is possible he may have 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a taste of the heavenly gift he may taste but not concoct * Potest summis labris delibare Estius as one saith a Cook may taste the meat he dresseth but not be nourished by it * M. Perkins This taste may not only illuminare but reficere * Thom. Aquin. it may carry some sweetnesse in it there may be a kinde of delight in spiritual things Thus farre a man may go and yet penitus recidere fall away finally Now this will be very sad it being such a God-affronting and Christ-reproaching sinne Know therefore it is an evil and bitter thing that thou hast forsaken the Lord Jerem. 2.19 Meditate upon final relapses The meditation of this would make us earnest in prayer to God 1. For soundnesse of heart make my heart sound in thy statutes Psal Ps 119.80 119.80 Lord let me not be an Alchimy Christian work a thorough work of grace upon me Though I am not washed perfectly let me be wash'd throughly Psalme 51.2 That which begins in hypocrisie ends in apostasie 2. The meditation of hypocrites final falling away would make us earnest in prayer for perseverance Hold up my goings in thy paths that my footsteps stip not Psalme 17.5 Lord hold me up that I may hold out Thou hast set the crown at the end of the race let me run the race that I may wear the crown it was Beza's prayer Domine quod coepisti perfice ne in portu naufragium accidat Beza and let it be ours Lord perfect what thou hast begun in me that I may not suffer shipwrack when I am almost at Haven SECT 10. THe tenth subject of meditation is meditate of death * Vera Philosophia est mortis contemplatio Plato in dial de sap We say we must all die but who is he that meditates seriously upon it Meditate 1. Of the certainty of death statutum est 'T is appointed for all once to die Heb. 9.27 There 's a statute out 2. Meditate upon the proximity of death it is near to us Et mors atra caput fuscis circumvolat alis We are almost setting our feet upon the dark entry of death The Poets painted time with wings it not only rides Post but flies and carries us upon its wings The race is short between the cradle and the grave the sentence of death is already passed Gen. 3.19 To dust thou shalt returne so that our life is but a short reprieval from death which is granted to a condemned man Mine age is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as nothing Psal 39.5 nay if it were possible to take something out of nothing our life is lesse than nothing reckon'd with eternity 3. Meditate upon the uncertainty of the time We have no Lease but may be turned out the next houre there are so many casualties that it is a wonder if life be not cut off by untimely death * Quis scit an adjiciant hodiernae crastina vitae tempora dii superi Horat. How soon may God seale us a lease of ejectment Our grave may be digging before night To day we lie upon a pillow of downe to morrow we may be laid upon a pillow of dust To day the Sermon-bell goes to morrow our passing-bell may go 4. Think seriously that to die is to be but once done and after death there 's nothing to be done If thou diest in thy impenitency there 's no repenting in the grave If thou leavest thy work at death half done there is no finishing it in the grave Eccles 9.10 There 's no work nor devise nor wisdome in the grave whether thou goest If a garison surrender at the first summons there is mercy but if it stay til the red flag be hung out and the garison is storm'd there 's no mercy then Now 't is a day of grace and God holds forth the white flag of mercy to the penitent if we stay till God hold forth the red flag and storme us by death now there 's no mercy There is nothing to be done for our souls after death Oh meditate of death 'T is reported of Zeleucus that the first piece of houshold-stuff he brought into Babylon was a tomb-stone think often of your Tomb-stone The meditation of death would work these admirable effects 1. The meditation of death would pull down the plumes of pride Cum sis humi limus cur non humilimus thou art but pulvis animatus shall dust and ashes be proud Thou hast a grassy body Is 40.6 Agnoscat homose esse mortalem franget elationem Aug. and shalt shortly be mowen down I have said ye are gods Ps 82 but lest they should grow proud he adds a corrective ye shal die like men v. 7. ye are dying gods 2. The meditation of death would be a means to give a deaths wound to sinne nihil sic revocat a peccato c. No stronger antidote against sinne saith Austin than the frequent meditation of death am I now sinning and to morrow may be dying What if death should take me doing the devils work would it not send me to him to receive double pay carry the thoughts of death as a table-book alwayes about thee and when sinne tempts pull out this table-book and read in it and you shall see sinne will vanish We should look upon sin in two glasses the glasse of Christs blood and the glasse of death 3. The meditation of death would be a bridle for intemperancy shall I pamper that body which must lie down in the house of rottennesse Our Saviour at a feast breaks forth into mention of his burial Mat. 26.12 Matth. 26.12 feeding upon the thoughts of death would be an excellent preservative against a surfeit 4. The meditation of death would make us husband time better and croud up much work in a a little room Many meet in Taverns to drive away time the Apostle bids us redeeme it Eph. 5.15 Redeeming the time Our lives should be like jewels though little in bulk yet great in worth Some die young yet with gray haires upon them we must be like grasse of the field useful not like grasse of the house-top Psalme 129.6 which withers before it be grown up To live and not be serviceable is not vita but tempus * Seneca 5. The meditation of death would make us lay in provision against such a time It would spur us on in the pursuit after holinesse Death is the great plunderer it will shortly plunder us of all our outward comforts our feathers of beauty and honour must be laid in the dust but death cannot plunder us of our graces The Common-Wealth of Venice in their armoury have this inscription happy is he that in time of peace thinks of warre * Id etiam depictuon aurcis literis in porta aquaria civitatis Embrincensis he that often meditates of death will make preparation against
one who was digging in his garden and on a sudden made King and a purple garment richly embroydered with gold put upon him so shall it be done to the poorest beleever he shall be taken from his labouring work and set at the right hand of God * Injectaci vestis purpura auroque distincta Curtius having the Crown of righteousnesse upon his head * Mat. 25.33 Statuet oves ad dextram O in effabile gaudium in beat is glorificatis qui ad dextram Christi sistent astituri ipsi ut subditi screnissimo suo principi ut filii benignissimo suo patri ut regale sacerdotium gratiosissimo suo pontifici mater solomonis fuit ad dextram regis in Throno posita 1 King 2.19 O vero quam caduca haec etsi regia majestas in novissimo autem die vere magnifica gloriosa erit constitutio ad dextram solomonis coelestis desiderium cordis plenissime illis dabit apponet capiti eorum diadema auri * Ps 21.3 Solom Classius Exeg 4. Meditate often on this Jerusalem above The meditation of heaven would 1. Excite and quicken obedience It would put spurs to our sluggish hearts and make us abound in the work of God knowing that our labour is not in vaine in the Lord 1 Cor. 15.58 The weight of glory would not hinder us in our race but cause us to runne the faster this weight would adde wings to duty 2. The meditation of heaven would make us strive after heart-purity because onely the pure in heart shall see God Matth. 5.8 't is only a cleare eye can look upon a bright transparent object 3. The meditation of Heaven would be a pillar of support under our sufferings heaven will make amends for all One houres being in heaven will make us forget all our sorrows the Sunne dries up the water one beame of Gods glorious face will dry up all our tears SECT 14. THe fourteenth subject of meditation is Meditate on eternity Meditate upon eternity Some of the Ancients have compared it to an intellectual sphere whose centre is every where and circumference no where Eternity to the godly is a day which hath no Sun-setting and to the wicked a night which hath no Sun-rising Eternity is a gulf which may swallow up all our thoughts Meditate on that Scripture Matth. 25.46 And these shall go away into everlasting punishment but the righteous into life eternal 1. Meditate upon eternal punishment the bitter cup the damned drink of shall never passe away from them The sinner and the furnace shall never be parted Gods vial of wrath will be alwayes dropping upon a wicked man When you have reckon'd up so many myriads and millions of years nay ages as have passed the bounds of all Arithmitick Eternity is not yet begun This word EVER breaks the heart Horaque erit tantis ultima nulla malis Cogita centum millia annorum cogita decies centena millia annorum cogita mille milliones annorum immo seculorum nondum inchoasti aeternum Cornel. de Lap. Think of this all you that forget God If the tree fall hell-ward so it lies to all eternity Paenae gehennales torquent non extorquent puniunt non finiunt corpora Prosper Prosper Now is the time of Gods long-suffering 2 Pet. 3.9 after death will be the time of the sinners long-suffering when he shall suffer the vengeance of Eternall fire Jude 7. Si Deus diceret damnatis impleatur terra arena minutissima it a ut totus orbis hisce arenae granulis sit repleta à terra usque ad coelum Empyraeum mille simo quoque anno angelus veniat dematque ex hoc arenae â—umulo unum granulum eumque post tot millenarios annorum quot sunt granula ea exhauserit liberabo vos a gehenna O quam exultarent damnati at vero post omnes hos millenarios restant alii alii millenarii in infinitum in aeternum ultra Drexel 2. Meditate upon life eternal * Eternitas Est interminabilis vitae tota simul perfectâ— possessio Bâ—â—â—ius l. 5 de Consol Philosoph prosa 6. The soul that is once landed at the heavenly shore is past all stormes The glorified soul shall be for ever bathing it self in the rivers of pleasure Psalme 16. ult This is that which makes heaven to be heaven We shall be ever with the Lord. 1 Thes 4.17 Austin saith Lord I am content to suffer any paines and torments in this world if I might see thy face one day but alas were it onely for a day and then to be ejected heaven it would rather be an aggravation of misery but this word ever with the Lord is very accumulative and makes up the garland of glory A state of eternity is a state of security * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Theodoret. O vita vitalis vita sempiterna sempiterne beata ubi gaudium sine merore requies sine labore sanitas sine languore opes sine amissione perpetuitas sine corruptione Aug. Manuali cap. 7. de gaud The meditation of eternity would 1. Make us very serious in what we do Zeuxes being ask'd why he was so long about a picture answered aeternitati pingo I paint for eternity The thoughts of an irreversible condition after this life would make us pray and heare as for eternity Vive Deo vive aeternitati 2. The meditation of eternity would make us over-look present things as flitting and fading What is the world to him that hath eternitie in his eye * Eterniâ— inhianti fastidio sunt transitâ—ria Bern. Epist 3. 'T is but minutissima pars puncti * Simonides which as the Mathematicians say is just nothing He that thinks of eternitie will despise the pleasures of sinne for a season * Heb. 11.25 3. The meditation of eternity would be a meanes to keep us from envying the wickeds prosperity Here they ruffle it in their â—ilks but what is this to eternity as long as there is such a thing as eternity God hath time enough to reckon with all his enemies SECT 15. THe last subject of meditation is Meditate on your experiences meditate upon your experiences Look over your receites 1. Hath not God provided liberally for you and vouchsafed you those mercies which he hath denied to others who are better than you Here is an experience Gen. 48.15 The God who hath fed me all my days Thou never feedest but mercy carves for thee thou never goest to bed but mercy draws the curtaines and sets a guard of Angels about thee Whatever thou hast is out of the Exchequer of free grace Here 's an experience to meditate upon 2. Hath not God prevented many dangers hath he not kept watch and ward about you 1. What temporal dangers hath God screen'd off Thy neighbours house on fire * Paries cum prâ—ximus ardet Virg. and it hath not kindled in thy
bottom ver 9. For with thee is the fountain of life Dulcius ex ipso fonte c. and is not this most satisfactory It is a witty observation of Picus Mirandula That in the Creation of the World God gave the water to the fish the earth to the beasts the ayr to the fowls afterward made man in his own image that man might say Lord there is nothing upon earth to be desired besides Thee what can satiate my soul but to be still with thee 3. To be still with God is the most comfortable life what sweet harmony and musick is in that soul The Bird the higher it takes its flight the sweeter it sings so the higher the soul is raised above the World the sweeter joy it hath How is the heart inflamed in Prayer How is it ravished in Holy Meditation What joy and peace in believing Rom. 15.13 and these joys are those mellea flumina those honey-streams which flow out of the Rock Christ Tell me is it not comfortable being in Heaven He that is still with God carries Heaven about him he hath those praelibations and tasts of Gods love which are the beginnings of Heaven * Rom. 8.23 So sweet is this kinde of Life that it can drop sweetness into the troubles and disquiets of the World that we shall be scarce sensible of them * Nihil sentit crus in nervo quando animus est in coelo Tertullian It can turn the Prison into a Paradise the Furnace into a Festival it can sweeten death A soul elevated by grace can rejoyce to think of dying Death will but cut the string and the Soul that Bird of Paradise shall flie away and be at rest 4. To be still with God is the most durable life nunquam deficit semper resicit Diuturniora sunt praestantio ra the life of sense will fail we must shortly bid farewell to all our outward Comforts these blossoms will drop off We read of a Sea of glass mingled with fire Rev. 12.2 Bullinger and other learned Expositors understand by that Sea of glass the World Indeed it is a fit embleme of it the World is a Sea and it is seldome calm and 't is a Sea of glass slippery and this glass is mingled with fire to shew it is of a perishable and consuming nature Riches take wings and relations take wings but you that by the wings of grace are still soaring aloft This life shall never have an end it is the beginning of an eternal life happiness is but the cream of holiness you that are still with God shall be ever with the Lord 1 Thes 4.17 You shall see God in all his embroidered Robes of majesty * In Coelesti beatitudine sine alique taedio manens aeternitas inspectio sola divinitatis efficit ut beatius nihilesse possit Cassidor lib. 2. Ireneus lib. 4. contra haeres cap. 37. Greg. Nyssen lib. de beatitud Damascen lib. 4. de fide 1 Joh. 3. We shall see him as he is and this sight vvill be ravishing and full of glory Oh then is not this the best kinde of life He who when he awakes is still with God when he goes to sleep at death shall be ever with the Lord. Quest Quest But how shall I arrive at this blessed frame of heart to be still with God Answ Answ 1. Get a right Judgement 'T is a great matter to have the Judgement set right Get a right judgement of sin and you will be never with it get a right Judgement of God and you will be still with him In God are all combined excellencies How sweet is his love how satisfying is his presence But as the Painter drew a vail over Agamemnons face because the greatness of his grief for his daughter Iphigenia could not be expressed So when I speak of the glorious perfections in God I must draw a vail neither pen nor pensil can set them forth in their orientlustre the angels here must be silent 2. If you would be still with God watch over your hearts every day Lock up your hearts with God every morning and give him the key The heart will be stealing out to vanity * Nihil corde meo fugacius Bern. Lord saith Bernard there 's nothing more flitting then my heart Keep watch and ward there especially Christians look to your hearts after an Ordinance when you have been with God in duty now expect a temptation Physitians say The body must be more carefully looked to when it comes out of an hot Bath for the pores being open it is more in danger of catching cold After your spiritual Bathing in an Ordinance when you have been at a Sermon or Sacrament now take heed that you do not catch cold 3. Beware of remisness in duty * Sic putamus orâsse Jonam sic Danielem inter leones Sic latronem in Cruce Hierom. when you begin to slacken the reins and abate your former heat and vigour in Religion there steals insensibly a deadness upon the heart and by degrees there ariseth a sad estrangement between God and the Soul And Brethren how hard a Work will you finde it to get your hearts up again when they are once down A weighty stone that hath been rowled up to the top of a steep hill and then falls down to the bottom how hard is it to get it up again Oh take heed of a dull lazy temper in Gods service we are bid to be fervent in spirit Rom. 12.11 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Lecto neglecto mollem discute somnum Sarisburiensis in Policrat lib. 1. The Athenians enquiring at the Oracle of Apollo why their plagues did continue so long the Oracle answered them they must duplare aram double their Sacrifices * Plutarch those who would hold constant communion with God must double their devotion they must be much in praier and mighty in prayer we read that the coals were to be put to the incense Lev. 16.13 incense was a Type of prayer and the coals put to the incense was to shew That the heart of a Christian ought to be inflamed in holy services nothing more dangerous then a plodding formality 4. If you would be still with God be much in the Communion of Saints many Christians live as if this Article were blotted out of their Creed how doth one Saint whet and Sharpen another As vain company cools good affections so by being in the communion of Saints we are warmed and quickned Be often among the Spices and you will smell of them These directions observed we shall be able to keep our acquaintance with God and may arrive at this blessed frame as here David had When I awake I am still with thee FINIS CHRISTS LOVELINES OR A Discourse setting forth the Rare Beauties of the Lord Jesus which may both amaze the eye and draw the heart of a sinner to him By THOMAS WATSON Minister of Stephens Walbrook in the city of
being ravished with the amazing beauties of Jesus Christ Use 1 Use 1. Information And it hath three Branches 1. Bran. 1. Behold here as in a Scripture-glasse the transcendent excellencies of the Lord Jesus He is altogether lovely * Si de placenta mellea aut saccharea si de fructu sapidissimo v. g. de ficu quae nulles habet acinos sed tota est edilis delicata dicimus haec placenta tota irritat orexin si de vino suavissimo falerno cretico moscatellato dicimus hoc vinum summe est desiderabile quid dicemus de Christo qui omne desiderium non tantum satiat sed longe superat Corn. d. Lap. here is a faire prospect set before us I wonder not that Paul that Seraphique Saint defired to know nothing save Jesus Christ* 1 Cor. 2.2 What would he know more He is altogether lovely No wonder the Apostles left all and followed him Mat. 19.27 had I the tongue of Angels I could never set forth Christ in all his lively and lovely colours Besides what hath been said take a further view of Christs lovely excellencies in three particulars 1. He is our light Light is a glorious creature Eccles 11.7 Truly the light is sweet The light puls off the vaile and draws aside the dark curtaines of the night making every thing appear in its fresh colours Thus Jesus Christ is lovely 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He is call'd that true light John 1.9 and the bright morning star Rev. 22.16 when the soul is benighted with ignorance Christ is the morning-star that enlightens it He is the Sunne of righteousnesse Mal. 4.2 * i. e. tanquamradiis justitiae suae perfundens electos Tremel This Sun of righteousnesse is more glorious than that in the Firmament 1. The Sunne in the firmament riseth and sets but the Sun of righteousnesse when it once riseth upon the soule in conversion never sets finally upon him it may pull in its beames when the clouds of our sin come between but it comes out of the cloud again as it did to David it never sets finally 2. The Sunne in the Firmament only shines upon us but the Sunne of righteousnesse shines within us Gal. 1.16 but when it pleased God to reveale his Sonne in me The Sunne in the Firmament shines only upon our faces but the Sunne of righteousnesse shines in our hearts 2 Cor. 4.6 God hath shined in our hearts How sweet are these beames 3. The Sunne in the Firmament shines only in the day-time but the Sun of righteousnesse shines in the night In the night of desertion and affliction this Sunne shines Psalme 112.4 Vnto the upright there ariseth light in darknesse Oh how lovely is this Sun of righteousnesse by the bright beames of this Sunne we see God * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Theodoret. in secund Ep. ad Cor. 2. Christ is our food He is not only lovely to the eye but to the taste Iohn 6.55 My flesh is meat indeed This is Princely fare Accedis ad Christum non carne sed corde edis Christum non dente sed fide Aust it was never prepared for the Angels but for us 'T is lovely feeding here Al the rarities of heaven are serv'd in in this dish And my blood is drink indeed This blood is better than wine 1. Wine may be taken in excesse Noah took too much of the Grape but it is otherwise with the wine of Christs blood there is no feare of excesse here Though a drop be sweet yet the more we drink the better the deeper the sweeter Drink yea drink abundantly Obeloved Cant. 5.1 Excesse here makes us sober * Hac ebrietas sobrios reddit 2. Wine though it cheares the heart yet at some times if it be taken it may be hurtful give wine in a Feaver and it is as bad as poison But this wine of Christs blood is best in a Feaver When the heart burns as hot as hell in the sense of Gods wrath and is as it were in a spiritual Agony and Feaver now a drop of Christs blood doth allay the inflammation and sweetly refresheth the soul 't is lovely drinking at this fountaine 3. Christ is our life Col. 3.4 When Christ who is our life shall appeare Life is sweet life makes every thing comfortable In this the Devil said true Skin for skin yea all that a man hath will he give for his life Job 2.3 A man will cast the plate and jewels overboard to save his life he will lose a legge or an arme to preserve the vital parts Vt serves vitam ferrum patieris ignem Is life lovely and is not Christ who is our life lovely He was typified by the the tree of life in the Garden Gen. 2.9 That tree was Symbolical as Austin saith it was a pledg and signe of life if man had continued in obedience It was certainly a lovely tree but it was only a type of Christ who is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The tree of life Rev. 2.7 This tree of life the Lord Jesus is a better tree than that which grew in Paradise Adams tree in Paradise might preserve life but it could not prevent death there was dying for all that but this tree of life Jesus Christ prevents death John 11.26 Whosoever beleeveth in me shall never die that is not die the second death Rev. 2.14 This blessed tree is an antidote against death If there were a tree to be found in the world that could preserve men from dying how farre would they go on pilgrimage What vast sums of money would they give for one leaf of that tree such a tree is Christ he will keep you from dying and is not this tree very lovely In particular there is a threefold life flows from Jesus Christ 1. The life of grace Joh. 1.16 Of his fulness have we all received and grace for grace This life is gemma aeternitatis a bud of eternity t is a life purchased for us by Christs death 2. The life of comfort which is the creame of life John 16.22 Your heart shall rejoyce This is an holy jubilation of Spirit so sweet and ravishing is this joy that if David when he had lost his joy had lost also his crown and God had put the question to him which of these two he would have restored David would have said Lord restore unto me the joy of thy salvation Psal 51.12 Rather my comfort than my Crown 'T is Hilary Tearm with a Christian while these joys last 3. The life of glory John 17.22 This is the most noble life this is to live the life of Angels nay to live the life of God 'T is the highest elevation and perfection of the reasonable creature and may we not cry out with Chrysostom 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 What more lovely than Christ from whom these golden streams of life flow Oh that all this might make him amiable in our eyes What should we admire