Sweet and Soul-Persuading Inducements Leading Unto Christ, Chapter 7
CHAP. VII.
Chriſts welcōe manifeſted.ANd let us declare and manifeſt the truth of Chriſts welcome, and our joy at Chriſts comming by our prepared, humble, and hearty receiving of Chriſt, according to the charge of the Pſalmiſt, Let us wPſa. 24.7. By opening and elevating the heart.lift up the gates and doores of our hearts from the creature, and all things here below, let us remove the bolts and bars of infidelity, obſtinacy, pride, ſecurity, and ſelfe-love; and let us by faith, love, repentance, and humble obedience, open the doors of our hearts, that Chriſt the King of glory may come in. As the xMat. 9.24.Minſtrels, and other people, were put forth out of the Rulers houſe, and Chriſt received, that his dead daughter might be raiſed to life. Thus let us put out of the doores of our hearts, all carnall joyes, and fleſhly luſts, that Chriſt may enter into, and miniſter the life of grace to our ſoules; let all give place to Chriſt, that Chriſt may have the full poſſeſſion of us, and worke effectually within us. 2 Let it appeare that Chriſt is welcome by our garniſhing our hearts with all ſpirituall ornaments, ſutable,2. By garniſhing the heart and fit for the entertaining of Chriſt, putting our hearts into ſuch a gracious frame and temper, that Chriſt may take pleaſure in us: The gate of the Tabernacle was very coſtly and glorious, having a hanging made for it yExod 26.36, 37.of blew, purple, skarlet, and fine twined linnen wrought with needle-worke, the pillars for the hangings being overlaid with gold, and their hookes of gold, to ſhadow out, and ſignifie the making glorious of the hearts of Gods elect by faith, and other gifts of the Spirit, to entertaine Chriſt the glorious King.3. By offering our ſelves to Chriſt. 3. Make Chriſts welcome apparant, by offering your ſelves to Chriſt; the wiſe men rejoyced in Chriſts comming, and they fell downe and worſhipped him, opened their treaſures, and zMat. 2.10, 11.preſented to him gifts, gold, frankincenſe, and myrrh. Thus let us rejoyce in Chriſt comming in the Goſpell, fall downe before him, make the whole man vaile and ſtoop to Chriſt, and to him let us offer the gold of a pure heart, the frankincenſe of holy and humble prayer, and the myrrh of patient ſuffering, and bearing Chriſts croſſe to him, let us yeeld our aRom. 12.1.bodies, ſoules, and all our ſubſtance, as a holy and acceptable ſacrifice.4. By exalting Chriſt 4. Manifeſt every man Chriſts welcome by exalting Chriſt above every thing in your heart, doe not ſet him as Jeſſe did David b1 Sam. 16.1….behinde the ewes, but ſet him as Pharaoh did Joſeph, above all his Nobles, and over all his land; allow him univerſall and abſolute jurisdiction over the whole man, cut off whatſoever doth rebell againſt him.5 By Love. Faith conformity and acquieſcence. 5. Declare Chriſts welcome by your love to him, as to the bridegroome of your ſoules, by your faith and dependance upon him, as upon your onelyonly rocke, and ſure foundation, by your full and through-conforming your ſelves to his ſtatutes and teſtimonies, as to that which is the light of your feet, the lanthorne of your paths, and the delight of your ſoules, and by a holy and gracious acquieſcence in Chriſt, as in the Counſellor in whom is all wiſedome to direct; as in the King, in whom is all authority to command; as in the rocke, in whom is all ſtrength to ſupport; as in the fountaine, in whom is all fulneſſe to ſatisfie us, Chriſt will not be pleaſed with a verball, he will have a reall entertainment; with Judas to kiſſe Chriſt with our lips, outwardly to give him faire words, and ſecretly to nouriſh treaſon and rebellion in our hearts againſt him, is a curſed welcome. With Joab to ſalute Chriſt with one hand, and ſtab him with another hand, as Joab at once ſaluted and ſlew Abner, to ſalute Chriſt by an outward and open profeſſion, and to ſtab him by a corrupt and diſſolute converſation is very unſeemly, ſhamefull, and diſhonourable for any Chriſtian. Let therefore our ſpirituall, univerſall, cheerfull and conſtant ſubjection unto Chriſt declare the truth and joy of Chriſts welcome unto us.
Want of joyful receiving Chriſt ſhewes, 1 Want of knowledge.If we rejoyce not in Chriſt, if Chriſt comming in the Goſpell be not welcome, Where is our knowledge of Chriſt if we rejoyce not in Chriſt comming in the Goſpell; the blind eye hath no joy in the Sunne, but to the ſeeing eye the light is ſweet, and It is a pleaſant thing to behold the Sunne; to the ignorant Chriſt is nothing joyfull, but to them that have the eyes of their underſtanding opened, Chriſt is very pleaſant, he is in their eye the faireſt of ten thouſand, oProv. 2.10.to them the knowledge of Chriſt is pleaſant, to him that knowes the Wiſedome of Chriſt ſhining into his heart, and making him wiſe unto ſalvation, to him that knowes the death of Chriſt, mortifying his luſts and corrupt affections, the reſurrection of Chriſt ſpiritually reviving and quickning him, to him that knowes the righteoſneſſe of Chriſts cloathing, and juſtifying him, to him that knowes the bleſſed preſence of Chriſt encouraging him, to him that knowes the Al-ſufficiency of Chriſt ſatisfying him, to him that knowes the gracious diſpenſation of Chriſt, miniſtring the ſence of his love and peace to him; to that man Chriſt is welcome in the Goſpell. Mans ignorance deprives him of all Chriſts comforts.
2. Want of Love.2. Where is our love to Chriſt, if Chriſt be not welcome? David loved Jonathan, and Jonathan was very pleaſant to him. Old Jacob loved Joſeph, and his spirit revived when he ſaw the waggons which Joſeph had ſent, he was very glad that Joſeph was alive, I will goe (ſaith he) and ſee him before I dye: Chriſt is very pleaſant to him that loves him, it is a reviving of heart to ſuch a man to heare of Chriſt, he will ſurely goe, and ſee Chriſt in the Goſpell; Love to Chriſt, and joy in Chriſt are inſeparable companions, in all the Friends of Chriſt, David was a man of love to God, a man of ſweet and ſtrong affections: He uſeth many feeling and lively expreſſions hereof, and his joy was ſutable to his love; he was dPſal 122.1.glad to goe up to the houſe of the Lord, he rejoyced in prayſing God, ePſal 71.23.My lips ſhall greatly reioyce when I ſing unto thee: He rejoyced in viſiting the houſe of God, he went to the houſe of God with the fPſal. 42.4.voice of ioy and praiſe, with the multitude that kept holy day; He rejoyced in the underſtanding, meditation, and ſervice of God; he rejoyced in the Way of Gods teſtimonies as much as in all riches. gPſal 119.14.He is no friend of Chriſt that doth not rejoyce in Chriſt; he is no lover, that is not a joyfull receiver of Chriſt in the Goſpell: His pretence and profeſſion of love is not reall, but counterfeit and hypocriticall. How canſt thou ſay thou loveſt me (ſaid Dalilah once to Sampſon) hIudg. 16.15.when thy heart is not with me. Thus how can man ſay he loves Chriſt, when his heart, the joy and delight of his heart is not with Chriſt; how is it poſſible man can love Chriſt, and yet Chriſt be unwelcome; Chriſts unwelcomneſſe to man in his Goſpell, proclaimes the enmity of mans heart againſt him.
Where is our faith in Chriſt, if Chriſt be not welcome?3. Want of f…ith. doe we chuſe and ſingle out Chriſt to our ſelves, to be our Mediatour and Saviour? Doe we build on Chriſt as on a ſure rocke? Doe we apprehend and take Chriſt by the hand of faith into a ſpirituall wedl…cke, as the husband of our ſoules? Doe we make Chriſt our treaſure, our crowne, our royall roabe of righteouſneſſe? Doe we by the bucket of faith draw waters of ſalvation out of Chriſt, as out of a living fountaine? and yet not rejoyce in Chriſt, not bid him joyfully welcome, it is impoſſible: A beleeving apprehenſion is comfortable, an unbeleeving apprehenſion miniſters no rejoycing. It is recorded of Jacob, that his ſons telling him Joſeph is yet alive, and he is Governour over all the land of Egypt. Jacobs heart fainted, for he • beleeved them not, afterwards beleeving, he much rejoyced; but now, not beleeving, his heart fainted. Thus man hearing of Chriſts life and kingdome, hearing him preached in the Goſpell, as the Author of life, and King of Kings, and Lord of Lords, hearing great and glorious things ſpoken of Chriſt, and his heart fainting, his ſoule ſad, dull, troubled, and not ſolaced with it, that man beleeves not, for the ſoule is filled with all ioy in beleeving.
4 Want of pricing Chriſt.Where is our pricing of Chriſt? He that doth not rejoyce in Chriſt comming in the Goſpell, hath a very low eſteeme of Chriſt: The Spouſe had a high eſteeme of Chriſt ſurpaſſing all creatures, and her ſoule was raviſhed with love to him, and with joy in him: The Merchant in the parable prized the pearle above all that he had, and as he highly prized it, ſo he was glad when he found it: Did we prize Chriſt as the hungry prizeth food, the ſicke health, the captive liberty, the rich his treaſure, the King his crowne; we could not but rejoyce in Chriſts comming as people in a famine rejoyce in the comming of the harveſt, ſicke men in reſtoration of health, captives in a Jubilee, and the rich in his treaſure; the true valuing of Chriſt makes his comming in the Goſpell matter of more rejoycing, then the comming of all the fulneſſe of the world.
5. Want of reliſhing Chriſt.Where is our taſte and relliſh, our ſence and feeling of Chriſt, if we rejoyce not in Chriſt comming in the Goſpell; the taſte of wine rejoyceth the thirſty, the taſte of meat rejoyceth the hungry: He that hath no joy in Chriſt, hath no taſte of Chriſt; Chriſt is not unto him as Iſaacks veniſon was to him, kGen. 27.4.ſavoury meat which his ſoule loved. The things of God are unſavoury unto ſuch; but the ſoule which doth relliſh Chriſt, which taſteth how good Chriſt is, doth abundantly rejoyce in Chriſt; to him Chriſts lCant. 1.3.good oyntments, his ſaving gifts and graces, are ſavory,; are taſted, perceived, felt, like good oyntments, with great joy and revivement of heart; and his name is as an oyntment powred forth, the doctrine of his grace, the name of his wiſedome, in opening his fathers counſell; the name of his merit in purchaſing mans ſalvation; the name of his mercy, in pardoning mans ſinne; the name of his righteouſneſſe in juſtifying mans ſoule; the name of his love in embracing and ſolacing mans heart; this is an oyntment powred out, this in the preaching of the Goſpell caſteth a ſweet ſavour, as oyntment doth in the powring forth, as the breaking of the boxe of oyntment in the Goſpell, and powring it upon Chriſts head, filled the houſe with the mMar. 14.3. Ioh. 12.3.ſavour thereof: ſo the opening of Chriſt in the Goſpell, giveth a ſweet ſavour to the hearts of all Chriſtians. The true receivers of Chriſt find a very ſweet, and bleſſed, a very gracious and ſoule-refreſhing taſte in Chriſt.
And as we profeſſe our ſelves to be ſchollers in Chriſts ſchoole, ſervants in Chriſts family, members in Chriſts body,Ioy in Chriſts comming perſwaded. ſubjects, friends, and Spouſe of Chriſt; ſo let us rejoyce in the comming of Chriſt, in his Goſpell, as a traveller rejoyceth in the comming of the Sunne to guide him, as the ſubject rejoyceth in the comming of the King to honour him, as the captive rejoyceth in the comming of the ranſomer to free him, as the ſicke rejoyceth in the comming of the Phyſitian to cure him, as the childe rejoyceth in the comming of the nurſe to feed him, and as the bride rejoyceth in the comming of the bridegroome to marry her: In him let us rejoyce as in the Sun enlightening us, as in the friend ſolacing us, as in the ſhield defending us, as in the King honouring us, as in the treaſure enriching us, as in the jewell adorning us, as in the fountaine filling us, and as in the paradiſe of our moſt choiſe and everlaſting pleaſures; and in the joy of our ſoules let us ſay, Bleſſed be he that commeth in the name of the Lord.