſhip with Chriſt, God-man, (whether we conſider it objectively in regard of Chriſt, or ſubjectively in regard of the Saints) is the moſt perfect Idea, exemplar or patterne of al human friendſhip. Yea, we may be bold to ſay, that there is no real and cordial Amitie among men, but what has its Foundation in,No true Amitie but what is founded on Amitie with Chriſt. and Derivation from this Divine Amitie, or friendſhip, 'twixt Chriſt and his friends. He that is not a friend to God in Chriſt, is not truly a friend to any other; no, nor yet to himſelf. We muſt therefore have recourſe to this Divine Amitie with Chriſt, not only as the right patterne, but as alſo the ſpring of al Amitie amongſt our ſelves. The Deſigne therefore of this Treatiſe is, to explicate and demonſtrate, what are the Laws and Privileges of the Saints friendſhip with Chriſt: which wil alſo give us the beſt Idea, Foundation and expedients for friendſhip amongſt our ſelves, under al Relations, States, and Conditions, both as men and Chriſtians.
SECT. 2. The Paraphraſe and Explication of the Text, John 15.14.
AS for the Foundation of this Diſcourſe, we ſhall fixe it on part of our Lords farewel-Sermon, Joh. 15.14. Ye are my friends, if ye do whatſoever I command you.
Theſe words, as to the letter of them,The mind of the words, Joh 15.14. are plain and familiar: Their mind and ſenſe you may take in the following paraphraſe and explication. Friends are beſt known at parting: Chriſt is now at parting-point with his Diſciples: they ſeem to condole his departure; and hang about him as loth to part; eſpecially ſeeing his departure was like to prove ſo prejudicial both to him and them. But our bleſſed Lord, to ſolace their ſpirits, and revive their faith, gives them to underſtand they ſhould be no loſers by his abſence: for, Ye are my friends. As if he had ſaid tis true, I leave you in a perſecuting, temting dirty world; yet be not overmuch concerned about mine abſence: Be aſſured I have ſuch a bleeding ſenſe of your condition, ſuch a fire of Affection, ſuch tenderneſſes of compaſſion, ſuch warme bowels, an heart ſo large, ſo gracious, ſo ſympathetick towards you, as that I may as ſoon forget my ſelf, as forget you: Know, that I am now going to bleed to die for you, that you may live and reign with me; I go to take up my logement, for three dayes, in a cold grave (that ſhadow of darknes) for you, that ſo you may loge with me for ever in manſions of Glorie: and after that I ſhal aſcend up to Heaven for you, and yet leave mine heart with you on earth. Its true, I ſhal not then any more ſigh, or weep, or bleed for you, yet ſhal I not be without a deep ſenſe of your ſighing, weeping, and bleeding for and after me. Know, that diſtance of place ſhal make no diſtance in mine Amitie and friendſhip towards you. Remember, in al your ſtraits you have a friend in Heaven, who is not unmindful of you on earth; albeit the world may lode you with diſgrace, reproches, and a world of il-wil, yet I ſhal nevertheles own you as my friends: yea, I ſhal then own you moſt, when the world, and perhaps your worldly friends, do moſt ſcorne and reject you. You may expect moſt of my friendly regards, affectionate care, and gracious vouchſafements, even then, when you are moſt deſpiſed, perſecuted, and hated by the World. In brief, aſſure your ſelves, you ſhall find me alwaies your beſt friend, and ſometimes your only friend: for, believe me, you are my friends. Only with this Proviſo, if ye do whatſoever I command you; i.e. If you approve your ſelves friends to me, by obſerving al my commands, both particular, ſuch as I have newly mentioned, and more general, as it becometh friends. Or elſe, we may underſtand the words thus: Ye are my friends: i. e. Ye ſhal approve your ſelves to be my friends: it being uſual with ſome pen-men, eſpecially this Evangeliſt, to expreſſe the notification or manifeſtation of a thing by a verb that ſignifies its eſſence or being: ſo Joh. 15.8. So ſhal ye be [i. e. manifeſt your ſelves to be] my Diſciples.
To obviate a miſtake here, we are to conſider, that in this conditionate propoſition and promiſe, whereas there ſeems, (as ſome wil have it) to be a cauſal connexion between the Antecedent, and Conſequent; as if Chriſts friendſhip with us, had a dependence on our obedience to him, as the moral cauſe thereof, Chriſt intends no ſuch thing hereby: for he addes v. 16. Ye have not choſen me, but I have choſen you, &c. i. e. my friendſhip to you, depends not on your friendſhip to me, as the productive, meritorious moral cauſe thereof; but on the contrary, your Friendſhip and obedience towards me, depends on my election of you. Whence it is evident, that the conditional connexive particle, If, in our text doth not connote (1.) Any general decree or univerſal Intention immanent in Chriſt, of friendſhip towards al. (2.) Nor yet any power in corrupt Nature to performe ſuch an obedience to Chriſts commandements, as may entitle men to this privilege of being the friends of Chriſt. (3.) Nor yet any cauſal Dependence, or ſuſpenſion of Chriſts friendſhip on our obedience. But Chriſt uſeth here (as elſewhere) this conditionate mode of propoſing the termes of his friendſhip. (1.) As a way moſt convenient and agreable to human Nature. (2.) To ſhew the connexion between mans Dutie, and his favor, as alſo how pleaſing obedience is to him. (3.) As an Inſtrument, in and by which he conveigheth the condition required.
Thus we ſee the words contain two parts 1. A gracious vouchſafement or privilege on Chriſts part, Ye are my friends. 2. A duty required, if ye do whatſoever I command you. The propoſition I collect hence, and lay as the Foundation of the following Diſcourſe, is this: That there are certain univerſal and commun Laws of friendſhip even amongſt men; which being duely obſerved, by Believers, towards Chriſt, he is not aſhamed to own them as friends, and vouchſafe to them al ſuch privileges as correſpond therewith.
For the more ful explication of this Propoſition, we ſhal reſolve it into theſe two Queſtions. 1. What are thoſe univerſal Laws of friendſhip among men, which Believers ought to obſerve towards Chriſt? 2. What are thoſe gracious vouchſafements or privileges which Chriſt confers on his friends!
SECT. 3. The firſt Law of friendſhip in Election.
AS for the Laws of friendſhip amongſt men they are either fundamental and eſſential; The Laws of friendſhip.ſuch as tend to the conſtitution, and Being of friendſhip: or they are perfective, ſuch as conduce, though not to the very Being, yet to the Improvement and Perfection of friendſhip. We ſhal begin with the eſſential and fundamental Laws of friendſhip.
The firſt univerſal, fundamental Law of Amitie or friendſhip among men,Al friendſhip is founded on Election. conſiſts in a deliberate ſingle complete election of our friend for himſelf. Amitie or friendſhip comes not by Nature, or by Accident, but by election and choice: neither wil every raſh, forced, unſtable, incomplete election ſuffice to conſtitute true laſting friendſhip: but this election muſt be, 1. Deliberate, 2. Single, 3. Complete, and that both as to the object and ſubject. We ſhal diſcourſe of theſe, each in their order, with endeavors to demonſtrate, how eſſential and neceſſary theſe are to our friendſhip with Chriſt.
That al true Amitie or friendſhip is founded on Election or choice, is very evident both from univerſal conſent, commun Senſe, and Reaſon. Hence the Philoſopher defines friendſhip, an cforeign Plat. Defin.election of one and the ſame kind of life. Farther, al true Amitie and friendſhip has its foundation in virtue: now no one is virtuous by Nature, or by Accident, but by choice: dforeign. Ariſt. Eth. l. 3. c. 4. Hence Plato, Cratyl. makes the Greek foreign a derivative from foreign, becauſe Virtue is moſt eligible.election is moſt proper or eſſential, to virtue. And ſurely the election of Chriſt for our friend, as it is our higheſt wiſdome, ſo alſo virtue. No one muſt ever imagine to ſhare in the gracious vouchſafements of Chriſt, who wil not vouchſafe Chriſt a ſhare in his hearts election and choice: Neither is it every indiſcrete, faint, inſtable, and incomplete election, that will ſerve to conſtitute true Chriſtian Amitie and friendſhip; which, by how much the more ſolid ſpiritual, comprehenſive and tranſcendent a good it is, by ſo much the more judicious, tranſcendent, and perfect muſt this election be.