The Excellency of Christ, Section 5
SECT. 5. Matter of feare for ſuch as reject Chriſt.
3. THe point is uſefull and good for mens affections to work upon them.3This ſerves to work upon mens affections: and 1. To make men feare.
And firſt of all, to terrifie thoſe who refuſe and reject the Lord Chriſt, preferring with thoſe baſe ſpirited Gadarens, (Mat. 8.32.34.) their Swine or ſwiniſh luſts, and brutiſh deſires and filthy ſins before him, whereas they ſhould rather infinitely deſire and eſteeme him, even above pearles and diamonds, and rubies, and the burniſhed gold of Ophir, and the whole world, if it were all turned into one intire maſſe and lump of gold, ſeeing he is ſo faire and ſo uſefull, and ſo deſirable, as I ſhewed you, being like a roſe, a Roſe indeed, outmatching all other roſes, for beautifulneſſe, uſefulneſſe, medicinalneſſe, and deſirableneſſe, and ſo conſequently worthy to be eſteemed, and to be preferred before all things: So that all ſuch ſordid and deteſtable Gadarens amongſt us may well even tremble and be aſtoniſhed at it, that they doe ſo deſpiſe and trample under the feet of ſo monſtrous contempt, the Son of God, that moſt glorious Roſe of Sharon: For what will you ſay another day, you that are ſo vile and ſo baſe, why you did not embrace the Lord Jeſus, forgoing and forſaking all your boſome ſinnes, though never ſo delightfull, deare, and deſirable to your corrupted and depraved natures? Nay, I demand againe, What anſwer will you returne unto him whom now you doe ſo vilifie and lightly eſteem, when he ſhall come in the rowling clouds of heaven to judge you, and all men elſe both quicke and dead; and ſhall queſtion you, as he did once thoſe ſtiffenecked Jewes, ler. 2.5. What iniquity or fraud, as the originall hath it, could you find in me, that you went ſo farre from me, or ſtood at ſuch a diſtance with me, and would not approach and draw neere unto me, but have walked after vanity, that is, as the originall intimates, after things of nought, and which did ſoone fade away; and in the which you could find nothing but a meere emptineſſe, and became ſo vaine your ſelves, as that you were but like ſo many empty caskes, ecchoing, and ſounding loud enough, but containing not ſo much as one drop of grace, and goodneſſe, as being wholly ſequeſtred and alienated from me, who am the fountaine of goodneſſe, Iohn 1.16. What can you ſay then, ſay I, for your ſelves, why you did ſo ſhamefully forget your ſelves? will you ſay that Chriſt was not deſirable, or uſefull, or faire enough for you? then my text will ſtop your mouths that you ſhall not be able to juſtiſie nor maintaine your ſaying: For therein you ſee Chriſt himſelfe reſembles himſelfe to a Roſe right faire and good, and deſirable, ſaying, I am the Roſe of Sharon; ſo as that he may well anſwer you then after this ſort: If I were and had been like a tearing bramble, or a nettle which will ſting thoſe that touch it, you might have had ſome excuſe for your abhorring and rejecting of my glorious perſon; but now I have made my ſelfe otherwiſe knowne unto you, I have told you that I am like a roſe, to comfort, and to revive, and not to ſting, nor to teare thoſe that come unto me; & therefore now you have no cloake for your deteſtable and horrible ſin of deſpiſing me, and neglecting ſo great ſalvation. See Iohn 15.22. Whereupon ſhall I tell you what you may be like to ſay: O bedlams, that we were, when we deſpiſed and rejected ſo glorious a Saviour, we fooles then could ſee no beauty in him, nor comlineſſe wherefore we ſhould deſire him, Eſa. 53.2. but now how faire and glorious is his body, which there we ſee upon that white and glorious throne; and how deſirable is his ſacred perſon, which is crowned with ſuch Majeſty? Oh how doth he ſhine now with incomparable ſplendor above the brightneſſe of the ſun; and oh! how amiable is his countenance; and therefore, oh! how have we wronged our own ſoules, whom we have bereaved and deprived of ſo beautifull, bliſſefull, and delightfull an object, as this moſt glorious and ſweeteſt Saviour is, whom now we behold with moſt bitter griefe, and unutterable vexation of heart, becauſe we have ſo wilfully, diſdainfully, and obſtinately withſtood and loſt ſo great ſalvation: If now we had time and leave to make our choiſe, we would prefer this glorious Saviour, whom we have once ſo deſpiſed, before ten thouſand worlds if there were ſo many, and before more then ten hundred thouſand pleaſures and ſports, and paſtimes, and carnall oblectations; but alas we cannot, the time of mercy is expired, and the time of juſtice, wrath, and vengeance, ſo much ſpoken of by our faithfull paſtors, hath appeared, and we muſt now be judged, and adjudged to the eaſeleſſe, remedileſſe, endleſſe torments and flames of that infernall pit; and all our pleaſures, Wiſd. 5.profits, and delights are paſſed away from us. Like a ſhadow and a poaſt, that haſted by; and there is nothing of all things we ever enjoyed and poſſeſſed, that can ſolace and comfort us now in that mercileſſe flame in all eternity; and therefore, O that we had never been borne, oh! that we had been but ſo happy as our cattell, horſes, oxen, dogs, ſwine, beaſts, birds, which died but once, and feele no more paine for ever; whereas we muſt be ever dying, and yet ſhall ever be living in paine, in woe, and miſery. Oh woe, woe, woe unto us that ever we were borne to ſee this day, and to die this death, and to live ſuch a life, which will be unto us a perpetuall and everkilling deſtruction.