England Faithfully Watched, Lecture 17
Coloſſ. 1.16. For by him were all things created] that are in heaven, and that are in earth, viſible and inviſible, whether they he thrones or dominions, or principalities, or powers, &c.
HEaven and earth, and the Authour and end of both, are wrapt up in this verſe and what we ſhall ſay of either, for the good of your precious ſouls, depends wholly upon the bleſſing of Chriſt. Chriſts houſe is ſtately, but of few cauſes; efficient, and finall: firſt by him, and ſecondly for him, were all things created: Chriſts houſe is great, but of few rooms, Heaven and Earth: For by him all things were created that are in Heaven, and that are in Earth. Chriſts family is but of few kinds, viſible, and inviſible. From one cauſe to another, from the efficient to the finall; from one kind to another, from viſible to inviſible: from one room to another, from Earth to Heaven is a Chriſtians journey quite home, and lies all along in this text for us to travell.
Chriſt is conſidered under much variety of notion, and ſtill ſweet under all as a redeemer, as the image of God, as a firſt-born, and here as a creatour. Doctr. A holy ſoul cannot tire it ſelf in the contemplation of Christ. Their is variety of excellencie in Chriſt; varietie of time, he is Alpha and Omega: Varietie.variety of beautie, white and ruddie: varietie of qualitie, mild and fierce; a lion and a lamb, a ſervant and a ſonne, a Man and God, a Redeemer and a Creatour. Chriſt is all varietie of excellency, he hath all the powders of the Merchants, Canticles 3.6. In things below Chriſt, ſome have excellency, and ſome none: ſome this excellency, and ſome that, but none have all; and this checks the ſoul in his game, and withers contemplation at the root. Contemplation is ſoul-recreation, recreation is kept up by variety: one thing tires quickly, unleſſe that one be all, which ſo is Chriſt and none elſe, he is all, Coloſſians, 3.11. All belonging to well being, and all belonging to being, Redeemer and Creatour, for by him were all things created.
There is congruity of excellency in Chriſt:Congruity what things are in Chriſt are all ſuitable to a holy ſoul, and ſuitable things tire not; we lie down where we are pleaſed. 'Tis with a holy ſoul, as 'tis with a holy God; unſuitable things tire him preſently. Your new moons, and your appointed feasts, that is, their hypocritical obſervations, I am weary to beare them, ſaith God, Eſay, 1.14. Holy perſons, and holy actions, things congruous to his will, in theſe he takes up his dwelling; his thoughts though vaſt and noble hire themſelves here, ſo farre are ſuch things from wearying of him; his thoughts reſpecting this world, the people, and practices of it, rove and wander, and tire, as weary of all, till he come to Sion, and then obſerve what he ſaith of her; This is my reſt for ever, here will I dwell, for I have deſired it, Pſalme, 132.14. Affection makes motion, and thoughts go after deſires; deſires ſuited, thoughts ſit down and take up their reſt, and their dwelling, and like the place of their habitation: 'tis thus with God, and 'tis thus with godly men: one holy ſpirit roves and tires out it ſelf, till it meet with another; the ſoul of a chriſtian flies from creature to creature, and pitches down upon this and that, but riſes up again preſently as one wearied, becauſe it can find nothing ſuitable; and thus it doth in reference to all the creatures, till it come to Chriſt, and in him it finds all ſuitableneſſe, and then ſitteth down, ſuitableneſſe to being and well-being. Chriſt is my redeemer, and my creatour, enough for all that I can wiſh, and therefore here I reſt ſaith the ſoul.
Tranſcendency.There is tranſcendency of excellency in Chriſt: variety and congruity of excellency, and all above expreſſion, more then can be reached. A holy heart is deep, and loves to bath it ſelf in deep waters: contemplation is a ſoul making one deep to ſwallow up another; and this is ſo farre from tiring, that 'tis the very Heaven of a holy heart. Contemplation is a ſoul widening it ſelf to ſwallow up infiniteneſſe, what ever God is, if it can. Not a ſtep of Chriſt towards man, but 'tis a great deep. Redemption is a great deep, and Creation a great deep, and 'tis delightfull to a divine heart to dive where ſweetneſſe hath no bottome. Carnall contemplation tires: becauſe though it find ſomething ſuitable in the creature, yet but very little, and that little in a little time turns to nothing, and then the ſoul is not ohely tired, but vexed, which makes thoughts retreat diſorderly. Divine contemplation cannot tire, for it finds out ſuitable things, and yet there are more beſides theſe ſtill; it finds out one Heaven, and when the ſoul is in this, and it ſeeth another beyond this; when it beholdeth a Redeemer, it ſeeth a Creatour more plainly.
Uſe. This point plainly diſcovers many hearts not to be holy; divine contemplation is ſo burthenſome and tireſome to them. You have vagabond perſons, ſo you have vagabond ſpirits, which had rather be any where then at home. Chriſt and Heaven are the ſouls home, thoughts and ſpirits are all vagabonds whileſt they are from this home, and yet few ſouls care to get here and keep here. The ſoul is ſublime of it ſelf but pravitie bowes it down; men have their corruptions, and theſe make their thoughts cleave to the duſt. You do not obſerve whither your hearts go, nor what journeyes they make; you do not obſerve their going out, nor their layings out, whither they wander; nor how prodigall when abroad; nor poſſible will not, becauſe 'tis pleaſing: men do contentedly loſe their ſouls in things below Chriſt.
Three things deſtroy divine contemplation, blindneſſe, idleneſſe, wilfulneſſe. Some men know nothing of Chriſt, the ſoul cannot dwell upon nothing. Thoughts are ſoon tired when confounded; they claſh much where there is no apprehenſion; one fighteth againſt another, and the ſpirit dieth in this fight, becauſe condemned to abide in a dungeon. Confuſion makes diſtraction, diſtraction makes madneſſe; men throw off all, when they can underſtand nothing in divine myſteries; and I perſwade my ſelf that this hath undone many a ſoul. I have known learned men, who though contēplative enough in their way, yet when they ſet to contēplate divine things can make no ſweetnes to their ſouls, but knots, tricks, and fancies to cavill with; and 'tis impoſſible but that the ſoul ſhould tire quickly, that can find out nothing in Chriſt but knots and bones to feed on. Learned perſons look about you, your contemplation is higheſt and yet loweſt; the hid things of nature wrap you up, and the high things of Chriſt tire you preſently, which is nought, and ſpeaks the heart bewitcht with curioſity; high in fancie, but low and carnall in affection: ſuch a ſoul as this makes its neſt in the ſtarrs of this world, but God will from thence pluck it down; every ſoul that neſts not it ſelf in Chriſt, and in thoſe glorious excellencies which ſhine in him will be judged, and periſh as carnall.
As ignorance ſo idleneſſe deſtroyes divine contemplation: thoughts are vain, they muſt be watcht; man hath power to obſerve his ſpirit which beaſts have not. The ſpirit of a man, knowes the things of a man. You know how carnally your hearts work, and what do you do to reduce them? You keep no watch, ſloth-betrayes your ſouls to luſt, and luſt will betray your ſouls to the devill. How ſecretly doth many a mans heart ſteal away Chriſt, and yet not ſo ſecretly but 'tis ſeen, and the man for want of activity lets it go, and ſo is acceſſary to the betraying of his own ſoul, Ah Lord! what will that man be able to ſay for himſelf in judgement, that ſtood ſtill and ſaw his heart ſteal away from God to the creature, and did nothing to turn it back, made no prayer, nor ſhed no tears! Men complain of loſſes now, but who complains; O God I have loſt my ſoul: I can never find it in Chriſt; 'tis ſometime in wealth, in husband, and ſometime in children, in houſes and in lands, but never in Heaven; when it ſetteth about this 'tis tired preſently. As the body ſo the ſoul goeth downward with eaſe, but up hill with much pains-taking; you muſt be full of complaints to Chriſt to keep your ſouls in his boſome.
Finally, as idleneſſe ſo wilfulneſſe deſtroyes divine contemplation. Pride puffeth up, and ſwelld ſouls go more to hell then to Heaven, like-ſpirits boſome. The heart ſwelld, thoughts are all preſt and taken up to make vent for this, that there is ſcarce a thought to be ſpared to aſcend to Chriſt. When the heart is high and haughty, Chriſt and Truth are under foot; and thoughts never boſome themſelves in that which the heart tramples upon. Every thing that croſſeth will vex a wilfull man though it be truth; and vexation and contemplation are as oppoſite as Saul and David, as Heaven and hell. I look upon ſome men and they are puft up; will leads them and not truth: I ſmite my breaſt and ſay, Ah Lord! where do theſe ſouls dwell? In hell certainly, and not in Heaven. Errour is the fruit of pride; the ſoul goeth away from God and boſomes it ſelf in a lie, as it groweth heady and high minded. Citizens look about you, I ſee an ignorant idle proud ſpirit amongſt you; Chriſt may be much in ſuch mens tongues, but ſurely he is but little in their hearts. The excellency of Chriſt you do not indeed dwell upon, nor find ſweetneſſe in, nor cannot as long as theſe evils are in your hearts.
Let us all know our dutie and do it all, Chriſt is to be conſidered; ſo did David, ſo did Paul, and ſo muſt we conſider him. I will meditate of all thy works and talk of all thy doings, Pſal. 77. what Chriſt hath done as a Redeemer, and what as a Creatour; what he hath done with his finger, what with his hand, what with his ſpirit, and what with his bloud, we muſt meditate on all his works. Divine things are ſtill unfruitfull as unthought of; when we ſeek after Chriſt, then he brings us into his chambers; the efficacy of all that Chriſt is, cometh in by contemplation. Every thing in Chriſt is uſefull, the very leaves of the tree of Life are healing: conſider Chriſt under any notion in which the Scripture holds him forth as a Redeemer, or but as a Creatour, as the image of God, as the firſt-born, and the like, or under any other more remote conſideration, and they are all powerfull to take off the heart from earth and ſend it to Heaven. Chriſts action and Chriſts perſon, yea and Chriſts garments; all he ſaid, and all he did, and all he wore, very virtuall and inſtructing.
Know your duty and know your felicity: you have now but a few things to think upon, this world is bleeding and dying apace; he that giveth all being, me thinks every one ſhould now much think upon, when all creatures ceaſe to be ſo faſt. A mans tranquility is permanent when his thoughts dwell upon Chriſt; let friends, means, towns, kingdomes die, and yet his Heaven lives, becauſe his heart is lodged in one that can die no more, that ever lives. Miſery is double, becauſe loſſe of the creature doth not reduce thoughts to Chriſt: the end of affliction not accompliſhed, you will be afflicted ſeven times more, till your prodigall ſouls return home to their father, and leave feeding on husks.