England Faithfully Watched, Lecture 32
Coloſſ. 1.18. Who is the beginning, &c.
THe Apoſtle is in a rapture, every word ſpeaks admiration of Chriſt, he is foreign and he is foreign, he is principium & praecipuum, firſt and chief. The term we are now upon ſpeaks dignity, a heart taken with Chriſt as chief in order to all bleſſedneſſe, which is a bleſſed frame. He is the head of the body, [the chief] the firſt born: this I think may be the reading of this text.
Doctr. Divine property ſparkles in this expreſſion; A gracious heart is taken with Chriſt as chief. No honour, no felicity like that which Chriſt hath, and which he gives: Some are ſonnes, Chriſt is an onelyonly ſonne: ſome are kings, but Chriſt is King of kings: ſome are honourable, none above Angels, but Chriſt is ſo: To which of the Angels ſaid he, &c. Some are wealthy, Chriſt hath all the ſheep on a thouſand hills, the utmoſt parts of the earth: ſome are beautifull, Chriſt is the faireſt, and ſo in the eye of thoſe that are beſt diſcerning, in the eyes of every gracious ſoul: Paul perſonates all the godly here, in admiring Chriſt as chief.
Judgement is clear, things are diſcerned as they are, where the heart is truly turned to God. Bables take fools, reall excellencies wiſe men. Gracious hearts are wiſe, none of Chriſts children are fools, all that truly fear him are able to diſcern things that differ, and ſo call them; The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wiſdome, aſſoon as a man becomes a diſciple of he is made a good ſcholar. Carnall underſtanding is enmity to truth, it ſcoffs at what it cannot comprehend with its own power. Grace hath a higher reach, Chriſts children have ſpirituall underſtanding, they admire things, not by out-ſides but by inſides, not as they are among men, but as they are with God. Chriſt is the loweſt amongſt men, but chiefeſt with God, and therefore ſo with the godly. This is wiſdome and all wiſdome. I may apply the latter to a Chriſtian compared with worldly wiſe men; all wiſdome is taken with that which ſhall be all in another world, that which is all and ſhall be all to all eternity. [He] is the beginning, the chief.
Judgement is clear, and love is ſincere in a called ſoul, he calls things as he finds them, and nothing taſts ſo ſweet as the dainties which Chriſt gives. Senſe carries you to call things as your palate reliſhes them, according to this you ſay, This is the ſweeteſt diſh at table. Love is divine in a divine heart, and as things riſe in the divinity of their nature, ſo divine affection calls them, and admires them. One Chriſtian hath much grace, I taſt it in his diſcourſe, and he ſits high in my breaſt; another hath much more, and he ſits much higher: but Chriſt hath moſt of all and he ſits higheſt, he is chief. Affection is working, if it be carnall it tumbles carnall things, and ſets its mark upon that which is moſt carnally advantagious; this is beſt, this will ſerve this time and my turn beſt: if it be divine it will do the like; it will tumble divine things, and that which is moſt divinely advantagious, this it marks, this is beſt, this is chief, this will beſt accompliſh my ſoul. Paul perſonates the godly here, they call Chriſt as they love him, as they find him in ſweetneſſe to their ſouls, in his words and works; none ſpeak like him to their ſouls, nor none does like him, and therefore they crown him and ſtyle him chief.
Ʋſe. Chriſtians, conſider your condition, who is chief with you? Times are evil, the world enſnares, juſtice kills, men looſe their ſouls by thouſands. Ah Lord! what tolling and ringing out is there above, for ſick and dead ſouls here below. Perſons ſick after the creature, their ſpirits are dead in the fleſh: ſome mens palates are quite out of taſt, this ſpeaks a foul ſtomach, they cannot ſavour the things of God. Words of Chriſt harſh, rules of Chriſt ſcorned, theſe call Chriſt in their hearts baſe, not chief, however they call him with their tongue. I know no mans heart, but Chriſt knows all; as the creature is preferr'd, Chriſt is undervalued, as you love your ſouls look to this. Who will ſhew us any good? ſome can call nothing good, but what is carnally good, trading is good, money is good, but nothing elſe: no nothing elſe indeed, not the heart that ſayes ſo. Not Chriſt, but the bag was chief to Judas, though he heard ſo much, and ſaw ſo much of his worth, which ſpake him a child of perdition; there be more of theſe children in the world. You Londoners have heard much, and ſeen much of Chriſt, more I think then any city under heaven, and yet to many of you, your bags and your wealth (I fear) are dearer then the Lord Jeſus. Some things are afflicting, others ruining, undervaluing of Chriſt is damnable, the ſpots of this I will ſhew you.
Three things ſpeak the undervaluing of Chriſt, truth neglected, ſinne approv'd, Chriſt unbelieved. Light is to walk by, men ſleight this, and ſear their conſciences, truth is neglected, when not made a rule of life. Able diſcourſing ſpeaks not priſing of truth, but practiſing. Truth is made ſubordinate to ſelf ends, the plague is in the heart, love is not ſincere, Chriſt is not priſed above the world. Many will not fully follow God, becauſe it will fully undo them: to follow truth as the world approves, is to prize Chriſt onelyonly as the world doth. Fear your own hearts, ſnares are many within and without; Chriſt is indeed prized, when his will is obeyed. Action ſpeaks out affection, If you love me keep my commandments: if the heart be drawn, the foot will run; the crown wheel moving though but ſlowly, the little wheels run apace: the hand and the foot are but little wheels, in order to the heart, if this be drawn and moved though but a little, the other run. Draw me, and I will runne after thee. Draw me, that is, my heart, and then feet and all other parts ſhall come. Affection puts on to action; O how willing to obey is that ſoul that ſincerely loves! He would go, he would run, he would ride poſt to pleaſe God; no precept harſh where the heart is right. Chriſt made chief, and ſo is his will, above an Iſaac. By faith, Abraham when he was tried offered up Iſaac. God tried Abraham what was chief in his heart, himſelf or Iſaac, and Abraham gives open teſtimony of his affection in his action.
Sinne approved, ſpeaks Chriſt undervalued. Will is ſtrong, luſts overcoming and pleaſing to the moſt, and alas for ſuch ſouls, Chriſt is not priſed as chief, Approbatio mali, eſt reprobatio animi. Some ſinne from miſ-underſtanding, God pities theſe: ſome ſinne from miſ-affection, more then from miſ-apprehenſion, they love darkneſſe better then light, which is reprobation of mind, a ſoul diſapproving the truth which he knows. What I would I underſtand not, or I know not, ſaith Paul, when he wrought evil, and he argues from hence, that God and the Goſpel would pity him. What I do, I allow not, ſo you reade, it is foreign,Noſco, to know, I think is from this Greek word I know not. Weak hearts, you do many things amiſſe of ignorance, and Chriſt will pity you, and therefore wound not your ſelves. But wilfull wretches, you put bitter for ſweet, you call evil good, you [love vanities] and follow after lies, the evil courſes you follow, you love and approve. To priſe Chriſt and to priſe ſinne are inconſiſtent, you cannot love God and Mammon. You are poſitive in your evil way, you put darkneſſe for light, you juſtifie your courſe, which is drawing of Chriſts bloud out of his ſides, and then trampling upon it, and deſpiſing of it when ye hauehave done, which is the higheſt undervaluing of Chriſt.
Chriſt unbelieved, is Chriſt undervalued; it is frowning upon one that ſmiles, boundleſſe grace limited: The great things of my Law are made ſmall things, ſaith the Lord. Leſſening ſpeaks undervaluing, it doth ſo reſpecting precepts, and reſpecting promiſes, Unbelief makes great precepts no precepts, and it maketh great promiſes no promiſes. It is the higheſt commendation of any diſh at Chriſts table, that you eat heartily of it, Chriſt accounts it ſo; it is the higheſt valuation of Chriſt, that you reſt upon him, that you take life at his hands, which he proffers. Sinners, would you priſe Chriſt? be invited then unto, unto him, by what he proffers: he will pardon you, he will purge you, he will juſtifie, ſanctifie, glorifie you, if you believe on him. Faith is laying Chriſt in your boſome, and that is proper priſing of a thing; faith is an heart act, a ſoul going out of every thing to God, wearied with every thing as defective, and fiting down in Chriſt as complete. Then do I priſe Chriſt indeed, when I behold him as all; and ſo appropriate him to my ſelf, when I make him my wealth, my honour, my righteouſneſſe; when I have none in heaven, nor none in earth, but him; when I have none to preſent to God, to conſcience, nor to the world, but him. Weak hearts, if guilt deterre you from Chriſt, you will die in your ſinne, as undervaluers of remedy; ſalvation is brought near to you, God will not your death, repent and believe the Goſpel; to day do this, and to day ſhall ſalvation come to your houſe.
Ob. Sol. I know that believing ſpeaks reall priſing of Chriſt, but I cannot believe. To this I anſwer: The obiection lies not merely here, that you cannot believe, you will not believe. Humour is ſtrong in many weak hearts; grace in it ſelf and in its means rejected, and then they ſay they cannot believe; you cannot becauſe you will not. Blame your will, and bleed over the perverſneſſe of a proud heart, beg God to bring ſalvation yet nearer to you, nearer to your underſtanding, nearer to your will. foreign, faith 'tis ſuadere, 'tis that act of Chriſt. by which he doth perſwade a froward will. Beg Chriſt to conquer thy will, and then thou wilt have power enough to believe preſently, he will perſwade Japhet.
I cannot ſtand to ſpeak of particulars: I have but one thing to ſpeak in generall, and then I have done, and that is to all Gods people. You priſe Chriſt as chief, and ſo doth Chriſt you; Chriſt is your jewel, and you are Chriſts jewels; you make him your husband, and you are to him as a wife. They are bleſſed indeed, which have Chriſts prime love upon them: prime love gives out prime favours, you will be fed with the fineſt of the wheat, the fatted calf will be killed for you, the beſt robe will be brought for you, Benjamins double diſh, and double dainties will be ſet before you. Prime love works out into tender mercy, and tender mercy is mercy ſhaped to all your neceſſities, to keep you happy againſt all unhappineſſe. Some are but commonly loved, yet they live well upon it, and are merry; you are dearly beloved of Chriſt, and yet you cannot live well upon this: No, I ſhall want my bread. Shall ravens be fed, and not dear children? will not a Father, a heavenly Father provide?
Ob. Sol. If the famine do not kill me, the ſword will. Is not Chriſt a ſtrong tower to the righteous, to his dear ones? is not the munitions of works your defence? your caſtles and rocky places will hold out but a while, Chriſt is a rock of ages, he ſaves with an everlaſting ſalvation. Ob. Sol. But I am afraid he will be gone. If Chriſt do go, will he leave his dear ones behind him? Doth not the eagle carrie her young? ſo doth Chriſt; I carried you upon eagles wings.