The Intercourses of Divine Love Betwixt Christ and His Church, Sermon 10
Sermon X.
Canticles 1. 2.
For thy Loves are better than Wine.
IN my laſt diſcourſe I ſhewed you that Chriſt hath Loves, kind affections, and inclinations to the Children of men and more eſpecially to the Souls of his Saints, which he is ready to declare and expreſs, yea hath already expreſſed in acts of kindneſs, and theſe not of one but various kinds, ſuted to the reſpective neceſſities of his people, a ſalve for every Sore, a Supply for every want. I come now to ſhew you the quality of his Loves, which in my Text is ſet down poſitively, and comparatively. In our tranſlation according to our Idioms or propriety of Speech the poſitive is to be underſtood in the comparative particle. A thing cannot be called better than another, unleſs it hath ſome poſitive abſolute goodneſs in it ſelf, but in the Hebrew it is more plainly expreſſed. That ſaith, Are good before Wine. (It is their way of expreſſing comparatives.) It makes no difference in the ſenſe. Good before Wine. And better than wine, are phraſes of the ſame ſenſe. In the Explication of the Text I told you that though Wine ſtrictly ſignifies the juice of the Grape, yet by a Synechdoche here it ſignifyeth all created goods whatſoever can be ſweet or profitable or advantageous to us. The Propoſition is plainly this.
Prop. The Loves of Chriſt are good befo e [or better than] all created comforts, and enjoyments whatever. I have already ſhewed you what the Loves of Chriſt ſignify, viz. His good will, his kind affections and inclinations to the Souls of men. Of theſe here the Spouſes predicates. 1. A goodneſs. 2. A tranſcendent and excelling goodneſs. My work muſt be to demonſtrate both. 1. That they are good. 2. That they are good before wine, before all Sublunary goods, all created comforts of what nature ſoever. 1. That they are good.
The true nature of all good lyes in the conveniency and Sutableneſs of things which we ſo call to ſome wants, and neceſſities that we have and lye under. Hence the Philoſopher deſcribes Good to be the Object▪ of our deſires, what all men deſire, for we deſire nothing, but in order to the ſupply of ſome want or other that we are ſenſible, and apprehenſive of. A man may indeed deſire what is not good, but he muſt apprehend ſome goodneſs in the thing which he deſireth. So that to demonſtrate the loves of Chriſt to be good, there needs no more than to prove them convenient, and admirably Suited to ſome thing which we want to Supply us in that want. That I may reſtrain my diſcourſe to the Loves of Chriſt as mediator, I ſhall only premiſe, what I hope you all believe: That we have Souls as well as Bodies, the Soul is an eſſential part of man, and as much excelling and better than the Body, as the body is better than rayment This admitted, whatſoever ſuiteth the Soules wants muſt neceſſarily be good and eminently good. The Souls wants are many, but its principal wants are reducible to five heads. 1. Pardon, Righteouſneſs, Peace, Purity, Hopes, or aſſurance of Eternal life and Glory.
1. It wanteth pardon of Sin. This is a want which the Soul brought into the world with it, it was by nature dead in treſpaſſes and Sins, conceived in Sin, brought forth in iniquity, a Child of wrath by nature Eph. 2, 3. This want hath grown upon the Soul from the day of its birth. Its Child-hood and youth were altogether vanity; who knows the Errours of his life? The righteous falls ſeven times a day, who can tell how often he offendeth? It is true, not one of many is ſenſible of this want, but that only increaſeth their miſery. It is certain this is a great want of a Soul, Chriſt elſe had never directed us to pray, Forgive us our debts. There is a debt of ten thouſand Talents, upon every Soul, that hath not taſted of Chriſts pardoning grace. That it is not arreſted for it proceeds only from Gods patience, who ſometimes beareth long with veſſels of wrath fitted for deſtruction. The Love of Chriſt is Suited to this want. It is he that forgiveth Sins and waſheth the Soul from the guilt of ſin with his blood. He dyed for our ſins (ſaith the Apoſtle.) He was wounded for our tranſgreſſions, and bruiſed for our iniquities ſaith the Prophet Iſaiah. Ch. 53. 5. We have Redemption, and forgiveneſs of Sins through his blood. This Love of his, is ſo ſuited to this want of the Soul, that it can be ſupplyed no other way. God forgiveth ſin and none but he: who but the creditor can diſcharge the debtor; but it is for Chriſts ſake that God forgiveth us, Eph. 4. 32. Without blood there is no remiſſion; this was tipyfyed (as the Apoſtle teacheth us) by the Beaſts of old ſlain for Sacrifices of Expiation, and Atonement, and without his Blood we could have had no Remiſſion; for it is very vain (as the ſame Apoſtle inſtructs us) for any to think that the blood of Bulls and Lambs and Goats could de away Sin.
2. Secondly, The Soul wants Righteouſneſs. A righteouſneſs wherein it ſhould ſtand before God as if it had never ſinned againſt him. For the righteous Lord (ſaith the Pſalmiſt) loveth righteouſneſs, and the Apoſtle tells us Rom. 3. 15. That God declareth his righteouſneſs for the remiſſion of Sins. Such is the nature, or at leaſt ſuch is the will, of God, that he remits no ſins, but upon a firſt declaration of his righteouſneſs. Neither doth God accept any Soul but the righteous Soul: we have no righteouſneſs, our works will not make this Web. God therefore imputeth Righteouſneſs without works. Rom. 4. 6. In the Goſpel God hath revealed his righteouſneſs from faithto Faith. Rom. 1. 17. This is the righteouſneſs of Chriſt. Rom. 8. 3. For what the law could not do becauſe it was weak through our fleſh, that God himſelf hath done, ſending his Son in the likeneſs of ſinful fleſh, and for ſin condemning ſin in the fleſh, That the righteouſneſs of the Law might be fulfilled in us. Hence Chriſt is by the Prophet called the Lord our Righteouſneſs, and the Apoſtle ſaith he was made of God for us wiſdom, righteouſneſs; And hence the Apoſtle Prayeth. Philip. 3. 8, 9. That he might win Chriſt, which he expounds. v. 9. And be found in him, not having my own righteouſneſs which is of the Law, but that which is through the Faith of Chriſt, the righteouſneſs which is of God by faith. It is called the Righteouſneſs of God becauſe it is that which God accepteth us for; the righteouſneſs of Chriſt, becauſe it is his perfect Satisfaction to, and obedience to the law; and the righteouſneſs of faith becauſe it is by faith, by us received, and applyed, and made ours. But in Chriſt and from Chriſt the Soul muſt find, and have that righteouſneſs in which alone it can ſtand before God.
3. A third great want of the Soul is Peace. Peace with God. Peace with itſelf. Rom. 8. 7. The Carnalmind is Enmity to God. Take a man in his natural ſtate, he is an Enemy to God, and God is an Enemy to him. He hath no peace with God, and if he hath any quiet in his own mind, it is but a Truce not a Peace, the product of Gods ſilence, not the product of his favour. Now in Chriſt and in him alone the Soul hath peace. In the world (ſaith our Saviour to his diſciples) you ſhall have trouble, but in me you ſhall have pcace. My peace, ſaith he, I give unto you, I leave with you; It is he that hath reconciled the whole number of the elect to God by his death, and it is he who doth by his Spirit, and the word of reconciliation committed to his Miniſters actually reconcile Souls unto himſelf. He is therefore called our Peace, we have Peace with God through him, Rom. 5. 1. And therefore the Apoſtle in all his Salutations prefixed to his Epiſtles prayeth, Mercy and Peace from God our Father, and from the Lord Jeſus Chriſt.
4. A fourth great want of the Soul is Purity. No unclean thing ſhall enter into the new Jeruſalem, Take the Soul of a Chriſtian Naturally, it is an impure, filthy Soul; what can be clean that is born of a Woman? Or how can that which is clean come from that which is unclean? The connate proneneſs of our hearts to whatſoever is evil, and the natural averſion of our hearts to any thing that is good is a ſufficient proof of this. The promiſe of the clean heart, and of the new heart in Ezek. 36. (as you know) are both from God. and Heb. 9. 14. the Apoſtle tells, us That the blood of Chriſt purgeth our Conſciences from dead Works to ſerve the living God: Hence the Apoſtle. 1. Cor. 1. 30. Telleth us, that Chriſt is made unto us Wiſdom, Sanctification, and Redemption.
5. The 5th great Want of the Soul which I mentioned was, Hopes or Aſſurance, of an happy Exiſtence to all eternity: This Want now accrueth from the Soul's Immortality. The Conſideration that God hath created us under an Ordination to an Eternal Exiſtence and State. Admitting this (which indeed is the main thing that diſtinguiſheth a reaſonab'e Soul from the Soul of a brute Creature) it is impoſſible that the Soul ſhould be under any degree of Happineſs, that hath not ſome Hopes or Aſſurance of Glory, That its Soul ſhall go to God when it leaveth the Body. And that the Body ſhall riſe again in a joyful Reſurrection, in which it ſhall be again united to the Soul, that both may live with God for ever. Now this is a Good which floweth unto the Soul, from the Loves of Chriſt: This needs no further proof than: 1. That no Soul is born to this glorious, and incorruptible Inheritance, for we are by nature Children of Wrath, and eternal life is the Gift of God, (as the Apoſtle tells us) Rom. 6. The Gift of God is eternal Life, and it is a gift which cometh from God to us by the Hands of Chriſt. John 17. 2. As thou haſt given him Power over all Fleſh that he ſhould give eternal Life to as many as thou haſt given him: And John 10. 28. Speaking of his ſheep (ſaith he) I give unto them eternal Life, and they ſhall never periſh. Now as their having a certain right to, and their future poſſeſſion of eternal Life, is neceſſary for them in another Life, when this tranſitory Life ſhall be determined; ſo the hopes, or full aſſurance of it is neceſſary for them, to make them in any meaſures happy while they live here. And this is in, and from, Chriſt alſo and therefore he is called our Hope, 1 Tim. 1. 1. And the the Apoſtle, Col. 1. 27. ſaith, Chriſt in us is the Hopes of Glory: That is, all the Hopes we have of Glory are from Chriſt. This is abundantly enough to evince that poſitive goodneſs that is in the Loves of Chriſt, their high and ſutable conveniencies to the neceſſities and wants of our Souls. I ſhall in the next place ſhew you the tranſcendent Goodneſs and excellency that is in them, that they are, as the Text ſaith, Better then Wine, or as it is expreſſed in the Hebrew Idiome, good before Wine. Wine, as I have before ſhewed you, literally Signifies the Juice of the Grape. Figuratively whatſoever is good, ſweet and excellent in the World. Now take it in one or both Senſes, The Demonſtration is very eaſy. I ſhall make it in 3 particulars.
1. Firſt all the Goodneſs that is in Wine, (taken either litterally for the Juice of the Grape, or Figuratively for all created comforts) lies in a Sutableneſs of them, (and that but for a time neither) to the more external wants of a Creature. Three things muſt be yielded concerning all created Goods. 1. None of them reach the wants of the Soul, which is the beſt and nobleſt part of man. What do Pleaſures, Riches, Honours, whatſoever this world affordeth, ſignify as to the Souls wants? It wants Pardon of ſins; Will any of theſe procure or purchaſe it? It wants a Righteouſneſs wherein to ſtand before God; Will theſe procure it? It wants Peace of Conſcience, Will thoſe give it? It wants Purity, Will they cleanſe it? It naturally wants a Right and title to Glory, and the Hopes or Aſſurance of it; Can any of theſe help the Soul to it? They indeed ſute the more external wants of Man. The wanton Senſe wants grateful Objects, They will Supply it; The body wants Food, and Rayment, they will Supply it; But for the more inward Spiritual Wants of the Soul, they have no Sutableneſs to them, no conveniency. But (as I have ſhewed you) the Loves of Chriſt have, nay, they are not onelyonly ſuted to the Souls greateſt wants but to the Bodies alſo, at leaſt ſo far as the Soul hath influence on the Body, upon the Happineſs of which it undoubtedly hath; for a good Conſcience is a continual feaſt: The Contentment which Grace filleth the Soul with, the Mortification, and Subduing of the Paſſions, and ſtubborn Will of Man, have a great Reflection upon the Health and chearfulneſs of the Body. So that here is a double Argument to prove the Loves of Chriſt better than Wine. 1. From their Sutableneſs to the neceſſities and wants of the Soul, which are the wants of the nobleſt part of man. 2. From their ſutableneſs to the wants both of Soul and body, by reaſon of the Reflection which the Souls good hath upon the outward Man, even in this Life, to ſay nothing of the joyful Reſurrection of the Body, and the Happineſs both of Body, and Soul, reunited in the Enjoyment of God for ever. 2. All created Comforts laſt but for a Seaſon, and that a little Seaſon. They only ſute the wants of our Bodies in this Life. Riches profit not in the day of Wrath: Honours lie down with our Bodies in the duſt, Pleaſures ceaſe, when our ſenſes which they gratified are gone: Nay very often the Sutableneſs or gratefulneſs of theſe created Goods extinguiſheth before the determination of our natural Lives. When Barzillai was Foureſcore years old his Eye took no pleaſure in ſeeing, nor his Ear in hearing. There are daies in this Life, Eccleſ. 12. 7. in which a man ſhall ſay he hath no pleaſure in them? What do Riches, Honours, Friends, Pleaſures, ſignify in a day of Sickneſs? 3. No created good ſuteth all our wants, one ſuteth one want, another fills up another Emptineſs, none ſuteth all: But the Love of Chriſt as it ſuteth our Soul wants, So it is Suted to all times, and is certain, and a Supply to all wants of Souls. This is my firſt Argument to prove his Loves better then Wine.
2. Secondly there is no need or want, which Wine, or created goods ſupplieth but the Love of Chriſt will ſupply, and much more eminently, and abundantly: Let me open this in a few particulars.
1. Wine in regard of the Subtile, Spirituous nature of it, hath a great vertue to exhilarate the Spirits and to raiſe up the Affection of Joy. Hence you read of thoſe who ſhout by reaſon of Wine. Pſal. 78. 65. And the Pſalmiſt ſaith, VVine makes glad the heart of Man. Pſal. 104. 15. and Ecc. 10. 19. Wine maketh merry. But do not the Loves of Chriſt do this much more? Eph. 5. 19. And be you not drunk with Wine, wherein is Exceſs, but be you filled with the Spirit, ſpeaking to your ſelves in Pſalms and Hymns and Spiritual Songs, making Melody in your heart to the Lord. David, Pſal. 4. cries out, Lord lift thou up the light of thy Countenance upon me, for thou thereby ſhalt make my heart more glad then theirs, when their Corn, and Wine, and Oil increaſeth. Thoſe who are critical in words in the Latine Tongue diſtinguiſh between Voluptas and Gaudium. Pleaſure they make to be nothing but the Senſual Appetites Satisfaction, 'tis common to Beaſts as well as Man. Gaudium or Joy they make to be the procede of the ſatisfaction of the rational Appetite; the firſt is meerly ſenſual, and beaſtly, the latter alone becometh a Man who is a reaſonable Creature. I am ſure that Mirth which is in the Soul of man, that Exhilaration of his Spirits, which ariſeth from the ſenſe and apprehenſion of the Love of Chriſt unto the ſoul, is a Satisfaction to the Rational, Spiritual Appetite; ſo the nature of it muſt be more Spiritual, more Suted to the reaſonable creature, then any Wine, or indeed any created comforts can be.
2. Wine is of excellent uſe to allay our thirſt, and in Phyſick and Chirugery under deliquiums, &c. This is a great execellency that is in it. Prov. 31. 6. Give wine to thoſe of heavy hearts. In Chirurgery it is of uſe to waſh and cleanſe wounds, &c. Hence you read in the Goſpel, of the good Samaritane that he put Wine and Oil into the wounds of the man that was fallen amongſt thieves. But in this reſpect are not the loves of Chriſt good before Wine? Wine onelyonly ſatisfieth the cravings of nature, the drought of the body for want of moiſture. If a Soul hungers and thirſteth after righteouſneſs, Wine will not allay that thirſt, the Loves of Chriſt will; and ſurely the thirſtings of a Soul are far greater wants than the want of liquor for the body. Wine may be of ſome uſe in Deliquiums and failures of the Vital, and Animal Spirits. But if the Soul fainteth for Gods Salvation, Wine is of no uſe, the Loves of Chriſt are. Wine may waſh and purify the wounds of the body and keep them from putrefaction, but the Loves of Chriſt alone can purify the wounds of a Soul and reſiſt putrefaction there. He was annointed to preach glad tidings to the meek, to bind up the broken hearted, to appoint to them that mourn in Sion, Beauty for Aſhes, and the Oil of gladneſs for the Spirit of heavineſs. Iſaiah 61. 1, 2, 3.
3. Wine will make a man forget his affliction. Prov. 31. 6, 7. Give wine to him who is of a heavy heart, let him drink and forget his poverty, and remember his miſery no more; but now wine doth this by bringing a man unto a kind of ſtupefaction or temporary deliration, and the Affliction, muſt be meerly external, and not in extremity. Wine makes a Man forget his affliction onelyonly by putting him beſides himſelf. The Loves of Chriſt have a proportionable effect upon the Soul, but of a far more high and excellent nature. Let a Soul be bowed down to Hell and not know what to do, Let but the Loves of Chriſt ſhine upon it in the ſealing of any promiſe, it forgets all its poverty, and miſery. The Soul will rejoyce in Sufferings, glory in tribulation, &c. the Martyr cries out that the fire is but as a Bed of Roſes. So that you ſee there is never a good quality in Wine but ſomething proportionable to it, (only infinitely excelling) is to be found in Chriſts loves.
My laſt demonſtration of the truth of this Propoſition is this. Wine though it hath many excellent qualities, yet hath it alſo ſome ill qualities; The Loves of Chriſt are not ſuch. There is an exceſs in Wine ſaith the Apoſtle, Eph. 5. 18, 19. Be not drunk with Wine wherein is exceſs. It is a mocker (ſaith Solomon) it will intoxicate, breed many diſeaſes, many a one periſheth by drinking too much Wine. But no Soul ever periſhed from the exceſs of Chriſts love to it, no Soul ever contracted any diſtemper from it, he you filled with the Spirit, ſaith the Apoſtle in the ſame Text, where he tells us there is an exceſs in Wine.
Much of what I have ſaid concerning the excellency of the love of Chriſt above Wine, taken in a literal ſenſe, is as true concerning it, in its figurative ſenſe, as it may be ſuppoſed and interpreted to ſignify and created comforts, they only are ſuited to our External wants only, they are but temporary and uncertain, they alſo have ſome ill qualities attending them. I ſhall therefore add no more Doctrinally.
Uſe 1.By way of application. We may in the firſt place obſerve in o what a degree of debauchery the generality of the Sons and Daughters are fallen. Nothing more becomes a Man or Woman conſidered as a reaſonable Creature, than to diſcern aright betwixt things that differ, and to judge aright concerning them, and accordingly to make our Election, and to guide our practice. But ſuppoſing what you have heard to be truth, where is the man of many, that rightly diſcerneth, rightly judgeth, or aright guideth himſelf in practice? where is the man that judgeth the loves of Chriſt better than Wine.
How many are there that judge Wine better then the loves of Chriſt. Wine, not in the figurative ſenſe, as it ſignifies all outward, created comforts, but in the literal ſenſe, as it ſignifieth nothing but the juice of the Grape, fermented and a little refined from its dregs, doth not every one thus judge, that uſeth Wine immoderately? that ſits bibbing at a Tavern until the Wine inflameth him, Chriſt by his Apoſtle Paul hath ſaid, Eph. 5. 18, 19. Be not drunk with Wine wherein is exceſs. How many are there, that tarry long at the Wine, that go to ſeek mixt Wine, that look upon wine when it is red, when it giveth its colour in the cup, when it moveth itſelf aright, till at laſt it biteth like a Serpent, and ſtingeth like an Adder, till it cauſeth woe, and ſorrow, and contentions, and wounds, and redneſs of the Eyes (as Solomon Speaketh, Prov. 23, 29, 30, 31.) and yet have no ſenſe of the Loves of Chriſt, no thoughts of it, make no enquiries after it, take no courſe for the obtaining it. Do not thoſe poor wretches Love wine better than the Love of Chriſt, that will not abate life a cup of wine to gain it? Thoſe that for an intemperate cup of wine, will be diſobedient to the rule which Chriſt hath given them. My Soul in this contemplation, even akes to think what will become of drunkards, by whom I mean not thoſe only who reel in the ſtreets and are intoxicated with Wine, but thoſe who take a greater pleaſure in drinking than in praying or hearing the word of God or obeying his will.
2. But if we extend the notion of wine further, to ſignify all ſenſual Satisfactions, all created comforts, Lord how many are there in the world that in this betray their folly, and diſcover the corruption, and debauchery of humane nature. How few are there in the world that do not prefer ſome creature or other before the loves of Chriſt; indeed as the Poet-ſaith—Trahit ſua quemque voluptas; Every one is not alike taken with every ſenſual object, the Apoſtle tells us we have foreign, every one hath his proper luſt and corruption by which he is drawn, away, the luſts of the fleſh, are one mans proper luſt, the luſt of the Eye is anothers proper luſt, the pride of life is anothers. Separate from mankind, drunkards, laſcivious perſons, vain perſons, perſons that are covetous, and too greedy of the worlds riches, ambitious men, whoſe God is honour and applauſe, credit and reputation in the World, how few will you leave? But I hear ſome ſay this is an hard cenſure upon mankind, men indeed are fleſh, and blood, man hath natural Senſes and naturally ſeeks the gratification, and Satisfaction of them, but we hope we do not prefer the ſatisfaction of them before the Loves of Chriſt ſhewed in the pardon of ſin, peace of conſcience, purity of heart, the hopes of glory. This were a very ſad thing, and it is a very hard judgment to paſs upon any Soul; we muſt plead not guilty to this Indictment. Say you ſo? my next queſtion is how will ye be tryed? will you be tryed by the ordinary rules of tryals of your preference in other caſes: anſwer me then, or call your ſouls to anſwer themſelves in ſome few queſtions: What do you moſt delight to hear of? what do you pleaſe your ſelves moſt in? what do you imploy your ſelves moſt in the purſuit of? what do you moſt poſtpone, and put behind in the motions of your lives? which do you moſt neglect for the other? &c.
1. What do you moſt delight to hear of? The loves of Chriſt are not the objects of any ſenſe but the Ear, but they may be heard of. Sermons ſhould be principally ſuch diſcourſes; diſcourſes of Chriſts love; we preach Chriſt Crucified, canſt thou be patient to hear diſcourſes of the loves of Women, diſcourſes of worldly buſineſſes of vanity, many hours, and canſt thou not with the like patience and delight ſit out a Sermon of one hour? art thou never ſaying, when will this vain, idle, diſcourſe be done, this diſcourſe that tends nothing to the good of my Soul, and yet often ſaying when will this Sermon be done? Judge then whether thy Soul judgeth the loves of Chriſt better than Wine? There are thoſe that can riſe up early in the morning, that they may follow ſtrong drink, and continue till night, till Wine inflame them, and canſt not thou riſe up early to hear of the love of Chriſt, and ſit an hour or two, till the report of his love inflameth thy Soul. Hadſt thou rather hear a wanton idle ſtory, than a Goſpel ſtory? how doſt thou then prefer the loves of Chriſt before Wine; thou manifeſtly giveſt the preference to a ſenſual ſatisfaction.
2. What do you moſt pleaſe your thoughts in the contemplation & meditation of? My meditation of him (ſaith David) ſhall be ſweet. Our thoughts muſt feed themſelves with ſome objects; we are ſo incompaſſed with the ſtraits and neceſſities of this life, with the various diverſions, and temptations, that I think it unreaſonable to put the tryal there. Whether have the loves of Chriſt, or worldly objects moſt of your thoughts, none would acquit themſelves upon ſuch an inquiry. But which are your Souls moſt pleaſant Bread, which are your ſweeteſt meditations? this will try a Soul; undoubtedly ſuch objects as a Soul moſt preferreth, it will be moſt pleaſed in the contemplation of. But is this the caſe of the moſt of men? can they ſay, that though they have more thoughts upon the World, and ſenſible objects in it, yet the meditations upon the World, and the other are rather thoughts of neceſſity, than of delight and pleaſure?
Thirdly, What do you moſt imploy your ſelves in the purſuit of? Is it ſenſible ſatisfactions, or Chriſts love, I do not here mean by [moſt] a frequency of action, or length of time, but a warmth, and fervency, and intenſion of affection, and a Chriſtians circumſtances, and ſtation in the world may be ſuch as will inforce him to ſpend more of his time, and more of his action about worldly than about ſpiritual things, but which doth the Soul preſs moſt hard after? which purſuit hath moſt of the ſtrength and vigour of the inward man? That doubtleſs hath the preference in the mans judgment: it is an ill ſign to ſee a man work hard, and pray coldly, lazily, perfunctorily, when men ſpend their ſtrength for that which is not bread, when a man ſo toileth in his pleaſures, when he preſſeth ſo hard after the World, that his whole heart may be diſcerned and read in thoſe purſuits, and but half his heart can be diſcerned in his purſuits after the loves of Chriſt, he comes late to an Ordinance of God, he ſleeps, when he is there, he doth the work of his God negligently. My Soul (ſaith David preſſeth hard after thee; it is an excellent ſign, when tho the motions of the Soul be after the World, yet the preſſings hard of the Soul are after Chriſt, and his loves.
4. In the motions of your lives, what do you moſt poſtpone and put behind? that which is moſt poſtponed, is leaſt preferred, Let my Tongue (ſaith the Pſalmiſt, Pſal. 137. 6.) cleave to the roof of my mouth, if I prefer not Hieruſalem before my chief Joy. We have an Engliſh ſaying, That meat and drink may be had, but work may ſtay: it intimates our preference of meat and drink before labour, the end of which is chiefly to procure meat and drink. Do you ſay I muſt pray, I and my Houſe muſt ſeek the Lord, I muſt hear that my Soul live, my labour in my calling, that may ſtay? It is a very ill ſign, that the Soul prefers earthly things before heavenly things, when he poſtpones the means to obtain things heavenly, to the means for obtaining things that are earthly, when every trifling buſineſs, will turn him off from prayer, reading, hearing the Word. It is true, there is a time for all things. But when the Worlds time is admitted to joſtle out Gods time, and Gods time is not reſerved to him, and the worlds time never yields to Gods time, it is a very ill ſign that Chriſts loves have not the preference in the Soul.
Laſtly. Which do you moſt neglect for the other? Our Saviour telleth us, Mat. 6. 24. No man can ſerve two Maſters, for either he will love the one, and hate the other, or elſe he will hold to the one, and deſpiſe the other, the neglect of one thing to give place, or room to another, ſufficiently argueth the preference of that for which we make room, before that, by the neglect of which we make room for it. Do you neglect the world and the things of the world, to give room for the loves of Chriſt, and the means to obtain them, or do you neglect the loves of Chriſt, and the means he hath appointed for the gaining of them for the world, and the means you are to uſe for the gaining of it? But I have I fear ſaid enough not only to convince you that the moſt men and women in the world are guilty of a falſe judgment, either judging Wine in the literal ſenſe, or at leaſt in the figurative ſenſe, better than Chriſts love, but alſo to convince Gods own People that they do not ſufficiently live up to, and practice what they profeſs to Believe. I might add another thing.
6. Whoſoever purchaſeth Wine or a ſatisfaction from any creature by a diſobedience to the commands of Chriſt, doth moſt certainly judge, that Wine, that creature, better then Chriſts loves. The demonſtration of this depends upon this, That no man or woman can truly ſay they love Chriſt, or groundedly expect that Chriſt ſhould love them, that doth not keep his Commandments, or that wilfully, ordinarily, and preſumptuouſly breaketh them, tho there none lives who doth not, ſin againſt God.
Uſe 2.I ſhall ſhut up this diſcourſe with a word of exhortation, which muſt be to a preference of the loves of Chriſt before Wine. I ſhall preſs this exhortation upon you by ſome arguments.
My firſt argument ſhall be drawn from the reaſonableneſs of this; That a reaſonable Soul ſhould judge of things not according to any appearances from falſe repreſentations, but as they are. I have ſpoken enough to perſuade any perſon, that believeth that he is not a meer lump of fleſh, but hath a reaſonable Soul, and that he is not a creature of this life meerly, but ordained to an Eternal Exiſtence, and that the Soul of every man by nature, and his ſtate is ſuch as the holy Scriptures ſpeak it to be, that the loves of Chriſt are more ſuited to his neceſſities, & his true, & real wants, than it is poſſible that any created comforts ſhould be; now admitting this, what more doth become areaſonable creature than to judge them ſo▪ All other judgment is but fallacy, and deceit, and of all deceit, and fallacy, there's nothing ſo unworthy of a man as to cheat and deceive himſelf. Thus every Soul doth that judgeth any thing better than the Loves of Chriſt. Further yet there is nothing more unworthy of a man then to outlaw himſelf, and ſuffer his paſſion to domineer over his reaſon; the courſe of mans Soul according to reaſon is for his will to follow the dictate of his underſtanding, for him to purſue the things, which he judgeth moſt excellent; and though in other things indeed man doth not ſo' he ſeeth that which is better and doth that which he confeſſeth and judgeth worſt, yet all this is paſſion, and ſo far as a man walketh or acteth thus, he acteth not reaſonably, but this is but the firſt argument, and conſidereth them meerly as men.
2. The ſecond ſhall concern you as Creatures. What an indignity do you put upon the Creator to prefer the Creature before him: Wine is but a Creature, Riches, Honours, the World and all that is therein it is all but a Creature. Chriſt is God over all bleſſed for ever. It is a mighty degradation of God in our hearts to prefer any thing to his loves. How can any man think that God ſhould look upon that Soul that dethroneth him, and preferreth ſome of his creatures, yea of the meaneſt of his Creatures in his affections before him, how righteouſly ſhall God leave that Soul to the creature as its portion, that chuſeth it, and chuſeth it in preference to his loves.
Thirdly, Conſider what an ill requital this is of Chriſts love to you? This argument now concerneth you as you are Chriſtians, and believe that Chriſt in the fulneſs of time left his Fathers Throne, and took not upon him the nature of Angels, but the nature of Man. Chriſt in his love, his redeeming love to you hath manifeſted a double preference. 1. A preference of your good to his own glory and manifeſtative favour from God his Father. Chriſt indeed in his eſtate of humiliation, was the beloved Son of his Father, his Father in that time proclaimed him his only begotten Son in whom he was well pleaſed. But he had not thoſe manifeſtations of that love as before he was incarnate. He was made a curſe for us that the bleſſing of Abraham might come down upon us, he cryed out upon the Croſs, my God! my God! why haſt thou forſaken me? 2. A preference of you to Angels. He took not upon him the nature of Angels, but your nature, now how ill do you requite this love of your Saviour in preferring a creature to it; how can we believe the Goſpel, and all that it telleth us of the dying loves of Chriſt, and do this? Oh therefore let not this be the condemnation of any poor Soul that heareth me this day, let none of us incur the guilt of this Idolatry. God aggravateth the Peoples ſin of Idolatry from this, that they ſaid to a ſtack and to a ſtone thou art our Father; the more baſe and low and unworthy the object is that is preferred before another, the greater is the provocation of the preference. Let us then ſo live, ſo walk as by our converſation to evidence to the world, that the Loves of Chriſt to our Souls are better than all the Wine which the world can afford us. Let us not break a divine Precept to embrace any thing which this World can afford us, in this we ſhall be ſo far from acting like to Chriſtians, or Creatures, that we ſhall not act like men poſſeſſed of reaſonable Souls. Let us in our hearts more thirſt, in the Spirit after Chriſts Love, than the worlds imbraces, let us delight more in any reports of the love of Chriſt, any diſcourſes concerning it, than in any worldly objects. Let us be more diligent in uſe of means to gain Chriſts love, than to gain the whole world. Let us be more ſatisfied in the enjoyment of any thing of it, than if we enjoyed all the World can afford us. I remember Solomon ſaith, The bleſſing of God maketh rich; and addeth no ſorrow therewith. The Loves of Chriſt make the Soul happy, and mixeth no ſorrow with that happineſs. Wine is a ſweet liquor, but it will intoxicate, in time it will grow flat, and acid, and there is no created good, but will at one time or other grow flat, & ſharp, if the Soul be not drunk with it. There is a ſatiety in pleaſure, riches, honour, there is a time when there will be no pleaſure in them, when we ſhall be able to ſee no goodneſs at all in them. Let us neglect them upon the proſpect of the vanity of them, and the vexation of Spirit that is in them before we come to experience their vanity and rottenneſs. I have ſhewed you a far more excellent object.—Chriſts loves are better than Wine.