The Usefulness and 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 4. Vse generall, serving to encline the wils of such as hitherto were averse, and farre from Christ to seeke after Christ.the wils of those men and women that formerly were averse from Christ, to be for 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. Wherewith 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.
2. In the Gospell.
1. This Rose of Sharon is to be 1. Dilatation of this use.sought for in the Law preached; 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 Rosa ex spina nascitur, Plin. nat. bist. l. 21.thornes: So he that will come to Christ, must come to him by the pricking 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: Or, if you Si….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 * rocke, upon any termes, then 1 Cor. 10. 4.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 2. In the Gospell.sought in the Gospell preached, 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, that as he 2. Dilatatiō of this use. Get faith.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.
Quest. But how shall we get faith?
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 burnt in King Henry 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.