The Right Receiving of Christ, Preface · Chapter 14
CHAP. XIIII.
What is to be done that wee may get our ſelves rooted in Chriſt?
FIrſt, and principally get faith in Chriſt. There be other things that helpe a Chriſtian to roote deeper into Chriſt when hee is once rooted; but faith is the firſt thing that muſt roote a man into Chriſt. So here in the Text; Rooted and built up in him. But how? ſtabliſhed in the faith, not onelyonly in the doctrine of faith, but in the grace of faith. Now faith doth three things to a mans rooting in Chriſt.
1. Faith plucks him up by the roots out of the ſoyle of nature. A man that will have a tree roote in his Garden, in his Orchard, muſt firſt have it pluckt up by the rootes out of the hedge, or wood, and common, where it naturally growes. It cannot roote in the Garden, ſo long as it ſtands rooted in the wood. So a man cannot roote in Chriſt, ſo long as hee is rooted in the ſoyle of nature, of meere moralitie and civilitie. Hee muſt firſt be fetcht up by the very rootes, out of that curſed foyle. Now faith is that which doth it: faith is that which drawes us up by the Rootes out of the hedge, and common of Nature. In a miraculous caſe it is poſſible to plucke up a tree by the Rootes. Luk. 17. 6. Yee might ſay unto this Sycamore tree, Be thou plucked up by the rootes, and it ſhould obey you. But when may a man ſo ſay? If you have faith as a graine of muſtard-ſeede. Miraculous faith then could plucke up trees by the roots. So it is alſo with juſtifying faith. Before wee can be rooted in Chriſt, wee muſt be un-rooted, and up-rooted in regard of our naturall condition, as before the Sycamore can be planted in the Sea, it muſt firſt be pluckt up by the roots. Now juſtifying faith is that which pluckes up theſe wilde Sycamores, and wilde olives by the rootes. A man is pluckt up by the rootes when he denies himſelfe, when he goes out of himſelfe, when he comes off from all bottome, he hath in himſelfe, and in Nature. Now faith is that which makes a man deny himſelfe, goe out of himſelfe, and thus un-roote himſelfe. See how Paul pluckes up his Phariſaiſme, and all his civill legall righteouſneſſe by the very Rootes, and that by the ſelfe-denyall of faith. Phil. 3. 4, 8. If any man elſe may grow upon his owne roote, then much more I, for thus and thus am I rooted, of the roote of Iſrael, a naturall Hebrew, a circumciſed Hebrew, a Phariſee, a ſtrict and zealous profeſſor of Jewiſh Religion, and for legall righteouſneſſe, a man before men unblameable, and yet I denyed my ſelfe, pluckt up my ſelfe from all theſe rootes, counted all loſſe and dung, to be found rooted in Chriſt. Faith is a ſelfe-denying grace, and drags a man up by the roots out of his naturall condition.
2. Faith implants a man into the ſoyle of grace, it implants a man into Chriſt. When a tree is pluckt up by the roots, yet if it be not ſet into the earth, in the Garden, or Orchyard, it rootes not there. The way to have it to roote in the Garden is, after it is pluckt up by the rootes to ſet it in the ground, and ſet it in the earth. There muſt bee a planting of a tree before there can be a rooting. Jer. 12. 2. Thou haſt planted them, they have taken roote, therefore before taking roote, there muſt be a planting. Pſal. 80. 8, 9. Thou haſt planted the Vine, thou haſt cauſed it to take deepe roote. So it is here, before there can be rooting in Chriſt, there muſt be a planting in him. Now faith is that which plants us in Chriſt. That ſets us, put us into Chriſt, the ſoyle in which we muſt roote. The Apoſtle hath a phraſe, Rom. 6. 5. of being planted into Chriſts death. There is a planting into his death, and there is a planting into his perſon. When a tree is ſet into the earth, then it is planted, when a man is ſet into Chriſt, and is in him, then is a man planted in him. Now by faith it is that we are in Chriſt, Phil. 3. That I may be found in him, having the righteouſneſſe of faith. And thus faith implanting us into Chriſt, putting and ſetting us into the ſoyle, doth roote us into Chriſt.
3. Faith ſuckes, attracts, and drawes nouriſhment from Chriſt. If a tree be ſet into the ground, yet if it draw not moyſture, heart and nouriſhment out of the ground, it roots not, but by degrees will dye. But when it is once ſet into the ground, and faſtned there, and doth draw ſap, and moyſture out of the earth, then the roote runs and ſpreads this way, and that way, and ſo the tree radicates to the purpoſe. So then a Chriſtian being planted in Chriſt, doth roote in him, when there is a quickning, nouriſhing ſap drawne out of him into a mans foule, that makes it ſpring and ſpread it ſelfe into Chriſt. Now faith is that which drawes, ſuckes, and extracts vertue & power out of Chriſt, which makes us ſpread, and roote in him. Thus by theſe things, faith roots us into Chriſt. So that if wee would roote in Chriſt, wee muſt get faith in Chriſt, and the more faith we get, the greater and deeper roote ſhall we have in Chriſt.
Secondly, Get repentance, and mortification. 2.When once a man hath gotten into Chriſt, and is begun by faith to be rooted in him, theſe will exceedingly helpe to make a man roote more deeply, and to ſpread abroad his roote in Chriſt. The more ſinnes and luſts wee nouriſh in our hearts, the leſſe we roote in Chriſt. Chriſt is indeed a fat, and a fertile ſoyle, but though a tree, or herbes be planted in fat, and good ground, yet a man may ſo order the matter, that herbes and trees ſhall root but poorely in it; for let a man mingle with it barren and baggage cold earth, or throw in gravell, ſtones, or flints into the earth, and about the roots, and theſe will hinder the rooting of a tree. So though Chriſt be a fat ſoyle, yet if wee ſuffer our ſinnes, and our luſts to lodge in our hearts, theſe will hinder our rooting in Chriſt. But theſe removed and taken away, it will conduce exceedingly to our rooting. Now repentance and mortification, theſe take away, and remove ſins and luſts. When God planted a Vineyard, Iſa. 5. it was his purpoſe that it ſhould roote, and it did roote. Pſal. 80. 9. Thou cauſedſt it to take deepe roote. I, but marke what courſe God did take. Iſa. 5. 2. He fenced it, he gathered out the ſtones. He cleared, and rid the ſoyle of all ſuch hurtfull things as might hinder the rooting thereof. And ſo gathering out the ſtones, it did take deepe roote. Now repentance doth this, it takes away the ſtones out of the heart, it takes away the heart of ſtone, and ſo makes way for rooting. If a man be in Chriſt, and yet have an heart of ſtone, there bee ſtones in the ſoyle, but repentance taking away the heart of ſtone, fits us for rooting, and ſpreading. Againe, ſet herbes in a rich, and fat ſoyle, yet if that ſoyle be ſuffered to over-run with weedes, herbes will never roote kindly, and to purpoſe, therefore they that would have herbes and plants roote, doe plucke up all offenſive weedes by the rootes. And when thiſtles, nettles, and ſuch like baggage traſh are pluckt up, then good herbes and plants roote the better, and deeper. All luſts, and ſinnes, are ſo many weeds in our hearts, and the more theſe weeds roote in our hearts, the leſſe ſhall we root in Chriſt. But if theſe weeds be pluckt up by the rootes, and this noxious ſtuffe be carefully and diligently weeded out, then wee ſhall roote apace in Chriſt. Now Repentance and Mortification they weede up, and plucke up by the rootes thoſe ſinnes, and luſts, which hinder our rooting in Chriſt. So that looke what counſell the Apoſtle gives them in that caſe, is good in this. Heb. 12. 15. Looking diligently leſt any roote of bitterneſſe ſpringing up trouble you. Hee ſpeakes of Hereſies, Apoſtaſies, and Scandalls, that might fall out in the Church, every ſuch one is a roote of bitterneſſe in the Church. And ſo every ſinne and luſt, foſtered in a mans heart, is a roote of bitterneſſe in the ſoule, and ſuch a roote of bitterneſſe, as will trouble a mans ſoule from rooting in Chriſt. Therefore every one that would roote in Chriſt, muſt diligently watch that no ſuch roote of bitterneſſe ſpring up, and grow up in his heart, and if any ſuch roote doe ſpring and grow up preſently, to roote it up, and roote it out. There muſt be a Rooting out, if wee would have a rooting in; A rooting out of luſts, if wee would have a rooting in Chriſt. Wee know how Job ſpeakes in that caſe of the luſt of uncleaneneſſe, Job 31. 9. 12. If mine heart have been deceived by a woman, it would root out all mine increaſe. That one luſt would be enough to roote out all his ſubſtance, and all his increaſe. So it is in this caſe with any luſt, whether of uncleaneneſſe, covetouſneſſe, &c. If theſe roote in the heart, and prevaile, they will roote out all grace, and goodneſſe, and roote a man quite up for taking any roote in Chriſt. As therefore wee deſire to be rooted in Chriſt, ſo it concernes us to roote out all luſts, by repentance and mortification. It is not here as in the Parable, Mat. 13. 28, 29. Wilt thou then that wee goe and gather them up? But he ſaid, Nay, leſt whileſt yee gather up the tares, yee roote up alſo the wheate with them. But here the not rooting up the tares, will prove the hindrance of the rooting of the wheate. That ſoule that ſuffers luſts to roote in it, cannot roote in Chriſt. Our luſts cannot thrive in us, and we thrive in Chriſt.
Thirdly, The conſcionable, and ſerious uſe of Gods Ordinances, the Word 3.and Sacrament. The Word is called, Jam. 1. 21. The engraffed, or Implanted Word, that is, the Word which by the Miniſtry is engraffed in our hearts. Now as it is an engraffed, ſo it is an engraffing Word, which being rightly received, doth engraff, implant, and roote us into Chriſt. The ſeede that fell upon the ſtony ground, had no Roote, Matth. 13. but contrarily when the ſeede falles upon good ground it Rootes. And when the Word rootes in our hearts, it rootes us into Chriſt, for Chriſt is received in his Word. And when the Word rootes, Chriſt rootes, and when Chriſt rootes in us, wee roote in him; for it is a naturall, and reciprocall Radication. Two things are required to make a tree or herbe roote, Planting, and watring. The Miniſtry of the Word is both. 1 Cor. 3. Paul may plant, and Apollos may water. The Miniſtry of the Word therefore is a planting, and a watering. They therefore that would roote, muſt ſeriouſly uſe that meanes which muſt plant, and water them. And ſo for the Sacrament of the Supper, wee being once rooted by the Word, it is an excellent meanes to make us take deeper rooting. The barren figtree in the Parable, Luk. 13. brought not forth fruit. There was ſome fault, not in the branches, but in the roote, and therefore the dreſſer would dig, and dung it about the roote, he would looſen and remove the hard earth from the rootes, and lay ſome mellow moulds about the roote. And wee ſee when ſuch huſbandry is uſed about trees, that they roote the better a great deale. The right uſe of the Sacrament, is a digging and dunging of the tree roote, is a freſh moulding of our rootes, and the Sacrament rightly uſed, and received as it ought, will make our roote wrap about Chriſt, and ſprout, and ſpread into him. As therefore wee deſire to roote in Chriſt, ſo attend upon the Word and Sacrament, with that due preparation, and religious behaviour, as God requires. Wee ſhall finde this a ſweet fruite of theſe Ordinances duely uſed, that they will further our rooting in Chriſt.