Selected quad for the lemma: virtue_n
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A46734
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The excellency of Christ, or, The rose of Sharon shewing the art of taking Christ as the onely soveraign medicine of a sin-sick soul : accomodated both for those that are without and for those that are in Christ who are thereby instructed how they must be fitted to apply Christ unto themselves in 25 cases thereby instructed how they must be fitted to apply Christ unto themselves in 25 cases upon that excellent text in Cant. 2:1 ... / by Christopher Jelinger.
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Jelinger, Christopher.
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1641
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Wing J542; ESTC R29877
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111,385
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hath not saith the Apostle 2 Corinth 8.12 * That is not according to that which is beyond his power Hence * Dionys Carthus in Leo what a man was not able to do yesterday let him doe it to day let him ever * Leo de conflicta vit virt mihi p. 113. as he receives grace from above resist his depraved custome let him say both mornings and evenings now I have begun This is the change of the hand of the most High 2. As other bodily Physick must be taken fasting 2 Rule so be emptie when you take Christ that is 1. if need be abstaine even from meat keeping a truly religious fast according to our Saviours speech Mark 9.29 2. Thinke not your selves to be able to doe any thing as of your selves No but rather that all your sufficiencie is of God 2 Corinth 3.5 they that will keep Roses saith * Rosas nondum patesactas servabis si in â—anna viridi fixa reducas c. Palladius one must keep them in a greene cane And yee know that Christ cals himself a Rose in my text and therefore upon that very ground I inferre so much that seeing he is a Rose if you will take and keep him you must be as greene hollow canes that is evermore emptie and voyd of self-conceitednesse for as much as himself hath said Without me you can do nothing Ioh. 15.5 * Ne quisquam putaret saltem parvum aliquem fructum posse à semetipso palmitem ferre cum dixisset bic fert fiuctum multum non ait quia sine me parum potestâ—s facere sednibil potâ—stis facere Aug. in Loc. 3. Rule Quest Solut. Not but little but just nothing I pray you confider of it and be perswaded then to goe even quite out of your selves and to unbottome your selves wholly casting away all self-confidence and self-relying that so you may be fit for the Lord Christ who filleth but the hungry with good things who is emptie and sends the rich that is the rich in conceit emptie away Luk. 1.53 3. As Patients will see what they take so see you and consider Christ by faith with Abraham who saw his day and rejoyced Ioh. 8.56 You will say unto me what great vertue can there be in this sight I answer very much For if they that did but look on the * Numb 21. brazen Serpent being stung of the fiery Serpents were healed what will not faiths look do upon Christ himself who is God himself * Quod autem aeneus est signifiâ—al quod ille secundum carnem mortuus suerit sed divinitus aeternus sit Beda in Num. 21. typified by the brasse of that erected Serpent in the wildernesse and so consequently most able to heale us instantly when by faith we do but look upon him and eye him as the Apostle would have us saying Heb. 12.12 Let us lay aside every weight and the sin which doth so easily beset us c. Looking unto Iesus Mark Looking to shew that there is a most singular vertue and energie in the sight of Christ by a true and lively faith to subdue sinne and therefore I beseech you looke up to Christ and elevate your mindes a little and doe not alwayes and onely pore upon your sins For that can doe you no good but Christ can Christ will and will not you look upon him O go go nay run as it is like they did that were stung of the fiery Serpents and behold him as lifted up I le not say in the wildernesse but in the * Heremus Ecclesiam significat Idemib Churches of Christ signified as venerable Bede hath well noted it by the wildernesse Let me adde because it contained the people of God for are not you pittifully stung too of Satan and a number of stinging sins like so many fiery Serpents and therefore why do ye look one upon another and why do ye cast your eyes so much upon your soares and wounds which your sins made in your bleeding consciences This is not the way to health No No you must look up to Christ and therefore I say again run Quest 1 Answ and make all the haste you can to eye Christ that you may be healed of Christ inwardly as they that beheld the brazen Serpent were cured outwardly 2 Answ You will say unto me how would you have us to look upon Christ 1. I answer with the Apostle Heb. 12.3 consider him that endured such contradictions of sinners against himself and so * Consideratio enim est inspectio Langius eye him believing it to be so indeed that you may be moved by his * The like may be said of his humilitie chastitie sobrietie meeknesse mercifulnes benignitie sanctitie that a due and and serious consideration thereof may must move us to a carefull imitation of the same See Bern. Serm. 15. super Caâ— example patiently to endure the like Againe 2. consider all his other bitter pangs and passions but especially the stupendious effusion of his most precious blood and beleeve verily that he shed it and suffered so much as he did for the good of his to save them from their sins and from his fathers wrath and to give them everlasting life Ioh. 10.15.28 Ioh. 6.33 Matth. 1.21 1 Ioh. 1.7 Hebr. 9.12.14 Ephes 2.13.16 Coloss 2.14 4. But rest not here when you have seen Christ by faith assenting to the word of truth concerning him 4 Rule you must go farther yet and apply or take him inwardly as men take Roses conserved or distilled into their bodies beleeving verily that Christ not onely died for his people in generall but also for every one of you in speciall to free you from his fathers wrath and from sins tyranny and to intitle you to everlasting life In a word that he will do for you in all the 25. Cases formerly propounded as much as may be safely desired and expected Thus 1. 1 Ground the Saints of God did ever apply him in their severall times and exigencies as you may see Iob 19.25 Esa 9.6 Ier. 23.6 * Christus enim est bonus ille pastâ—r Aug. in Loc. Psal 23.1 Luk. 1.47 Ioh. 20.28 Gal. 2.20 1 Pet. 2.24 1 Ioh. 2.1 Revel 1.5.6 2. And thus the Lords Secretaries and pen-men of the holy Ghost perswade us to appropriate and to apply Christ to our poor languishing souls as you may see * Which words also are to be understood of Christ Idem in Loc. Psal 34.8 Zach. 9.9 Rom. 13.14 * Ephes 4.24 1 Ioh. 2.12 3. Yea thus Christ himself invites us to take and apply himself heare him speak himself if you will not beleeve me Come eate of my bread and drink of my wine saith he which I have mingled * Tremell in loc that is partake of those good things which my father would have me to communicate unto you Prov. 9.5 Againe * Est invitatio Christi
can mollifie those parts that are hard as * CoÌ„serves of Roses mollifie those parts which are hard yea help break the stone Will. Langham in his garden of health p. 534. Cui sons forte siccatus lachrymarum invocato Jesu non fluxit uberior Bernard one writes of it so Christ can take away the very heart of stone as he hath promised being God Eze. 36.26 hence Bernard what hardnesse of heart was ever able to stand before Jesus 12. 12 Case When you are troubled with Melancholy and distrustfull thoughts go to Christ in that case also For as Roses have a facultie as a Thomas Hill in his Art of Gard. p. 88. they write to expell melancholy so hath b Cui in adversis diffidenti jam jamque deficienti si nomen adjuâ—orii sonuit defuit fortitudo Bernard Christ a most singular facultie to cast out and dispell all those pensive and perplexed conceits which do so torture many of his beleeving members For he hath said I will never leave thee nor forsake thee Heb. 13. Iosh 1.5 which words of his being spoken home to the heart of a distrustfull person by his own spirit within in case you make use of him in such a time of need must needs be of such force and power as that light must even come out of darknesse as when he said let there be light Gen. 1.3 13. 13 Case When your hearts are not very stable go to Christ for stabilitie For as Roses if Plinie c Plin. Nat. hist lib. 25. may be credited confirme the tottering teeth in ones mouth so he is able to confirme and to make stable your hearts as the Apostle writes 2 Corinth 1.21 Now he which establisheth us with you in Christ c. is God marke in Christ who therefore is aptly resembled to a rock which firmly beares that edifice which is built on it d Aug retract l.c. 21. Matth. 16.10 14. 14 Case In a word when any sinfull motion or evill humour doth arise in your hearts then make haste to make use of Christ who is able to purge it out as Roses have a facultie to purge the heart so as that they suffer not any corruption to remain in it if we may give credit to that which e The Syrupe of Roses suffereth no corruption to remain in the heart Will. Langh p. 537. one writes of the same nay f Siquidem cum nominâ— Iesâ—m hominenâ— mihi propono mitem humilem corde benignum sobrium castum misericordem c. eundémque ipsum Deum omnip tentem qui me exemplo sance roboret adjutorio Vnde concludit quod nomeâ— I su totius indecoris fugat pruriginem Bernard Serm. 15 super Cant. much more For so saith the Apostle whom we may certainly beleeve Hebr. 9.14 How much more shall the blood of Christ who through the eternall spirit offered himself without spot to God purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God 15. 15 Case If you say what if one do yeeld or have given way to sin what shall he do then shall he go to Christ too I answer yes For whether will ye go else but to him who is able and ready to take away your sins and to cure your wounds after you have been bitten of sin and Satan even as the g Plin. Nat. hist l. 25. c. 2. root of a field rose is able to take away the venome out of the wound of a man that hath been bitten of a mad dog as Plinìe writes for therefore he compares himself both to a Rose in the field here and to the brazen Serpent in Israels camp which being looked on by those that were stung of fierie Serpents did heale and cure the same Ioh. 3.14 15 16. As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wildernesse even so must the Son of man be lifted up who as b one notes by the way by reason of his everlasting Dietie I adde and by reason of the long-lasting vertue of his death to deliver us from death notwithstanding sin which ever cleaves unto us is most aptly set forth by a serpent of brasse which is the more durable mettall that whosoever beleeveth in him should not perish but have everlasting life unto this most excellent passage of which more is to be said hereafter we may annexe that in 1 Iohn 1.1 2. My little children these things write I unto you that ye sinne not And if any man sinne we have an Advocate with the father lesus Christ the righteous and he is the propitiation for our sins and not for ours onely but also for the sins of the whole world where note by the way how Christ in such a case is compared to an Advocate so as that poore sinners who cannot plead for themselves may plead by him to escape the Iudgement of God denounced against sinners that they must die Ezech. 18.4 even as by the * Litigaturo liberum est ut vel ipse in persona propria compareat c. si ipse in judicio standi personam habeat Natura autem quidam impedâ—untur ut infantes quidaÌ„ loge ut soemiâ—ae quae per procuratores agere possâ—nt Doctor Vulteius Iuris Prud. l. 2. c. 30. civill law women children that cannot defend themselves are to plead their case by a Procurator or Advocate whereas others may plead themselves So that one may as much encourage you to go to Christ notwithstanding those sins into which through infirmitie you fall as * CavaÌ„za in suÌ„ma concil mihi p. 281. those 227. fathers which met in Trullo under the Emperour Iustinian to adde Canons unto the sixth generall Counsell of Constantinople which made none do * Liceaâ— omni Christiano monasterium ingredâ— c. in quocunque crimine deprehensus fuerit Saluaâ— tor enim noster Deus inquit Eum qui ad me venit non ejiciam for as Caxon 43. Conâ— 6. Const sic dicti animate and allow even criminall persons and notorious malefactors to enter into a Monastery yea more then they seeing the word of God it self as I shewed but now maketh for such an encouragement whereas they can bring no proofe sufficient They say indeed that Christ hath said him that comes to me I le in no wise cast out but they prove not that he who enters into a Cloyster having been a malefactor such as by the Law of God ought to die goes to Christ nay they cannot prove it For so any murderer or Sodomite to save his life may go into a Monastery and yet be farre enough from Christ wherefore I say one may more safely animate poore sinners that sin out of weaknesse to go to Christ himself rather then into a Cloyster which cannot save them as Christ can 16. If you say 16 Case what if our own hearts do even tremble and shake and condemn us as hypocrites shall we go to Christ and make use