that none shall pretend ignorance nor pretend they had no offer of salvation 5. Consider that Jesus Christ will put by none that seeketh him Him that cometh unto me I will in no wise cast off John 6.37 Whosoever betakes himself to Christ for his only Saviour is embraced I will in no wise cast him out 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it is a double Negative The unworthiest of sinners the greatest of sinners have been received when they have come unto him The blind and the lame let them come in let the door of mercy and righteousness be opened that they may enter in 6. Consider Christs unspeakable readiness to do what he did and suffer all that he did for us Christ speaking of his sufferings saith With a desire have I desired to eat this passeover Shall be love us so much as to give himself to death for us and will not the same love encline him to give himself to those that are sick of love for him and earnestly seek him Christ did manifest more love in dying for sinners then he doth in giving himself to sinners that long after him 7. Consider his manifold and gracious promises made to the generation of seekers he hath spoken it in the word of a God that cannot lie You shall find me I will be found of you I will hear you Turn and you shall live Those that hunger and thirst shall be filled He is faithful and just and will keep promise The Promises of God shew two things 1. Gods willingness to communicate himself to his people in all kinds of mercies for promises are but the manifestations of his will 2. To encourage every thirsty and love-sick soul to seek him Promises are Gods earnest-penny that he will make good his word unto us To this let me add the reason of it consider Christs nature though he be in heaven he is full of bowels of compassion and much tenders the deplorable estate and case of the love-sick spouse that thirsteth seeketh after him he knoweth his peoples wants their straits their fears and when they fly to him for succour and relief being faithful and merciful he will help them Heb. 2.17 18. See why Christ would be made like unto his brethren like us in substance of nature in natural properties in natural infirmities in suffering of miseries in tentations it was that he might be merciful and that he might be able and willing to succour us his participation of our nature miseries and temptations is a pawn and pledge that he will help us CHAP. XV. I Shall now give you directions how ye may get your hearts into a longing frame after Christ Vse 4 Beloved the least thing tending to salvation is very difficult most men say who doth not desire Christ and ask after him but much is required to get true desires after Christ 1. Labour to know what thou art without Christ Thou art a cursed sinful helpless hopeless creature without him Thou art a condemned person to eternal death hell waits to devour to thee and the wrath of an Almighty God is ready to fall on thee every moment Thou must answer God for every sin and thou canst not answer for one of a thousand Thou must endure the extremity of his wrath to eternity and art not able to endure it for a moment labour to believe and know this and to perswade thy own heart that this is thy estate and condition 2. Labour to know what God hath appointed and ordained Christ to be viz. to be a Saviour and to be the only Saviour of such wretched men as thou art if ever thy sins be-satisfied it is by Christ alone that died if ever thou hast redemption from the curse and condemnation it is by Christ that died for thee 3. Labour to know what a man is having Christ viz. righteous before God a reconciled friend to God a Jedidjah beloved of God one as God said of Christ in whom he is well pleased an heir of heaven that art as far above all thy sins the curse the wrath of God as the highest heaven is above the lowest hell were men but truly perswaded of these things Christ would be the desire of their souls they would be sick of Love for him 4. Know thy wants thy utter insufficiency and inability without him labour to perswade thy heart thou hast nothing thou wantest all things thou canst do nothing want will put thee upon longings after him Beggars wants will make them importunate hunger and thirst will make a desire Manna and Living waters 5. Perswade thy self of thy absolute need of Christ labour feelingly to know thy necessity of him Christ thou must have if thou wilt escape the damnation to come 6. Know the worth of Christ all created glories comforts good things are no more to be compared to him than a pins head to the terrestrial globe Worth hath an attractive power it will draw out the longings of men after it 7. Labour to see the necessity of ministerial pressing the terrours the curse of the Law home to the hearts of sinners Ministers of the Gospel must be Boanerges sons of thunder they must lift up their Voices like trumpets and cry woe woe The end of such a way of Preaching is not to drive men to despair as the world injuriously censureth it the end is to convince men of their misery of their dolefull estate that they might long for Christ and be sick of love for him We preach the Law to drive you to Gospel-mercy we preach damnation to drive you to Christ the Authour and finisher of our salvation When a man cries Fire in the streets it is to stir up men to labour to quench it When a Physitian tells a man he is ill it is to make him to take Physick and not to make him to despair of life 8. Labour to see the necessity of the work of the spirit of bondage upon our hearts the spirit of comfort is first a spirit of bondage of fear and terrour to us he therefore terrifieth us with sin that our hearts may break for longings after Christ He makes us sorrowful that sorrow may beget vehement desires in us after Christ 2 Cor. 7. God brings his Church into a wilderness and then he speaks comfortably to her Hos 2. CHAP. XVI BUt here some poor soul is apt to say Object I have been long sick of love for Christ thirsted after him asked for Christ of God my Father yet my request is not answered I go mourning all the day for want of him whom my sovl loveeth insomuch that I fear I shall go without him For answer hereunto consider these four things Resp 1. That Christ will make himself known to his people in his own time not when we will but when he pleaseth he will turn our Waterinto Wine in his time not in ours and his time is in truth As Joseph did not presently manifest himself to his brethren but dealt roughly with
see what it is truly and fervently to desire after Christ I shall lay down these six Properties of true desires after Christ 1. They are most importunate desires therefore in Scripture they are compared to the strongest desires as to the Harts panting after the Water-brooks Psalm 42.1 As the Hart panteth after the Water-brooks so doth my soul pant after thee O God It is compared to the longings of pregnant Women my soul longeth verecunde desiderate as some translate from the Hebrew word in Psal 84.2 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with a bashful and modest kind of wishing and Psalm 119. My soul fainteth for thy salvation It even pineth away with longing these desires are also compared to hunger and thirst both are importunate desires Oh that one would give me to drink of the water at the well of the gate of Bethlehem said David a Kingdome for a cup of water said Croesus and Lysimachus in their thirst Those who truly desire Christ will he at the door of Gods grace and will never give him rest night nor day till God give them Christ 2. They are such desires which nothing can satisfie but the proper object even Christ Jesus and in this respect compared to hunger and thirst which desires are satisfied with nothing but by their proper objects Offer Gold and Silver and no Bread to an hungry man he saith Give me Bread What good will Gold do me if I have no Bread Offer such a soul that thirsteth after Christ as the Devil did to Christ the glory of all the Kingdomes of the world and he will say what good will all this do me I must have Christ Wicked mens desires after Christ are like childrens crying for a piece of gold when they see it they will make a great cry but give them an Apple and that stills them they have their fits of longing after Christ but give them golden Apples they are content their desires after Christ are like Sauls Evil Spirit a little Musick on the Harp will lay their desires flat again 3. They are such desires as are proportionable to Christ whole Christ is the adaequat object of their desires in quantum est appetibilis Such men cry out O let Christ justifie me renue me sanctifie me Grace is as much desired as pardon of sin holiness as much desired as mercy let me have Christ to rule over me and govern me let him be my all in all Thy Law saith David is my delight that holy strict commanding Law that presseth men to that which is most contrary to their lusts is his desire and delight The wicked can say Lord thy mercies are my delight thy comforts thy joy thy salvation are my delight but not thy word nor thy holiness let Christ be presented to him that truly desireth him any way he cries out O give me Christ upon any terms give me the cross so I may have Christ tell him of forsaking all he cries out Farewell all things that I may win Christ 4. They are constant desires such a man longs for Christ at all times he longs for Christ as earnestly in health as in sickness in time of serenity as in time of eminent danger in time of peace as in time of trouble prosperity dulieth not his desires 5. They are such desires as are accompanied with an holy impatience of delay delayes do not dull but quicken a Christians desires after Christ in this respect they are also compared to hunger and thirst which are impatient of delay Tell a thirsty man he shall have drink the next week he is impatient O saith he I must have it now I may be dead before that time so let Christ go to put off such a soul he saith I will not be so put off Oh give me Christ now else I may be eternally undone How long Lord how long Do not stand off for ever Gods momentany delayes are accounted Eternal with a soul that ardently desireth after Christ one day is as a thousand years in his account 6. They are such desires as carry a man through all difficulties whatsoever hunger will break through stone-walls so will hunger after Christ break through the greatest difficulties that lie in the way When David cried out Oh that one would give me to drink of the waters of Beth-lehem three of his Worthies hearing of it charged through an Army of Philistines to fetch him some of that water Oh that one would give me to drink of these spiritual Flaggons saith a soul that thirsteth strongly after Christ Tell him of Bears and Lions Bonds and Imprisonments in the way yet through them all he will go that he may drink his fill out of these flaggons but the sloathful man saith There is a Lion in the way and so goeth not forth at all 7. They are most industrious desires and indeed according to a mans industry so are his desires after Christ to this purpose consider 1. That true desires do put a man upon the diligent use of all appointed means to obtain Christ the Spouse in this Book of Canticles was restless till she found him whom her soul loved she ran up and down the Streets charged every one she met with to tell him she was sick of love a man that truly desireth Christ will run from duty to duty from Ordinance to Ordinance and is very earnest to see whether he can find Christ there lazy desires separate the means from the end they desire Christ but neglect the means neglect the Ordinances which are vehiculum Christi 2. True desires do put a man upon the diligent improvement of all opportunities as a thriving Tradesman layes hold on all advantages and opportunities if he hath an opportunity of doing or receiving good he doth not omit it 3. It puts a man upon constant endeavours not for a fit or a start or for a Mood in a good humour but it is his constant work to make sure of Christ as they say of the labour of an Husbandman it is labor actus in orbem his work is never at an end so it is with him that truly longeth for Christ 4. Right desires do put a man upon present endeavours after Christ he will not like the sluggard in the Proverbs cry Yet a little more slumber c. so damnation may seize upon him like an armed man as poverty did upon Solomons sluggard but no sooner are these holy desires wrought in the heart of a faithful Christian but they put him instantly upon seeking after Christ he cries out presently to his own lazy heart awake O my soul and seek out for Christ lest thou perish eternally CHAP. X. I Now come to consider the reason of the Churches importunate thirsting after Christ For I am sick of love Love where it is strong causeth a fainting or languishing desire toward the thing beloved Love is of all other the most inward and visceral affection therefore called by the Apostle The bowels of Love We read of
Christ is so good as he cannot be loved so much as he ought to be and let a man do his utmost he is obliged to confess that the love of Christ doth far exceed the greatness of mans love CHAP. XIV ARE any of you sick of love for Christ Vse 3 then let me excite you with the Love-sick Spouse in my Text diligently to seek after him whom your soul loveth and let me tell you for your encouragement that the Lord Jesus will freely bestow himself upon all those that are sick of love for him and that earnestly pant and seek after him to that end seriously weigh these following particulars 1. Christs giving himself to those that were never sick for him nor sought for him at all I was found of them that sought me not Isa 65.1 So he gave himself tendered and revealed himself to those that never heard of him and into whose hearts it never came to begg such a gift of God how much more then shall they find him that are sick of love for him and earnestly seek him being revealed and tendered to them in the Gospel their want and need of him being discovered to them Seek and you shall find knock and it shall be opened to you ask and you shall receive Shall such receive that never asked how much more shall they receive that ask and cry after him If the door of Gods free grace be opened to such who never knocked at the gate of mercy how much more will he open the door of mercy to such who in the sense of misery shall knock earnestly for mercy It is said of a Roman Emperour Sucton that he would never suffer any Petitioner to go from him with a sad countenance Christ that is full of such bowels of compassion put all the tendernesses and bowels of all the compassionate men in the world into one none can be so tender as his heart is he will not suffer his Petitioners to go from him with a sad countenance Jesus Christ may defer his grace but will not give an absolute denyal 2. Consider that Christ doth as it were wooe poor sinners to seek and sue unto him he doth as it were put up his bills unto us when we go to prayer that we would earnestly pray to his Father that he might be given to us which is a manisest proof that he will freely bestow himself upon such as thus seck for him God calls to us in this manner Call unon me in the day of trouble ask and you shall receive seek and ye shall find knock and it shall be opened to you What are these but wooing commands and begging commands it is a remarkable phrase Cant. 2.14 O my Dove that art in the clefts of the rock in the secret places of the stairs let me see thy countenance let me hear thy voice for sweet is thy voice and thy countenance is comely Lo here he takes pleasure in beholding his people praying to him mourning and lamenting after him therefore he wooeth his Spouse with prayers requests and petitions to pray unto him the prayers of his people are his delight the praises of Angels and Saints in heaven and the prayers and praises of the Saints on earth is all the musick Christ delighteth in so in the answer of Christ to the woman of Samaria John 4.10 If thou knewest the gift of God and who it is that saith unto thee give me to drink thou wouldst have asked of him and he would have given thee living water Christ there did as it were beg of her to seek him for living water he manifested to her what he was what he would give unto her and give it her he would if she would but ask it of him The same in effect he speaks to every one of us if you would ask of me I would give you living water Open thy mouth wide and I will fill it open thy heart wide open thy desires wide and I will fill thee with mine hidden treasures 3. Christ so far condescendeth as to seek to us to receive him he follows and pursues rebels with entreaties to make up their peace with God then much more will he give himself to them that shall pursue him with intreaties I am come saith he to seek the lost sheep of the house of Israel My great errand into the world is to seek those that are lost to bring them bak again But note that place 2 Cor. 5.20 Now then we are Embassadours for Christ c. Ministers are Christs Embassadours and our commission is to treat a peace between an angry God and sinful men the word that we preach is nothing else but an Embassy of peace the Gospel is called a word of reconciliation but here are the expressions of wonder and astonishment as though God did beseech you by us we pray you in Christs stead to be reconciled unto God God himself by the mouths of his Ministers entreats you we are the Mediatours of peace between you and him what arguments we use to draw you to Christ are Christs arguments when we command you it is as though God commanded you when we exhort you it is as though God exhorted you so when we pray when we threaten c. so we pray you in Christs stead when we pray you by all the mercies of God by all the bowels of Christ by all the love of Christ manifested in giving himself for you by his sufferings it is as if Christ did in his own person lay open all that he done and suffered for you and entreat you to be reconciled Now shall the God of infinite glory and Majesty so far condescend as to beseech us and to pray us to be reconciled will not he then freely bestow himself upon us when we are sick of love for him when we beseech him and diligently seek him 4. Consider he makes a gracious Proclamation inviting all excepting none out of it manifesting his readiness freely to bestow himself on every one that shall seek unto him John 7.37 In the last day that great day of the feast Jesus stood and cried saying If any man thirst let him come to me and drink Where the greatest concourse of people was there the Proc amation of mercy was published If any among you thirst after living waters let him come to me and drink let him that will come He every one that is thirsty come and buy without money the poorest sort are the most acceptable customers so Prov. 1.20 21. Wisdome crieth without she uttereth her voice in the streets she crieth in the chief places of concourse in the openings of the gates in the City she uttereth her words without in the streets in the high street among the press in the Congregation in the assemblies Why doth wisdom make such publick Proclamation It is 1. To shew his freeness and readiness to receive all that come and to refresh every thirsty soul that cometh to him 2. To take off all excuses