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A66441 Philanthrōpia, or, The transcendency of Christs love towards the children of men Laid down by the apostle St. Paul, in Ephes. 3. 19. A treatise formerly preached, but now enlarged and published for common benefit. By Peter Williams, preacher of the Gospel. Williams, Peter, preacher of the Gospel. 1665 (1665) Wing W2750A; ESTC R220006 194,887 304

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Reason be given of it but the good pleasure of your Redeemer Even so because it seemed good in his sight How should this make you retire inward and in contemplation and admiration of these things cry out in imitation of the Man after Gods own heart 2 Sam. 7.18 Who am I O Lord God and what is thy poor creature that thou hast brought me hitherto And this was yet a small thing in thy sight O Lord God for thou hast spoken of thy servants soul for a great while yet to come even so long as eternity And is this the manner of Man O Lord God And what can I say more unto thee For thou Lord God knowwest and lovest thy servant for thy loves sake and according to thy heart thou hast done all these things to make thy Servant know them and taste of them Wherefore thou art great O Lord God and thy love is great there is none like unto it and be thou admired and adored in the greatnesse of thy love wherewith thou hast refreshed the soul of thy Servant for ever Thus admire the love of Christ and to engage you herein know that it is admired by Angels who l Calvin in loc with wonder and admiration desire to look into these things 1 Pet. 1.12 and it shall be admired by glorified Saints to all eternity 2 Thes 1.10 The happiness of heaven sayes m Doctor Holdsworths Ser. p. 526 one is all extasy an extasy of admiration at the love which hath been shewed to them and experienced by them in bringing them thither Now it is good for Christians to begin that work on earth which they shall be ever doing when they come to heaven And let me tell you for the further quickning of you to this work that the knowledge which you have of the love of Christ which doth not leave you admiring of it is but a drie and carnal not a savory and spiritual knowledge I hope the consideration of all this will make the Devout Soul breath forth it self in such language as this which he may learn of a n Bishop Halls Holy rapture p. 212. holy man wherewith he ends his Patheticall Meditation of the love of Christ and with that I shall end this particular Lord what room can there be possibly in these straight and narrow hearts of ours for a due admiration of thy transcendent love and mercy I am swallowed up O God I am willingly swallowed up in this bottomless abysse of thine infinite love and there let me dwell in a perpetual ravishment of Spirit till being freed from this clog of earth and filled with the fulness of Christ I shall be admitted to enjoy that which I cannot now reach to wonder at thine incomprehensible blisse and glory which thou hast laid up in the highest heavens for them that love thee in the blessed communion of all thy Saints and Angels thy Cherubim and Seraphim Thrones Dominions and Principalities and Powers in the beatifical presence of thee the ever-living God the eternal Father of Spirits Father Son and Holy Ghost one infinite Dei●y in three co-essentially co-eternally co-equally glorious persons To whom be blessing honour glory and power for ever and ever Amen Sect. 3. 3. BY way of Gratulation By way of Gratulation Know the love of Christ so as to be Thankeful for it Nature it self teacheth us to be grateful to those who have sh●wed kindness unto us and shall we receive so many benefits from Jesus Christ the fruits of his meer love and not think every one of us with David of a Quid retribuam What shall I render to the Lord for all his benefits towards me Psalm 116.12 and seeing he needeth not nor doth desire more and we can give no better let us not be backward to take the cup of salvation and call upon the Name of the Lord verse 13. If he had called for some greater thing would we not have done it how much more when he sayes only Offer unto God Thanksgiving and pay thy vows to the most high Psalm 50.14 and counts himself glorified thereby for sayes he verse 23. Whoso offereth praise glorifieth me Yea he hath let us know by the man after his own hea●t That this praising of him with a song and magnifying him with thanksgiving is better pleasing unto him than an Ox or Bullock that hath horns and hoofs Psalm 69.30 31. The love of Christ in redeeming and saving lost sinners should not be thought or spoken of without a Doxology by all that hear of it especially by those who have tasted of it This should make Christians keep a perpetual * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 est gratum se declarare pro accepto benefic● illud agnoscendo et autorem ejus praedicando Dav. in Coloss p. 22. Eucharist declaring themselvs thankfull for so great a benefit by acknowledging of it and speaking to the praise of the Author of it The Scripture is not without examples for your imitation in this particular and therefore go you forth by the footsteps of the flock write after the Copies which are set before you take with you the words and in the sence of Christs love say with David Psal 86.12 13. I will praise thee O Lord my God with all my heart and I will glorifie thy Name for evermore For great is thy mercy towards me and thou hast delivered my soul from the lowest Hell And again Psal 103.1 2 3 4. Blesse the Lord O my Soul and all that is within me bless his holy Name Bless the Lord O my Soul and forget not all his benefits who forgiveth all thine iniquities who healeth all thy diseases who redeemeth thy life from destruction who crowneth thee with loving kindnesses and tender mercies With the Mother of our Lord Luke 1.46 47. My soul doth magnifie the Lord and my spirit doth r●joyce in God my Saviour For he hath regarded the low estate of his poor servant With those in Rev. 5.9 12 13. Worthy is the Lamb that was slain and hath redeemed us to God by his blood out of every Kindred and Tongue and People and Nation to receive power and riches and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and blessing and therefore blessing honour glory and power be unto him that sitteth on the Throne and unto the Lamb for ever and ever Finally with John p Gratias egit agere nos docet immortales Christo protantis beneficiis quòd lavit quòd fecit Sacerdotes Reges Deo patri Par. in loc Rev. 1.5 6. Vnto him that hath loved us and washed us from our sins in his own Blood and hath made us Kings and Priests unto God and his Father to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever Amen Thus Christians sound forth the praises of him who hath thus loved you seeing he hath shewed so much good will towards you and wrought so much peace for you which you deserved not do not deny to
of Christ Psalm 110.4 Behold I am alive for evermore Revel 1.18 And he lives for ever not only in his Person but to be for ever the life portion and blessedness of his people because he lives they shall live also John 14.19 9. He is the proper good of his own people He hath not onely given himself unto God for them as their Sacrifice but he hath given himself likewise unto them as their Portion He is theirs and they his Cant. 6.3 They his by a deare Purchase and he theirs by a sweet Communion They are said to have him 1 John 5.12 as a man hath his most peculiar possession his Name is The Lord our Righteousnesse Jeremiah 23.6 he is more ours than we are our own and we have infinitely more in him than in our selves defective in our selves compleat in him weak in our selves strong in him dead in our selves alive in him miserable in our selves blessed in him mutable in our selves established in him Now put all this together Christ being a present precious sufficient pure rare various victorious perpetuall proper Good to his people he is so fit an Object for their Joy and delight that it were a wondrous absurdity for any Soul who knows him and hath tasted of his love and makes profession of his Name to be drowned in sensuall and worldly delights or to set up his Rest in any thing short of Christ Sect. 3. 3. LET Trust and Fear be Attendants upon the Desires and Delights of your Love With trust and fear 1. Trust in him If you believe in God believe also in Christ John 14.1 You must take him in your way to the Father if you would trust in him aright 1 Peter 1.21 John 14.6 and he himself is an Object fit for your trust who is over all God blessed for ever Romans 9.5 1. Trust therefore in him alone whiles some trust in themselves leaning to their own understandings Proverbs 3.5 trusting in their own righteousness Ezek. 33.13 others in their Idols Psalm 115.8 others in their riches Psalm 52.7 others in Chariots and Horses Psalm 20.7 others in Man making flesh their Arm Jeremiah 17.5 let Israel let the house of Aaron let all that fear the Lord trust in him alone Psalm 115.9 10 11. It is better to trust in the Lord Jesus than to put confidence in man than to put confidence in Princes Psalm 118.8 9. in whom there is no help for their breath goeth forth they return to their earth in that very day their thoughts perish Psalm 146.3 4. But happy is he who hath the God of Jacob for his help whose hope is in the Lord his God verse 5. Blessed are all they that put their trust in him Psalm 2.12 2. Trust in him at all times Psalm 62.8 in times of prosperity so as not to be puffed up in pride and presumption In times of adversity so as not to sink down in dejection and despondency In times of prosperity so as not to forget God and lift up the heel against him In times of adversity so as not to forsake God and put forth your hands to iniquity 3. Trust in him with all your heart Proverbs 3.5 h Praecipitur ut non verbis sed animo non per hyprocrisin distractionem quandam sed rotundè sincere faciamus quod hîc toto corde faciendum dicitur Cart. in loc With your heart sincerely without dissimulation pretending to trust in him when indeed you trust in something else and with all your heart entirely without division not partly resting on him and partly leaning to your selves or the creature but give him the whole trust of your whole heart 4. Trust in him in reference to all your Concernments your souls bodies lives estates liberties callings duties burdens relations c. You may venture to do it for He is laid in Sion for a Foundation and is a tried Stone a precious Corner-stone a sure Foundation Isaiah 28.16 the Rock of Ages in whom there is everlasting strength Isaiah 26 4. able to bear the weight of that trust which is devolved on him In whom whosoever believeth shall not be confounded 1 Peter 2.6 You need not fear miscarrying when you are in the hands of him who hath thus loved you with so great so dear and costly a love and out of love hath undertaken for you especially considering how great his Truth and Faithfulness is to whatsoever he undertakes being Truth it self John 14.6 the Amen the True and faithful Witness Revelations 3.14 a merciful and faithful High-priest Hebrews 2.17 faithful to him that appointed him Heb. 3.2 and faithful to those for whom he was appointed verse the sixth And likewise how great a sufficiency of power and ability he hath commensurate to his affection being the Mighty God Isaiah 9.6 the Almighty Revelations 1 8. to accomplish all the designs of his love for your good and happiness against all contradiction and opposition whatsoever Who also is and was and is to come Revelations 1.8 everliving to see the full accomplishment of all by his Intercession whereby he is able to save to the uttermost all that come to God by him Hebrews 7.25 Stay your selves therefore by firm trust and dependence upon him for he will keep him in perfect peace in i Shalom Shalom Heb. peace peace as it is in the Originall whose mind is stayed upon him because he trusteth in him Isaiah 26.3 And they who know his Name will put their trust in him for he hath not forsaken those that se●k him Psalm 9.10 2. Fear least from those Remains of corruption which are within you any thing disingenious or uncomely should break forth to the distasting and displeasing of him by whom you are thus beloved He doth not belong to thee O Lord sayes k Non pertinet ad ●o Domine n●● de tuis est qui te no● diligit nec diligit te qui sci●●ter essendit Cypr. de Bapt. Christi p. 494. Cyprian n●r is he in the number of thine who doth not love thee nor doth he love thee who knowingly off●nds thee Even this Lord of life and love is to be served with fear and his most beloved and loving ones are to r●j●yce with trembling Psalm 2.11 l S●ought Magi. ●●ares Commission p. 37. We must begin all our service with fear trembling at our own infirmities and must end all again with fear blushing at our own vertues and excellencies That salvation which we hope and expect from him must be wrought out with fear and trembling and that because he is so gracious as to work in us both to will and to do of his own good pleasure Phil. 2.12 13. The knowledge of our Redemption by the Blood of Christ is made an argument by the Apostle for passing the time of our sojourning here in fear 1 Peter 1.17 18 19. But here it may be Objected Sect. 4. OBject 1. That it s said in Luke 1.74 That the end of
41 The nature of grace is too manifest it self and by that means to allure others and gather to its own quality It is set forth in Scripture by the names of Light which shines abroad of Ointment and Perfume which cannot be hid of Leaven and Salt which deriveth its own nature and relish upon a whole lump Therefore the Holy Ghost was given in Tongues fiery Tongues and a rushing wind all which have a quality of self manif station notifying themselvs to others a Jeak on Jude pag 164 The whole country fareth the better for arich Cristians he keepeth open House the more he hath the more he gives he labors to make all like himself his bonds only excepted The lips of the righteous feed many sayes Solomon Prov. 10.21 David promiseth upon his own experiencing Gods mercy to himself to teach Transgressors his wayes Psal 51.13 and so he did Psal 34.8 11. O taste and see that the Lord is good Come yee children hearken unto me and I will teach you the fear of the Lord. As soon as Andrew had met with-Christ he found out and brought his brother Simon to him John 1.40 41 42. As soon as Philip was called to Christ he found out Nathaniel and brought him to Christ also verse 43 45. When the Woman of Samaria had met with Christ she went and called her friends and neighbours out of the City to come to him John 4.28 29 30. Nor can it be otherwise b See Hildersham on the 4th of John Lect. 49. which is all on this subject for the love which they bear to Christ constrains them to do all they can to enlarge his Kingdom and the love they bear to their neighbours makes them do all they can to further the good of their souls Consider further 2. You shall be no losers in so doing for besides the glory which redounds to Christ whose honour as King of Saints is in the multitude of Converts as an earthly Kings is in the multitude of his Subjects Proverbs 14.28 it will tend much to your own benefit and advantage and that both in grace here and in glory hereafter 1. In grace here There is no better way to grow in grace and the knowledge of Christ your selves than by communicating what you have unto others c Hildersh ubi suprà The more you draw unto the knowledge of Christ the more will your own knowledg of him increase Rom. 1.11.12 This is like casting of seed into the earth which brings it back again with great increse Because God knew Abraham would make good use of that which he knew for the instruction of his Family therefore he would hide nothing from him Gen. 18.19 2. In glory hereafter for being employed as Instruments in carrying on this highest and noblest of works the converting of men and so saving their souls from death and hiding a multitude of sins James 5. ult they shall receive the greater recompence of reward Dan. 12.3 They that turn many to righteousnesse shall shine as the Stars for ever and ever Let these considerations move you to set upon this work in those ways whereby it is most likely to be accomplished Now though there are some wayes which are peculiar to some particular persons yet there are others common unto all Christians The Ministers of the Gospell are to disperse the knowledge of Christ by preaching that the sweet savour thereof may through the good hand of God upon them be manifested in all the places whither they are sent to the attracting and drawnig of Souls to come in unto him 2 Cor. 2.14 Magistrates are to do it by their authority providing Orthodox Ministers for the work forementioned and encourageing them in it Thus did Jehosaphat 2 Chron. 17.8 9. and Hezekiah 2 Chron. 30.22 Learned men are to do it by their pens recording and transmitting to posterity the truth as it is in Jesus Rich men are to do it by their purses who are to honour the Lord with their Substance Prov. 3 9. nor can they do it better than by employing what they have to further the propagation of the Gospell for the increase of the knowledge of Christ among the Sons of men But besides these there are three things which all Christians may and ought to do towards the progresse of the knowledge of Christ among others and I advise all into whose hands this shall come that upon the former considerations they would seriously mind the doing of them 1. The first is Prayer This is Primus vagitus infantis Christiani the first cry of an Infant Christian nor is he a child of God who is no acquainted with it Now look that one strain in your Prayers sound this way That the Lord of the harvest would send forth labourers into his harvest Mat. 9.38 That he would give pastors after his own heart to feed his people with knowledge and understanding Jer. 3.15 That he would ●pen unto them whom he sends forth a door of vtterance that they may speak the mysterie of Christ boldly as they ought to speak Col. 4.3 4. Eph. 6 19 20. That they may be delivered from unreasonable men who believe not and their service may be excepted of the Saints 2 Thes 3.2 Rom 15 30 31. That a great do●r and effectuall may be opened among their people though they have many adversaries 1 Cor. 16.9 That they may come in the fulnesse of the blessing of the Gospell of Christ Rom. 15.29 and the savour of his knowledge may be manifested by them in every place 2 Cor. 2.14 That thus the d Bishop Taylors Grand Exempl p. 359. Dr. Hamon Plact Cat. p. 310. 4o. Kingdome of Christ may come Mat. 6.10 and his Gospell run and be glorified 2 Thes 3.1 and his way may be known upon earth his saving health among all Nations Psal 67.2 and the Earth may be filled with the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the Sea Isaiah 11.9 This is one excellent way 2. The second is I struction Let those who know Jesus Christ themselves teach the knowledge of him to others as they have ability and opportunity especially their Families Friends Relations and Neighbors Instruct the ignorant in the ways of Christ admonish the unruly who wander from him and stand out against him encourage the towardly support the weak comfort the feeble minded 1 Thes 5.14 Tell those with whom you have to do how good the Lord is what he hath done for your souls tell them of Christs unsearchable riches his infinite love the great things which he hath done and suffered for poor sinners their misery without him their happinesse in him and perswade them to come in to him and close with him and taste how good and gracious he is Psal 66.16 Psal 34.8 that 's another way 3. The third is Example the good conversation of Christians do notably adorn the doctrine of God our Saviour Tit. 2.10 and win such as are without to professe