None but Christ, Chapter 8
CHAP. VIII. We muſt ſtudy to know Chriſt with a virtuall and operative knowledge.
FOurthly and laſtly, we muſt ſtudy to know Chriſt with an operative, and powerfull knowledge. For ſo know ledg is oft taken in Scripture. Oh that thou hadſt known in this thy day the things that belong to thy peace, hLuk. 19. 42.that is ſeriouſly conſidered of them, cum affectu & effect…, to repent and imbrace Chriſt. Adam in honour is ſaid to have no underſtanding iPſal. 49. ult.becauſe he made no uſe of his underſtanding. It is ſaid of Chriſt he knew no ſinne, k2 Cor. 5. 21.becauſe he did no ſinne. So here we are required to ſtudy to know Chriſt, not with bare ſpeculation, but practically and operatively; Phil. 3. 10. That I may know him and the power of his reſurrection; that is, that we may finde the operation of that power in our ſouls which Chriſt ſhewed in raiſing himſelfe from the dead. And this appears in 2. particulars. Firſt, whereby he gives us power againſt the love and dominion of ſinne, to feele vertue and ſtrength from Chriſt, to crucifie our ſinnes that crucified our Saviour. They that are Chriſts (ſaith Paul) have crucified the fleſh with the luſts thereof. lGal. 5. 24.And if we know Chriſt to be ours, we know that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of ſinne might be deſtroyed, that henceforth we ſhould not ſerve ſinne.mRom. 6. 6. 1 Cor. 15. 31. Eph. 4. 21.
And truly there is nothing more powerfull to mortifie ſinne then the knowledge and meditation of the ſufferings of Chriſt. If one ſhould kill our father, would we hug and embrace him as our friend? let him eate at our table? and not rather hate and deteſt the very ſight of him, and ſeek to be revenged of him? If a Snake ſhould ſting thy dearly beloved ſpouſe to death, wouldſt thou preſerve it alive? warme it at the fire? hug it in thy boſome? and not rather ſtob it with a thouſand wounds? And were not our ſinnes the cauſes and inſtruments of Chriſts death? Were not they the whips that ſcourged him? the nayles, the cords, the ſpeares, the thornes that wounded him, and fetcht his heart bloud from him? And can we love our ſinnes that kild our Saviour? Can a ſpouſe love her husband, and her heart embrace an adulterer. We complaine of the ſinne of Judas and of the Jewes, and ſeeme to hate them, and ſpit at the mention of them: and can we love our Judas ſins that ſet them all on work, and put Chriſt to death?
And certainly he knowes nothing of Ieſus Chriſt ſavingly, as the truth is in Jeſus that hath not put off the old man, which is corrupt according to deceitfull luſts. nEph. 4. 21. 22.Though not totally, yet abating the love and power of them daily, as a man wounded mortally daily weakens; Or as a tree cut at the root daily withers by little and little; or as a dead man in the grave daily rots, ſtinks and waſts; for ſo ſaith Saint Paul, by our rejoycing in Chriſt I die daily.o1 Cor. 15. 31.
There were five Monkes that were ſtudying what was the beſt meanes to mortifie ſinne. One ſaid to meditate of death; the ſecond, to meditate of judgement; the third to meditate; of the joyes of heaven; the fourth, to meditate of the torments of hell; the fifth, to meditate of the love and ſufferings of Chriſt. And indeed this is the ſtrongeſt motive of all. Camer: reports that Solomon hadCamer. a glaſſe wherein if a worme were put, and one prickt it ſo that the bloud iſſued, it would break the glaſſe: I am ſure if any thing, the bloud of Chriſt will break our hearts: As they ſay, the bloud of a Goat will diſſolve the Adamant.
Secondly, wee muſt ſtudy to know the power of his reſurrection, in raiſing us up to newneſſe of life, changing our natures, creating in us new hearts, and making us new creatures. pEph. 4. 21. 23. 24.That we may be able to ſay with Paul, I live, yet q Gal. 2. 20. Col. 3 1. 2. Phil. 3. 10.not I, but Chriſt lives in me; that we are riſen with Chriſt, ſeeking and ſetting our affections on the things above, and not on earth; having felt the ſpirit of Chriſt in our hearts like a loadſtone, drawing our hearts to heaven whither he is aſcended; Or as the Sunne drawes up the … pours from the earth; that whereas before we were like mouls, alwayes moving in the earth; now we are like the Eagles ſoaring up to heaven, being clothed with the Sunne, and having the Moone under our feet.