England Faithfully Watched, Lecture 22 – Lecture 23
Coloſſ. 1.16. All things were created by him [and for him, &c:
GOd upholdeth our way, we have travelled through many things, and we are now come to the end of all; the end of this verſe, and the end of the whole creation, to wit, the glory of Chriſt: for all things that were created by him, were created for him. Some things are for Chriſts uſe, and ſome things for his delight, but all for his glory. Any motion maketh action, but onelyonly ſuch motion maketh divine action, as bringeth all to Chriſts end. Chriſts work is here mentioned, and ſo is mans: What is made by Chriſt, muſt be by us made for him. The Law of Gods action we are to ſtand upon: All things must be for Chriſt.
Doctr. Things may be diſtinguiſhed in their kind, but not in their laſt ends: There is one kind of fleſh of men, another of fiſh, another of beaſts, ſaith the Apoſtle: and things may be diſtinguiſhed in their place, as ſome high, and ſome low; and things may be diſtinguiſhed by their parts, as ſome learned, and ſome unlearned: but none muſt be diſtinguiſhed in their end; all creatures, all places, all parts muſt be for Chriſt. The Law is univerſall, nothing is abſolutely given, but all the creation is put out to uſe for him; ten talents, five talents, one talent, not one thing in the world for mans uſe, but muſt be for Chriſts; not one thing in the world made for man, but muſt be by man made for Chriſt.
Chriſt in a few dayes made man work for all his dayes; things are not to be for Chriſt to day, and againſt him to morrow, but for him for ever. His praiſe endureth for ever. In good times, in bad times, all things muſt be for him, as long as they are, Chriſts glory muſt be everlaſting, as ours ſhall be when he cometh to order all the creation for us. Scripture expreſſions muſt have their extent. Men miſunderſtand this phraſe in the Text that think Chriſt muſt have all things for him, when all advantages ſerve. All things muſt be for Chriſt in all times, till times ſhall be no more, and then all things are to be for us.
Man hath a great deal of work upon him, and conſidereth it not, he is to take every thing by the hand, and lead it home; every thing on earth that he medleth with, and lead it home to Heaven: husband, wife, children, goods, meat, drink, by him, and through him. and to him are all things. Some things are further from God then others, and yet all I meddle with I muſt up with, in one notion or other, and away with it to him. There is but one carrier to Heaven in all the earth, and that is man, and he is loaded with a witneſſe; he muſt carry all that is by God and through him, to him; and this he muſt do though he ſigh, and grone till his back break and he die, and then he will have a porters pay. You have ſome carriers for letters, and then you have creatures of a lower rank to carry other things; but Chriſt hath but one carrier for all; man muſt carry his words, his works, his letters and all elſe here below to him.
Divinity is high in its ſcope: the glory of Chriſt is the higheſt thing, and nothing maketh at it but man, but he muſt make at nothing elſe. Man is not to ask what things are made of, but what things are made for; the former belongeth to Chriſt, and the latter to us. 'Tis an earthen world this, but mans work is to make it heavenly; 'tis an earthen boul but wants a by as to run right, and man is to put in one to make it incline Heavenward, and to run true to God that made it.
Low things have a high ſcope, and yet as high as 'tis, man muſt make at it upon pain of death: we may uſe any thing but take the glory of nothing: if an Herod, a King feed on this diſh, he dieth for it. Benjamin muſt have a diſh of dainties alone, what fit may be given to inſtruments, but divine glory, this is Chriſts diſh, he alone muſt feed on theſe dainties; if any taſte of this hony, though but with the tip of his ſtaff, he dieth for it, and worms the meaneſt creatures, ſhall be ſtrong enough to do it.
Some points will bear diſpute, but this will bear none, whether I am to give glory to Chriſt yea or no in all. God hath ſet a King in Sion, and 'tis ſinne to ſay, may I crown him? I muſt crown him with glory, though I take off mine own crown to do it. The foure and twenty elders fell down before him that ſat on the throne, and worſhipt him that liveth for ever & ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, ſaying, thou art worthie O Lord to receive glory, honour, and power, for thou haſt created all things, and for thy pleaſure they are, and were created, Rev. 4.10, 11. There is no place for the diſpute of meum and tuum in this point with Chriſt, for all is his: all mine are thine: as he ſaid to his Father, ſo we are to ſay to him, all ours are his; the very crowns we wear, the things we have that render us moſt glorious in the eye of men, muſt be for Chriſt: all our crowns muſt go to his crown.
Many will die by this law, for every man ſeeks his own. I and mine muſt live, and ſo muſt Chriſt and his. Skinne is dear, all muſt go for this, but nothing for Chriſt; which is the life of a beaſt, and not of a Chriſtian. This time diſcovers thouſands, nothing muſt be for Chriſt, becauſe times call for all for him. Neutrality is condemned by this point; ſome will be neither for, nor againſt Chriſt, which cannot be; all muſt be for him. Conceits are ſtrange, where the heart is naught: can a man onelyonly be a looker on in matters of God, which concern his glory, and our eternall welfare? Fleſh is fearfull, and where this predominates, all the care is to look to one, and that one is ſelf, and not Chriſt, which will be the ſhame of that one unto all forever. O how dear is name, and ſtate, wife, and children now! But how dear is Chriſt? Men of the world, look into your hearts now, if ever you would know them throughly: would you not fain ſtand Neuters now in our cauſe, to give your purſe ſome reſt? Is not the pulling of your purſe-ſtrings, as the pulling of your heart-ſtrings? Alas for me, what ſhall I and mine do? all will be gone, I ſhall be quite undone. What is Chriſt beleft, is all gone?
Nothing will be for Chriſt, as it ſhould be, when the heart is not, I would you would all look to this, Give your ſelves to the Lord, and then you will give all that is yours. This they did, they gave their own ſelves to the Lord, and then to us, by the will of God. Make your hearts throughly for Chriſt, and you will make all other things with eaſe. Luſts unmortified, the heart is unruly; the heart unruly, will part with things according to its own will, and not according to Chriſts. An unruly heart becomes froward; frowardneſſe knows none but its own will. Who is David? and who is the ſonne of Jeſſe? that I ſhould take up what is mine and give to I know not who? Many things go for Chriſt a while, plate, horſe, money, men, and of a ſudden all is checked, and nothing ſhall be for him; the plague of this is at the heart, this was never for him; but yet men do not conſider this, but plead a thouſand things of this ſide, and that ſpeaks all more miſerable.
Two things ſpeak the heart for Chriſt, the riſe and the ſcope of action: the heart is not for Chriſt, let the action be what it will, when it ſprings not from love. Peter loveſt thou me? Feed my lambs. Naked action, though never ſo good, ſpeaks not the heart for Chriſt, but the ſpring of that action. Do ye love Chriſts Lambs and feed them? I will tell you a ſad thing, many a ſouldier hath a hand for Chriſt, and a heart againſt him, and what a pittie is this. So many a Citizen hath a purſe a little open for Chriſt, and a ſpirit quite ſhut againſt him. Certainly our motion for Chriſt is heartleſſe motion: love oyls her own wheels. as long as ſhe hath any work, or any power, and we are quickly weary of well-doing.
The ſpring of action, and the ſcope of action, ſpeaks the heart for God: not what you do, but at what you aim. He that ſeeketh his glory that ſent him, the ſame is true, and there is no unrighteouſneſſe in him, John 7.18. The generation is ſpiritually plagued, which is worſe then all the plagues which are upon us: men do little, and mean leſſe: ſcarce a true heart amongſt us. The body hath two eyes, but the ſoul ſhould have but one, looking onelyonly at Chriſt; but ſhew me ſuch a man now. We are a kingdom of ſquint-eyed perſons; ſtates are broken, any way will ſerve to mend them: let whoſe will loſe, is there any way for me to gain? Trialls are quick, ſpirits perverſe; kingdomes reel, nothing to be had; you muſt comply and do as others do, and ſeek your ſelf, for you cannot rid it out: thus we reaſon. Simplicity is a rock, I ſee but few of theſe in our ſeas, Surely, ſurely, ſouls are drown'd apace in the deluge, that is upon us. Men that did look bravely at Chriſt, now look baſely at themſelves, which ſpeaks more wounds to a wounded kingdome: the Lord heal ſuch hearts, or elſe when will this land be healed.
Coloſs. 1.17. And he is before all things, &c.
Doctr. HEre is a term of connexion in the front of this verſe, which calls for ſomething to be ſpoken relatively. Circumſtances are multiplied, to winne reſpect to Chriſt. Much is ſaid before, and here is more, and yet all expreſſion too little to winne affection. The heart of man naturally is damnable cold. One ornament is enough to ſet a man dear in your breaſt, but all ornaments not enough to ſet Chriſt dear. Affection naturally, is no whit divine. Chriſt is very honourable in gifts, and ſo in years, he is the ancient of dayes, He is before all things, and yet all nothing.
Let us all bleed under the baſeneſſe of our affection ſo much ſhould not be ſaid to quicken, were we not all very dead. There muſt be ſome divine principall in the ſoul, ere any divine principall held up to it, will take it. if heaven were open to you, yet would you have no heart to go in, unleſſe your hearts be opened too. Should Chriſt himſelf come from the dead, and ſtand in that glory before you, in which he ſtands now, at the right hand of God, yet unleſſe ſomething be done within, this ſight without, will not gain you to him; you will tremble, and intreat him to depart.
Sinners, know the plague of your heart: Chriſt is not revealed in you, and therefore all that here he ſaith to you, is no more ſtirring. You have glory after glory here, and yet nothing gains: you ſpit out the ſowerneſſe of your ſouls, in the face of him that is ſweet to you: I am afraid nothing is yet done within you, and is this nothing to you? And if ſo, your ſtate is the more grievous to Chriſt. When we do not love Chriſt, we ſhould confeſſe it to him; a plague hid, Chriſt looks not after it, but lets it ramble and kill the ſoul.
Yet muſt we Chriſts ſervants, ſtrive with you ſtill, and fight with dead men, as long as we are in this dying tabernacle; and all that Chriſt ſaith of himſelf, we muſt ſay to you, though you grow worſe and worſe: into every chamber of the king of glory we muſt lead you, though it be of no taking glory to you. My text puts me now to ſpeak of the eternity of Chriſt to you, he is before all things, which is one of the higheſt things of concernment in the world, to ſee what this will do. We muſt be ſweet to ſowre ſouls, though they grow more ſowre by it: we muſt put ſweets into filthy ſtomachs, though they cruddle in their ſtomachs, and ſpue them up again, in the face of him that preſcribed them.