Eighteen Choice and Useful Sermons, Sermon 11
The Eleventh SERMON.
CANTICLES 3.1.
By night on my Bed I ſought him whom my ſoul loves.
THey are the words of the Church, expreſſing her longing deſire after Chriſt.Diviſion. And in the words we may obſerve theſe three things; the Act, the Object, and the Circumſtances; the Act, ſought, the Object, Chriſt, I ſought him whom my ſoule loves; and the Circumſtances are two, the circumſtance of time, and the circumſtance of place; the time when ſhe ſought him, I ſought him by night, and the place where ſhe ſought him, I ſought him on my Bed, By night on my Bed I ſought him whom my ſoul loves. And theſe are the parts, I will begin with the circumſtances, becauſe they are ſet downe firſt in the words. And firſt for the time when ſhe ſought Chriſt, it was by night. Now night is taken two wayes in the Scripture. Sometime litterally, ſometime metaphorically: litterally for the time which is oppoſite to the day; when the Sun hath paſſed over our Horizon and leaves us darkneſſe, through the interpoſition of the Earth between the Sun & us. So the night is taken litterally, when the Apoſtle ſaith, Theſ. 5.7. They that are drunke are drunke in the night. Implying thereby that then drunkards were aſhamed to be drunke in the day, (which now a daies they are not) but were drunk in the night that they might the better conceal it. Sometime night is taken metaphorically, as when the Apoſtle ſaith, Rom. 13. The night is far ſpent, Rom. 13.12.the day is at hand, let us therefore caſt off the works of darkneſſe, and let us put on the armour of light.
But in my Text, as I take it, the night is not taken metaphorically, becauſe it is added, by night on my bed, which being joyned together, do ſhew that they are both to be taken literally.
Firſt, then here obſerve the Churches ſincerity, By prayer ſhe ſought Chriſt, not openly in the day to be ſeen of men, as the Phariſees were wont to pray in the ſtreets, but ſecretly in the night, Mat. 6.5.when there were none to ſee or hear what ſhe did. Ille colit vere, qui ſine teſte colit, He worſhips Chriſt truly, who worſhips him when there is no witneſſe of it. Many will do that openly where they may be ſeen and commended, which they will not do ſecretly where they are not ſeen to do it: like the Monk that would faſt whole dayes together, whil'ſt he was in the Monaſterie, where men ſaw and commended him for faſting ſo long, but when he was in the Deſart he could not faſt, becauſe there were none to ſee him. This was hypocriſie, but where there is ſincerity, a man will rather do good in ſecret, that he may not be known to do it. So our Saviour Mat. 6. teacheth us to faſt, When thou faſt…ſt, Mat. 6.17.anoint thy head, and waſh thy face, that thou ſeem not unto men to faſt. So he teacheth us there to give almes,Mat. 6.3. When thou doeſt thine almes, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand do…th. So he teacheth us there to pray,Mat. 6.6. When thou prayeſt, enter into thy chamber, and ſhut thy door. All to be done in ſecret, that we may not be ſeen to do it, as the Church here ſought Chriſt by night.
Secondly here obſerve the Churches Wiſdome, She ſought Chriſt by prayer, and made choiſe of the night as the fitteſt time to pray in. When we pray in the night, our ears and our eyes are not carried away with variety of objects, which many times ſo hinder us when we pray in the day that we cannot mind our prayers. And therefore it is, that commonly when we pray in the Church, we ſet our hands or our hats before our eyes, making the day as it were night, that our eyes being not troubled with outvvard objects, our hearts may the better mind our prayers.
Laſtly, Here obſerve the Churches importunity: For that vvhichwhich is here tranſlated by night, is by nights in the originall, implying that ſhe ſought him night by night, and would not give over, but continued importunate like the woman of Canaan, Mat. 15.til ſhe had obtained her deſire: Chriſt likes an importunate ſuiter that will take no demall, a wearileſſe ſeeker that ſeeks while he findes, and till he finde what he ſeeks, will never give over. Such a ſuiter, ſuch a ſeeker was the Church here, ſhe ſought him night by night, and though as it is ſaid in the next words, ſhe found him not, yet ſhe ſtill perſevered, and never lin ſeeking untill ſhe had found him.
And as ſhe ſought him by night, ſo on her bed. As the night is the time, ſo the bed is the place to reſt in, but when others were aſleep, and taking their reſt, the Church was awake, and her thoughts and deſires wholy ſet upon Chriſt. So that as Origen ſaith of Mary Magdalene, when ſhe came to Chriſts Sepulchre, and found him not there, Maria ibi non erat ubi non erat, quia tota ibi non erat ubi Magiſter erat, Mary was not there where ſhe was, but was wholly there where her Maſter was, So the Church was not there where ſhe ſought Chriſt, but was wholly there where Chriſt was whom ſhe ſought. So wholly with him in deſire and affection, that ſhe could find no reſt, no not in the place of reſt, but in thinking of him. As the Church here ſought Chriſt, ſo muſt we that are Chriſtians, we muſt ſeek him by prayer night by night in our beds, not ſuffering our eyes any night to ſleep, nor the temples of our heads to take any reſt, vvithout ſeeking of him. For if David would not ſuffer his eyes to ſleep, till he had found out a place for the Houſe of the Lord, then much leſſe ſhould vve, till we have found the Lord of the Houſe, even him whom here the Church ſought night by night on her bed. And thus much briefly for the two circumſtances, the time and place, when and where ſhe ſought Chriſt.
I proceed to the Act in the vvord Sought, By night on my bed I ſought him. Now Seeking implies theſe three things.
Firſt, A want of that which is ſought. For a man will not carefully ſeek that which he doth not want, but that vvhichwhich he wants he will ſeek vvith the more diligence: as a man that is hungry will ſeek food becauſe he wants it, but if he were not hungry, and vvanted not food, he would not ſeek it. So that ſeeking implies a vvant or need of that which is ſought.
Secondly, Seeking implies a deſire of finding that vvhichwhich vve ſeek. For though a man do vvant a thing, yet if he have not vvithall a deſire to finde it, he vvill not ſeek it: as a man that is in priſon, though he want his liberty, yet he will not ſeek it, unleſs he have likewiſe a deſire to have it: So that ſeeking implies not onelyonly a want of that which is ſought, but a deſire to find it.
Laſtly, Seeking implies a hope and poſſibility of finding that which we ſeeke. For though a man do want a thing, and though he be never ſo deſirous to have it, yet if there be no hope of finding the ſame, he will not ſeek it; as a man that is ſick, though he want his health, and be deſirous to have it, yet if there be no poſſibility and hope of his recovery, he will give over ſeeking it. And in all theſe reſpects we are to ſeek Chriſt as the Church here doth. For there is nothing that we want ſo much as Chriſt, nothing to be deſired in compariſon of Chriſt, and nothing ſo eaſily found as Chriſt, which are ſo many motives to make us the more willing to ſeek Chriſt.
Firſt, There is nothing that we want ſo much as Chriſt. We are all by nature the Children of wrath, enemies to God, and bond-ſlaves to Satan, and through the diſobedience of our firſt Parents, Damnati priùs quàm nati, ſaith St. Auguſtine, guilty of eternall condemnation before we were borne. From this miſerable condition we could not free our ſelves, neither could we be freed by any other but Chriſt, whom God hath made,1 Cor. 1.30. as the Apoſtle ſaith, to be wiſdom, righteouſneſs, ſanctification and redemption unto us: all which we muſt needes want, if we have not him from whom we muſt have them: and ſo there is nothing that we want ſo much as Chriſt. Many indeed do not find in themſelves any want of Chriſt, becauſe all their life-time they have lived without Chriſt in their natural eſtate, and never have known any better condition. For it fares with ſuch, as it fares with them that are borne blind, who becauſe they never had the benefit of ſight, cannot ſo well conceive what it is to want it. And ſo theſe having never found any comfort in Chriſt, do not know what it is to want him: but if it pleaſe God to open their eyes, that they may finde in themſelves a want of grace, and ſee the miſery they are in for want of the ſame, they will ſee they want nothing ſo much as Chriſt.
Secondly, That there is nothing to be deſired in compariſon of Chriſt, we may ſee by this, becauſe whatſoever we can deſire without Chriſt, can never ſatisfie us and give us content. For till we be aſſured, that Chriſt hath took upon him the diſcharge of our debts, and hath reconciled us to God: our ſins muſt needes be ſuch a wound to our ſoules, and a terrour to our Conſcience, that nothing can give us any true contentment. The riches, pleaſures, and preferments of this World, may give a man ſome little content for a time, but ever and anon they are ready to faile him, and when affliction, ſickneſſe or death comes, they do all forſake him. OnelyOnly the comfort which he hath in Chriſt, both in ſickneſs and health, both in life and death, will never leave him, and ſo nothing is to be deſired in compariſon of Chriſt. Nay, whatſoever we can deſire for our good, we may have it in him; for God hath made him to be all in all unto us, that in him we might have every thing. If we be terrified with the ſight of our ſins,Mat. 1.21. Luke 1.71. he is that Saviour that came into the World to ſave ſinners. If we deſire light and fear darkneſs; he is that day-ſpring from on high that came to viſit us. If we be hungry and deſire food,John 6.35. John 4.14. he is the bread of life that came down from Heaven. If we be thirſty and deſire to drink, he is the Fountain of living water, whereof he that drinks ſhall never thirſt again. If we deſire to go to Heaven, he is the way. If we deſire to be freed from error,John 14.6. he is the truth. If we deſire to be freed from death, he is the life: In a word, whatſoever we can deſire for our good, we may have it in him who hath every thing: Habet omnia qui habet habentem omnia, He that hath him who hath all things, hath all things with him; and ſo nothing is to be deſired in compariſon of Chriſt.
Laſtly, As we want nothing ſo much as Chriſt, and as nothing is to be deſired in compariſon of Chriſt, ſo nothing is ſo eaſily found as Chriſt. For he invites all to come unto him, he never rejected any that came, but was alwayes found of all thoſe that ſought him. We ſee that at his Birth, he called both Jewes and Gentiles to come unto him, the wiſemen that were Gentiles, and the Shepheards that were Jewes, to ſhew that he is not (foreign) a reſpector of perſons. We ſee that in his life, he called both young and old to come unto him; ſome that were but infants, and ſome of all other ages, to ſhew that he is not (foreign) a reſpector of times. And we ſee that after his Reſurrection from death, he commanded his Diſciples to preach the Goſpel all over the World in all Countries, to ſhew that he is not (foreign) a reſpector of places, but accepts of all and rejects none; whoſoever they be that come, whenſoever they come, and from whenceſoever they come unto him. And though our coming unto him be for our good, for otherwiſe we cannot but everlaſtingly periſh, yet he uſeth many motives to perſwade us to come.Mat. 22.23. To make us the more willing to come unto him, he invites us in the Goſpel by the parable of the King, that made a great feaſt for the Marriage of his Sonne, and ſent forth his Servants to call them that were bidden.
To ſhew how willing he is to receive us if we come, he propounds the parable of the prodigal Sonne,Luke 15.20. who but coming to his Father, his Father made more haſte and ranne forth to meet him, fell on his neck and kiſſed him, and received him as joyfully, as if he had never offended him. To ſhew us the danger of deferring our coming, and putting it off as many do, the whole time of their life, he propounds the parable of the fooliſh Virgins,Mat. 25.11.12. who were excluded out of Heaven, becauſe they were not ready at the time to meete the Bridegroome. Yet to hearten us any time while we live to come, he propounds the parable of thoſe that were called into the Vineyard, and ſhewes that he who came at the eleaventh houre, did not loſe his reward, but received his hire.Mat. 20.9.
Nay, though we be ſtray'd away from him, and do not ſeek him, he ſhewes by the Parable of the loſt ſheepe that he wil ſeek us;Luke 15.4. and never linne ſeeking untill he have found us: All plainly ſhewing, how ready he is to be found of us, who ſo graciouſly invites us to come unto him; ſo joyfully receives us when we come, and ſo carefully ſeekes us when we are ſtrai'd away from him.
To wind up then that which hath been delivered in this point. If ſeeking implies a want of that which is ſought, a deſire to have it, and a hope and poſſibility of finding that which we ſeek: and if there be nothing that we want ſo much as Chriſt, nothing to be deſired in compariſon of Chriſt, and nothing ſo eaſily found as Chriſt, it muſt needes follow from hence, that we muſt above all things ſeek Chriſt as the Church here doth. But how far are the moſt from thus ſeeking Chriſt? ſome ſeek the favour of great perſons, ſome preferment and promotion; ſome ſeek their pleaſures, ſome wealth and riches, but Chriſt hath few ſeekers, and many are hindred from ſeeking Chriſt by their ſeeking of theſe. You know how they who were bidden in the Goſpel to that great feaſt, pretended excuſes why they could not come:Luke 14 18.19.20. one deſiring to be excuſed becauſe he had bought a peece of ground, and ſo could not come, becauſe he muſt go to ſee it; another becauſe he had bought five yoke of Oxen, and muſt go to prove them: another, becauſe he had married a wife, and therefore could not come. All theſe things were ſuch as might lawfully be done, but not ſufficient to excuſe them for not coming to Chriſt, whom as we want, ſo we muſt ſeek above all things. And this we cannot do till we can truely ſay, as the Church here doth, I ſought him whom my ſoul loves.
Wherein ſhe expreſſes her unfeigned love and affection to Chriſt, which kindled her deſire the more to ſeek him. Anima eſt ubi amat non ubi animat, the ſoul is where it loves, not where it lives. And therefore the Church thus loving Chriſt could not chuſe but ſeek him, as counting it her happineſſe to injoy his preſence, and to live with him.
The Courch ye know is Chriſts ſpouſe, and there is nothing ſo tedious to lovers, and which they can leſſe indure then one anothers abſence. Hence was that vehement longing of the Church for Chriſts firſt coming, Eſay 64.1. Ʋtinam dirumperes Caelos, O that thou wouldſt rent the Heavens and come down! as wiſhing rather that the Heavens ſhould be rent aſunder,Eſay 64.1. then that he ſhould ſtay there, and ſhe ſtay here and be abſent from him. And hence it was that when Chriſt was to leave the World and told his Diſciples before-hand of it, their hearts were troubled, and though he told them, that he went to prepare a place for them, that he went to his Father, that he would ſend them another Comforter that ſhould abide with them for ever; John 16.6.yet ſtill their hearts were filled with ſorrow, becauſe he would leave them, as being more willing to bear any loſſe then to indure his abſence; and being no more able to be without him if he ſhould leave them a while, then for Ivey to be without a tree or a wall, whereunto if it cleave not it will fade and wither: ſo grievous it was to them that loved Chriſt, not to injoy his preſence.
Now as it was with the Diſciples and here with the Church: ſo it is with all thoſe that do truely love Chriſt, they deſire his preſence and bewaile his abſence, more then any thing beſides. Every one of us as we bear the name of Chriſtians, ſo we will profeſſe our love unto Chriſt, and be ready to ſay that we love him unfeignedly; but if we examine our ſelves for the tryall of our love and affection to him, we ſhall many of us find, that though we have Jacobs voice yet we have Eſau… hands, and do ſhew by our works that we do not love him.Mat. 10.27. Chriſt requires that we love him above all, and ſaith, that he that loves Father, mother, Sonne or Daughter more then him, is not worthy of him; yet how many things are there that we love more then Chriſt? If we have a friend whom we truely love' becauſe vve love him we vvill be loth to do anything that ſhall offend him; nay, vve vvill take his part vvhen he is ſpoken againſt, and vvill be offended vvith them that do ſpeak againſt him: But vvhen vve hear Chriſt diſhonoured, and his name blaſphemed by all manner of ſwearing, vve can often hold our peace, vvithout being offended and reproving thoſe that do thus diſhonour him, and do vve not then love our friends more then vve love Chriſt?
If we have a friend vvhom vve truely love, becauſe vve love him, vve vvill take his Counſell and follovv his advice, before any others that Counſell us othervviſe; yet vvhen Chriſt ſtands on the one ſide, and covetouſneſſe on the other, and gives us contrary Counſell: vvhen Chriſt on the one ſide vvills us to give to the poore, to feed the hungry and to cloath the naked; and covertouſneſſe on the other ſide vvills us to part vvith nothing, but to get vvhat vve can, we follow rather what covetouſneſſe then what Chriſt Counſels us, and do we not then love our riches more then we love Chriſt? Chriſt on the one ſide wills us to follow him and we do it not, our pleaſures on the other ſide to follow them and we do it, and do we not then love our pleaſures more then we love Chriſt?
When David conſidered the wonderfull love of God unto man, he knew not what to think of it; but he cryed out in admiration, Lord what is man that thou art ſo mindfull of him, Pſal. 144.3.or the Sonne of man that thou ſo regardeſt him! But when we conſider the wonderfull want of our love unto him, we may cry out rather, O man, what is the Lord that thou art ſo unmindfull of him, or the Sonne of God that thou ſo little regardeſt him!
He loved us ſo dearly that he thought not his life too dear for us, but ſuffered a moſt ſhamefull and accurſed death, to free us from the curſe which was due unto us: yet we for requitall of this his love (though love be requited with nothing but love: as fire is kindled with nothing but fire) do ſo little regard him, that we preferre our friends, our pleaſures, our wealth and riches, and for the moſt part whatſoever we love, before him.
How farre are ſuch from being able to ſay truly as the Church here doth, I ſought him whom my ſoule loves. Her love unto Chriſt was not verbal and outward, from the rine of the lipps, but real and inward from the root of the heart, from her ſoule and ſpirit, her ſoule loved him, ſhe loved him, as the Church, Eſay 26. deſired and ſought him, with my ſoule have I deſired thee in the night; Eſay 26.9.yea, with my ſpirit within me will I ſeek thee early. She loved him, as the bleſſed virgin magnified him. My ſoule doth magnifie the Lord, Luke 1.46.47.and my ſpirit hath rejoyced in God my Saviour. She loved him, as the Prophet David prayſed him. Prayſe the Lord O my ſoule, and all that is within me prayſe his holy name. Pſal. 103.1.Outward love from the lips may be falſe and counterfe…, but inward love from the ſoule is alwayes unfained. And ſuch a love it is which Chriſt doth require and no other, that we love him with the heart, and with the ſoule, with all the heart, and with all the ſoule: So precious doth he account our love, that he will not have ſo much as the leaſt grain of it loſt, but will have it all. He hath millions of Angels that are inflamed with his love, who love him far better then we do or can, and our love unto Chriſt is no benefit to him, he reapes no prophet nor advantage by it, only becauſe he loves us, he deſires again to be beloved of us, and that unfainedly from our very ſoules. He will not have the ſoule and love divided, he likes not that ſoule that is without love, nor that love which comes not from the ſoule. If love come unto him and not from the ſoule, before he admit it he will firſt aske whence it came, as Micha asked the Levite before he received him. And if the ſoule come unto him without love, he will forbid it to come, as Joſeph forbad his Brethren,Judges 17.9. Gen. 43. to come unto him without their Brother Benjamin.
And therefore if we will come unto Chriſt,Gen. 43.3. we muſt come with love, with love from our ſoules, as the Church here doth, I ſought him whom my ſoule loves.
To draw then to a concluſion, that we may be the more carefull to ſeek Chriſt; let us meditate on thoſe things which may kindle and inflame our love towards him, by conſidering how he deſires our love and deſerves the ſame.
If a man have ſhewed us any extraordinary kindneſs, and hath deſerved our love, we could not but condemn our ſelves of unthankfulneſs if we did not love him: Nay, though he have not deſerved our love by any kindneſs he hath ſhewed us, yet if we do but heare that he is deſirous of our love, becauſe this is an argument that he loves us, we will love him again. But Chriſt doth both deſire our love and deſerve the ſame. He deſires our love, not for his own but for our good, that he might have occaſion to requite our love. And therefore he uſeth moſt forcible Reaſons to procure our love: Sometimes intreating us, and making it his earneſt ſuit that we would love him.2 Cor. 5.20. We ſaith the Apoſtle, are Embaſſadors for Chriſt, as God beſeeching you by us, we pray you in Chriſts ſtead (but for what?) to be reconciled unto God. Here is the ſtrongeſt ſute that ever was made: God and man were fallen out, man is the party that hath offended, and God is the party that ſues to be reconciled; man that ſhould intreat God that he would forgive him, is intreated by God that he would be content to be forgiven. Thus he ſues for our love that ſhould ſue for his. Nay, he uſeth not onelyonly intreaty to procure our love, but likewiſe the promiſe of infinit rewards. The eye, ſaith the Apoſtle, hath not ſeen, the eare hath not heard, neither hath it entred into the heart of man, what God hath prepared (but for whom?) for them that love him. Was it ever heard of ſince the World began, that any man ever came to a poor begger, and offring him meat that was ready to ſtarve and to periſh for hunger, ſhould intreat him to eat it, and not onelyonly ſo, but wit…al, ſhould promiſe to reward him for it? But God, though it be for our good that we love him, for otherwiſe we cannot but everlaſtingly periſh; yet he intreats us that we would love him, and not onelyonly ſo, but promiſeth withall, to reward our love with the Kingdom of Heaven. So earneſtly doth he deſire our love. And as he deſires ſo he deſerves our love. If we ſhould give a man but his diet or houſeroome, we would think we deſerved he ſhould lo…e us for it. How then doth he deſerve our love that gives us every thing? The very bread which we eat, nay the breath which we breath, we have it from him, in whom we live, and move, and have our being, and cannot live a minute without his bleſſing. The leaſt bleſſing he gives us deſerves our love, and we have nothing but our love to give him for all that he gives us. So abundantly doth he deſerve our love. Great reaſon have we then to require his love in ſome meaſure, by loving him unſeignedly as the Church here doth, I ſought him whom my ſoule loves.
FINIS.