The Saints Amity with God in Christ, Discourse · Part 1 · Book 1 · Chapter 10 · Section 3
SECT. 3. The friends of Chriſt ſhould endeavor to grow more Rooted, and Built up in Chriſt, Col. 2.7.
3.3. Advice to the friends of Chriſt, to grow more rooted and built up in Chriſt. HEnce follows another ſeaſonable Admonition, and Advice for the friends of Chriſt, in order to their living up to the Dignitie of their Relation, and Profeſſion; namely, that they would labor after a frame of ſpirit more rooted, and built up in Chriſt. This is a ſubſequent of the former, and ſo it is brought in Col. 2.7. Paul having,Col. 2.7. in the foregoing verſe, exhorted them, to walk in Chriſt, by frequent election of him, in the ſame manner, as they at firſt received him; he here ſubjoins: Rooted, and built up in him, and ſtabliſhed in the faith. The friends of Chriſt may not content themſelves in the mere Repetition of their firſt Acts, and Works; but they ought to make progreſſe therein; and grow more rooted, and welgrounded in Chriſt. As if the Apoſtle had ſaid; Ye cannot walk in, and with Chriſt; as your friend, unleſſe ye are deeply radicated, or rooted, and firmely ſuperſtructed, or built upon Chriſt. Here is a twofold mecaphor; the one taken from plants, wel-radicated; the other from Edifices, or Houſes welgrounded. He teacheth us therefore, that Chriſt is our Root, in which we ought to be daily more firmely radicated: and our Foundation, on which we ought to be continually more firmely edificated, or built. The firſt notion foreign, is rendred by Eraſmus, So as you may have roots fixed in Chriſt: as for the other word foreign, it being a participle of the preſent Tenſe, it ſhews that this ſuperſtruction is ſucceſſive, and gradual, as Epheſ. 2.21. In ſum; the Spirit, and mind of this Advice is, that the Friends of Chriſt would Endeavor after a Soliditie, firmitude, depth, and ſtrength in the great fundamental, and vital acts of Faith. So it follows: and ſtabliſhed in the faith: fIdem abſ que figura repetit quod per Tranſlationes dixerat. Calv. in loc.whereby he nakedly, and without a Figure expreſſeth, what he had before wrapped up in the two Metaphors, of being rooted, and built up in Chriſt. Now the great Fundamental, and vital Acts of Faith in Chriſt, wherein the Friends of Chriſt ſhould endeavor to be more deeply radicated, or rooted, and built up, are theſe:
(1.)1. A ſolid and firme Aſſent to, and Eſtime of Chriſt. The Friends of Chriſt muſt labor after a greater Soliditie, and depth, as alſo Firmitude, and Strength of Aſſent to, and Eſtimation of Chriſt, as their Friend. The more deeply radicated, ſolid, and firme our Aſſent to, and eſtime of Chriſt, as our friend is, the more ſhal we Live, and Walk, and Act, according to the Laws of Friendſhip with him: A ſuperficial, feeble Aſſent to, or commun and cheap eſtime of Chriſt, argues a very ſlender, and narrow, if any degree of ſincere Amitie with Chriſt. This proves the ruine of a world of pretended friendſhip to Chriſt, that it wants this due ſoliditie, Firmitude, depth, and vigor of Aſſent, and Eſtime. And, without al peradventure, the more the friends of Chriſt are radicated, and wel-grounded herein, the more they wil grow up to flouriſhing Trees, and beautiful Structures of Amitie with Chriſt.
(2.)2. A ſtrong and reſolute Adherence to Chriſt. Another Radical, Fundamental, and Vital part of Faith, wherein the friends of Chriſt ſhould endeavor after more ſoliditie, depth, and Firmitude, is cordial Adheſion to Chriſt, as their friend. The friends of Chriſt ſhould labor after a peremtorie, reſolute, yea Head-ſtrong Bent of wil, in adherence to Chriſt. The more tenacious, violent, and ſtrong the wil is, in adhering to Chriſt, the better, and more durable is its friendſhip with him. This was the main of Barnabas's advice to the young Chriſtians at Antioch, Act. 11.23.Act. 11.23. And he exhorted them al, that with purpoſe of Heart they would cleave unto the Lord. Barnabas was much rejoyced to ſee their young, and green Amitie towards Chriſt: ay, but he would fain have them more ſolid, and firme; more deeply radicated in their Adherence to Chriſt: foreign, with purpoſe of Heart, i. e. with a more peremtorie, reſolute, determined, fixed wil; an heart more ſtrongly bent, more firmely and inviolably knit to Chriſt; a wil more firmely determined for Chriſt, but more undetermined for ſin, and ſelf, an Heart more and more reſolved for Chriſt, but more and more unreſolved for other Lovers; a wil more bent for Chriſt, but more unbent for Idol-friends. So much alſo is contained in the following notion, foreign, to adhere, or cleave to the Lord, as the needle to the Loadſtone; as the Wife to her Husband; as the Bodie to the ſoul. This firme, ſolid, and deep Adherence of the wil to Chriſt is wel expreſſed,Pſ. 73.26. Pſal 73.26. my fleſh and mine Heart faileth, but God is the ſtrength of mine Heart: foreign, my rock; He to whom mine heart adheres, as a drowning man to his rock. Or we may read it, with R. Ezra, thus: the firme Adheſion of mine Heart is to God. Hold faſt Chriſt, contend for him: it is a lawful plea to go to holding for Chriſt. Rutherf.As if he had ſaid; I am wel nigh immerſed, and quite ſwallowed up in the Ocean of Tentations; but yet the firme Adherence, or rational Bent of mine Heart is to Chriſt: here I am reſolved to adhere, and ſtick, come what wil. And why? becauſe he is my portion for ever, as it follows. Chriſt loves a peremtorie, reſolved wil; ſuch as cannot part with him for the greateſt good, or refuſe him, though attended with the greateſt ſuffering. A Reverend and holy Divine of this Age, gives us a great experiment of this tenacious, peremtorie Adherence to Chriſt. 'Sin, ſaith he, hath made us as tender, as if we were made of Paper, or Glaſſe: I am oft thinking, what I would think of Chriſt, and burning quick together; of Chriſt and torturing, and hot melted Lead poured in at mouth, and navel: Yet I have ſome weak experience, that ſuppoſe Chriſt, and Hel's torments were maried together, and if therewere no finding of Chriſt at al, except I went to Hel's furnace, that there, and in no other place, I could meet with him. I trow, if I were, as I have been ſince I was his priſoner, I would beg loging, for God's ſake, in Hel's hotteſt Furnace, that I might rub ſouls with Chriſt.' Such a determined, peremtorie, and reſolute wil, and Adherence unto Chriſt, is that which gives a mightie Spirit, Vigor, Beautie, Life, Growth, Exercice, and perfection to our Amitie with Chriſt. And, on the contrary, the more faint, languid, ſuperficial, and undetermined our wil is, in its Adherence to Chriſt, the more danger it is in of partial, if not of total, and final, backſliding from him; eſpecially in times of Tentation. Remember, ſo far as your Hearts are undetermined, and unreſolved for Chriſt; ſo far they are determined, and reſolved againſt him, for ſin, and the world, and any other Idol-friends.
(3.)3. Reſignation to, and Recumbence on Chriſt. The laſt radical, and fundamental part of Faith conſiſts, in a chearful, and complete Reſignation of al concernes to Chriſt; with entire Recumbence, and Dependence on him, for Influence and Aſſiſtance, in order to the performance of al Duties, and Offices, both Active and Paſſive, incumbent on the friends of Chriſt. And the more ſoliditie and depth, the more Firmitude and Strength the friends of Chriſt gain, in theſe Fundamental, Radical, and vital Acts of Reſignation to, and Recumbence, or Dependence on Chriſt, the more wil they live, and walk up to thoſe Laws, and Duties of friendſhip, they owe to Chriſt.
What more agreable to the Notion, Reſignation of al to Chriſt.and Relation of a friend, than Abſolute Reſignation of al concernes, into the hands of our friend? Are any reputed better confidents, or more intimate friends, than they, who can moſt abſolutely Recumb, and Depend on us for Advice, Conduct, and Aſſiſtance in their moſt important Affairs? There is ſuch an intimate, and eſſential connexion betwixt confidence, and Amitie, as that the termes are frequently uſed interchangably each for other: For a confident, and Friend are uſed as termes Equivalent. And aſſuredly, nothing more directly conduceth to the Strength, Improvement, and Exercice of friendſhip with Chriſt, than confidence in him, both in regard of Reſignation to, and Recumbence on him, in al the momentous Affairs of our Life. Such was the Spirit of Abraham's Amitie with Chriſt, in the Relinquiſhment of Chaldea, and Reſignation of his only Son Iſaac; which were two Heroick pieces of confidence in, and Friendſhip with Chriſt, James 2.23. What is Friendſhip, but to make our friends Wiſdome, Wil, Intereſt, and Force ours? O bleſſed he, that can Sacrifice his own Wit, Wil, Strength and Deſignes, by a complete Reſignation of al to Chriſt! The Wil of Chriſt's friend muſt be as that of a ſervant; who is then beſt, when he retains the leaſt of his own wil, and moſt of his Maſter's. O! what an happy thing is it to be quite ſtript, and ſpoiled of every rag of ſelf; that ſo Chriſt may ſtand in the room of ſelf? The friends of Chriſt ſhould ſubſcribe a blank Reſignation, and put it into the hands of Chriſt: They muſt take al Laws from him, but give none to him: He muſt be Abſolute King over their Perſons, Wils, Intereſts, &c.
And ſo for Dependence on Chriſt for Aſſiſtance, Dependence on Chriſt for Grace.and Influence, it muſt be Abſolute, Immediate, Total, and Conſtant. The friends of Chriſt never attain to higher raiſures of friendſhip with Chriſt, than when, by faith, they moſt eye, and depend on that Grace, that dwels in him. For according to the meſure of our Dependence on Chriſt for Grace, ſuch is uſually the meſure of his communications to us. Why was it, that Chriſt received ſuch an infinite plenitude of Grace? Was it for himſelf? or, was it not rather for his friends, that want it moſt? And who are they, that find Chriſt neareſt to them, in the quickening, enlarging, fructifying, corroborating, and ſupporting Influences of his Grace; but his fainting friends; ſuch as have the moſt Actual, Immediate, and Abſolute Dependence on his Grace, as Eſa. 40.29, 30, 31? And why is it, that Chriſt keeps many of his dear friends, under great ſpiritual Deſertions, Barrenneſſes, Languiſhments, Deadneſſes, and Abatements of firſt love? Is not this the main cauſe of al, that hereby they may be taken off more fully, from their own ſelf-dependences, and ſo be brought to a more complete Dependence on Chriſt for al Grace, both Actual, and Habitual? Yea, are not the moſt eminent friends of Chriſt, ſometimes foiled in their moſt eminent Graces, and that by a ſmal Tentation, when they depend on their own Graces, and neglect their Dependence on Chriſt? And on the contrary, are not fainting, and weak Chriſtians, by virtue of their Dependence on Chriſt, oft very ſtrong, and impregnable, under the moſt violent Tentations? Certainly, the friend of Chriſt is but a poor paſſive, dependent thing; he has no ſpiritual wings to flie, no legs to go, no, hands to work, no breath to pray, no food to eat, no fire to warme him, but what he receives from Chriſt: his Graces are but creatures, and therefore cannot preſerve themſelves; or act, farther than they are acted by Chriſt. Thus the Friends of Chriſt muſt live wholly in Chriſt, in a way of Reſignation, and Dependence, and then he wil live wholly in them, by gracious Influences, and communications; the more deep, and rooted their Faith, and confidence in Chriſt is, the more green, and flouriſhing wil their Amitie with him be. The beſt bargain they can make, is to ſel themſelves, without Reverſion, unto Chriſt: for hereby they come to have, and injoy, a more Noble, Laudable, Ample, and Free ſelf in Chriſt.