The Excellency of Christ, Section 8 – Section 9
SECT. 8. An exhortation to ſuch as want Chriſt, to ſeeke him in the Law and Goſpell.
4. THis point may ſerve to encline the wils of thoſe men and women that formerly were averſe from Chriſt, to be for Chriſt: 4Vſe generall, ſerving to encline the wils of ſuch as hitherto were averſe, and farre from Chriſt to ſeeke after Chriſt.For he is moſt like unto a roſe in Sharon field, and ſo conſequently moſt deſirable, as you have heard, wherefore as in the ſummer time, when roſes are plentifully to be had, every body almoſt will have a roſe in his hand: ſo let every one of you that hitherto wanted Chriſt labour to get him into his heart.. But this is too generall, and therefore I'le deſcend to particulars, inſtructing you of five things; as namely,
1. Where this roſe is to be ſought.
2. Where with it is to be taken.
3. When it is to be ſought.
4. Wherefore, or upon what grounds.
5. What impediments muſt be removed, that it may be ſought and taken.
For the firſt: I ſay that Chriſt is to
be ſought for 1. In the Law.
be ſought for 2. In the Goſpell.
1. This Roſe of Sharon is to be ſought for in the Law preached; 1Dilatation of this uſe.for ſo ſaith the Apoſtle, Wherefore the Law was our Schoolemaſter, to bring us to * Chriſt, Gal. 3.24. Whereupon it followeth, that as he who will gather roſes, muſt ſeeke for them among *Nam …oſa ex ſpina naſcitur, Pl…n. nat. biſt. l. 21▪thornes: So he that will come to Chriſt, muſt come to him by the pric▪ king thornes of the law, as thoſe converts, Acts 2.37. who were ſore pricked in their hearts before they could be ſo happy as to enjoy Chriſt; and the reaſon of this aſſertion is moſt evident and plain.
For as long as we are not to ſome purpoſe terrified by the law and made ſenſible of our owne miſery, we will not care for Chriſt, even as ſcarce any body would have cared much for the brazen ſerpent, lifted up in the wilderneſſe, if it had not been for the fierie ſerpents, which having ſtung men unto death, compelled them to looke up: ſo we would hardly make account of Chriſt, if the terrours of the law, like fierie ſerpents ſhould not ſting us to death, and make us afraid of death, death I meane everlaſting: Simile.Or, if you will take this compariſon, Men by nature are like mariners & paſſengers in a ſhip, which is in great danger, not far from a great rocke, as long as they have the leaſt hope that they may eſcape, and be ſaved in the ſhip, they will not leap into the ſea, and ſwim; but when they are told by the skilfull ſhipmaſter, that there is no hope of life, unleſſe they doe ſo, then they will rather ſwim and try, whether they may come to the rocke, there to be ſaved, then die and ſinke in the ſhip: So as long as men in the ſtate of nature (which is like a broken ſhip, very dāgerous) may have any hope to go up to heaven, & do well enough, abiding where they are, i.e. in the ſtate of open prophanenes, or civil honeſty, or pharaſaicall hypocriſie, and keeping their boſome-ſins, they will not wagge one foot to goe to Chriſt thus as they ought, forgoing and forſaking all their darling delights, and ſinfull profits, honours, and contentments; but when once they are abſolutely and roundly told by that skilfull ſchoolemaſter or ſhipmaſter, whoſe name is Law, that if they abide in that ſtate, and forſake not their forlorne hopes, and ſweeteſt ſins, which are like greatly deſired goods in a broken ſhip, they muſt periſh and ſinke, and be engulphed in that formidable lake, which burneth with fire and brimſtone, Rev. 21.8. then, then will they rather doe ſo then dye; rather ſwim to Chriſt, who is like a *1 Cor. 10.…rocke, upon any termes, then periſh with their goods; I ſhould ſay profits, pleaſures, honours in hell for evermore. And therefore if any of you all that want Chriſt, doe in good earneſt deſire to get Chriſt; Let him not refuſe to heare the law, and to thinke on it ſeriouſly, that ſo he may be thereby terrified and urged effectually to goe to Chriſt, even ſpeedily, that he may not be damned eternally. But hereof more is to be ſaid hereafter. This is but to make way for them.
2. This roſe of Sharon is to be ſought in the Goſpell preached, 2In the Goſpell.which is like a field for its largeneſſe, becauſe therein Chriſt offereth himſelfe to as many as will come to him; ſaying, Come to me, all you that travell, and are heavy laden, and I will eaſe you, Matt. 11.28. ſo as that he might well compare himſelfe here to a roſe in Sharon field, which is not ſo incloſed, and reſerved as your garden roſes are; but may be had of any that travelleth by, and hath a mind to it; for doe but marke his ſpeech, and you ſhall ſee it, Come unto me, all ye that travell] marke all, as if he ſhould ſay; I doe not either reſerve my ſelfe to my ſelfe, or deny my ſelfe to any that would have me. No, but I am ready and willing to eaſe and to embrace even with the deareſt embraces of my love any poore travelling ſoule that comes to me; and therefore, come hither all ye poore ſinners, that groane under the burden of your ſins, and ſeeke Chriſt in this ſweet and gracious promiſe; for here you ſhall undoubtedly find him, he cannot go from it, becauſe he is faithfull.
SECT. 9. Faith muſt be gotten for the taking of Chriſt.
2. ONly I muſt tell you, 2Dilatati… of this uſe. Get faith.that as he will plucke a roſe, muſt have a hand to plucke it with, ſo you muſt have the hand of faith, wherewith you may and muſt lay hold on Chriſt, beleeving verily, that according to his faithfull promiſe he will be a Saviour unto you, and refocillate you, and eaſe your poore ſoules of the moſt heavy and grievous burden of ſin, and that you ſhall have reſt by him here and hereafter eternally in the heavens. See Iohn 6.37. Him that commeth to me, I will in no wiſe caſt out.
But how ſhall we get faith? Queſt.Sol.
I anſwer, Chriſt himſelfe is the author of it, Heb. 12.2. and he works it by his word and ſpirit, Rom. 10.17. 1 Cor. 12.9. and therefore goe to him by prayer, and caſt your ſelves downe before the throne of his grace, both before and after the hearing of his word, and beg of him, that as he hath given you hands to take your meat with, and to gather and plucke roſes for the good of your bodies in ſickneſſe, that you may live the life of nature: ſo he would give you the hand of faith, wherewith you may take and apprehend him, being that moſt ſweet and medicinall roſe of Sharon, for the good of your ſoules, that they may live the life of faith here, and the life of glory hereafter.
Now it may be, that Chriſt will not heare ye by and by, becauſe you would not heare him, when he did ſeeke after you in the preaching of his faithfulleſt meſſengers; but let not that diſmay you, for he loves to be importuned, and therefore ſolicite him againe and againe; and be ye as earneſt with him, as once Rachel was with Iacob, when ſhe ſaid; Give me children, or elſe I die, Gen. 30.1. ſo ſay ye unto Chriſt, O Lord Jeſus, who art the author of faith, and canſt give it to whom thou wilt, even as thou canſt give children when, and to whom thou wilt give us faith, Lord, or elſe we die and periſh for ever; or elſe, as once a good old *Ioh. Badly bornt in King He…y the 4. time. Anno 1409.Martyr cried out in the fire, ſaying, Mercy Lord, mercy; ſo cry ye (as being in the eſtate of hell fire by nature, ſo as that needs you muſt needs burne and frye for ever, if ye have no ſaving faith, wherewith you may take Chriſt who muſt ſave you from hell) faith Lord, faith, even true ſaving faith let us have, that we periſh not in thoſe mercileſſe, eaſeleſſe, and endleſſe flames of hell, which our former unbeliefe hath juſtly deſerved.