England Faithfully Watched, Lecture 34
Coloſs. 1.18. That in all things he might have the preheminence.
THe latitude of Chriſts dominion is here expreſt, 'tis without limits, and without parallel. Some are great in ſuch a compaſſe, every ones Sun hath a circle, every ones glory hath circumference, every ones Sceptre hath bounds, they can command onelyonly within ſuch a countrie, none are over all, not the greateſt Princes that are; but Chriſt hath an univerſall command, in all things he hath the preheminence.
Evill hearts ſwell bigge, and ſometimes riſe high; pride neſteth it ſelf among the Stars, and yet then it is below Chriſt. No man is ſo bigge in conceit as Chriſt is in deed, nor ſo high in thought as Chriſt is really Vice when at higheſt is below Chriſt, Virtue when at higheſt 'tis below Chriſt: all is under his feet. Evill men cannot over match Chriſt by their ſinne, good men cannot over match him in their virtue, he is ſweeter then the ſweeteſt ſoul alive; He is the Roſe of Sharon, and the Lillie of the valleyes, he is above oppoſition, and above compariſon: things averſe to him can take nothing from him, and things congruous to him can adde nothing to him: Our righteouſneſſe extendeth not to him. Our righteouſneſſe; no nor Angels righteouſneſſe, among all things in earth and in Heaven, he hath the preheminence.
The command of Chriſt is proclaim'd in this expreſſion, how large his commiſſion is to controll all. Univerſall dominion is large, too long and too broad for any creature to travell; it ſpeaketh many things, we ſhall touch ſome. We will travell as farre in Chriſts dominion as we can in an houre. The word ſpeaketh power deſtructive, power inſtructive, power inſpective. Chriſt hath a deſtructive power over all, he hath many enemies, yet not one above him; many have fought with him, but he hath ſlain them all: In the field Chriſt hath preheminence. I will inſtance but in one battell that Chriſt fought, Exod. 14.28. He deſtroyed Pharaoh and all his Host, that there remained [not ſo much as [one of them] ſaith the Text. Which is admired; again Pſal. 106.11. The waters covered their enemies, there was [not one of them left.] He had amongſt all the preheminence indeed: Enemies are many, and they are upon Chriſts back, and there for a long while, and make long furrows, but he fetcheth them off his back, and layeth them under his feet, all of them. He must reign till he hath put all his enemies under his feet. 1. Cor. 15.25. If you have many upon your back, 'tis very diſadvantageous in fight, you cannot ſo eaſily fetch them off all, but it is all one to Chriſt to have many behind him, as before him, thoſe that are upon his back, he can fetch them off and lay them under his feet with eaſe, he is the beſt at the uſe of his arms, he hath the preheminence in warre, a deſtructive power over all.
Chriſt hath an inſtructive power over all, he can teach all nations, his commiſſion is ſo large, Engliſh, Dutch, French; he can make knowledge cover the face of the earth, as the waters do the ſea. Chriſt can as the ſunne, till all the world with light, and life, he hath power over all fleſh, and he ſpeaks it in regard of instruction, Joh. 17.2. Some ſpirits are very fleſhly, and very ſottiſh, yet Chriſt hath power over theſe, to make them wiſe. Who ſo is ſimple, let him turn in hither, Prov. 9.4. Wiſdome keeps a free-ſchool, univerſally receptive, that is, for all comers though never ſo ſimple, yea univerſally inſtructive, whoever comes thrives. Wiſdomes houſe hath ſeven pillars, and ſends out maidens every where: a complete light, and a complete power to impart it, to any ſoul in any place. Some hearts are very hard to learn, and yet not too hard for Chriſt to teach, he can teach blocks and ſtones, of stones he can raiſe ſeed to Abraham.
Chriſt hath an inſpective power over all: he hath the preheminence for ſight; he is oculis eminentior, his eyes runne through the earth, and behold all; his eye is very ſtrong, nothing can be hid from it. Some could over-rule ſuch and ſuch things, were they but aware of them, craft carries it with you ofttimes, when power cannot, but it cannot do ſo with Chriſt; he diſcovers deep things out of the darkneſſe, not a mote in the ſunne, not a hair on your head but he numbers it, knows one by one, which is very exact knowledge. 'Tis like that expreſſion in another caſe, Not a thought in our hearts but he knows it [altogether.] The ſunne is the eye of the world, and 'tis a very fair one, and looks far, and yet looks not ſo far as Chriſt, who is the eye of worlds, of this world and that world, as heaven is called, Luke 20.35. Chriſt looks beyond Luther, beyond Solomon, beyond Abraham, who looked a great way, and ſaw Chriſt very farre off, yea, Chriſt looks beyond Adam, beyond all that are or ever were. All things are naked before him, not onelyonly bodies, but ſpirits, whoſe vaſtneſſe is farre deeper, and more then all the creation beſide: in his book are all our members written, yea in his book is written that which hath no members, and hardly no terms to expreſſe, to wit our ſouls, the fabrick and motion of them. He can tell where Sathan is, when hid in a ſheepskin; he knows his voice when he ſpeaks in a Saint, as well as when he ſpeaks in a ſerpent. Get thee behind me Sathan, ſaid he to Peter. And adde but one thing more, and it will exceedingly tend to the glory of Chriſts ſight: he hath a preſentiall ſight, not a ſight of any one at a diſtance as we have, every thing is full in his eye, and faſt by him, becauſe of the vaſtneſſe of his preſence. All runnes into this, Chriſt hath an univerſall preheminence, a dominion over all.
Uſe. Let univerſall power be univerſally laid to heart, & ſo I come to apply this point: our reach is ſhort and ſhallow, and yet according to this we frame thoughts ſtill of him that is above us. Thoughts of things above us, muſt be carefully ſhaped by truth, and not by fancie, divine majeſty will fall elſe, and we ſhall think of Chriſt as of our ſelves. Thou thoughteſt that I was altogether ſuch a one at thy ſelf, Pſalme 50.21. Chriſt will not bear mens baſe conceptions of him, Chriſt miſapprehended, his majeſty falls, majeſty fallen in the heart, man runnes wild; when men flie out, God flies out; and now you ſhall ſee one underfoot preſently, Chriſt, or the creature that riſeth up againſt him.
Tremble, proud profane hearts, at the univerſality of Chriſts power, he will have the preheminence over you. Sinners propoſe to themſelves what pleaſeth them, though it diſpleaſe God, and bear out themſelves that this ſhall hold, they propoſe what is amiſſe, and yet promiſe felicity to themſelves, and that is more amiſſe. A ſoul at this height is near falling. Chriſt will have the preheminence of this proud perſon, wherein he deals proudly Christ will be above him. Watch your hearts ſinners, they grow deſperately wicked quickly: a preſumptuous ſoul denies the univerſality of Chriſts dominion to his face, and ſtands upon his guard againſt all the hoſt of heaven; truth ſhall never command me in this. Now the man hath made his will, he will die preſently: deſperate hearts have ſuitable juſtice, they go down quick into the pit.
Stoop to the univerſality of Chriſts commands, as God hath ſet him, ſo do you, over all, in all things. Oppoſe Chriſts leaſt commands, to the commands of the greateſt men in the world, follow the Lamb whither ſoever he goeth. Moſes parents did their duty to Chriſt in him, and kept him alive, not fearing the commands of the king, Hebr. 11.23. Pharaoh puts forth an univerſall command, every ſonne that is born to the Hebrews, ye ſhall caſt into the river, and Moſes parents oppoſed to this, the univerſality of Chriſts power, and purſued their duty, not fearing the kings command. What command ſoever, or from whom ſoever, oppoſing any command of Chriſt, deſtroyes the univerſality of his authority, and ſpeaks ſinfull fear if we obey it. The univerſality of Chriſts dominion, is the great jewell of his crown, that which diſtinguiſheth him from all the great ones in the world; 'tis his Motto, King of kings, his grand prerogative, and yet fear deſtroyes this quite. Let fleſh and bloud attend to this: nature weak, paſſion ſtrong, men tranſported with pride, do they know not what, throw down Chriſt to keep up themſelves. England thou art unhappy at the practiſe of this point, to raiſe the Lord Jeſus above all, to give him the preheminence in all things, the Lord grant it be not required of us. Is our long bondage ſo ſoon forgot? Is our preſent bleeding nothing? Can we tell whether we ſhall live or die? Shall we not put Chriſt inprimis in our will? Shall we not give our dying breath to vote up Chriſt above all? are we not low enough yet, to ſet Chriſt high? to give him the preheminence in all things? Surely we ſhall be?
Let us all look about us and know our duty; truth, not men, muſt be our rule, and bleſſed are they that can receive this: love is bountifull, ſhe will give Chriſt all, ſhe ſeeks not her own, ſhe ſets Chriſt as high as God ſets him, whatever it coſt her. Affection muſt have judgement to guide it, or elſe men erre on the right hand; and judgement muſt have love to quicken it, and warm it, or elſe men erre on the left hand; good men will become very bad, and ſpeak and do againſt their conſcience, and break their peace to keep a bubble whole, their honour with men and the like. I know not what hearts you have for Chriſt, I know what hearts we all ſhould have, to ſet Chriſt at this height my text ſpeaks of. Love muſt be very ſtrong, conſcience very tender, the heart very humble, grace very ſincere, to give Chriſt the preheminence in all things. Cold hearts, brawnie hearts, proud hearts, rotten hearts, your plague is great, you can never advance Chriſt to his preheminence, and look how farre you are below your duty, ſo farre below your bleſſedneſſe.
Hearts that can give Chriſt the preheminence in all things, have a very bleſſed condition, Communion ſweet, diſpenſations full, tranquility ſecure: When the ſtrong man rules, all is at peace: 'tis true of Chriſt, he ſmiles upon them which he leads, when he can rule all, and carrie all in the ſoul, there is ſweet peace. In the world ye ſhall have tribulation, but in me peace, ſaith Chriſt. If the heart can endure tribulation to let Chriſt reigne, if it can let men domineer as they will, to give Chriſt preheminence over it ſelf, there is ſweet peace in ſuch a ſtate: Chriſt keeps up the heart mightily, when name, and ſtate, and all things without are down, and under the feet of the men of this world. Chriſt doth triumph in his throne, let what warre will be without; and he makes warre within, when kept from thence.
Communion is ſweet, and diſpenſations are full, when Chriſt hath an univerſall dominion. As we anoint, we are anointed; anoint Chriſt all over, not onelyonly head but feet, and ſo he will do you. Love Chriſt much, and he will love you much, let John lay his head in Chriſts boſome, and Chriſt will lay his heart and his head too in Johns boſome. What parts! what a ſpirit of light and revelation had the Apoſtle John! as if Chriſt had left his head wholly in Johns breaſt! he fled for it, that Chriſt might have in all things the preheminence, and Chriſt flies after him, and gives him preheminence in gifts above thouſands.
Condition is ſecure, ſtanding is firm indeed, when Chriſt hath hold of all: when there is no ſand in the foundation but all rock, then winds may blow, and ſtorms beat, and yet the building will ſtand. The apoſtacy of perſons now ſo common, ſprings from hence, that they give not up all to Chriſt, and give him a full dominion, and a full hold-faſt, they will let Chriſt hold but a little, and then he in juſtice lets go all, and then all that ſeemed good comes to nothing. Sinners, you cut your own throats, in that you give not Chriſt a univerſall command, you will not ſuffer him to out the ſtrong man quite, and therefore he returns with ſeven worſe ſpirits, and ſo your latter end is worſe then your beginning. Know what is your peace and ſafety in theſe evil times, and obſerve it.