In this he is a Housholder with a witnesse he cannot eat his morsels alone he must impart that he hath The tender mother if she have but a bit the childe must have half with her and participate thereof And therefore in the 1. of Iohn he is full of grace and truth saith the Holy Ghost and of his fulnes we have received grace for grace What better Husband can you desire in the world then to have his whole purse at your command You are not at stint and allowance you may draw till you are weary there is no shutting up of the chest of his treasure he is a Fountain set open for you But to draw towards our purpose There are two offices the Holy Ghost is pleased to acquaint us withall proper unto Christ as an encouragement to win people unto him The first is generall in respect of creation and providence over the whole world the second is peculiar and speciall over the Church alone that is the office mentioned in the Text He is the head of the body the Church the beginning In the words you may observe with me a Proposition and an Eposition and Interpretation or an Allegoricall Proposition and the exposition of the Allegory The Allegoricall Proposition is He is the head of the body The interpretation of it is He is the beginning of the Church In the words note whose office this is that is here spoken of it is he that is the Head even the Image of the invisible God the deare Son of God Secondly note the office it self what that is It is Headship He is the Head of the Church He is the beginning Thirdly note among whom this office is executed and for whose use he doth execute this office that is the body interpreted to be the Church the severall members of Christ I will not set down any other Proposition but what the Apostle hath stated in the Text using his own words Christ is the head of the body the Church the beginning A head and so consequently a body admits of a threefold consideration Sometimes it is taken naturally and so proportionably it hath a body consisting of naturall members Sometimes a head is taken politically and so proportionably it hath a body politique But here it is taken spiritually for a spirituall head and a spirituall body Christ is the head and the Church you see is the body so that this is here a mysticall body And the Church is called a body not that it hath a compleatnesse without a head but in reference to the head it is called a part of the whole A body and a head is but a compleat body indeed Sometimes the body goes for a part and sometimes for the whole Here it is taken for a part only But that we are to insist upon is this First to take into consideration who this is that is the head Secondly what this office of Headship doth import unto us Thirdly how this Head is furnished to the office that is proper for a head to a body Fourthly and then as time will give leave we will have a word or two of application First who this Head is You will say we need not ask the question it is confest by all it is Christ It is true it is so but yet there is a mystery in it and peradventure the thoughts of many persons are something more confused in the apprehension of Christ as he is Head then haply they might be And it may be there might be a more cleer apprehension of Christ considered as he is Head then yet there is among us I will therefore as cleerly as possibly I may state unto you under what confideration Christ is to be considered being head of his Church or of his members Note for the making way to this that there are five very distinct things in Chrirst I say all five distinct one from another and all of them as you shall hear in the closure concurre together in Christ as head of the Church First in Christ theâ— is the one only divine nature and Godhead there is no God in the world but the God that Christ is This is worth your consideration for the mindes of men are apt frequenty to 〈…〉 so between God and Christ as if God were one and Christ distinctly another 〈…〉 God 's when as the truth is there is no other God 〈◊〉 the world but what Christ himself 〈◊〉 My Lord and my God said Thomas speaking to â—hrist And in the 2. chap. or this 〈◊〉 to the Colossians vers 9. the Apostle saith thâ—â— in 〈◊〉 dwels the fulnes of the Godhead bodily In the begining was the Word and the 〈◊〉 was with God and the Word was God In 〈◊〉 1. chapter of Iohn and the 1. vers Christ is God there is but one God in all the world and therefore you must know that you are never to separate in your thoughts God from Christ Alwaies as you look upon Christ so look upon God or as you look upon God look upon God no otherwise then as he is in Christ as if there were another God besides what Christ is for there is no such thing Secondly besides the Godhead there is the eternall ineffable personality in Christ as he is God so he is the Son And in this though we cannot fathome the difference yet certainly there is a personall difference between the Fatherhood and the person of the Son There is but one God as I said before but the persons are three the Father is one the Son is another and the Holy Ghost is another There are three that bear record in heaven the Father the Word and the Holy Ghost and these three are one Now the Father and the Son and the Holy Ghost are not all one personally but the Son is the Son and the Father is the Father But the Godhead of the Father and of the Son is one that is the true meaning there is a difference between the person of the Father and the person of the Son but this matter is not to be pryed into by humane wit For this of all the mysteries in Scripture is the pure object of meer faith there is no humane way to illustrate the difference between the eternall Fatherhood and the eternall Sonship Thirdly in Christ there is a distinct human nature that is as this man is not that man such a distinct individuall human nature Christ hath having a peculiar soul and body of his own that which was born of the Virgin Mary and suffered upon the crosse distinct I say from our individuall souls and bodies Fourthly in Christ there is to be considered an ineffable and incomprehensible hypostaticall Vnion of the divine nature of the second person in the Trinity and humane nature in one person There is difference between the being of God and man considered severally and the being of Christ as Mediator The Godhead of Christ is not the Mediator simply the Manhood of Christ is not
divine nature gave up it self though only in the second Person God was in Christ as much as to say whole God the divine nature assumed a humane nature and so makes up a Christ And thus God is in Christ reconciling the world unto himself You shall see in the Apostles expression elsewhere that the beginning of life in a member of Christ flows from Christ Your life is hid with Christ in God It is such another phrase as the two former It is hid with Christ in God that is it is hid in that God who by being man is become Christ For that is all the difference between God and Christ all the difference I say is between God simply and absolutely considered in himself and God considered as ineffably united to the humane nature God I say thus united becomes Christ and so in such a union is reconciling the world unto himself and takes the Church who is his body The Apostle tells us further Now I live but he presently checks himself yet not I but Christ lives in me Christ is the soul of the body and as the body without a soul is dead so a person without Christ is dead I will not dispute that needlesse dispute of the Philosophers whether the soul be seated in the head principally or in the heart but this I am sure of the life and soul of the Church is in the head of the Church I am the way the truth and the life he is the life of the soul of man as the body without the soul is dead even so if there could be such a thing as the body of the Church without Christ that body were but a dead thing It hath all animal vertue from him alone It hath all life in all respects from him Take life in the first fruits in its sence or motion all spirituall sence all spirituall motion all spirituall actions and activenesse for action receives being and beginning only from Christ Hee is given for a covenant to open the blind eyes All eyes are blind till Christ opens them there is no seeing till the body receive sight and seeing from the head The head causeth us also to sinell as wel as to see the sweet savour of the ointment of Christ that makes the Virgins love him Because of the sweet savour of thy oyntments therefore do the Virgins love thee Now this savour the smell thereof being as the smel of a field that the Lord hath blessed to smel this is the sole work of Christ himselfe So also the spiritual taste to tast how good God is to relish the fatnesse and marrow and sweetnesse of the spirituall wine well refined upon the lees is all by the power of Christ and hath its being from Christ So all our feeling to feel comfort joy unspeakable and glorious all is from Christ Christ opens our eyes he boars the eares he causeth us to smell You will say all this is the worke of the Spirit why doe you say it is the work of Christ Mark what John saith in the 16. chapter the words are these He that is the spirit shal glorifie me For he shall receive of mine and he shall shew it unto you The Spirit himselfe as he dealeth with the members of Christ is the agent of Christ proceeding from Christ communicating that that is Christs to those members So that the Spirit is as it were the conduit-pipe through whom the fulnesse of the fountaine conveyes it selfe and runs forth to every member The Spirit is as the veins and nerves in the naturall body The blood you know hath its fountain from the liver but the veins carry it into every part of the body And as the naturall eye cannot see except the nerves feed it with visive spirits so neither can any eye behold the secrets of the Lord the hidden things of Christ such as he thanks his Father hee reveales unto babes while he hides them from the wise of the world except the Lord Christ do feed the members with his own Spirit It is not the eye that doth discerne and see of it selfe but the spirits that do come from the head cause sight by the eye For there may be an eye and no sight where a want of these spirits are Looke over all the Book of God and you shall finde that there is no action that comes from the Spirit but Christ is the head and spring of it You shall finde the strength and hearts of people faile when hee withdrawes himselfe It is hee that is the strength of them for ever Feare not saith the Text be not dismayed I will uphold thee I will strengthen thee There must needs be miscarriage for want of power except Christ come with his strength and power to uphold Therefore when Paul exhorts those to whom he writes to worke the workes of the Lord hee gives them this counsel Be strong in the Lord and in the power of his might and again saith hee Put on the whole armour of God Now it is a vain thing to think of taking up of arms except there be strength to manage them Saul thought David to be a puny when he was to sight with Goliah and had no regard to him although hee might have good armour on hee was too little a man What Saul thought of David is true of all the whole armour of God it is to no purpose except men be strong in the Lord and in the power of his might And therefore when Paul was in a strait hee begged and begged again to have strength given though hee had not an answer to his mind yet God told him My grace is sufficient for thee My strength is made perfect in weaknesse All persons are weak but as they have strength in Christ Yea there is no strength but what is his and is sent by him Let me tell you this and I beseech you consider they that have Christ for their head they have an infinite advantage above the closest hypocrite in the world although he goe never so farre All he doth is but from a weake principle Christ is not the principle of that hee doth but hee that hath Christ for his head hee hath a spring of fulnesse The Holy Ghost tells us He is full of Grace and Truth and in him dwells the fulnesse of the God-head bodily and It pleased the Father that in him all fulnesse should dwell So that you may plainely see that the preaching of Christ as head and setting up of all the glory of Christ is not the preaching of licentious liberty to men Hee that can win a person to be a true member of this head that is Christ hee brings that person into a fat soile hee transplants him from a barren soile from a rocky soil into a rich soile whereby he come to abound in all manner of fruitfulnesse And certainly beloved fruitfulnesse will be more abundant as the soule can apprehend it selfe by true faith to be a part of this head
renounceth as false and slanderous ibid. 2 He returneth to the Text wherein is observed That the Church is the Spouse of Christ and this great grace is set forth in 2. things 1 In the consideration of the great inequality of the persons matched p. 328 2 The manifold priviledges that come by this match or relation as 1 We thereby become the sonnes of God p. 335 2 Wee are thereby made joynt heirs with Christ ibid. 3 We hereby partake with Christ in all his honours ibid. 4 The Spouse of Christ is hereby freed from arrest ibid. SERMON XI VPON Colos 1.18 He is the head of the body the beginning page 337. Wherein is considered 1 Who this is that is the head p. 343 Who is described 1 By his divine nature and Godhead 344 2 By his eternall personality p. 345 3 By his distinct humane nature p. 346 4 By the personall union of his divine humane nature together Ibid. 5 By the mystical union whereby Christ God-man is united with his body the Church p. 346 2 What this office of Headship imports 348 Namely 1 That Christ is the beginning of the being of his Church pag. 349 2 He is the beginning of all the priviledges prerogatives of the Church page 357 GODS COVENANT with his People the ground of their security SERMON I. Isaiah 41. Vers 10. Feare not for I am with thee be not dismayed for I am thy God I will strengthen thee yea I will helpe thee yea I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousnesse IN the former part of this Chapter which we will speake a little of because it will make way to the discovery of the true scope of this Text you shall finde the Lord graciously acquainting his people concerning his minde in sending Christ into the world and what tumults this sending of Christ should raise how the Lord repell'd that out-cry what sucecsse he giveth unto this Christ raised up in spite of all the malignity and force raised against his power and glory And it is worth your observation beloved to consider how the Lord doth manifest this aâ— a Preamble to this very Text. In the first verse of this Chapter the Lord seems to represent unto us the malignity of the world under thâ— name of Ilands and the people and to presenâ— them in such like posture as Demetrius and his fellows stood in in his time in the 19th of the Acts of the Apostles upon Pauls setting up oâ— Christ there was a horrible tumult raised it that particular against the Doctrine of Christ so is seems the Ilands and the people were it such a kinde of posture here therefore the Lord is pleased to call for silence Keepe silenâ—â— before mee yee Ilands such a noyse there was as I may say that God could not be heard and therefore first hee requires silence and then iâ— stead of that confusion that was among them in respect of their madnesse hee desires them to deale somewhat rationally with him hee chargeth the world to put out all the strength it hath Bring forth your strongest reasons Leâ— them come neere and let us reason together in judgement Now that which the Lord speakes is aâ— intending to heare what they could say for themselves in their opposition of Christ for so you see plainly in the second verse there when the Lord had got silence hee pleads the cause of Christ by way of expostulation as if hee had said what madnesse is it in you to set your faces against this setting up of Christ For who hath raised up the righteous man and called him to his feete and given him to rule over Kings Why doe you contend in this manner can you tell who it is that sets him up If yee did but know against whom ye rise up it would appeare to your selves to be a vain contention And therefore in the fourth verse of this Chapter he answers the question himselfe and therein shewes the vanity of their opposing him For saith he the Lord hath done it who is the first and who is the last If you fight with me what will you get by it Be ye sure I will manage the thing it is the worke of mine owne hands and it is I that raise him up even to rule over Kings and therefore you doe but kick against the pricks in your contending with me The Lord proceeds further to shew the certainty of the prevalency of Christ in the latter end of the second verse and in the third verse he goes on to let us see the facâ—â—lity of Christs prevalency and not onely the facillity but also the extent of the prevalency of Christ both how easily and how far he should prevaile This matter is of excellent consideration He shall pursue saith the Text and he shall passe on safely or as it is in the margent he shall passe on in peace as much as to say when Christ takes upon him to set up his owne Kingdome and glory in the world every one that sets his face against him shall flye before him and Christ will be the pursuer and in the pursuit he will so overtake them in the flight that they shall be easily destroyed Therefore Christ shall run quietly and softly he shall not run after them too hastily there shall be such softnesse in the pursuit of Christ that the overcomming of the opposers shall seem to be a time of peace there shall be such little opposition of him In the fifth verse the Lord goes on and tells of the fruit of this conquest and the victory Christ shall have when he comes to reign in his Church the first fruit of it is terror to them that set their faces against the Kingdome of Christ the Ilands were afraid Secondly the Lord shewes what an ill use they made of this feare whereas it should make them stoop to the Scepter of Christ that was too hard for them like malefactors indeed when they saw themselves overmastered they assembled and gathered themselves together they hoped to raise up more forces and then they will try it out once more againe with Christ Besides you may observe what a politike devillish practice they use to bring downe Christ againe when he was raised that which hath been the main and grand plot of Satan even to raise up Idols and set them up by Christ to steale away the hearts of people It was the policy of Balaam counselling Balak to lay stumbling blockes before Israel to intice them unto the Idols of Moab and it was the counsell of Jeroboam to overthrow the Kingdome of Christ to set up Calves in Dan and Bethel that so there may not be a going unto Christ So you have it in the seventh verse The Carpenter incouraged the Goldsmith c. Well the Lord having thus discovered what opposition there would be at the setting up of Christ begins to speake somewhat comfortably unto his owne giving incouragement to his own people the opposition
the Mediator simply considered But God and man in one person as we call it is the Mediator Finally Christ is to be considered not only personally as he is God and man being one individuall person by himself but Christ is to be considered collectively that is he is not only Christ as he is one person of himself but he is Christ as he himself in that one person is â—nited to the persons of all the elect in the world He and they make up but one collective body In brief there is a kinde of trin-union in Christ The divine union which makes the Father and the Son one The personall union which makes the divine nature and the human nature one The mysticall union which makes Christ the Mediator God and man one with all the members of Christ joyntly You know that in respect of the last consideration Christ as he is collectively considered consists of his own person as head and of all the elect as members so that in some sense Christ cannot be said to be separated but hath his members knit unto him A headlesse body or a bodylesse head are equally both of them imperfect If the Church be separated from Christ or Christ separated from the Church he should in the last consideration be imperfect Now in this Text the Apostle speaking of Christ doth understand him in the last consideration I have spoken of namely as God the Son united to the humane nature or rather uniting the humane nature unto himself as these two natures in one person are united unto the Church or members of Christ so Christ is the head It is true sometimes you have expressions of Christs own speaking by way of subjection My Father is greater then I And I came not to do mine own will but the will of him that sent me which phrase of Christ being not rightly understood doth occasion in the thoughts of men some conceits as if God were a distinct being from Christ that Christ makes God here greater then himself whereas the truth is there is as I said before no God but what Christ is Christ doth never acknowledge that the Godhead of his Father is greater then his own Godhead For the Father and the Sonne is but one in the Godhead and divine nature and therefore when Christ in his â—peech hath reference unto God he hath but reference unto the divine nature that is unâ—â—ed unto his humanity and the very nature of God is within himself and there is no other but what is within himself Therefore there is no distinct God in the world but 〈◊〉 God that is become man and is now called Christ Therefore you are never to look upon Christ but as he is the compleat only true God What need all this discourse you will say I answer You must have Christ set forth in this consideration or else you shall never be able to reach that he is the head Therefore the consideration of the second thing will câ—â—er the usefulness of the first What this Headship is the Text saith He is the beginning that is the root and spring from whence things have their first being Now mark beloved either the Apostle must speake false when he saith he is the beginning or else you must consider Christ as the only God All the world grants God to be the beginning of all things therefore if there be any thing in the world that should be the beginning of being besides Christ he himself cannot be the beginning of all things therefore for the maintenance of this prerogative of Christ being the beginning and fountain he is to be considered alwayes as the only God Now this word beginning doth import unto us that Christ is first the beginning of being and secondly the beginning of well being He is the beginning of being in generall All things were made by him and without him there was nothing made that was made John the 1. As â—ere in this 1. of the Colos All things were created by him Whether visible or invisible principalities powers thrones or dominions The main thing the Apostle drives at is this that Christ is the beginning of the Church that is Christ is the beginning of them being members of himself Every member of the Church of Christ received his first being from him and only from him and from none other Consider the originall beginning of them even in eternity it self if it may be properly called a beginning it hath its being from Christ himself Mark the Apostle in the 1. chapter of the Epistle to the Ephesians 2. and 3. verses Blessed be God the Father of our Lord Iesus Christ who hath blessed us with all spirituall blessings in heavenly places in Christ according as he hath chosen us in him before the foundations of the world were laid This expression may seem to some to import a difference between God and Christ or something distinct one from the other as if Christ were the subject in whom persons are chosen and God the Author by whom persons are chosen But beloved properly there is no such thing as Christ distinct from God so as if he were not God If God be in Christ then it is Christ himself as he is God that doth it And therefore if you will mark the expression well it may be you shall see that it is Christ himself hath chosen us I confesse the words may have a double reference either to the Father or to Christ and according to this second reference Christ may be conceived both the object and the fountain too in whom you are chosen and the expression perhaps will bear both According as he hath chosen us in him that is according as he in him chose us But howsoever all comes to one effect the Father and the Son being one God Secondly to come down to particulars Christ is the beginning of a present possessive being as persons are members of him He is the beginning of a possessive being or being in possession Consider the first thing in the being of a member that is life life as it is spirituall and so peculiar to a member hath its first rise from Christ himself mark the expression in the 2. chapter of the Epistle to the Ephesians He hath created us in Christ Iesus unto good works whereto he hath ordained us that we should walk in them You are created of God in Christ Iesus to good works or God in Christ hath done it The very self-same phrase and expression that the Apostle useth there to the Ephesians he useth again in the 2. Epistle to the Corinthians chap. 5. and verse 19. Namely that God was in Christ reconciling the world unto himself The truth is It pleased the divine nature to unite the humane nature to it self and so to mannage the affairs of the Church in those two natures so united not as if God gave out some of himself to the humane nature and reserved some of it self to it self but the whole
For the head will communicate that the soule it selfe cannot contain it selfe in its own bounds The love of Christ constraines me saith Paul hee can doe no otherwise hee that is driven must needs goe Christ he drives and makes himselfe a way into his members hee breakes his own way into them and so sets them on and puts them forwards Then again Christ being the beginning of all our being he is the beginning also of all prerogatives priviledges whatsoever the Church of Christ hath they have no priviledge but as it flows from the grant of Christ As first of all Justification even Justification it selfe comes from Christ It may be that you will object that the Text saith that God justifies the ungodly and how then doth Christ justifie them I say still as I said before That which God doth Christ doth God is still in Christ God doth nothing but Christ doth all things All the Father hath he hath given to the Son The Father judgeth no man but hath committed all judgment to the Son The meaning I take it is this God as hee is simply one divine essence in himself he doth in this simple consideration of himself not manage any thing in this kind but all that ever he manageth he manageth in his Son and this Son as he is become man So that whosoever they are that are justified they are justified by the Sonne and whosoever come to the knowledge of Justification they attaine to the knowledg of Justification also by Christ We have not received the spirit of the world but wee have received the Spirit that is of God that wee may know the things that are freely given us of God Now this Spirit of God is the Spirit of Christ So then the knowledge of the things freely given us of God is by the Spirit of Christ Nothing can acquaint the soule and satisfie it of a portion and interest in Christ and being a member of Christ but by the Spirit of God that must resolve the case at last do what you can Every thing is dumb and silent but as the Spirit of God doth speak The Word of God and even the word of grace is a dumb letter but as the Spirit of the Lord doth speak in it or with it and so of all things in the world And therefore beloved know you run into those two great evills the Holy Ghost speakes of in Jeremiah the forsaking the fountaine of living water and the digging to your selves cisterns that can hold no water while you forsake Christ the spring fountain and go to pump and fetch any thing you take from any thing besides him If you run to creatures you make not Christ the beginning You will say you suppose Christ to be the beginning in all and you believe him so to be But I say Is this a good supposition of Christ when he is not thought of shall he be but supposed and shall services be set up to take up all the affections and all the suits and pleadings of your hearts How hath Christ all the priority In the 18. verse of the 1. chapter to the Colossians hee is said to be the head of the body of the Church That hee might have the pre-eminence in all things Why do people then run to other things and magnifie and extoll and exalt other things while Christ shall not have a good word Nay people are affraid to speake out of things that are Christs for fear of giving liberty to people to sin and charge people to take heed of the setting forth of Christ and Grace by him as a dangerous Doctrine So seldome daring to speake of the excellencies of Christ and of the excellent priviledges and benefits that come by and from Christ nor of the freenesse of those things that are conveyed to us in and through Christ And why Oh! this will make men run out into all manner of licentiousnesse and prophanenesse without controll and so Christ shall be suppressed for feare of giving liberty and in the meane while other things shall bee set up above Christ the divine Rhetorick of Repentance and Humiliation the prevalency of teares to wash away sin and our conscionable walking will commend us to GOD at the last day Here must bee a magnifying of mans righteousnesse and when these things come to be examined they are but rhetoricall expressions Beloved God grant that our Rhetorick may advance him that is to bee advanced and keepe all other things in their own places that are to be kept low that nothing may have the preeminence of Christ Christ being the head and the beginning of all things that the people of God may go with their buckets to the wells of salvation and draw waters of life from thence and not runne to muddy puddles The zeale of the Lord I meane of the Lord Christ who hath so magnified the riches of his grace to the Sons of men should eat up your spirits raise up your soules against every thing that doth raise it selfe up to exalt it self above Christ If Christ be not the beginning but somthing else let that have the preeminence but if Christ be the beginning let him have the preeminence as Eliah once said to the Idolatrous Israelites that had fortaken the Lord had set up the works of their own hands instead of him If Baal be God then worship him but if God be God then serve and worship him So I say at this present unto you If you will acknowledge Christ to be the beginning let it appear in the setting of him up above all other things in your hearts and thoughts Make him your sanctuary make him your refuge wait upon him for all things Why are your hearts so cast downe It may be corruptions prevail within you fear not Is not there enough in the fountaine to refresh thee and supply thee with strength against them Doth Satan seek to overcome you by his temptations like a roaring Lion seek to devour you he is able to tread down Satan under your feet Beloved will you starve in a Cooks shop as they say Is there such plenty in Christ will you perish for hunger You wil answer it may be you would close with Christ you would goe to Christ for supply with all your hearts but you dare not you are afraid Christ will reject you if you come to him Beloved come to Christ Christ will not cast you off Is there any thing in the world you would have would you have joy and peace come to him and the God of peace wil ful you with all peace and joy in believing Would you have your iniquities subdued come to him and sin shall not have dominion over you saith the Apostle for Ye are not under the Law but under Grace For it is the grace of God that brings salvation salvation from sin as well as salvation from wrath And this Grace of God saith the Apostle will teach you to deny all ungodlinesse and worldly â—usts There is no greater motive in the world to encourage man to venture upon any thing that Christ puts him upon then this That he hath Christ to inable and to lead him through it In the mean time give me leave to â—ut one caution to you Christ I say being the head and as the head being the beginning the supplier of all things pertaining to life godlinesse if there bee any person that either now or at any other time make these most desperaâ—â— conclusions from any thing that they have heard as that they may continue in sin and that they may go on in iniquity Christ hath dyed for them let them sin as much as they can they cannot out-sin the death of Christ If there be any person that doe charge any such untruth upon any Minister and will collect such blasphemies from the Doctrine of the Gospel oâ— Christ let them know that God will eitheâ— bring them to see the greatnes of their folly 〈◊〉 to be ashamed of it or for ought I know theâ— may have their deserved portion in the loweâ— part of hell I dare be bold to say there is noâ— people under heaven who are so prejudiciall 〈◊〉 the Gospel of Christ as such stumbling blocks are nor unto trembling hearts that would faiâ— close with the free grace of God in Christ aâ— such persons that take liberty to sin that gracâ— may abound causing the Gospel to be evill spoken of and detested causing that scandalouâ— name to be raised upon the Gospel that it is a doctrine of liberty Beloved as hee that hath called you is holy so you that are called 〈◊〉 ye holy in all manner of conversation and 〈◊〉 he that hath called you will make you holy 〈◊〉 he is holy First in a word here is matter of exhortatiâ—â— if Christ be the head and the beginning of â—â—l things look up to the head suck at the head raw from the heâ— let nothing draw you â—om the head 2ly Here is matter of consolation to all the â—embers of Christ as long as the head hath in self the body shall never want Such a head â—hrist is that hath al fulnes in him he can neâ—â—r be drawn dry Christ is not as the springs â—â—b speaks of brooks that fail in summer but â—is spring is of such an excellent nature that he â—akes an everlasting spring in the heart whereâ—to he pours himself so saith he He that drinâ—â—th of the waters that I will give him shall never â—irst again but the waters shall be in him a well â—ith Christ bubling up unto eternall life Know â—ssuredly be consident of it God must cease 〈◊〉 be God before there can be a lack of supply 〈◊〉 what is useful for you Christ is head as he 〈◊〉 head he is God as wel as man God himselfe â—en must be drawn dry before you shal want â—ny thing that is good for you Therfore let Saâ—â—n all the world set themselves against you â—â—u shall never have cause to say all the springs â—e dried up now there is no hope of any more â—pply for certainly the Lord will maintain â—â—ntinue that which he hath undertaken I am â—d and change not therefore ye sons of Jacob are consumed FINIS