The Tempestuous Soul Calmed by Jesus Christ, Observation 5
Obſ. 5.That Jeſus Chriſt can with a word rebuke all the tempeſts and fears upon a poor ſoul coming and ſeeking to him; In the handling of which I ſhall be very brief.
He maketh the ſtorm a calm, ſo that the waves thereof are still, Pſa. 107.27. True in this caſe alſo; In Mar. 4, the parallel place to the Text, He ſaid unto the Sea, Peace, and be ſtill, and 'twas enough; He that could command the windes and Seas by his word, can much more ſtill the troubles and fears of a poor ſoul coming to him: This hath alſo in part been confirmed by obſerving the anſwers that Chriſt gave to thoſe who in ſuch difficult caſes came to him: Be thou clean, Go in peace; and theſe were preſently effected by the word of his mouth: As in the Creation of the word, God ſaid, Let there be, &c. and it was ſo; Now as to this work upon a poor ſoul, there's the ſame mighty power promiſed, and goes along with his word, which he ſpeaks in and by, in the Goſpel; Thou haſt the words, ſaith Peter, of eternall liſe; 'Tis often cal'd, The Word of Life, The power of God, The arm of the Lord, The red of his Strength, even ſuch a power as is deſcribed Pſa. 29. The voice of the Lord upon the waters, The voice of the Lord is powerfull and full of Majeſty, it breaks the Cedars of Lebanon, and ſhakes the wilderneſſe, &c. So is it able to ſubdue all the high things, all the reaſonings, foreign and foreign, the ſtrong holds and heights of our Spirits, It can make the wilderneſſe and the ſolitary place, the place of ſinging and of joy; even what the Pſalmiſt concludes in that Pſalm mentioned, at verſ. 11. The Lord will give ſtrength unto his people, The Lord will bleſs his prople with peace; And this is ſpoken as a concluſion to all thoſe mighty things that are ſpoken of the voice of the Lord.
Much might be ſaid for the further explication of this; but being a truth ſo clear and granted, I ſhall only briefly apply it.
Ʋſe.I might return here to the dead-hearted profeſſour, and inform him of his miſery by this Truth; That ſo much vertue and might in the holy Word of God, and he never felt this ſhaking or quickning him: And thence that he might come under this, that no work of God with power upon his heart to this day, and ſo to counſell and encourage the poor, dead, blinde, deaf ſinners with diligence to attend upon Chriſts voice, ſaith Chriſt, Iſa. 43.8. Bring them to me; Haſt thou a heart like a wilderneſſe? come to him, and it ſhall bloſſome as the roſe; Haſt thou a heart of earth? I will ſmite it, Iſa. 11. Nor ſins, nor luſts, nor barrenneſſe, nor earthlineſſe, nor deafneſſe, nor blindeneſſe, ſhall ſtand before him; Come then, oh come with ſuch and expectation, and thou ſhalt know the mighty power of his word.
But to the fearing Soul; I need not I hope further encourage thee to come to Chriſts Ordinances; Only a word, Haſt thou waited on them, but not a comfortable anſwer yet? Conſider well, Haſt thou come to hear Chriſt ſpeak: I will hear what God the Lord will ſpeak, Haſt thou not too much hang'd on the Preacher, upon his lips? This may be a ſnare: Eye the promiſe, Iſa. 57.19. I create the fruit of the lips, Peace, Peace, ſaith the Lord, and I will heal them, So Iſ. 55.10,11. ſpeaking of the word, It ſhall accompliſh that which I pleaſe; know: If all the hoſt of glorified Saints and Angels ſhould joyn with all the holy Preachers of the Earth, and ſhould encompaſſe thy ſoul, to ſpeak life or peace unto it, and beſeech thee to be comforted, unleſſe Chriſt ſpeak by them, 'twould be all fruitleſſe; Therefore get thy heart into a clear expectation for Chriſt to ſpeak to thy heart by the Preacher, that is, to diſtill the dews and conſolations of his ſpirit by it, or all to no purpoſe. So the Spouſe Cant. 2.8. The voice of my Beloved. v. 10. My Beloved ſpake and ſaid unto me, Riſe up my Love, and fair One, and come away: So Gant. 4.16. Awake O North-winde, and come thou South, and blow upon my Garden, that the Spices thereof may flow out; which is the Spirit of Chriſt blowing upon the Ordinances, cauſing the vertues thereof to flow out; Therefore if thou ſtill continueſt a diſquieted, fearing, periſhing ſoul, and pants after comfort and aſſurance; Pray thy heart may be raiſed up to abſtract from any power as the voice of man, but wait that the Spirit of Chriſt may breathe in the voice, and then thou art in a readier poſture for the Lord to rebuke the Tempeſt of fears upon thee. A poor Soul may take further encouragement beſide the promiſes, from the bleſſed experiences of many and many a comfortleſſe creature, who after many tempeſts, periſhings, fears, ſinkings of ſpirit, have at laſt by waiting publikely and privately for Chriſts voice, found the rebuking power of it, and their diſtempers ſweetly allayed; And even a ſudden heavenly calm upon them, There was a great calm, ſaith the Text, foreign to ſmile; ſuch a calmneſſe, ſtillneſſe, ſuch a wonderful ſerenity that is after a ſtorm, when the heavens and the earth ſeem, as it were to ſmile; So Chriſt ſmiles upon a ſoul, having withheld his face and beauty, and cauſeth a bleſſed ſerenity, clearneſſe, quietneſſe, to be upon it, ſometimes by a ſudden breaking in, ſometime by a ſecret graduall illapſing into a ſoul, that it becomes comforted it knows not how, ere it was aware: Oh bleſſed, for ever bleſſed the ſouls that wait and finde this, And finde it Soul thou ſhalt if thou art in this poſture deſcribed; Let the Storm be what it will, the clouds never ſo dark, one ray and beam from Chriſt ſhall raiſe even a heaven in thy Spirit, &c.
Thus far have I brought a Soul bottomed upon free and faithfull promiſes, to the immediate expectation of Chriſt to rebuke the tempeſt and fears upon it, to ſuccour its periſhing condition; The Lord grant it may ſettle thee upon the power, promiſe, purpoſe, delight of the Lord Jeſus to do it; I will a little ſpeak of the wonders thou maiſt expect.