None but Christ, Chapter 11
CHAP. XI. That the knowledge of Jeſus Chriſt and him crucified is the moſt comfortable knowledge.
3. NOw followeth the third and laſt reaſon why we ought to ſtudy to know Jeſus Chriſt and him crucified; Becauſe it is the moſt comfortable knowledge in the world; In other things, He that increaſeth knowledge, increaſeth ſorrow. But the more a man knowes of Chriſt, and his part in him, the greater is his joy; A poor godly man that knowes Chriſt is his, hath more joy in his heart, and lives a more comfortable life, then the greateſt rich man that hath all abundance, great mannors, is rich in gold and ſilver, but knows not that he hath any part or portion in Ieſus Chriſt. 1 Pet. 1. 8. After you beleeved, you Pſal. 4. 7. Pſal. 66. 3.rejoyced with joy unſpeakable and glorious; yea ſuch a man carries heaven about him, and the joyes of it; for the Kingdome of heaven is righteouſneſſe, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghoſt. Rom. 14. 17. and this appeares eſpecially in foure conditions.
1. In time of ſpirituall diſtreſſe, when our ſinnes are gone over our heads, like mountaines & milſtones, too heavy for us to bear. Come to me ſaith Chriſt, though thy heart be never ſo heavy, and I will eaſe Matth. 11. 28.thee, when all other things will be bitter and miſerable comforters to thee. A ſword ſhall pierce through thy ſoule (ſaith Simeon to Mary) that the thoughts of many hearts may be opened, that is, may be eaſed; as a ſore when it is opened it is eaſed. Luke 1. 35When I was ſcorched with the heat of Gods anger, I ſate under thy ſhadow (ſaith the ſpouſe, Cant. 2. 3.) with great delight; Like as Ionas Gourd, or a tree with broad leaves, ſhadowes from the heat of the ſunne, ſo doth Chriſt from the heat of Gods hotteſt diſpleaſure when he ſeemeth moſt angry with us.
2. The knowledge of Chriſt is moſt comfortable in time of greateſt perſecution, impriſonment, baniſhment. &c. (like as the Unicornes horns ſweetens all poyſoned waters) for then we know he will be our God, to comfort us▪ in all our tribulation. 2 Cor. 1. 4.
The three children we know were in the fire, but unto them it was no fire, becauſe Chriſt was with them in the fire; And Daniell was in the lions denn among the lions; But to him they were no lions, but as ſo many lambes inſteed of lions, becauſe Chriſt was with him in the den of lions.
Paul and Silas were whipt indeed, but it was with Roſemary branches, becauſeNihil ſentit crux in nervo, quā do animus eſt in Caelo. they found more pleaſure then pain, more …oy then ſorrow: Yea and they were in priſon too; but it was ſweeter to them then a parlour, where at midnight they Sung pſalmes for joy, becauſe Chriſt was with them in the priſon.
The holy martyrs amidſt the flames of fire clapt their hands for joy, becauſe Chriſt was with them in the fire. Methinks ſaid one, I tread upon pearles (when he trod upon …ott burning coles,) And, I feele no more paine then if I lay in a bed of Doune; and yet he lay in flames of fire. According as the Lord hath promiſed, hePhil. 4. 13. Ier. 30. 11. Pſal. 103. 13. will lay no more upon us then he will enable us to beare 1. Cor. 10. 13.
3. The ſaving knowledge of Chriſt is moſt comfortable in our greateſt affliction, ſickneſſes, loſſes, croſſes, diſgraces; for likly as our afflictions abound, our comforts abound much more, as the ſtars ſhine brighteſt in the darkeſt night.
This comforted the Church in her Captivity when ſhe walked in garments rouled in blood: Yet, (ſaith ſhe,) VntoUnto us a Child is born. Eſa. 9. 6. Alas but cold comfort a man would think for her to remember a Chriſt to come 6 or 700 yeeres after, eſpecially in reſpect of her preſent miſery: Yet this was their greateſt ſtay & comfort; for while Chriſt came not, ſo long they were ſure they could not totally be rooted out becauſe; God had promiſed the ſcepter ſhould not depart from Iudah till Gen. 49. 10.Shiloh (that is till Chriſt) ſhould come; (And indeed they were never totally ruined till Chriſt came) And alſo becauſe by Chriſt, all temporall puniſhments are ſweetened and made comfortable unto us. What comforted Iob amidſt all his heavy and grievious afflictions, but this? Yet I know my redeemer liveth. &c. yea even this alone ſupported Habbackkuck, in the time of his own, and the Churches miſery, Hab. 3. 17. 18. Though the figtree ſhall not bloſſome, nor ſhall fruit be in the vines, the laboure of the Olive ſhall faile, the feild ſhall yeeld no meat, the flock ſhall be cut off from the fold, and there be no herd in the ſtals, yet will I rejoyce in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my ſalvation.
And the reaſon is, becauſe if we know Chriſt ſavingly, we are ſure of two things.
1. Firſt that whatſoever befals us, itRev. 3. 19. 2 Sam. 7. 14. ſhall come in his love to us; For we are chaſtened, that we might not be condemned. And is it not mercy and love to be but whipt or branded, when a man ſhould be hanged? To be but chaſtened when he ſhould be damned?
And ſecondly we are ſure that it ſhall do us good Rom. 8. 28. All things ſhall cowork together with God for our good though we are not ſure of proſperity; nay we know not what afflictions we may meet withall nor what cup we ſhall drink, yet we are ſure of this, that Goodneſſe and mercy ſhall follow us all the dayes of our lives. Pſ. 23. 6.If we be poore, it ſhall be good poverty; If ſick, it ſhall be a good ſickneſſe; If in diſgrace and reproch, it ſhall be good diſgrace, &c. Bleſſed is he whom thou chaſtiſeſt and teacheſt, ſaith David. God will turn all our water into wine? And (like Sampſons riddle) Out of the eater ſhall come meate, and out of the ſtrong ſhall come ſweetneſſe: even lion-like afflictions that would ſeeme to tear us in pieces, and devour us, will bring hony and ſweetneſſe to us; As the Iſraelites that were forty yeeres going through a wilderneſſe full of troubles, (when they might have gone it in 40 dayes) but God tels them the reaſon was, That he might humble them, and prove them, Deut. 8. 16and doe them good in the latter end. As indeed he did. So likewiſe Ioſeph tels his brethern, You intended evill againſt me, but the Lord turned it to good, Geneſ. 50. 20.
Queſtion. But you will ſay what good ſhall afflictions work for us?
Anſ. I Anſwer, ſomtimes they ſhal work temporall good for us in this life. Ioſeph had his time to be under a cloud, and was thirteen yeeres in priſon by falſe accuſation, but God in due time remembred him, and cauſed his ſunne to break out of a cloud, as God hath promiſed. Pſal. 37. 5 6. Commit thy way to the Lord, truſt in him, and he ſhall bring it to paſſe, and he ſhall bring forth thy righteouſneſſe as the light, and thy judgement as at noon-day: Who for 13. yeeres impriſonment, raigned four ſcoure yeeres like a King in Egipt.
David you know had ſeaven yeeres baniſhment, yet it ended in a glorious raigne of 40. yeeres continuance.
Ruth a while like a ſervant, may gleane among the ſheaves, but ere long ſhe is miſtris of all thoſe fields wherin ſhe gleaned.
And Iob awhile may be ſtript of his goods, Children, and all his comforts, but ere long he doth enjoy them doubled to him, even as much more of every comfort as he had before. Iob 42. 12, 13.
2. But however, it ſhall alwayes worke for our ſpirituall good. By the ſad Eceleſ. 7. 3 Heb. 12. 10 Iohn 15. 2.looke the heart ſhall be made better. Like thoſe in the time of the ſweating ſickneſſe that were ſmitten with Roſemary branches to keep them waking, and from ſleeping to death; though they cryed out at the ſmart of the blows againſt thoſe that ſmot them, O you kill me, you kill me; whereas alas they had beene killed with their diſeaſe, if they had not been ſmitten; Or as tender mothers that give their children ſometimes bitter wormwood and Aloes, but tis to kill the wormes (or elſe they would never let their children taſt ſo bitter a potion) and likely too, it is ſweetened with ſugar.
There is a foure fold ſpirituall good by afflictions to every one that knowes Ieſus Chriſt ſavingly.
1. They keepe the heart tender and humble, pliable and buxome to God (Remembering my wormwood and my gall my ſoule hath them in remember ance and is humbled in me, Lamenta. 3. 19. 20) as they did David when Shemei curſed him, and when God chaſtiſed him with the peſtilence, It 2 Sam. 24. me me adſum, &c.is I have ſinned, what have thoſe ſheepe done? And Jonas after he was caſt into the ſea and reſtored, the ſecond time he could find his way to go right to Nineveh.
2. They keepe us from backſliding; for elſe we would loſe our graces, as too much ſunneſhine makes the corne to ſhale and loſe its fruit.
3. They make us feare to ſin that have ſo ſmarted for ſin: The burnt child dreads the fire; exellent is that ſpeech of Iob; Iob▪ 34. 31, 32. Surely it is meet to be ſaid unto God, I have borne chaſtiſement, I will not offend any more; That which I ſee not, teach thou me, and if I have done amiſſe, I will doe no more. As a child will feare to commit that fault for which he hath well ſmarted.
4. They make us grow in holineſſe, and weane us from earthly delights (as the Iſraelites bondage made them weary of Egypt) They are but Gods pruning knives, to let us bleed, and purge us that we might bring forth more fruit, John 15. 2. like as we ſee flowers ſmell ſweeteſt after a ſhower; Or, as the burning buſh that burned yet conſumed not, but was the brighter for the fire; Or as gold▪ put into fire, loſeth its droſſe, but nothing of its ſubſtance and is made the purer gold; Or as grapes under the preſſe make the ſweeter wine; Or as wheat under the flaile hath its chaff beaten off and is the purer corne: So are afflictions to all that are in Chriſt, and know Chriſt theirs; They make them like Roſes, which though ſweet alwayes, yet they never drop ſweet water but when the fire is under them; Or as ſpices, when beaten to pouder, then they ſmell the ſweeteſt.
3. Thirdly, Afflictions ſhall increaſe2 Cor. 4. 17. Mat. 5. 12▪ our crown of glory; the deeper our die is in affliction, the better ſhall we weare our ſcarlet robes in heaven, Rom. 8. 18. I reckon ſaith Paul our ſufferings in this life are not worthy our glory that ſhall be revealed. Chryſoſt. ſaid, if one man did ſuffer all the ſorrowes of all the Saints in the world, yet they are not worth one houres glory in heaven.
4. Fourthly and laſtly, The knowledge of Chriſt and him cruciſied with a ſaving applicatory knowledge is moſt comfortable in the hour of death: Such a one can triumph over death, ſaying, Death where is thy ſting? Hell, where is thy victory? Becauſe1 Cor. 15. 56. though death in it ſelf be full of anguiſh, and is the deſtruction of nature, yet if thou art in Chriſt, and knoweſt Chriſt is thine, the cup is ſweetned with good ingredients. For thou art ſure of two things.
1. Thou art ſure to die comfortably (ordinarily) and not fearing, but longing for death; we know ſaith Paul when this our tabernacle is broken, we have a houſe not made 2 Cor. 5. 1, 2, 3.with hands eternall in the heavens; wherfore we ſigh and grone to be clothed with our houſe which is in heaven. When I walk through the the valy of the ſhadow of death (ſaith David) I will feare no evil, for thou art with me, and thy rod and ſtaff comforteth me, Pſal. 23. 4.Luke 2, 29 Phil. 1. And Simeon. Now letteſt thou thy ſervant depart in peace, for mine e…es have ſeene thy Salvation.
Yea ſomtimes before they go into heaven, they are rapt up into the third heaven with joy as Paul was in his rapture 2 Cor. 12. (though in another manner) Some have profeſſed they never felt ſuch joy in all their lives as at the hour of their death.
Paula that noble Lady, when one did read to her (Cant. …. 11.) The winter is paſt, and the ſinging of Birds is come, yes, ſhe replyed, the ſinging of birds is come, and ſo ſhe went ſinging into heaven; another being as they thought in a ſwound a little before her end, they cryed give her ſome Roſa Solis; but ſhe put it back, ſaying I have Roſa Solis you know not off.
Ambroſe ſaid to his friends about him when he died, I have not ſo lived that I am aſhamed to live, nor yet feare I death, becauſe I have a good Lord.
Glover from whom God did hide his face long before, yet when he was going to the ſtake, ſaid to his frind Auſten, he is come, he is come.
But you will ſay, Object. do ſuch alwayes die comfortably? I anſwer, Anſw. Not alwayes, but ordinarily; for ſometimes God hides his face from his own at death, as a juſt puniſhment for their want of cloſe walking with God in the time of their proſperity, &c. and beſides we know death is fearfull in its beſt lookes (called the King of feares) as is a lion, though his teeth and claws be beaten out, or as the Hauk to the Partridge, who trembles at the very fight of her ſcattered feathers, or like a ſerpents skin that is formidable though ſtuft with ſtraw.
The vertuous Lady Jane when ſhe covered her eyes with her handkerchief, and was to ly down on the block to receive the ſtroake of death, ſhe cryed out O what ſhall I do, where is it, where is it? ſhe was filled ſo full of feare, though her faith failed not; yea Chriſt himſelfe feared death with a naturall holy feare.
Yet I ſay thou art ſure at the leaſt to be freed from deſpairing feare, and to be ableJohn 13. 13. to ſay with Iob, Though he kill me I will truſt in him; as our bleſſed Saviour on the croſſe, ſtil called the Lord his God, when he felt no comfort from God; my God, my God, why haſt thou forſaken me? And the reaſon is, becauſe Chriſt hath promiſed that neither life nor death ſhall be able to ſeparate us from the love of God in Chriſt our Lord, Rom. 8. ult.
2. And ſecondly, If thou knoweſt Chriſt to be thine, thou art ſure to dye a bleſſed death (Reve. 14. 13. Bleſſed are the dead that dye in the Lord. &c.) becauſe that day and houre thou dieſt, that day thou art ſure thy ſoule ſhall be with Chriſt in paradiſe; for to all that know Chriſt ſavingly, death is but the harbenger to bring theirCyprian. ſoules to Chriſt. Ejus eſt timere mortem qui ad Chriſtum nolit ire. (ſaith a father) let him fear death that is loth to go to Chriſt; do not thou feare that deſireſt to be diſſolved and to be with Chriſt. Death to thee is but as thy fathers horſe to cary thee to thy fathers houſe; or like Ioſephs Chariot ratling with its wheeles ready to carry old Iacob to his ſon Ioſeph, ſo is death ready to carry thee to thy Saviour Ieſus.
Alas, our miſery lies in our life (morimur dum non morimur) not in our death▪ therein lies all our happyneſſe; for we ſhall not die but live ſtill, onelyonly we ſhall exchange the place of our living; inſtead of Egypt to live in Canaan, inſtead of earth to live in heaven.
Now are wee afraid to live? No, life is ſweet; then feare we not to die, for that brings the ſweeteſt and moſt happy life, and will make an exchange of a life of miſery for a life of glory.
Indeed to them that know not Chriſt, O how bitter is death▪ It muſt needes ſting them like a ſerpent; becauſe they go from all their hapineſſe to all their miſery▪ Death of it ſelfe is bitter; but herein lies the ſting and ſtrength of death to all out of Chriſt, in that it is entailed to eternall death; they may ſay as once Eliſha did, 2 Kings 6. 32. Behold the murtherer death is come to take away mine head; And is not the ſound of his Maſters feet (even of the divel and hell) behind him? mori non metuo (ſaid one) ſed damnari metuo; I feare not to die, but I feare to be damned.
When Saul was told by Samuel (as he took him to be) to morrow thou ſhalt be with me (therefore what elſe but in heaven?) yet the newes pleaſed him not (his conſcience preached otherwiſe to him) but Saul fell all along on the earth, and was ſore afraid, and there was no ſtrength in him, 1 Sam. 28. 20. ſo Belſhazzar did read the hand writing before Daniel read it, and trembled: for his conſcience told him there could come no good newes from heaven to ſuch a wretch as he was.
And verily herein lyes the ſad condition of all men, that know not Ieſus Chriſt ſavingly, That though they may make themſelves merry and be pleaſant in their lives, yet death makes them miſerable, they ſhall lye down in ſorrow, Eſa 50. 11.
And though now Chriſt ſeemes like a roote out of a dry ground, having nothing in him why they ſhould deſire him, Eſa. 53. 2. (for though he hath made rich promiſes, yet not of ſuch things as they care or deſire to be rich in, and with ſuch hard conditions too as ſeem unreaſonable, even the parting with their deareſt luſts) yet at death what would men give for aſſurance that Chriſt were theirs? Would they not prefer this knowledge before all earthly bleſſings? As Severus ſaid, if I had a thouſand worlds I would now give them all to be found in Chriſt? As crock-back Richard the third in his diſtreſſe, cryed a Kingdome for a horſ; O then they will cry a Kingdome for a Saviour.