THE CHRISTIANS GARMENT A Sermon Preached in London by the late faithfull Minister of Gods Word Master Paul Bayne GAL. 3.27 All that are baptized into Christ haue put on Christ COL 3.4 When Christ which is our Life shall appeare then shall yee also appeare with him in Glory LONDON Printed by G. P. for Ralph Rounthwaite and are to be sold at his Shop in Pauls Church-yard at the Signe of the Flower-de-luce and Crowne 1618. To the Christian Reader CHristian Reader I doe the rather commend this following Sermon vnto thee First because I doe obserue that all the other workes of this holy man of GOD vvhich haue beene committed to the Presse since his death are generally approued and embraced of all the Godly And secondly because I hauing had other copies of his works in my hands as his first largest Letter of all exciting to Repentance and New obedience and another Sermon of his vvhich intreateth soundly and in briefe manner concerning the Apostasie from true grace which may be in Gods children and from those seeming temporary graces vvhich may be in the wicked both vvhich are now printed I thought good not to bury this other Sermon of his which followeth in darknesse and obliuion Thirdly and lastly I was the rather willing to commit the same to the publike view of all in regard of the Author thereof who was and is still reuerenced and beloued of all the children of God which euer knew him especially of all those which had any familiar acquaintance communion with him who while he liued was a bright Starre in the right hand of Christ Reu. 1.20 who as a cleere candle shined so long vnto others vpon the candlesticke where Christ had placed him vntill by giuing light vnto others hee had almost consumed and spent himselfe 1. Thes 2.11 who liued as a gentle Father and a tender Nurse among those of the children of God vvhich hee had committed vnto his teaching who was of the same minde with that holy Apostle that hee would very gladly haue spent 2. Cor. 12.15 and been spent himselfe for their soules ouer which hee was appointed to watch though the more abundantly he had loued them the lesse he should haue been beloued of them so affectionately desirous was he of them that hee was willing to haue imparted vnto them not the Gospell of God onely but also his owne soule because they were deare vnto him 1. Thes 2.8 Act. 20.24 who counted not his owne life deare vnto himselfe so that he might haue finished his course with ioy the ministerie which he had receiued of the Lord Iesus to testifie the Gospell of the grace of God which hee laboured to performe in a good and acceptable manner vnto him For as hee was allowed of God to be put in trust with the Gospell euen so he spake not as pleasing men but GOD which tryed his heart 1. Thes 2.4 6. neither at any time sought hee the praise and glory of men but of God alone He was like vnto Iohn the Baptist for hee was both a burning and shining light Ioh. 5.35 burning in himselfe with the fire both of an holy and ardent zeale for Gods glory and of a pure and feruent loue of the saluation of his brethren and shining forth vnto others by the light both of his vncorrupt and sound doctrine and also of his vnblameable and good conuersation But behold this bright Starre this burning Lampe this shining Light was at length eclipsed darkned and by death quite extinguished but his memoriall shall continue still amongst vs and shall be blessed his good name Prou. 22 1. which is to be chosen aboue great riches and to be valued aboue all precious treasures shall neuer die but shall freshly shine forth for euermore Seeing hee was so good a man his losse is the more to be lamented of Gods Church and children being taken away as for the vnthankefulnesse of this wretched and wicked world Esay 5â— 1 which was not worthy of him so also from the euill to come Reade this and all other of his workes with reuerence remember the things contained in them with diligence and practise all the good duties therein vrged vpon thy soule with constancy and if thou receiue any benefite and comfort thereby forget not to giue God the praise and glory which is due vnto him for the same Thine in the Lord Iesus Christ G. W. Master Bayne his Prayer before his Sermons OVR gracious God and mercifull Father in Christ We confesse that as wee are vnworthy to appeare in thy sight so wee are of our selues insufficient to euery good worke and much more to those of speaking and hearing thy Word for which who are sufficient Wee beseech thee therefore in the entrance of these our duties to help vs with thy good Spirit that the thoughts of our hearts and words of our mouthes may be acceptable before thee Wee confesse to thy glory and our shame that we are miserable sinners if we looke to our selues as lying in the loynes of our first parents we are a tainted seed iustly disinherited of glory if wee consider our selues as comming into this light we are all conceiued and brought forth in sinne which like a Leprosy hath spred it selfe into all the powers of vs that what we haue done of our owne strength is abomination and whatsoeuer is truely good we haue altogether neglected it there being not one that doth good no not one More particularly we acknowledge euen we to whom thou hast beene mercifull to make vs taste how good thou art in Christ that since the effectuall working of grace in vs wee haue not ceased through the relickes of our corruption to multiply trespasses against all thy commandements especially we haue prouoked the eyes of thy glory by taking thy Name in vaine by comming to heare and speake thy Word without renewing our faith and repentance and so haue deserued that thou shouldest turne thy Ordinances to become a sauour of death vnto vs Yea if in none of these kinds we had offended heretofore yet since we haue bowed our knees making these our confessions wee discerne such blindenesse of minde and hardnesse of heart with vs in the same for which thou mightest iustly condemne vs wouldst thou deale in Iustice and deny vs Mercy Neuerthelesse seeing it pleased thee by faith in Christ to make vs thy sonnes and daughters wee do in this regard enter thy presence with boldnesse as it becommeth thy children beseeching thee to make vs able alwaies to challenge our righteousnesse before thee that we may say with good conscience making requests in the death and resurrection of Christ It is Christ that is dead yea who is risen from the dead who is at the right hand of God and maketh intercession for vs. Who shall condemne vs or lay any thing to the charge of vs thy chosen To this end send the holy Spirit of thy Sonne into
our hearts which may renew vs more and more to that heauenly Image from whence wee are fallen which standeth in sauing knowledge righteousnesse and true holinesse And because thou hast appointed thy Word preached for a meanes of begetting and strengthening this faith and perfecting thine owne Image in vs we beseech thee blesse thy Ordinance at this time vnto vs Thou who hast made the Ministery of it a Ministery of the Spirit in which thy Spirit worketh our saluations And because we know that when we should receiue the greatest benefite from thee that then Sathan is most malicious against vs we beseech thee to saue vs from the power of all spirituall wickednesse and from the darkenesse deadnesse wandring and wearinesse of our owne hearts O thou who hast promised that if we resist Sathan he shall flye from vs grant that we flying to thee in prayer of faith may begin proceed in and conclude these and all such duties to the glory of thy name and the furtherance of our true happinesse Blesse our dread Soueraigne the Kings Maiesty blesse his Person and his Throne sanctifie his heart enlarge it euery day more and more for thy glory his owne comfort and the good of his people Blesse the Queene the Prince with the Nobility and Clergie of this Land giue them all O Lord from the highest to the lowest such a measure of thy grace that they may faithfully and conscionably according to their seuerall Callings discharge such duties both in Church and Common-wealth as thou in thy sacred Word hast commanded Wee beseech thee to heare vs in these and all things thou knowest needfull for vs yea make vs to see that thou hearest vs for such is our perswasion toward thee in CHRIST that whatsoeuer we aske agreeable to thy will in his Name it is giuen vnto vs but make vs finde it by good experience that our faith may be strengthened and that wee may teach all flesh to resort vnto thee who art a God hearing prayer To whom with thy Christ and the Spirit be giuen from our hearts all Honour for euer Amen The Christians Garment ROM 13.14 But put yee on the Lord Iesus Christ and take no thought for the flesh to fulfill the lusts of it THE Apostle hauing exhorted to the works of loue doth in the 11. Verse inforce this exhortation from a double reason 1. The one taken from the neerenesse of their reward which made their diligence now more seasonable 2. The other from their present condition who liued not in the night of ignorance and lust of ignorance but liued in the day-light of knowledge and grace which the Sun of righteousnesse arising in their hearts had brought forth Such who are now neerer the fruit and end of their faith and loue such must be more diligent in the workes of them for the end of euery thing is of such force that the neerer wee come to it we do with more courage and diligence ply the meanes which do bring vnto it Againe though men in the night take rest and sleep vnapparelled not passing for vncomelinesse yet in the day they go out to labour and haue care of ciuill decency from which the Apostle doth proportionably argue that such Christians whose night is past who liue in the peep and break of the day must settle themselues as is beseeming for the day this is mentioned in the 12. Verse and this that follows And it is first more generally propounded in the 12. Verse 2. Repeated and further expounded in the 13. and 14. Verses The first hath two branches 1. viz. Of casting away that which was vnbeseeming Let vs cast away the workes of darkenesse The second of putting on such an habit as suted with the day to which part there is a iust correspondency in the amplification for Verse the 13 particularly vnfoldeth the works of darkenesse which we must auoide and the 14. openeth the habite which will well agree with vs whose day is at hand Put on Christ and take c. In which verse is contained a double duty The one principall The other secondary following vpon the former inseparable the first Put on Christ the second Take no care for the flesh as concerning lusts For the opening of which words wee must consider that the first member is laid downe by Phrase of speech borrowed from apparell and putting on of it so that not we but Hee is euery where seene to liue in vs this is resembled by the action of putting on which doth so couer the body that not the body but the rayment onely is discernable Secondly Christ who doth determine this action is brought in bearing the semblance of a garment because as that doth couer nakednesse defend from the iniury of the aire procure comelinesse to the body before men the like doth Christ to the whole man in the sight of God The latter duty may be conceiued first as set downe indefinitely Take no care for the flesh Secondly as construed by limitation viz. so farre forth as the flesh lusteth against the Spirit in you To open which words three things must be vnfolded first what is meant by Taking care secondly by Flesh thirdly what Lusts are heere excluded The first is a word which doth signifie prouidence and fore-thought how to bring about this or that 2. The flesh doth heere note forth the outward man 2. Cor. 7.1 For were it put for corruption of our nature opposite to the Spirit the limitation following viz. as concerning Lusts would seeme impertinent for corruption absolutely both roote and fruite is to be abhorred 3. The third thing is thus cleered there are lusts naturall and sinfull these are heere debarred The summe is grow vp so into Christ our Sauiour and Lord that he may couer you so that euery where not you but he may be seene to liue in you and though you cannot in this body liue without sinne yet be not harbingers and purueyors making prouision to fulfill sinne and though you cannot be without some care of this outward man giue no respect to the inordinate and sinfull desires of it We see then first what must be the daily indeuour of vs to attire our selues euery where with Christ I will not seek to proue this which the Text holdeth forth so manifestly but will leade you into a fuller vnderstanding of this duety by vnfolding these two points First how we may cōsider Christ as he is to be put on by vs. Secondly how we come to put him on Christ as he is to be put on by vs or of vs must be conceiued first as a iustifier of vs from sinne secondly as a sanctifier who doth free vs from the power of sinne rinsing away by the water of his Spirit that staine of corruption defiling our natures Thirdly as an example of life set forth for our imitation Learne of mee for I am lowly And so be you followers of me so far forth as I follow Christ for so farre
forth as Christ hath reference to this effect of not caring for sinfull lusts so farre this consideration may be fitly extended yea so far as he doth make vs and our waies beseeme the Light into which wee are translated but Christ both as an Authour and patterne concurreth to this secondary duty of not taking thought for fulfilling the lusts of the flesh 1. As an Authour in iustifying vs and sanctifying vs For sin entred before guit but guilt must be taken away before sinne can be abolished therefore hee iustifieth vs from guilt then purgeth out our corruption 2. As an Example in that hee hath left vs a President this way This putting on of Christ is properly so called or by a borrowed speech the proper putting on of Christ is when we do by an affianced knowledge and by consequent affections come more and more to be vnited with Christ As men are estranged from Christ by ignorance Ephes 4. so by knowledge such as is in truth and affectiue they come to haue coniunction with him by faith hee dwelleth in our hearts and we in him This affiance and trust to him is such that knowledge by benefit heereof doth vnite vs otherwise he being in heauen and seeing the glory of God euidently would not make vs one with him no more then a sore eye is accorded with light being brought into it yea affections increase this vnion by loue our hearts cleaue to him by hope ioy high estimation of him whom though we haue not seene yet we loue and beleeuing reioyce in him with ioy vnspeakable and glorious I count all things drosse in comparison of the knowledge of Christ Christ is said to be our hope 1. Tim. 1.11 Ob. But some will say haply Doth any thing but faith put on and vnite vs with Christ Ans The first and radicall vnion on which all following haue dependency is made by faith onely this layeth hold on God in Christ as now become our mercifull God whose anger before threatned vs for sinne nothing beginneth nothing continueth this Vnion but faith There is a secondary Vnion whereby the soule cleaueth more and more vnto God now reconciled vnto it and this is done by meanes of the affections abouenamed and the like c. Now this presupposeth the former for were it not for this precedent vnion of faith we should flye from God as a consuming fire yea though we knew him and that he is a gracious God in himselfe yet with those vnbeleeuing spirits we should tremble Now we are said to put on Christ improperly by imitation as a man is said to put on the person of such an one whom in his gesture and otherwise hee representeth And thus when we do by knowledge faith holy affections godly imitation so grow vp into Christ that he couereth vs His Spirit from him worketh al our works in vs for vs Not we liue but he in vs Gal. 1. that our inward and outward man are in some good measure conformed to that perfect patterne which he hath left vs in himselfe to follow Then we practise this duty heere enioyned when this I say is truely endeuoured which doctrine thus opened rebuketh many There are not a few which liue in grosse ignorance of Christ his Person Offices and Conuersation How few are they that labour for that confidence in his promises which might settle their hearts quietly through his grace But who almost of beleeuers doe tye Christ more neerely to them by working their affections towards him labouring to feele him their loue hope ioy the want whereof maketh Christians faith so weake that when the winde and storme of temptation ouertake them they thinke Christ is taken from them For though these affections come from faith yet they are daughters which strengthen their mother when she is assailed The wofull practice of Papists is hence discouered for they faile in the thing to put on and in putting it on Christ alone they put not on their faith is on my Lady S. Peter S. Paul on their owne righteousnes workes penall satisfactions Popes Pardons c. Obiect I but they hold Christ Ans As one hauing his hand full of this or that cannot catch hold of a third thing but hee loseth that hold he had of the former So heere seeking saluation in Saints and themselues and the Churches Treasury they fall from Christ Now for their Faith it is a bare knowledge without confidence that hee loued them and gaue himselfe for them Faith is presumption say they Their faith maketh them like to such who carry garments vnder their armes but leaue them to others to put on so they content themselues to know that the Sonne of God tooke our nature died to redeeme his Church but that he is their Sauiour and they his people that hee loued them and gaue himselfe for them this which applyeth him they disclaime as presumption In the second place let vs prouoke our selues to seek this wel-beseeming and sweet-smelling garment to be cloathed with this glorious Sunne of righteousnesse It is the folly and madnesse of men that this rayment is no more in request Why are not Infants ashamed of their naked parts They haue not vse of reason so farre Why are not mad men Their reason is so depraued and peruerted they think there is no shame in it So heere our spirituall childishnesse or madnesse maketh vs not respect our spirituall nakednesse so farre as to renew our care of putting on Christ daily Many in adorning the body are excessiue it is a yeere before they can haue done in dressing themselues and halfe the care of men is about the backe but they haue not wisedome once to thinke of getting their soules araied with Christ and his image But let vs not deceiue our selues glory is but an vpper garment if we be found naked of this cloathing we shall neuer be ouer-shadowed with that glory Nay Christ shall say Taeke that guest without a wedding garment cast him into vnquenchable fire In putting on our apparell we should raise our selues to such like meditation And take not care From the sequell and connexion of these one with the other wee see that the entertaining of Christ and retaining of our lusts to serue them stand not together the putting on of Christ and putting off the willing seruice of these sinfull lusts are inseparable companions you that are Christs haue crucified the flesh with the lusts of it Gal. 5.24 Whosoeuer is in Christ is a new creature 2. Cor. 5.20 If you haue learned Christ as the truth is in him you haue so learned him as to put off the old man Ephes 4. for the putting on of Christ doth transforme vs into his image 1. Cor. 2. As the Aire darke in it selfe ouerspred with the light of the Sunne becommeth inlightned Againe we see that further then old apparell is put off new cannot be put on Besides that other things can no longer occupy the heart whose