England Faithfully Watched, Lecture 16
Coloſs. 1.16. For by him all things were created that are in heaven, and that are in earth, &c.
THe Soveraignty of Chriſt is argued and demonſtrated in this, as in the following expreſſions: He hath created all things in heaven and in earth, and therefore to be conceived of over and above all things; higher then all, and greater then all.
Doctr. High expreſſions are multiplied concerning Chriſt, to raiſe high conception of him. Men are apt to conceive too low and too mean of Chriſt. He that cometh down from heaven is above all, ſaith Chriſt. He that is of the earth is earthly, and ſpeaketh of the earth; but he that cometh down from heaven is above all; and what he hath ſeen and heard, that he teſtifieth, and yet no man receives his teſtimony, John 3. Twice is the ſoveraignty of Chriſt affirmed, and yet not once received; he lifteth and lifteth again to lift up thoughts and affections concerning Chriſt, as one above all, and yet all would not do. He that comes down from heaven is above all; above all on earth, and above all in heaven. He multiplies high expreſſion to raiſe high conception, and yet poore low creatures would conceive of him no otherwiſe then of other men, nor yet hardly ſo well. Thus are high expreſsions multiplied here for the ſame end, which argues that man is a creature very apt to conceive very low of Chriſt.
We are carnall and judge ſo; we frame conception from ſenſe, objects are no otherwiſe then we ſee. Chriſts out-ſide ſpake as little as anothers, and leſſe, low in condition, and low in eſtimation, this is naturall to man, and hard to do otherwiſe. Thoughts muſt have a foot-ſtool from the world, to lift up themſelves reſpecting perſons: we lift up things no otherwiſe then they lift up themſelves by externall advantage. Chriſts glory is not in this world, he comes in form of a man, and therefore judged no more; in form of a mean man, and therefore meanly judged of. What Chriſt is viſibly is looked after, and this is little; nothing viſible ſpeaks him the authour of inviſible things, the maker of thrones and dominions: from nothing viſible, fleſh and bloud can argue nothing reall, to raiſe apprehenſion reſpecting any thing, no not reſpecting God himſelf.
We ſet up things as we ſee them, and we ſet up things as we love them. Man will not conceive highly of that which he hateth: man is carnall and malicious, he makes judgement ſubject to ſenſe, yea he debaſeth it lower, he makes judgement ſubject to malice. None ſo blind as thoſe that will not ſee; yes, thoſe that ſcorn to ſee, Conviction is ſtrong, and may do ſomething upon the will, if it do but merely nill; but is not ſtrong enough to over-bear malice. The Scribes and Phariſies ſaw more of Chriſt then a mere man, and yet will take in no thought of him but what they pleaſed; they eſteemed of him as a devil, ſuch was their malice, when convinced he was a God, the maker of all, and above all, Angels and men. Divine rules croſſe carnall, a carnall ſpirit croſſed is a devil, a devil calls Chriſt Belzebub, the chief of devils, and not the chief of bleſſed beings, as here the Apoſtle doth.
We ſet up things as we will, and yet as God will too. Men ſtumble at Chriſt from what they pleaſe, and ruine their ſouls, and this is according to Gods judiciary will, for he hath ſaid it ſhall be ſo, yea that it ſhall be ſo to many. Chriſt is for a ſtone of ſtumbling, and for a rock of offence to both the houſes of Iſrael, and many of them ſhall ſtumble and fall and be broke, that is, many ſhall have low thoughts of Chriſt, and ſo reject him, which is death without remedy. Chriſt is not carnally plauſible, and it is ſo ordered of purpoſe for a ſnare to carnall wretches, which will ſet up nothing but what the world doth, and to accompliſh judiciary will. Man eyes his will, and ſo doth God: man orders all his actions according to this, and ſo doth God: ſinners fulfill their own wills and Gods, when they ſet Chriſt low, and their ſouls lower, when they ſtumble at Chriſt, and ruine themſelves. You vex not God when ye debaſe Chriſt, and deſtroy your ſouls, you onelyonly accompliſh his righteous will, and your own wicked will.
Conſider the point in hand, and how it reacheth you: Chriſt is a mere fancy to forlorn ſouls. Men oppoſe creature to creature, this is higher then that, and this is better then that, but who oppoſeth Chriſt to all the creatures, and ſets him in his thoughts above all, above earth and above heaven, above viſible and above inviſible things, above thrones and dominions, above every being as the being thereof? Soveraignty is peculiar ſtate, Chriſt muſt have glory in the higheſt; that ſalutation was but due which they gave when Chriſt came into Jeruſalem; Bleſſed be the King that cometh in the name of the Lord, peace in heaven, and [glory in the higheſt. Chriſt ſet higheſt in the ſoul, is ſet no higher then he ſhould be, the king is but ſet in his throne: men fancie that they thus ſet up Chriſt in their thoughts, but they do but fancy it I doubt. I will give you ſome things to demonſtrate where this is reall, that the ſoul doth indeed as the Apoſtle here, look upon Chriſt as ſupreme and above all.
Where Chriſt is indeed looked upon as above all, there, is fear: ſoveraignty holds forth majeſty, divine majeſty indeed in ſight is humbling, you may ſee an inſtance of this in Job, who thought he had as right an apprehenſion of Gods ſoveraignty as any man; but God reaſons with him about this point, and Job fails: Canſt thou do this? and canſt thou do that? ſaith God, and holds out his ſoveraignty over all before him. Then Job anſwered and ſaid, I know that thou canst do every thing, and no thought can be held from thee, Job 42.12. Job did but fancie this point before that he apprehended God as over all, but now he comes indeed to behold it, his heart ſhakes, and he draws doctrine upon doctrine from it. I know that he which is over all can do what ever he will: he made me of the duſt with his word, and he can turn me to duſt with his word. I cannot hide a fault from him; he that made the eare, ſhall he not heare, if I ſpeak ſin? he that made the eye, ſhall he not ſee, I do ſin? and he that made the heart, ſhall not he diſcern if I think ſinne? The ſoul is full of ſtrong argument with its ſelf, when it doth indeed behold God as the maker of all, his ſoveraignty.
Where Chriſt is indeed looked upon as above all, there is he eſteemed. One ſet above all carries all: ſoveraignty holds forth glory, and this makes love. If I ſee Chriſt indeed a chief cornerſtone, he is precious: if I ſee him the ſonne of the higheſt, I give glory in the higheſt to him. As things are in height ſo in honour; honour carries glory, and glory carries the heart; the one ſeen, and the other is more ſeen, and ſwayes; glory is a very taking thing: The Lord is high above all nations, and his glory is above the heavens. If I indeed behold the perſon of God above the earth, and above the heaven, I ſee him in glory above all theſe; and if I ſee him in glory above all theſe, I am taken with him above all. Moſt vaunt of light and yet have nothing in love, ſuch apprehenſion is fancy and not reall apprehenſion. Can I indeed ſee the ſunne, and not be taken with it,
Soveraigntie holds forth remedie, ſoveraignty is ſoveraigne; the ſoul in the midſt of all toſſings knows where to reſt: perſons very high oppoſe me, yet there are higher then the higheſt, that is the quieting argument. If thou ſeeſt the oppreſſion of the poore, and violent perverting of judgement in the Province, marvell not at it, for he that is higher then the higheſt regardeth, and there be higher then they. The ſoveraignty of Chriſt indeed beheld, takes off diſquiet, though powers oppoſing be never ſo great; the ſoul can argue with its fears, and find out ſhoulders for his burthens, as long as God is above all. He that made all is above all, and will maintain his univerſall ſoveraignty; the higheſt ſhall know they have one above them, and here the oppreſſed reſt. A man that indeed looks upon. God as a Creatour, reſts his ſoul upon him as a faithfull Creatour, that is, as one that will regard the beings which he hath made, although various and ſo many. Great troubles make great fears, and great fears make great ſhifts and ſinnes: What a fearfull time, and what a ſinfull time is this! Princes are but men, and yet humane ſoveraignty makes us do any thing. Fearfull ſouls, you do but fancie Chriſts ſoveraignty, that he is King of kings, and the Creatour of all; you have no apprehenſion of what you ſpeak: you fear God and offer to Baal, as the expreſſion is, that is, you ſet man above Chriſt, what ever you ſay.
Some of you may poſſibly ſee your ſinne by this point, that you are not ſo noble ſpirited as you dreamt, that you have but low conception of Chriſt. You that are proud in ſpirit, carnall in affection, and fearfull of men, have a baſe and low opinion of Chriſt, and Chriſt will require it. As long as God is ſupream, a brave ſpirit flincheth not a ſtep, but others do like themſelves, which will be their ſhame and judgement. He judgeth thoſe that are high, ſaith brave Job to his friends, which carried themſelves high, Job 21.22. he ſaw his oppoſites high, yet this daunted him not a jot, becauſe he beheld one higher. Judge not light of this point in hand, you cannot heare one more uſefull in this trying time. A man fears nothing that ſees Chriſt above all, neither what men can ſay nor do; a man fears where no fear is that ſees not this: Alſo now behold my witneſſe is in heaven, and my record is on high; my friends ſcorn me, but mine eye poureth out tears unto God, Job 16.19, 20. Men think of me thus and thus, but it troubles me not a jot, I look at one that is above all men, that made all, and knows all, and will judge all; to him I referre all: all cannot daunt one in good that ſees God above all. Low ſouls, look upon him that is high if you would become high, as high as Chriſt and heaven.