The Saints Amity with God in Christ, Discourse · Part 1 · Book 1 · Chapter 10 · Section 1
SECT. 1. To Studie, and Admire the excellences of Chriſt's Perſon, Love, and Grace.
Ʋſe 5. Uſe 5 5.Of Admonition and Advice to the Friends of Chriſt. THis Doctrine of Amitie with Chriſt, furniſheth us alſo with much matter of Admonition, and Advice to ſuch as are indeed the friends of Chriſt, that they would make it their main Studie, and Endeavor to Act, Walk, and Live up to the Dignitie of their Relation, and State. This uſe may be branched forth into many particulars.
1.1. To Studie and Admire Chriſt's Excellences. Is Chriſt ſo good a friend; ſo much eligible for himſelf? O then! how much are the friends of Chriſt obliged hereby, to Studie, Admire, and Adore the Superlative, Tranſcendent excellences of this their friend? What is there more efficacious to improve friendſhip amongſt men, than familiar, and freſh contemplations of the excellences, that are loged in our friend? Is not this ingeniouſly expreſſed by the Moraliſt,gforeign. who makes al love to come from contemplation? Who are they that ſleight Chriſt, but thoſe blind ſinners who ſay,Cant. 5.9, 10. Cant. 5.9. What is thy Beloved, more than another Beloved? They wanted eyes to contemplate his Beauties, and therefore no wonder, if they wanted hearts to love and embrace him, as their friend. But as for the Spouſe, who wel underſtood his excellences, Oh! how doth ſhe crie him up? What a great friend was he in her eye, and heart? What an admirable Character doth ſhe give of him? v. 10. My Beloved is white and ruddie, &c. She had wel ſtudied the incomparable excellences of Chriſt, her friend, and therefore her heart was inflamed with Affections towards him. Oh! what infinite Attractives are there in Chriſt, to draw forth the Attention, Intention, Admiration and Adoration of his friends? Is there any thing in the World that may be compared with Chriſt? Take the moſt excellent, and glorious pieces of the Creation, and what are they but mere Vanitie, and poor, withered ſhadows, if compared with Chriſt? What is the World's Al, but pure nothing, if compared with the tranſcendent Glorie of Chriſt, the great Al? O ponder, muſe on the attractive excellences of Chriſt! What a ſoverain Influence have muſing, pondering thoughts, or Spiritual, deep, contemplation of Chriſt's excellences, on our friendſhip with him? Is it not thus amongſt men? Do not lively, and freſh Thoughts of our friend, though abſent, mightily inflame the heart with love unto him? What is it that makes many impotent, effeminate, amorous Lovers, ſo much to dote on their beloved Idols; but frequent, eye-pleaſing views, and porings on their Skin-deep, fading Beautie? And can we imagine that the ſpiritual, fixed contemplation of Chriſt's raviſhing Beauties, and Glories, by an eye of Faith, wil not have a more efficacious Influence on his friends, to inflame their hearts with friendſhip towards him? O! Would men but ſtudie, pore on, and admire the incomparable excellences, and perfections of Chriſt, what admirable friends would they be? How would their Hearts be raviſht with Love unto him? What infinite complacence, and ſatisfaction would they find in communion with him?
(1.)1. Studie the Beauties of Chriſt's perſon. What more Attractive than Amiable Beautie? And is there any thing imaginable ſo Beautiful as Chriſt? What is Beautie, but a connatural Amenitie, or ſweet Amiablenes of forme and figure, ariſing from a natural, wel-tempered complexion, ſituation, and proportion of al parts? And are theſe Ingredients of Beautie any where to be found, in ſuch a ſuper-eminent degree, as in Chriſt? Is he not, in regard of his complexion, ſtiled white and ruddie, Cant. 5.10. which are eſtimed colors moſt predominant, in Beautie? Doth not the Spouſe give him this Character? Cant. 1.16. Behold thou art fair, my Beloved, yea pleaſant: foreign, i.e. amiable, beautiful, acceptable, every way heart-raviſhing, Is there any thing in the world more Beautiful than the Sun, and its light ſhining in its Meridian Glorie? And is not Chriſt's Beautie ſet forth by that of the Sun, ſhining in its ſtrength, Rev. 1.16? Oh! what an Infinite, Glorious Sun of Righteouſnes is Chriſt? How Beautiful are the beams of his Glorious light? O come, come, al ye friends of Chriſt, and behold this your King in his Beautie, as Eſa. 33.17. O gaze, gaze for ever, on this your friend! let the eyes of your underſtandings ſpend their vigor, in Heart-affecting contemplations, and views, of thoſe admirable glories, that ſhine in the perſon of this your deareſt, and beſt friend; and never deſiſt, til your hearts be raviſhed with, and captivated to him.
(2.)2 Studie Chriſt's Good-Nature, love, and compaſſions towards his friends. Studie, admire, and adore greatly the ſuavities, or ſweeineſſes of Chriſt's Nature; the wonders of his love; and the Tenderneſſes of his compaſſions towards his friends. Oh! What an incomparably good-Nature hath Chriſt? How admirably ſweethumored is he towards his friends? Were any of Chriſt's friends ever troubled with cauſeleſſe croſſe Humors, and vexatious carriges from Chriſt? Is not his Nature made up of unparalled ſweetneſſes? O ſtudie, and dive deep into Chriſt's good-Nature, and ſweet Humor: What Divine Suavities poſſeſſe his Nature? How wel-tempered his ſpirit is? How free from al moroſe, ſour, il humors his Nature is? There are many eminent Qualities in Chriſt, which render him of an incomparably ſweet Nature. (1.) His Nature, as curiouſly framed by the ſpirit of God, is of a ſurpaſſing finer make, than al other human yea Angelick natures. (2.) His Human Nature was Graced in, and from the Womb. It's ſin that makes our Human Nature, ſo moroſe, ſo ſour, ſo il-conditioned: but Chriſt's nature is clothed with pure Grace; and therefore moſt ſweet, moſt benigne, moſt wel-tempered.
2.Chriſt's Love. Studie alſo, and admire the wonders of Chriſt's Love to his friends. O that ever ſuch an Infinite Maſſe of pure ſpotleſſe Love, ſhould mingle with Sinful Duſt, and Aſhes! Oh! What a free undeſerved Love is this? Who could ever have imagined, that poor, deformed, bankrupt Rebels, ſhould obtain a ſhare in ſuch love, and that without hire? What? was our Emmanuel content to eſpouſe human clay, and aſſume it into ſuch a ſubſtantial mariage, or hypoſtatick union with the Deity, thereby to reconcile Heaven and Earth? Did he borrow a human Heart, and Affections to embrace us? Human bowels, and compaſſions, to Sympathiſe with us? human eyes, to weep for us? human breath, to groan for us? a human tongue, to plead for us? human fleſh, to ſweat drops of bloud for us? a human Head, to be crowned with thornes for us? human armes and legs, to be pierced for us? a human bodie, to bleed for us? a human ſoul, and life, to die for us? O the Altitudes, the Profundities, the Latitudes, and Longitudes of this Love! That the Soverain Lord of Glorie, ſhould breath forth ſuch flames of inſinite love, in human fleſh and bloud! O the Infinite condeſcenſions of this Love! What? doth the Lord of Glorie ſtoop ſo low, as to embrace poor wormes, crawling on the dunghil of ſin? Is the King of Kings content to enter into a league of Amitie with miſerable captives? Doth the great God wooe, and beſeech his ſinful ercature, to become his friend? Oh! What a boundleſſe, bottomleſſe love is here? What vigor, and force, is there in this Love? How heart-charming, and ſoul-conquering is it? What delight doth it take in gaining, and triumphing over ſtout, rebellious hearts? How much doth love in Chriſt out-run ſin in us? Did not Chriſt begin with love to us, albeit we begin with hatred to him? Was not our Heaven firſt framed in the Heart of Chriſt? Did not his love contrive the way to Heaven for us, long before we had being, much leſſe love for him? Doth not he love, ſuch as others hate, even Enemies? And doth not his love out-work Devils and Hel? Is there any power ſo ſtrong, and efficacious as Chriſt's love? How Induſtrious, laborious, and unwearied is it? How ineffable, how unſearchable is it? O Studie, Studie, what are the Lengths, Breadths, Heights, and Depths of this Love! Believe it, this is the ſweeteſt, and beſt, yea only ſtudie, for the friends of Chriſt. The more we ſtudie this Love of Chriſt, the more we may ſtudie it: there are freſh veins of excellence, new Treaſures, and riches to be found in it, every day. This wil be the wonder of glorified Saints, and Angels to al Eternitie. Alas! why is it that our hearts ſink, and deſpond under our Diſcouragements? How comes it to paſſe, that our Hearts are no more inflamed with Love to Chriſt? Is not this one main Reaſon, becauſe we do not Studie, and Admire this Love of Chriſt, as we ought to do? What vigor, and ſtrength doth the ſtudie of this Love, infuſe into al the Ini…uragements of faith? How much doth it raiſe up the ſoul under al its Diſcouragements? What a veil of Diſgrace, and Contemt doth it caſt on al the goodlines of the Creature? How greatly is the ſoul raiſed to communion with Chriſt, by the ſtudie of his Love?
3.Chriſt's compaſſion and tender neſſes. Studie alſo the Tenderneſſes of Chriſt's care, and compaſſion towards his friends. Is he not mindful of them, when they are forgetful of him? Doth he not think much good for them, oft when they think il of him? Though he may be ſometimes out of ſight, yet is not even then his heart with them? Doth he not long for, and bleed over them, when he ſeems to be departed from them? It's true, he ſometimes ſuſpends the tokens of his love, and marques of Divine favor: ay but, are not theſe his ſuſpenſions wrapped up in many ſecret invifible influences, and gracious Aſſiſtances? Or, if at times he may ſuſpend the ſenſible quickenings, and enlargements of his Grace; yet doth he not then moſt intend Grace, when he ſeemeth to ſuſpend the ſame? Doth he not thereby humble the ſoul, and bring it to a life of faith and Dependence? Is not his withdrawment of himſelf, oft an high act of Grace? Did not Peter receive the more Grace, in that Grace was ſuſpended for a ſeaſon? Doth Chriſt upbraid his friends with old debts, or reckon with them in a legal way for infirmities? Has he not drunk Hel drie, and left none of that ſalt, dead Sea for them to drink? O ſtudie the Tenderneſſes of Chriſt towards his friends! How much it grieves him, to ſee them grieved: what a bleeding ſenſe he has of al their wounds: How chearfully he burdens himſelf with al their burdens, Heb. 4.15. How patiently he bears with al their froward humors, moroſe conditions, peeviſh, pettiſh, and murmuring frames, even as a Nurſe doth with her child, Act. 13.18. How much he conſiders, and condeſcends to their Infirmities, by laying no more upon them, than he inables them to bear; by upholding them when they fal; by performing al manner of ſervile offices for them, even to the making their bed for them, in their ſickneſſes, &c. Oh! what delicious, and rich matter is here for the ſtudie, and contemplation of Chriſt's friends?
(3.)3. Studie the Riches of Grace in Chriſt. The Friends of Chriſt ſhould alſo much ſtudie, admire, and adore the plenitude and Riches of his Grace. Has he not Infinite Treaſures of Grace loged in him, as Mediator? And was it not for his friends, that he received al theſe Immenſe Treaſures of Grace? Doth he not alſo give forth, and impart theſe his Riches of Grace, Freely, abundantly, univerſally, conſtantly, and unweariedly unto al, that come unto him? Can the friends of Chriſt be more willing to have, than he is to give Grace? Oh! what an increated Sun of Righteouſnes is here, to illuminate dark ſouls? what an eternal fire is here, to heat, and melt frozen Affections? What an Infinite Ocean is here, to water, refreſh, mollifie, fructifie, and ſatisfie drie, parched, hard, withered, and panting ſouls? What ſtrange Miracles can, and doth his efficacious Grace continually work? Oh! what a Felicitie have the friends of Chriſt, in that their ſalvation is not rolled on the wheels of their own Free wil? Happie! O thrice happie are they, who have ſuch a rich, ſtrong, yea, omnipotent Mediator for their friend!dO if I could yoke in amongſt the thick… of Angels and Seraphims, and now glorified Saints, and could raiſe a new love-ſong of Chriſt before al the World! I am pained with wondering at the new opened Treaſures in Chriſt. If every finger, member, bone, and joint were a torch burning in the hotteſt fire in Hel, I would they could al ſend out Love-praiſes to that Plant of Renown, &c. Rutherfurd. Oh! what a compaſſionate eye; what an healing hand; what a bleeding Heart; what an Omnipotent Arme has he, who ſaveth to the utmoſt al his Friends? Paul tels us, Col. 1.19. For it pleaſed the Father, that in him ſhould al fulnes dwel. Here is, (1.) Fulnes, (2.) Al fulnes, Col. 1.19.(3.) Al fulnes dwelling in Chriſt: which denotes the everlaſting permanence of al Grace in Chriſt, as in its Fountain. And that which addes a farther excellence to this Grace, is, that it dwels in Chriſt, as clothed with our Nature; and ſo flowing from him as ſuch, becomes more connatural, and agreable to us. So that the Grace we are made partakers of, flows, not immediately from God, ſimply conſidered, but from Chriſt, as God-man, one that is near akin, and allied to us. And oh! what an admirable tincture? what an excellent perfume has this Grace, as it iſſues from the heart of Chriſt? As waters that paſſe thorow Minerals, receive ſome tincture, and reliſh of the Mines they paſſe thorow: ſo the Grace of God paſſing thorough the Golden mine of God-man, receives a tincture thereof, which renders it mightie ſweet, and admirable. O ſtudie then the excellent Qualities of this Grace, as it ſtreams thorough the heart of Chriſt God-man. Studie alſo the Infinite Quantities of this Grace. O the infinitude of Chriſt's Grace! Who can ſufficiently admire the vaſt treaſures of Grace in Chriſt? O come and dive into this infinite Abyſſe, and Ocean of Grace! what freſh wonders are here to be ſeen day by day? The more we ſtudie this Grace, the more we ſhal admire it, the more we ſhal truſt in it, the more we ſhal be ſenſible of our infinite, and eſſential obligation to it. Come and ſee, if there be not boundleſſe Treaſures of Grace in Chriſt? Who ever periſht for want of a ſufficience in Chriſt to ſave him? O Studie, muſe on, yea, let your thoughts be quite ſwallowed up, and confounded in the Contemplation, and Admiration of theſe inexhauſtible Treaſures of Grace, that are in Chriſt. O prie into this curious, Golden Arke, in which the plenitude of the Deitie dwels bodily, or perſonally! What pen, though dipt in the bloud of the Lamb, can write? What tongue, though bedewed with the water of life, can expreſſe? What Heart, though of never ſo vaſt, and Angelick make, can conceive, the ineffable, incomprehenſible Riches of Grace, that are in this incomparable Mediator? O! What vaſt, created emanations of Grace have, for almoſt ſixe thouſand years flowed from Chriſt, unto his friends? and yet he ſtil is as ful of Grace as ever, Joh. 1.16. What Evangelick matter of contemplation, and Admiration is here for al Eternitie? Is not this the Heaven of Heavens, to employ an Eternitie in the Beatifick Viſion, Fruition, and Adoration of this wonder of Heaven and Earth, the Lord of Glorie; to view, and never out-view; to admire, and never over-admire this wonder of wonders, our dear Lord? And ſhould not the friends of Chriſt be much converſant in digging into this golden Mine, in ſurveying this Celeſtial Canaan? Alas! how little do we yet underſtand of Emmanuel's Name, and Land? What a ſhame is it for the friends of Chriſt, that there ſhould be ſuch admirable excellences in Chriſt, and they want eyes to view them? O that al other vain Beauties, fond Loves, and Idol-friends might wither, and die away; that ſo the vigor, intention, and force of our Meditation, Admiration, and Adoration might be expended on this moſt Beautiful, Affectionate, and Gracious Lord! What an Heaven would this be on Earth? What Life in Death? How far ſhort do they come of living up to that friendſhip, they profeſſe towards Chriſt, who content themſelves, with commun, looſe, feeble, cheap, mean, low, and vulgar contemplations, and Eſtimes of him? How much doth the Claritie, and Spiritualitie of our Light; the fervor and heat of our Affections; the vigor, Beautie, Growth, perfection, exercice, and Glorie of our Graces, depend on our Studies, Contemplations, Admirations, and Adorations of Chriſt?