The Excellency of Christ, Section 18 – Section 19
SECT. 18. An exhortation to Gods people to be more for Chriſt then ever they were.
2. THis point may ſerve to incline the wills of Gods people:2This ſerveth to incline the wills of Gods people yet more to Chriſtward.
1. To be more for Chriſt then ever they were.
2. To make more uſe of Chriſt then ever they did.
For the firſt, I ſay they ſhould be more for Chriſt then ever they were, manifeſting ſo much;
I. By a happy undervaluing of all earthly vanities in compariſon of Chriſt.
II. By a holy willingneſſe to be with Chriſt.
III. By a mighty care to keep Chriſt ſtill.
1. To begin with the firſt of theſe particulars, how willing ſhould all Gods people be to preferre the Lord Chriſt before all things elſe here below, even as they would preferre roſes before nettles, and thiſtles, and things of no value; for,
1. Chriſt, 1….being like a roſe, will comfort us, Iohn 14.18. where as worldly riches, and honours, and pleaſures will but vexe and ſting us, as you have formerly heard.
2. Being like a roſe, he is moſt *1 … ….2. G…d.precious: For *… Rom…s fuit ….roſes were ever highly eſteemed; among the * Romans eſpecially.
3. 3Gro…. John. … foreign Egor…a Sharon.Chriſt is a roſe ſtill: For he ſaith not I have been, but I the * roſe of Sharon, indefinitely, and remarkably, not nominating any …me paſt, preſent, or to come, to ſhew that he is not a roſe for a time onelyonly, as other fading roſes are, though in many other reſpects he be like a roſe, No, but that he is a roſe ſtill, faire ſtill, precious ſtill, freſh ſtill, even the immortall and everliving God, Alpha and Omega, the firſt and the laſt, Rev. 1.
True it is, that this ſweet roſe once withered a little, when Chriſt died, but it was onelyonly for a little while, and according to his humane nature, that he died; for his divine nature could not poſtibly ſuffer, or die, being immortall, 1 Tim. 1.17. and his humane nature roſe againe likewiſe the third day, 1 Cor. 15.4. Like a true Phoenix, which burneth himſelfe to aſhes, and ſo dieth, and revives again wholly the third day, and then returne to his own place, as *Epiph. phyſol, c. 11. de ph…eni…. … ionem faciunt hu… avis Tortullianus quoque, Ambroſius, …illus, Arte…ido…s, & alij.Epiphanius records it.
Thus Chriſt for his part is a roſe ſtill durable and permanent, ſeeing he ever liveth, Heb. 7.25. but all earthly things elſe are fading, vaniſhing, mutable. I'le inſtance in a man that ſwims in honour, wealth, and pleaſures, and flouriſhes, like a roſe for a time.
There is one who writes of a famous Phyſician of Cracaw, that he did ſo *Sili…et magni nominis apud Cracovienſes Medicus erat, qui adeo eleganter apparabat cinerem ex omnibus plantae partibus, u… omnes earum ſcitè conſervaret ſpiritus Cinis, admota vaſculo candela aliquanto iaca leſ…ens apertae roſae emittebat ſpe…iem, quam ſenſim creſ…ere, ve…tari, ac formam penitus caulis foliorum, ac geminae deni que ſtoride re…e umbram exprimere tandem explicatiſſimam roſam produccre intueri licebat, red bat in pulver… igne remoto. Roſenberg. Rhodoing. cap ult.artificially apt and fit aſhes of all the parts of a roſe plant, as that he did preſerve the ſpirits thereof; inſomuch as that, when he did bring neare it a candle and heate it, one might ſee the forme of a perfect roſe, which afterward returned againe to duſt, when the fire and heate was removed. Thus he: whether his relation be true or falſe I know not; but this I am ſure of, that however man, being raiſed of the duſt, and warmed with a living ſoule, may make a faire ſhew, and ſeeme to be like a roſe in his flouriſhing eſtate, if God doe but blow out his candle, and take away that heate which muſt preſerve his naturall life, he returne to duſt, from the which he is taken, and then all his thoughts periſh, his pleaſures periſh, his faire lineaments periſh, his honour likewiſe and glory doth periſh, and all his goods vaniſh; for he carrieth nothing with him but a winding ſheet of all his abundance. See Eſa. 40.6. All fleſh is graſſe, and all the goodlineſſe thereof as the flowers of the field. The graſſe withereth, the flower fadeth, becauſe the ſpirit of the Lord floweth upon it.
Wherefore let us looke upon all earthly Paradiſes with a moſt diſdainfull eye, and ſcornfull countenance, and trample under with the feet of a holy contempt all ſublunary fading, and flowry proſperity, Like that myſticall woman, Rev. 12.1. and let the Lord Jeſus Chriſt be alone exalted, and mounted in our truly beleeving hearts. Let him reigne there, and ſit upon his Throne as King, and have the preheminence as our dread and ſoveraigne Lord, whoſe glorious excellency, raviſhing beauty, and inexplicable delightfulneſſe doth more then infinitely tranſcend the utmoſt and height of all earthly felicities, raiſed above the higheſt poſſibility by the moſt inventive and ſtrongeſt imagination of any meere humane brain, and extended to the very laſt end of the world, or that length of time you can imagine.
2. Be more willing then ever you were to be with Chriſt.
1. Here.
2. Hereafter.
1 Here, ſeeing he is thus like a roſe, and therefore *Roſa quippe p…ae caeteris …ribus cohere … ctat, odore re…cal, & ſapore comf…rt…t d… ctat in viſ…, reercat in olfact…, & comfortat in guſtu. Durand. Ration div offi…d. 6. p. 121.moſt faire, moſt ſweet, moſt pleaſant; for the roſe delights us more then any flower * ſaith Durand, by its colour, and recreates us more by its odour, and comforteth us more by its taſte. I am ſure you will grant, that if a woman were joyned by matrimoniall copulation to a husband, as faire as Abſalom, and as pleaſant as Ionathan, ſhe ſhould not deſire to goe abroad among other men for content; but rather keep home and ſatiate her ſelfe with that paſſing delight, which ſhe may take in ſo ſweet a companion, nay ſhould even infinitely long to be where he is, rather then any where elſe.
Well, Chriſt Jeſus to whom all you, who are Gods people, are moſt bleſſedly united, and married in a myſticall and ineffable manner, is fairer then Abſalom, pleaſanter then Ionathan: For he is like a roſe, yea, he paſſes any roſe, as I noted formerly. For faireneſſe and pleaſantneſſe, being the author of that faireneſſe and ſweetneſſe, which is in all roſes created, and therefore I ſaid but now that he is moſt faire. And ſhould ye not then deſire to be with Chriſt rather then any where and with any creature elſe? nay, ſhould ye not even be reſtleſſe as long as you be out of his bleſſed light, and ſweeteſt company? and ſhould ye not even be in paine, and regardleſſe of all things elſe, if therein you cannot meet with your deare love Chriſt? Remember Aſaph, who could ſay for his part, whom have I in heaven but thee? Pſal. 7.25.and there is none upon earth that I deſire beſides thee? or * with thee, that is, like thee, or as much as thee, as if thou alone wert not my all-ſufficient husband, to content me, but that I muſt needs aſſociate my ſelfe with others, that they may ſatisfie me, No, No. Thou Lord art unto me all in all, ſweeter then a thouſand other friends, and ten thouſand companions; If I may but enjoy thee, I have enough; and if I ſhould miſſe thee, there is no friend, no company, no conference, no place that would or could pleaſe me; ſo ſweet *…. … 25.S. Bernard could ſay the like, all the meat of the very ſoule is but unſavory, if Chriſt be not in it: if thou write unto me, thy writing delights me not, if I cannot reade Jeſus i… it; if thou diſpute or talke and conferre with mee, thy diſcourſe cannot pleaſe me, unleſſe Jeſus do ſound in mine eares; Thus he, even in thoſe darke and nuſty dayes of ignorance and blindneſſe, in the which he lived (neere 400 yeer, …before the Reformation) and ſhould not you living and flouriſhing under the brighteſt Sun-ſhine of Chriſts glorious Goſpel be as much for Chriſt?
You will ſay unto me, where would you have us then to deſire and to ſeek to be with Chriſt, ſeeing you do ſo charge us? Chriſt you know is in heaven, and you would have us to be willing to be with him here.
For anſwer whereunto I ſay firſt,… that Chriſt is not like unto that roſe of gold, which the Pope of Rome ſheweth upon a Lords day in the Lent onelyonly in Rome, which his *Durand. Ratio… d…. …. 6. …. 111.fl…terers hold to typifie the new Jeruſalem, No, he is not onelyonly in one place even in heaven, which is his proper place, though his humane nature be there bodily, but he is alſo to be ſeene and to be met with here below, as he is God, ſhewing himſelf graciouſly preſen… in his own ordinances, and in the hearts and meetings of his people. See Matth. 18.20. When two or three be gathered together in my name, there I am in the middeſt of them, and Ioh. 17.20. At that day you ſhall know that I am in my father, and you in me, and I in you.
Thus generally.
More particularly I anſwer;
Be willing therefore to meet him and to be with him.
1. In the word preached in the houſe of God, which is like the pleaſant field of Shar…n, where the Sunne ſhineth moſt warme and faire, ſo as that there you cannot …ſſe the Lo…d Jeſus Chriſt, that ſweeteſt Roſe, who hath obliged himſelf by pro…iſe to be there even as in Sharon field properly ſo called, wth lyeth moſt pleaſantly under the warm…ſt Sun ſhine one might not want a goodly Roſe ſpringing out of that proſperous earth in S…lom…ns dayes, and when the time of the yeer did ſerve. Wherefore as the little Bee loves to flie about thoſe gardens and places which are full of Roſes, as being a *Pl…n. Na…tur hiſt l 21 c. 12.lover of Roſes, ſo do ye love and like the houſe of God, whereas in a Roſe garden you may be ſure to find Chriſt that ſweet Roſe of Sharon.
2. Be willing to be with him, at and in the myſterious adminiſtration and participation of the bleſſed Sacrament of his ſacred Supper. For there alſo you cannot but meet him, yea, ſee him with the eyes of faith, as bleeding for your ſins, and being all red, as it were, like a Roſe, with bleeding, in regard of that precious blood which once he ſhed for your immort all ſouls, when he died for your tranſgreſſions, and which then you do ſavingly and ſeaſonably remember to have been ſo powred forth, as the wine is powred out, when you feaſt and feed your ſouls with that celeſtiall and myſticall food, which is there provided for you; nay you may even there embrace the Lord Jeſus Chriſt in your armes, the armes I meane of faith, as that good old Simeon, held him in the armes of his body, being ready even to ſing with him, for joy the ſame Cyge…n caution, or ſong, which he ſa…, ſaying; Lord now letteſt thou thy ſervant depart (home) in peace according to thy word; for mine eyes have ſeen thy ſ…lvation, Luk. 2.29, 30. Thus he, and you may adde; for our eyes of ſaith have now ſeene that ſweeteſt Roſe of Sharon, our eyes have ſeen his precious blood, as it were, as red as a Roſe, and our ſouls have taſted how ſweet the Lord is, even ſweeter then ſugared roſes, and the ſweeteſt honey; oh how good, how good, and gracious is he? and how infinite are his tender mercies, and his ſweeteſt comforts paſt finding the like?
3. Be willing to be with Chriſt in prayer, talking and conferring with duplicate page duplicate page him, as freely and frequently and familiarly as a Bride with her Bridegroome, and as *Zoſimas, relicto Arceſilao, ſ…lus ad cubiculum prop…re a… cu…t in q…o D…m ſamilia… … pe…lat &c. Ev…. hiſt. Eccleſ. l. 4 c. 7.Zoſimas, and Latimer that bleſſed martyr, and worthy Biſhop did, who prayed (as M. Foxe reporteth it, of him) as if he had ſeene God face to face in a moſt ſweet and familiar manner, ſo let your beleeving hearts alſo even mount up and aſcend into heaven it ſelf, where Chriſt is at the right hand of God, that Chriſt may again deſcend in and with your hearts in a moſt ſweet and inexplicable manner, returning moſt comfortable and heart-reviving anſwers, to your moſt gracious and heart-breaking deſires, as you may ſee, Cant. 5.1. I am come into my garden (meaning the Church and every *Cant. 4.12. In ho…tum dil…ct…s v… nit, quando Chriſtus mentes viſitat. Gregor. in loc.beleeving ſoule which is his moſt delicious paradiſe) my Siſter, my Spouſe, as if he ſhould ſay, it was thy heartie deſire, ô my deare Spouſe, that I ſhould come into this pleaſant garden; for thou ſaidſt let my beloved come into his garden, Cant. 4.16. and now loe here I am to anſwer the longing expectation of thy bleſſed ſoule, which doth even pant and thirſt after me, who am the health of thy countenance and thy God, Pſal. 42.1.2.11. My company thou doeſt affect, I ſee, and it is moſt ſweet unto thee, and therefore my company thou ſhalt have, here I am to be with thee, as thou didſt deſire me: for as thou takeſt delight in me, ſo do I take delight in thee, and as my voice is ſweet to thee, ſo thine is ſweet to me, Cant. 2.14. and as I am like a roſe in thy ſight, moſt amiable and moſt faire, ſo art thou like a garden of flowers moſt pleaſant and moſt fragrant in my ſight, Cant. 4.12. and as the unexpreſſable and ſweeteſt comforts of my ſpirit which are my fruit, that I bring with me, do marvelouſly pleaſe thee, ſo do thy moſt *Cant. 4.16.pleaſant fruits, which are the *Vel bona opera Pſellus in Cant. ….16.graces of my ſpirit, whom I find in thee, when I come unto thee, pleaſe me, and therefore behold, here I am to enjoy thee, who doſt ſo earneſtly and ardently long to be with me.
4. Be willing to be with Chriſt by reading much and often in the booke of God, which is like a moſt pleaſant *… l. 5.paradiſe (as Irenaeus aptly reſembles it) in the which the Lord Jeſus Chriſt doth flouriſh, as a Roſe in Sharon field, ſhewing himſelfe thorow the very thornes of the moſt pricking and piercing Law of God, but eſpecially thorow the green and reviving leaves of the ſoul-ſolacing Goſpel, and ſo conſequently throughout the whole book of God, whereof that Princely preacher, the *Philip. Camerar in vitacom. Anbalt.Prince of Anhalt was wont to ſay; what elſe is the whole Scripture, but ſwadling clothes of the childe Jeſus, he being to be found almoſt in every page, in every verſe, and line, ſo as that the *Col. 3.16.Apoſtle might well terme the whole word of God, the word of Chriſt, becauſe he is the matter of the whole, and the contents of all the Bible, *Ideo enim Moſes poſuit aeneum ſerpentem non inco…gru… …ſtendens, quod lex Chriſtum. prophetavit. Be…a in Num. …1.ſhadowed in the Law, ſhewed in the Goſpel, which cauſed *Auguſt. in Pſal. 49.5.St. Auſtine to ſay moſt aptly, Vnam vocem habent duo teſtamenta, The word of the Lord containes nothing but the word, which is the Lord.
5. Be willing to be with Chriſt in the reading of ſuch good books as were written by good men of Chriſt. For we muſt not thinke that the Pope of Rome onelyonly is authorized to ſhew Chriſt by a roſe of gold unto the people, as his *Romanus ver… po…tifix ſucceſſor utique P… tri…t vica…ius …eſu Chriſt… hu… fl… rem fide…thus populis demonſ…rat. Dur…d. Rat…. 6. fo. 11….flatterers doe make him beleeve. No, but every faithfull Miniſter of Chriſt may ſhew him forth in the beſt manner he can, though he be not able to doe it in golden lines and phraſes, and therefore divers able men have done their beſt to ſhew Chriſt both by ſpeaking and by writing unto the people of God, whoſe moſt excellent treatiſes are to be found extant as ſo many delightfull roſaries or roſe-gardens, wherein Jeſus Chriſt is moſt ſweetly ſet forth, and flouriſhes like a roſe, faire and pleaſant: ſo as that ye may doe well to fetch a walke in them now and then, to recreate your wearied minds with the ſight and ſmell of ſo fragrant and faire a flower, and to manifeſt that ardent and longing deſire to be with Chriſt, wch ought to be in every one of you.
6. Be willing to be with Chriſt in the people of God, who alſo are as a moſt delicious garden, Cant. 4.12. In the which this faire roſe doth ſhew himſelfe moſt graciouſly by their ſweet and ſavory ſpeeches, and faireſt carriage, emblematizing and repreſenting in a moſt fit and proportionable degree that moſt admirable and raviſhing pleaſantneſſe, amiableneſſe, and faireneſſe which is in Chriſt himſelfe the roſe of Sharon. See Gal. 2, 20. Pſal. 16.3.
2. Be willing to be with Chriſt in heaven hereafter, and not ſo unwilling to depart this fraile life, as many are: For ſo you ſhall mount up with Elias, though not in a chariot of fire, yet upon the wings or armes of Angels into the very boſome. as it were of Chriſt, that faireſt roſe of Sharon, aſſoone as your earthly tabernacles are diſſolved, and unſouled by death, you goe then to behold and to ſee his glorious beauty and to enjoy his ſweeteſt ſociety through all eternity.
*Socrates proſit…tur ſe …bent.… m… …iturum ut poſſ… videre … caetus veterum h… …oum, inter … ſ… Or…eus, Heſ…dus, H… …cus &c quid n…s ſi…les? No… …ti que illos: … catus prophetarum … ip…m in ſua g…oria. A…et. probl. de Morte p 410.Socrates did profeſſe once, that he for his part was moſt willing to die, that he might ſee thoſe companies and aſſemblies of thoſe ancient heroicall perſonages, Orpheus namely, Heſiodus, Homer▪ &c. and ſhould not you Chriſtians that are eſpouſed to Chriſt, be infinitely more deſi…ous to goe hence upon the ſummons of death, that you might enjoy the beatificall and moſt glorious viſion of Jeſus Chriſt, your coeleſtiall bridegroome, that ſweeteſt and faireſt roſe of Sharon, bleſſed for ever? ſhould ye not even eccho forth as it were the ſame words which once iſſued from the bleſſed ſoule of that holy Apoſtle, Phil. 1.23. anſwering him and ſaying; we alſo have a deſire to depart, and to be with Chriſt, which is far better.
3. Be perſwaded likewiſe to manifeſt it, that you make more of Chriſt then ever you did, ſeeing he is ſo faire and ſo uſefull, and ſo deſirable a roſe; by a mighty care to keep him ſtill, as we keep and conſerve roſes over yere, in glaſſes and veſſels of earth: ſo be carefull I ſay, to conſerve Chriſt, that ſweeteſt roſe of Sharon, not onelyonly over yeare but every yeare, and every day of your whole race, till your very laſt gaſpe.
If you ask me how and where would you have us to keep him? Queſt.
I anſwer: Anſw. 1 In the veſſels of your hearts, and within the compaſſe of your minds, ſtriving to thinke upon him continually, even as a ſpouſe upon her beſt beloved, and as *Val Max.Artemiſia did ever carry in her mind her deare deceaſed husband Ma…ſeolus, mingling her very drinke with his aſhes: ſo doe you beare Chriſt in mind, who is your beſt beloved, and mingle or beſtraw all your meat and drinke, and words and works with his ſweeteſt remembrance, even as the ancient *Romanis fol a roſarum ſerculis epularum inſpergere mo…rat Jonſton Thaumato…r Nat. p. 215.Romanes did beſtraw their meat with roſes, nay, come you muſt promiſe him ſo much, before ye depart in the words of his ſpouſe *Cant. 1.4.: We will remember thy love more then wine.
2. Keep him not onelyonly by way of a holy and perpetuall recordation and mindfulneſſe of him, but alſo by an extraordinary care to preſerve and to enjoy the comfortable ſenſe and feeling of his gracious preſence in your bleſſed ſoules, imitating his faire ſpouſe in the Canticles, who when he had him, would not let him goe, chap. 3.4.
You will ſay unto me, Queſt. how can we keep him if he will be gone?
I anſwer: Anſw. as you conſerve roſes with ſugar, ſo you may keep him a long time with
1. Sugred and ſweet thoughts of God, and him, and his word, and ſaints, &c. abandoning other vain and worldly cogitations: For then we make, as it were, our minds his *Salomoni ergo (vel Chriſto) lectulum facimus, cum amundi ſolicitudi…i…bus omni…-ceſſamus, dum in ſolo deſiderio Chriſti … benter pauſamus, eique, ut nobiſcum pauſit cor ab omni ter…na cup…ditate mundamus, Greg. … Cant. 3.7.bed, whereon he is then pleaſed to reſt, Cant. 3.7.
2. With ſweet and gracious ſpeeches and communications, if you have a care to bridle your tongues, and to refraine your lips from bitter words, and unprofitable diſcourſes; and contrarily, to ſugar the conceptions of your minds with ſweet and ſavory expreſſions, tending to the glory of God, and to the edification of others; For with ſuch communcication God is well pleaſed. See Luke 24.15.
3. With ſweet and gracious works, which are even able to attract him, and to draw him towards you after he hath been (in regard of his ſenſe and feeling) abſent from you; for ſo he ſaith to his faire Spouſe, I am come into my garden, &c. meaning the beleeving ſoule, Cant. 5.1. after ſhe had deſired him to give her a gracious viſit, ſaying, Let my beloved come into his garden, and eate of his pleaſant fruits, that is, let him pleaſe and delight himſelfe with theſe precious graces, and glorious works, which himſelf hath wrought by his holy ſpirit, as I noted formerly, that this is the meaning of that excellent place, Gregor. in loc. Pſellus …:.as both Gregory and Pſellus in their annotations affirme.
SECT. 19. Chriſt ſhould be uſed much.
2. BE willing alſo to make more uſe of Chriſt then ever you did yet, ſeeing that now you underſtand how that he is moſt like unto a roſe, whoſe uſefulneſſe and medicinallneſſe Petrus Andre. Matthiolus a Phyſician ſo extolleth and ſetteth forth in his Commentaries on the 1. Book of Dioſcorides the 112. Chapter, as that I for my part muſt not thinke that I ſhall be able to magnifie them more then he did, and therefore Ile here ſet down his own words (which formerly I have cited in the margin) Certainly, ſaith he, roſes are much to be magnified, and to be had in high eſteeme, becauſe they ſerve not onelyonly for an ornament to beautifie our gardens, and are moſt delightfull to the eye, but alſo becauſe they be uſed in the moſt excellent medicines, whereby the life of man is ſuccoured. Thus he, and therefore how may we extoll and magnifie, ſay I, the Lord Jeſus Chriſt, that moſt admirable Roſe of Sharon, which muſt needs be more then infinitely more medicinall, being the Creator, then all roſes created. Make uſe of him therefore, as men make uſe of roſes in ſuch caſes as theſe.