Right Thoughts, Part 2 · Section 38
Sect. XXXVIII.
Holy Thoughts of Chriſt.ANd as we muſt away with all ſou…re thoughts of Chriſt, and All low thoughts of Chriſt, ſo much more with all unſavory and looſe thoughts of Chriſt; Our Thoughts of Him muſt be Holy, as well as High; Rom. 6.1, 2.and Fearful, as well as Chearful; The Apoſtle puts an abſit upon the leaſt Thoughts, as if the coming of Grace were for the countenancing of Sin. What ſaith Moſes concerning Chriſt? Beware of him, and obey his voice, Exod. 23.21.provoke him not, for he will not pardon your Tranſgreſſions, for my Name is in Him. What ſaith David? Pſalm 2.12.Kiſs the SON leaſt he be angry, and ye periſh from the way, when his wrath is kindled but a little. The Prophet Iſaiah tells us, that he comes to give Law (as well as Liberty) the Iſles ſhall wait for his Iſaiah 42.4.Law, the Prophecy of our Converſion, who are Iſlanders in the Sea) and that this Branch out of the Root of Jeſſe ſhall ſmite the Earth with the Rod of his Mouth, Iſaiah 11.1, 2.and with the breath of his Lips he ſhall ſlay the wicked. The Angel ſaith of Chriſt, that his Name ſhall be called JESUS,Mal. 1.21. Acts 2.27. Mal. 5.17. becauſe He was to ſave his people (not IN their Sins, but) FROM their Sins. Chriſt, when he was a Child, was the Holy Child JESUS; and when he was a Man, He tells us that He came not to deſtroy the Law, but to fulfil it; And as John Baptiſt told the People, that his Fan was in his hand, Mat. 3 12.and he would throughly purge his Floor, they found it ſo, for He went into the Temple, Chap. 21.21.and ſcourged out the Buyers and Sellers, &c. in token that no unclean or prophane thing muſt expect admittance by Him into the Kingdom of God. No, no,Mat. 3.11. John 16.8. Hebr. 10.1. Mat. 16.24. John 17.17. Acts 15.9. Philip. 4.7. Col. 3.25. Gal. 6.16. The Baptiſme of Chriſt is a Baptiſme with Fire, and the Spirit of Chriſt is a Reprover of Sin, the example of Chriſt a pattern of Obedience, and the Doctrine of Chriſt is a Doctrine of Self-denyal, the Truth of Chriſt a Sanctifying Truth, and the Faith of Chriſt an heart purifying Faith, and the Peace of Chriſt is a War with Sin, for it keeps the heart, and rules in the heart, and 'tis onelyonly unto them that walk according to Rule, that the Goſpel of Chriſt ſaith, Peace be upon them; but Tribulation and Anguiſh, Rom. 2.8, 9.Indignation and Wrath upon every Soul of Man that doth evil, of the Jew firſt, and alſo of the Gentile.
Take We heed then of thinking baſely of Chriſt,Mat. 11.19. as the friend of Sinners in their vile ſenſe, who indeed thought him to be altogether ſuch an one as themſelves; Pſal. 50.21. Pſal. 35.7.but Davids Thoughts were otherwiſe, thou loveſt Righteouſneſs and hateſt Iniquity, therefore God, even thy God, hath anointed thee with the Oyl of Gladneſs above thy fellows. A Friend indeed of Sinners, for he Dyed to ſave them, yea the chief of them,1 Tim. 1.15. but yet an Enemy to Sin, for He came to make an end of Sin (ſaith the Apoſtle St. John) to redeem us from our vain Converſation (ſaith S. Peter) and to purifie to himſelf a peculiar 1 John 3.8. 1 Pet. 1.18.people, Titus 2.14.zealous of good works, to ſanctifie and cleanſe us with the waſhing of water, by the World, that we might be holy, Eph. 5.26, 27.and without blemiſh (ſaith S. Paul.)
And now tell me, O Reader, is there any ſhelter for Sin, or licenſe for Luſt in all this? O be not deceived, Gal. 6.7, 8.God is not mocked, for whatſoever a Man ſoweth, that ſhall he alſo reap, for he that ſoweth to his Fleſh, ſhall of the Fleſh reap Corruption, but he that ſoweth to the Spirit, ſhall of the Spirit reap life Everlaſting. For the GRACE of God that hath appeared bringing SALVATION,2 Tit. 11.12. teacheth to deny ungodlineſs, and worldly Luſts, &c.Pſalm 45.6. For Chriſt is KING as well as PRIEST, and LORD as well as JESUS, and the Scepter of his Kingdome is a RIGHT SCEPTER, and We cannot THINK RIGHTLY of it, except we think it ſo. And O how terrible is this THOUGHT, that if We ſlight this way,Hebr. 2.36. Chap. 10.26. neglecting ſo great Salvation, by ſinning wilfully againſt this Sacrifice, there remains no (other) SACRIFICE for Sin, for there is no other Name given but the Name JESUS:Acts 4.12. Heb. 10.28, 29. And if He that ſinned againſt Moſes's Law dyed without Mercy, how much ſorer muſt his puniſhment be, that trampleth under foot the SON of GOD?
Then think this of Chriſt, that if he be not thy Foundation-Stone, 1 Pet. 2.6, Mat. 21.14. Rev. 5.5.6. John 5.22.Elect and precious to thee, if thou be not built upon him, he will fall upon thee, and grinde thee to powder; for the Lamb of God is a LYON too, and God hath committed all Judgment to the SON, and the WRATH of the LAMB ſhall one day be found intolerable to the proudeſt of Men, when the Kings of the Earth, Rev. 6.15, 16, 17.and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief Captains, and the mighty Men, and every Bond man, and every Free man ſhall call to the Rocks and the Mountains to fall on them, to hide them from the face of him that ſitteth upon the Throne, and from the WRATH of the LAMB, for when the great day of his Wrath is come, O who ſhall be able to ſtand?
O think of this ye Looſe, Licentious,Caution to looſe Chriſtians. Rom 2.24. (Sacrilegiouſly ſo called) CHRISTIANS, through whom the Sacred Name of Chriſt is blaſphemed among the Gentiles, what thanks will He give you that a TURK ſhould ſay (as they are ordinarily obſerved to do) What? do you think I am a CHRISTIAN that I ſhould break my Oath, or falſifie my Faith? Or that an HEATHEN ſhould ſay, as that Indian Prince did to the Spaniards, who being about to put him cruelly to death, but in (Ghoſtly Charity) perſwaded him to turn Chriſtian before his death; He asked them, what he ſhould get by that? they told him he ſhould go to Heaven with the Chriſtians, He demanded whither went Indians, when they dyed? They ſaid, to Hell: He ſhortly Replyed, He would die as he was; for he had rather go to the Indians Hell, then to the cruel Spaniards Heaven; 'Twas ſeverely ſaid by one, Aut hic non eſt Chriſtus,—pudet haec opprobria nobis & dici potuiſſe, & non potuiſte refelli. aut hi non ſunt Chriſtiani; Either He, (whom you profeſs) is not the CHRIST, or You are not the CHRISTIANS. Men and Brethren, let me freely ſpeak to you, if CHRISTS coming into the World be ſignalized by Bacchanalian Rites and Revellings, what ſhall a Jew or Infidel think either of Chriſt, or elſe of Us? 'Twas truly ſaid, Peccatis noſtris fortes ſunt Barbari. Chriſtians ſins make Barbarians more barbarous, Homil. againſt the peril of Idolatry. 3 P. pag. 45. Jerem. 7.12.Turks more Turkiſh, Jews more Jewiſh, as our Homilie hath obſerved, that Popiſh Idolatry gives the great fixation to Turkiſh and Jewiſh Infidelity.
But as of old God ſent the old Jews to Shilo, where He firſt ſet his Name, to ſee what he did to it, for the wickedneſs of his people Iſrael, ſo may I ſend the now Chriſtian World to the once ſeven flouriſhing Churches of Aſia,Revel. 1.11. for if Chriſt be not glorified by Us, He will glorifie Himſelf upon Us; and therefore let every one that thinks of a Chriſt, think of this;2 Tim. 2.19. Let Every One that nameth the Name of Chriſt, depart from Iniquity.