The Friendship of Christ.

Honestly, I never did keep many friends. As a kid, I'd normally have maybe one guy I'd hang out with at a time, but even then it was never the kind of friendship that one thinks of as true friendship. Don't get me wrong, I do have a few people that I consider to be dear friends now, but they are few, and not all of them have websites. I can't say it's a great privilege to be my friend, as I suppose I'm not a very good one. I tend to keep things to myself, or rather, just plain keep to myself. People tend to laugh and seem to have a good time around me, but being a clown comes with some pain, ya know. I do very much appreciate those who have been friendly and kind to me, even in my darkest times. I thank God for those friends.

This past Lord's Day, I was reading in a book called Upon the Types of the Old Testament by Edward Taylor. Edward Taylor was a New England Puritan who has rather recently been discovered to be one of Americas great poets. And while he did hold to several errors of opinion (he was pro-Cromwell and anti-Presbyterian), his book of sermons on the types of the Old Testament (though difficult reading), is helpful in many ways. This is a quote, on the friendship of Christ, is from Taylor's Sermon on Colossians 1:15 --

"Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature."

"Does Christ's excellency shine forth upon us through the emblem of the Firstborn?...

"... the address it lays you under is to use all diligence to attain a sure friendship with Christ. Make Christ your friend. It's worthwhile to attain His friendship. He is God's Firstborn. Strive to be His favorite. You can't come into favor with God without His favor. God will not love you if you do not love His Firstborn. David had Jonathan for his friend unto the king, and Jonathan's friendship was frequently perfuming Saul's ears with sweet words for David. But oh! What is it then to have Jesus Christ your friend who will always be speaking well for you with His Father? He being God's firstborn is heir of all things. You are eternally advanced if He is your friend. If you are in His friendship, He will admit you into all sorts of friendship unto Him, and unto His Father: He will bring you into the friendship of a servant unto his lord, or rather will give you the friendship that a Master gives his faithful servants, Matt. 25:21; of a Brother to his brother, Heb. 2:11, 12; of a Parent to his children, John 21:5; of a Tutor to his scholars, John 8:31; of a Pastor to his flock, John 10:1, 2; of a King unto his people, Luke 12:32; Matt. 26:31; as of a Nurse to the little babe, Isa. 40:11; yea, as of a Co-heir in all His birthrights, Rom. 8:15, 16. Oh! What happiness is infused into the spirit by the influences of that friendship which is between friend and friend, between brethren and brethren, brethren and sisters, parents and children, husband and wife, shepherd and flock, prince and people? etc. But now if Christ is your friend, He will bestow on you the friendship of all relations. He will open the golden sleuces [floodgates] of all sorts of friendship, and let all come upon you in Him, and so He will be all in all to you. Think of it. For in that He is God's Firstborn He is capable of doing this. Therefore strive for His friendship. Fall on all those duties as lead into His friendship -- as repentance, reformation, faith, new obedience, etc."

I took the liberty of updating some of the language. I hope all who read this would strive for the friendship of Jesus Christ.