Right Thoughts, Part 2 · Section 37
Sect. XXXVII.
ANd Oh how Joyful as well as Awful, Delightful thoughts of Chriſt. Numb. 24.17.and truly 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 Jacob that was uſhered into the World by that Star in the Eaſt, Matth. 2.2.'twas the Seed of Abraham that was waited upon by the Multitude of the heavenly beſt, Hebr. 2.16. Rom. 8.5.and to whom it was ſaid at his bringing into the world, Let all the Angels of God worſhip him; for of the Fathers concerning the Fleſh Chriſt came, who is over all God bleſſed for ever, Amon. For ſince man had Fallen, by aſpiring to be like God, there was no way for his riſing again, but by Gods Condeſcending to become like one of Us. O comfortable thought to poor Man! that it was MAN that fulfilled all Righteouſneſs, Math. 3.15. John 16.33.that wrought Miracles, that overcame the world, that ſatisfied Juſtice, that appeaſed wrath, that ſubdued Sin, that deſtroyed Death, and him that had the power of it, Hebr. 2.14.that is the Devil, And having ſpoiled Principalities and Powers, triumphed over them, and having riſen from the dead in that very Body wherein he ſuffered, Coloſ. 3.15. Acts 31.2.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, Hebr. 1.2.and ſate down on the right hand of the Majeſty on high, from thenceforth expecting till his Enemies be made his Footſtool. Chap. 10.13. Cant. 5.16. Zech. 13.7.O this is Bone of our Bone, and Fleſh of our Fleſh; this is our beloved, and this is our friend; This is the Man that is Gods fellow; the Man whom God hath appointed to judge the world, and happy We whoſe Sur…ty is to be Our Judge; Acts 17.31. Hebrews 5.1.this is the High Prieſt taken from among Men, to bring us to God, the Ladder reaching Heaven, and touching Earth, that he might gather together in one All things that are in Heaven, Epheſ. 1.10. Hebrews 6.20.and that are on Earth; This is Our Fore-Runner that is for us entered, and hath taken poſſeſſion in that very Nature wherein He paid the Price, and made the Purchaſe, Math. 25.3.who entered firſt into our Sorrows, and acquainted himſelf with our Griefs, that We might enter into the …oy of our Lord, John 17.24.and be where he is, that we might behold his Glo…y.
And Oh methinks the Divine Thought of this Immanuel the Incarnate GOD, notwithſtanding All the Magick that the World can uſe to betwitch our affections, or to Charm our Thoughts to the things below,Exod. 7.12. ſhould be like the Rod of Aaron among the Rods of the Magitians, even a Thought ſwallowing up every other thought! A Thought ſo great and ſo good, ſo admirable and ſo acceptable, even worthy of acceptation; A Thought ſo dearly engaging us, and ſo nearly concerning us, a Thought without which All other Thoughts can be but a mear 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. 15.55. Luke 21.28. 1 Pet. 1.8.and the very Thought of Judgment doth lift up the heal, and fill the heart with Joy unſpeakable and full of Glory. In a word, a Thought that by mutual entercourſes between Love on Gods part, and Faith on Mans part, doth bring Heaven down to Us, and will, if We follow it home, raiſe Us up to Heaven, 2 Cor. 3.18.for whilſt we with open face behold (as in a Glaſs) the Glory of the Lord, we are changed into the ſame Image from glory to glory, as by the Spirit of Lord, For as Gods wayes are above our wayes, as high as his Thoughts are above our Thoughts, Iſaiah 55.8.ſo our wayes will be above other mens wayes, above 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, Phil. 3.19, 20.and they glory in their ſhame, who mind Earthly things; Our Converſation ſhall b… in Heaven, from whence we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jeſus Chriſt.
O welcome then the dear and precious Thoughts o… the bleſſed Jeſus! who thought of thee, O my Soul,Chriſt deſerves. Pſalm 136.23. in thy low eſtate, and therefore deſerves thy Thoughts; and puts himſelf purpoſely in thy way, which way ſ…ever thou turneſt thy ſelf,And deſires our thoughts. Luke 22.44. Knocks at the door of every ſence. 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; Canſt thou hear, or ſee, or feel? why, that which we have ſeen and heard, ſaith the Apoſtle,1 John 1.1. And ver. 3. 1 Pet. 2.3. Cantic. 2.1. Chap. 1.13. Verſe 14. declare …e unto you, and our hands have handled the word of life. Or canſt thou taſt? and haſt thou not taſted that the Lord is gracious? or is the Roſe of Sharon the onelyonly Flower that can …t pleaſe thy ſmell? The bundle of Myrrhe, the Cluſter of Camphire, &c. are there no ſweets in All theſe? Methinks my Saviour does even court my Thoughts, And puts himſelf in the way of our thoughts by every good thing about us. Iſaiah 11.10. Eccleſ. 7.11. Rev. 12.16. Mal. 4.3. Rom. 13 14. John 14.6. Chapter 10.9.meeting them and me at every turn, in every thing that is excellent and obvious. If I ſhut my eyes, He is my Reſt, and this Reſt is glorious; If I open them, He is my Light, and truly this Light is pleaſant; If Night fall, he is the bright and fixed Star; If 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 Cloths, to put on the Lord Jeſus? Can I go forth, and not think of him that is the way? or come in again, and not think of him that is the Door? Can 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,Revel. 22.2. and forget the Tree of Life? or refreſh my ſweating brow amongſt Rivers,Verſe 1. Iſaiah 32.2. Zachar. 13.1. Shades and Fountains, and not mind him that is the River of Life, the ſhadow of a great Rock in a weary Land, the Fountain ſet open for Sin, and 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 ſprightly Diamond, or beautiful Emerauld, and not call to mind that Pearl of great Price, Mat. 13.42.for the ſake of which the wiſe Merchant ſells all he hath to buy the Field in which He finds it? Do I ſee the welcome Officer bringing a diſcharge to his weary Priſoner, and forget him that hath the Key of David, who openeth, Revel. 3 7.and no man can ſhut, and ſhutteth and none can open? Do I ſee the Mariner drop his Anchor, and forget him in whom alone is Hope, (which is the Anchor of the Soul) is ſure and ſteadfaſt? Heb. 6.18, 19.Do I ſee the Souldier run to his Colours, and forget the Captain of my Salvation? Chap. 2.10. Gen. 31.40.Do I ſee the watchful Shepheard expoſe himſelf (as Jacob) to Sun and Showre, to Wind and Weather, and forget him that laid down his Life for his Sheep? John 10.11. Matth. 9.33.Or the painful Harveſt-Man, and forget him that is the Lord of the Harveſt? Or the careful Father ſetling his Eſtate by Will, and leaving it to his little ones that he leaves behind him, and can I forbear to call to mind my Saviours Teſtament confirmed by the Death of the Teſtator? Hebrews 9.16.Do I ſee the Virgins preparing to receive the Bridegroom, Mat. 25.31.or the Countrey going out to meet the Judge of Aſſize, and not my Thoughts run out to meet my Saviour.1 Theſ. 4.17. In a word, can I think of any thing, and not think of Chriſt, who is every good thing; If I be well,Pſalm 42.11. Matthew 9.12. Philip. 1.21. John 11.25. 'tis He that is the health of my countenance; and if I be ſick, he is my Phyſitian; and if I live, Chriſt is my Life; and if I die, he is the Reſurrection as well as Life. So that as there is a ſtrange diſeaſe that takes ſome in their Heads, who live many years, but ſo ſtrangely looſe their Memory, that they forget their own Name, it is much more a monſtrous diſeaſe, that takes Us in our Hearts, that makes us forget the Name of Chriſt; that We ſhould be ſo ſtrange, and ſo ſottiſh, and ſo ſtupid to the thoughts of Chriſt, which of all the things in the World, ought in duty, and might in Reaſon, be moſt ready, frequent, and familiar to Us, ſince God hath made every good thing about us, a plain prompter to our weak memories, in ſpelling out the Name of his Son and our Saviour Jeſus Chriſt. We need no ſorry Crucifixes, dumb Pictures, or dead Images to be our Remembrancers (bleſſed be our God) to put us in mind of him,Eſpecially by the Lords Supper, inſtituted for his Remembrance. 1 Cor. 11.26. who hath drunk to us in his own Blood, and commanded us to pledge him at his Table, and as often as we do it, to do it in Remembrance of him: O there do thou muſe, O my Soul, till, the Fire burn! O there let thine Eye, and thy Touch, and thy Taſt affect thy Thoughts, and let thy Thoughts inflame thy Affections, that the more thou think of Chriſt, thou mayeſt love him better; and the better thou loveſt him, thou mayeſt think of him more; for there the Bread of life is broken, that it may be Eaten; and this Eaten Bread is never to be forgotten; there the Blood of Chriſt is broached, that it may be drunk, and being drunk,Cant. 1.4. Gal. 3.1. that his love may be remembred more then wine; for there is Chriſt before mine eyes evidently ſet forth, even as if he were crucified among us. Th… the King both ſits at his Table, Cant. 1.12.and is ſet upon the Table; for Chriſt is both the Maſter of the Feaſt, and the Matter of the Feaſt; both my Entertainer, and Entertainment: and whilſt I thus ſee him, and feel him, and taſt him, How can I but think of him? and whilſt the Bread that ſtrengtheneth mine heart, ſtrengtheneth alſo my Faith, and ſo Chriſt ſteals into my Soul, as it were, by my Senſe, and becomes the very nouriſhment thereof, as the Outward Elements (Bread and Wine) are of the Outward man, How can I forget my Saviour, whilſt I Remember my ſelf? or ſhut him out of the thoughts of mine Heart, Pſalm 73 26. John 6.5.who is the ſtrength of mine heart? whoſe Fleſh is my meat indeed, and whoſe Blood is my drink indeed; whoſe Death is my life and my Reconciliation, and whoſe life is my Glory and my Salvation; who, by his continual Interceſſion, Hebr. 9.28. Exod. 28.29.ever bears me upon his heart, before his Father in Heaven (even as Aaron was to bear the Names of the Tribes of Iſrael upon his Breſt-plate into the moſt holy place) till He appear the ſecond time unto Salvation, John 12.20.and come again to take me to himſelf, that where my Lord is, there may alſo his Servant be.