None but Christ, Chapter 7
CHAP. VII. We muſt ſtudy to know Chriſt with an affectionate knowledge.
THirdly, we muſt ſtudy to know Chriſt with the knowledge of affection; For ſo knowledg is often taken in ſcripture, not for bare ſpeculation, but for knowledge cloathed with affection; Depart from me faith Chriſt, I know you not dLuk. 13. 27. Pſal. 1. 6.That is, I love you not; The Lord-knoweth, That is, he loveth the way of the righteous.
So here I deſire to know Chriſt: That is, to love Chriſt more, and to inflame your hearts with love to him, that he may dwell in your hearts by faith, butEph. 3. 17. rooted in love. Wonderfull hath been the love of thoſe to Chriſt, that have knowne him ſavingly. God forbid ſaith Paul that I ſhould joy in any thing, ſave in Chriſt Jeſus eGal. 6. 14. Heb. 11. 26.that is, in compariſon of him, for whom he counted all things but as loſſe, dung and vanity. Moſes eſteemed the reproch, diſgrace, contempt and ſcorne of Chriſt greater riches then a Kingdome: How then did he eſteeme of the honour and riches that come by Chriſt?
David priſed him above heaven and its glory, or earth and its comforts. Whom have I in heaven but thee? In heavenf Pſal. 73. 25. there is fulneſſe of ioy and pleaſures for ever, the ſociety of Saints and Angels; yet he regarded nothing in heaven but Chriſt. And whom doe I deſire on earth beſide thee? though he had the pleaſures of a kingdome, his wives and children, yet he regarded them not in compariſon of Chriſt; How did the Martyrs love Chriſt, who rejoyced that their bodyes might burn for him? Nay, one ſaid, Shall I die but once for my Saviour? I would I could die a 100. times for him.
Ignatius cryed out when Chriſt was crucifyed, Amor meus cruciſixus. My love my love is crucified; As if hee had no other love left when Chriſt was crucified.
Lambert at the ſtake cryed out; None but Chriſt, None but Chriſt.
George Carpenter being asked whether he he loved not his wife and children when they wept before him? yes ſaid he, my wife and children are dearer to me then all Bavaria, yet for the love of Chriſt I know you not.
Kylian a dutch Schoolmaſter was asked the like queſtion, if he loved not his wife and children? Yea ſaid he, if all the world were gold & mine to diſpoſe of, I would give it all to live with them, yea though it were in priſon, yet my ſoule and Chriſt are dearer to me then they all.
That noble Marqueſſe, Galeaceus Caracciolus being tempted with mony to goe back to Italy, ſaid. Let their mony periſh with them, who eſteem all the gold in the world worth one daies ſociety with Jeſus Chriſt and his holy ſpirit.
Henry Ʋoes ſaid, if I had ten heads, they ſhould all off for Chriſt.
Ignatius ſaid, let fire, rackes, pullyes, yea and all the torments of hell come on mee ſo I may win Chriſt.
Iohn Ardley Martyr, ſaid if every haire of my head were a man, they ſhould all ſuffer for the faith of Chriſt.
It was the ſpeech of S. Ier. If my fatherClarkes mirrour or looking glaſſe for Saints. ſtood weeping on his knees before me, my mother hanging on my neck behind, and all my brethren, ſiſters, and children howling on every ſide: I would tread on my father, fling off my mother, deſpiſe my brethern, ſiſters, children, and all that I might run to Chriſt.
Maſter Fox could ſcarce deny any man that begd an almes in the name of Chriſt, he ſo dearly loved him. And Peter tels us, To you that beleeve he is precious, 1 Pet. 2. 7.
Thus have I given you a taſte of the affection his Saints have borne him, that have ſavingly known him; And ſurely they that love him leaſt, can ſay with Peter, Lord thou knoweſt all things, thou knoweſt I love thee; yea I mourne that I can love thee no more.
Maſter Welſh a Suffolk Miniſter weeping at table, being asked the reaſon, ſaid, it was becauſe he could love Chriſt no more; O that as Mary went to the Sepulcher and wept there: So wee could go mourning to our graves, becauſe we love Chriſt no more.
O that as Chriſt was Crucifixus, faſtned to the croſs, ſo that he were cordifixus, faſtned to our harts; we cannot love Chriſt as Chriſt hath loved us, as the light of all candles can never make a ſunne; Certainly our cold love to Chriſt is almoſt as great a wonder as his great love to us, and may juſty make us feare that we never yet ſavingly knew him. If a worm loved me, would I not love it againe? Veſpatian when a poore maid ſaid ſhee was in love with him, he gave her a reward, and wrote it downe, Veſpaſiano adamato, to her that loved Veſpaſian: And ſhall Chriſt ſo love us, and we not love him againe? Suppoſe we had a friend that had died for us a temporall death: O how deare and ſweet would the remembrance of ſuch a friend be to us, and the thought of him fetch teares from our eyes? Oh how deare ſhould Chriſt be then to us that hath ſuffered the infinite wrath of God for us, delivered us from hel, reconciled us to God, purchaſed heaven and al good things on earth, ſo far as needfull for us; Oh that Chriſt would kindle this fire of love in our hearts to him, for we cannot love him except he enable us to love him; nor can we love him except he love us firſt, and ſo our love rebounds by reflection as the ſun-beames ſhining upon the wall, it heates by reflection. Nothing inflames our hearts more to love Chriſt, then ſeriouſly to meditate of the love of Chriſt.Pſ. 39. 3. Whiles I was muſing the fire kindled ſaith David, (g) And when they ſhall ſee him whom they have peirced, then they ſhall mourn for him: Not onelyonly with teares ofZach. 12. 10. compunction, but alſo of affection.