the whole person of him that beleeueth is vnited to the whole person of Christ. For the Redeemer and they which are redeemed are vnited togither and Christ God and mā redeemed vs not onely in soule but also in bodie We therefore beleeuers haue 〈◊〉 our whole persons vnited to the whole person of Christ. And S. Paul saith that our verie bodies are the members of Christ. And Christ himselfe saith that we must eate his flesh and drinke his blood that we may be in him and he in vs. The second rule is touching the order of this vnion That we are first ioyned to the flesh of Christ and by his flesh to his godhead For that which brings vs to haue fellowship with God ioynes vs to God Now by the flesh of Christ we haue our fellowship with God It is as the vaile of the temple whereby the high priest entred into the Holie of holies and into the presence of God Againe it serues as a pipe or conduit to deriue the efficacie and operation of the godhead vnto vs. The third rule is that this vnion standes not in imagination but is a true and reall coniunction Neither doth the distance of place we beeing on earth and the flesh of Christ in heauen hinder this vnion The minde is vnited after a sort to the thing it mindeth After the contract of marriage two distinct persons being a thousand miles asunder remaine one flesh If nature affoard thus much why may not the like be found in the coniuction that is aboue nature The last rule is That the bond of this coniunction is one and the same spirit beeing both in Christ and vs first in Christ and then in vs. This teacheth S. Iohn saying that Christ dwels in vs by his spirit giuen vnto vs. Againe this spirit worketh in vs faith which also knits vs to Christ who as Paul saith dwels in our hearts by faith And by this we further see that distance of place hinders not this vnion The spirit of God beeing infinit may dwell both in Christ and vs our faith though it be seated within our hearts yet can it reach foorth it selfe and apprehend Christ in heauen The second desire of Paul is that he may be found of God to be in Christ that is that God would respect him as a member of Christ and accept him into his fauour eternally for Christ. For the better vnderstanding of this the order that God vseth in shewing his loue must be obserued First of all he begins his loue in Christ whome he loues simply for himselfe then from Christ he descends to them that are vnited to Christ considering them euen as parts of Christ whome also he loueth yet not simply but respectiuely in and for Christ. He that lookes vpon things of diuers kinds through a greene glasse beholdes them all to be greene euen so whome God respecteth in and for Christ they are loued of God as he is loued and righteous as he is righteous And this is the thing which Paul desireth that in the daie of iudgement he may be thus respected Hence we learn that God will make an examination of all our hearts liues and works in the day of iudgement For this Finding which Paul mentioneth presupposeth that God sees and obserues our waies and will one daie certenly discouer them knowing euē now certainly whether we be in Christ or no. For this cause we are to call our selues to an account yea to a strait account for God will find out whatsoeuer is amisse though we haue skill to make faire shewes before men And we are withall to amend our selues Salomon vpon this ground disswades the young man from fornication why shouldest thou my sonne saith he take delite in a straunge woman seeing the waies of men are before the cies of God and he pondereth all their pathes To this purpose the Iewes haue a saying worth our marking write say they three things in thy heart and thou shalt neuer sinne There is an eie that seeth thee an eare that heareth thee and a hand that writeth all thy sayings doings in a booke And the cause of our manifold sinnes is that men falsely thinke that God neither sees nor heares them Thus saith Dauid of his enemies They bragge in their talke and swordes are in their lippes for say they who heareth vs. Againe here we see Pauls care yea the pitch of all his desires and his principall forecast that he might be found of God in the day of iudgement to be a member of Christ. The like must be our care and forecast nowe in the time of this life yea this must be the care of all cares that we may be knit to Christ and so accepted of God when we shall rise to iudgement Christ bids vs watch and praie that we may stand before the sonne of man and this we cannot doe vnlesse we be incorporate into Christ. We are bidden first to seeke the kingdome of heauen and that is indeed to be in Christ. To be wise and circumspect in many matters and yet to want forecast to compasse our maine and principall good is the greatest follie of all What is the fault of the foolish virgins virgins they were as the wise they carried the burning lamps of Christian profession likewise they had oyle that is the oyle of grace but alas they had not oyle enough to furnish their lampes Their fault was that they wanted forecast to furnish themselues with oyle sufficient And there is neuer sufficiencie of oyle till we be true and liuely members of Christ. And this was their damnable follie that they contented themselues with the name and profession of Christ and had not a serious and speciall care indeed to be members of Christ. Therfore let vs now diligently indeauour to be that in this life which we desire to be found of God in the day of iudgement There be three iudgements which we are to vndergoe the iudgement of men of our selues and of God The two first we may falsifie the third we cānot For men we may deceiue and our selues we may deceiue but God we can not It is the foundation of all good things to be ingraffed into Christ and for this cause all the forecast of our heads all other cares and studies should giue place that this be might accōplished Som mā may hereupon demand what he should doe that he might be in Christ. I answer two things first he must breake off all his sinnes and turne vnto God secondly he must pray earnestly euen vnto the death that his heart may be knitte to Christ. Againe it may be demanded how it may be knowne of vs that we are in Christ. S. Iohn answereth Hereby we know that he dwelleth in vs by the spirit which he hath giuen vs. And we may know that we haue the spirit of Christ if the same mind inclination and disposition the like loue to God and man the like
if he were now liuing on earth would be content with an office a thousand fold more base that he might inioy this cleere light of the knowledge of Christ. But alas there is no such Dauids now a daies It is our fault and the fault of our times that this knowledge is of little or no value and account among men and little fruit thereof to be seene And therfore it is to be feared that God will take this Treasure of knowledge from vs and send strong illusions to beleeue lies because it is little or nothing loued Paul yet further cōmends this knowledge in that he calls it The knowledge of Christ HIS LORD Now he is our Lord foure waies First by the right of donation because all the Elect are giuen to him of the Father in the eternal counsell of Election secondly by creation thirdly by the right of Redemption fourthly by right of headship in that as a liuing head he giues sense and spirituall life to all that beleeue in him And Paul calls Christ his Lord because he beleeued his owne election in which he was giuen to Christ his creation and redemption by him and his mysticall coniunction with him as with his head And here Paul in his example teacheth vs two things The first how we should know Christ and the doctrine of the Gospell For the right knowledge whereof there is required beside generall vnderstand of Christ his benefits with generall assent a speciall Application thereof It is not sufficient to beleeue the election redemption iustification glorification of Gods people but we must goe further and beleeue the very same things in our selues The reason may be taken from the contents of the Gospel For it containes two parts the first is a promise in which Christ with all his benefits is offered and propounded vnto vs. The second is a commandement to applie the said promise and the substance thereof to our selues and that by our faith And he that takes away this second part ouerthrowes halfe the Gospel of Christ. Here is the foundation of sauing knowledge which iustifieth and bringeth life eternall and the foundation of speciall faith The second thing to be learned in Pauls example is that we are to resigne our selues our bodies soules and to render all subiection to Christ. For in that he calleth him Lord he professeth himselfe to be the seruant of Christ. The ende of all preaching is to bring not onely our words and deedes but also our secret thoughts in subiection vnto him And the ende why Christ sits in glorie at the right hand of the Father is that euery knee may bowe vnto him of things in heauen and earth It behooues vs therefore to liue and carrie our selues in our places as true and vnfained seruants of Christ. The second degree in Pauls gradation is That he desires to Gaine Christ. Now to gaine Christ is nothing els but to make Christ his gaine as appeares by the opposition of the wordes For he saith he had deprined himselfe of all things that is made all things his losse that he might gaine Christ. And he is made our gaine if two things be done First he must be made ours that is thy Christ or my Christ in particular secondly we must put our confidēce in him For the first that Christ may be ours a double consent is required Gods consent to giue Christ and our consent to receiue him Gods consent that Christ shall be ours is giuen in the reuelation of the promise touching the womans seed made to our first parents in the continuall renewing of the said promise to our forefathers in the incarnation and birth of Christ in his passion in the preaching of the Gospell in the administration of both the sacraments baptisme and the Lords supper Our consent to receiue Christ is giuen when we beginne to beleeue in him yea when we beginne to be touched in our hearts for our sinnes and to hunger thirst after Christ. And thus by the concurrence of these two consents is Christ really made ours And further yet that he may be not onely ours but also our gaine we must set and fixe the whole confidence of our hearts vpon him alone for the forgiuenesse of our sins and the saluation of our soules For where the gaine is there must the heart be When riches increase we may not set our heartes on them because though they be good things yet are they not our gaine or treasure nowe Christ is not onely a good thing vnto vs but our gaine and the very fountaine of all good things therefore we must bestowe our hearts on him Hence we learne that the Popish religion teacheth wickednesse For it maintaineth that we are not onely to beleeue in God but also in the church it maintaineth an hope and confidence in Saints specially in the virgin Marie it maintaineth lastly a confidence in our owne workes so it be as they say in sobrietie This is to make the creature our gaine and to put downe Christ our Redeemer Againe Paul had said in the former chapter that Christ was his gaine both in life and death and yet nowe he saith that he still desires to gaine Christ. And by his example we learne that in this life our affectious must neuer be satisfied filled with the desire of Christ till we haue the full fruition of him Naturally our desires be insatiable in respect of riches honours pleasures but we must learne to moderate and stinte our selues in seeking earthly things beeing content with the portion that God doth alot vs and the insatiablenesse of our affections must be directed and turned vpon Christ. The woman in the Gospel that had the bloodie ishew desired but to touch the hemme of his garment we must goe further not onely to touch him but also by our faith to lay hold on him as it were with both the hands and to hang vpon him Thomas desired for his contentation but to put his finger into his side we must sette before our eies Christ crucified and his pretious blood as it were a fresh distilling from his handes feete and side and we must not onely touch this blood but sprinkle our selues with it yea dip and as it were diue out selues into it bodie soule and all The third and last degree in Pauls gradation is that he desires to be founde in Christ. And here his desire is twofold the first to be in Christ the second to be found so of God in the daie of iudgement The first To be in Christ is to be taken out of the first Adam and to be vnited vnto Christ as his very flesh or as a true mēber of his mysticall bodie Now this Incorporation and vnion into Christ is a mysterie and for the better vnderstanding of it foure rules must be obserued The first that not onely our soules are vnited to the soule or godhead of Christ but also that
saith It is eternall life to know thee the only God c. The knowledge of experience is to haue a sense and feeling of our inward fellowship with Christ and vpon often obseruation of his goodnesse to growe more and more in experience of his loue Nowe this knowledge is here meant and not the first which was before mentioned verse 8. And therefore Pauls desire is that he may grow more and more in holy experience of the endlesse loue of God and fellowship with Christ. The partes of this desired communion are two fellowshippe with Christ in his resurrection and fellowshippe with him in his death The former is expressed in these wordes and the vertue of his resurrection And for the better cōceiuing of it we are to consider what the resurrection of Christ is and what is the vertue thereof That the resurrection of Christ may be rightly conceiued fiue points are to be skanned The first touching the person of him that rose and that was Christ God and man Indeede properly the bodie alone did rise and not the soule or godhead yet by reason of the vnion of the two natures in the vnitie of one person whole Christ arose or God himselfe made man arose This commends vnto vs the excellencie of Christs resurrection and makes it to be the foundation vnto vs of our resurrection The second point is For whome he rose He rose not as a priuate person for himselfe alone but he rose in our roome stead and that for vs so as when he arose all the elect arose with him and in him Thus saith Paul that the Fphesians were raised togither with him His resurrection therefore was publike and this is the ground of our comfort The third point is When he arose He arose then when he lay in bondage vnder death that in the graue which is as it were the castle hold of death Whē Peter saith that God loosed the sorrowes of death he signifieth that Christ was made captiue for a time to the first death to the sorrows of the second Now in the midst of this captiuity bōdage he raised himself this argues that his resurrectiō is a ful victorie conquest ouer death and all our spirituall enemies The fourth point is That he rose by his own power as he saith of himselfe I haue power to lay downe my life and to take it vp againe If this had not bin though he had risen a thousand times by the power of another he had not beene a perfect Redeemer The last point is Wherein stāds the resurrection of Christ Answer it consistes in three actions of Christ. The first is the revniting of his bodie to his soule both which were seuered for a time though neither of them were seuered from the godhead The second action is the change of his naturall life which he led in the estate of humiliatiō into a heauenly and spirituall life without infirmities and not maintained by food as before For we finde not that after his resurrection he euer tooke meate for necessitie but onely vpon occasion to manifest the trueth of his manhood And this life he tooke vnto himselfe that he might conuey it to all that should beleeue in him The third action is his cōming forth of the graue whereby death it selfe did as it were acknowledge him to be a conquerour and that it had no title or interest in him These fiue things considered the article of Christs resurrection shall be rightly vnderstood Touching the vertue of Christs resurrectiō it is nothing els but the power of his god head or the power of his spirit whereby he raised himselfe mightily from death to life and that in our behalfe The excellencie of it may be known by the effects which be in number eight The first that by it he shewed himselfe to be the true and perfect Sauiour of the world For it was foretolde of the Messias that he should die rise againe Psal. 16. Matth. 12. And all this was accordingly accomplished by the vertue of Christs resurrection The second effect is that by it he shewed himselfe to be the true and naturall sonne of god Paul saith He was declared mightily to be the sonne of God by the spirit of holinesse in his rising from the dead The third effect is that by this vertue he declared himselfe to haue made a full and perfect satisfaction for the sinnes of the world For if he had not satisfied to the full he had not risen againe And Paul saith If Christ be not risen we are yet in our sinnes On the contrarie then seeing he is risen such as beleeue in him are not in their sinnes Againe Who shall condemne vs it is Christ which is dead yea or rather which is risen againe The fourth effect is iustification as Paul testifieth He died for our sinnes and rose againe for our iustification and that was on this māner When he was vpon the crosse he stood there in our roome hauing our sinnes imputed vnto him and when he rose from death he acquit and iustified himselfe from our sinnes and ceased to be any more a reputed sinner for vs and thus all that doe or shall beleeue in him are in him acquit absolued and iustified from all their sinnes If any demaund how they which liued in the time of the old Testament before the resurrection of Christ could be iustified thereby considering the effect must followe the cause I answer that they were iustified by the future resurrection of Christ which though it followed in time yet did the value vertue therof reach euē euen to the beginning of the world The fift effect is the conferring and bestowing of all such gifts and graces as he had merited procured for vs by his death and passion Thus Christ testifieth that the giuing of the spirit in large plentifull manner was reserued to the glorification of Christ which beganne in his resurrection And the preaching of Repentance and remission of sinnes is reserued till after his resurrection And S. Peter saith that the Elect are regenerate to a liuely hope by the resurrectiō of Christ. By reason of this bestowing of graces and gifts the resurrection of Christ is the beginning of a new and spirituall world which the holy Ghost calls the world to come in which shall be a new heauen and a new earth as Isai speaketh and a peculiar people of God zealous of good works keeping an eternall sabbath vnto God This one effect alone sufficiently declares the excellencie of this vertue of Christ. The sixth effect is viuification which is a raising of vs frō the death of sinne to newnes of life And the reason hereof is plaine For Christ in his resurrection put away his natural life which with our nature he receiued from Adam and tooke vnto him a spirituall life that he might communicate the saide life to all that beleeue in him Againe