Christ Exalted and Wisdom Justified, Tract 1 · Application 4
4. USE.
4. Use. Shall be of Expostulation, let me as an Ambassadour of Christ reason the case a little with you on Christs, and your soules behalf. And I shall addresse my self unto 3 sorts.
1. Such as are without Christ.
2. Such as have some slight hopes that they have him.
3. Such as see good grounds to be infallibly …erswaded that he is theirs, and they are …is.
1. A word (and oh that it might be a word in season) unto such as are without Christ, what Christless, and godlesse Soules? Who that know the terrours of the Lord can speak, or hear it without amazement? As Davids Enemies sayd falsly of him, I may say too truly of such as are without Christ and without God in the world: God and Christ have forsaken them, persecute and take them: Take them death, Take them Hell, ther's none to deliver them.
But to come close in doing my Message to them, what is your answer? Will you have Christ or not? If you be willing, ther's no more be sayd, he's yours, provided you be but willing in a prevailing degree of willingness: for to be willing to have Christ to save you from damnation, or satisfy your carnall desire of having heaven joyned with a greater willingness to injoy the world, and serve the flesh, this you must not call a willingness to have Christ. And if you be …illing in good Earnest, you have heard how you must account of him, the highest and most excellent good; You cannot esteem him a… too high a rate, & you have heard where and how you must entertain him. In the choisest room of your hearts, and with uttermost complacency, yea, and think the best too bad, and all to little for him; and wish that the best were better.
If you will not have him, tell me why you will not; and what you will doe without him. 1. Why you will not, doe you know whom and what you refuse when you refuse Christ? If the Jewes had known what they did in refusing Christ, when he came to his own and his own receivd him not, they would not have crucifyed the Lord of glory; and if you did but know the bedlam madness, that is refusing Christ, you would not refuse the Lord of glory: You that abound most with the worlds goods now, and are ready to hearken to such as will shew you any good. When you are under the sentence of death, and come to a dying houre; Then if one of a thousand can declare unto you a righteousness by which you may be saved (and that must be Christs … none) how beautifull will the feet of such be … can bring tidings of peace and Salvation your soules then? When your soules are streights, then who but Christ? and if he w… be so precious then, why not now? He that is the same yesterday, to day and for ever in his worth and merits, why should he not be so in our Estimation? If you refuse him now, how will tribulation and anguish fill your soules when you are in Extremity? When you would seek the blessing with teares but cannot find it, when abused patience b…eakes out into fury, and contemned mercy breakes out into judgments without mercy, and the refused remedy leaves you to perish without remedy; Oh how will you escape, if you neglect this great Salvation?
2. And if you will not have him, tell me what you will doe without him, Take time to consider of it, and then tell me, but I had rather you should resolve upon it quickly, and goe to God and tell him that you cannot be without him, and be as importunate with God for Christ as Rachel was with Jacob for Children, give me Children or else I die, Christless Soules should be more impatient than Childless Rachel, and say give me Christ, or else I die. The Prophet I say hath asked a question, but I know not who dare answer it, except in the negative. Isay. 33 14. Who amongst us can dwell with the devouring fire, …ho amongst us shall dwell with everlasting burnings: If you can indure such lashes upon your seared consciences now, and not be awakened from your Lethargy and spirit of slumber, you will find to your cost one day that Hell will be too intolerably hot, and Damnation will be too remedilesly heavy, and you shall cry out with despairing Cain, let his words be taken in which sense you will, My sin is greater than that it can be forgiven, My punishment is greater than I can bear. Do not flatter your selves, and think or say these words are but wind, and we will hope for better, I tell you again and again, The greatest Kings and Monarchs upon earth, when the King of Kings shall blow upon their life, and The King of feares shall present them with their death, If their consciences be awakened, and their eyes open (and a thousand woes to them, if they be not) shall have as low, and sad thoughts of themselves as the poorest beggar, and vilest vassall upon earth.
2. My second addresse is to such as have some slight hopes of having him, Let such consider that it may be true that they have Christ, and it may be as true that they have not; Its an ordinary thing to be deceived, ray its a very hard matter not to be deceived: Many can cry, Lord, Lord, that are strangers both to the knowing and doing of his will: Hypocrites do entertain Christ but Jewishly, and the same entertainment that he found in the World at his first comming, he finds still, they put him to the stable and the Manger, where the lovers of Christ do put the world and flesh, the cheife roomes are taken up by the worst guests, therefore both these sorts I would advise.
1. First to look at Christs excellencies, that the Odour of his sweet ointments may make their Soules in love with him.
2. Secondly that they way lay him as Zacheus did. That they waite for him in his Ordinances, which is the way wherein he walkes, expecting when the Spirit of God will come upon those dry bones, and dead carcases of men and women: with the lame man that was cured at Bethesda, they should lie at the pool waiting for the stirring of the Angell: Or rather like that other cripple that Peter cured of his lamenesse, that lay daily at the beautifull Gate of the Temple expecting almes.
3. Yea, let such consider and be astonished that Christ lies daily at their Gate, which is no way beautifull, yea, for its comelinesse it may be called by the name of one of Jerusalems Gates, Nehem. 3.14. The dunggate, and yet as loathsome, & offensive as it is, Behold I stand at the dore and knock saith Christ, Revel. 3.20. If any man hear my voice and open the dore, I will come in to him, and sup with him and he with me.
4. Let them get into the company of the Saints, whose graces are like precious oyntments influ…ntiall and diffusive: Believers are made by the words of believers, Iohn. 17.20. Mans teaching goes before Gods, though Gods follow it, yet its that that makes mans effectuall, like the womans report of Christ to her Neighbours, who could afterward say, now we believe, not because of thy report, for we have heard him our selves, and know that this is the Christ that should come into the World, Ioh. 4.42.
5. Let them never be at rest till they have clered it up unto themselves that they are in the faith. Its excellent counsell that the Apostle Peter gives them, give all dilligence to make your calling and election sure, 2. Pet. 1.10. And withall shews them a most excellent way, First that they abound in Grace; Adde unto faith vertue, and to vertue knowledge, temperance, patience, godliness, brotherly, kindness love. Secondly that Grace abound in them, For if these things be in you and abound &c. Noting that it is not enough that they get every grace, but they must do their uttermost to increase and grow in grace according to that Apostolical injunction. Grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, 2. Pet. 3.18.
3. I come to speak a word unto such as see good grounds to be perswaded that he is theirs, and they are his.
1. First, let such consider that they have the richest Jewel in the World in keeping, and shall one so precious lye by them, nay, be in them, and un…bserved, and unreguarded: Such should deal by Christ as Mammonists do with their treasu…e, not think it safe, except it be secured under lock and key, and they have it once a day in their eye to be sure that it is there.
2. Let them admire the goodness of God in giving Christ, and the goodnesse of Christ in giving himself unto them, yea, let them every day sit down at their wits end in consideration of it, and say ô altitudo! ô profunditas! with the best of the Judas's, Lord, what is it that thou wilt shew thy self to us, and not to the World.
3. Let them draw out their souls in thankfullness to God, and say with David, praise the Lord, O my Soul, and all that is within me praise his holy name: praise the Lord, O my Soul, and forget not all his benefits: And then think Christum & omnia, that he hath given thee Christ and all with him, and in him, as the Apostle inferrs, he that denyed not his Son, how shall he not with him freely give us all things, Rom. 8.32. And when we have according to Davids example called upon our selves to praise the Lord, then let us with him call upon others to do the like, O sing praises, sing praises unto our God, oh sing praises sing praises unto our King.
4. And lastly let them resolve upon universall obedience: To be abundant in the work of the Lord, 1. Cor. 15. vlt. Servati sumus ut serviamus, blessings are binders, and every priviledge is an obligation to a gracious Soul. Lord save thy people that they may serve thee, is Solomons prayer, 1 Kings. 8.40. And the Evangelist lets us understand that we are delivered by Christ from the hands of our Enemies that we may serve him without fear in righteousness and holiness all our daies. Luke 1.74, 75. It was a most ingenious quaere of holy David when he had been recounting the Lords mercies, to say Quid retribuam? What shall I give back unto the Lord for all his benefits, yea for Christ the Creame and Quintessence of all, and that I have reserved for the last place which comes now to be dispatcht in the
5. And last use of Exhortation, Which I shall begin in the Apostles language, Rom. 12.1, 2. I beseech you brethren by the mercies of God that you present your bodies a living Sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this World, but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, that acceptable, and perfect will of God. The Apostle in the former part of the Chapter having taught them that main pillar of Christianity, Justification by faith alone, begins here to bring its twin to light, and to teach the doctrine of sanctification, and to instruct Gods justified ones to walk humbly with their God in a way of holiness. And he makes use of this eccellent Method, 1 Teaching them to give themselves to God, 2. And them their services. 1 Teaching them to turn their backs upon the World and flesh, 2 And then to seek the way to Zyon with their faces and heart thitherward, as the Jewes did Jer. 50.5. Whereof the Apostle shewes us the practise, as well as gives the precept, Philip. 3.13. This one thing I do forgetting that which is behind, and reaching out unto the things that are before, I press towards the work for the price of the high calling in Christ Jesus, wherein he practically chalkes or traces out unto his followers (those that were willing to be followers of him as he was of Christ) this most excellent way.
1 To have the World, and selfe a tergo, behind him and at his heel, for these were the things he left behind, as things forsaken.
2 To have Salvation and the things of heaven ante faciem, & in oculo, before his face and in his eye, for these were the things that were before as things pursued and coveted, and pressed after.
3 To have Christum in corde, Christ in his heart, that his treasure being in heaven his heart may be there also, for animus est ubi amat, non ubi animat. The heart of a Beleiver is where it loves, not where it lives.
This makes him when he is in the flesh to live after the spirit, and while he sojourns in the World to live above it by having his cogitations, contemplations, conversation all in Heaven. This Paul pressed on for the price of the high calling in Christ Jesus.
1. The Believer writes upon the World and selfe, Ab hoc away from this, and makes it the terminus a quo of his spirituall motion by flying from it:
2. The Believer writes upon Salvation and Heaven, Ad hoc, I am thither bound, and makes it the terminus ad quem of his spirituall motion, by hastning to it.
3. The Believer writes upon Christ per hoc, or pro hoc, by this, or for this, and makes him his medium, or fin…s rather the meanes or way by which, or the end or wages for which he takes all that paines, and is willing to do, suffer, or be any thing so that he may win Christ.
The Apostle did make a grevious complaint in his time. That every one sought their own and not the things that are Jesus Christs, Phil. 2.21. And then like holy Josua set before them his resolved practise in the place before insisted upon, Phil. 3.13. As if he had delivered himself in Josuas very language, Jos. 24.15. If it seem evil… to you to serve the Lord, chose you this day whom you will serve, whether the Gods which your Fathers served, that were on the other side of the floud, or the Gods of the Amorites in whose Land ye dwell. But as for me I and my house we will serve the Lord, So we may conceive the Apostle saying in like manner; If it seeme evill to you to give up your selves to Christ, choose whom you will give your selves unto, either the World or flesh, but the World will fail you, for the fashion of this World vanisheth away, and the flesh will kill you, for, if yee live after the flesh, ye shall die. But as for me I am resolv'd to forget the things that are behind, the World and flesh, and to reach out unto the things that before, Heaven and Salvation, and to presse forward towards the marke for the price of the high calling which is in Christ Jesus.
And as Paul in his time complain'd, that the things of Jesus Christ were not sought for. So one of the Fathers complain'd in his time, Vix diligitur Jesus propter Jesum, That Christ is rarely loved for his own sake, some love him as a Screene to stand betwixt them and Hell fire, for fear of Damnation, and that is too servile, some love him as a Ladder to help them to Heaven out of a carnall love …o self and happiness, and that is to merce… …ary: So that those that love him chiefly …nd mostly for himself, and would love him, …hough there were neither Heaven nor Hell, …either Salvation to draw, nor Damnation …o drive them, these are rarae aves, like black Swans, hard, very hard to be found.
2 Now such as in the first place can be prevailed with to love God and Christ for themselves, will in the next place be prevailed with to give up themselves unto God …nd Christ. And they may see all the rea…on in the World that they should do so: God together with his Son and Spirit gives himself unto Believers, I will be to them a God, and Christ together with his sufferings and righteousness gives himself unto Be…ievers, and indeed lesse will not satisfy the …onging of a believing Soul. And when the Believer comes to his Quid retribuam? to meditate a retribution, can he think of lesse …han with his best services of thankfullnesse, …nd universall obedience to sacrifice himself …o Christ, more than all is due to God and Christ, and less than all will not be accepted. Observe the Apostles argument and infe…ence, and you will find it to be more than demonstratively conclusive, 1 Cor. 6.20. Ye are bought with a price, therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit which are Gods, You are Gods by Creation, by Preservation, by Purchase: He hath given you his Son to make you Sonns and Daughters of the Lord God allmighty, he hath given the heyre of all things up to death to make you Coheires of his Heavenly Kingdome, therefore, oh therefore Give unto God the things that are Gods.
But a few Particulars shall conclude all:
1 Christian Magistrates must study how to serve God & Christ with their might: What a sweet savour and precious memoriall did David leave behind him, When he had served his generation, he fell asleep: Acts. 13.36. This serving of his Generation is a most comprehensive expression; and if that be true which the Orator saith (as it is most true) Nemo solum sibi nascitur, partem patria vendicat partem parentes, partem amici, No man is bo… for himself, but must divide himself betwix… his country, parents and freinds, ye Go… hath divided him betwixt himself and h… Neighbors, yet reserving him intirely to himself. Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with …ll thy heart, and Soul and spirit, and strength. This is the first and great Commandement. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt …ve thy Neighbour as thy self. Things then being so publike, men are designed for most …oble and excellent services. What! hath God imparted his name unto them to do …othing for him? I have said ye are Gods, Ps. 82.6. And God standeth in the con…regation of Princes, he is a Judge among …ods. v. 1. As God sits in Heaven and laughs … scorne the Kings of the Earth and Rulers …hat take counsell together against the Lord …nd his Christ saying, let us break their bonds …sunder and cast away their coards from us, …nd will find a time to, pull down the migh… from their seat, to speak to them in his …rath, and to vexe them in his sore displea…re, So he stands upon the circle of the earth …o see how those wormes and Grass-hoppers, …hich we call principalities and powers do …ct for him, that he may magnify his power … their weaknesse, and turne the World up…de down by weak meanes, or without meanes, … contrary meanes. Noverint Universi, Be known unto all the great ones of the Ecarth, …t God needes them not, he can do and hath done as great exploits with Flies, an… Lice, and Froggs, and Grass-hoppers, thei… fellow creatures, as he ever did by them, an… his hand is not shortned, but he can do a strange works in the World still by as co… temptible meanes: If God will so honou… Earthly powers as to use them as instrumen… to do any of his best works, they are th… more bound to God, and not God to them: … a King should set his Son to nurse to a poo… woman, is the King most beholden to th… wom…n or the woman to the King, and i… God the King of Kings, and Christ the Lor… of Lords have set his Church to nurse to King as nursing Fathers, and to the Queenes … nursing Mothers, Let them judge on whic… side the obligation lies. But let them remember that God hath not stamped upon then the impressions of his own Majesty and power; nor set them in a subservient subordination unto the absolute dominion of our soveraign Lord Redeemer, only to exalt them or to lift them up above their bretheren, bu… to glorify himself by them or upon them, T… build them sure houses, if they stand like fir… pillars of the Church and State, or to cast th… thrones to the ground, and lay their hone… in the dust, and cover them with confusion, if they betray their trust.
2. Christian Ministers must also stand in …heir Lot, and lay out themselves for Christ: Moses and Aron, The Magistrate and Minister must go hand in hand, if we would have the Common-wealth of Israel to prosper in the Common wealth of England, like the Soul in the body: Ministers as they are Christs largesse given to his Church at the day of his Coronation, Eph. 4… 11. When be ascended up on high, he led Captivity cap…ive, and gave gifts unto men, (i. e.) Gifted men to be Ministers to his Church, so they are his Embassadors sent to proclaime his lawes, 2 Cor 5.20. So they are called upon to testify their love to Christ by Feeding, Feeding, and Feeding his Lambs and Sheep Joh. 21.15, 16, 17. Paul therefore charges himself not only with the care of Particular Churches, as
1 That of the Romans, Rom. 1.9. God is my witnesse, whom I serve with my Spirit in the Gospel of his Son, that without ceasing I make mention of you alwayes in my prayers, and v. 11. I long to see you that I may im…prat unto you some spirituall gift to the end you may be established.
2 To the Jewes. Rom. 9.3. I could wish that my self were accursed from Christ for my brethren, my kinsmen according to the flesh, And Rom. 10.1. Brethren my hearts desire, and prayer to God for Israel is that they might be saved.
3. To the Corinthians. 2 Cor. 12.14.15. I seek not yours but you, And I will very gladly spend my self, and be spent for your sakes, though the more abundantly I love you the less I be loved.
4. To the Galatians, Gal. 4.19. My little Children of whom I travell in birth again untill Christ be formed in you.
5. Yea, the care of all the Churches, which made up the summ totall in his bill of sufferings. 2. Cor. 11.28. Besides those things that are without, that which cometh upon me daily, the care of all the Churches: And when his life d…ew towards its period, he bequeathed this care to his Son Timothy. 2. Tim. 4.1, …. I charge thee before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing in his Kingdome, Preach the word, be instant in season, out of se…son, reprove, rebuke, exhort with all long su…ng and doctrine.
3 Ch…stian Parents, As they derive sin to their infants in their generation, so should they indeavour to derive grace unto them by being instrumental to their regeneration; as they are taught to lay hold upon the Covenant for themselves and seed, and to dedicate them to God by Baptisme, so are they taught to bring them up in the fear and nurture. and admonition of the Lord. Eph. 6.4. Timothy was commended for knowing the Scriptures of a child, and wheresoever the Gospel is preached, his Mother and Grandmother will be mentioned with, honour for their care in instructing him: See the charge that is given unto true Israelites indeed, Deut. 6 5, 6, 7, 8, 9. Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might, and these words which I command thee shall be in thine heart, and thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou lyest down, and when thou risest up; and thou shalt bind them for a signe upon thine hand, and they shall be as frontlets between thine eyes, and thou shalt write them upon the posts of thy house, and upon thy gates. And the fourth Commandment was given in charge unto Christian Parents, not only to observe it, but preserve it. Remember that thou keep holy the Sabbaoth day, thou, and thy Son, and thy Daughter, and thy man servant and maid-servant, &c. As the Israelites were commanded to convey and derive the memoriall of the passover from generation to generation, unto children and childrens children.
4. Christian Masters must indeavour to make their servants Gods and Christs servants, as well as godly Parents must indeavour to make their children Gods children: Our Families must be nurseries for the Church, and we must indeavour to make every member of them, a member of the Houshold of Faith: What glories of the Apostolical times were those that were renowned by the Apostles Pens for having Churches in their houses; surely the Cart that bears the Ark must have four wheels to carry it on succesfully. The Magistrate and Minister must be the two leading wheels, and the Parents and Masters must be the two that follow, and if the Spirit of God would but poure oyle into these wheels, and stir up their hearts to put their shoulders and hands to the work, then many hands would make light work, and Gods and Christs work would go an end, and prosper mightily.
5. Christian Brethren must consider that
1. When they are converted, they must indeavour the Conversion of others; Nascitur indigne per quem non nascitur alter. Andrew finding his brother Simon, said unto him, We have found the Messias, which is, being interpreted, the Christ, and he brought him to Jesus, Joh. 1.42. and v. 43. Jesus findeth Philip, and 45. Philip finding Nathaniel, said, we have found him of whom Moses in the Law and the Prophets, Jesus of Nazareth the Son of Joseph; The promise of recompence is not impropriated to Ministers, but made common to all, Dan. 12.3. They that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the Firmament, and they that turn many to righteousness, as the stars for ever and ever: Believers are made through the word of Believers, Joh. 17.20. And James 5.19.20. Brethren, if any of you do erre from the truth, and one convert him; Let him know, that he which converteth the sinner from the errour of his way, shall save a soul from death, and shall hide a multitude of sins.
2. They must watch over one another, Amicus est animae custos, a true friend is the keeper of his Brothers soul, & firmissima est ista amicitia quam conjungit religio, that is the firmest knot of friendship which Religion ties; none but one of a Cain-like spirit will ask, am I my brothers keeper, Gen. 4.9. when the rule of Christianity is so plain, Levit. 19.17. Thou shalt not hate thy Brother in thine heart, thou shalt in any wise rebuke thy neighbour, and not suffer sin upon him.
3. They must quicken and stir up one another in the waies of God, Hebr. 10.24. Let us consider one another, to provoke unto love and to good works, noting that we must study one another, and indeavour to out-love, and to out-live one another.
4. And lastly, as we must rouze up one another from slumbring, so we must raise up one another from falling: Gal. 6.1. Brethren if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual restore such a one foreign 'tis in the Original, set him in joynt again, in the spirit of meekness, considering thy self, least thou also be tempted, as we should have an hawks eye in watching, and discovering his fau…t, so we should have a Ladies hand, a gentle hand, and must handle him with the spirit of meekness. Oh that such a Gospel spirit did predominate in all that bear the names of Christians! And that we migh… from the highest to the lowest, from th… greatest to the least, with one heart and mind, as one man, indeavour to advance the interest of Jesus Christ, and do our uttermost to advance his Kingdom in all our Souls, Families, Relations, that such as expect to be altogether saved, may not satisfie themselves to be almost Christians, but as they are promised to be saved to the uttermost by Christ; so Christ may be served to the uttermost by them: with such resolutions and practise they may pray lustily, and with courage, Thy Kingdom come, yea, and may longingly and desiringly adde, Come Lord Jesus, come quickly, even so Amen.
FINIS.
WISDOM'S JUSTIFICATION, OR A WORD TO THE WISE ON WISDOM'S BEHALF. By R. E. Minister of Christ's Gospel:
Prov. 4.7. Wisdom is the principal thing, therefore get Wisdom; and with all thy getting, get understanding.
V. 8. Exalt her, and she shall promote thee.
1. Pet. 4.10. As every man hath received the gift, even so minister the same one to another, as good Stewards of the manifold grace of God.
V. 11. If any man speak, let him speak as the Oracles of God; &c.
LONDON, Printed for the use of the Author.