to God for Israel is Rom. 10.1 That they may be saved 4. The head must be joyned and united to the body separate the head from the body and it s no longer an head to that body separate the members from the head and they are no longer members to that head Now such an union there is between Christ and his Church the neerest that can be so that Christ and all godly Christians make one Christ mystical as vine and branches husband and wife as the building and the foundation A true and real union it is not imaginary Eph. 5.32 yet unexpressible its 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a great mystery It s an union finally indissoluble nothing can prevail against it no not death it self which is yet of force to part between friend and friend between husband and wife yea between soul and body but at no hand can it separate between Christ and a Christian When in the death of our blessed Saviour there was a separation made between his soul and his body the soul going to paradise and the body to the grave yet still the union remained firm between the Divine Nature and the Humane the Divine Nature remaining in firm union with the soul in Heaven Lib. de fide and with the body in the grave as Damascen excellently So is it here when in death there shall be a dissolution of our natures yet the union remaines firm between Christ and a true believer the soul is not by death severed from Christ nay whereas in the time of this life the soul enjoyes Christ onely by faith after death it shall enjoy him fully 1 Cor. 13.12 immediatly and by sight Now I see darkly saies the Apostle as through a glasse but then face to face And this enjoying of Christ the Apostle makes to be a consequent of his dissolution Phil. 1.23 I desire saies he to be dissolved and to be with Christ Yea even the body of the b liever even in death remains in union with Christ therefore they are said to be fallen asleep in Christ 1 Co◠15.18 and this is the ground of the raising of it up at the last day 5. The head is set above the rest of the body and all the members of the body are under the head It were a monster to see a body wherein the head should stand in the place of the feet and the feet in the place of the head It s so here Christ is set above all and all subordinated to him the Apostle can tell us That God hath given him to be the head 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Eph. 1.22 Eph. 5.23 24. over all things to the Church And again Christ is the Head of the Church therefore the Church is subject to Christ So that it belongs to Christ to rule and bear sway and to us to obey 6. The head conveys life and motion to all the members and so doth Christ to the Church and to all Christians hear we our Saviour speaking to this purpose Without me saies he ye can do nothing hear we St. Paul Joh. 15.5 Gal. 2.20 Now I live yet not I but Christ lives in me and the life that I live I live by the faith of the Son of God And again Phil. 4.13 I am able to do all things through Christ that strengthens me Hence we may learn divers things 1. The dignity and excellency of the Church and all the true members of it all godly Christians we may sing with the Psalmist Psal 87.3 Glorious things are spoken of thee O thou city of God for there is not any even the meanest member of the Church even then when the Church is most afflicted but he is a member of Christ united to him and having communion with him as members of the natural body have with the head And this is no small honour and advancement which is bestowed upon us in this respect for he to whom as to our head we are thus united is a most glorious person God over all blessed for ever Rom. 9.5 Psal 93.1 Rev. 4.10 11 clothed with majesty as with a garment before whom the Angels cover their faces And the twenty four Elders fall down before him and cast their crownes before his throne and say Thou art worthy O Lord to receive glory honour and power On the other side we of our selves are poor creatures dust and ashes as Abraham said of himself Gen. 18 27 2 Sam. 9. ◠dead dogs as Mephibosheth said of himself and in the account of men 1 Cor. 4. the filth of the world and the off-scouring of all things Wonderful odds between Christ and us and yet that we should be brought into so near an union and communion with him he to be our head and we his members who can sufficiently wonder at such advancement 1 Sam. 18. well may we say as David Seemes it to you a small thing c If a King riding in his triumphant Chariot in all state through the streets of his City should cast his eyes upon some malefactor justly for some heinous offence condemned to death and now upon the hurdle drawing towards the place of execution if he should now stand still cause him to rise from his hurdle pardon his offence give him his life appoint him to be clad in Royal apparel take him into his Chariot and so make him sharer with him in his worldly glory would any sleight it as an ordinary passage would it not ravish any man would not any man confesse it to be rare and singular preferment But all this is nothing to this in hand we were in as ill case and as base by nature as any malefactor living in a daily expectation of everlasting death and all the Kings of the earth are nothing to Christ nor is their glory any thing in comparison of his they are finite creatures he is the infinite Creator their glory is imaginary transitory finite his is substantial eternal infinite And he is God equal with his Father and therefore though our union and fellowship be at the first hand with his Humanity yet it s also at the second hand with his God-head and consequently with the Father and Holy Ghost Oh rare honour Oh excellent condition of believers the lustre of it would certainly dazle the eyes of worldlings if it were external but its inward and spiritual and covered oft with a vail of weaknesses and external basenesse and therefore the world knowes it not and therefore it despises and tramples us under foot But howsoever it s yet true that Solomon saies Prov. 12.16 the righteous man is more excellent then his neighbour St. Paul with his iron chains in a better condition then Agrippa in all his Pompe poor Lazarus lying at the rich mans gate craving the scraps for his relief then the rich glutton himself faring deliciously every day and clad in purple The poorest Christian slave serving in the
yet but one Christ And to come lower there are many Sun-beames yet but one Sun one Light many branches and arms of a tree yet but one tree so in the Church there are many members yet but one body 2. In the multitude and variety of members though the body be but one yet it hath many members the body is not all eye nor all ear but there be eyes ears hands feet c. And these are greatly different each from other some are more honourable others lesse some stronger others weaker some have more excellent abilities and serve for more noble uses then others So is it in the Church the body of the Church is but one but the particular members of it are many and they greatly different some are set in higher place neerer to Christ the head others lower at a greater distance and more remote from him Accordingly some are furnisht with more excellent gifts and laid out for more noble employments then others As in a great Family there are divers members greatly different some neerer to the Master of the Family some more remote there are Children nearer then any Servant and among the Servants one is Steward and another is a Scullion in the Kitchin And in an Army the Army is one yet there are Multitudes and several Companies of Souldiers and they different in Use and Honour one from another there are Captaines Lievtenants Sergeants and common Souldiers some neerer in place to the General of the Army and some more remote So in the Church it is according to the wise disposition of God hear Saint Paul Rom. 12.6 Having gifts different according to the grace that is given to us And again 1 Cor. 7.7 Every man hath his proper gift of God one after this manner and another after that Yea hear him largely disputing of this subject 1 Cor. 12.4 Vers 5. Vers 6 Vers 8 9 10 11. There are diversities of gifts There are diversities of Administrations There are diversities of operations To one is given the word of wisedome to another the word of knowledge to another faith c. All this concernes the variety of gifts which arises from and is according to the variety of members of which he adds Vers 17.18 If the whole body were an eye where were the hearing and if all were hearing where were the smelling But now God hath placed the members every one of them in the body as it hath pleased him And finally in the application of the comparison he speakes more plainly Now ye saies he to the Christians at Corinth are the body of Christ and members in particular Vers 27.28 29. And God hath set some in the Church First Apostles secondarily prophets c. Are all Apostles c. 3. The resemblance holds in the usefulness of the members There is not any the least member of the natural body Natura nil facit frustra which hath not its use it s made for some purpose or other Nature doth nothing in vain much lesse the God of Nature To say nothing of the eyes and ears the very feet are useful to the body and so is any other member that may be least of all set by hear we the Apostle confessing as much The eye cannot say to the hand Vers 21.22 I have no need of you nor the head to the foot I have no need of you Nay much more those members of the body that are more feeble are necessary In the Commonwealth the greatest cannot miss the meanest there is not the Noblest Personage to whom the meanest day-labourer or Artificer is not useful In the Army the Common Souldier is of use to the General so in the Church the meanest Christian is of use to the Church and to the most eminent members of it he is useful not as the eye or ear yet at least as the foot to the natural body the poorest member of the Church hath received some ability or other in some measure or other by which in some way or other he may be useful not by Preaching not by Ruling yet by his pious Examples or fervent Prayers for the Church and the principal members of it the poor Mouse may be useful to the Lion being bound with cords by gnawing the cords asunder and setting him at liberty so may the Christian of least account in the Church be beneficial to them of highest Note and Place by his prayers procuring at the hands of God his enlargement from distresses into which he may be brought as did those Christians assembled for Saint Peter Act 12. Rom. 15.30.31 Eph 6 19 1 Thess 5.25 2 Thess 3.1 2 or fitnesse for and blessing and success in his great and important affaires St. Paul acknowledging this doth frequently and earnestly desire the help of the Churches in their prayers to God for him 4. The Resemblance holds further in the point of sympathizing The Members of the natural Body sympathize each with other both in good and evil Of this the Apostle says Whether one member suffers 1 Cor. 12.26 all the members suffer with it or whether one member be honored all the members rejoyce with it If the Foot be foul the Hand wipes it if one treads on the Toe not the Toe but the Tongue cries out Why do you tread on me but if any notorious wrong be offered to the Body or any Member of it ye shall have the Voyce lamenting the Eye weeping the Heart sighing the Hands pleading the Head hanging down and every part compassionate No less is there a sympathizing between the Members of the Body in respect of any good betiding the whole Body or any Member of it Hath any sick man obtained health ye shall have every Member expressing joy in it's own way for the health of the Body so restored No less is it so in the Church of God The prosperity of the Church or of any Member of it affects every true and living Member of the Church and puts joy into him as if it were his own prosperity The dejected and afflicted estate of the Church doth no less fill them with sorrow and heaviness This we see required by the Apostle Rejoyce with them that rejoyce Rom. 12 1â— mourn with them that mourn And so we see it often practised Look upon Nehemiah that godly Courtier it fared well with him he was Cup-bearer to the great King Artaxerxes he wanted no conveniency for his own particular and yet Neh. 1.3 4 When report was made to him of the distresses of Jerusalem he sat down and wept and mourned certain days and fasted and prayed before the God of Heaven And when the King asked him Why is thy countenance sad 2 2â— 3 seeing thou art not sick mark his Answer Why should not my countenance be sad when the City the place of my Fathers sepulchres lies waste and the gates thereof are consumed with fire This was the affection of the godly Jews
more in favour with God then we can hope to be But then what shall we need to look to any other besides Christ for as St. Ambrose saies well Who is dearer to the Father Quis charior Patri filio de quo ipse Pater dixit Hic est filius meus dilectus in quo mihi complacitum est In Rom. 1. then the Son of whom the Father himself saies This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased Who will make use of the mediation of any Courtier to the King when he hath the Kings dearest Son to intercede for him He is fully and richest furnished in his humane nature with all gifts by which he is fitted for the execution of his threefold Office what then should hinder but that we should fully rest upon his mediation upon his Kingly power to defend us against all enemies upon him as a Prophet to instruct us in all things needfull to be known believed and done to salvation upon him as a Priest by his death on the Cross to obtain pardon of sins reconciliation and peace with God and finally everlasting salvation and by vertue of his intercession at his Fathers right hand to speed in our prayers and to be accepted in our praises and thanksgivings and in all acts of Holinesse and Righteousnesse and Charity which in obedience to his command we endeavour to perform But further in this name Messiah or Christ it s implied as we have heard that he hath made us Kings and Priests and Prophets let us therefore walk as such let us carry our selves as Kings not giving way to our lusts but labouring to subdue them as Kings strive to subdue Rebels rising against them Mortifie saies the Apostle your members on the earth Col. 3 5 1 Pet. 2.5 Psal 141.2 Heb. 12.15 Heb. 13.16 Rom. 12.1 Psal 51.17 Let us behave our selves as Priests offering up spiritual Sacrifices the Sacrifice of Prayer the Sacrifice of Praise the Sacrifice of Almes the Sacrifice of our Bodies the Sacrifice of a broken and contrite Spirit What becomes Christians better being spiritual Priests then to offer up these spiritual Sacrifices daily finally let us do the workes of Prophets Col. 3.16 Heb. 10.24 Heb. 3.13 1 Thess 4.18 Jude Ver. 20 teaching and admonishing one another considering one another to provoke to love and good works exhorting one another daily comforting one another and in general Edifying one another in our most holy faith Finally As hath been said in this name Messiah or Christ it s implied that from him grace is conveyed unto every member of the Church rendring them able to serve and honour God and to be useful to others Let us therefore wanting grace in any kinde or measure seek to Christ for it and by an act of faith draw from his fulnesse grace for grace Having grace in any kind or degree let us be humble not arrogating any praise to our selves for it but giving the glory of it to Christ from whom we have received it and saying with the Psalmist Not to us Lord not to us Psal 115.1 but to thy name give the glory And finally having received from Christ whatsoever grace we have in whatsoever proportion it be let us employ it to the advantage of Christs honour by using it to the benefit of others for there is reason that what we receive from Christ we should use it to his honour from whom we have received it and answer his expectation in the use of it now what his expectation is 1 Cor. 12.7 the Apostle tells us saying That the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every one to profit withall And thus using the grace which is given us we shall provide for the honour of Christ while we shall give them occasion to blesse Christ that hath given such gifts unto men And now shall Christ say to us at that great day Matth. 25. Well done good and faithful servant PARALLELS LIB II. CHAP. I. HAving in the former Book dispatched the Parallels between Christ and the Types by which he was fore-shadowed in the Old Testament I shall now in this Book present you with the Parallels between him and those other Resemblances by which he is set forth in the Old or in the New Testament And in laying them down I shall not stand upon any accurate Division but onely observe the Alphabetical Order Christ compared with Bread and Wine Thus doth our Saviour set forth himself and that in regard of his flesh and blood for so he says plainly I am the Bread of Life and then he adds John 6.35 48 The Bread that I will give is my flesh John 6.51 which I will give for the Life of the World And therefore in the first Institution of the blessed Eucharist Our blessed Saviour took Bread Matth. 26.26 and said of it This is my Body Not that it was properly his Body for there is a vast difference between them nor that it was by Transubstantiation changed into his Body for even when it comes to the act of eating it remains still Bread but the word is is as much as it signifies And so Tertullian expounds the words Christ says he taking Bread Christus acceptum panem distributum Discipulis suis corpus suum illum fecit dicendo Hoc est corpus meum i. e. figura corporis mei Contr. Marc. l. 4. Haec oblatio figura est corporis sanguinis Christi De Sacra l. 4. c. 5. Non dubitavit Dominus dicere Hoc est corpus meum cum signum daret corporis sui Tom. 6. contr Adimant c. 12. and distributing it to his Disciples made it his Body saying his is my Body that is a figure of my Body And so Saint Ambrose This Oblation says he is a figure of the Body and Blood of Christ And so Saint Austin The Lord did not doubt to say This is my Body when he gave the sign of his Body And this was in regard of the excellent harmony between the Body of Christ and Bread between the Blood of Christ and Wine which ye may see in sundry Particulars I. In some common Things As 1. Bread and Wine are necessary things there is no living without them we are taught to pray for Bread as the staff of our lives All Bread and no Drink or all Drink and no Bread were either of them unkindly Hear we what the Psalmist says Wine to cheer the heart of man Psalm 104.15 and Bread to strengthen mans heart All the Wealth of the World would do a man small pleasure if he were debarred of the use of either or both of these So the Body and Blood of Christ are of absolute necessity to a Christian there is no possibility of living eternally without these It is most true that our Saviour says If any man eats of this Bread Iohn 6.51 he shall live for ever and it 's no less true of drinking
of those Fundamental Truths concerning Christ which have been overthrown while those abominable Errors have been maintained Long may we tread in the steps of our Forefathers and imitate their zeal never giving way to any more moderate Opinion of such Errors as wrench this Foundation Long may we enjoying the Peace of the Gospel believe profess preach and write as we have means and opportunity against such Fundamental Errors and strive we for such strength of resolution as that we may willingly expose our selves to any hardship yea to the most cruel death rather then to give entertainment to any such Errors as are against this Foundation 2. I say If we agree in this Foundation though there be dissent in other things let us keep the Unity of the Spirit in the Bond of Peace We are Brethren and hope to be saved all of us by the same Grace of the same Lord Jesus Christ why should we fall out one with another The excessive heat of Contention about Questions that is between the Calvinists and Lutherans is as great a Prejudice to our Cause and as great an Advantage to the common Enemy as can be given Let us then leave off such virulency and not suffer our Hearts any longer to be divided for such Differences among us but holding the Foundation let us give the right hand of Fellowship each to other and embrace one another as Brethren 7. Let us be highly thankful to God for the Revelation of the Doctrine of Christ for this as we have heard is the main Fundamental Doctrine of absolute necessity to be known and believed to Salvation how miserable should we have been without it but now our happinesse is great by means hereof therefore we have the greater and juster cause to be thankful to God for he hath in this regard preferred us before many Great and Potent Nations to which yet God hath given abundance of earthly blessings but we have cause to count them all dung and drosse in comparison of this excellent knowledge of Christ the means of which we enjoy Let us not fail to be thankful for this grace and let it be our care to walk worthy of and bring forth fruits answerable to it least it happen to us as our Saviour threatned against the Jewes Matth. 21.43 That the Kingdome of God be taken away from us and as against Capernaum that we be cast down to hell Matth. 11.23 as we have been lifted up to heaven 8. Lastly Christ being the onely Foundation of Salvation let us trust in him and build our hopes for Salvation upon him alone Trust in any other whether our selves or any man is to make flesh our arm Jer. 17.5 and they that do so are accursed Trusting in Christ we cannot miscarry nor shall our trust deceive us being built upon such a sure Foundation against which no opposition can prevail CHAP. V. Christ and a grain of Mastardseed Luk. 13.19 SAint Ambrose handling the Parable of the grain of Mustardseed doth directly apply it to Christ The Lord himself saies he is that grain of Mustardseed Ipse Dominus granum est synapis Seminatur in horto in horto enim captus est sepultus in horto crevit ubi etiam resurrexit arbor factus est Cant. 2.3 vis scire Christum granum seminatum Audi Joan. 12.24 Est autem granum tritici quia confirmat cor hominis granum synapis quia cor hominis accendit Sed si granum synapis Christus quomodo minimus est crescit Vis scire minimum Audi Isa 53.2 Vis scire maximum Audi Psal 45.2 Ille enim qui non habebat speciem aut decorem excellentior factus est Angelis ultra omnem gloriam prophetarum Semen est Christus minimum ex omnibus seminibus quia non venit in regno non in divitiis Subito autem velut arbor sublimem suae verticem potestatis effudit ut dicamus Cant. 2.3 sub cujus frondentibus ramis volucres coeli i. e. Sancti omnes requieverunt To. 4. In Luc. l. 7. he was sown in the garden for in a garden he was taken and buried and in a garden he grew where also he rose again and he became a tree Cant. 2.3 As the apple-tree among the trees of the wood so is my beloved among the Sons Desire you to know Christ a grain and sown Hear what our Saviour saies Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground it remains alone but if it dye it brings forth much fruit Joh. 12.24 But he is both a grain of wheat because he strengthens mans heart and a grain of Mustardseed because he heates the heart of man But if Christ be a grain of Mustardseed how is he the least and doth grow for so St. Mathew in laying down the same parable speaks of the Mustard-seed which saies he is the least of all seeds but when it s grown it s the greatest among herbs and becomes a tree Matth. 13.32 Would you know him to be the least hear the Prophet He hath no form nor comelinesse and when we shall see him there is no beauty that we should desire him Isa 53.2 Would you know him the greatest hear the Psalmist Psal 45.2 Thou art fairer then the children of men for he that had no form nor comelinesse is made more excellent then the Angels transcending the glory of the Prophets He is therefore the least of all the seeds because he came not in a Kingdome nor in riches but suddenly as a tree he sent out his branches that we might say as the Spouse Cant. 2.3 I sate under his shadow with great delight In whose branches the fowles of Heaven that is all the Saints lodged But the word Christ hath another acception namely not alone for Jesus our Redeemer but also for Christ mystical consisting of Christ the Head and the whole number of Christians as the Body and particular Christians as members in particular And so the word is used by the Apostle where he saies As the body is one and hath many members 1 Cor. 12.12 and all the members of that one body being many are one body so also is Christ And so Christ is here put for the Church And so that Parable may be applyed and holds good The grain of Mustardseed is little of it self at the first but in time it grows to be the greatest of herbs so the Church was little at the first but by degrees it growes great in number at the first it was in the narrow bounds of a Family in the Family of Adam Seth c. of Noah Sem c. In familia of Abraham Isaac Jacob but afterwards it grew into a People but here first it was in the narrow bounds of the Israeliâ—ish Nation you onely saies God In pop Israel Am 3.2 Exod. 19.5 In. pop Catholico have I known of all the Families of the Earth And ye shall be