nor Puritane Conformitane or Non-Conformitane but faith and loue in Christ is All in All. All let him be in all our ioyes in stead of all other contents vnto vs good reason is it that he should fill our hearts that filleth All in all things If hee bee ours Apollo is ours Cephas is ours Life and Death things present and to come the world and all is ours we Christs and Christ Gods In him let our soules rest and reioyce I say againe reioyce alwaies in him If hee bee our Shepheard what can wee want If hee bee our Host shall not our Table be furnished and Cup ouerflow If wee erre is not hee our Way If we doubt is not hee the Truth If wee faint is not hee the Life What losse should disturbe vs what want distemper vs so long as wee loose not Christ What if God take away all and giue vs his Sonne how shall he not with him giue vs all things requisite What other mysterie enabled Paul to want and abound but the fruition of him whose goodnes and greatnesse is such that all accessions adde nothing all defects detract nothing to the happinesse of him that enioyes him who is All in All. Aboue all All let him bee with vs in the maine of All that is in the poynt of Iustification there bee sure we repose all our confidence in him alone bewaring least wee share and part stakes with any act of our owne yea with any grace or worke of his in vs lest hee bee in vaine and of none effect vnto vs. This glorie will hee by no meanes endure should bee diuided with any coadiutor concause or copartner what euer nay he takes it ill and indignely at our hands if hauing him we hold not our selues compleatly righteous in Gods sight if for want of this or that grace wee mourne ouermuch hang downe our head and will not bee comforted as if his grace were not sufficient for vs as if he were not better then tenne yea then tenne thousand graces vnto vs if wee stand vpon this or that measure of grace twenty to one if we had that wee desire wee would be full and rich and stand in no need of him who is the giuer of all grace or that wee would be prouder of the gift then of the Author of euery good gift and not rest in him that is our wisdome our righteousnesse and redemption All let him be in all the graces of Sanctification who onely indeed is the very life and soule of them all What is knowledge but Heathenish science if hee bee not the obiect whom to know is eternall life What is faith and trust and hope in God if not in through Christ but a Iewish wild vngrounded confidence Patience but a Stoicall blockishnesse Temperance and all the whole beauty of vertues but either naturall qualities or morall habits vnacceptable to God vnprofitable to our selues soure Grapes glistring vices if Christ bee not the forme of them without whom there is no qualitie that God relisheth in vs whereof Christ is not the roote wherefore as Apothecaries sweeten all their Confections with Sugar and perfume their Cordials with Muske so let vs grace all our graces in Christ without whom fooles wee are to pride our selues in any thing that Nature Custome or Education hath done for vs in comparison oâ— that influence wee receiue and of those rayes that come from this Sun of Righteousnesse Fooles are wee when wanting grace power or strength to ouercome ill or doe well to seeke supply any where else saue of him of whose fulnes all the Saints that euer were receiued grace for grace Who would goe to the Packe when hee may goe to the Warehouse who would fetch water at the Cestern when he may haue it at the Spring head better cheape All let him be in all our deeds whether we eat or drinke whether wee pray read or meditate giue Almes or worke in our callings let all bee done in the name of our Lord Iesus begun with his leaue performed with his aide and concluded to his glory without whom wee can doe nothing no more then the bird can flye without wings the Ship saile without wind or tyde the body mooue without the soule what euer good workes we doe with an eye from his and a skew vnto our owne names the more paine wee take the more penaltie of pride belongs vnto vs the more cost the more losse wee and our moneys shall perish together whereas the least Cup of cold water giuen for his take who knowes our workes and the intent of our workes shall not loose the reward Verely who would be so foolish as to doe any worke to any other pay-master or who so vngratfull that would not doe any worke that he should require that hath so well deserued to command more then all wee are or can doe Is he All in All with vs If we dare deny him any thing I commend not the discretion but admire the fidelitie and zeale of that renowned Foxe who neuer would deny Beggar that asked in his Name Then are works good works When the loue of Christ constraines vs to them and when Christs eye is more then all the world besides especially If when all is done all the thankes and praise of the Deed redound to him That pollicie is remarkable in the Apostles cure of the Creeple and in Saint Paul in that he would neuer suffer any part of the repute or honor of any his acts or labours rest vpon his owne head but repells it forcibly from himselfe and reflects it carefully vpon his Lord Christ Not I not I but the grace of Christ in mee I liue not but Christ in me In which Not sayes Bradwardine there lies a great deale of subtiltie like that of Ioab that when hee had fought the Field and gotten the vpper hand sent for Dauid to carry away the credit of the Victory Oh how difficult is this for vs not to lurch some part of the praise and suffer peeces of the Sacrifice to cleaue to our owne nets and yarne Whereas in truth our deepest wisdome and strongest policie lay in this not to glorie in our wisdome or strength but to glory in the Lord who worketh All in All things All let him bee in all our thoughts and speeches how happy were it if he were neuer out of our sight and minds but that our soules were directed towards him and fixed on him as the Sunne-flowre towards the Sunne the Iron to the Load-stone the Load-stone to the Pole-starre Hath he not for that purpose resembled himselfe to all familiar and obuious obiects to the Light that so often as wee open our eyes wee might behold him to Bread Water and Wine that in all our repasts wee might feed on him to the Doore that in all our out and ingoing wee might haue him in remembrance how happy if our tongues would euer runne vpon that name which is
All in All. Alpha Christ Ioseph Iaakob Isaack Abraham Melchizeilech Noah Adam Lyon of Iu Rose of SharoÌ„ Vine Branch Corner stone Morning starr Sun Archê“phet High priest King of Kings Mighty Counsellor Messiah Emmanuell Iesus Shewbre Sacrifices Lamps Manna Rock Pillar of fire Brasen Serpent Moses Aaron Ioshua Sampson Dauid Salomon Zorubbabell Bread Water Light Doore Waye Truth Life Word of God BipÌ„ of Soules Advocate Mediator Suerty Head Spouse Lauer. Paschal laÌ„be Altar Mercy Sent. Tabernacle Noahs Ark. Tree of Life Omega Types figures of Christ. Nothing Besides ☧ without Nothing By Samuell Ward TO THE KING OF KINGS AND Lord of Lords Iesus Christ. EVery good name is as precious ointment but vnto the oh CHRIST hath God giuen a name aboue all names in heauen and earth annoynted thee with oyle aboue all thy fellowes All thy garments smell of Mirrhe Aloes and Cassia because of the sent of thy perfumes thy name is a bundle of Mirrhe cluster of Camphire and as the smell of Libanus But wee the sonnes of men haue dull senses stuffed with earthly sauours Oh therefore that thou whom my soule loueth wouldest shew thy seruant where that fragrant Spikenard is to bee found which will cast a sauour all ouer thine house and helpe him so to powre some smell portion thereof vpon thine head as might draw vs in the sauour of thine oyntment to runne after thee Had he all the treasures and Iewels of the world would hee not bestowe them vpon Altars and Crucifixes to thy honour if thou likedst of and such seruices But these vanities hee knoweth full well thy Ielousie abhorreth This thou hast shewed him that hee that prayseth thee honoureth thee Accept therefore and prosper the Office of him that desireth not heereby to gaine a name on earth who wisheth all his thoughts and workes may either honour thee or dishonour himselfe feed thy flocke or mothes who reckoneth himselfe vnworthy to bee as one of thy whelpes is willing to bee of no name or number so thou mayest bee ALL IN ALL. Guide thou my Pen and it shall shew forth thy praise Colloss 3. 11. Christ is All in All. A Magnificent title a most ample and stately Style too transcendent and compreheÌ„siue for any creature Man or Angell due and fit onely for him vpon whose head it is heere set by his elect vessell chosen of purpose to bee the Ensigne-bearer of his Name among the Nations worthily honoured by Augustine for the best childe of grace and faithfullest seruant of the Lord because in all his writings hee affects nothing more nothing else in a manner then to aduance his name as heere in the former part of the verse to crie downe and nullifie all other excellencies whatsoeuer that hee might in the latter magnifie or rather as you see omnifie his Lord and Master Christ giuing the Collossians to vnderstand that how euer there bee many things with men of great and different esteeme the aduantage of a Iew being much aboue a Gentile the dignitie of a Grecian aboue a Scythian or Barbarian many the priuiledges of a freeman aboue a bond-slaue yet all these with God are nothing set by who hath so set all his loue and good pleasure on his Sonne that besides or out of him hee regards no person respecteth no circumstance but slights all as Ciphers of no value Onely looke what there is of Christ in any man either by imputation or infusion so much is hee in Gods Books with whom Christ is All in All. The extent of which praise that wee may the fullier comprehend we may not measure Pauls phrase by our owne ordinarie language in which by common abuse of speech wee lend it to euery thing wee meane to commend a little aboue the fellowes As Salomon speaking after the sense and fashion of worldlings Bread sayes he nourisheth Wine refresheth but Money is all in all It is not true of Christ onely as a by-word or prouerbiall commendation but in the fullest racke a Proposition can bee strained vnto in our apprehension and that in a twofold relation of God and Man Looke what God can require for his satisfaction or wee desire for our perfection is so compleatly to be found in Christ that it need not bee sought elsewhere With God its true that worthy Patriarchs and Saints haue been some bodies Abraham his friend Israel a potent Prince with him Moses a faithfull Steward in his house Noah Samuel and Daniel preuailing fauourites that could doe something with him but all through and for the sake of the Messias the Heire the sonne of his desires and good pleasure in whom hee hath heaped vp the fulnesse of grace and treasures of all perfection Vnto vs sundrie things bee of some stead and vse in some cases in their seuerall times places and respects but vnto all intents and effects of Iustification Sanctification and Saluation in prosperitie in aduersitie in life and death Christ only is All in All. This All-sufficiencie of Christ as it cannot bee easily conceiued nor possiblie at once expressed so hath not the Spirit of God thought fit in one or a few Texts after one or a fewe wayes but throughout the Bible at sundrie times and manifold manners to set out the same vnto vs in types reall in types personall in prophesies in plaine termes in parables and similitudes in so much that Count Anhalt that Princely Preacher was wont to say that the whole Scriptures what were they els but swadling bands of the child Iesus hee beeing to bee found almost in euery Page in euery verse and line Many renowned persons and things we reade Stories of but the Spirit speaks not so much of them as Allegorizeth of another meaneth them on the by and Christ on the maine who is the Center at which all of them as seuerall lynes aime and directly point at The tree of Life the Arke of Noah the Ladder of Iacob and the rest of the like kind what were they but Christ whom because the world was not worthy so soone to see nor God willing at once to shew so rich a Iewell hee therefore inwrapped obscurely in these shaddowes till in the fulnesse of time hee saw fit to reueale him in open Mirrour directly by his Forerunner pointing at him Behold the Lambe of God c. And because these were but dead types not resembling to the life him that was the Life of the world and Lord of life therefore all the Prophets Kings and Priests of note and the redeemers and benefactors of the Iewes what were they but Pictures sent before of this Prince of Glory to follow after in his due time and as Starres extinguishing their borrowed light at the appearance of the Sunne of Righteousnesse to whom Moses and Elias in the persons and stead of the rest did their homage on Mount Tabor as vnto the Sunne and accomplishment of the Law and Prophets To say nothing of the imaginary Gods and proud
comfort his money will afford him in the day of Death and Iudgement what does a penny and a pound an emptie purse and a full purse differ Does not too too late experience teach them to cry out All is vanitie and force them with the Emperour Seuerus to say I haue been all things and it auailes nothing if I had a thousand worlds I would giue them to bee found of God in Christ. Worthily therefore did Charles the Great change that old By-word of money into his Christian Symbole Christ reignes Christ ouercomes Christ tryumphs Christ is All in All. All then let him bee in all our desires and wishes Who is that wise Merchant that hath heart large enough to conceiue and beleeue this let him goe sell all his nothing that he may compasse this Pearle barter his Bugles for this Diamond verily all the Haberdash stuffe the whole pack of the world hath is not worthy to bee valued with this Iewell worthy of him thou canst not bee vnlesse thou counts all drosse and losse to gaine him that is gaine in life and death vnlesse thou canst as the Apostles forsake all to follow him yea as diuers of the common sort of his followers lay downe all at the Apostles feete for him who layd downe himselfe for vs emptying himselfe of his glorie to fill vs with grace and glory yea vnlesse thou canst make nothing of thy selfe and thine owne righteousnesse which is the hardest thing in practice that may bee Few or none I thinke there bee in the sound of the Gospell but haue some faint and languide wishes oh that Christ were mine But would they know the reason why they attaine not the sweet fruition and rauishing possession of him I am his and hee is mine The reason is because he will not bee found and had of such as seeke but lasily and coldly for him that enquire not through the streetes as vndone without him as had rather then want him want all the world besides and crying as the Spouse Where art thou whom my soule loueth whom haue I in heauen like vnto thee Men and brethren what shall I doe that I may enioy him Giue me Christ or I die draw mee that I may run after thee These are the affections that befit them that are like to bee speeders The sluggard lusteth and wanteth He that desires any thing aboue him equally with him or without him shall neuer obtaine him he will bee wooed in the first place with all thy soule strength and might with all that is within thee or not at all of thee All let him bee in all thy loues and aboue all other beloueds when thou hast gotten him thinke not enough to make much of him but remember hee well deserues to bee and must bee All in all Take him not by the hand but embrace him with both thine Armes of loue and hold him with all thy might loue him till thou be sicke of loue for him such as will suffice any one ordinary obiect wife friend health or wealth will not giue him content nay not a compound of many but a Catholicion of all as hee hath deserued so he deseruedly challengeth All thy weake Riuerets vnited will scarce make one current strong enough for him Hee that did all suffered all tooke all thine infirmities finished all for thee is it not reason he should be all in all without any corriuall in all thy affections Such as entertaine Princes can neuer thinke they shew loue enough vnto them and shall any thing bee enough for this Prince of our peace and saluation I cannot but reuerence the memory of that reuerend Diuine who beeing in a deepe muse after some discourse that had passed of Christ and teares trickling abundantly from his eyes before hee was aware being vrged for the cause thereof confessed ingenuously it was because hee could not draw his dull heart to prise Christ aright A rare minde in Christians who thinke euery little enough and too much for him ALL let him bee in all our references and respects to others yea in all our elections and valuations of wife friends companions seruants onely to prize Christ and his Image his Faith and Graces not kindred not wealth not greatnesse not other parts but onely the whole of a man which is his Christianity dare not to yoke thy selfe vnequally with any vntamed heyfer that beares not his yoke Spouse not but in the Lord call none Father Mother or Brother but such as hee did that is such as doe his Fathers will set not poore Lazarus at the footestoole of thy heart and Diues with his Gold Ring and his Purple in the throne of esteeme lest Christ bee offended for hauing his glorious Gospell in respect of persons Oh what a difficult vertue is this when it commeth to the practising to ouersee and neglect all glistering lures and stales of the flesh and to know no man for any such carnall Caparisons but to consider him as a new creature in Christ and delight thy selfe in them as the most excellent of the earth the onely true Gentile Noble Worthies of the World How royall and memorable was that practise of Ingo an ancient King of the Draues and Veneds who making a stately feast not as Ahasuerosh to shew the bountie of his owne but the glory of Christes Kingdome set all his Nobles which were at that time Pagans and vnconuerted to the Christian faith in his Hall below and certaine poore Christians in his Presence Chamber with himselfe with kingly cheare and attendance at which they wondring hee told them this hee did not as King of the Draues but as King of another world wherein these were his consorts and fellow-Princes these hee saw with a spirituall eye clad in white Robes and worthy his company to them he would giue Ciuill due in the regiment of the Common-wealth but those he must loue and honour in his heart as beloued and honored of God A rare and noble Art recorded by three Historians worthy to be read to the shame of our times wherin men of meane greatnesse know not how to shew the least respect to a Christian or a Minister in the name of Christ to account them worthy their company whom they ought to haue in singular respect and to accompt their very feete beautifull for their Lord and Embassage sake onely with this Prouiso that diuine and nimious adoration be not giuen a fault on the other hand common in Poperie to their spirituall Fathers and Founders of orders and rules whom they obey and reuerence aboue Christ as Gualter giues instance in a doating Abbot of Germany who snibbed a Nouice for talking of Christ and the Gospell and nor of the Rules of Saint Francis and his owne Order a common fault among Sectaries who hold vaunt and denominate themselues of this or that Man of this or that Faction whereas with God I dare boldly say there is neither Caluenist nor Lutherane Protestant