A Discourse Grounded on Proverbs, Part 2 · Section 37
Sect. XXXVII.
ANd Oh how Ioyful as well as Awful, Delightful thoughts of Chriſt:and truely Amiable as well as highly Admirable a Thought it is, that it was TRUE MAN as well as very GOD that was engaged in all this; 'Twas the Star proceeding out of Iacob that was uſhered into the world by that Star in the Eaſt, Num. 24:17Matth 2, 2'twas the Seed of Abraham that was waited upon by the Multitude of the Heavenly hoſt, Hebr. 2 16and to whom it was ſaid at his bringing into the World, Let all the Angels of God Worſhip him; Rom: 8, 5for of the Fathers concerning the Fleſh Chriſt came, who is over all God bleſſed for ever, Amen. For ſince man had Fallen, by aſpiring to be like God, there was no way for his riſing again, but by Gods Cond…ſcending to become like one of VsUs. O comfortable thought to poor Man! that it was MAN that fulfilled all Righteouſneſs, Math 3:15that wrought Miracles, that overcame the World, that ſatisfyed Iustice, John 16, 33that appeaſed wrath, that ſubdued Sin, that deſtroyed Death, and him that had the power of it, that is the Devil, Hebr. 2, 14And having ſpoiled Principalityes and Powers, triumphed over them, Colloſ 3, 15and having riſen from the dead in that very Body wherein he ſuffered, Acts 31, …and ſhewed himſelf alive after his Paſsion by many infallible proofs, being ſeen on Earth for the ſpace of 40 dayes, He afterwards in open ſight aſcended into Heaven, and ſate down on the Right hand of the Majestie on high, Hebr. 1, …from thenceforth expecting till his Enemies be made his Footſtool. O this is Bone of our Bone, and Fleſh of our Fleſh; chap. 10:13this is our beloved, and this is our friend; Cant. 5:16This is the Man that is Gods fellow; the Man whom God hath appointed to judge the World, Zech: 13:7Acts 17:3…and happy We whoſe Suretie is to be Our Iudge; this is the High Prieſt taken from among Men to bring us to God, Hebrew. 5, 1the Ladder reaching Heaven, and touching Earth, that he might gather together in one All things that are in Heaven, Epheſ 1:10and that are on Earth; This is Our Fore-Runner that is for us entered, Hebr: …:20and hath taken poſſeſsion in that very Nature wherein He paid the Price, and made the purchaſe, who entered firſt into our Sorrow, Matth 25, 3and acquainted himſelf with our Griefs, that We might enter into the Ioy of our Lord, John 17, 24and be where he is, that We might behold his Glory.
And Oh methinks the Divine Thought of this Immanuel the Incarnate GOD, notwithſtanding All the Magick that the World can uſe to bewitch our affections, or to Ch…rm our Thoughts to the things below,Exod. 7.12 ſhould be like the Rod of Aaron among the Rods of the Magicians, even a Thought ſwallowing up every other thought! A Thought ſo Great and ſo good, ſo admirable and ſo acceptable, even worthy of all acceptation; A Thought ſo dearly engaging us; and ſo nearly concerning us; a Thought without which All other Thoughts can be but a mere Chaos of Confuſion, and will prove in the Iſſue a very Hell of Horrour; and a Thought with which the thought of Death is without a Sting, 1 Cor: 15 55and the very Thought of Iudgment… doth lift up the head and fill the heart with Ioy unſpeakable and full of Glory. L…ke 21:281 Peter 1, 8In a word, a Thought that by mutual entercourſes between Love on Gods part, and Faith on Mans part, doth bring Heaven down to VsUs, and will, if We follow it home, raiſe VsUs up to Heaven, for whilst We with open face behold (as in a Glaſs) the Glory of the Lord, 2 Cor. 3 …8We are changed into the ſame Image from Glory to Glory, as by the Spirit of the Lord, For as Gods wayes are above our wayes, as high as his Thoughts are above our Thoughts, ſo our wayes will be above other mens wayes, Iſaia, 55▪ 8above the Corrupt way of Nature, the bruitiſh way of ſenſe and Carnal Reaſon, as high as our thoughts are above their thoughts; for whilſt their God is their belly, and they glory in their ſhame, Phi. 3:19, 20who mind Earthly things; Our Converſation ſhall be in Heaven, from whence we look for the Saviour the Lord Ieſus Christ.
Chriſt deſeruesO welcom then the dear and precious Thoughts of the bleſſed Ieſus! who thought of thee, O my Soul,Pſat 136, 23 in thy low eſtate, and therefore deſerves thy Thoughts; and puts himſelf purpoſely in thy way, which way ſoever thou turneſt thy ſelf,and deſires our thoughts, Luke 22, 44 and therefore ſure deſires thy thoughts; for as there was never a pore in his Body but He did ſweat out his Blood at it for thee, and thy Good, ſo is there never a door even of thine Exterior ſences but He knocks at it to be let in to thy Thoughts; Knock: at the do…r of eueryevery ſenſe,Canſt thou hear, or ſee, or feel? why, that which We have ſeen and heard, 1 John 1 1ſaith the Apoſtle, declare we unto you, and our hands have handled the word of life. Or canſt thou taſt?and ve… 3 and haſt thou not taſted that the Lord is gracious? 1 Pet. 2:3 Cantic. 2, 1or is the Roſe of Sharon the onelyonly Flower that cannot pleaſe thy ſmell? The bundle of Myrrhe, the Cluſter of Camphire, chap. 1.13 Verſe 14 And puts hi…ſelf in the way of o… thoughts by every good thing about us,&c. are there no ſweets in All theſe? Methinks my Saviour d…es even court my Thoughts, meeting them and me at every turn, in every thing that is excellent & obvious. If I ſhut my eyes He is my Reſt, and this Reſt is Glorious; If I open them, He is my Light, Iſaia. 11 10and truly this Light is pleaſant; Eccleſ. 6.11If Night fall, He is the bright and fixed Star; Rev. 22:16 Malac. 4, 3If Day dawn, 'tis writ with a Sun-beam upon my wall that He is my Sun of Righteouſneſs: when I get up, can I forget my Cloaths, to put on the Lord Ieſus? Rom. 13, 14Can I go forth, and not think of Him that is the Way? or come in again,John 14, 6 and not think of Him that is the Door? chap. 10:9Can I ſit down to Eat, and forget Him that is the Bread of Life? and take a turn in my Garden among all my pleaſant Plants, and forget the Tree of Life? Revel: 22:2or refreſh my ſweating brow amongſt Rivers, Shades and Fountains, and not mind him that is the River of Life, Verſe 1the ſhaddow of a great Rock in a weary Land, Iſaiah. 32:2the Fountain ſet open for Sin, Zecha. 13:1and for uncleanneſs? Can I gaze upon Gold or Silver the Mammon of unrighteouſneſs, and forget him whoſe very Reproach is greater Riches then the Treaſures of Aegypt? or pleaſe mine Eye with the Brisk and …prightly Diamond, or beautiful Emerauld, and not call to mind that Pearl of great Price, for the ſake of which the wiſe Merchant ſells all he hath to buy the Field in which He finds it? Matt 13, 46Do I ſee the welcom Officer bringing a diſcharge to his weary Priſoner, and forget him that hath the Key of David,Revel. 3:7 who openeth & no man can ſhut, and ſhutteth & none can open? do I ſee the Mariner drop his Anchor, and forget Him in whom alone Hope, H…. 6, 18:1…(which is the Anchor of the Soul) is ſure and ſtedfaſt? Do I ſee the Souldier run to his Colours,chapt. 2:10 and forget the Captain of my Salvation? Do I ſee the watchful Shepheard …poſe himſelf (as Iacob) to Sun … Shour,Gen: 31:40 to wind and weather, and forget him that laid down his Life for his Sheep? John 10:11Or the painful Harveſt-Man, and forget him that is the Lord of the Harveſt? Matth. 5:33Or the careful Father ſetling his Eſtate by Will, and lear… ing it to his little ones that h… leaves behind him, and can I fo… bear to call to mind my Saviou… Teſtament confirmed by the Death… the Testator? Hebr. 9 16Do I ſee the Virgi… preparing to receive the Bridegroom or the Countrey going out to m… the Iudge of Aſsize, Matt. 25.31and not … Thoughts run out to meet my S… viour.1 Theſ 4:17 In a word, can I think o… any thing & not think of Chriſ… who is every good thing; If I b… well,Pſal: 42:11 'tis He that is the health o… my countenance; and if I be ſick He is my Phyſician; Matth. 9 12and if I live Chriſt is my Life; Philip. 1:21and if I die, H… is the Reſurrestion as well as Life So that as there is a strange diſeaſ… that takes ſome in their Head… who live many years,John 11.25 but ſo ſtrangely looſe their Memory, tha… they forget their own Name, it is much more a monſtrous diſeaſe that takes Us in our Heart…, that makes us forget the Name of Christ; …hat We ſhould be ſo ſtrange, and …o ſottiſh, and ſo ſtupid to the …houghts of Chriſt which of all …he things in the World, ought in …uty, and might in Reaſon, be …oſt ready, frequent, and fami…iar to Us, ſince God hath made …very good thing about us, a plain …rompter to our weak memoryes, … ſpelling out the Name of his Son …nd our Saviour Jeſus Chriſt. We …eed no ſorry Crucifixes, dumb …ictures, or dead Images to be …ur Remembrancers (bleſſed be our God) to put us in mind of Him,eſpecially by the Lords Supper inſttuted for his Remembrance. 1 Cor. 11, 26 …ho hath drunk to us in his own …ood, and commanded us to …edge Him at His Table, and as …ften as we do it, to do it in Remem…ance of Him: O there do thou …uſe O my Soul, till the Fire burn! … there let thine Eye, and thy …ouch, and thy Taſt affect thy Thoughts, and let thy Thought enflame thy Affections, that th… more thou think of Chriſt, tho… mayeſt love him better; and th… better thou loveſt him, thou mayeſt think of Him more; for ther… the Bread of life is broken, that i… may be Eaten; and this Eat… Bread is never to be forgotten; the… the Blood of Chriſt is broach… that it may be drunk, and bein… drunk that his love may be remembred more then Wine; Cant. 1, 4for the… is Chriſt before mine eyes evident… ſet forth, Galat. 3:1even as if He were Cruc… fyed among us. There the Kin… both ſits at his Table, Cant: 1:12and is ſ… upon the Table; for Chriſt is bot… the Master of the Feaſt, and th… Matter of the Feast; both my E… tertainer▪ and Entertainment; an… whilſt I thus ſee him, and feel him and taſt him, How can I but thin… of him? and whilſt the Bread th… ſtrengtheneth mine heart, ſtrengtheneth alſo my Faith, & ſo Chriſt …eals into my Soul, as it were, by …y Senſe, and becomes the very …ouriſhment thereof, as the Outward Elements (Bread and Wine) …re of the Outward man, How can … forget my Saviour, whilſt I Remember my ſelf? or ſhut him out of the thoughts of mine Heart, Pſal. 73.26who …s the ſtrength of mine heart? John 6, 5…whoſe Fleſh is my meat indeed, and whoſe …lood is my drink indeed: whoſe Death is my life and my Reconcili…tion, and whoſe life is my Glory …nd my Salvation; who, by his …ontinual Interceſsion, Hebr. 9, 28ever bears …ne upon his heart, before his Fa…her in Heaven (even as Aaron was to bear the Names of the Tribes …f Iſrael upon his Breaſt-plate into …he moſt holy place) till He appear …he ſecond time unto Salvation, Exod. 28:2…and …ome again to take me to himſelf, John 12, 26…hat where my Lord is, there may alſo his Servant be.