Tropes and Figures, Treatise 1 · Head 5 · Part 10
Chriſt's Love compared to Wine.
Cant. 1.2. For his Love is better than Wine.
WHereas Chriſt's Love is preferred to Wine, it is to be underſtood Synecdochically; ſo Ainſworth. Wine here is put for the moſt pleaſant, joyful, refreſhing, and cordial Things; as Bread by the ſame Figure is frequently put for ſuch things as ſtrengthen, &c.
The Love of Jeſus Chriſt is better than Wine, or whatſoever Men eſteem to be good, or to excell in Nature and Virtue.
| Metaphor. | Parallel. |
| VVIne is the Fruit of a good Tree, a choice and precious Plant, and 'tis the beſt of natural Liquors. | THe Love of Chriſt is the Fruit of the choiceſt Plant that ever was planted. Men and Angels are not to be compared to him. [See Vine.] And his Love is the beſt and choiceſt of Love. Wine is natural, but his Love is Divine and ſupernatural. None ever loved, as Chriſt loved. |
| II. Wine is pleaſant, delectable, and ſweet to the Taſte. | II. There is nothing ſo pleaſant and delectable to a believing Soul, as the Manifeſtation of Chriſt's Love; it excells all things for ſweetneſs. |
| III. Wine is to be had only in ſome particular Countries; ſome People never taſte of it as long as they live. | III. Chriſt's Love is not known to many that live in the World; divers never taſted of it, do not know how good it is, died without any ſight or aſſurance of Chriſt's Love. |
| IV. Wine is highly eſteemed and valued, when the excellent Virtue thereof is known. | IV. Chriſt's Love is eſteemed by all that know his Worth; they value him above Wine, or Gold, or the beſt of earthly things. |
| V. Men will not part with Store of the beſt Wine for Toys and Trifles. | V. Saints will not part with the Love of Chriſt for all the good things of this World; they are but Trifles and Vanity, in compariſon of his Love. If a Man would give all the Goods of his Houſe to a Saint, ſo that he would part with Chriſt's Love,Cant. 8.7. it would be contemned. |
| VI. Wine is of a ſingular uſe to revive and make glad the diſconſolate Spirit:Vina parant animos. Ovid. Give Wine to him that is of an heavy Heart. | VI. The Love of Chriſt is the moſt ſovereign thing in the World, in the Manifeſtations of it, to revive and comfort poor diſconſolate Souls. Thou haſt put more Gladneſs in my Heart, Pſal. 4.7. than in the Time when their Corn and Wine encreaſed. |
| VII. Wine cauſes a Man, if he drinks freely of it,Cura fugit, diluetur que Mero. Ovid. to forget his Sorrows. | VII. The Evidence or Manifeſtation of Chriſt's Love to a poor Soul, doth cauſe it to forget all its former Bitterneſs, Terror of the Law,Rom. 7.10, 15, 18, 24, 25. and Horror of Conſcience for Sin, which poſſibly for a great while it lay under. |
| VIII. Wine, Naturaliſts tell us, repairs decayed Nature. A Man may faint by ſome ſudden Qualm, and need a Cordial; and that which may revive the Spirit, may not recover a Man out of a Conſumption, or one brought by a languiſhing Diſtemper almoſt to the Grave. | VIII. The Grace and Love of Chriſt will recover Strength that hath been loſt. A Saint may faint, and need a Cordial, by means of a Temptation, when Grace is not much decayed in him. A Draught of Chriſt's Love, I mean, the Manifeſtations of it, will recover (in a ſpiritual ſence) a Chriſtian that has been a great while conſumptive, whoſe Vitals are impaired, and he almoſt dead. |
| IX. Wine was uſed in Legal Sacrifices in time of the Law. | IX. The Grace of Love, that Fruit of the Spirit which flows from Chriſt, is the only Ingredient to ſtir up our Devotion. We can perform no Services acceptably without Love: Let all your Works be done in Charity. And when the Soul hath ſweet Manifeſtations of Chrſt's Love to it, how ſweetly doth it go on in God's Worſhip! |
| X. Wine is good, as it may be uſed, to heal ſome ſorts of Wounds. | X. The Love of Chriſt will heal a broken Heart. There is no Salve, both in the Nature and Effects thereof, to cure a wounded Spirit, like Aſſurance of Chriſt's Love. |
| XI. Wine is good to ſtir up Courage in hoſtile Encounters; it makes a Man brisk and valiant. | XI. The Love of Chriſt breaking in upon the Soul, makes a Chriſtian couragious, and very valiant in that ſpiritual Warfare he is engaged in; he is hereby animated to endure all manner of Hardneſs, and over all is more than a Conqueror. Nothing ſhall ſeparate us from the Love of God, which is in Chriſt Jeſus our Lord. |
| XII. Wine is uſed at Marriage-Feaſts, and in great Banquets. | XII. The Love of Chriſt is more than a Banquet of the greateſt Varieties to a gracious Soul; it affords choice Food, a Feaſt of fat things, of Wines upon the Lees; of fat things full of Marrow, of Wines upon their Lees well refined. |
| XIII. Wine may be taken to exceſs. | XIII. But none can have too much of Chriſt's Love. |
| XIV. Wine daily drunk, without freſh Supplies, will not hold out long. | XIV. Chriſt's Love is like a Fountain of living Water, or an inexhauſtible Treaſure. |
| XV. Wine will decay by long keeping; it will wax ſour, and become nauſeous and unſavoury. | XV. Chriſt's Love, the longer we enjoy it, the ſweeter it is, and ſweeteſt of all 'twill be at the laſt. |
Inferences.
BUt from whence is it that Believers do thus prize and eſteem Jeſus Chriſt, and his Love?
Firſt; From the Excellency of his Perſon. [See Roſe of Sharon, and Lilly of the Vallies.] He is fairer than the Children of Men.
Secondly; From the ſence of his great Love to them: We love him, becauſe he firſt loved us.
Thirdly; From the Conſideration of thoſe hard things he ſuffered for their ſakes.
Fourthly; Becauſe of the Savour of his good Ointment. He hath ſhed his Love abroad in their Hearts, Rom 5 5.by the Holy Ghoſt.
Fifthly; Saints value Chriſt's Love above Wine, becauſe his Love is beyond all compariſon, moſt ſweet and conſolatory.
1. His Love was in him early, betimes, before ever the Earth was formed, or the Foundations thereof laid;Prov. 8 31. his Hearts Deſire and Love was firſt ſet upon us.
2. His Love is of an attracting Nature, (that the Spouſe knew well enough.) He is like the Loadſtone;Jer. 31.3. 1 John 4.19. he draws all Hearts after him, that have a taſte or touch of him.
3. 'Tis boundleſs; like Nilus, it overflows all Banks and Bounds; it knows no Limits.
Prov. 8.304. It is a delighting Love: His Delight was with the Sons of Men. He takes complacency in the Soul he loves.
Hoſ. 14.4. Ezek 16.3, 4, 5, 6, 9. Cant. 8.6, 7.5. It is a free Love, without foreſeen Merit or Worth in the Object. When Man lay weltring in his Blood, loathſom and filthy, Chriſt loved him.
6. Chriſt's Love is hot and fervent; much Water cannot quench it: It hath a vehement Flame.
7. 'Tis a matchleſs Love, far beyond the Love of Jacob to Rachel, or Jonathan to David.
8. 'Tis an incomprehenſible Love, it paſſeth Knowledg. You may ſooner find out the Depth of the Sea, the Heighth of Heaven, tell the Stars, or accompt the Sands of the Sea-ſhore, than find out or meaſure the Love of Chriſt. It is a laſting, abiding, and eternal Love. His loving-kindneſs he will never take away. This makes the Church ſo much to deſire the Manifeſtations of the Love of Chriſt, and in this is his Love better than Wine.
But who are they that thus prize and eſteem the Love of Chriſt? Take ſome brief Notes of them.
1. Such cannot tell how to praiſe Chriſt, nor ſet forth his Excellency, as they would; they cannot ſufficiently exalt him. 2. Such are in a longing and languiſhing Condition, till they ſee him. 3. Cannot be ſatisfied, till they get to ſome good and well-grounded Aſſurance of an Intereſt in him. 4. Chriſt runs much in their Minds. 5. Such love Chriſt, what State ſoever they are in. 6. Such keep his Word. 7. They love Chriſt above Husband, Wife, Children, &c. nay, more than Life it ſelf. 8. They love to hear of him, and often from him. 9. They highly value every ſpecial Token of his Love. 10. They rejoice in his Preſence. 11. They grieve and mourn at his Abſence. 12. If they have grieved him, cannot reſt till they ſee his reconciled Face again. 13. They love his Image wherever they ſee it; love all the Godly, the pooreſt Saint, as well as the richeſt. 14. They love to be like him in Grace here, as well as in Glory hereafter. 15. They are troubled when he is diſhonoured. 16. They are greatly concerned for his Name, Kingdom, and Intereſt in the World. 17. They often viſit him in Cloſet-Duties. 18. Take great care to pleaſe him. 19. Will ſuffer for his ſake, when called to it. 20. Long for his Appearance.