England Faithfully Watched, Lecture 27
Coloſs. 1.18. He is the head of the body.
HEad ſpeaks fulneſſe, and that which bears upon this, to wit, Office; of the one we have ſpoken, of the other we are now to ſpeak. Divine ordination fills vp one veſſell, and then makes channell out of that for others. Office is a conveyance of gifts, for a publick good; ſomething to draw out one, to the uſe of many. Chriſt doth bear Office to the creature, which is more humilitie then can be expreſt; he is head. The word ſpeaks rule. Chriſt hath government upon his ſhoulders, the government of the choiſeſt body which God hath in the the world, He is the head of the Church.
Every corporation hath priviledge, but none more then the Church; Jeruſalem is free, yet not lawleſſe, ſhe hath a head. Univerſall bodies are great, the inviſible catholick Church, takes up heaven and earth, and yet not maſterleſſe, all under rule, and Chriſt is the head of this great body.
Chriſts rule is univerſall, God ruleth in Jacob, to the ends of the earth, ſaith the Pſalmiſt. Yea, to the ends of heaven. There is a throne in the Church militant, and Chriſt ſits upon that: there is a throne in the Church triumphant, and Chriſt ſits upon that. We have ſuch an high prieſt, who is let down on the right hand of the throne of the majeſty in the heavens, Hebr. 8.1. There is majeſty below and above, and Chriſt ſits as head upon them all, every knee bows to him.
The rule of Chriſt is ſpirituall; he is head in the heart. The kingdome of God is within you, there are his Laws written, and there is his throne. Aarons rod, and the tables of the covenant, were in the inner Court, and the Manna in the golden pot. The command of the purſe may ſerve a man, but it doth not Chriſt, he commands the heart. My ſonne give me thy heart. You ſuit your ſeats, ſo doth Chriſt, he makes his throne in that which is neareſt him to wit, the ſpirit. Chriſts rule, is one ſoul bound up in another, Paul bound in the Spirit, and that bond, bound all to good behaviour.
Chriſts rule is perpetuall. Some heads may be cut off, this head my text ſpeaks of cannot. Death hath ſlain many commanders, but Chriſt hath ſlain death, and him that had the power of death. Satan is the executioner of Juſtice, and therefore ſaid to have the power of death, as well as in other reſpects; Chriſt hath deſtroyed all, and hath his life in jeopardy by none, he liveth and reigneth for ever, he ruleth by his power for ever, Pſalm, 66.7. He ſhall rule till he hath put down all rule, and all power, and all authority, 1. Cor. 15.24. Untill he and his be one, as he and his father are one till the kingdome be reſigned up. There be now many powers againſt Chriſt, but he muſt reign till they be all down, yet not any to help him.
The rule of Chriſt is Monarchicall: there may be many lords over the body, but there is but one Lord over the ſoul, The government is upon his ſhoulders, that is, upon his alone. Chriſt had none ſuffered with him, and he hath none to reign with him here. Chriſt hath trod the wine-preſſe alone, he ſlew Goliah alone, and is that ſtone alone, that ſunk into his brain; he maketh his kingdome alone, and ruleth it alone: He ſhall build the Temple of the Lord, and he ſhall bear the glory, and ſhall ſit and rule upon his throne, Zacharie, 6.13.
Ʋſe. This point is irkſome, moſt hearts can bear no rule, contradiction is death, though it be the word of life that maketh it. Office deſtroyed, the ſoul deſtroyeth it ſelf; where Chriſt can be no King, he will be no Jeſus: ſuch as ſtumble at this chief corner ſtone, are cruſhed by it; that ſoul that killed Chriſt, is killed by him, his bloud is upon every heart that nullifieth him. The Lord be mercifull to the ſouls of men: do ye know what ye do when you ſecretly ſay, this luſt ſhal reign, and Chriſt ſhal not reign over me? You commit Adoniahs treaſon, treaſon againſt the crown, that you may put by Solomon from the throne, your bloud and your life will go for this. When Adam committed treaſon againſt the crown, & would become a God, God cutteth him off preſently, though there were no more men in the world.
Juſtice hath its heights and depths as mercy hath: treaſon againſt the King hath exquiſite torture, ſuch a death as hath many deaths in it: ſo 'tis in this caſe, ſpirituall treaſon hath double death. By dying thou ſhalt die thou traitour againſt the crown of Heaven, ſaid Chriſt to Adam, and in him to all that do as he did. There is death unto death, and this the puniſhment of every traitour againſt Chriſt.
This is too generall: a more particular application ſhall be made. Your ſouls are under command, you have a ſpirituall head. You have fathers of your fleſh, and you obey them; you have a father of ſpirits, and why do ye not obey him? Moſt men look leaſt at their hearts, all the care is to order the tongue and the outward man. Hypocriticall creatures, you overlook the kingdome of Chriſt, you look at the outſide, Chriſt looketh at the heart, who ruleth within; all is under command, body and ſoul; the ſoul principally, and yet this principally neglected muſt needs be the death of all: thoughts muſt be brought into ſubjection to Chriſt, as well as words. Looſe hearts have their plague upon them, their holineſſe is painted, but their judgement will be reall, they have ſould their ſouls to do wickedly, and will be paid in hell. The behaviour of the heart is all, dethrone Chriſt and he will fight it out with you to the death; a diſloyall ſoul ſhall never have the ſword depart from him, not a quiet day as long as he liveth. Our temporall king which ruleth in this land, doth but imagine that you go about to dethrone him, or take off ſome flowers from his crowns, and you ſee and feel that he fights it out with you to the death, and ſeemeth reſolved not to give England a quiet day as long as he lives. Make ſpirituall application of this ye Hypocrites, ye painted toombs, that come here and profeſſe Chriſt, and go out like Judas and betray him, you dethrone Chriſt in your hearts, you deſtroy the flowers of his crown; the rule of the ſoul is the onelyonly flower of his crown, and taking away this from him, he will fight it out with you to the death, the ſword ſhall never depart from your ſouls, you ſhall not have a quiet day, for the hypocriſie which you know.
Tremble Hypocrites, fearfulneſſe will ſurpriſe you, your ſecret baſeneſſe will generate a ſecret hell, juſtice ſhall rule where truth and love cannot: the rottenneſſe of your hearts ſhall have a coraſite to feed upon it for ever; let every one lay theſe things to heart, and conſider whether Chriſt be head there yea, or no.
Two things demonſtrate the heart indeed ruled by Chriſt, ſin univerſally hated, and truth univerſally loved. Paſſions are falſe, ſtrength ſpeaketh out their truth, and who ruleth in the heart. Some ſpirits are indifferent for truth or errour, and hold a virtue to be hot for neither, but to ſtand in all times of contradiction, ſo as to keep the skinne whole; Hypocriſie ruleth in this heart and not truth, and this temper is the plague of this generation, neither hot nor cold. Cold ſweats are death pangs; the ſoul is near his end that thus liveth. If God be God worſhip him, halting between many things is nothing, this ſpeaketh the prince of darkneſſe yet ruling: affections which break through obſtacles to diſcharge duty, ſpeak Chriſt head in the heart.
I will not ſtand on qualities themſelves, but at what every quality maketh, and this will be more plain to you to demonſtrate who ruleth in your hearts. Fire encounters all oppoſites, ſo doth every element from a naturall inſtinct, and ſo doth grace where it reigneth. Sinne is the proper object of hatred, and every ſinne is made ſo where Chriſt indeed is head. Dominion ſpeaketh all ſubdued, if any ſinne reign Chriſt doth not. Weak hearts muſt not here wrong themſelves: the being of ſinne and the ſtirring of ſinne, which the Apoſtle calleth the motion of ſinne, do not neceſſarily ſpeak the reign of ſinne. Many precious hearts when they feel ſinne ſtrong in them, conclude it reigneth in them, and cenſure their ſouls exceedingly, and ſo make their life a hell; they pleaſe themſelves in this, but Chriſt is not pleaſed. Sinne maketh motions: that is nothing, how is it harkned to? This denominateth dominion or not: doth every ſtirring make thee grone? wretched man, &c. Doſt thou carry ſinne to Chriſt, when it is about to carry thee to the Devil? Lord, this is the plague of my heart, heal it; this univerſally practiced ſpeaketh the reign of Chriſt: ſome of you are by pangs plaintifes againſt corruption, and then another while defendants; and plaintifes againſt one corruption, upon ſome more then ordinary evil that falleth out upon it, and then defendants in reference to another, that taketh better to your deſignes: this mans eyes are out, and Satan hath him by the hand, and the Lord knoweth whither he will lead him.
You that cannot ſo well underſtand this, may conſider the next: Sinne univerſally hated, Truth univerſally loved ſpeaketh Chriſts dominion indeed in the ſoul. Truth is homogeneall, and is all ſweet to a ſweet ſoul; the heart conquered by Chriſt, all his Lawes are holy, just and good. Chriſts yoke is eaſie, and burdenſome things light: Truth is no preſſure, not ſimply as a truth (I think) where the ſoul is ſincere; the preſſure is, if any, that it cannot love enough, nor obey enough things of ſuch a noble nature. One of the firſt things Chriſt taketh is love, here he fortifieth till he hath taken all other parts; here he mounteth cannons againſt all that is naught, and iſſueth out from hence, and taketh in all that is truth. Love is Chriſts fort-Royall in the ſoul, mighty vaſt, and holdeth play on all ſides, for all truth, and againſt all ſinne. A ſoul under the command of Chriſt loveth much, though he can do but little, loveth all truths, though he can ſcarce practice one. Chriſt is a King of glory, into whatſoever everlaſting doores he cometh: every line in Chriſts book is glorious, every hair upon Chriſts head glorious, where he is a head. Chriſts head is buſhy and black as a Raven; lines of truth are black hairs of that head that ruleth, and they are all beautifull in that heart that is married to Chriſt. The ſumme of all is this, as Chriſt ruleth in the heart ſo is the life; you may look without and ſee who ruleth within; a through converſation ſpeaketh a through dominion of Chriſt, foreign.
Having ſpoke to diſcover, a few things more I would deliver to draw your hearts to come under the rule of Chriſt: Whom Chriſt ruleth he defendeth; power attendeth truth, Chriſt upholdeth goings in his paths: men may juſtle againſt us, but Chriſt will uphold. Chriſt will make his own way, and lead bravely if men would but follow him: this is all that Chriſt calls for, that men will but follow him. Follow me ſaith he often, and I will make you this, and make you that. Chriſt will make his way rhrough the blond of thouſands, through the bloud of Towns, Cities, Kingdomes, but he will have his own Kingdome ſtand. Malice ſtrikes craftily and deſperately, yet this head will ward as well; no evil ſhall accompliſh its end, as long as Chriſt reigneth; Why do the Heathen rage, and the people imagine a vain thing? The wrath of God maketh the wrath of man vain in its hotteſt purſuit. He is dead that ſeeketh thy life, ſaith the holy Ghoſt. Kings and great men rage againſt us, but they will burn to death with the flame that is in their breaſts; a bad ſpirit beats out it ſelf to death. The cannons which malice mounts are double loaded, and recoyl and kill the cannonee…s, and that is Chriſts way of deſtroying thoſe that would deſtroy his.
Chriſt delighteth thoſe which he ruleth: through obedience takes Chriſt Chriſt taken expreſſeth it. This is my beloved Sonne in whom I am well pleaſed. Chriſt did throughly obey and he fed upon the ſweet of it here, he had meat to eat in this world, which none knew of. There is no ſtraight when a man doth his duty, Chriſt maketh enlargement in bonds; joy in ſorrow, life, in death. Chriſt doth counterwork the world; there deſire is to rob us of peace, and rob us of joy; but it ſhall not be ſaith Chriſt, In me you ſhall have peace, what ever you meet with in the world. Wiſdomes wayes are pleaſant, when bloudy: when men are froward, Chriſt is kind; the churliſhneſſe of Laban. made God ſpeak often and very ſweetly to Jacob. Chriſt ſmileth upon tender conſciences, when the world frowneth; his boſome is open to give reſt, when the ſighing ſpirit breatheth out it ſelf to him. What is thy requeſt Heſter? will pride trample thee under foot? It ſhall not. As no time is unſeaſonable to ſhew duty to Chriſt, ſo no time unſeaſonable for an obedient ſoul to find favour with him.
Finally, whom Chriſt ruleth he crowneth: obedience maketh loſſe, and Chriſt thinketh of this, and worketh it to gain in another world. Duty maketh laying out, and yet laying up; laying out of name, ſtate, ſtrength, life on earth, and laying up of other guiſe things then theſe in Heaven. Hence forth is [laid up] for me a crown &c. What you loſe in earth, Chriſt layes it up in Heaven, and when you come home you ſhall have it again with advantage; your name again your eſtate again, your life again, all that you looſe in obedience to your heavenly head and ſoveraign. Chriſt doth nothing in order to merit, but much in order to bounty. If you ſuffer with him, you ſhall reign with him: Spiritually fight and maintain Chriſt a King, and he will crown you Kings. Troubles affright much, but alas what is man! Call upon fleſh and bloud, upon your weak hearts, to think of eternity you and all that quarrell with you, ſhall move before the King whom you obey.