Sweet and Soul-Persuading Inducements Leading Unto Christ, Chapter 3
CHAP. 3.
THis diſcovers their ſinne,Such very miſerable to whom Chriſt is unwelcome. their miſerable and wretched condition, who are not thankfull for, who rejoyce not in the comming of Chriſt in his Goſpell, and in the kingdome of his grace among them: There were children of Belial that ſaid of Saul when he was ſet up King over Iſrael, How ſhall this man ſave us, they deſpiſed him, g1 Sam. 10.27.and brought him no preſent. There are many children of Belial in the world, that ſay of Chriſt comming in the Goſpell, comming in his word to reigne and rule over them, how ſhall Chriſt ſave us by this preaching of the Goſpell, the preaching of Chriſt ſeemes fooliſhneſſe unto them,1 Cor. 1. a darke doctrine wherein is no light, no wiſedome, no excellency of learning, an empty doctrine wherein is no fulneſſe, no worth, a very babling, a weake doctrine wherein is no power: The falſe Apoſtles ſaid of Paul, his bodily preſence is weake, h2 Cor. 10.10.and his ſpeech contemptible. Many falſe and counterfeit Chriſtians ſay of Chriſt in the cloſet of their owne hearts, Chriſts preſence in the Goſpell is weake, and his ſpeech in the Goſpell is contemptible, and thus they deſpiſe Chriſt in his offices, in his Miniſters, in his Ordinances, in his members, they bring him no preſent, they preſent not themſelves in Chriſts ſchoole as ſchollers to learne Chriſt, they preſent not themſelves in Chriſts houſe, as children to feed on thoſe dainties which Chriſt hath there prepared for them, they preſent not themſelves in Chriſts Courts, as Subjects to receive his Lawes and doe his will, they preſent not their ſoules and bodies as a living, holy, and acceptable ſacrifice unto Chriſt: But as the men of the old world ſaid in the Atheiſme of their hearts unto God, ſo ſay theſe in the ignorance, infidelitie, pride, and prophaneneſſe of their ſoules unto Chriſt, iIob. 21.14.15.Depart from us we care not for the knowledge of thy wayes. What is Chriſt, that we ſhould ſerve him? and what profit ſhall we have if we pray unto him? if we attend him preached in the Goſpell, ſurely Chriſt preached in the Goſpell is very ſtrangely and ſhamefully undervalued by many people: In ſtead of rejoycing, they grieve at the preaching of Chriſt among them; as Herod, and all the men of Ieruſalem were kMat. ….2.troubled to heare of Chriſts being borne King of the Jewes, and of the appearing of a ſtarre, declaring the comming of Chriſt, the true light of the world; the cleare and full opening of Chriſt, and the ſetting up of Chriſt to reigne and rule over the hearts and wayes of men, is very troubleſome to many people, like thoſe evill citizens in the parable, lLuk. 19.14.they will not have this man Chriſt to raigne over them, they will not have him reigne over their underſtandings, as a light guiding them, over their wils, as a Prince commanding them, over their affections, as a Lord, and Maſter ruling, and ordering them, over their luſts, as a Phyſitian lancing, purging, mortifying, and taking them off. Many men delight to talke much of Chriſts ſalvation, but they have no pleaſure to heare of his kingdome, it is acceptable to them to be ſaved by Chriſt, but very troubleſome to ſerve Chriſt: But what a ſhame, what an abomination, what foule hypocriſie is this, that wee ſhould profeſſe Chriſt, and yet deny him in his Goſpell, in his Kingdome? Is it not a ſhame for a wife to profeſſe ſuch a man to be her husband, and yet deny him her preſence, her hand, her heart, her body, her love, dwell with a ſtranger, love a ſtranger, delight in a ſtranger, and bring forth children to a ſtranger, what is this but ſhamefull diſloyalty, and odious adultery? What a ſhame for a man to profeſſe ſuch a man to be his Maſter, and yet deny him all ſervice, and ſhut the doores of the houſe againſt him? and what a ſhame is it for us to profeſſe Chriſt to be our husband, our Maſter, and yet deny him our ſervice, breaking his bands, and caſting away his cords from us, ſhutting the doores of our hearts againſt him, denying him our preſence in his houſe, denying him our heart to love him, our affections to rejoyce in him, our hand to worke for him, denying him our ſoules and bodies to be a holy Temple for him to dwell in, bringing forth all our fruit to the fleſh, and to the world, and none to Chriſt, what diſloyalty? what hypocriſie? what ſpirituall adultery is this? certainly ſuch men like the Angell of the Church of Sardis, though he had mRev. 3 1. Irenaeus of Hereticks, ſimilia nobiſcum loquntur, diſſimilia ſentiunt: ſo theſe profeſſe as Chriſtians, love as Infidels. Ioh 5.44.a name that he lived yet he was dead: ſo theſe though they have the name of Chriſtians, yet they are none of Chriſts: This is an evill of which Chriſt is very ſenſible, whereof he much complaines: If (ſaith he) a man come unto you in his owne name, bring a corrupt and carnall doctrine, ſeeke himſelfe, exalt, and magnifie himſelfe, him ye will receive, his perſon you will reverence, his doctrine you will receive, his ſayings you will beleeve, to his dictates you will vaile and ſtoop,; but ſaith Chriſt, I am come in my Fathers name and ye receive me not, I am come from God, I have my calling and commiſſion from God, I bring no humane, but a heavenly doctrine, I ſeeke not mine owne, but my Fathers glory, and ye receive me not, ye regard not my perſon, ye beleeve not my doctrine, ye obey not my precepts, you love not me, you rejoyce not, you delight not in me. Generally men are more addicted to, and delighted in corrupt and carnall inventions, then in the ſpirituall and heavenly doctrine of Chriſt, and his Goſpell. Chriſts comming in the power and brightneſſe of his Goſpell is very unwelcome to many people; as the comming of the King to a Rebell, the comming of an officer to a theefe, or the comming of the husband to his wife that playes the harlot; and what is this? but the ſhame of all ſhames, and diſhonour of all diſhonours, to a Chriſtian to deny his Chriſt, to refuſe his Chriſt, not to rejoyce and delight in his Chriſt comming to him in the glad tydings of his Goſpell. We all conclude it a foule diſhonour to a ſubject, a ſervant, a wife, to deny their King, their Maſter, their Husband, not to rejoyce in their comming, in their preſence, but to ſhut the doores of their houſes againſt them, to deny them entrance and entertainment: And is not a foule ſtaine ſo to deale with Chriſt, ſo to exclude Chriſt comming to us by his Word and Miniſters.
If you aske me whence it is that Chriſt is ſo unwelcome, that many of us are ſo farre from rejoycing in his comming?
5. Grounds of Chriſts unwel comneſſe.I anſwer, there are theſe 5. grounds of this:
Ignorance. Men doe not know Chriſt, they doe not diſcerne Chriſt in the Goſpell,1 Ignorance. Chriſt in the Goſpell is n2 Cor. 4.3, 4hidden from them, as the light is hidden from the blind, the God of this world hath blinded their eyes that the light of the Goſpell of the glory of Chriſt may not ſhine into them; they doe not diſcerne Chriſt in his Goſpell ſhining like the Sunne for the excellency of his knowledge there appearing, they doe not diſcerne Chriſt there triumphing like a conquerour in the ſubjugation of Satan, and their corruptions; they doe not diſcerne Chriſt there as a Prince of peace, ſweetly and graciouſly ruling in their hearts, by the Scepter of his Word; they doe not diſcerne Chriſt there as a Phyſitian healing their ſinfull maladies, as the impotent diſcerned the oIoh. 5.5.Angell moving in the poole of Betheſda, and healing their bodily infirmities; they ſee not theſe pPſal. 27.2.beauties of Chriſt, which David deſired to ſee in the Temple of the Lord: they ſee not that qPſal. 63.2.power and glory of Chriſt in the Goſpell,Delictorum meritum eſt ut qui vita indigni vitam ante oculos habeant, nec tamen videant. Cypr. which the Pſalmiſt ſaw in the Sanctuary; and therefore as a blind man rejoyceth not in the appearance and comming of the Sunne, becauſe he ſees not the Sunne, no more doe theſe in the comming of Chriſt in the Goſpell, becauſe they doe not there diſcerne him.
2 Earthly mindedneſſe Their hearts are glued to the world, this is the Maſter whom they ſerve,2 Earthly mindedneſſe. this is the rocke on which they build, this is the wife or harlot rather whom they marry, this is the object of their joy, they rejoyce in the creature,rAmos 6.13. in a thing of nought, ſaith the Prophet, and therefore having another Maſter whom they ſerve, they cannot receive and rejoyce in Chriſts Lawes, having another rocke on which they build, they cannot beleeve and delight in Chriſts promiſes, having another husband to whom they are wedded, they cannot embrace and rejoyce in Chriſt, as the Bride rejoyceth in the Bridegroome, when the people rejoyced in sIſa. 8.6.Rezin Remalials ſon, they refuſed the waters of Shiloah. When man rejoyceth in the creature he refuſeth Chriſt, his ſoule takes no pleaſure in Chriſt.
3. Ʋnſenſibleneſſe of Chriſt; 3. Vnſenſibleneſſe.they have no feeling of Chriſt within them, the Apoſtle ſaith they are tEph. 4.19.paſt feeling, they are paſt the feeling of their ſinne, as a dead body is paſt the feeling of the diſeaſe, they are paſt the feeling of the ſhame of ſin, as a common harlot hath caſt of all modeſty, is even degenerated from her ſexe,Ier. 33. and takes no ſhame of her whoredomes, they have no feeling of the iudgements of God denounced againſt them, they ſleep in the midſt of theſe, as Ionah did in the ſtorme, they take no notice of them, they have no feeling of the workings, bitings, and convulſions of an accuſing and condemning conſcience; their conſciences are like a maſtive fallen aſleep after long and much barking; like fleſh ſeared with a hot yron; their ſence and feeling is gone, they are alienated from the life of God, dead and have no feeling of the life of Chriſt, Chriſt doth not live in them; they are blind,Ioh. 1.5. and have no feeling of the wiſedome and knowledge which commeth from Chriſt, as a blind man hath no feeling of the light which commeth from the Sunne; they are deafe and have no feeling of the ſweet and comfortable voice of Chriſt in the Goſpell, any more then a deafe man feeles the ſweet ſound of a muſicall inſtrument; their pallates are diſtempered, and they cannot taſte the ſweetneſſe of Chriſt, they loath him as the full ſtomacke the honey-combe; he is unſavoury to them as the Manna to the Iſraelites; as ſometimes the pottage were to the Prophets children, he ſeems to them a pot of death, the very ſavour of death unto death; they feele not the neceſſity of Chriſt, as of a quickner to enliven them, as of a guide to direct them, as of a ſurety to pay their debt for them, as of a ranſomer to free them out of priſon, as of a fountaine to repleniſh and fill them▪ and being thus unſenſible of Chriſt, they cannot rejoyce in the comming of Chriſt; the Iſraelites rejoyced not in Moſes comming to them, but refuſed him before they felt the cruelty of the taske-maſters which Pharaoh ſet over them, and the weight of the burthens which he laid upon them. Hee that is void of the ſence of his owne corruption, rejoyceth not in Chriſts comming.
4. Contrariety to Chriſt.4. Contrariety to Chriſt, there is no likeneſſe, no ſutableneſſe, no anſwerableneſſe between them and Chriſt, they are as contrary as life and death, light and darkneſſe, the Arke and Dagon, the houſe of David and the houſe of Saul, they are u2 Tim. 2.25.contrary-minded; they are contrary to Chriſt in their iudgements, wiſe in their owne eyes, reputing light darkneſſe and darkeneſſe light; contrary in their wils, Chriſt wils his Fathers glory, and teacheth his Diſciples to pray that his Fathers will may be done, they will themſelves, and their owne ends, they looke not beyond themſelves in any thing, they make their owne will their rule and guide; contrary in their affections, they hate holineſſe which Chriſt loveth, and love prophaneneſſe which Chriſt abhorreth; contrary in their ſociety and fellowſhip, All Chriſts delight is in them that excell in vertue, they delight themſelves in the frowardneſſe of the froward; contrary in their natures. Chriſt is holy and without all ſinne, they are totally ſinfull, and void of all holineſſe; they are contrary to Chriſt in his Offices, they oppoſe him, as a Prophet they will not receive his inſtruction, as a King they will not obey him, as a Prieſt they will not be ſanctified by him, their whole man is wholly ſet in oppoſition againſt whole Chriſt, there is a marvellous diſtance and unlikeneſſe between them and Chriſt, they are altogether uncapable of him. Man can never rejoyce in Chriſts comming untill God doth put ſome new and gracious principle into him; Man never delights to doe the will of God untill God hath written his Law in the heart of man, Chriſts comming is ever more or leſſe joyfull unto man, as man hath more or leſſe of Chriſts image within him.
5. Infidelity.5. Infidelity. The Iſraelites beleeved not the word of God, and therefore deſpiſed the pleaſant land, that rich and plentifull land which God had promiſed them: He that doth not beleeve in Chriſt ſets a low price upon him, and rejoyceth little or nothing in the teſtimony of Chriſts preſence:I…. 6. The Diſciples which beleeved not aright, were offended, and went backe from Chriſt, they tooke no pleaſure in Chriſt and his doctrine: He that doth not by the eye of faith diſcerne Chriſt, and by the hand of faith ſingle and take out Chriſt unto himſelfe, as his light and counſellor to guide him, as his Rocke to ſuſtaine him, as his Prince, to be commanded by him, as his pearle, looking for no other treaſure, and as the husband to whom he marries his ſoule, and on whom he places all his love: Hee that doth not thus beleeve cannot rejoyce in Chriſt, Chriſt is none of his; therefore he cannot rejoyce in him no more then the poore can rejoyce in a rich mans treaſure, to which himſelfe hath no title, or a woman in a man that is a ſtranger to her, in whom ſhe hath no matrimoniall intereſt, towards whom ſhe hath no matrimoniall love. Unbeliefe blinds the underſtanding, that it diſcernes not the beauty, worth and excellency of Chriſt; it hardens the heart,Iſa. 53.12. and makes it unſenſible of Chriſt, as the rocke is of the dew; it ſhuts up the ſoule, and makes it uncapable of Chriſt; as the eye that is ſhut, is uncapable of the light, untill it is opened againe; it alienates the mind of man from Chriſt, and cauſeth him to depart from Chriſt to the creature; as the men of Shechem did from the vine to the bramble, from the ſonnes of Ierubbaal to Abimelech: Through unbeliefe Chriſt is to the ſoule as a Sunne under an Eclipſe, whom it ſees not, as a ſealed well of which it drinks not; unbeleefe ſhuts out the ſoule from Chriſt, and all his benefits, as Adam was kept out of the garden, and from the tree of life, it makes Chriſt a ſtranger to his ſoule, and his ſoule a ſtranger unto Chriſt; and as it excludes man from all communion with Chriſt, ſo it deprives him of all joy in Chriſt, He that beleeves not in Chriſt, and in the benefits flowing from him, can never rejoyce in him, becauſe the ſoule is filled with all ioy in beleeving.