dying was after a sort all of us for in our Nature Hee made Himselfe one with us and had us all by name as a body unto Him and all our sinne He tooke as His owne having made Himselfe one mysticall Person with us Secondly you must know that CHRIST thus having us all with Him as members belonging to Him through the gift of His Father and having all our sinne made His He dyeth for us all and for the abolishing of all our sinnes so that we all lye dead with Him and out sinne is all crucified with Him for it beginneth not to be crucified when wee dye to it no here was the beginning of it Thirdly CHRIST lying dead with all His dead in Him having taken away the guilt and wrought the death of sin in all His or the death of all His members to sin CHRIST with His body being dead is raised and receiveth that treasury of supernaturall life which is to be derived in the order of it to all His so that CHRIST rising all of us rise in Him as our Head for the members have society in whatsoever is done in the Head 2 As a thing may be said to be in the cause of it so was all our resurrection in His which was to be the cause of all our resurrection As Adam and Eve were the cause of propagating a naturall life to all mankinde Fourthly CHRIST thus raised and made the conceptacle and fountaine of supernaturall life sendeth out His vitall influence into such as belong to Him 1 By faith giving them a being spirituall or an union in Him even as Adam gave a naturall being or participation of his substance unto his members 2 He doth send into them thus united with Him the Spirit of life from Himselfe that is the HOLY GHOST to dwell in them by the created gifts of grace which is life supernaturall They shall heare my voice who are dead that is they shall beleeve and they shall live 3 CHRIST doth successively perfect this life never leaving till He have in soule and body conformed us for our module to His blessed Soule and glorious body And these may serve to open this point of beliefe The difficulty of conceiving it commeth hence 1. That we know not how straitly and neerely we are united to Him for as all were within the loynes of Adam by the determinate Counsell of GOD to come from Him so all the Elect by GOD's predestination and donation were within CHRIST as one in Him and with Him 2. Wee are not able to see that vertue of His resurrection The use is first Vse to incite us to seeke to have our eyes opened that we may know the treasury of good things we have in CHRIST and the power which Hee hath put forth in us We should love CHRIST a thousand times more if wee knew feelingly what Hee were to us We are not able to see how we in the womb are formed how much more will our eyes dazle here further than GOD doth cleare them This also must make us hold to our head CHRIST even as we will have life in us get a member away from having communion with the Head it is presently livelesse having neither sense nor motion So in us with CHRIST We see whither we must have recourse for life Even to CHRIST Come to me and your soules shall live to GOD in our Nature looke at thy owne flesh in heaven and draw from it as a Conduit-pipe increase of grace sent thee from it by the Spirit which dwelleth with it Having forgiven you all trespasses Now he commeth to the order of our new quickening which hee setteth downe by three antecedents which made way to it 1 He pardoned our sinne 2 He crossed our Bill 3 He freed us from the power of Satan and all infernall spirits Before I enter them let this in generall be premised to cleare the text Suppose that we stood in great debt unto any say againe that he had to shew for all the debt under his owne hand Put the case thirdly that wee were cast into prison and in the custody of some Gaolour or any officers to that purpose If hee at whose suite wee are in hold be willing to set us free what doth he first he doth pardon the debt Secondly he doth Cancell our bills and bonds for he that keepeth our bonds seemeth not to forgive nor willing to let us goe otherwise than that he may have a saying to us when he pleaseth Thirdly he doth release his action and setteth him out of bands that held him and after all this dismisseth him to his liberty So here we are in for debt such debt as toucheth life it selfe the matter is under our owne confession the Divell holds us under chaines of darknesse GOD is willing to restore us to life 1 He pardoneth our faults 2 Rendeth the Articles of our confession 3 Taketh us out of their hands who were ministers of His justice in the close keeping of us This shall suffice to illustrate it in generall We see hence Doct. That in order of nature first we have pardon of sinne before wee have the life of grace begun in us there must be a removall of evill before there can be a conferring of good Thus in CHRIST Himselfe He was acquit from all our sinne which was upon Him before He was raised up yea if the least sinne of any of us who are His had beene unanswered Hee had not beene raised up and for this cause Rom. 4.25 The raising of CHRIST is said to be our justification that is God in raysing Him up did manifest that Hee was fully answered for all our sinnes so that we now are quit from all our sinnes in CHRIST our Head Even as if one lye sentenced a dead man for treason against the King he cannot have His life given him but pardon of his fault is first given So here answerably we are not restored to feele the life of God take place in us till our sins which caused our death are removed In a sinners restoring this is the order 1 God by faith setteth Him into CHRIST who is His righteousnesse in whom belongeth to Him forgivenesse 2 God when by beliefe He is in CHRIST doth pronounce Him just or acquit Him from sinne 3 The LORD doth send the Spirit of His Son into His heart This is the order in Nature though in time these things goe together This is to be noted against the Papists who when a sinner hath by deadly sinne lost the life of grace as they say though he after come to have never such love to God yet will not have the sinne forgiven till the Priest hath absolved him As if God did restore the life of grace before He gave the pardon of sinne This out of the order The words have foure things to be marked 1 Who forgiveth God the Father He raised up both CHRIST and us when He had forgiven 2 The manner of forgiving in
King so graced with mentall endowments a great Potentate and most Christian King if God had given us one though of obscure parentage it had beene a blessing but much obscured even by this circumstance So if that noble quality of the person ruling hath this force in earthly States what a thing is this that we have one annointed over us who is God over all Now as this increaseth our happinesse and is matter of thanksgiving So it must augment in us all reverence and dutie all holy confidence of obtaining good of getting aid and deliverance against and out of all evils We see the more excellent the gifts are as the strength wisdome of our King the more awfully they are respected the more obsequious we are to them the more confidently we promise our selves all things under their regiment Looke at Salomon one part of wisedome made feare fall on all Israel see their subjection though he taxed them heavily yet none durst quitch against him What shall we be to our God who in his abasement was greater than all Salomons This shall suffice to have observed out of the scope Now for the words themselves 1 For the opening of them 2 The deductions or use of them 1 He is said to be an Image but coessentiall with God the Father whose Image he is 2 He is that is Christ whole CHRIST God and man is said to be this Image of the invisible GOD and that not onely as invisible GOD with the Father but as man visible But this must bee warily understood not that CHRIST man hath qualities of other nature than wee have for more and lesse change not the kinde but because the man is taken into personall union with God the Son So that this man secundum Esse personale is God 3 It is to be marked of what he is the Image not of the personall difference in the Father but of the invisible God-head common to the Son with the Father as the childe is the image of his parent not in regard of the characteristicall property which his father and every one hath in singular to themselves but in respect of the same substance and nature derived by generation from the Father Look Heb. 1.3 Character Personae and that derived by generation from the Father We may learne to see the reason of that truth which our Saviour uttereth to Philip Vse 1 Philip Hee that seeth mee seeth the Father This teacheth us how wee must come into the knowledge of God invisible Vse 2 even by looking unto this visible Image of IESUS CHRIST our LORD Cast thy eyes to that nature of thine thou seest not onely where God is but that which personally is God if one had seene where the HOLY GHOST was and a figure with which Hee did extraordinarily and temporarily testifie His presence yet he should not have seene the HOLY GHOST because the Dove was not so taken in one Person with the HOLY GHOST but this humane nature is taken into fellowship of Person with GOD and so is become GOD. He that seeth this or that body hee seeth the man though he seeth not the spirituall nature in man because he seeth that visible nature which is a part and belongeth to the person of man So who so seeth this visible nature of God the Son may be said to see God though he see not the invisible Godhead because he seeth the nature which is joyned in unity of Person with God 2. By looking at the divine workes which this man wrought we come to conceive of the God-head in this Person as in His giving sight to the blinde raising the dead stilling the Sea I come to see that He is Almighty a quickening Spirit Setting before me that which He speaketh of Himselfe Vse 3 as in a glasse I see a reflected Image with the eye of my minde thus Moses by Faith saw the invisible God Considering such sentences who commeth downe from heaven but the Sonne of man which is in heaven Ioh. 3. I see an omnipotent nature I am the resurrection and the life When He knew their thoughts Lord thou knowest all things who can subdue all things to Himselfe In these and such like sentences let mee see the Image of an All-knowing Omnipotent Life-giving Nature Now thus seeing CHRIST in regard of both Natures I come to see the Father who hath the selfe-same Nature and the Spirit for in this Sonne is the Father and the Father in Him in the Sonne and Father is the Spirit and they in the Spirit This shewes us the grosse idolatry of the Papists Vse 2 who looke at Images of wood and stone at pictures of old men leaving this lively Coessentiall Image that is painted before us in the Gospell This is an introduction to us how wee may come to know the Father and Spirit get CHRIST Vse 3 know Him and thou knowest all The second Person onely is incarnate but the three Persons are all made manifest in that flesh with which the second Person is coupled For the selfe-same divine Nature of the second is the Nature of both the other also We say of a childe like his parent Doe you see this boy you see his father he resembles him up and downe But if thou seest this Sonne then thou feest the Father and Spirit for they are in Him as if wee could suppose three Persons all subsisting in one onely soule and body he that should see the one should see the other for the same soule and body which one hath the other two have also Now followeth his description in regard of that respect He hath to the Creature set downe in this Verse Hee is the first begotten of every creature Secondly Hee is proved both to be the Coessentiall Image of God and first begotten of the Creature by three arguments 1 His creating all Creatures 2 His antiquity and being before all Creatures 3 His susteining all Creatures But these words are doubtfull Two principall constructions are these the one that these words note Christs eternity begotten before all Creatures of the Father by eternall generation Secondly these words may signifie Him to be Heire of the Creatures the Lord of them by a metonymie of the subject for the adjunct the right of inheritance and dominion belonging by God's Law to the first begotten and this I take to be the true meaning for these reasons 1. CHRIST's eternall existence before all Creatures is laid downe in the next Verse save one in plaine words 2. The Holy Ghost construeth this being the first begotten as having this annexed the preeminence over other 3. Hebr. 1.2 Hee is said to be made heire of all things and this followeth For by Him all things were created as a reason both of His being the naturall Son of God with God and true Heire as here the same words are set downe to prove Him the Essentiall Image or naturall Sonne and the first begotten that He is Heire or Lord of all the
obedience which should of grace have that acceptance and the glorious fruit which followed upon them and therefore the Scriptures yea CHRIST Himselfe referres all those benefits to God's grace which upon the death of CHRIST are given us For it was the fatherly love of God which made Him pleased in the death of His Sonne and smell a savour of rest not that the merit of His death did extort so much derigore justiti◠And truly that the second Person should ever be so joyned to our Nature was unspeakable grace the Nature of Angels more excellent than ours found not this favour He tooke not the Angelicall Nature but the seed of Abraham If a King doe but light and rest Himselfe in some meane Cottage it is no small favour But for the immortall God to dwell by indissoluble bond of union personally in such an house of clay as our Nature is sinne excepted it is grace that cannot be comprehended The greater if we consider how that God full of all Majesty and glory by His incarnation thus dwelling in the forme of a servant did emptie Himselfe by vayling under this flesh the brightnesse of His glory We are then hence to learne Vse that all things must be ascribed to God's grace and with CHRIST to rest in this Father it hath pleased thee to give me CHRIST this or that benefit in CHRIST yea to doe all both in me and CHRIST my SAVIOUR to the glory of thy rich grace all must come hither God hath made me good in His eyes for this or that As for the Papists merit even in rigour of justice not onely in gracious fidelity it is prejudiciall to God's grace I think not to be found betweene the Father and the Sonne much lesse betwixt our God and us with whom it were woe if all our merits were not free mercies This in generall Now for the matter affirmed which first is the Qualification of the Person to be a Mediator 2. The work of mediation touching which 3. Things must bee opened 1 How wee are to conceive of the Person here spoken of in Him 2 What is meant by all fulnesse 3 What is meant by dwelling For the first he meaneth the beloved Sonne as Man as of the Person of CHRIST as incarnate the reason is because the Sonne of God absolutely considered as the second Person in Trinity hath all fulnesse not by voluntary dispensation but by naturall necessity in as much as the eternall Father never was nor could be without His eternall Sonne God with Himselfe this thing never was in the power of His free-will For the second you must know that there is in Christ His Person a three-fold fulnesse The first fundamentall the other two following as derived from it The first is the fulnesse of the divine Nature which doth personally dwell with that Man-hood in Christ whence it commeth to passe that this Man is truly called God that is the Man-hood taken into fellowship of the selfe-perfect and eternall Person of the Sonne of God so that it is become as a part of His Person The second fulnesse is the fulnesse of Office to which even Christ Man is called of being our Mediator Priest Prophet and King For in regard of his humane Nature now united to the second Person He is as Man called to be the Christ of God that is Anointed Thirdly the fulnesse of created or habituall graces wherewith the divine Nature doth fill the soule of Christ which are not the divine Properties but effects which the God-head worketh distinct from it as the soule giveth the body a life which is not the life wherewith the soule liveth for then when the body dieth the soule should die likewise but is an effect of it Now all of them may be here understood for they are all antecedent qualifications fitting him for this worke which in the next words is mentioned especially the first Now for the dwelling of all fulnesse in Christ Man the later two are in Him subjectively the former viz. the God-head doth dwell in Christ Man not as in the Saints 2 Cor. 6.23 I will dwel with you you are the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the habitation of God of God by the Spirit the Temple of the HOLY GHOST which is onely a dwelling by relation of love and communion of the effects of it in grace nor yet as God dwelleth in the glorified Saints 1 Cor. 15. when God shal be all in al which is likewise a dwelling together in regard of aboundant love manifested in the gift of glory nor any such simple cohabitation but it dwelleth with this man-hood as with a Nature which is taken to Vnity of Person in the Sonne of God and so is through grace become of the substance of the second Person So that He is now as truly said to be Man also as before He was said to be God only Now then the summe is Christ as Man or the Manhood of Christ hath the second Person of Trinity God with the Father and Spirit dwelling personally in it So that this Man-hood is essentially and substantially coupled with the Deity in unity of one selfe perfect and eternall Person Secondly it is anointed with fulnesse of Office and of Created gifts that Christ God-man that every way filled might be a fit Person to work our reconciliation following and to be an Head replenishing His Church which went before First then from the matter we see what an all-sufficient Head we have Looke to thy Nature in heaven Such a man as hath Plenitudinem Potestatis in regard of office full of all habituall graces which our nature can receive farre above all Angels yea full of that never drying Fountaine of life grace and glory it being taken into one Person with God neither could he else bee an Head quickening His Church He that must fill all the blessed Angels and all the redeemed peculiar people of God had need to have the Fountaine of life residing in him Which doth both refute that presumptuous usurpation of the man of sinne Vse 1 I meane the Pope in challenging to be an head of all the visible Church whereas Christ could not be our Head were He not God as well as Man As also it teacheth us our duty Vse 2 both whither to run for supply even hither to the Well-head of grace and life all fulnesse is in Him that we might draw from Him grace plenteously grace heaped on grace Oh blessed are those streames of grace which have this Head of living waters to feed them As likewise it teacheth where to offer prayse for the measure of grace we have received we should be affected as receivers in thankfulnesse to GOD in humility towards men For what have wee that wee have not received Lastly this is very comfortable for if there be such a fulnesse in CHRIST then what though there be abundance of sinne in us and guiltinesse yet there is a fulnesse in Him to remove it and take it away
a fulnesse of mercie to heare our supplications a fulnesse of merit to make a full atonement for our foulest sinnes a fulnesse of favour to prevaile with His Father in any request if therefore there be such a fulnesse in Christ as there is be not discouraged though thy sinnes abound yet his grace abounds much more they cannot be so out of measure sinfull as he is mercifull Remember but the two metaphors in Scripture I will scatter your sinnes as a mist I wil drowne them in the bottome of the Sea Now the Sunne by reason of his force can scatter the thickest mist as well as the thinnest vapour and the Sea by reason of his great vastnesse can drowne mountaines as well as mole-hils So CHRIST by reason of the great vastnesse of grace that is in Him is able yea forward and willing to forgive the greatest as well as the least sins For mercy though it be a quality in us yet it is a Nature in God now that which is naturall there is no unwillingnesse nor wearinesse in doing of it as the eye is not weary of seeing the eare is not weary of hearing therefore though our sinnes be never so great and many His grace is all-sufficient for the pardon of them Now I beseech you take not this exhortation in vain for there is nothing more effectual to heale a rebellious disposition and to cause a sinner to change his course than to bee fully perswaded that hee shall be received to mercy and that his sinnes shall be forgiven him in Christ Therefore let this fulnesse of mercy in Christ be an effectuall motive to us all to come in and to give up our selves wholly to Christ to serve Him with perfect hearts all our dayes Secondly Obs marke Into what glory our nature is exalted that God should dwell personally in our nature and take it to Himselfe so as to be of the substance of his Person It is an unspeakable dignity all the conceits of men and Angels put together cannot devise an higher exaltation of it See what love the Father hath shewed us 1 Ioh. 3.1 that we should be called the sonnes of God having the title and thing through grace of adoption but that our Nature should be made the true Naturall Sonne of God of the substance of His Person what admiration is here sufficient Which must be taught diligently to the people for this is the rocke to see the Son of God God with the Father blessed for ever Personally existing in this our Nature which Hee hath taken unto Him to see God dwelling in this His owne soule and bodic no lesse now through free grace of His Person than my soule and body are of mine This is the rocke against which Hell-gates cannot prevaile this is the onely rocke of Israel But there is place of speaking more fully of this in the next Chapter VERSE 20. And by Him to reconcile all things unto Himselfe and to set at Peace through the bloud of His Crosse both the things in earth and the things in heaven NOw followeth the benefit hee had said before In Christ wee had pardon and were received to favour Now he sheweth the ground of this viz. It pleased God as to qualifie the Person of Christ in manner above-named so to doe it to this end that we might by Him be reconciled The benefit is first simply propounded then applyed The simple propounding hath two parts 1 The thing to be done by Him To reconcile all things to Himselfe 2 The manner of doing in those words Pacifying all things by His bloud Marke first in the coherence Observ What gave occasion to the incarnation of the Son of God viz. our enemy like estrangement from God We see here that to the intent God might reconcile us He calleth His Sonne to be a Mediator Evill manners give occasion as we say to good lawes You know what brought forth first that secret of the Gospell The Seed of the woman shall breake the Serpents head Gen. 3. This is the nature of God to bring light out of darknesse to overcome evill with good As there is nothing so good which the Divell will not draw evill out of as when he perverteth this grace shewen in Christ to become a cloake of wantonnesie which Gregory observing exclaimeth O foelix flagitium and indeed the event to the faithfull is happie but we must not take heart to doe evill that the miracles of grace might be discovered you know what the Apostle saith Shall we sin that grace may abound Rom. 6. â— God forbid though the Physitian restore life with poyson none will therefore eat it who is wise but let us expresse the vertue of our heavenly Father who hath called us out of darknesse into His marvellous light and learne out of evill to doe good and to wound the Divell with his owne weapon Secondly marke that whereas we were the offenders and should have sought to God He doth when we goe on in our enmitie seeke out a way to reconcile us Observe then Obs How God followeth froward man He had never done but good by us we had revolted to the divell from Him highly provoking Him yet see He seeketh us O gracious Shepheard of soules that commest downe from heaven to seeke stray soules that are as willing to wander as they wickedly strayed God was in Christ reconciling the world you never heard the world first sought Him mark it for it setteth out His love Hee is faine to love us first and to overcome our peevish wickednesse with love or we should never leave our enmitie It teacheth us our duty rebuking the pride of many Vse who if one have done them any wrong and bee stiffe through weaknesse they will say A God's name let him seeke to them they are as good as he they are sure he did the injury But what if God should have stood on such nice termes with you Let us overcome evill with good doe good to those that hate you Seeke Peace and follow after it when through peevishnesse of men shee is running from you Thirdly marke Obs That Christ must have the God-head first dwell personally in Him before He can take up the matter betwixt God and us Whence note what it is that maketh the death of Christ accepted for all our reconciliation even this that He is not bare man but God also God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himselfe who not being God durst have ventured on this worke 1 Sam. 2.25 If man offend the Iudge can determine but if a man sinne against the Lord who will plead for him who could have endured the wrath which was to be borne before attonement could be made whose death could have beene a sufficient pacification the Scripture doth hold out this with emphasie God hath redeemed us with His bloud Act. 20.28 Tit. 2.14 the great God hath given Himselfe for us to redeeme us and purifie us
much lesse canst thou divide the Divine Nature And this is to be marked against the Lutherans Vse who imagine a communion of the Divine properties with the humane nature in part onely for they give it an omnipotency the omniscience of the God-head but not the eternity and simplicity whereas the Scripture knoweth no union nor communion of the Divine Nature with the humane which is not of all the fulnesse of the God-head No it is so absurd that sound reason cannot imagine it without making the essence of GOD such as may bee divided one part being where another is not 3 That he faith the fulnesse of the God-head is in Christ hence it is to be noted That not created guifts Doct. or miraculous effects of the Divine Nature are united with Christ man but the deity it selfe the fulnesse of it yea the whole fulnesse which is to bee noted against Arrius and all such spirits Againe this sheweth that the same singular Nature is in all the three Persons for he speaketh of the God-head in the singular number as being but one and as it is in the Father without controversie so it is wholly in the Son also as but one Sun in the firmament in which the whole kind of the creature subsisteth So there is but one Divine Nature neither indeede can be for the Divine Nature is most perfect infinite omnipotent the most absolute thing that can bee imagined Now were there many Gods having every one a distinct deity none of them were most perfect powerfull for every one had but his owne wanting that which is with others as no man hath all the perfections of mankind for he wanteth all that which is out of himselfe in others This is to bee marked for hence we come to know that there is but one God though three persons because the same fulnesse of the Divine Nature that is in the Father is in the Son and the same that is in the Father and the Son is in the spirit for He is called Iehova and it may as well bee all the fulnesse of it in the spirit with them both as in the Son with the Father as well be the essence of three as two Now hence it is manifest that these three persons are but one God for as Iohn Richard and Thomal if they all had but one body and one soule should all bee but one man So these all having but one God-head can bee but one God To be three Gods there must be not onely three Persons but three distinct Natures differing the one in number from the other for so many men as you have so many soules and bodies must be multiplied in which standeth the nature of man But how can three persons be one in nature I answer we are content to know it is so though how it is so we know not aspici Deus potest introspici non debet Though why not three persons in one nature as well as three Natures in one Person which is in Christ A bodily a spirituall created as His soule a spirituall increate And as the same light is originally from no other in the Sunne and secondarily by communication in the ray or beame of it So what hindereth c. Dwelleth bodily Obs The manner of GOD's dwelling in this man Doct. He doth dwell personally in Him that is so as that GOD the SONNE is thereby become personally man as he was from all eternity personally God with the Father and Spirit the God-head so dwelleth in this man that with the man-hood it maketh but one Person even as the soule and body in man make one man So this divine Nature and humane are now joyntly but one Person of CHRIST He which was a compleat Person from everlasting in fulnesse of time creating within His owne Person a singular body and soule such as we have sin excepted as a substantiall part of His Person not a part which made up the Person of God as before imperfect but a part because a new thing substantially that is personally assumed to that which before was perfect thus much this word Bodily or personally teacheth For it putteth a difference 1 betweene God dwelling in every thing as an efficient and preserver of them 2 betweene His dwelling in the Saints and Prophets by His assistance and workes of grace in them 3 Betweene His dwelling in the Saints in heaven God shall be all in all by His presence of glory and this dwelling in CHRIST which is by being united personally with this humane Nature As the Arrians abuse the similitude in the first Chapter when CHRIST is said to be the Image of His Father they gathered that therefore Hee had not the same substance with Him for we see a mans image or picture is not of the very same substance with the man whose picture it is not distinguishing betwixt naturall things properly so called and these artificiall ones which are but respectively and abusively so termed So here Nestorius Loe saith he GOD dwelleth in CHRIST man therefore he is not personally united with man For a man is no part of person with the house he dwelleth in not distinguishing betwixt common inhabitation and that which is personall But we see here the Text is plaine that He so dwelleth in this Nature that it is essentially or substantially united to Him as a part of His Person Againe He so dwelleth or doth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in our Nature that He is made flesh the Word was made flesh which cannot be understood of a simple but bodily or personall inhabitation This therefore doth first serve to confute all erroneous opinions touching the union of Christ Vse 1 for first wee see all Arrius his opinions overturned who granted that there were most divine qualities in Christ and wonderfull effects wrought by God in the man Christ but would not yeeld Him true God Marke all the fulnesse of the Godhead 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the divine Nature as Saint Peter speaketh dwelleth in Him All Eutiches his schollars Vse 2 who grant that God Himselfe was man but they say that this Vnion stood in that the divine Nature did swallow up the humane for they could not else see how they could make up one Person The Monothelites granted two Natures but one action For they could not see how divers actions would not conclude that there were many Persons But marke the divine Nature dwelleth in Christ Now the inhabiting and the inhabited are not confounded therefore both the Natures and their actions are distinct and if there were such a swallowing up of the humane Nature then flesh were made God not God flesh by force of the Vnion As for diversity of Persons it doth not follow upon the diversity of actions for there may be as well three actions in one Person as there are three Persons all having but one action If the multiplicity of action did come from the number of Persons then there
should be three severall Wills in the Trinity Againe there is no conversion of these Natures for that which dwelleth with another is not converted into it And all Nestorius his dreame of two distinct divided Persons said to be one through singular assistance love dignity consent for the Text saith Bodily and Saint Iohn saith They so dwell together that God is made flesh which cannot be said by vertue of any Vnion which is not substantiall We see what reason we have to hold to CHRIST Vse 2 if we had Moses or Daniel or Saint Paul upon the earth with whom the LORD pleased to dwell so abundantly by the effects of grace and gifts of prophecie Oh how would wee sticke to them how would we rest in their words or oracles but behold him who is the substantiall flesh of our GOD. This sheweth us whither wee must come Vse 3 if wee will finde God to no other but this Temple All old worshippers under the Law they went to the Temple when they would come to God and before the Temple was built to the Arke and Tabernacle but these were but types here is the true Temple looke to CHRIST-man to that body of which he said Destroy this Temple and I will build it againe in three dayes Looke hither and God shall over-shadow thee for the God head dwelleth with Him personally Consider the wonderfull love of God Vse 4 that vouchsafeth thus to dwell in our Nature If some mighty Prince should come and dwell in some poore cottage for his subjects good what a rare part of his singular love would it be counted How much more is this And thus answering briefly an objection of the Lutherans we will come to the next Verse The Nature in which God dwelleth is every where Object where God is but God dwelleth in the humane Nature viz. Christ-Man then in the humane Nature Let this answer the first part of the reason Answ I answer it with limitation That in which God dwelleth as a thing contained in a place containing that must needs be where ever God is not that in which God dwelleth in other manner as here he doth or that in which God dwelleth per aequipatentiam I illustrate the vanity of their argument with this That in which the light dwelleth that is every where where the light is But the light dwelleth in the body of the Sunne Therefore the body of the Sunne is every where where the light is VERSE 10. And yee are compleat in Him which is the Head of all Principality and Power NOw he commeth to the Reasons taken from the all-sufficient benefits wee receive in Him which first are laid downe in this tenth verse indefinitely after by particular enumeration The reason from this verse standeth thus You must not looke to others leaving Him in whom you have the fulnesse of all grace behoovefull given you But in Christ who is the Head of all Principality and Power you are compleat Ergo c. The Verse then containeth 1 Our most full blessednesse in CHRIST 2 A repetition of His dignity from whom we are replenished Now in the Verse we must first marke the coherence In whom having all the fulnesse of the divine Nature in Him you are compleat or full Observe hence Doct. Whence it is that CHRIST Man doth send out all the streames of grace and good things to all His members even hence that this fountaine dwelleth in Him Did not the divine Nature which is the fountaine of all life naturall and supernaturall Psal 36.9 For with Him is the Well of life Did not this dwell with this man or humane Nature we could not be enlightned and quickned by it So that when we reade Ioh. 6. he that eateth my flesh hath life in him we must know that these things are spoken truely of the man-hood not that this Nature of it selfe can doe these things but because the Deity dwelleth with it and by it as by an instrument joyned personally with it doth properly and efficiently worke these things Even as we see the body of the Sunne doth enlighten all but as an instrument of the first created light which GOD hath united to it This must be held that neither the omnipotent power of ereating spirituall graces nor yet the omnipotent action which doth produce them is in the humane Nature or proceedeth from the humane Nature but in God onely and from God in and with this humane Nature working to the same effects according to the propertie of it As a Scrivenour writing with a pen the effect viz. writing may be ascribed to the pen for we say this pen did write this but the faculty of writing and the proper action which produceth it is in the scribe and goeth not from the scribe into the pen So here after some sort for the pen hath no reason and will to worke with the scribe in that to which it is used but he is an instrument having this humane understanding and will whereby hee worketh The pen is an externall instrument without the person of Him that useth it but CHRIST's humane Nature is an internall instrument united within the Person of God the Sonne as a part of His Person as the body of a man is to his soule yea more nearely for death severeth this but not the other yet in this they are like that one is the effect viz. the thing written is properly and efficiently from the Scribe from the pen instrumentally with efficiencie of inferiour degree So these divine workes which CHRIST the Mediatour worketh the chiefe vertue and action which properly effecteth them is in God not communicated really with the other Nature though it doth worke them in this humane Nature with it yea and by it as a most neerely conjoyned instrument which within the person of God the Sonne hath His proper actions concurring in an inferiour degree of efficiencie to that which the divine Nature principally and properly worketh GOD worketh graces CHRIST-Man worketh the same Saint Paul by laying on of hands giveth grace as to Timothy the divine Nature that createth them and infuseth them into this or that man through CHRIST Man being as a common conceptacle and conduit-pipe of them the humane Nature worketh them not by powerfull creating them but by taking away fin and the cause that so way might bee made for this promised Spirit Galath 3.14 2 By interceding Mediator-like for them 3 By willing the going of such graces from Him as who is with God the Sonne but one Worker though a distinct principle of working that is though distinct in Nature yet the same in Person Hee therefore worketh them as His owne workes from His owne power for God's power is by Vnity of Person made His the divine power not being without Him as the power of another Person than He is but being personally with Him Those things which His humane Nature worketh or which are wrought after His humane Nature they are the workes
this their restoring to life The first is pardon of sin The second is cancelling the obligation against them The third is the setting them free from those jaylors and executioners in whose keeping they were The two first are in this thirteenth verse the latter in the end of the thirteenth verse and in the other two following The first of the antecedents in the end of the thirteenth verse The second in the fourteenth verse The third in the fifteenth verse To returne to the thirteenth verse And first in genenerall from this his Commoration in this benefit wee note Doct. That our quickning in CHRIST is such a benefit which we must not quickly have done with and lightly passe over The Apostle cannot move from this till hee have dwelt a while upon it and amplified and enforced on them the consideration of it So it is we lend it little thought but the more is our fault we should when wee thinke on God's benefits in Christ make a stand and dwell upon them that so we might be more affected 2 Marke What Ministers must doe Doct. viz. they must amplifie to their people the benefits bestowed on them how often doth Moses this in Deutr. For 1 It is for the honour of God that His benefits should be set forth 2 It edifieth others and gaineth glory to God while they are to know the things bestowed on them and they are by this meanes wrought unto thanksgiving Againe wee are like children wee know not the worth of those great things wherewith GOD hath enriched us As a young childe that hath great patrimonies and priviledges doth not to any purpose conceive the worth of them yea we are as forgetfull as the eaten bread is quickly forgotten And beside a benefit while enjoyed groweth no dainties with us in all these regards we must use this practise of the Apostle If men have outward commodities and abilities and gifts of any kinde they know them too well even till they be proud of them but in heavenly things it is quite otherwise Now for their condition it is described from the state of death You when you were dead 2. The kinde of death viz. in sin 1. Actuall in trespasses 2. Originall in uncircumcision of heart which is set downe by a Synecdoche or Metonymie of the signe for the thing signified Outward Circumcision put for outward and inward which is more emphatical when they were so dead that inwardly and outwardly they did lye in evill the meaning is when you were utterly dead in soule mortall in body subject to eternall damnation by reason of your actuall transgressions and original corruption You then He quickened that is GOD the Father out of the Verse before with His CHRIST First then observe That we are by nature dead to God the same is Eph. 2.1 We are not like a man in a sleepe nor like the Samaritan greatly wounded but we are starke dead in regard of the life of GOD. Rom. 5. he saith Wee are of no strength not of feeble strength and the naturall man is often so called My Sonne was dead and is alive let the dead bury their dead A man is every way by nature dead his body is mortall in dying from his birth eternall death of soule and body hangeth over him His soule is quite dead for God in regard of His presence of sanctifying grace going from a man he dyeth in soule As the soule going from the body the naturall life is extinct But it may be said Object why man hath some reliques of knowledge Againe some of the Heathen have excelled in vertuous actions without grace Every knowledge is not the life of God strictly so called Answ but that knowledge which affecteth the heart to follow God to trust in Him love Him They that know thee will trust in thee otherwise the divels doe know God in their kinde 2 The knowledge of man is able to make him unexculable onely not able to make him alive according to GOD for these Heathens vertues they were but pictures without the soule and life of vertue in them splendida peccata good trees they were not and therefore their fruit could not be good all is not gold that glisters This then confuteth all doctrines of free-will Vse 1 or of any power in man which holpen a little can helpe it selfe Dead men have nothing in them to help themselves toward this world so it is with us toward the other Yea we see hence that it is not suggestions to the minde nor exhortations that will doe it we doe but tell a dead man a tale and all in vaine till God create a new light in the minde and take away the heart of stone and give us tender new hearts let us confesse our utter 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 impotencie and inability and give glory to God Hence must be enforced to the natural man what is his estate dead in his soule Vse 2 hee heareth not the thunder of GOD's Law nor His sweet promises he seeth no heavenly thing neither GOD nor any spirituall matter hee tasteth no relish in any meat of the soule he speaketh not a word powdred with grace hee stirreth not hand nor foot to that which is good Oh the world is full of these ghosts twice dead as Saint Iude speaketh yea the relikes of this spirituall death hangeth about us all Marke from this that we who are alive through grace Vse 3 must not associate our selves with those that are meere naturall men for we see that no living thing can abide that which is dead the beasts will start at a dead carrion our dearest friends we put from us when dead but alas the LORD's children now can goe hand in hand with such who have not a sparke of grace in them Oh this death is not terrible we are al so much in it that we see not the filthinesse of it As a blacke hue among the Black-moores is not reproachfull So dead ones with us whose graces are ready to dye agree well enough In sinnes Observe Doct. That sinne both originall and actuall is the death of the soule Mors animae peccatum Our sin in which we are borne and live is the death of our soules and the demerit of further death Death it is to death it goeth Now what is death is it not the absence of life the soule being gone with the entrance of corruption And what is sinne Is it not the absence of saving knowledge righteousnesse and holinesse with the corruption of the minde will affections so that the spirituall stinch of it streameth out at the eye lust at the eare itching after vanity at the mouth rottennes is the best I mean unfruitfull speech sometime bitternesse Looke as holinesse is the beginning of life everlasting which goeth on till it end in glory so is sin the death of the soule which doth if the grace of CHRIST heale it not never stay till it come to everlasting damnation As for sinfull actions they
which faith layeth hold on onely CHRIST IESUS this is the only matter that Faith claspeth for righteousnesse before God and life everlasting So God loved the world Ioh. 3.16 that he gave His only begotten Son that whosoever beleeveth in Him should not perish but have life everlasting He is lifted up as the brazen Serpent that eying Him crucified we might be healed Rom. 3.25 Him hath GOD set forth for a reconciliation through faith in his bloud True it is the same saving faith beleeveth all that is set downe of GOD in the Scripture all particular promises for the passing of this life for these distinct offices doe not make three distinct faiths in us as the reasonable sensitive and naturall functions doe not make three soules in man but one whose effects are three-fold Neverthelesse Faith though it lay hold of all truth as it is taught yet so farre forth as it justifieth it buildeth and leaneth it selfe on Christ onely like as the Israelites they with their eyes did see divers things and looke on sundry objects as occasion served but so farre as they got themselves healed of the stings of firy serpents they looked with their eyes at nothing but the serpent lifted up To rebuke the worldlings faith Vse 1 which is grounded not on CHRIST crucified but such a mercy in GOD as is generally so good that it will save all The Papists their faith is grounded on their good workes with CHRIST and on the treasury of merits and satisfaction but the Arke and Dagon wil not stand together CHRIST and this stubble will not agree Wee may trie the truth of our faith this way Vse 2 it layeth hold on CHRIST Eph. 3 17. Phil. 3.3.7 bringeth Him to dwell in the heart rejoyceth in Him counteth all things drosse in comparison of Him Toward whom our love especially must be shewed Obs 2 to Saints Gal. 6.10 Rom. 12.13 Doe good to all especially to the houshold of Faith Distribute to the necessities of the Saints My good reacheth to the Saints Psal 16. all my delight is in them All in their order are to have the fruits of our love but those most who are nearest us as in nature every one is next himselfe then next to such as are of his bloud in neerest degree or otherwise made one body with him as the wife with the husband Thus in grace after GOD and our owne soules the Saints are neerest us as who are by faith and love fellow-members knit to CHRIST the Head of us all Againe a wise man will sow his seed in the best ground which will returne it with most increase So a Christian will sow the fruits of his love chiefly on the Saints for GOD taketh that which is done to them as done to Himselfe Againe this love of the brethren the Saints is a token we are translated from death to life for as this is a token the world doth not know GOD and so have not life everlasting in them because they know not His children So it is an evidence when we acknowledge such as are begotten of GOD that God hath brought us to know him who is the begetter of them To stirre us up to our duties Vse 1 our eyes should be to them that are faithfull our affections with them Birds of a feather will fly together good fellowes love one another And shall not the fellowship of grace in those that are members of one body whereof CHRIST is the Head knit the Saints together in the strongest band of love This rebuketh the weaknesse of some Vse 2 they are afraid to give any countenance to a Saint though like Nicodemus they have some good affection and liking to the godly yet they dare not be seene to hold any neere communion and familiar converse with such lest they should be thought Puritanes and favourers of men in disgrace with the State Blessed is he that is not offended at CHRIST in His poore members This rebuketh the prophanenesse of othersome Vse 3 who as the Philistims brought out Sampson when they would be merry So out must some Saint come and beare their flouts and derision when they are more pleasantly disposed Ismaeliush mockers of Isaak Yea others worse than the former hate the Saints wish there were not one in a towne of them like Cain who hated his brother to death because his workes were better than his It is an evidence of a godly heart to cleave more affectionately to those who are more godly than other And it savours of a carnall heart in a great measure when any one doth equally impart his favour If any have points of service and can apply themselves to their humour though they have small acquaintance with GOD they shall be countenanced this maketh their religion linsey-woolsey this confirmeth the hands of such in their carnall course this maketh those that are good more remisse than they should be should they finde from Christians better incouragement Davids delight was in the Saints Psal 16.3 Ps 101.6 he did purge his family of such as were unprofitable and gracelesse he set his heart on such as did set their hearts to please GOD in all things not such as could get the length of his foot were precious in his eyes Can a loyall wife take pleasure in such men who are observant and officious about her but devoid of all respect to her husband Are your soules betrothed to GOD in CHRIST and can you abide their service about you who are carelesse in dutie toward your LORD with whom you are by faith contracted this shewes there is but a forme of godlinesse or that it is much decayed when wee can like of men not as wee see them sincerely serve GOD but as their behaviour is more or lesse pleasing and contentful to our selves VERSE 5. For the hope which is laid up for you in heaven whereof ye heard before in the Word of truth the Gospell FOr the hope Hope is put for the quality of hope or the thing hoped for we are to take it here in the latter sense Observe hence Obs 1 What is a spurre quickning us to all duty the recompence which our GOD hath in store for us Heb. 11.25 26. Moses chose rather to suffer affliction with the people of GOD then to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season esteeming the reproach of CHRIST greater riches then the treasures of Aegypt for he had respect unto the recompence of reward We faint not knowing that our labour is not in vaine in the Lord. If the Lord kept nothing in store for us we might thinke as good play for nothing as worke for nothing but no office of love no not a Cup of cold water shall goe unrequited How doth this provoke to obedience but we must not hence thinke wee merit and grow mercenary minded serving for our Penny not of love to our Father for we looke not at these hopes this recompence of reward as
for the people yet not inferior to them Answer Emperors are so for the people that they are Lords over them and the people are for them even their Subjects and bodies politique but Saint Peter nor no Apostle are so for the Church that they are Lords of it and that the Church is their Church and body mysticall therefore they are so for the Churches that they are inferiors to them Object Was not Saint Peter and the rest immediate legates from Christ Object and had they not authority which all the Churches were to obey Answer They had yet their persons still under the Church and their worke of Ministery not to domineere over the Churches the reason is because it was the message and order of the Churches Husband which was of authority above her not their persons that did relate it If a man send one of his servants with a command to his Wife the servant when he hath got this errand is not a Lord over the Wife but a servant under her though his message from her Lord is such which she may not gainesay Fiftly Observe Obs the dignity of the faithfull and their neere conjunction with Christ they are the body of Christ not the naturall body united to the second person nor the Sacramentall body but a mysticall body such who by force of Christ His Spirit are knit to Him and receive all things from Him proportionably as the body naturall doth from the head Many other comparisons as of Vine and branches Man and Wife c. doe set it downe but none more lively then this which is the oftenest frequented To shew us the excellent condition to which we are brought Vse 1 to assure us of Christs love who ever hated His owne flesh He that toucheth you toucheth the apple of Mine eye This letteth us also see the fearefulnesse of abusing the godly that are truely faithfull Vse 2 they lift at mill-stones Lastly Obs seeing Christ is risen from the dead we must labour and strive thither also if a Captaine hath made a breach and entered the hold of the enemy will not the souldiers presse after and ambitiously affect who should get next him so we Christ hath led us the daunce and broke through the gates of death into the City of God we should affect to come after as Saint Paul did strive for conformity with Christ in this point both in the first and second Resurrection The third point is Observ That Christs Resurrection hath speciall priviledge above all others for all others before were not begotten from among the dead because they were raised up with mortality tending to death againe but our Saviour Christ in that He dyed He dyed at once not long to be held of it but in that He is risen He is raised to live for ever death shall no more have dominion over Him 2 All other rose as private and singular men not as publique persons in the name of other making hope to all the dead of their resurrection therefore they were not the first fruits duely gathered but like a singular eare of corne by occasion more timely gathered Now Christ is risen as He dyed not for Himselfe onely but for all us so Christ is risen in al our names so that as we all dyed in Him so we all are raised in Him as a Burgesse of a Parliament what he doth or speaketh it is in the name of the Corporation who doth it in him When God created Adam He made all mankinde in as much as He made him who was to be a Principle of naturall generation to all mankind conveying life and being to them in their order so when He raised Christ He raised us all in as much as He hath raised up a second Adam a Principle of spirituall regeneration even of the first and second resurrection to all Gods chosen in their order Hence it is that Paul saith Eph. 2.6 We are raised up in Christ and set in heavenly places in Him that Peter saith 1 Peâ— 1.3 God hath begotten us to that happy hope in the Resurrection of Iesus Christ Lastly He raised Himselfe as who was the Lord from heaven the quickening Spirit Destroy this body and in three dayes I will raise it up Great therefore every way is the prerogative of our Lord IESUS CHRIST even in regard of that Nature which was dead but now is alive He was slaine before the foundation of the world Hee is raised up as the hope and fore-runner of all our immortality Thou lookest at His death as thy death and against all guilt of sinne and terrour of conscience threatning the Curse doest say I have borne the Curse in my Lord Gal. 3.13 made a curse for me So against all terrours of bodily death hold this I am raised up in CHRIST for He is risen in all our names who beleeve on Him If wee beleeve that IESUS is dead and risen againe 1 Thess 4.14 so also God shall bring those who are slept in Iesus say to life eternall with Him VERSE 19. For it pleased the Father that in Him should all fulnesse dwell NOw he commeth to give a reason of the former opening the fountaine where the Man IESUS CHRIST found such grace as that in Him all of us should be redeemed that Hee should be God in Person over all creatures yea the Head of His Church filling all in all Now the Reason is here set downe to be the good pleasure of God the Father First that the fulnesse of the God-head for so it is best construed out of the second Chap. Vers 9. and not only that the fulnesse of created gifts should dwell personally in this humane Nature as a Temple 2. That this Person God-man should by the Sacrifice of Himselfe reconcile all unto God First then in generall we see Obs That whatsoever the manhood of CHRIST is lifted up unto it is the meere grace of God not the merit of the Creature What could this Man doe which could deserve this grace that it should be personally united with God and so lifted up to be incomparably above all the Angels in heaven And therefore Saint Augustine doth not doubt to make CHRIST the Sampler of GOD's free Predestination the free grace of God appearing in none so much as in Him which is the Head of all This CHRIST looketh to in His members Lord I thanke thee that thou hast beene pleased to reveile these things unto babes and sucklings and hast kept them from the wise and learned Even so O Father because it pleased thee Yea I doubt not but as God did predestinate him of grace to this honour of being God in fellowship of Person and of being the Prince of our salvation So God in the Covenant He did make with Him and the commandement He gave Him of laying downe His life did strike it and fulfill it of grace not requiring any thing Hee imposed on His Sonne more than duties of free
to Himselfe a peculiar people Zealous of good workes Rom. 8. It is God that Iustifieth Which doth first serve for confutation of the Papists Vse 1 who though they yeeld Christ God-man yet will have His sacrificing praying c. onely to come from His humane Nature whereas all the efficacy commeth hence that the divine Nature and the humane are conjoyned as the body to the soule the humane nature being but an instrument to the divine neither is it absurd that the same Person who as God is to be prayed unto should as God-man pray to Himselfe as God absolutely considered with the Father and spirit for Christ susteyneth a double person one as God absolutely considered with the Father and Spirit and offended by man as they another as God-man undertaking to reconcile man offending to the Father Himselfe and the Spirit offended This doth teach us what we must looke at in Christ Vse 2 if we will have our consciences comfortably setled in the perswasion of our reconcilement we must looke at Him as God who goeth betweene us and God this doth still the conscience and fill it with good hope When we have offended some great personages if some meane one should moove them in our behalfe it would not so stay us for we know they will often not heare them speake or have them in light regard if they doe give them the hearing but if we can procure such as are their peeres to deale effectually for us we doubt not but that things shall be well compounded what will they deny to such as shall be equall to themselves and most neerely acquainted with them so with us c. Now in the coherence it selfe these things being marked come wee to the action it selfe where are three things 1 The reconciler by Him 2 The thing to be reconciled 3 To whom these things were to be reconciled to Him which is to be supplied out of the ver before where either 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 indefinitely or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 may bee understood out of the first and third circumstances wee gather these things joyntly By Him Obs Observe hence Who is the worker of our reconciliation with God even this deare Sonne the Father testifieth from heaven saying this is my beloved Sonne in whom I am well pleased So Rom. 3.25 Him hath God set forth speaking of Christ as a reconciliation as a propitiatory sacrifice in which He would returne into favour with us God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himselfe The Father and the spirit reconcile us to themselves but by Christ Christ immediately by Himselfe doth procure us favour and this was it which all the attonements made by propitiatory sacrifices did presignify unto us even how this High Priest Iesus Christ should with the sacrifice of His bloud make God and us one againe in mutuall love as He and His Father are one Which doth let us see what we must looke to in all terrors of conscience caused by apprehension of God Vse 1 wrath even to Iesus Christ He hath with His bloud quenched this wild fire for Gods wrath is a consuming fire We with screenes doe keepe the fire from face and eys but they are wise which put between their soules and Gods wrath this screene of Christ His reconciliation least this fire burne to the pit of destruction This must make us cleave unto Christ even to let our tenderest bowels love Him that hath done this for us ô if one doe but take up some hurtfull jarre betwixt us and some other whose favour we have found very beneficiall whose displeasure we find very prejudiciall wee would be very thankefull to Him If one should mollifie the Kings displeasure and make Him favour us would we not with all love imbrace Him Christ hath healed worse things betwixt God and thee love Him with all thy soule If one should interpose his mediation to the King for some malefactor say a Theefe that hath greatly wronged some man in his estate the King will say out of justice thou must see the dammages done bee made whole and undertake that he shal leave that course of life els in justice and wisedome I cannot but refuse the suite even so if Christ had not giuen such satisfaction as was accepted and undertaken to kill the raigne of sinne and enmity against God for the time to come this blessed reconciliation could not have beene concluded The use of it is to stirre us up Vse 1 if we have care to have God reconciled to us to make sure that our sin is covered and that there be no enmity raging in our hearts against Him for hereafter As he said to Iehu peace Iehu he answer'd how can there be peace whiles Iezabels fornications are not revenged Say thou to God in thy enemylike courses not subject to his commandements art thou reconciled Lord He wil say how should I thou hast that uncovered in thee which maketh all the quarrell for I cannot see iniquity so as to like of it I am God that hate it This teacheth us what is the true way of reconciling to take away that which maketh the difference for else truce we may have which souldiers hostilelike affected have but true reconcilement will be far from us Marke Obs 2 in what all our peace is grounded the bloud-shed of Iesus Christ the phrase is to be noted by the bloud of the Crosse by Him the latter pointing at the excellency of of His person as the thing which made His bloud-shed so forceable 1 Ioh. 2.7 This purgeth all our sinnes saith Saint Iohn This doth worke a death of sinne our sinfull life being crucified in Him and through Him this maketh way for the Father of all mercies to exchange and that without wrong to His justice His just wrath with fatherly favour yea the conspiring Angels with the heyres of salvation and joy they have in them yea peace w th all the creatures yea inward and outward agreement of man with man must hence be derived for what breakes downe the partition wall what killeth sinne in vs but this alone ô pretious bloud that cryest not for revenge but speakest better things then the bloud of Abell But here three things are to be layd downe for the cleering of this point 1 The true order of our reconciliation 2 What is meant by the bloud of His Crosse 3 Why the Scripture doth attribute this every where to His bloud and externall sufferings 1 To the first we are reconciled in this order 1 All cause of inward and outward enmity is taken away the matter of enmity betwixt God and us being sinne betwixt man and man Iew and Gentile the ceremoniall law now Christ by His death did take both away 2 This done away God doth lay aside wrath and is quieted toward us God is said to smell a savour of rest in Christs death so that He saith wrath is not in Me. 3 He doth come to take us to grace
excellencie of it appeares in two particulars 1 In regard of the difficulty thereof had the Lord sent CHRIST to have beene a King over us or a Ruler among us what a comfort had it beene Should a King send one of his favourites to a poore creature in prison how would it comfort him but to send his sonne hee would thinke it unspeakable and transcendent love The LORD IESUS hath done much more than this He came down from heaven where He sate at the right hand of God and is now blessed for ever he suffered here by most wicked wretches the cursed death of the Crosse that Blessednesse it selfe should be accursed that Life it selfe should dye that Glory it selfe should be ashamed that Happinesse should become misery Nay yet to goe further that He should be content to lose for a time the sense and feeling of the love of His Father not onely to forsake His being but thus to be tormented for a company of traytors He that bare up the whole frame of heaven was scarce able to beare the burthen of our sins but was even crushed under the waight thereof in that Hee was forced to cry My God my God Psal 22.1 why hast thou forsaken me 'T is true as He was a Son Hee was alwayes beloved but as He was a surety He was not so if this be most free love and large grace judge you 2 Adde to this the good of the worke it is that which gives good to all other goods so that without this we never had enjoyed any good truely good There are two things that hinder our good 1. The poyson of sin that defiles us and poisons all the creatures 2. The just anger of God for our sinne and that curseth all had not CHRIST dyed these would never have beene removed Consider the unworthinesse and basenesse of those for whom Hee dyed Reas 3 Wee dye because of some worth in a man or some benefit formerly received from him but CHRIST dyed for sinners for enemies to Him traytors against Him this is the wonder the miracle of all mercies I may say of CHRIST what Saul of David Who findes his enemie and stayes him not but who findes his enemy and dyeth for him Had He dyed for Angels it had beene no great wonder but for a Son to dye to redeeme a slave to pardon a traytor to free a rebell this is unspeakable To shew the abundance of grace Reas 4 Where sin aboundeth grace aboundeth much more Rom. 6.2 To shew us presidents of mercy Reas 5 as Saint Paul saith of himselfe Here we have matter of admiration Vse and daily remembrance Oh suffer not this kindnesse to slip out of your minde that a company of miscreant wretches should be beloved saved and a Sonne slaine reason cannot reach it religion doth not desire it nature doth not require it nay justice doth not exact it only love hath done it Oh with David call earnestly upon thy soule to praise the Lord Psal 103.1 Praise the Lord O my soule againe and againe awake O my soule and praise the Lord when we have done what we can it is not enough oh that we could doe more when we have done what we can call upon the Angels for help Praise the Lord all yee Angels and hoasts of the Lord. Let a poore soule goe aside and thinke with himselfe Good Lord how comes this that the Lord Iesus should dye for me if it had beene a creature or an Angell that had done it it had not beene so much but a Son the beloved Sonne of God to doe all this heaven and earth Angels and men can never sufficiently admire this If this be so Vse 2 that God's love is so great to us Brethren what will ye doe now for God I will say nothing your hearts shall speake Hath CHRIST done thus for me then I will labour to walke answerably to his love and in some measure worthy thereof that 's the right use Had a man but common reason or good nature in him he must needs thinke it a vile thing to be a traytor againe to that God that hath beene so mercifull to him Be not content sometimes when the fit takes to stumble upon a good dutie but thinke all too little for Him that thought not His heart bloud too little for you be frequent in prayer and abound in holy duties live no more to your selves but to CHRIST CHRIST dyed for us But wherefore that we should live in sinne still No but that wee should dye to sin and live hence-forth not to our selves but to Him Nay saith he the love of CHRIST constraines mee Most mercy requires most duty the greatest kindnesse asketh the greatest thankfulnesse at the hand of the receiver It was that which Moses pressed upon the children of Israel to remember alwayes to praise the Lord for His goodnesse that had so miraculously delivered them from the hand of the Aegyptians and carryed them thorow the red Sea Oh how much more should we praise Him for this that He not onely redeemed us from Aegypt but from Hell not onely from Pharaoh but from Satan therefore above all admire this and yeeld your soules and bodies and all you have wholly to the service of the Lord when any temptation violently presseth in upon you speake to your hearts and tell them as sometime the Apostle Paul did the Corinthians 1 Cor. 6.19 20. Know yee not that your bodies are the temples of the HOLY GHOST which is in you and that you are not your owne as who should say ye know it full well that ye are not your owne ye were bought at a deare rate even with the bloud of CHRIST why then doe you follow sinne and serve your lusts for shame away with this ill dealing and give every man his owne let GOD have His and the Divell his downe with this hatred and Pride send them packing to the Divell from whence they came and resolve to say thus if sinne presse in upon you I am not mine owne the Lord hath bought all and therefore Hee shall have all Say to Satan I am pressed to serve the King I have received presse-money at the hands of the Lord Iesus Christ therefore be gone Imitate Him Vse 3 Love your enemies doe good to them that hate you Not to despaire of Gods grace for others without Vse 4 who yet are enemy-like affected toward Him To assure us that Hee will not faile us Vse 5 till Hee hath brought us to salvation now we are friends who when we were enemies did reconcile us Now for the Particulars in this benefit repeated 1 He setteth downe the fact of reconciling us 2 The instrument in the body of His flesh that is His humane Nature a Synechdoche Heb. 5.7 In the dayes of His flesh He offred up strong cryes to God For this our Nature is an instrument personally united wherein the second Person worketh and by which as by a conduit Hee conveyeth
savoring of the flesh 6 Whatsoever is meerely grounded on tradition and what is carnall and sensuall in GODS service is contrary to Christ Verse 9. 1 THis must make us rest in CHRIST onely as all sufficient that we know Him GOD blessed for ever 2 All the fulnesse of GOD is communicated with CHRIST as man the whole entyre Nature of GOD. 3 Not created gifts or miraculous effects of the divine nature are united with Christ man but the deity it selfe the fulnesse of it 3 The same singular Nature is in all the three persons 5 The manner of GODS dwelling in CHRIST man is personally so as that GOD the Sonne is thereby become personally man Verse 10. 1 CHrist man doth send out all the streames of grace and good things to all His members in that the fountaine dwelleth in Him 2 Being in CHRIST we receive all kinde of graces and benefits that wee lacke nothing 3 The dignity of CHRIST who is all to us is this that He is the chiefe above all the creatures Verse 11. 1 AN excellent meane to hold us fast to Christ is to remember what great evil of sin He hath subdued for us 2 Christ hath given us a spirituall Circumcision 3 No outward action of the hand of man reacheth to the clensing of the soule 4 Sin and grace is to the soule as apparell is to the body 5 Spirituall circumcision standeth in putting off all our corruptions 6 The soule of the naturall man is clad with sinne 7 Wee must forgoe not some part of our corruption but the whole body of sinne 8 Our masse of corruption containeth many sinnes 9 IESUS CHRIST it is who worketh in us this spirituall circumcision Verse 12. 1 VVHat Circumcision was to the old people that Baptisme is to us 2 From our union with CHRIST dead and buried we come to have the body of sinne crucified 3 GOD doth unite us with CHRIST even by our Baptisme 4 To consider of our resurrection which we have through CHRIST is a forcible motive to make us cleave to Him 5 Faith on Christ maketh us rise to new life 6 The omnipotent action of God which raised Christ from the dead is it that begetteth faith in us Verse 13. 1 OVr quickning in CHRIST is such a benefit which we must not quickly have done with and lightly passe over 2 Ministers must amplifie to their people the benefits bestowed on them 3 Sinne both originall and actuall is the death of the soule 4 The life of a naturall man is even a death in trespasse 5 Our course in actuall sin doth sinke us deeper and deeper in death 6 We are farre from being prepared to receive the grace shewed us by God when we are quickened to beleeve 7 The way to bring men to acknowledgement of GOD's grace with thankfulnesse is to make them see what they were when God first shewed it 8 All beleevers have a new life in and through Christ 9 In order of nature first we have pardon of sinne before we have the life of grace begun in us 10 God the Father Son and Spirit doe properly forgive sinne 11 God's pardon is of meere grace to us 12 We must remember what God hath done for us while we shew to others the things bestowed on them 13 The grace of God in forgiving our sinnes is exceeding large Verse 14. 1 NOt onely our sin which is our debt is answered but whatsoever may shew any thing against us is done away in Christ 2 By Christ the ceremoniall Law is taken away 3 The Iewish ceremonies as they were purely legall were as bills testifying the debt of the people before God 4 Christ by suffering on the crosse hath abolished these things Verse 15. 1 GOd doth set us free from the power of Satan before we are made alive in Christ 2 God in Christ hath crucified and disarmed Satan 3 Christ in His death made a scorne of all the power of darknesse and exposed them to open shame Verse 16. 1 VVE must not make account of mens sinister judgements as any way giving place unto them 2 To put no difference in meats for conscience sake or religious respect is no sinne 3 Such as doate upon Mosaicall rites are ready to condemne such as are not done right in them Verse 17. 1 THe legall ceremonies were shadowes of that is done in Christ and His Church Verse 18. 1 FAlse teachers are led with a spirit of arrogancie which maketh them usurpe judgement over others 2 The naturall man doth judge and condemne what doth not agree with him 3 Our softnesse and pusillanimity doth make us subject too much to take to heart mens sinister judgements 4 Wicked deceivers will seeme to stand for vertue and challenge those that are truly godly as wanting it 5 Adoration of Angels and Saints masketh under the vizor of holinesse 6 All religious worship of Saints or Angels is unchristian 7 The property of a seducer is to speake that he knoweth not 8. The cause of vouching and diving into hidden things is Pride Verse 19. 1 LOoking to the creatures for helpe and grace doth make us fall from Christ 2 We have not many but one Head 3 In Christ mysticall there is nothing but the Head giving growth and the body receiving growth 4 For the whole multitude of beleevers there is sufficiency in Christ 5 Before we can take spirituall growth in Christ we must be knit to Him 6 Every true beleever groweth up in Christ not stands at a stay 7 It is God who maketh us as begin so grow in grace Verse 20. 1 CHRIST by His death hath freed us from the Ceremonies of the Law 2 True Christians must not live in that Christ dyed to take away 3 Gods children live out of the world while in it Verse 21.22 1 MEn are exact in outward observancies who know not the power of godlinesse 2 Hard to forgoe old rites to which we are accustomed 3 Bodily observancies profit nothing 4 We are not to give credence to any thing not taught in God's Word Verse 23. 1 VIce and error may have a shew of truth and vertue 2 Will-worship hath a plausible shew of wisdom 3 Lowlinesse of minde argueth wisdome 4 False teachers will make a shew of humility 5 To keepe the body in subjection argueth wisdome 6 False teachers make shew of mortification 7 Exercises much regarded with men are of no esteeme with God 8 Bodily externall things are not of worth with God The end of the Doctrines A COMMENTARY VPON THE SECOND Chapter of Saint PAUL to the Colossians COLOS. Chap. 2. VER 1. VERSE 1. For I would yee knew what great fighting I have for your sakes and for them of Laodicea and for as many as have not seene my Person in the flesh WE have had from the three and twentieth Verse of the former Chapter from the end of it a digression the summe whereof consisteth in declaring Paul's calling Secondly his executing this calling Vers 28 29.
that God revealeth to us 3 We must hang upon CHRIST the Author and finisher of our faith and pray Him to heale this trembling palley of our soules 4 We must be good husbands with the knowledge we have obeying it carefully Ioh. 7. If ye obey ye shall know my doctrine whether it be of God 5 We must attend upon the publike ministery of the Word which God hath appointed for the edification of the Church Ephes 4. VERSE 3. In whom are hid all the treasures of wisdome and knowledge NOw followeth a description of CHRIST named in the end of the former verse taken from the infinite wisdome and knowledge in Him In whom may be referred to the mystery a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but it is fitlyer conceived of CHRIST b 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 because the intent of the Apostle in this Epistle being to stablish the Colossians in the faith of Christ from whom Angels Ceremonies and the depth of Philosophicall wisdome did thorow Satans working assay to withdraw the beleevers therefore the Apostle doth upon all occasions amplifie the dignitie and all-sufficient riches of CHRIST IESUS Againe having before wished them all riches of understanding he doth fitly describe CHRIST from His Omniscience that he might thus point them at the fountaine whence they were to draw that which hee mentioned even all riches of understanding which they wanted Thirdly as in the third Chapter our life is said to be hidden in CHRIST So here all wisdome and understanding are said to be hid in Him Beside the reason following may be respective to these words I say thus For in spirit I see you that none may draw you from your solid faith in CHRIST 1 Then we learne hence Doct. That upon fit occasions we must publish the glorious properties of IESUS CHRIST the Apostle doth rarely mention Him but he reciteth something or other which tendeth to glorifie Him the LORD commanding us no way to dishonour His name but by all meanes to seeke the glory of it doth tye us to this duty especially then we are to doe it when the subtilty of the enemie doth labour to obscure the account of CHRIST and seduce us from Him And if wee are bound to challenge the credit of our neighbour by lending him the best testimony wee may and not suffering his innocencie to be wronged how much more must we doe this when the honour of our God in some sort hangeth on it Which must rebuke the barrennesse of Christians this way Vse when doe wee upon naming of our SAVIOUR CHRIST breake forth to extoll Him and publish His glory Followers of great States how will they commend the deepe reach the great experience the universall knowledge of all State affaires which are in those they retaine unto CHRIST may long be out of account before we like the true Church preach forth his due praises and commendations 2 That Paul to stablish them in holding on Christ doth no other thing but tell them the excellencies of Christ here and every where Observe hence Doct. What maketh us listen to deceivers our ignorance of Christ Did we know the excellencie of His Person the riches of His Nature the offices and all sufficiencie of Him our hearts would be armed against all seducements then wee would reject them and say Wee knew whom we have trusted but dimly seeing these things 2 Tim. 1.12 it is otherwise with us A foole that knoweth not how good he and his money are soone parted So we like little children not knowing so fully what a rich Pearle this our LORD IESUS CHRIST is listen too much to such beguiling suggestions as the Divell by his instruments whispereth in our eares Wherefore Vse as you would be armed against all enticements and engines of this nature labour to get the knowledge of CHRIST's Person and offices of the riches of all glorious good things which are in Him that so nothing may make you start aside from your faith received Marke againe Doct. Who is the store-house of all wisdome and knowledge namely Christ our Lord. We know the treasury is it from whence we fetch for all occasions Our treasuries are stores sufficient to furnish our particular necessities So God hath made Christ a treasury and store-house as of all other spirituall gifts so of wisdome and knowledge that from His fulnesse every member might be served The Spirit of wisdome and knowledge rested upon Him above measure As the light is fully in the Sunne that Moone and Starres might thence borrow So the fulnesse of this and every supernaturall gift is in Him that thence it might be derived There is as in Christ a double Nature so a double treasure of wisedome and knowledge The first is uncreate that omniscient wisdome of God which knoweth perfectly and fully comprehendeth all the divine Nature and not only all which have beene are and shall be hereafter but all things which are possible to be done if God were so pleased Secondly there is as the nature of man so proportionably a created wisdome and knowledge whereby Christ knoweth God more fully than all the creatures though not so fully as God may be knowne and is knowne of Himselfe For a finite nature is not capable of an infinite so as to comprehend it for nothing can receive above that which it hath capacitie to receive Againe Hee knoweth in God as in a glasse all things which have beene are and shall be so farre as agreeth with His happie estate and the execution of His Offices which are committed to Him Thirdly Hee knoweth within Himselfe and by experience above all that can be uttered for Hee is filled with these gifts not onely for Himselfe but that He might send from Him into all His members Christ therefore as man though He know not God so fully as God is knowne of Himselfe and know not all things which are possible to be done because this cannot be knowne but by a full comprehension of GOD's omnipotencie which being infinite no finite nature can fully comprehend yet His knowledge is above all knowledge of Angels and men and is unmeasurable after some sort though not simply infinite that from it all of us might be supplyed This then thus opened First confuteth the Lutherans Vse 1 who will have the humane nature simply omniscient as the divine Nature is and the divine knowledge to become the humane Nature that it might know by it as wee know by created gifts of knowledge which they goe about to prove thus In Christ are all treasures of wisdome and knowledge Object all treasures therefore He is omniscient He doth not say in Christ's humane Nature Answ but in Christ Now in Christ is the divine Nature as well as the humane CHRIST hath it Therefore His humane Nature hath it followeth not à toto ad partem In a man is reason Therfore in His body Besides all treasure may be said simply or respectively compared with that other Creatures
they should never meete till they yeelded a little Thus many now a dayes thinke it wisedome to retaine some things though altered common with the Papists that we might gaine them more commodiously But though there be place for some indulgence this way and therefore for a while tolleration and practice of some thing more indifferent yea and so far as edification and avoyding offence a law made for such things yet this must be in indifferent things onely and that for a time onely least they plead themselves as perpetuall by a kind of prescription which was the ground of the Nazarites heresie as S. Augustine thinketh Wherefore when we would heale men Vse let us not be ficke with them for this is folly But remember that safe maxime contraria contrarijs curantur Let us recover them with giving them an example of spirituall worship least admitting a little poyson we hurt our selves more then with all our good beside we can helpe them You that will walke in CHRIST be not deceived with things after this world Lastly marke by the opposition Doct. That what is meerely grounded on tradition and what is carnall and sensuall in Gods service is contrary to CHRIST In CHRIST all things are new the old carnall worship is changed into a spirituall according to that Iohn 4. and for all pure humane traditions in GODS matters they are accursed Gal. 1 9. Which is to be marked against the Papists Vse who reconcile humane traditions and make them according to Christ who will also have all their carnall rites agreeing with Christ. VERSE 9. For in Him dwelleth all the fulnesse of the godhead bodily NOw he setteth downe the reasons why these things not being after Christ must bee avoyded the first taken from the alsufficiency which he hath in himselfe the second from his alsufficiency to us You must not listen to others besides him who is not man onely but very GOD in one Person But such is CHRIST or in CHRIST dwelleth the fullnesse of the GOD head Corporally these are all one in sense To open the words before wee come to the Doctrine In Him That is in Christ-man or in that person whom we know to have had a body and soule like us is the same divine Nature which the Father and the Spirit have Or it may be constred thus in Christ that is the humane Nature of Christ dwelleth all the fulnesse of the God-head that is God the Son with His infinite deitie which commeth to no more then this God the Word was made flesh But the former is better because this phrase the fulnesse of the deitie doth note the divine Nature without any personall relation of it whereas the second sense doth necessarily take it to signifie the Person of God the Son with His Nature Secondly Christ man is fitly called God and therefore in Christ-man the God-head is sayd to dwell properly But CHRIST His humane Nature may not be sayd God and therefore the God-head is not so fitly sayd to dwell in the humane Nature as in the person denominated after it that is in Christ-man All the fulnesse That is the whole infinite indivisible Nature of GOD. bodily that is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Essentially or Personally the Greekes call body as we in our vulgar tongue here is no body that is no person so we say bodily perill for such danger as toucheth ones person The summe For in that man Christ Iesus the whole infinite Nature of God dwelleth not as in all believers who are His habitation nor as in His beloved Prophets in whom hee spake and gave His Oracles nor as in a materiall Temple which is different from the substance of him that inhabiteth but bodily that is so that this Divine Nature with the humane maketh one Person For the Doctrines 1 We see in generall What must make nerest in Christ onely as alsufficient even this that we know Him God blessed forever Shall not God allsufficient in Himselfe to Himselfe to all the creatures shall not He undertaking to be our King Priest and Prophet be allsufficient for it We fitly leave men seeking supply at God but to turne from God to men is to dig puddles and leave the spring of living waters Hence then first gather to thy selfe Vse how absurd those Papists are and how far from considring that which they know that Christ is God would they did they weigh this be so bold as to adde to His institutions to take away as in the Supper the Cuppe would they leave this Sunne of righteousnesse to follow the blind starre of their traditions let them say what they will they doe not truly consider this Let us likewise confirme our selves in our resting onely on Christ even from hence that He is God Vse 2 let us say with Saint Peter Whither shall wee goe thou hast the words of eternall life thou art the naturall Son of God thou art allsufficient In particular marke three branches of this Text 1 In whom this dwelling is sayd to be 2 What is sayd to dwell 3 In whom 1 Note That we must not looke at Christ as meere man Doct. but life up our mindes to that invisible nature which is in him Those that saw Him on earth whose eyes God opened not they saw nothing but man and therefore not knowing any thing else they crucified the Lord of glory And thus we al naturally are ready to know him after the fresh but when God giveth us that eagles eye of beliefe the evidence of things not seene then we see that God is with this man as being now substantially united to Him and made a part of His person This maketh Christ say when Saint Peter told Him Thou art the Sonne of God Flesh and blond hath not reveiled this to thee Peter And what doth make the Apostle often inculcate such descriptions but that we are slow of heart in considering this point For as many see a house or a tent that see not the inhabitant and as the body is hidde when the apparell is discerned So this humane nature unles we get the better eyes may be seene when the deity which dwelleth in it is not perceived 2 Marke Doct. That all the fulnesse of the God-head is communicated with Christ as man the whole entyre nature of God I understand by communicated as much as is united dwelleth bodily that is in unity of person w th Christ-man or in the same person with the humane nature For the divine Nature is a thing most simple not having bodily quantity one part out of another nor yet any composition in it Now that which is not compounded of parts cannot be divided If a man have house and land he may give to one Son one part to the Wife another but when the divine Nature is communicated it is all of it given or none at all Thy soule cannot bee divided one part from another thou canst not cut the light how
heavenly newes that our King hath subdued all our spirituall enemies yea triumphed over for this argueth full conquest when no wise man will ante victoriam cantare triumphum We must hence strengthen our faith Vse 2 for this triumph was all our triumphs the like being to be done in every member through the power of this begun in the Head in behalfe of all the members Is not the victory of a King the victory of all his subjects Likewise can we be in danger of them whom the King hath surprised so that they are altogether within his power So it is betweene us and our spirituall King the LORD give us faith This letteth us see what a potent Vse 3 all sufficient SAVIOUR we have If death and the power of hell could not prevaile against Him under death and in the grave in His lowest humiliation how much lesse shall any creature take from Him now in glory those things which He hath in keeping for us Finally that He saith in that His Crosse We see hence that in CHRIST crucified all victory is obtained against these infernall enemies this must be read in that Crosse not in Himselfe For the antecedent in all these is GOD the Father working these things in His Sonne Iesus Christ crucified In this unlike those great Potentates they never celebrated triumphs while they were receiving the assault of the enemie but stayed till they were returned into their owne Countries to their Imperiall Cities as Claudius who when he had conquered this Countrey of Britaine he went home to Rome there to rule in triumph But our LORD while He receiveth all the hot assault of these powers of darknesse triumpheth Nobile genus vincendi Patientia to let them doe all their worst and by His suffering it to overcome them is a most triumphant kinde of conquest The very fight it selfe is triumph It is reported of the Lion and the Vnicorne that there being deadly hostility betweene them when the Lion spyeth the Vnicorne he taketh a tree the Vnicorne following him eagerly runneth his horne into the tree in which case the Lion spoileth him at his pleasure So betwixt our Lion of the tribe of Iudah God-man and these proud Vnicornes those spirituall sons of Pride there being great hostility these Principalities hating GOD and oppugning His glory in the salvation of mankind it pleased Him to dwell under the vaile of our nature even with such a body and soule as we have sinne excepted that while the Divell did run with all his strength and lodge his horne as it were in this man his power might be broken for ever every stroake he gave returned on his owne head being the death of this man hee killed himselfe the head of him in which you know lyeth the life of a Serpent was bruised for ever And as angry Bees foolishly stinging once make themselves drones ever after So these wily Serpents but foolish here if ever foolish stinging our SAVIOUR CHRIST have made themselves stinglesse to all that are CHRIST's for ever their wisdome had beene not to have stirred up any sinful men to have attached this sacred Person they should have fled from Him to the most remote quarters of Hell rather than have made Him suffer the least thing from them Had they done thus their power in the world had still remained For as the sparkles of fire lighting on water are extinct so sinne and death falling on the GOD of Holinesse and life were extinguished in Him The use is first to arme us Vse 1 that wee take not offence at the scandall of the world at this that our GOD and Saviour dyed was a man hanging upon a Crosse Looke by the eye of faith what victory was gotten by this Crosse what was the powerfull worke of this death and then it shall no more hinder us in beleeving when we know that GOD created light out of darknesse Nay that our GOD did thus by His death as a second Adam abolish spirituall death and bring immortality and life to mankind is more wonderfull than the Creation of the world Wee see that when Satan seemeth the most to prevaile on CHRIST Vse 2 or His members that then hee is most of all foiled and subdued Now his power was comming now hee made Him feele the sting of the Crosse he killed Him c. all this was against himselfe Thus it is in all that are CHRIST's when hee thinketh to have the greatest hand over them all turneth to their good when by death they are stricken death it selfe dyeth and his power is almost quite abolished Wherefore let us not faint in our straits but stand still looking to the salvation of GOD Thus that type of him Pharaoh when he sore tasked the Israelites they most encreased when hee had them so hemmed in betwixt mountaines and seas that there seemed no evasion then was their deliverance at hand and his confusion VERSE 16. Let no man therefore condemne you in meat and drinke or in respect of an holy day or of the new Moones or of the Sabbath dayes YOu have heard at the sixth Verse of this Chapter that there began the exhortatory part of this Epistle and the Exhortations were generall concerning all sorts or speciall The generall you heard were either principall as that in the sixth and seventh Verses or secondary pertaining to the Principall the lesse principall assistant to that great duty of walking in CHRIST were prohibitions of things to be avoided In this Chapter are rules of spirituall practice in the next the Prohibitions are given first in generall Verse 8. Goe not after Philosophy and vaine deceit after the tradition of men and elements of the world the which generall prohibition hath beene propounded and by reasons hitherto enforced Now he commeth to some particular prohibitions which doe open unto us what things he meant by vaine deceit which leaneth on mans tradition and is carnall The dehortations are two-fold 1 From a servile respecting the censures of men so walking in CHRIST that they meddle not neither with Iewish nor Philosophicall superstitions to the twentieth Verse 2 He dehorteth them from the practice of every carnall and elementary fashion of worshipping GOD from the twentieth Verse to the end of the Chapter To returne this dehortation in the sixteenth Verse may be divided into the prohibition and the reason The Prohibition Let no man condemne you in these things The Reason they are shadowes of things which now in Christ and His Church are exhibited for this hath a secret force enforcing what by the Apostle is urged That which is a Shadow vanished that is not so to bee regarded as to feare lest you bee censured in the neglect of it But these are such Therefore passe not though you be condemned for omitting these But the former part of the sixteenth Verse may be diversely construed Let no man condemne you First it may sound to this sense Let no person in heart Iewishly affected take on him
15.2.11 but CHRIST telleth them That which goeth into the mouth defileth not the man Secondly they thought it a sinne against the commandement of the Elders Why doth your Master eat with unwashen hands breaking the tradition of the Elders But our Saviour by His fact sheweth that there is no such power in men as to make that a sin which GOD hath not forbidden That for which wee need not feare who condemne us in that we sin not nor deserve no censure for a caused condemnation must be feared But in these things viz. the free use of all creatures as alike pleasing to GOD wee need not care who condemne us Therefore we need not to be afraid of taking any creature afraid I say as if we should sin in so doing Which may serve to reprove the Papists putting a difference of meants Vse as making it more holy to use some Discrimen â—iberum cut diâ—rum nonjaâ— retinendum est à Christianis cum opinione necessitatis Sanctitatis justitiae â—ut 〈◊〉 Epise Daven in 〈◊〉 16. pag. 185. than othersome and more pleasing to GOD Yea making it a deadly sin to eat an egge on Friday as if the kingdome of GOD did stand in meats or drinkes Let no man condemne you Observe hence Doctr. What is the spirit of those that dote on Mosaicall and Iewish rites they are ready to condemne such as are not downe right in them they are here deciphered as if they would damne such as did but faile in the part of an Holy-day For you must know their Feasts began the Evening before Now all the day on the Feast-Eve men were free to labour but toward night they began their religious observances now they are here painted forth as ready most deepely to censure such as should misse but the least part of time halfe an holy day which they were accustomed to keepe as holy Obs Againe He doth not say doe not refraine a meat or drinke or seeme to keepe an Holy-day but yeeld not your liberty to suffer your selves condemnable in neglecting these things upon necessary and urgent occasions as if you had omitted some thing you were bound unto upon absolute necessity Whence note That the not using of rites but yeelding our selves bound to them Doct. is the thing we must avoid Christ is said to have taken away the yoke of Ceremonies not as making it unlawfull to doe them with liberty but as freeing us from the obligation and necessary obedience of them Hence it was that Saint Paul circumcised shaved c. who yet would not in the least measure have betrayed his liberty in yeelding himselfe under any pretence bound unto them Thus we may use some Ceremony when discretion requireth and authority enjoyneth for decencie and order in the Church or to testifie that wee are not schismatically affected but love and desire to keepe the peace of the Church VERSE 17. Which are a shadow of things to come but the body is CHRIST OBserve hence Doct. What all those legall Ceremonies were even shadowes of that which is done in CHRIST and His Church for I conster CHRIST here CHRIST mysticall as 1 Cor. 12.12 For if that of the Fathers may goe for currant that distinction of cloven footed beasts and such as chewed the Cud did teach that Christians must be discreet and given to meditate on the Word though it is liker that the permitting them only pure creatures did signifie that we must desire the sincere milke and food of the Gospell or creatures of middle nature did admonish us how our spirituall food of knowledge though it be farre higher than the world yet it is farre inferiour to that we shall be fed with when we walke by sight To shew us how justly these are all abolished Vse 1 the shadow and the body will not stand together As Painters who take an imperfect draught of a thing when they have now finished their master table they cast away all their former rudiments So GOD having now brought the true Image of heavenly things doth cast off those imperfect shadowes which had formerly beene in use This teacheth the fondnesse of this world which embraceth shadowes and neglecteth substance Vse 2 like that the Poets tell of Ixion so doth God plague men that will not receive the substance of truth but are wood-madde in love with shadowes as these here And so we all doe follow shadowes of good leaving the true good things indeed The Papists may hence be in part answered Vse 3 They object that their Ceremonies are not here condemned Object but such as signified CHRIST to come Though in other regards they are taken away then of signification as shall be noted hereafter yet they must know signification respecting CHRIST is two-fold Answ 1 Of that which concerneth His owne individuall Person as His manifestation in flesh suffering c. 2 Of that which representeth any thing to be done in the body of CHRIST mysticall to be done spiritually of beleevers Now their Ceremonies are to be charged for sacrifice of the Masse a shadow of CHRIST about to be offered For all the Ceremonies doe shadow some spirituall thing in beleevers who are the body of Christ VERSE 18. Let no man at his pleasure beare rule over you by humblenesse of minde and worshipping of Angels advancing himselfe in those things which he never saw rashly puft up with His fleshly minde NOw he commeth to the second dehortation which doth further illustrate what his meaning was in bidding them above take heed of Philosophie In the dehortation three things must be noted the former two being branches of the duty it selfe the latter infoldeth reasons inforcing it The first is that they would not stand unto mans arbitrement nor passe for mans arbitrary judgement in the matters following Let no man determine upon you The second is the points wherein they were not to yeeld themselves to the arbitrement of any viz. in setting downe what was humblenesse of minde and what was the right way of seeking to God and condemning you as not humble and not speeding in that you seeke because you doe not worship Angels and use their mediation to God The third intimateth reasons taken from the description of those moderatours who would judge in these cases which seem to prevent the Colossians in their thoughts thus shall we not regard their determining against us Why Object they deliver many very hidden things They tell you of points in which they have no understanding Answ these are matters above their element I Object but they stand for that which hath a shew of humility in it It is their secret pride Answ which maketh them take upon them in these matters And this their fact in using mediation of Angels doth testifie that they hold not the head IESUS CHRIST Now hence may be framed a three-fold reason but the former words are doubtfull requiring some further canvase that the reason of interpretation may be better discerned Let none beare
delivereth to his masters sonne Commandes from his master he bringing his message doth command her and yet his condition is inferior to her The whole body For opening the true meaning First wee must know what is meant by the Whole body Secondly in what regard the Church is sayd the body To the first a whole body sometime is put absolutely conteyning the head under it as well as other members Secondly a whole body is put respectively for that whole frame of the body which consisteth of all members beside the head and thus alwayes it is used in the Scripture for the body is spoken of as distinguished by opposite relation from the head now when the body is spoken of as a distinct thing from the head the head cannot then be comprehended under it thus here the whole body increaseth Christ our head hath all fullnesse Christ therefore is not meant in the whole body Againe Christ is not head of the whole body consisting of Himselfe and His members for Christ is not His owne head but God GOD is the head of Christ 1 Cor. 11.3 This is to be marked against some Papists that say they make not the Pope head of the whole body but of the mysticall body which standeth of men Christ excepted and this they thinke not absurd But Christ Himselfe is not the head of the whole body in that former acception but onely of His body mysticall beside Himselfe Some againe thus reason He that is head of a whole body he is head of a body having a head beside him for else say they it were not a whole body But Christ is head of a whole body beside Himselfe The first part is false or the second if not rightly understood according to the distinction above named Christ is head of a whole body not absolutely called whole as comprehending a head within it but respectively so called because it is whole for a body distinguished apart from the head For the second thing a body may be sayd the body of one two wayes 1 In respect of the whole Person in whom it had or hath being thus we say of one buryed here lyeth such an ones body meaning the whole body that had the personall being of it in such a man 2 The body is sayd to be the body of one in regard of reference it hath to the head as a distinct eminent part distinguished from it thus we say such a man is dangerously wounded in his body but his head is not touched Now though we have our mysticall being from Christ yet the Scripture calleth us his body for the respect we have to Him as our head as being another more eminent part who with us maketh up that whole mysticall man Christ Iesus And therefore Christ is as properly sayd to be our head as we His body Now though this or that body may be sayd such a persons body yet the person cannot properly be sayd the head of such a body These things being premised to exclude Popish errors and to helpe us in the true conceaving of this matter wee will come to the doctrine First then we see Doct. That in Christ mysticall there is nothing but the head giving growth and the body receiving growth from him This is to be marked for where is the Pope found the head giving growth he is not his owne men grant that he cannot infuse any grace he hath no influence of this nature then he is not the head in which the Church groweth for the body of the Church growing he will not be of the body for he that will be the head of a body is not of the body To say a head is properly a head of a body and properly a part of the same body is a contradicton as no subject can bee truely made a King and yet remaine a subject he must then bee found in that body whereof the Divell is head for here is no roome for him 2 Marke hence Doct. That even for the whole multitude of believers there is sufficiency in Iesus Christ the whole body those who lived in all times before us have found him every thing unto them Abraham saw his day afarre off and rejoyced what place soever they live in his virtue reacheth them Alas then Vse what meane any to looke unto others then Christ Shall not hee who hath brought all the Saints from the beginning of the world to that growth they have attained that doth quicken every believer through the face of the earth shall not he be sufficient for thee It is as absurd as if the little finger for by fiction we will lend it reason should thinke that soule not enough to quicken it which not withstanding did give to the whole frame of the body besides it The not beholding this with the eye of faith doth make so many rest unsatisfied in Christ 3 By joynts and bands furnished and knit together Obser That before we can take spirituall growth from Christ Doct. we must be knit unto Him and furnished from Him Even as the naturall members of the body can receive no growth if they be not coupled to the head and if it have not supply of nutriment and that faculty of nourishing and encreasing sent forth into it So if we bee not so knit to Christ and have not his Word outwardly and His virtue inwardly to make us grow by it we can never take increase in Him Life is in Christ saith Saint Iohn 1 Ioh. â— 12 but when we come to have Christ we have this life Wee must first have CHRIST get into him by faith true it is that there are branches in Christ which are dead and fruitlesse but as I sayd before they are not ingrafted into Christ by true faith but tyed on him by the string of an outward profession Wherefore wee must hence bee exhorted to get into Christ as ever we looke for benefit by Him Vse 4 Marke hence Doct. That every true believer groweth up in Christ He doth not stand at a stay or goe backe 1 Pet. â— â— but groweth from faith to faith 2 Pet. â— 18 As new borne babes desire the sincere milke of the Word that yee may grow thereby We must grow in grace Let him that is righteous bee more righteous still and he that is holy let him be more holy still Having such promises let us grow up to perfect holinesse 2 Cor. 7.1 Even as in Nature she groweth from that which is lesse perfect to that which is more perfect So in grace the LORD doth leade us by degrees on to perfection What a deformity is it in Nature when one is a dwarfe and groweth in yeares but not in stature So here before GOD an old Christian in yeares but a babe in knowledge and grace Wherefore such as fall from their first love may suspect themselves Vse 1 such as count it a part of commendable constancy still to be the same and esteeme it greene-headed new