entred those lists But there is a fatal yet Providential necessitie in it There must be Heresies 1 Cor. 11.16 such is Satan's malice and Man's corruption that in an ordinary way it cannot be expected that God's Field should be free from these tares And such is Gods just and wise dispensation to permit it to be so knowing how to extract good out of evill And seeing it must be so there is a like necessity incumbent upon the Ministers of God servants of that great Husbandman that they should have John 15.1 1 Cor. 3.9 an eye to them that they do not over-grow the good corn Upon this account it is that I have as occasion hath been offered underta-that work which our great Apostle the Dr. of the Gentiles reckons amongst those 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 those good works 2 Tim. 3.17 unto which the man of God should be throughly furnished Applying my self sometimes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to Reproof Engl. new Annot ver 16. viz. of Errors and false Doctrines which the Verse foregoing reckoneth as one of those four Cardinal uses for which the Scripture is profitable yet so as I have ever mainly intended those other Ministeriall services there mentioned of Doctrine Correction Instruction in Righteousnesse And to that end I have made choice of such portions of Scripture as I apprehended properly usefull for those purposes Among other I have singled out and now through a divine manuduction almost passed thorow this Chapter wherof the Text is a part with that fore-going Rom. 5. 6. The one of which professedly handles the Doctrine of Justification the other of Sanctification two main Pillars in the House of the Lord not unlike those in the Temple of Dagon Judg. 19.26 whereon the whole building stands The sum of the later of these you meet with in the Text held forth under a familiar but apt and elegant Metaphor serving as a vehiculum to convey this divine Mystery into the soul with greater both facility perspicuity In prosecuting of this Allegory I have endeavoured to follow it home to the head yet so as not willing to do what in like cases too often done viz. to overdo by extorting that from the Metaphor which it would not genuinely and naturally yeeld My service which I have herein desired to do to God and his Church as I wish it may so I hope it shall be accepted of the Saints and of You in speciall over whom God hath made me though most unworthy an Overseeer To his grace and blessing I coÌ„mend it and you resting Yours in the service of Christ desirous to be found faithful JOHN BRINSLEY Yarmouth Sept. 8. 1651. An Alphabetical Table of the chiefe Points handled in this TREATISE A AArons Rod blossoming miraculous p. 26 Adoption a benefit flowing from mysticall Insition 37. Agonies in the Christians death to sin both before conversion and after 111 The least Agony in true conversion 116. Apostates to be suspected their condition dangerous 55. 240. Why men are called upon to Arise from the Dead 158. Augmentation a benefit flowing from union with Christ 51. Augmentation an evidence of Mysticall Implantation 54. B BArren Christians no true Mysticall Branches 74 The same body shall be raised again 181. 182 Bodies glorified spirituall Bodies 184. Mysticall Branches Beleevers 15. C CAll of God not to be put off 121 Cessation from sin evidencing true Mortification 137 Christ Mysticall 33. Communion Mysticall betwixt Christ and the Beleever 35 Conformity of Christians to Christ in his Death 90 Conformity of Christians to Christ in his Resurrection 146 In the first act of Conversion man a meer Patient 28 Conversion more then a morall swasion 158 D BEleevers Dead unto sin three wayes 125. 127 Death of Christ a violent death 99 Death of Christ a painfull death 108 Death of Christ a lingring death 118 Death unto sin a dying a continued act 121 Death unto sin what 126 Death of Christ the cause of the Christians death unto sin 130 Death unto sin how evidenced 135 E ETernall life a spirituall life 184 Eternal life a glorious life 186 F FAith without works dead 73 Christ a Foundation how 82 Fructification a benefit issuing from union with Christ 68. 72 Gospel Fruits good works 70 Fruitfulness an evidence of Mysticall Implantation 75 Fruitfulnesse in good works why requisite 76 Directions for Fruitfulnesse 78 Fulnesse of Christ the beleevers 40 G. GOspel preached the meanes of Mysticall Insition 24 Grafting naturall and mysticall unlike in three particulars 18 Grafting naturall and mysticall alike in ten particulars 22 Growth a property of all mysticall branches 52 Growth in grace to be endeavoured after 57 Growth in grace the honour of Christ and glory of Christianity 59 Growth in the Christian continuall ibid. Doubts about spirituall growth cleered 60 Hinderances of spirituall growth six 63 Means of growth 67 I. THe Christian an immortall creature 175 Insition mysticall what 13 Insition mysticrll how tryed 24 Joseph's brethren coming to him a pattern of the Christians coming to Christ 47 Judas never given to Christ as the other Apostles 85 Justification a benefit flowing from union with Christ 36 L. THe Law a Grafting knife 23 The beleever living and dying with Christ 12 No spiritual life out of Christ 25 The Christians life a new life in four particulars 165 Life of the Regenerate a spiritual life 171 An immortal life 173 Life of Saints in heaven spirituall glorious eternall 184 186 Beleevers live the life of Christ 209 Life of Christ after his Resurrection a pattern for Christians to live by 236 Lusts being dead alone what to do to them 102 Reprieving of lusts dangerous 107 M. MOrtification resembleth the death of Christ in five particulars 91 Mortification counterfeit discovered 93 Mortification a voluntary act 97 Mortification a violent death 100 Mortification a painful work 110 Mortification a lingring death 118 Mortification how the beleevers work 133 Mortification twofold Habituall Actuall 134 Mortification in what way to be sought and endeavoured 140 N Name of Christ put upon Christians 33. Nourishment beleevers receive from Christ 11. Christ perfect Nourishment to the beleever 44. Nourishment how conveyed to the soul from Christ 45. Nourishment to be drawn from Christ 47 Nutrition a benefit flowing from Vnion with Christ 43. O OLd age the unfittest time for the work of Regeneration 219. Old age renders conversion difficult and suspicious 220. Repentance in Olde age difficult to man not to God 224. P Pelagian doctrine confuted 29 Beleevers planted together in Christ 3 Beleevers planted together with Christ 5. Plantation mystycall by way of Adhesion and Insition 6. Mysticall Implantation how effected 16. â—â—â—ll Implantation the work of free grace 31. 〈◊〉 spiritvall Pride 7 Q 〈…〉 a Quickning spirit 200 〈…〉 discerned 202 R CHrist Raised to the glory of God his father how 176. Beleevers raised to the glory of God Actively and Passively 177 Resurrection Corporall and Spiritual 146
by those sacrifices Though God properly received nothing for it yet it was accepted of him But I shal no longer dwell upon this evidence neither shall I over-do the work in hand by alledging many more yet I must remember that Foundations cannot be too surely laid especially where Earthquakes are frequent as they are in the Church amongst us at this day And therefore let me yet subjoyn two or three In the next place what shall we say to those Texts of the Apostle Arg. 3. where he holdeth forth the death of Christ Christ the meritorious cause of our Reconciliation as the meritorious and procuring cause of our Reconciliation with God The places are wel known let them be seriously weighed and considered Rom. 5.10 When we were enemies we were reconciled unto God by the death of his Son Ephes 2.16 That he might reconcile both viz. Jews and Gentiles unto God in one body by the Crosse Col. 1.20 And having made peace through the blood of his Crosse by him to reconcile all things to himselfe In all which places the Apostle clearly holdeth forth the death of Jesus Christ as the proper meanes of procuring our Reconciliation with God Allegat Socinian Evasion Allegat To this the adversary answers as before True by this meanes wee are Reconciled unto God but not God to us As for God he was not an enemy to us but wee are enemies unto him He was ready to receive and imbrace us upon our returning to him by repentance Only wee were averse to him Enemies in our mindes through wicked workes Now this indeed Christ by his death effecteth say they reconciling us unto God Col. 1.21 by bringing us unto him in the waies aforesaid by repenting and believing To be reconciled to God the phrase cleared and vindicated Idem valet nos Deo conciliari Deum nobis Grot. de satisf cap. 7. Grot. ibid. ex Sophocle Repl. But hereunto we have returned answer already that for us to be reconciled to God and God to be reconciled to us imports one and the same thing This we have evidenced by shewing the use of the phrase in Scripture language To which might be added the consent of profane writers with whom 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 To be Reconciled to the Gods is as much as for the Gods to be reconciled to them who had offended them that so they might escape their anger and revenge But we shall not need to go down to the Philistines to sharpen this Goad In those very places alledged upon a serious review of of them we shall finde that the Reconciliation there spoken of is a reconciling of God to Man That to the Romans is cleare When we were Enemies wee were reconciled unto God How reconciled to him why so as to have peace with him ver 1. So as to have a standing in his grace ver 2. So as to be saved from his wrath ver 9. Such is the Reconciliation there spoken of by the Apostle which hee further maketh to be the proper and immediate fruit and effect of the death of Christ Reconciled by his death And consequently it must import not properly the Reconciling of our Natures unto God which is done in Sanctification and is an immediate fruit of the Spirit of Christ but the reconciling of our persons unto him by Justification which is the immediate fruit of his death In like manner in that place of the Ephesians chap. 2.16 Christ is said to have reconciled Jews and Gentiles unto God that by reconciling them first unto him he might reconcile them betwixt themselves Reconcile them to God in one Body And this he is said to have done by the Crosse Not by the Doctrine of the Crosse as Grotius in his later time going about to destroy what before he had built Cum crucem dicit simul intelligit doctrinam cruce sanoitam Grot. Comm. ad Eph. 2.16 Grotius de satisfact cap. 7. blancheth that Text the doctrine of the Gospel confirmed by his suffering upon the Crosse but by the merit of the Crosse as the same Authour in his first and better thoughts orthodoxly expounds it per vim scilicet placatricem by that pacifying appeasing vertue which is in his blood which he shed upon the Crosse By this meanes it was that he reconciled God to them and them to God And after the same manner in that other place Col. 1.20 God is said by Christ to reconcile all things to himselfe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hîc sumendum ut suprà ver 16 sub ipso five ità ut ipsi pareant Grot. ad Col. 1.20 not In unum into one as Socinus would have it for then as Grotius noteth upon it it should have been 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 No nor yet as Grotius himself in his declining time expounds it sub ipso under him viz. under Christ or to him viz. that they might obey him but to him viz. to God the Father So that other place of the same Apostle explains it 2 Cor. 5.19 God was in Christ reconciling the world to himselfe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And this he hath done by Christ viz. by and through his death So that Parenthesis there Col. 1.20 explains it Having made peace through the blood of his Crosse not the Doctrine of his Crosse but the blood of his Crosse viz. that bloody oblation made and offered upon the Crosse Sanguinis hîc fit mentio quîa per sanguinem foedera sancire solebant Idem ibid. wherby not only the Covenant was sealed as Grotius again there blancheth it but wherby the Justice of God was satisfied and so his wrath appeased Thus you see the adversary put by that muse also which being put to his shifts he made for and withall this evidence made out To which in the next place I shall subjoyn another near a kin to it Argu. 4 And that I take from Saint John who speaking of Christ calleth him the Propitiation Christ called the propitiation 1 John 2.2 He is the propitiation for our sins And againe chap. 4.10 God sent his Son to be a Propitiation for our sins the word in the Originall is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which properly signifieth Placamen somewhat wherby an other being offended is pacified That is the meaning of the Latine word made English Propitiation it imports somewhat whereby the anger of another is appeased and he is induced to be propitious mercifull favourable So much we may learn out of the Publicans Petition Luke 18.13 where hee prayeth God be mercifull to me a sinner The word is the same 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Placator or Propitius esto Be thou appeased towards me be thou propitious to me This is Propitiation From whence the Mercie-seat or lid which covered the Ark was called the Propitiatory Exod. 25.17 So the Apostle following the translation of the Septuagint calls it Hebrews 9.5 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉
be cruell towards another when he putteth him to torment or pain without a cause or putteth him to great torment for a small cause The Chyrurgian that puts his patient to great pain for the saving of life or limb when there is no other way of Cure he is not therein to be accounted cruell Thus standeth the case here It was not without cause and great cause that God thus delivered his Son to the death This he did not only for those ends assigned by the Socinian that he might seal his doctrine with his blood and shew himselfe a pattern of Obedience but for a greater end then these viz. for the Redemption of a world as I showed you that when there was no other Remedy Grotius de satisfact cap. 6. Now as Grotius well presseth it against them this End being added to those by them alledged it cannot make Christs sufferings greater then they were which they themselves acknowledg were inflicted by God his Father and that without any Cruelty Nay by how much the ends propounded were more and greater so much the further were those sufferings from all appearance of cruelty So as our doctrine in this regard freeth the Majesty of God from such an Imputation far more then theirs Christ able to undergo and overcome them 2. Besides what is also considerable Though the sufferings of Christ were great yet was there no such Cruelty in inflicting them upon him who was able both to undergoe and overcome them This was Jesus Christ able to do As he had power to lay down his life so also to take it up again John 10.18 That burden which would crush a child a strong man will go lightly away with as Samson being inclosed within the walls of Gaza did with the Gates thereof which he took upon his shoulders and carried up to the top of the mountain Judg. 16.3 Thus did the Lord Jesus being inclosed in the Grave he carried away the gates of death which would have crushed all the sons of Men into the pit of Hell So as those sufferings though great in themselves yet to him they were not so great His dying was but a Tasting of Death as the Apostle calleth it Hebrews 2.9 but I will follow the Adversary no further You now see these his supposed strong-holdes in a good sense slighted Those locks wherein he conceived his strength to ly cut off the Arguments and Allegations producible in this cause with the severall improvements of them clearly answered and satisfied Quest Onely a Query or two is yet behind Whether God could not have pardoned sin without any such satisfaction which I shall send away with their Resolutions briefly and so dismisse this point Q. 1. Could not God have pardoned sin freely without any such Satisfaction And might he not have done it Answer 1 A. 1. To this it is answered From Power to Will no good Consequence 1. A posse ad esse or velle c. From Power to Act or from Power to Will the Consequence wil not hold Because a man can do or may do such or such a thing it cannot thence be concluded that he hath done it or wil do it Suppose that God might have pardoned sin in such a way yet it will not thence follow that he hath done it Answer 2 A. 2. But 2ly without any derogation from the perfection and absolutenesse of his Power How it may be said that God could not do this it may be said with a reverence that this was a thing which God could not do Onely let it be rightly understood Not that it is so in it self absolutely considered but ex supposito upon the supposition of his Decree Gods decree was that sin should be punished with death that the one should be the wages of the other And that decree was gone forth the sentence was past upon man to that purpose The day thou eatest thereof thou shalt dye the death Genesis 2.17 Now this being presupposed it may with reverence be said that God could not pardon sin without some such satisfaction as the Law required Neither is this to be attributed to any defect of Power in him but to the perfection of his nature Upon this account it is that wee say that God cannot do this or that which man can do He cannot sin he cannot Lye Tit. 1.2 It is Impossible he should do so Heb. 6.18 And why so The Apostle renders a reason for it 2 Tim 2.13 He cannot deny himself Gods Truth and Justice they are himselfe And being so he cannot go against them And thus is it in this case To pardon sin without any satisfaction supposing the foresaid decree and sentence it cannot stand with the Truth and Justice of God and therefore he cannot do it This is Gods 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as the Apostle cals it Rom. 1. last The Judgement of God Jus Dei saith Beza Gods right Justitia Dei saith Erasmus and the Vulgar Gods Justice that they which do such things are worthy of death This is not only a Positive Law but Lex naturae the very Law of nature a Law Originally ingraven in the nature of God himself and by him as a Counterpane from that Originall imprinted upon the nature of man And being so God could not go against it so as to let sin go alogether unpunshed This he could not do without wrong and injury to himself Repl. No may some say May not men without any wrong or injurie remit what they please of their owne right Whether men may alwayes remit what they please of their own right Answer To this it is answered 1. This is not universally true Some cases there are wherein men may not part with their owne right Parents may not remit that honour and Obedience which of right is due to them from their children Husbands must not part with their Headship which they have over their Wives And why because this were against the Law of God and the Laws of nature It is a good limitation which is given by Casuists to that vulgar Maxime A man may part with as much of his own right as he will to another but it must be Salvo jure tertii saving the right of a third Saving the right of God of the Law of the Magistrate of a mans Neighbour Where any of these are wronged or injured by the Concession a man may not part with his owne right Now thus standeth it here should God passe by sin without any satisfaction it would bee a wrong to his Law as well as to his Truth and Justice And therefore it cannot bee 2. But 2ly Suppose man might do this yet God cannot This may seem a Paradox but we shall find it a Truth Though man may part with his owne right yet God cannot How so Because Gods right is himselfe Deus ipse est jus suum Marke it Gods right is himselfe and therefore he cannot part with it Upon this
First Resurrection from Christ 86. First Resurrection imperfect 149. 248. Resurrection spirituall resembling the Corporall in six particulars 151. Resurrection spirituall a Difficult work 157. Resurrection spiritual a work to which man naturally is indisposed and averse 160. 161. Resurrection of Christ a patterne of the first Resurrection 164. Resurrection of Christ a pattern of the Christians second Resurrection 180 Resurrection to life proper to beleevers 183 Christ the Efficient cause of the Beleevers first and second Resurrection 189. First Resurrection common to all beleevers 195. Evidences of the first Resurrection 196. Motives to the first Resurrection 215. First Resurrection how attained 227. First Resurrection a mercy to be acknowledged 233. First Resurrection to be evidenced by the actions of a spirituall life 24. Beleevers how to Rise more and more 241 S Sanctification a benefit flowing from union with Christ 38 Stability of a Regenerate mans estate 48 Strivings of sin in a regenerate person comforts against them 121. The two Adams two Stocks 23 The Mysticall Stock Christ 14 Christ a generous Stock 46. 20. Christ a living and quickning Stock 21 Christ a Stock changing the nature of the graft ibid. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the word explained 5 Sustentation a benefit flowing from Christ 9 82 T. TRanslation to be waited for 245 Translation to be prepared for 247 V. VErtues imitable in Christ 210 Unity among Christians 4 Union with Christ desirable and necessary 8 26 Union between Christ and the beleever inseparable 10 82 Union mysticall a neer union 32 Union with Christ an honour to Beleevers 34 Voyce of Christ raising dead soule 196 W. WAiting for glory the Beleevers property 179 Weakness of Christians in themselves 6 Wildings such are all men by nature 19 Christians have their Winters 60 Good works Gospel fruits 71 World how to be used by Christians 172 ERRATA Pag. 24. li. 31. for in r. to p. 37. l. 23. r. in ingrafting p. 54. l. 19. dele and. p. 93. l. 1. r. discovers l. 2. dele make p. 133. l. 20. for that r. of p. 142. l. 31. r. from p. 161. l. 9. r. wholly p. 136. l. 11. r. was white l. 31. r. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 204. l. 7. r. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 224. l. 1. r. not Mysticall IMPLANTATION OR The great Gospel Mystery of the Christians Union and Communion with and Conformity to Jesus Christ both in his Death and Resurrection ROM 6. VER 5. For if wee have been planted together in the likenesse of his death wee shall bee also in the likenesse of his Resurrection IN the verse foregoing Context the Apostle fetteth forth the Christians Communion with and Conformity to Jesus Christ Communion and Conformity both in his Death and Resurrection both Represented sealed and conveyed unto the beleever in by and through the Sacrament of Baptism Therefore we are buried with him by Baptism into Death that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father even so we also should walk in newnesse of life What he there plainly and simply propounds in this 5th verse he prosecutes and illustrates which he doth by an apt and elegant Similitude or Comparison A Similitude taken from planting or grafting where the Graft and the Stock being made one partake in Life and Death dying together in the Winter seeming so to do Reviving and living together in the Spring Even thus saith the Apostle fareth it with Christ and the Beleever The Beleever being implanted and ingrafted into Christ made one with him from that union floweth the like Communion and that both in his Death and Resurrection For if we have been planted together in the likenesse of his death we shall be also in the likenesse of his Resurrection Division A Supposition A Position In which passage we may take notice of two things a Supposition and a Position The Supposition or Ground-work in the former words If we have been planted together in the likenesse of his Death The Position or Inference deduced from and built upon that ground in the later we shall be also in the likenesse of his Resurrection Begin with the former the Supposition If we have been c. This the Apostle here supposeth laying it down for a ground-work that All Beleevers are planted together with Christ in the likenesse of his Death which we may for the better handling of it breake or resolve into two distinct Propositions or Conclusions The Supposition resolved into two Propositions 1. Beleevers are planted together with Christ 2. They are planted together with Christ in the likenesse of his Death The former more generall the later more particular I shal insist upon them severally beginning with the former Proposit 1. All beleevers are planted together with Christ A double reference of the word together 1. To beleevers themselves All Beleevers are planted together with Christ Planted together 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith the Originall where the Preposition 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 together may admit of a twofold reference Either it may be referred to Christians themseselves or to Christ and them 1. To Beleevers themselves We have been planted together i. e. saith Erasmus wee Jews and Gentiles both which are now planted together in the same stock or wee viz. Paul himself and all other beleevers even the whole company of the faithfull who are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 planted together like so many branches growing upon the same stock making up one mysticall body A truth which the Apostle elsewhere setteth forth under another Allegory of a Building Ephes 2.20 21. where resembling Christ unto a Foundation-stone hee compares other beleevers to so many stones laid upon that foundation all fitly framed together and builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit Thus some conceive the Apostle here to speake the same thing under another Metaphor Applic. Being planted together let them agree together A truth and an usefull one did I list to improve it Usefull as to other ends so especially to minde Christians of that holy concord unity and agreement which ought to be betwixt and amongst them They are planted together like branches of the same tree Now how do we see such branches growing up together quietly peaceably Happily in a storm there may be some clashing but that being over they agree again imbracing each other with mutuall complications Thus in stormes of Satans raising there may and will bee sometimes animosities and unbrotherly contentions amongst Christians as there was betwixt Paul and Barnabas but the violence of the Tentation being over now they ought to affect a holy agreement being knit together and growing up together in Love But I shall not dwell upon this 2 The second Reference more proper with Christ The later Reference I look upon as more proper and geinune Planted together viz. with Christ. So it will appear to bee if we paralell and compare the phrase here with
Spirituall and Heâ—â—â—â—â—â— Bl 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 So much we may learn from the Apostle Eph. 1.3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who hath blessed us with al spiritual and Heavenly blessings in heavenly places or things in Christ Being in Christ they are blessed with all spirituall blessings in him and through him God giving them unto his Son and his Son unto them he giveth all things that are in him He that spared not his own Son but delivered him up for us all how shal he not with him freely give us all things Rom. 8.32 All things necessary convenient More particularly The fatness of this Olive the Excellencies of Jesus Christ Particularly in his Merit his Spirit which here he communicateth to beleevers may be reduced to two heads His Merit and his Spirit both these Christ is full of Full of Merit and full of Spirit And both these he imparts and communicates unto beleevers His Merit unto their Justification Adoption His Spirit unto their sanctification Of each briefly 1. The first thing Christ communicates unto the beleever is his Merit And that 1. unto Justification 1. Merit Unto justification This Benefit the Gentiles receive from their ingrafting into the stock and Covenant of Abraham Thereby it cometh to passe that Righteousness is imputed unto them So the Apostle layeth it down Rom. 4.11 Abraham received the sign of Circumcision c. that he might be the father all them that beleeve though they be not Circumcised that Righteousnesse might be imputed to them also This saith Grotius Idem hic figuratè indicat Paulus quod aperâ—iùs dixerat cap. 4. ver 11. Grotius in â—om 11.17 is the fatnesse of the Olive which the same Apostle speaketh of cap. 11. The one a covert and figurative the other a plain expression of the same thing And this benefit are all true believers made partakers of being made one with Christ now Christ is made unto them Righteousnesse So saith this Apostle 1 Cor. 1.30 Of him are ye in Christ Jesus who is made unto us of God Wisdome Righteousnesse And how is Christ made Righteousnesse to the believer not by way of Infusion but Imputation not by putting a Righteousnesse into him but by putting a Righteousness upon him even his own Righteousness By the imputing his merit his Satisfaction his Obedience unto them thorow which they are accepted as righteous unto eternall life Thus is the Righteousnesse of Christ communicated unto all believers He is to them The Lord their Righteousnesse Jer. 23.6 2. The second Benefit issuing from hence is Adoption Thus in Ingrafting there is a kind of Adoption Ramum ramus adoptat 2. Adoption Venerit Insitio fac Ramum Ramus adoptet Ovid. as the Poet elegantly describeth Grafting The Stock as it were adopteth the Branch that is put into it For what is Adoption but the taking of anothers child and bringing it up as a mans own Thus ingrafting the Stock receiveth the branch of another tree and nourisheth it as its own And the like benefit are believers made partakers of by their engrafting into Christ Christ being the Son of God by nature he maketh them the Sons of God by grace the grace of Adoption To as many as received him he gave power 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Right Priviledge to become the Sons of God even to them that believe on his Name John 1.12 This benefit Christ came to procure and purchase for his Elect. When the fulnesse of time was come God sent forth his Son made of a woman made under the Law to redeem them that were under the Law that we might receive the Adoption of Sons Gal. 4.5 And this benefit upon their believing their receiving of Christ they are made actuall partakers of Being thereupon made Heirs of God and co-heirs with Jesus Christ Rom. 8.17 These benefits believers have from the merit of Christ Secondly As they are made partakers of his Merit so of his Spirit 2. Spirit He that is joyned to the Lord to Christ is one Spirit 1 Cor. 6.17 i. e. like minded with Christ in as much as he is made partaker of the same spirit Because ye are Sonnes saith the Aposte God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts Gal. 4.6 And by this means Christ is made unto believers Sanctification Unto Sanctification So the Apostle goeth on in the place fore-named 1 Cor. 1.30 Who is made unto us of God Wisdome Righteousnesse Sanctification So he is viz. by the communicating of his Spirit unto them which is a Spirit of Sanctification So called by the Apostle Rom. 1.4 where speaking of Christ he saith He was declared to be the Son of God with power according to the spirit of holinesse or sanctification 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 meaning the Divine Nature dwelling in Christ which being holy in it selfe sanctifieth others by the merit and vertue thereof according to that of the Authour to the Hebrews Heb. 2.11 where speaking of Christ he saith That both he that sanctifieth and they who are sanctified are all one Christ and believers are one And being one with Christ they are sanctified through the Merit Mat. 23. â—â— 19. and Spirit of Christ Through the Merit of Christ imputed unto them Luke 1.35 as the Gold was sanctified by the Temple and the Gift by the Altar Through the Spirit of Christ dwelling and working in them after a sort as it did in Christ in his Conception sanctifying and purifying their natures Of Sanctification there are two parts Mortification the one Vivification Of Sanctification Two parts Mortification Vivification the other the one a dying unto sin the other a rising to newnesse of life and of both these Christ is the cause and that not only the Exemplary Cause the Pattern Sampler of both Christ the cause of both of which God willing I shall speak in the Sequel of the Text which tels us that believers are ingrafted with Christ in the likenesse of his Death and Resurrection the one in their Mortification the other in their Vivification but also the Meritorious Cause having merited and procured these benefits for them by his Death Resurrection And withall the Efficient Cause working both these in them which he doth by the communication of his Spirit in them By this Spirit he worketh the mortification of sin in them If ye through the spirit do mortifie the deeds of the body ye shall live Rom. 8.13 And by the same spirit he quickeneth them up to newnesse of life This the Apostle calleth the power and vertue of Christ's Resurrection Phil. 3.10 That I may know him and the power of his Resurrection 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 viz. that power whereby Christ himselfe was raised from the dead which was the power of his eternall Spirit dwelling in him Of this power the work of this spirit the Apostle desireth a further experimentall knowledge in himselfe in raising him
rather asleep then dead But this construction Beza looketh upon not only as forced Beza Gr. Annot in Text. and making nothing to the Apostles purpose in the Text but also dangerous 2. Basil in the second place conceives the Apostle in this expression to point at the Instrumentall Cause of our spirituall Insition and engrafting into Christ which is Baptisme This saith he is here called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Similitude of the death of Christ in as much as it carrieth a representation and resemblance of his death And so by engrafting in the similitude of his death should be no more but to be incorporated into Christ by Baptisme which is a similitude of his death But this Interpretation though pious and safe yet here it cannot be admitted Beza's reason is convincing Beza ibid. Baptisme carrieth a representation not only of the Death of Christ but also of his Resurrection and so not only of the Christian's Mortification but also of his Vivification Which two the Apostle here plainly distinguisheth the one from the other 3. Chrysostome in the third place conceives that there is no Emphasis at all in the phrase The Similitude of Christ's death saith he is the same with the death of Christ And so indeed the phrase is to be understood in that 2d of Philip. 7. where it is said of Christ that he was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 made in the likenesse of men that is Heb. 4.5 he was made a true man like unto others in all things sin onely excepted But here we shall finde the phrase importing somewhat more 4. Not to hold you any longer in suspence Conclude we it with Calvin Beza Martyr C. Lapide and others Believers are said to be engrafted with Christ in the likenesse of his death in a two-fold respect The phrase imports two things The phrase imports two things 1. A conformity of the one to the other 2. The ground and rise and cause of that conformity The Christian's conformity with Christ in his death He is engrafted in the similitude thereof made like unto Christ in his death dying though not the same kind of death yet a death like it The ground and cause of his conformity is Christ himself and his death from whence the believer receiveth that power that vertue to do what he doth as the Graft doth from the Stock He is grafted together with Christ in the likenesse of his death Put these together and they give us the full force and Emphasis of this elegant and comprehensive expression I shall handle them severally At this time of the former The believers conformity to Christ in his death 1. The Christian's conformity to Christ in his death He is engrafted in the likenesse of Christ's death that is he is made conformable to Christ in his death This is that which Paul wisheth for himselfe Phil. 3.10 That I may know him viz. Christ c being made conformable unto his death 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And this all true believers are in their measure made partakers of They are conformed unto Christ in his death carrying a representation and resemblance of his death Quod in Christo factum est per naturam P. Martyr ad loc id in nobis fit per Analogiam proportionem as Martyr borrows it from Chrysostome What was done in Christ in a naturall way is done and performed in the believer by way of Analogy proportion resemblance Christ died and so the believer dieth the one a naturall the other a spirituall death the one carrying a similitude of the other Christ's and the Christian's death a death unto sin Quest But what Death is this Ans Why in one word A death unto sin So the Apostle himself explaines his own meaning ver 2. How shall we that are dead to sin live any longer therein So again ver 10 11. where first speaking of Christ he saith In that he died he died unto sin and then speaking of Christians in the next verse he biddeth them Reckon ye also your selves to be dead indeed unto sin Christ died and the believer dieth both unto sin the one by way of Expiation The one by way of Expiation the other of Mortification suffering and satisfying for the sins of others the other by way of Mortification killing and crucifying his own sins This is the death which carrieth with it a resemblance of the death of Christ. And of this death all true believers are made partakers in their measure Thus this main Proposition again subdivides and branches it selfe into two distinct Doctrinall Conclusions which I shall insist upon severally beginning with the former which informes us that The Christian's death unto sin Doct. 1. True Mortification carrieth a Resemblance of the death of Christ in five particulars carrieth a Representation of the death of Christ. It is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 It is the similitude of his death carrying a lively resemblance of it That it doth so will clearly appear if we bring them together and compare the one with the other For the Death of Christ we know or may know what kind of death it was Divers particulars are observable and considerable about it To let passe others Take we notice of these five which are usefull to our present purpose The Death of Christ was 1. A true death 2. A voluntary death 3. A violent death 4. A painfull death 5. A lingring death Such was his naturall death and such is the Christian 's spirituall death His death for sin and the Christian's death to sin Touch upon the particulars 1. Resemb A true Death 1. A true Death Such was the death of Jesus Christ his naturall death not a putative seeming death as those old Hereticks the Marcionites and Manichees imagined but a true reall death A true separation of his soul from his body He powred out his soul unto death saith the Prophet Isai 53.12 He gave up the Ghost saith the Evangelist Mark 15.37 And such is this spirituall death in the believer his death unto sin A Separation of the soul from the body of sin a true death a true separation of the soul from the body of sin Such is the work of true conversion in the soul which is a turning of the soul from all sin unto God Repent and turn your selves from all your transgressions Ezek. 18.30 Not only from one sin but from all As in death the soule is separated not only from one member of the body as it is in a Paralysis a numbe Palsie where one part is dead being deprived of sense and motion but from all So is it in true conversion The soul is separated from the whole body of sin and every member of it So separated from it that it hates and abhors it Ye that love the Lord hate evill Psal 97.10 I hate every false way Psal 119.104 What I hate that I do saith Saint Paul Rom. 7.15 Such is the work of
deadly wound and it begins to die It hath already lost much of that power and strength which it had And in this respect it may be said to be dead to him and he to it Even as a man that is in a consumption having lost his bodily strength and his radicall moisture being in great measure exhausted and spent such a one may be said to be a dead man dead whilest he liveth So though sin do still live in a regenerate person yet in as much as it is in a consumption the power and strength of it gone it may be said to be dead It lieth a dying Now we say of a man in that case a man that is drawing home that he is a dead man He hath begun to die 3. In respect of Assurance 3. In respect of Assurance Sin in a regenerate person having begun to die it shall certainly die it shall speedily die Certainly The wound which it hath received is incurable a deadly wound so as though it may live for a time yet it shall languish and decay more and more till it be utterly extinct which it shall be and that speedily The death of sin is not far off to such a one The story in the Gospel tels us of a certain Disciple who asked leave of his Master Christ that before such time as he followed him he might first go and bury his Father Mat. 8.21 Now here some move the question What was his Father dead that he would go bury him Most probably he was not onely he was very aged having one foot in the grave so as in course of nature he could not live long and in that regard he looketh upon him and speaketh of him as a dead man ready for the grave So is it with the body of sin in a regenerate person It is dying and cannot live long It is much infeebled already and by death which is not far off from any it shall utterly be extinguished and abolished Death separating the soul from the body shall separate sin from both He that is dead is freed from sin saith the Apostle ver 7. of this Chapter which is true as to the regenerate in a literall as well as a mysticall sense Thus you see the former of these Propositions briefly opened and cleared All that are Christs are dead to sin as he died for sin As briefly of the later Doct. 3. The Believer death to sin is from the death of Christ D. 3. This their death to sin is from the death of Christ for sin So much the Metaphor in the Text imports Believers are planted together with Christ in the likenesse of his death that is they are made conformable to Christ in his death and that by a vertue flowing from his death Thus the Graft dieth with the Stock it dieth in it and by it The death of the one is the cause of death in the other Thus is the believer said to be engrafted with Christ in the likenesse of his death he dieth with Christ and the death of Christ is the cause of that death in him This is that which the Apostle saith of himselfe Gal. 6.14 God forbid that I should glory save in the Crosse of our Lord Jesus Christ by whom the world is crucified to me and I unto the world Paul was a mortified man dead to the world and dead to sin But how came he so to be why this he attributes to the Crosse of Jesus Christ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by whom or by which it may be referred to either The death of Christ the cause of this death It was the Crosse of Christ the Death of Jesus Christ which was the cause of this death in him And so is it in all other believers The Cause of it And that not only Not onely 1. Meritorious 1. The Meritorious Cause True so it is This is one of the benefits which Jesus Christ merited and purchased for his Elect by his death that they might die unto sin He bare our sins in his own body upon the tree that we being dead unto sin should live unto righteousnesse 1 Pet. 2.24 Christ by his death merited for his people not only a deliverance from the guilt but also from the power of sin But not only so 2. Nor yet onely the Exemplsry 2. Exemplary Cause of it as Pelagians of old and Socinians at this day would have it True it is so also Christ was a pattern and example to the Christian as in his life so in his death He suffered for us leaving us an example that we should follow his steps 1 Pet. 2.21 He died for us leaving us an example that we should die to sin as he died for sin But this is not all 3. In the third place then 3. But also Efficient it is the Efficient Cause working this death in the believer by a secret vertue issuing from it Thus are Christians here said to be engrafted with Christ in the likenesse of his death Non tantùm imitatione Beza Gr. Annot in Text. sed virtute as Beza rightly not only by way of Imitation conforming themselves unto his death as the pattern of their Mortification but also by way of Efficacy being conformed thereunto by a vertue flowing from Christ and his death And so much the word in the Text as Beza notes upon it doth here insinuate which is not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ibid. a word saith he of passive signification importing not barely a conformity Conformatione mortis ejus Beza but a conformation as he renders it not only a being like but being made like and that by a power and vertue out of themselves viz. the power and vertue of Christ and his death working an answerable death in them And so much that word used by the Apostle to the same purpose Phil. 3.10 implies Being made conformable unto his death 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 conformis factus or configuratus not conforming my selfe viz. by way of Imitation but being made conformable viz. by a power out of my selfe the power and vertue of Christ's death And this is that which the Authour to the Hebrews plainely asserts Heb. 9.14 where he layeth down this as one of the fruits of Christ's death The blood of Jesus Christ purgeth our consciences from dead works to serve the living God Dead works So he calleth sinfull lusts not formally as if they had no life no activity in them but effectively because they are deadly works bringing death upon the sinner that liveth in them Now from these saith the Apostle the Blood of Christ cleanseth the conscience of the sinner and so it doth not only in respect of the guilt of sin in Justification but also the power of it in Sanctification from which it so freeth the sinner as that he may now serve the living God The former of these is done by the merit the later by the vertue of
suppose it be directed to others men dead in trespasses and sins Such exhortations not uselesse to others yet such Exhortations are not uselesse unto them In as much as through those channels God is pleased to convey his grace and spirit wherby he enables them to do what hee requireth from them Thus in raising Jairus his daughter from the death-Bed our Saviour cals to her Talitha Cumi Damosell arise Mark 5.41 And in raising Lazarus from the grave he cries unto him Lazarus come forth Joh. 11.43 not that either the one or the other had power of themselves to do what was commanded but there was a power went forth together with the word like that which went forth with that Creating word at the first God said Let there be light and there was light Gen. 1. There was a power went forth with the word giving a being to that which was not Thus doth God cal things which are not as if they were Rom. 4.17 By his word making things to be what they were not And thus doth be call upon dead souls to awake and arise by and through his word conveying that spirit and power unto his Elect wherby they are inabled to do what of themselves they cannot The first Resurrection is a work of no lesse power no lesse difficulty then the second 5. To these adde in the fifth place Resemb 5. This spirituall resembles the corporall Resurrection in the Indisposition of the Subject In the indisposition of the Subject A dead Corps lying in the grave it hath no disposition no aptitude no inclination to rise again As it cannot raise it selfe so neither can it do any thing in a way of tendency towards its own resurrection It can no wayes fit or prepare it self for it Nay it cannot so much as will or desire it Even such an indisposition is there in a dead soul to this first Resurrection A soul dead in sin as it cannot raise it selfe to the life of grace so neither can it do any thing which tendeth that way Such an Impotency is there in man since the fall All are now by nature 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 without power When we were yet without strength Christ died for us Rom. 5.6 Not able to contribute ought towards this blessed change Not able to do any thing by way of preparation to fit themselves for the receiving of the grace of God no nor yet so much as will and desire it when the grace of God first meeteth with man it findeth him a meer patient like a dead body lying in the grave having only a passive capacity rendring him a subject capable of receiving the impressions of grace and so of having a new life put into him Man hath not only an outward but an inward Impediment to this Resurrection So indisposed is man naturally to the work of God's grace not only having an outward Impediment as Papists and Arminians would have it like a Prisoner as some of them frame the similitude who having fetters upon his legs cannot walk but yet he hath an inward power in himselfe so to do if that outward impediment were removed Not onely so but man hath also an inward impediment Being like a dead carkass lying in the grave which though all the grave-clothes be taken from it yet it cannot move nor stir untill a new life be put into it Until God doth breathe the breath of a new life into the soul the man is whole indisposed unto this blessed change I might go a step further Man not only indisposed but averse to this Resurrection and shew you how he is not onely indisposed to this life but averse to it In which respect the first Resurrection goeth beyond the second The second Resurrection meeteth with a Body which though of it selfe it be indisposed to live again yet it maketh no resistance no opposition against its own resurrection But in the first Resurrection when God cometh to raise up a dead soul from the grave of sin he findeth it not only indisposed but opposite to it making resistance against the work of his grace Ye stiffe-necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears ye do alwayes resist the Holy Ghost As your fathers did so do ye saith Saint Stephen to the Jewes Acts 7.51 To these I might yet add one more 6. This spirituall resembles the corporall Resurrection in the efficient causes of it Resemb 6. The Efficient Causes of it and that both Principall and Ministeriall and Instrumentall In the second Resurrection the Resurrection of the body the Principall Efficient is God himselfe the Ministeriall the Angels the Instrumentall the sound of a Trumpet You have them all together 1 Thes 4.16 The Lord himselfe shall descend from heaven with a shout with the voice of an Archangel and with the Trumpet of God and the dead in Christ shall arise Now see a resemblance of all these in the first Resurrection The same Principall Efficient God God quickneth the dead Rom. 4.17 as dead bodies so dead souls The like Ministeriall and Instrumentall Cause Herein God maketh use of his Angels Revel 2. 3. and of his Trumpet His Angels the Angels of the Churches the Ministers of the Gospell whom he now sendeth forth to gather together his Elect from the four winds from one end of Heaven to the other Mat. 24.31 His Trumpet is his word in the mouth of his Ministers A spirituall Trumpet shadowed out by those silver Trumpets under the Law by the sounding whereof the Priests called the people to the publick Assemblies on earth Numb 10.2 Thus do the Ministers of the Gospel by lifting up their voice like a Trumpet as it is given in charge to the Prophet Isaiah Isai 58.1 by preaching and publishing the Gospell they call men to the Kingdom of God Hereby awakening and raising them up The hour is coming and now is saith our Saviour when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God and they which hear it shall live John 5.25 Men dead in sin hear the voice of Christ in the Ministery of his Word and thereby the Spirit concurring with the Ordinance and giving efficacy to it they are quickned and raised up to a new spirituall and heavenly life Even as dead bodies shall be at the last day raised from their graves by the voice of an Arch-angel and sound of a Trumpet Thus then you see this Generall made out How that the first resurrection the resurrection of the soul from the death of sin to the life of righteousnesse carries with it the resemblance of a Resurrection resembling it in the Order in the Nature in the Integrity in the Difficulty of the work in the Indisposition of the Subject in the Efficient Causes of it both Principall Ministeriall and Instrumentall Now come we in the second place to see how it resembleth the Resurrection of Christ 2. The spirituall Resurrection resembles the Resurrection of Christ So it doth