to be our head how then can he be full and compleat without us As a King the head politique though for his own particular person he be never so absolute and excellent yet as a King he cannot be compleat without Subjects without them he may be a compleat man but not a compleat King So Christ though as Sonne as God as man he be every way full by himselfe yet as head he accounteth himselfe maimed and incompleat without his members without them he may be a compleat Son God man not a compleat head For want of the terme which a relation respects bringeth even a nullity of the relation It being impossible to define or conceive relations but in reference to their termes No man can be a father without children a King without subjects Even so nothing can be a head which is destitute of a body and members The ground of this is the neere and expresseless vnion between Christ and his members which is such as that the members of the Church are said to be partakers of Christ Heb. 3.14 And the Church hath a kind of subsistence in Christ and consequently in the Deity The Church of the Thessalonians which is in God the Father and in the Lord Jesus Christ 1 Thes 1.1 Nay hereupon the name of Christ is communicated unto the Church 1 Cor. 12.12 As the body is one and hath many members and all the members are of that one body being many are one body so also is Christ Where under the name of Christ not only the head but the whole body of the Church is comprized Jesus and all his members make but one Christ one body one person mystical Whether â—or no this be the fulness in the text is not much controverted Indeed Theodoret with some few others have been of the mind that it is but their gloss hath little colour from either the words or scope of the text For 1. the fulness spoken of in the text is an all-fulness Now the Church as Cornelius Alapide observeth is barely stiled the fulness of Christ never the all-fulness of him 2. Zanchy alleadgeth another reason which I for my part shall wave The fulness of the text dwelleth in Christ-Now the Church saith he dwelleth not in Christ however Christ dwelleth in the Church and in the hearts of all his members by faith But I cannot sufficiently wonder at the incogitancy of so learned and judicious a Divine when I consider these following places of Scripture Joh. 5.56 1 Joh. 3.24 1 Joh. 4.16 Psal 90.1 Psal 91.1 Psal 101.6 Isai 33.14,15 3. But there is a third reason which together with the first is of a convincing nature The all-fulness that is here said to dwell in Christ is brought by our Apostle as an intrinsecal qualification in order of nature antecedent unto his relation of head unto the Church his body Whereas the Churches being Christ's fulness is consequent thereunto and resulting therefrom And besides if we would speak properly and strictly it is not so much an attribute given unto Christ as unto the Church I should therefore dismiss any larger prosecution of it and proceed but because I intend to speak some thing of every branch of Christ's fulness I shall therefore briefly hint the use and application that may be made of this Use 1. Of information 1. Is the Church the outward fulness of Christ considered as head we may then be informed what is the nature and quality of her true members that they are effectually called and truely sanctified linkt unto Christ with an internal union by the bond of the spirit on his part and of faith on theirs Indeed as in the body natural there are haires nailes evil humours and many other things which yet belong not integrally thereunto as proper members So if we regard not the inward and invisible essence but the visible state or outward manner of the Churches being there adhere unto her many uncalled unjustified and unsanctified persons but its only as excrements or ulcers For every true member of the Church is a part of Christ's fulness and therefore must receive of his fulness grace for grace must be endowed with all saving and sanctifying graces otherwise how can it concurre to the making of Christ full and compleat 2. Refutation Whence 2. may be inferred the gross errour of the Papists in avouching that external profession and conformities outward subjection to the Pope of Rome are sufficient to constitute one a true member of the Catholick Church although he be a Reprobate an Unbeliever an Hypocrite so gross as Judas or Simon Magus a professed and notorious impious wretch that is utterly devoid of all spiritual life and grace whatsoever If he take up a room in the Church it matters not with them though he neither doe not can performe vital actions yet he shall pass for a true part thereof This bold and unreasonable assertion receives a plaine overthrow from this text The Church being Christ's mystical body is his fulness and so every member of the Church is a part of his fulness which cannot be affirmed of a Reprobate unbelieving hypocritical graceless person who is so farre from either filling and honouring Christ the head or beautifying the Church his body that he highly dishonours him and disfigures her Spalato therefore confesseth that Reprobates have a place in the Church only presumtivè not veracitèr Nay so clear is the evidence of this truth that it wrung from Bellarmine even whilest he was opposing it these following confessions that Reprobates Vnbelievers Hypocrites and wicked persons are only exteriour parts drie dead and rotten members of the Church appertaining thereunto only as haires nailes evil and corrupt humours doe unto the body of man that they are knit unto the Church only by an external conjunction not of the Church nisi secundum apparentiam putativè non verè that they are not of the soule but meerly of the bulke and body of the Church visible Why what could we our selves say more in defence of our and confutation of their opinions He grants them to be but drie dead and rotten members of the Church and should we admit such to be true and proper members of the Church what a corrupt stinking and carrion-like body should we attribute to our c Scripturae clare docent sanctam Ecclesiam Catholicam quae Christi corpus mysticum appellatur ex solis electis vocatis justificatis sanctificatis constare Quia Ecclesia sancta catholica non modò 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Christi dicitur ad Ephes 1.23 jam cogitare apud vos utrum membra mortua putrida rectius dicantur complere corpus cui agnascuntur an corrumpere deformare Certe doctâ—ssimus Augustinus putavit speciosam columbam id est Sanctam Catholicam Ecclesiam tali membrorum peste non ornari aut compleri sed turpari quia illa multitudo improborum Ecclesiae adjacet
forinâ—…cus super numerum ad quam Ecclesiam verè pertinet certus sanctorum numerus praedestinatus ante mundi constitutionem Quandoquidem igitur soli pii sideles persiciunt hoc corpus Christi impii autem infideles potius insiciunt manifestum est ex impiis hoc corpus non constare Tetrum ergo illud tabidum cadaverosum corpus quod maximam ob partem ex mortuis putridis membris coalescit licet vicarium illud caput sibi unire baud dedignetur verum tamen caput viva membra solummodo tan quam sua agnoscet amplexabitur Davenant Determinat quaest 46. pag. 217. Saviour Is it probable nay is it possible that such a body should be the fulness of him that filleth all in all God forbid that ever we should be guilty of such blasphemy either in thought or word I appeal to any indifferent man's judgment and conscience whether or no dead and rotten members perfect the head compleat and adorne the body to which they are joyned or doe not rather as I said before dishonour the head infest and cumber the whole body He confesseth that they are united to the Church but by an outward conjunction and was ever any man so deprived of common sense and understanding as to call a wooden legge a part of the body to which it was annexed as to terme wennes worts and moles sores and botches members of the body in which they were To conclude this use the Church is Christs outward fulness and therefore every true member of the Church externally perfects and helps as it were to compleat and fill up Christ taken mystically as head of his body mystical the Church Now I shall demand any ingenuous adversary whether or no Christ be made the fuller and compleater by damned castaways cursed hypocrites whom unquenchable fire awaites desperate impenitents given over to a Reprobate sense and hardened Unbelievers who are condemned already upon whom the Wrath of God already abideth Should Christ lack one of these would he esteem himselfe maymed were his body incompleat without them or rather would it not remaine the more compleat when all such are quite cut off from it Thus you see all that are in the Church are not of the Church doe not belong thereunto as genuine and proper members And thus much for information and reformation of the judgment I shall next proceed on to practical uses and they are either of reprehension exhortation or consolation Use 1. Of Reprehension 1. To begin with those of reprehension 1. Is the Church Christs fulness then are they much overshot and deeply to be blamed who stop their eares and harden their hearts against Gods gracious and loving calling of them out of this wicked and miserabe world unto the glorious society of the Church How would they canvass to be admitted into many other societies Why they are earnestly intreated and wooed to be of this by which yet true and greater honour would accrue unto them then the Empire of the whole world could yeeld For the Church is the fulness of him that filleth all in all Every member of the Church is a part of that fâ—lness and yet they like fooles shall I say rather like mad-men scorne the priviledge turne the deaf eare to all his invitations Had the Churches being Christ's fulness but it's due meditation it would work a more thankful acceptance of this so gracious an offer But alas this is hid from most of our eyes Use 2. Of Reprehension 2. Is the Church Christ's fulness then are they sharply to be taxed who contemne jeere and flout the true members of the Church making them as the filth of the world and as the off-scouring of all things 1 Cor. 5.13 bestowing upon them many unbeseeming termes of derision Why know they what they doe They durst not thus abuse the reteyners of a great man How then dare they adventure to injure in this manner the members of the Church which is the body of Christ the fulness of him that filleth all in all If they are not ashamed yet me thinks they should be afraid hereof seeing the wrong in an high measure reflects upon Christ himselfe and he in point of honour must needs be sensible of it What Vilifie his body which he hath been pleased so highly to honour as to esteem his fulness Can such an affront pass unpunished unrevenged What abuse the members of the Church without whom he accounteth himselfe incompleat and maimed and yet not fear a thunder bolt but rather hugge and applaud themselves in their Atheistical Sarcasmes 2 Exhortation As for the exhortations that may be drawne hence they concerne either Aliens from or members of the Church considered mystically as the body of Christ 1. Of Aliens from the Church 1. Then all that are as yet Aliens from the Church may from the Churches being Christ's fulness be instructed to labour after a place in her I mean the place of a living member of her which hath spiritual combination with and quickenance from the head of the Church Christ Jesus and is not only externally tyed unto him by sacramental admission into his body or Church visible by a bare outward profession of him How vainly are men ambitious after places of credit in great mens houses and Princes Courts why to be a member of the Catholicke Church is a place of high honour and unspeakable dignity What Be a part of Christ's fulness As it were perfect fill and compleat him who filleth all in all Why this is a priviledge that humane expressions cannot reach O therefore doe your utmost to attaine it and with all diligence care and constancy apply your selves to the use of those ordinances which God hath sanctified for communication of this favour 2. Of Members of the Church A second second sort of exhortations concernes such as have assurance that they are members of the Church and they may hence be exhorted unto three duties one regarding God another respecting the Church and a third themselves 1. The first regards God and it is thankfulness unto him for his advancement of them unto an honour priviledge so great as that by meanes thereof they become parts of Christ's fulness The blessing is great in it selfe but made far greater by the condition they were in when God called them thereunto to wit in open defyance with and rebellion against him Their father was an Amorite their mother an Hittite they were polluted in their own bloud and yet then was the time of Christ's love unto them then spread he his skirt over them and covered their nakedness Ezek. 16. took them so near unto him as that he made them one with himselfe a part and portion of himselfe Surely it would raise them to an high degree and measure of love and gratitude but duely and throughly to consider that he who is so high as that he is over all Ephes 1.22 as that he
is farre above all principality and power and might and dominion and every name that is named not only in this world but also in that which is to come vers 21 should descend so low as to reckon himselfe made full and compleat by weak and unworthy men rather wormes and no men that he who is so full as that he filleth all in all should yet be pleased so farre to humble himselfe as to call his members his fulness who alas are naturally empty of all spiritual good and full of sinne and misery A second duty unto which we may hence be exhorted respects the Church Is the Church Chrift's fulness then compassionate her sufferings doe and suffer your utmost for her delivery To see the fall of great men the funeral or ruine of great cities workes in those that either see or hear of it a kind of relenting or commiseration Why the Church of God his body his fulness is all in flames and shall not this command our most serious passions our sincerest and heartiest prayers and our utmost endeavours for her deliverance A Third exhortation regards themselves and it is to walk worthy of their high relation not to discredit it but to adorne it rather in an holy conversation The misdemeanours of favourites reflects upon their Princes And doe not the evil lives and actions of the Churches members redound unto the dishonour of Christ the head of the Church especially seeing he hath taken them into so streight and intimate a fellowship with him as that he hath made them of his body and fulness As they that honour him shall be honoured so they that cast any disgrace upon him or his body shall be sure to meet with shame and dishonour at the last Let them therefore be exhorted not to receive so great a favour as exaltation to be a part of Christ's fulness in vaine but to walke fittingly to the excellency of so high a condition as becometh the members of him who filleth all in all Lastly those that after an impartial examination of their relation unto the Church find themselves not only to be in her but of her as true proper and living members may upon this their assurance ground diverse consolations and that especialy in these five following particulars Use 1. Of consolation 1 If you are members of the Church and so consequently parts of Christ's fulness why then you may rest confident of all true blessings all spiritual honour and advancement He will be unto you a sunne and a shield he will give you grace and glory no good thing will he withhold from you Psal 84.11 You are his own and therefore he is neerly interested in your good your bliss and prosperity and consequently will be as careful of promoting it as you your selves will or can be For who will not use his utmost care and fidelitie in his own concernments All the members of the Church are one with Christ in a very near relation so that he and they make but one Christ they are as parts and portions of himselfe they are his fulness and therefore in all their advancements he is honoured and after a sort farther filled Whereupon divers Interpreters translate 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Eph. 1.23 passively and render the words thus qui omnia in omnibus adimpletur which is filled all in all that is is filled in all his Saints according to all graces and vertues requisite unto their eternal salvation By conferring then any grace or vertue or any other blessing upon them he conferreth it as it were upon himselfe he honoureth and filleth himselfe and on the contrary if he should deny blessings unto them he should deny them unto himselfe which is a thing not to be imagined Because the Church is Christs fulness because the members of the Church are said to be parts and portions of this fulness therefore as the Apostle phraseth it Hebr. 3.14 they partake of Christ they partake of all his communicable perfections 1. Of the satisfaction and merit of his death and sufferings Phil. 3.10 1 Pet. 4.13 2 of the graces of his spirit Joh. 1.16 3 of his glorious dignities priviledges and relations We are by him a royal Priesthood spiritual Kings and Priests sonnes and coheirs with him Nay 4 We shall reap from him not only relative but real glory when he shall appear we shall be like him 1 Joh. 3.2 and that not only in our soules but in our bodies Phil. 3.21 It is said of him that at the day of judgment he shall be glorified in his Saints 2 Thes 1.10 There is saith D. Sclater upon the place a personal glory of the Mediatour Joh. 17.5 And there is his social glory as I may terme it resulting unto his person from the glory which he communicates unto his Children And of this the Apostle here speakes Conjunct with the glory of Saints is the glory of Christ so neerely at that in their glorification himselfe is glorified Every Saint then may warrantably be assured that Christ will take all possible care for his glorification 2 You may hence find great cause of consolation in and against the forest afflictions For being parts of Christ's fulness whatsoever evil befals you he will deeply resent it he will be most tenderly affected with it nay exceedingly afflicted in it In all their afflictions saith the Prophet he was afflicted Isai 63.9 that is he compassionates their afflictions and as it were sympathizeth with them He is touched with the feeling of our infirmities Hebr. 4.14 Zech. 2.8 Judg. 10.16 Psal 106 44. Hereupon is it that Christ looked upon Saul's persecution of his members as reaching himselfe and therefore cried unto him from heaven Saul Saul why persecutest thou me I am Jesus whom thou persecutest Act. 9.4,5 Thus when the foot is trodden on the tongue in the head complaineth why treadest thou on me linguam non tetegit compassione clamat non attritione saith one Clemens Monilianus speaking of this passage of Saul The partie complained of toucheth not the tongue at all and therefore this cry and complaint of the tongue is not so much out of d Hinc autem Theologi quidam putant ostendi sanctorum passiones fidelibus prodesse ad remissionem poenarum quae vocatur Indulgentia Ex hoc tamen Apostoli loco nobis non videtur admodum solide statui posse Non enim sermoiste quo dicit Apostolus se pati pro Ecclesiâ necessario sic accipiendus est quod pro redimendis peccatorum poenis quas fideles debent patiatur Estius in Col. 1.24 paine or passion as sympathy and compassion Now the ground of Christ's thus sympathizing with his members is their mystical union with him As Christ the head and his body make one Person mystical one full Christ so the passions of the head and of the body and members make one compleat masse or body of passions with such difference for all that between the one sort and
the other as that the passions of the head are satisfactory and meritorious for the redemption of the Church the afflictions of the members only for the edification of the Church 2 Timoth. 2.10 2 Cor. 1.6 Phil. 1.12,13,14 As the Church then is Christ's fulness so the Churches sufferings are in some sort the fulness of the sufferings of Christ and therefore Paul cals his sufferings the filling up of that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ Col. 1.24 Which words are not to be understood as if Christ's personal sufferings were not sufficient for the satisfaction of God's justice and the working of our redemption Such a sense of the words even e Quod ergo noster interpres dixit ea quae desunt passionem Christi non sic accipien◠dum quasi Christus sit ad redēptionem nostrā ideoque supplmento Martyrū opus habeat quod impium est sentire Certe Thomas eum sensum haereticum esse pronunciat eò quod Christi sanguis sufficiens sit ad redemptionem etiam multorum mundorum Estius in locum Estius a Papist confesseth to be impious and Aquinas censureth it to be heretical We must therefore with Lyra upon the place distinguish of two sorts of Christ's sufferings they are either in corpore proprio or in corpore mystico His sufferings in corpore proprio in his natural and humane body had the lasts words of Christ upon the Cross to bear witness unto the fulness of their measure and merit By the afflictions of Christ therefore the remainders of which Paul's sufferings were said to fill up understand we his general sufferings in corpore mystico in his Church as a member with the rest for as head he will suffer even to the end of the world in his faithful Ministers and members It is usual to attribute the wounds of the hand or feet unto the whole man and therefore the Apostle because he is a member of the body of Christ may very well call his afflictions the afflictions of Christ for Christ and his members make but one Christ 1 Cor. 12.12 and therefore that which the poorrest and meanest of his members suffer he also suffereth When his hungry and thirsty members are not relieved with meat and drink when his members that are forced to flee from City to City and to be strangers unto their native soile are not taken in and hospitably entertained when his naked members are not cloathed when his sick and imprisoned members are not visited and ministred unto be interprets the neglect and omission of these offices of love towards his members as reflecting upon himselfe He shall at the last day say verily I say unto you inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these ye did it not to me Math. 25.42,43,44,45 Well therefore droop not under any condition though never so sad and seemingly desperate under any want and distress though never so great and in the eye of sense and carnal reason never so remediless For if you are members of Christ Christ you see hath a share in all your miseries and pressures and therefore you may assure your selves of his presence to sweeten them unto you and of his spirit to strengthen and support you under them 3. We may hence inferre the stability of the Church in general the perseverance of every member of the Church in particular 1. The stability of the Church in general The Church is Christ's fulness and therefore it shall never fail What man would suffer himselfe to be mutilated and dismembred if he were able to hinder it And will Christ then think you suffer any thing to prevaile against his Church which is his fulness What were that but to mayme and imcompleate him For the preservation of the Church Christ hath a twofold influence upon her and that perpetual irresistable and uninterrupted the influence of his truth and the influence of his power 1. The influence of his truth to teach and enlighten her Joh. 16.13 2. The influence of his power to guide and protect her so that the gates of hell shall never be able to prevail against her Mat. 16.18 2. We may hence inferre the perseverance of every member of the Church in particular If you are members of the Church and so parts of Christ's fulnes why then rest assured of perpetual preservation in that state of union and fellowship you enjoy with him The mountaines shall depart and the hills be removed Isai 54.10 But you shall be as mount Zion which cannot be removed but abideth for ever Psal 125.1 For as members you make Christ your head more full and so loss of you would be a great blemish and as it were mayming to his body mystical which that he should not hinder we cannot so much as imagine but with infinite wrong unto either his power or wisedome Joh. 6.37 Jer. 32.40 1 Cor. 1.8 1 Pet. 1.5 John 10.28,29 Math. 16.18 Rom. 8.38,39 4 The members of the Church may hence be comforted against the fear of death Is the Church Christ's fulness why then every member of the Church may be assured of a resurrection unto a glorious and immortal life for Christ will not suffer any part of his fulness to be overwhelmed with corruption but will assuredly raise them and set them in heavenly places Eph. 2.6 But of this I have spoken at large pag. 149 150 and therefore thither I shall referre the Reader Fifthly and lastly you may hence be comforted against a low degree and a low esteem 1. Against a low degree state or condition Suppose you are of never so low degree why to be a part of Christ's fulness is a more true real and greater honour then the dignity of the greatest Potentates who are without Christ in the world Lastly if you are members of the Church here is wonderful comfort to you against that base and low esteem which Aliens have you in The swaggering gallant perhaps scornes your company Drunkards make songs upon you all the world derides your profession reckoning you to be but as the offal and refuse of all things But what of all this Christ accounteth more honourably of you so honourably as that he holds not himselfe compleat without you If men have the favour and good oppinion of the Prince they will contemne the snarling of the multitude Why the King of the Church the King of heaven and earth Christ Jesus God blessed for ever highly loves and honours you esteemes you as parts and portions of himselfe as parts of his fulness Me thinks then you should extreamly slight whatsoever these Rakehels thinke or say of you I proceed unto the last relative consideration of Christ Lastly therefore he may be considered according to the relation he hath of a cause towards our salvation And so there dwelleth in him a fulness of office and authority an all-fulness of sufficiency to accomplish it 1. An all-fulness of office and authority For the opening of which
up unto a correspondency with him in his affections to love those persons and things which he loveth and to detest whatsoever he hateth Courtiers usually seeme at least to proportion all their passions unto those of the Princes minion They admire whatsoever he liketh they adore whomsoever he affecteth and professe a deepe dislike of all that he disaffecteth They affront and quarrell all upon whom he frowneth Well then may not we be ashamed that there is not the like compliance in us with Gods favourite We dote upon sin which his soule abhorreth We delight in that company and those places unto which he is a stranger We loath those ordinances which have his most evident approbation and institution Those unsavoury and prophane jests rotten communication that are an abomination unto him and stinke before him are the matter of our greatest merriment We distast most the conversation of those that have most intimate communion with him Those are an eye-sore unto us who are as tender unto him as the Apple of his eye His jewels Mal. 3.17 his crowne jewels his crowne of glory and royall diademe Isay 62. ver 3. are accounted by us as the filth of the world and offscouring of all things 1 Cor. 4.13 There is nothing that he esteemeth more amiable in men then the beauty of holinesse the Image of God This is the chaine upon the neck of his spouse Cant. 4.9 that ravisheth his heart And there is nothing more that our hearts rise against O what a dangerous thing is this antipathy unto him that is in the bosome of the father at his right hand How unsafe is it to be thus opposite unto his affections Hereby we must needs incurre the displeasure both of him his father and that is the undoubted path unto everlasting ruine and destruction for in their favour is lise Psalm 30.5 7. And lastly If Christ be so great and gracious with God It then very much concerneth us to labour for assurance of his love and favour For we must needs be liable unto perpetuall torment and terrour of mind as long as we are in suspense of our eternall condition As long as we are doubtfull whether we shall be for ever miserable or happy And the wrath of Christ who is chiefe in the affection of the father is as Solomon speakes of the wrath of a King as the messengers of death and roaring of a lyon Whereas on the other side in the light of his countenance is life and his favour is as a cloud of the latter raine Prov. 16.14,15 and 19.12 and 20.2 If he smile upon a soule nothing can make it miserable and if he frowne upon it nothing can make it happy For God is reconciled to none but in and through him He makes none blessed but for his sake Well then we can expect no tranquility of spirit no solid comfort no sound peace of conscience no joy unspeakable and full of glory untill we have attained a certaine and well bottomed perswasion that the sonne of Gods love in whom alone he is well pleased hath lifted up the light of his countenance upon us What I have said touching our assurance of Christs love may be applied unto our assurance of Gods love of us in and for Christ For it is of no lesse importance as being inseparably connexed therewith and the ground and cause thereof and therefore without Gods love of us for Christ his sake we can never be happy and without assurance of it we can never be comfortable Hereupon is it that in the salutations prefixed unto most of Paul's epistles peace is made a sequele of grace from God our father and the Lord Jesus Christ Without the grace of acceptation with the father and the Lord Jesus Christ and also sense and apprehension thereof no peace of conscience no serenity of spirit is to be expected That man that is doubtfull of Gods love in and for Christ if his conscience be awak'ned cannot but have a perpetuall tempest in his bosome For he can apprehend God â—o otherwise then a consuming fire And such a consideration must needs beget unutterable horrour Our Saviour himselfe makes this assurance the scope of the revelation of Gods goodnesse and mercy in the gospell John 17.26 And I have declared unto them thy name and will declare it that the love wherewith thou hast loved me may be in them and I in them There be some that understand that clause that the love wherewith thou hast loved me may be in them concerning the extension or termination of Gods love of Christ unto Believers as a secondary object and they thus glosse the words That thou may'st love them for my sake that thou may'st love them with that love wherewith thou hast loved me Believers are made by faith one body with Christ and therefore cannot but share in Gods love of Christ If God love him They cannot but be beloved in and for him and therefore our Saviour addes and I in them which is saith Maldonate because I am in them to wit as the head in the members As if he should have said seeing I am in them seeing I dwell in their hearts by faith so that I and they make but one body mysticall therefore thy love of me cannot but be derived unto them If thou lovest me it is impossible thou should'st hate them This termination of Gods love of Christ unto Believers is in regard of the fruites and effects of it so it is the same with it's presence of influence on them The body of the Sun is in the heavens but the efficacy of it reacheth unto the lowest of the elements the earth causing on its surface light and warmth and producing in the very bowels of it many rich metalls and minerals Thus the love wherewith God loveth Christ is in God himselfe if we speake of a presence of inherence taking the word largly as it is applicable unto any adjuncts even such as the attributes of God are But it is in all them that believe in regard of a presence of influence and effective presence for it enlightneth and comforteth them and produceth in their bosomes the precious gifts and graces of the spirit But now the love wherewith God loveth Christ is said to be in believers not onely in regard of their participation but also perception of it not onely effectively in regard of its effects grace and glory but also objectively in regard of an objective or intentionall presence as it is the object of their knowledge apprehension and assurance And they never fully and truly know and apprehend it as they ought but in the rebound and by way of reflection untill they be assured of it's being terminated unto and reflected upon them untill as it is Rom. 5.5 the love of God be shed abroad in their hearts untill they have a full sence and feeling of that love wherewith God loveth them in Christ untill they have tasted that the Lord is good
two following places The first place is John 1.14 And the word was made flesh and dwelt among us full of grace and truth Where by grace some understand all morall vertues that perfect the will and affections and by truth all intellectuall vertues that adorne and beautify the understanding Full he was of grace to sanctify full of truth to enlighten Full of grace because the life full of truth because the light of men Full of grace to expell our sins Full of truth to dispell our ignorance The descant is Bonaventures on the place A second place with which I will conclude is John 3.34 God giveth not the spirit by measure unto him There is plenitudo vasis and plenitudo fontis the fulnesse of a measure or vessell and the fulnesse of a fountain The fulnesse of grace in the saints was like the fulnesse of a measure They had the spirit but in measure Vnto every one of us grace is given according to the measure of the gift of Christ Ephes 4.7 As God hath dealt to every man a measure of faith Rom. 12.3 Whereas the fulnesse of Christ was the fulnesse of a fountaine without measure He gave not the spirit by measure unto him Now the Spirit was the cause and ground of all grace and holinesse Having that then not by measure but in all fullnesse he must needs have of grace a fulnesse He was filled with the spirit of grace anoynted with it all over Therefore full of grace And so having done with the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I come now to the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 To discover the demonstrative reason of the dwelling of allfulnesse of grace in Christ And after I have shewed you that it is so to shew you now why it must be so The Schoolemen note that in Christ there is a threefold grace Gratia unionis Gratia unctionis seu habitualis Gratia capitis The grace of union the grace of unction or habituall grace the grace or gift of being head over the Church Now the plenitude of his unction the fulnesse of his habituall grace may be demonstrated from his grace of union from his grace of headship 1. From his grace of union k Christus habuit gratiam in summo secundum perfectissimum modum quo haberâ— potesi hoc quidem apparet ex propinquit â—e animae Christi ad causam gratiae Dictum est enim quod quanto aliquod â—eceptivum prâ—pinquius est causae â—…fiuenti tanto abundantrùs recipit Et ideò anima Christi quae propinquius conjungitur Deo inter omnes creaturas rationales maximam recipit influentiam gratiae ejus Aquâ—nas part 3. quaest 7. art 9. The nearer a thing is to it's cause from whence proceedeth any good the more plentifully doth it partake of it's influence Every person the nearer he is linkt unto earthly Potentates the more he hath prerogative before others more disjoyned Now the divine nature is the fountaine and that bottomlesse and infinite of all grace From it commeth every good and perfect gift And the humane nature of Christ is joyned unto it in the nearest in a personall union A congruence therefore was it that there should be a derivation unto it of an abundance of grace Unmeet were it if in that nature in whâ—ch there dwelled bodily an all-fulnesse of the Godhead there did noâ— also dwell habitually an all-funesse of grace 2. It may be demonstrated a gratiâ capitis from his being head unto the Church For in the head of the body mysticall grace is to reside in all eminency and perfection both of parts and degrees Even as in the head of the body naturall there is a fulnesse of sence All the five sences Whereas in the rest of the members there is but one sence the sence of touch or feeling The illustration is not mine but Austin's in the latter end of his 57 th Epistle ad Dardanum But this will be more appparent if we will consider that Christ under this relation of head is to be causa efficiens and exemplar is the principle and patterne of grace and holinesse unto us to fill up the emptinesse of grace in us to expell the fullnesse of sin out of us And then to enable him for the discharge of all this an all fulnesse of grace was a requisite qualification 1. Christ under the relation of head was to be a l Christus habuit gratiam in sumâ—o secundum per fecâ—…ssimum modum quo haberi potesâ— Et hoc quidem aptaret ex comparatione ejus adeffect um Sic enim recipiebat anima Christi gratiam ut ex eâ quodammodo transfunderetur in alios Et ideò oportuit quod haberet maximam gratiam ficus ignis qui est causa caloris in omnibus calidis est maximè calidus Aquin. quaest 7. Art 9. principle and fountaine of grace holinesse unto his Church Even as the head in the naturall body is the cause of sense motion in the members and therefore of grace and holinesse there must be in him an all-fulnesse Even as in the sunne the fountain of light from whom the moone and starres borrow all their light there is a fulnesse of light As in the Sea the originall of all waters there is a fulnesse of waters As in the fire the principile of all elementary heate there is a fullnesse of heat Grace and holinesse was confer'd upon Christ not as a private but as a publique person as the head of his Church as the universall principle of grace from whence there was to be a redundance and overflowing of it upon all his members Of his all fulnesse all are to receive John 1.16 And therefore there had need to be such an abundance and plenitude thereof in him as that in m Sed quaeres quanta sit haec intensio gratiae Christi quantumque excesserit aliorum hominum vel Angelo rum gratias Respondeo hoc minime posse constare verisimile tamen esse tantam esse haÌ„c unicam gratiam animae Christi ut omnes a'ias in se complectatur excedat ita ut si concipiamus ex omnibus aliorum hominum Angelorum gratiis inter se conjunctis unam consurgere habentem omnes illos gradus intensionis intensio gratiae Christi totam illam vel aequat vel superat Ratio est quia sidignitas animae Christi verbo unitae secundum se confideretur digna erat summae gratiae si esset possibilis quià verò haec impossibilis est definita est per divinam sapientiam summa quaedam gratia quae maximè esset consentanea dignitati muneribus Christi tota verò illa intensio optimâ ratione convenit Christo tum propter dignitatem personalem tum quia est universalis fons gratiae in quo tota debuit congregari quae in alios erat diffundenda ergo credibile est ità factum esse quià juxta regulam August lib. 3. de lib. arbitr cap.
a liberall dispenser of them unto those whom his father had given him amongst men As all the granaries of corne in Egypt were by Pharaoh committed unto Joseph for the supply not of Iosephs but of the peoples publick wants Ille frumenta servavit non sibi sed omni populo As Bernard in his second Homily Super missus est Even so was Christ entrusted with all treasures of wisedome and knowledg not so much for his own as for the Churches use And thus you see how that Christ received this fulnesse even for this very purpose to distribute of it unto his Church His fulnesse was not onely a fulnesse of sufficiency for himselfe but also a fulnesse of redundancy influence and efficiency upon others Now the soule of a Christian may from the premises to its unspeakabe comfort frame this or the like discourse Dwelleth there an all-fulnesse of grace in my Saviour and can there be an emptinesse in me Was this fulnesse of grace bestowed upon him not so much for himselfe as for others for me amongst the rest and will not he employ it for my good Will not he derive part of it unto me So should he betray that trust which his father hath reposed in him as Lordetreasurer of his Church which but to imagine were blasphemy Fulnesse of grace was conferred upon him as the head of his Church How can it then but have a powerfull that I say not unresistable influence upon me who am one of his members Unnaturall were it for the head of the naturall body to keep in the spirit sence and motion and not conveigh them unto the rest of the body As unnaturall as unbecoming were it for the head of the body mysticall not to impart grace unto the rest of the members In the third and last place I shall goe over the severall gradations of the fulnesse of grace that Christ imparts unto his Church and members here in this life 1. He communicateth unto all his members an initiall fulnesse of grace a fulnesse of parts in their first conversion 2. Unto those that are of full age and strong in the faith he distributes a progressive fulnesse as I may call it which accreweth unto them upon the further growth of their holinesse 1. Then he communicates unto all his members an initiall fulnesse of grace a fulnesse of parts unto all his members in their first conversion In the washing of regeneration and in our renewing the Holy Ghost saith Paul is shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Lord Tit. 3.5,6 The vocation or conversion of the Gentiles is termed by the same Apostle Ro. 11.12 their riches because therein the riches that is a plentifull measure of Gods grace is by the spirit of Christ powred on them It is also called in the same place the riches of the world because thereby some of all nations dispersed through out the whole world are inriched with gratious endowments from the spirit of Christ Of his fulnesse saith John the Baptist have all we received and grace for grace John 1.16 In which words we have 1. A deduction or derivation of our grace from the fulnesse thereof in Christ as a fountaine 2. An exact conformitie answerablenesse of our grace unto the fulnesse thereof in Christ as unto its rule and patterne 1. We have a deduction or derivation of our grace from the fulnesse thereof in Christ as a fountaine Of his fulnesse we receive grace Even as the glasse doth the Image from the face The fulnesse of grace in Christ is not onely a fulnesse of an abundance but also a fulnesse of redundance From his fulnesse there runneth over a share and portion unto his Church Even as light is derived from the sunne unto the beames issuing from it As sap goeth from the roote unto the branches As water floweth from the fountaine unto the streames As sence and motion descendeth from the head unto the members I find in some papers that I collected when I was first a Student in Divinity in Oxford and if my memory faile me not it was somewhere in Aquinas that the preposition of denoteth three things 1. the Originall or efficient cause of our grace 2. The consubstantiality of the principle or efficient cause of Christs grace and ours Thus the Sonne is said to be of the Father And according unto this acception of the particle the fulnesse of Christ is the holy Ghost who proceedeth from him consubstantiall to him in nature vertue and majestie For although the habituall endowments of his soule are different in number from those in us yet it is one and the same spirit that filled him and sanctifieth us All these worketh that one and the selfe same spirit c. 1 Cor. 12.11 Thirdly of signifieth the partiality or imperfection in participation of our grace from Christ We receive of his fulnesse and not his fulnesse it selfe And thus we usually say take and receive of this bread wine when we mean only a part of the bread or wine not the whole There is a perfect fulnesse of grace in Christ but how little a part or portion thereof redoundeth unto us Vnto every one of us grace is given according unto the measure of the gift of Christ Eph. 4.7 2. Here is an exact conformity and answerablenesse of our grace unto the fulnesse thereof in Christ as unto it's rule and patterne Of his fulnesse we receive grace for grace 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 As in naturall * Mr Bayne on Ephes 1.23 Dr Edw. Reynolds treatise pag. 400. generation the child receiveth from his parents limbe for limbe not alimbe in them requisite unto the integrity of their nature but is in it too the frame of its body is as full as theirs for members though not for bulk or quantity Even so in regeneration when Christ is fully formed in the soule of a man He receiveth in some weake degree grace for grace There is not a sanctifying and saving grace in Christs humane nature but it is in some small measure and proportion wrought in him so that the frame of his grace is as full as Christs in respect of the number though not the measure of his graces Pelargus and Maldonate tell us of some that translate the preposition 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 upon we have received of his fulnesse grace upon grace that is omnem gratiam or cumulatissimam gratiam every grace or most abundant grace And they paralell it with Job 2.4 which they render thus Skin upon skin yea all that a man hath will he give for his life that is a man will give for his life all his wealth or substance which in those times stood principally in cattell expressed Synechdochically by skinnes 2. Christ communicateth unto such of his members as are of full age and strong in the faith a progressive fulnesse of grace and I terme it so because it accreweth unto them upon their proficiency in grace and holinesse
his body the fulnesse of him that filleth all in all And then the meaning of the words is untill the mysticall body of Christ grow to ripenesse and perfection untill all that belong to the election of grace all that be ordained to eternall life be gathered and added unto the Church and untill every member arrive unto a full growth unto a full measure of grace and glory And this I conceive to be the most probable sence of the words for as Cornel. A lapide well observeth the Apostle saith untill we come to a perfect man and not untill we come unto perfect men because he speakes not of Christians considered severally but rather of the whole Church which he compareth unto one perfect man of which man the Church is as it were the body Christ himselfe the soule and head Now when the body commeth unto it's fulnesse of growth the head also commeth thereunto as also the strength vigour quicknance and efficacy of the soule its union with and information of the body which though the soule it selfe be indivisible is divisible and consequently coextended with the body Even so in like manner when all the members that shall be added unto the Church shall come unto their full growth and perfection in grace why then Christ considered under a mysticall capacity as head of his Church may be said to come unto his full growth age or stature too And his union with his Church and members will then absolutely be full and compleate I come in the last place unto the uses of exhortation From the all-fulnesse of Christ's grace we may be exhorted unto two duties 1. Humiliation for the imperfection of our graces 2. Diligence and constancy in the growth of our graces 1. Unto Humiliation for the imperfection that is in our owne graces and to give the better edge unto this exhortation I shall propound two motives 1. The perfection of the holinesse of the second Adam should mind us of that perfect holinesse which we lost in the first Adam And reflexion on such an unvaluable losse cannot but strike the heart of any one with a deepe measure of godly sorrow that is not ignorant of the worth and necessity of grace 2. All aberrations from the rule are blemishes and therefore seeing our graces fall so infinitely short of that perfection which is in the patterne of grace Christ Jesus all our graces are defective and sinfull and so present matter for spirituall mourning Can we behold the Sun of righteousnesse and not blush at the menstruous rag's of our own righteousnesses Can we looke upon the bottomlesse fountaine of holinesse in Christ and not be ashamed of our shallow brooke that would soone waxe dry if it were not continually supplied from the aforesaid fountaine Alas what are our drops unto his ocean our sparks or beames unto his sunne His gifts and graces were in comparison of ours unmeasurable God gave not the spirit by measure unto him But what a narrow measure is there in the brightest gifts and endowments of the most glorious saints that ever lived upon the face of the earth And this measure ariseth from mixture with contrary lusts and corruptions The Holy Ghost replenished the heart of Christ from the very conception The word was no sooner made flesh but it forthwith was full of grace and truth But Satan hath filled our hearts from the very wombe with a body of sin and death armies of lusts and corruptions like the Midianites which lay on the ground like grashoppers for multitude Judg. 7.12 As soone as we were conceived we were forthwith full of all the seeds of sinne ignorance and errour In Christ were unsearchable riches of grace But we are like the foole in the Gospell Luk. 12.21 that was not rich towards God Like the Church of Laodicea Revel 3.18 that was wretched miserable poore blind naked In him were hid all the treasures of wisedome and knowledge In us there are to allude unto the expression of the Prophet upon another occasion Esay 45.3 treasures of darknesse the treasury of an evill heart Math. 12.34,35 The sonne of man was cloathed with a garment of holinesâ—e downe to the foote Revel 1.13 Whereas the robe of our graces is farre more narrow and scanty then the filthy garments of our corruptions Christ was a lambe without blemish and without spot Whereas alas there is a spot in the dearest Children of God Deut. 32.5 the spot of Originall and Actuall sinne their purest graces and most spirituall duties are bespotted and distained by the adhesion of sinfull lusts and corruptions The eyes of Christ are pure white and precious like orient Jewels or sparkling Diamonds His eyes are as the eies of doves by the rivers of water washed with milke and fitly set or as it is in the margent sitting in fulnesse that is fitly placed and set as a precious stone in the foile of a ring Cant. 5.10 But now our eyes are not onely darke and dimme but impure and uncleane 2 Pet. 2.14 full of Adultery Grace was poured into his lips Psal 4.2.5 his lips are full of grace t is in the old translation But now our tongues are full of deadly poyson Jam. 3.8 Our mouthes are full of cursing and bitternesse Rom. 3.14 God anoynted Jesus Christ with the holy Ghost and he went about doing good c. Acts 10.38 But that the greatest part of men have received no such anoynting is witnessed by their unactivenesse for the glory of God and good of the Church They are as unprofitable burdens unto the earth as the Sodomites whose iniquity was fulnesse of bread and the abundance of Idlenesse Ezek. 16.49 2. We may hence be exhorted unto diligence and constancy in the growth of our graces For let our progresse in them be never so great yet still we shall come farre behind out patterne and never be able here to reach his all-fulnesse Those that learne to write will labour to come as nigh their copy as they can And in all handy-crafts learners endeavour a full conformitie unto their rules and patternes And therefore we may conclude that we can never be too conformable to the holinesse of Christ which God hath propounded unto us for a samplar to imitate He was full of grace and therefore we can never be gracious enough In him were hid all the treasures of wisedome and knowledge And therefore we can never be knowing enough We desire a full conformitie unto the glory and happinesse of Christ And therefore it is very irrationall to thinke upon a stay or stoppe in the way thereunto to wit a conformity unto his grace and holinesse What is spoken of the degrees of grace and light in the Church Cant. 6.10 may be applied unto every Christian In his first conversion he looketh forth as the morning When he arriveth unto further maturity he is faire as the moone that hath a mixture of spots with her fullest light But in the state of glory he will
to hear those things which ye hear and have not heard them Indeed the Church before Christ as our Saviour said of Abraham John 8.56 saw the day of Christ his comming in the flesh afar off through a vail or cloud of ceremonies and by the faith of prophesy Heb. 11.13 But we see it by the faith of History Unto them Christ was as a Kernel hidden in the ground as contained within God's promises Unto us he is as a branch grown forth Isai 4.2 Diodati Hence it is that the ceremonies of the old Testament were Prophetical prenunciative of things to come the Sacraments of the new Testament Historical commemorative of what is past As therefore the truth of History is held to be more real then the trurh of prophesy because it is a declaration of a real performance of that which was promised So the Christian administration of the Covenant of grace may be said to containe in it a fulness of truth that is a more real verity then the Levetical or Mosaical According to the which difference as is observed by the reverend Morton in his book of the institution of the Lord's Supper pag. 213. St. John the Baptist was called by Christ a Prophet in that he foretold Christ as now to come but he was called more then a Prophet as demonstrating and pointing him out to be now come Math. 11.9 Joh. 1.15,29 The ceremonial law saith the Apostle had a shadow of good things to come and not the very Image of the things Hebr. 10.1 In which words Calvin Pareus Cornelius Alapide and others conceive that there is an allusion unto the custome of Painters whose first rude or imperfect draught is termed a shadow or adumbration upon which they lay afterwards the lively colours so draw the Image unto the life with all its lineaments The rites of the old Law were but a rough draught but obscure and confused shadowes in respect of the ordinances of the Gospel which are a lively and express Image a distinct and perfect picture of Christ and his benefits Thus you see Beloved that God hath respited us to live in a time of greater light and fuller revelation then the Patriarks lived under O let us not receive so great a grace of God in vain but walke suitably thereunto let us improve this priviledge unto the best advantage of our soules by making use of it as an engagement unto a greater eminency in knowledge and piety then was in those dayes O! it were a shameful and ungrateful part that the Saints of the old Testament should see farther better and more distinctly through the cloud of ceremonies a light that shone in a dark place 2 Pet. 1.20 then we through the cleere mirror of the Gospel in which we may with open face behold the glory of Christ shining 2 Cor. 3.18 that their soules should thrive grow fat and full with the shadowes of the Law and ours be lanke and leane with the more solid and substantial ordinances of the Gospel 2. Christ may be considered under the relation of an head unto his Church and so the Church belongeth unto him as his fulness The Church which is his body the fulness of him that filleth all in all Ephes 1.23 This assertion at the first blush seemeth very strange For if in Christ dwell all fulness all the fulness of the Godhead bodily Col. 2.9 If he be all in all if he fill all in all how then can either the Church triumphant all whose members owe all their perfection unto his influence or the Church militant which alas is but a company of poore creatures and sinners empty of all good save what floweth from him be possibly imagined to be his fulness any wayes to fill and perfect him why the very proposal of the doubt in some sort cleares it That which in the text seemingly contradicts the Churches being Christs fulness he filleth all in all insinuates after what manner it must be understood for from Christ's being of himselfe so full as that he filleth all in all the inference is not only easy but necessary that the Church is not his inward fulness serving to supply his defects and inwardly to fill and perfect him but only his outward fulness serving to magnify his mercy and outwardly to fill and honour him and from her he hath indeed an external filling glory and perfection Even as a King receiveth glory from his subjects in the multitude of the people is the Kings honour Prov. 14.28 or as a husband is honoured by a vertuous wife She is a crowne to him Prov. 12.4 A Father credited by his off-spring Childrens Children are the crowne of old men Prov. 17.6 Or as a Gentleman is graced by his numerous retinue Aquinas upon the place saith that the Church is Christ's fulness even as the body may be said to be the fulness of the soule And the body may be so termed because it is for the service of the soule because the soule workes in and by it and without it cannot put forth many of it's operations So the Church is for the service praise and glory of Christ Isai 43.21 Christ exerciseth and manifesteth the power and efficacy of his spirit in her She is as it were a vessel into which he poureth his gifts and graces Without a body how can the operations of the soule be visible And if it were not for the Church how could the power and efficacy of Christ's grace be discernable As a general or Commander may be said to be filled when his army is encreased his conquests enlarged so Christ when Believers are added unto the Church Acts. 2.47 The illustration is not mine but Hierom's The expression will not seem harsh if we consider the titles of the Church in the old Testament She is the glory of God Isai 4.5 Even as the woman is the glory of the man 1 Cor. 11.7 a crowne of glory in the hand of the Lord and a royal Diademe in the hand of God Isa 62.3 the throne of his glory Jer. 14.21 that is unto him a name of joy a prayse a glory and an honour before all the nations of the earth Jer. 13.11 and 33.9 For the further clearing of this text we will consider Christ personally essentially mystically 1 Personally as he is Sonne the second Person in the Trinity having in the Godhead a subsistence distinct both from that of the father and Holy Ghost and so he is full of himselfe 2. Essentially according to his natures both Divine and humane as he is God as he is man and so also he is full by himselfe full and perfect God full and perfect man So then the Church is not his fulness 3 Mystically as he is head of his Church and so he is not perfect without her being his body mystical So then the Church is his fulness Can the head saith the Apostle say to the feet I have no need of thee 1 Cor. 12.21 Christ hath deigned
he will As the cloud of Gods glorious presence first filled the Sanctuary and afterwards the whole temple Even so the spirit of grace in Christ shall first fill the soule in believers and it's faculties and then spread it selfe over the body so that that shall be become an outward temple of the holy Ghost It is said of the oyntment wherewith Mary anointed the feet of Christ that the whole house was filled with the odour of it Joh. 12.3 Semblably may we say of the spirit and grace wherewith Christ was anointed that his whole house to wit Church is filled with the fruits and comforts of it 3. She is related unto him as the body unto the head The Church which is his body The fulnesse of him that filleth all in all Ephes 1.23 In which words we have as the relation of the Church unto Christ so also the influence of Christ upon the Church 1. We have here the relation of the Church unto Christ She is his body and hereupon his fulnesse The name of fulnesse is as Rollocke thinks a declaration of the relation of body from it's office which is to compleat and in an externall way to perfect the head For the members are a superadded ornament unto the head and an object of it's influence So that though it were in it selfe never so comely yet it would sever'd from them be defective nay loose the very nature and relation of head as having nothing whereon to exercise its office So though Christ considered personally be possest with an overflowing fulnesse yet if we consider him mystically as head of his Church such is his love unto his Church as that he esteemeth himselfe but maimed and imperfect unlesse he have her joyned unto him as his body By this then we see that Christs own interest will lie upon him as an engagement to be carefull for the filling of his Church and every member thereof with all requisite graces for because she is his fulnesse therefore by filling her he himselfe under the capacity and notion of head becommeth the more full His glory and honour is the more advanced His joy and comfort the more enlarged The more gracious his members are the more joyfull and glorious he is But this engagement of Christ unto his Church as his body and fulnesse we have made good by the second particular in the text Christs influence upon the Church who filleth all in all that is who filleth all things to wit all powers and parts in all Saints in all his members He filleth their understandings with a saving light their wills with holy and heavenly purposes and intentions desires and affections their consciences with peace and purity their bodies with promptnesse and readinesse of obedience unto the commands of God and their soules There be some that differ from us in the interpretation of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 others in the translation of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But their sence doth very well sort unto that for which we alleadge the place 1. There be some as Rivet and Grotius that take 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in a passive signification The Church is Christs passive fulnesse filled or made full by Christ not onely with common but with spirituall sanctifying and saving graces and this sence you see serves expresly for the proofe of the matter in hand And no lesse is implied by those who translate 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 passively and so read the words thus The Church is the fulnesse of him who is filled all in all As the Church considered in common and generall is the fulnesse of Christ so every true member of the Church is a part and portion of that fulnesse and therefore however Christ as head cannot be absolutely compleat untill all his elect members are gathered and fully united unto him joyntly or together all at once in the resurrection in their bodies as well as soules Yet he may be said to be filled inchoatively and gradually in the successive vocation Sanctification and glorification of his severall members The union betweene Christ and the Church is so neare as that Christ is sometimes taken collectively for the whole Church consisting of head and body And hereupon what is done and suffered by the Church is frequently ascribed unto Christ himselfe Gal. 2.20 Act. 9.5 And here in this place according unto the now mentioned reading of the words he is said to be filled in all that is in all the Saints in all believers when they receive of his fulnesse and are thereby filled Musculus and Cornelius Alapide note that by an usuall Graecisme 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is put for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 All for according unto all so that in the words we have a twofold extent of this paso sive repletion of Christ 1. Of the subject or persons in whom he is under the capacity of an head said to be filled In all that is in all his members 2. Of the matter wherewith he is filled in these persons According unto all that is all gracious gifts pertaining unto the fulnesse and perfection of his body the spirituall life and salvation of all his members Though he of himselfe personally be so full that he filleth all in all yet he is pleased to account himselfe under a mysticall consideration to be filled in all his members according unto all graces either of sanctification or edification that are powred upon them both 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 according unto all and in all are as Calvin observeth concerning 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 all here to be restrained according unto the present circumstance of the place Now the Apostle speakes here in particular concerning the Spirituall government of the Church and unto this drift of the Apostle it will be most suitable to understand both the all 's in the text with reference unto the Church In all concerning the members of the Church According to all touching such blessings and gifts as are proper and peculiar to Church members There is also another interpretation that comes home to our purpose and it is o Christum implere omnia in omnibus id est licet Ecclesia sit ejus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 non idcò tamen est 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quòd Christus perse ea carere non possit Is enim potiùs in ea in singulis membris implet omnia veri capitis officia omniáque beneficia immediatè praestat in fingulis Ergè Ecclesia non data est eapiti ut sit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Christi sed potius Christus datus est Ecclesiaecaput ut omnia colligat membra in omnibus omnia bona felicia operetur omnia inquam veri capitis officia in singulis membris perficit Zanchie's The summe of which is He fulfilleth or dischargeth all the offices of a true head in every member and immediately conferreth upon each all graces requisite for their salvation and for their
interruption Then answered Peter and said unto Jesus Lord it is good for us to be here if thou wilt let us make here three Tabernacles one for thee and one for Moses and one for Elias And yet Peter was only a spectator of this glory and had himselfe no share in it O then what infinite satisfaction may we expect in the beholding of Christs glory in heaven for it will be accompanied with an everlasting enjoyment thereof the lustre of it will be diffused unto us so that some shall enjoy the glory of the Sun some of the Moone some of the Starres 1 Cor. 15.41 We may conclude then of heaven as Peter of the mount of Christs transfiguration Lord it is good for us to be here In earth we are surrounded with spectacles of discontent but in heaven the glory of Christ will be an all-pleasing object for in the sight of it will stand part of our blisse and therefore it should command our hearts and draw unto it our thoughts and affections Christ glorified is our treasure and where your treasure is there will your heart be also Math. 6.21 Wheresoever the body is thither will the Eagles be gathered together Luk. 17.37 Math. 24.28 Hosea chap. 1.11 Prophesying of the true members of the Church under the Gospell giveth them this character They shall appoint themselves one head and ascendent è terrâ they shall come up out of the land that is they shall ascend from earth to heaven in their desires In Cant. 8.3 the motion of the Church even here in her state militant is ascension Who is this that commeth up out of the wildernesse Though she be in a wildernesse condition yet the texminus ad quem of all her motions is the land of promise the heavenly Jerusalem she is still comming up out of the wildernesse The constant prayer of the Church is for the comming of her Lord and Husband Christ Jesus and the spirit dictates this prayer unto her The spirit and the bride say come Revel 22.17 She knoweth that the day of his comming will be her wedding day And hath she not reason to long for the consummation of her marriage with so all-glorious an husband She is assured that the day of his comming will be her coronation day wherein he will grant her to sit with him in his throne Revel 3.21 and place upon her head a crowne of righteousnesse 2 Timoth. 4.8 of life Jam. 1.12 and glory that fadeth not away 1 Pet. 5.4 What more tempting and alluring then the beauty of such a crowne the glory of such a throne And therefore she hath great cause to love the appearing of the Lord Jesus 2 Timoth. 4.8 and to desire that it may be hastened 2. From Christ's all-fulnesse of glory and the certainty that we have of our participation thereof we may be exhorted to use our strictest endeavours in our declining of sinne pursuite of holinesse and tracing the waies of new obedience Hath not Christ decreed to make us glorious like himselfe The glory which thou gavest me I have given them Joh. 17.22 and is it not then a very undecent thing for us to have here inglorious soules base and unworthy affections and conversations He hath prepared for us riches of glory And unto such riches will not poore and low soules be unsuitable We are begotten by the refurrection of Jesus Christ unto a lively hope an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that fadeth not away reserved in heaven for us 1 Pet. 3.4 and unto such an undefiled and heavenly inheritance will not defiled consciences and earthy minds be altogeather disproportioned and so unqualified and unmeete for the partaking of it If you compare vers 20 21. of 3 Phil. you may find an argument to stirre us up unto heavenly mindednesse We looke from heaven for the saviour the Lord Jesus Christ who shall change our vile body that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body c. Therefore let our conversation be in heaven Here on earth as it was said of Lazarus Luk. 16.25 we receive our evill things Even a Jacob complaines of the few dayes of his Pilgrimage as evill Gen. 47.9 and unto a Solomon all things under the sunne were vanity and vexation of spirit Eccles 1.2 and therefore while our bodies are fastened unto the earth this theater of misery our soules should soare up to heaven in devotion Because those that have chosen Christ for their Head and King shall ascend from earth to heaven in their bodies at the resurrection ascendent è terra Hos 1.11 They shall come up out of the land therefore it is fit that now in this life they should come up out of the land ascend and mount unto heaven by divine and spirituall meditations and heavenly affections When Christ took Peter James and John to be witnesses of his glorious transfiguration he bringeth them up into a high mountaine apart Math. 17.1 and why might not this betoken that to qualifie us for the contemplation of Christ's glory here and the fruition of it hereafter there is requisite an elevation and separation of our hearts from the distractions of all things here below Saint John having propounded our future conformitie unto Christ's glory 1 Job 3.2 when he shall appeare we shall be like him c. he presently addeth vers 3. that the hope of this conformitie is accompanied with unfeigned endeavours after purity and every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himselfe even as he is pure And indeed it would be very irrationall for a man to hope to be like Christ in his glory and happinesse and at the same time to resolve to be unlike him in his grace and holinesse In Rom. 8.23 they that waite for the Adoption that is the consummation and manifestation of their adoption to wit the redemption of their bodies are described by the Apostle to be holy and penitent persons such as have the first fruits of the spirit Gal. 5.22,23 and such as groane within themselves that is under the sight and sense of their lusts and corruptions This connexion of spirituall sorrow and humiliation with the first fruits of the spirit is very congruent because there is a great deale of equity in this that we should mourne and groane for that which grieveth the Spirit by whose graces we are sealed that is marked out for redemption Ephes 4.30 In heaven the spirits of just men shall shall be made perfect Ephes 12.23 and if we desire after death to be rankt amongst them we should labour by the promises to cleanse our selves from all filthinesse of the flesh and spirit perfecting holinesse in the feare of God 2 Cor. 7.1 to be perfect as our father which is in heaven is perfect Math. 5.48 When we awake satisfaction with the image or likenesse of God will be our reward Psal 17. vers last and therefore here it is our duty to put on the new man which is renewed after the image
A TREATISE Concerning THE FVLNESSE OF CHRIST Considered ACCORDING VNTO 1 His relations 2 His Natures Divine and Humane 3 His twofold state of Humiliation and Exaltation OXFORD Printed by H. H. for Th Robinson 1656. VNTO HIS HONOVRED FRIEND COLONEL HENRY HENLY A worthy example of personall piety and publike affections HENRY IEANES VVith his unfained prayers for the prosperity of him and his devoteth this part of his labours THERE DWELLETH IN CHRIST ALL FVLNESSE COLLOSS 1.19 For it pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell FRom verse the 15th unto the 20th we have a full and pithie description of our Redeemer Christ Jesus and that by his inward by his outward relation First by the intrinsecal relation he beareth unto his Father in the beginning of the 15th verse who is the Image of the invisible God As for his extrinsecal relations they are either unto the creatures in general or else unto the Church in special Unto the creatures in general he carrieth the relation 1. Of first borne the first borne of every creature the latter part of the 15th verse 2. Of Creator and Preserver verses 16th and 17th Unto the Church in speciall he is referred as head verse 18th And he is the head of the body the Church Of which relation we have an amplification a confirmation 1. An amplification from two other titles dependant thereon and resulting therefrom Who is the beginning the first borne from the dead that in all things he might have the preheminence Who is the beginning that is the cause and principle unto all his members of their resurrection of their spiritual resurrection from the death of sinne here of their corporal resurrection from the grave the death of nature hereafter The first borne from the dead the first that was borne from the dead that is the first that rose by his own power unto a present and plenary participation of glory That in all things he might have the preheminence In that he was not only a Creator and Preserver of the living but also a raiser and restorer of the dead Of this relation of headship unto his Church we have 2 a Confirmation from his fitness and qualification for it For it pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell Upon which words we may look 1. according to the reference they have of a proof unto the foregoing 2. as they are in themselves 1. According to the reference they have of a proof unto the foregoing which is implied in the particle for Here to clear the Apostles meaning we must know there is wanting this proposition He in whom all fulness dwelleth is to be the head of the Church This is to be supplied as necessarily understood and then we have a full compleat syllogisme to prove Christ the head of the Church He in whom all fulness dwelleth is to be the head of the Church because qualified and fitted for it but in Christ dwelleth all fulness and that by his Father's decree therefore he is the head of the body the Church In the head of the Church you see there resides all-fulness Were it not so the Apostle had reasoned but weakly in inferring Christ's being head of the Church from the dwelling of all-fulness in him If any one want this fulness it will goe well with him if among the members of the Church he can find a place of head the name and honour he cannot challenge without the just imputation of excessive both pride and folly I cannot but marvel then how it comes about that the Popes of Rome have for a long time laid so eager claime unto this title for what fulness save that of sin and Satan can be ascribed unto the greatest part of them since their arrogant and sacrilegious usurpation of this incommunicable attribute of our Redeemer We may say of them as Paul of the Gentiles Rom. 1.29 they are filled with all unrighteousness fornication wickedness covetousness maliciousnes full of envy murder debate deceit malignity of this the miserable face of almost whole Christendome is too palpable an evidence Antichrist is stiled in scriptures that man of sin 2 Thes 2.3 For this reason perhaps because he is not only full of sin but the fulness of sinne dwelleth in him Sathan hath filled his heart as Peter spake of Ananias Act. 5.3 And good reason there is Sathan should communicate unto him a double portion the greatest portion of his spirit for he is his eldest sonne the sonne of perdition 2 Thes 2.3 his vicar-general the most powerful and universal agent he hath here upon earth Thus you see standeth the context If we look upon the words as they are in themselves so for the better unfolding of them we must know that in Christ there was a manifold fuâ—ness according to the diverse considerations of him and considered he may be either relatively or absolutely 1. Relatively and so againe three wayes 1. As an object of all promises and prophecies delivered under the law and also as an antitype unto legal types and ceremonies And so there was in him that fulness of truth of which the Evangelist St. John speaketh John 1.14 The word was made flesh and dwelt amongst us full of grace and truth He is said to be full of truth because he is the performance of the promises the fulfilling of the prophecies the fulfilling of the typical prefigurations of the whole ceremonial law Quia plenus gratiae saith Bonaventure tulit peccata quia plenus veritatis solvit legis promissa because full of grace therefore he bore our sins in his body on the tree and so suffered the curse of the Law because full of truth therefore he accomplisht all the promises of the old Testament In him all the promises of God were yea and Amen 2 Cor. 1.20 Now I say that Jesus Christ was a minister of the circumcision for the truth of God to confirme the promises made unto the fathers Rom. 15.8 Full he was of truth because in him were fulfilled all the prophecies that ran of the Evangelical Church and therefore he is said Dan. 9.24 to seale up the vision and the prophecies Quonià m Christus est signaculum omnium prophetarum adimplens omnia quae retro erant de eo nunciata as Tertullian contra Judaeos observeth upon the place Because Christ is the seal of the prophets fulfilling whatsoever was foretold of him Full he was of truth because he made good the prefigurations of the whole ceremonial law In them there was an emptiness they were but shadowes figures Col. 2.17 A fulness then there must be in Christ who is the body of those shadowes the substance of those figures In him they were to be filled full fulfilled perfected and accomplished And so the new Testament whereof he is the substance is said by Aquinas to fill up or fulfil the old because whatsoever was promised or prefigured in this is really and truely exhibited in that 1 a 2 ae
persons from their places that is named in this world or that which is to come that is renowned here on earth or in heaven in the state of heavenly blisse which is said to be future or to come not because it doth not now exist but for that it is to come unto us that live here in this present world Lastly we have a distribution of this soveraigne authority or dominion of Christ It is 1. generall over the whole Creation And hath put all things under his feet v. 22. 2. speciall over the Church And gave him to be the head over all things to the Church 1. Generall over the whole creation and hath all things put under his feet Zanchy by all things here understands the enemies of Christ which shall be subjected unto him by way of conquest he shall in a victorious manner as it were tread upon them and trample them under his feet As the Captaines of the men of warre with Joshua did tread upon the five kings that were taken Josh 10.24 For this * Qui de ecclesia non sunt subjecti sunt Christo ficu◠quae sub pedibus habemus nempe ut vilia digna quae conculcentur et conterantur Zanchius restriction of the phrase to wicked men and the enemies of Christ he giveth this reason the sheepe the members of Christ are in his hand not under his feete no man shall pluck them out of his hand Joh. 10.28 For answer the Scripture indeed mentioneth a twofold putting under the feete of Christ penall or obedientiall 1. There is a penall and disgracefull way of putting under the feet of Christ by way of punishment or contempt but when the Scripture speakes of that there is allwaies expresse mention made of enemies Psal 110.1 1 Cor. 15.25 But putting under the feet of Christ when it is used simply by it selfe without any such addition of enemies signifieth that which is obedientiall and denoteth the generall subordination of all creatures whatsoever unto Christ If any differ herein from me I shall desire him impartially to consider that place in Heb. 2.5,6,7,8 Where the Apostle hath a large discourse of this very subject And out of this place I shall draw three arguments to prove that the putting all things in subjection under the feet of Christ is so comprehensive as that it takes in not only enemies but all the creatures 1. v. 5. He hath put in subjection unto him the world to come that is heaven the inhabitants of which are the glorious Saints and Angels 2. v. 8. In that he put all in subjection under him he left nothing that is not put under him The Apostle we see is peremptory and expresse that no creature whatsoever is excepted or exempted from this subjection and therefore it would be saucinesse in any man to restraine it only unto enemies 3. The 8th Psalme out of which this phrase is applied unto Christ makes mention of all sheepe and oxen yea and the beasts of the field the foules of the aire and the fish of the sea and whatsoever passeth through the path's of the sea 's Psal 8.7,8 that were put under his feet Now these creatures are not capable of any enmity or hostility against Christ and therefore the phrase doth not here signify the speciall subjection of enemies by way of victory and triumph 2. We have here the second branch of Christs dominion that speciall soveraignty and supreme authority which he hath over his Church Gave him to be an head over all unto his Church that clause over all as is noted by Mr Bayne may be understood either in regard of Christ or the Church 1. In regard of Christ and so it denoteth the perfection of his glory and authority Gave him who is over all things to be the head unto the Church and so here is not only signified the excellency of Christ but farther the greatnesse of the gift or benefit herein bestowed by God upon the Church in that he hath given her a most eminent glorious and powerfull head But of this the Apostle speakes so fully in the foregoing words as that to insert it here againe so suddenly would be little lesse then a tautology I conceive therefore that the words are meant in regard of the Church so that in them is couched a comparison of the greater with the lesse of Christs head-ship unto the Church with his domination which he hath above all other creatures Christ may be said to be an head unto the whole universe He is the head of all principality and power Col. 1.10 But he is an head unto the Church in a more singular and eminent manner then he is unto any other of the creatures then he is unto the Angels He was unto the Angels only a mediator of confirmation or preservation unto us also a mediator of redemption and therefore now being at the right hand of God he presents unto him in our behalfe the satisfaction of his death for the remission of our sinnes the merit of his death for the supply of all our wants and in such a manner he doth not intercede for the elect Angels who are free from both sinne and indigency Besides there is not such a suitablenesse of nature between him and the Angels as there is between him and the Church of the redeemed For he tooke not on him the nature of Angels but he tooke on him the seed of Abraham Heb. 2.16 Zanchy expounds the words as of the singularity of Christs love unto the Church so also of the extent and universality of his influence upon her So that over all things with him sounds as much as in all things in all mercies and benefits needfull unto the Church his body in all duties belonging unto him as the head of his Church He communicates unto her all good things grace and glory Psal 84.11 he is present with her in all her streits and supplieth her in all her wants He dischargeth for her and unto her all the offices of an head he illightneth quickneth governeth and protecteth her But this interpretation may be thought to be strained therefore I shall acquiesce in the former touching the specialty of Christs headship Bayne or soveraignty over the Church It is more intimate communicative and beneficiall then that over any other Creatures though never so great and glorious A second place is Phil. 2.9,10,11 Where we have of Christs exaltation 1. an emphaticall affirmation 2. a large and lively description 1. An emphaticall affirmation God also hath highly exalted him It is not barely said that God exalted him but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 super exaltavit highly exalted him Exalted him above all highnesse Exalted him unto the greatest height of honour and power that the humane nature is advanceable so highly he exalted him that all Creatures whatsoever from the highest heavens unto the center of the earth are far below him as it were under his feete 2. We have a large
God will make plentifull provision for all their wants It is the inference of the Apostle himselfe Rom. 8.32 He that spared not his owne sonne but delivered him up for us all how shall he not with him also freely give us all things He that soared not his owne sonne his deare son his most tenderly beloved sonne but delivered him up for us all unto the slaughter how shall he not with him freely give us all things that is all things needfull for our eternall happinesse and salvation all things that pertaine to life and godlinesse 2 Pet. 1.13 The promises of the life that now is and of that which is to come 1 Timoth. 4.8 4. They may hence be certaine of a continuall confirmation of their graces and preservation from Apostacy Gods t If Kings bear goodwill to some family if his love begin in some chief one who is with him at court as his speciall favourite it is so much the firmer to all the rest of them Thus here how firme and sure is his love to us whoâ—n he hath loved unto life in Christ our head and eldest brother who is his naturall sonne from whom it is impossible that his love should ever start and when it is sure to the head can the body be forsaken Mr Bayne on Eph. â— ver 4. pa. 39. love of them is like his love of him immutable Thou hast loved them as thou hast loved me saith Christ Joh. 17.23 If the head be alwaies the beloved the members can never be hated The fruits therefore of this love the gifts and callings of God are without repentance Rom. 11.29 If the naturall sonne of God be daily his delight and that as well unto as from eternity Therefore with everlasting kindnesse he will have mercy on his adoptive sonnes The mountaines shall depart and the hils be removed But my kindnesse shall not depart from them neither shall the covenant of my peace be removed saith the Lord that hath mercy on them Isai 54.8,10 But now if he should not uphold and establish them by his spirit Psalm 51.12 if he should not continually support and underprop their graces but suffer them totally and finally to decay and wither this would be a palpable withdrawing of his loving kindnesse and a shutting up his tender mercies in anger Besides the sonnes love of them resembleth the fathers love of him Joh. 15.9 As the father hath loved me so have have I loved you Now there is no change in the fathers love of him therefore neither in his love of them And therefore we may conclude that as it is their duty so it shall be their priviledge and happinesse to continue in his love The Apostle Paul professeth in the behalfe of all believers that nothing can divorce them from the love of God in Christ that is for Christ I am perswaded saith he that neither death nor life nor Angels nor principalities nor powers nor things present nor things to come nor height nor depth nor any other creature shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord Rom. 8.38,39 In those last words which is in Christ Jesus our Lord The Apostle layeth downe the ground of the perpetuity of God's love of his children 'T is not in themselves but in Christ Jesus that is it is for his sake for that unalterable affection which he beareth unto him Lastly from the eminency of God's favour unto Christ his members may with confidence expect the perfect and full glorification of their soules and bodies hereafter in heaven For our Saviour himselfe in that prayer of his Joh. 17. having petitioned for the glory of all that were to believe on him he inforceth this his petition by representing unto the Father the love that he hath borne unto him as man from all eternity Father I will that they also whom thou hast given me be with mee where I am that they may behold my glory which thou hast given mee for thou lovedst me before the foundation of the world ver 24. Is is as if he had said That love which thou bearest unto me expresse unto those that are mine As thou loved'st mee invest them with that glory which thou hast decreed unto my humanity Believers then may as confidently expect their owne glory as they are assured of the Fathers affection unto Christ and this assurance should digest all their sorrowes and miseries here in this life From Consolations I proceed unto Exhortations and they shall be directed either unto the enemies or members of Christ 1. Then for enemies and aliens they may hence be exhorted 1. Unto humiliation for their past enmity against Christ 2. Unto a serious and earnest endeavour after reconciliation and union with him 1. Unto humiliation for their past enmity against him and his his members ministers and other ordinances Who dare almost oppose the Minions of earthly Princes for History presents us with plentifull instances of such whom their very frownes have ruined O then the hatred of heavens favourite must needs be infinitely more fatall and unfortunate Because he is able to crush his most potent adversaries tremble then to consider that all thy life long thou hast hated the beloved loathed and abhorred God's darling been averse from the Son of his love rejected his elect servant in whom his soule delighteth been a most disaffected and malignant Antagonist unto him in whom the Father is well-pleased 2. Because Christ is so highly graced with God all his enemies may be exhorted to doe what lieth in them for the future for reconciliation and union with him by application of themselves unto the diligent use of such meanes and ordinances as God hath sanctified and set apart for that purpose For those that are not united with him cannot expect so much as a good look from God because God is reconciled onely in him 2 Cor. 5.19 he accepts none but in the beloved Ephes 1.6 He is well pleased with none but such as are in him Those that are out of him lye under the displeasure and wrath of God which is a consuming fire In terrene courts how ambitious are men to be related unto the grand favourite as knowing that he is the channell of all considerable preferments Should it not then be the utmost ambition of men to have relation unto Christ for through him onely God dispenseth all saving favours unto the sonnes of men We may say of him in reference unto God as Tacitus did of Sejanus the powerfull favourite of Tiberius ut quisque Sejano intimus ita ad Caesaris amicitiam validus Contrà quibus infensus esset metu ac sordibus conflictebantur He that was an intimate of Sejanus needed not with any great labour search for honours He that had him his enemy languished under dispraise and misery None had any honour without his favour Neither without him could any keep any place of either profit or credit with security Besides
to meddle with the comfort of this point Though in Christ there was a fountaine of oyle as it was said there was in * The new Annotations on Canti 1.2 Rome at the day of his birth yet the streames thereof make glad the city of God Psalm 46.4 The two olive branches through the two golden pipes empty the golden oyle out of themselves Zachar. 4.12 Here grace is the golden oyle Gods ordinances are the golden pipes The two olive branches are the two anointed ones vers 14. that is say they that interpret the words of Christ only either the two natures of Christ his Godhead and Manhood or his two offices Royall and Priestlie as man and priest of his Church he merited and purchased grace as God and King he actually produceth it in the soules of such as have relation unto him As the ointment trickled downe from Aarons head unto the very skirts of his garment Even so the oyle of the Spirit in Christ is diffused from him unto all the members of his body unto his lowest members Yee have received an unction from the holy one saith John 1 Joh. 2.20,27 unto those little children new converts or novices in the faith that he wrote unto In these words there is remarkeable for our speciall consolation the influence of this unction we receive from Christ against errour and seduction in fundamentals plainly implyed in the adversative particle prefixed unto both verses In ver 18.19 he speakes of Antichrist and Apostates that swarmed every where But he hath no sooner mentioned them but he forthwith opposeth this unction of the Spirit from Christ as a preservative against the poyson of their heresie and danger of their Apostacy But ye have received an unction from the holy one that will preserve you from all back-sliding Hereticks In vers 26. he makes speciall mention of seducers These things have I written unto you concerning them that seduce you And presently vers 27. he directs unto this spirituall anointing as a sufficient antidote against their infection But the anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you and ye need not that any man teach you But as the same anointing teacheth you of all things and is truth and is no lie and even as it hath taught you ye shall abide in him There are two properties in the words of this anointing which yeild full security unto believers against such false teachers The sufficiency and the permanency of it 1. The fulnesse and sufficiency of it Ye have an unction from the holy one and ye know all things vers 20. that is all things necessary to salvation And ye need not that any man teach you vers 27 to wit the grounds and principles of Christian Religion 2. The permanency of it The anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you vers 27 and hereupon in the close of the verse he inferreth their perseverance in union with Christ even as it hath taught you ye shall abide in him In Ephes 4.7 The Apostle sheweth what kind of doale or distribution Christ makes of grace unto his Church and there be 4 particulars by which he illustrates it 1. the universality 2. The variety diversity or inequality 3. The limitation 4. The freenesse of it 1. It is common and universall Vnto every one of us grace is given not unto every man but unto every believer unto every true member of Christ and his Church 2. This distribution is with great diversity and inequality Thus Cornel. Alapide comments upon it Cuique data est saith he gratia non una par sed varia dispar huic major illi minor Unto every one of us are given severall graces We have not the same degrees if we speake of the graces of sanctification We have not the same sorts or kinds if we speake of the graces of edification There is great variety both in the quantity and quality of the talents or gifts of the servants of Christ One may have five another but two talents The talents of the one may be of gold the talents of the other but of silver 3. We have the limitation that is observed in this distribution of grace Unto every one of us Grace is given by measure The best of us have but our measure a small and narrow scantling For an absolute fulnesse is the incommunicable property of Christ himselfe 4. Lastly Here is the freenesse of this distribution Unto every one of us grace is freely given not sold The diversity that is in the measure of mens gifts and graces proceedeth not from any inequality in their merits or foregoing preparations but meerely from the free grace the gift the good will and pleasure of Christ Grace is given unto us according unto the measure of the gift of Christ It may perhaps seeme that this place is not so pertinently alleadged because it speakes only of a measure in the grace of the saints and so asserts not a conformitie unto the fulnesse thereof in Christ But in the least measure of sincere grace there is a kind of fulnesse Plenitudo respectiva secundum quid And that Christ communicateth such a fulnesse unto his Church I shall farther confirme 1. From it's relation unto Christ 2 from Gods end in the collation of all fulnesse of grace upon Christ 3. By going over the severall gradations of the fulnesse of grace that Christ imparts unto her in this life 1. From the relation of the Church unto Christ She is related unto him as a spouse unto her husband as a house unto the Lord or Proprietary as a body unto the head 1. As a wife or spouse unto her husband Canticl 4.8 Eph. 5.23,25,29,30,31 In him the husband there are hid unsearchable riches of grace and wisedome And will he then suffer her whom he hath taken so neare unto himselfe to want to be poore in grace He hath grace as a treasurer and can dispense of it to whom he will May not shee who is as it were the wife of his bosome freely begge it of him The garments of holinesse are all in his custody and at his disposall Can his tender heart then possibly endure to see her goe naked and in rags Christ was a lambe absolutely without spot 1 Pet. 1.19 and therefore he will not suffer any raigning or unmortified spot in his love Thou art all faire saith he himselfe unto her and there is no spot in thee Cant. 4.7 that is if we understand the words of sanctification comparatively in comparison of the wicked and unregenerate who are all over defiled Deut. 32.5 and spotted with the world Jam. 1.27 2. The Church is related unto Christ as a house unto the Lord or proprietary Christ was faithfull as a sonne over his house whose house are we Heb. 3.6 Now did he of old fill his materiall house the Temple with his presence and glory and will he not now fill his spirituall house with his spirit and grace undoubtedly
secundum dictamen rationis Sed tunc dicetur corpus spirituale quia omnes tales motus erunt plenè subjecti spiritui In quart lib. Sentent dist 44. quaest 5. The former more distinctly thinks that this subjection stands either in the purity and refinednesse of the sensive operations or else in a perfect and totall obedience of the sensitive faculties unto the conduct and guidance of reason without any reluctancy of the flesh against the Spirit Lastly here is the cause of this change Christ himselfe Who shall change our vile bodies He is the cause thereof as man by his merit and intercession But our Apostle speakes of his Causation thereof as God by his omnipotency really effecting it Whereby he is able even to subdue all things to himâ—elfe He can subdue all things to himselfe put all things under his feete and therefore he can subdue death and the grave he can conquer and destroy all their sad and painefull forerunners ghastie and dreadfull attendants and consequently he can swallow them all up in a most full and compleate victory A Second place is Psalm 17.15 I shall be satisfied when I awake with thy likenesse I shall be full of thy Image it is by some translated A gracious and sanctified soule is satisfied with the likenesse of God as soone as it is separated from the body but the satisfaction spoken of in the text is deferred untill the day of the generall resurrection When those that dwell in the dust awake and sing Esay 26.19 When I awake I shall be satisfied with thy likenesse The likenesse c Secundum hoc homo est particeps beatitudinis quod ad Imaginem Dei existit Imago autem Dei primò principalitèr in mente consistit sed per quandam derivationem etiam in corpore hominis quaedam representatio imaginis invenitur secundum quod oportet corpus anima esse proportionatum Unde beatitudo vel gloria primò principaliter est in mente sed per quandam redundantiam derivatur etiam ad corpus Aquin. in lib. Senten dist 49. quaest 4. art 5. in solutione secundi and Image of God is primarily and principally in the soule But yet it is in the body too secondarily by way of reflex and derivation And it is of this likenesse of God that David is to be understood When I shall awake thy likenesse thy Image shall by way of redundancy be derived unto my very body and it shall be satisfied filled therewith in it's measure so far as it is capable A third place is 1 Cor. 15. as we have borne the image of the earthie we shall also beare the image of the heavenly vers 49. As we have been conformed unto the image of the first man the fountaine of all mankind who is here tearmed earthy dusty or slimy in partaking from him by naturall propagation a body like his after his fall earthie dustie â—…imie fraile mortall and corruptible subject to age many blemishes and deformities to diseases within and violence without a naturall body 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is an animale or soulie body that is quickned by the soule onely which cannot quicken or susteine the body without the assistance of naturall animall qualities which must be continually repaired by sleepe food and sometimes costly medicaments So shall we beare the image of the heavenly that is our bodies shall be made conformable unto the body of Christ in his resurrection who is here tearmed the heavenly to wit man as in regard of his miraculous conception by the holy Ghost and his divine and infinite person so also in regard of those celestiall and glorious qualities wherewith his body in its rising was adorned and these we have specified above vers 42 43 44. incorruption glory power and spirituality 1. Incorruption It is sowen in corruption it is raised in incorruption an immortality farre beyond that of Adams body in paradise to wit an exemption from even the possibilitie of dying for they shall be quite freed from the mutuall action and passion of corruptible and corrupting elements But neither is this all for such an immortality and incorruption shall be found even in the bodies of the damned This incorruption therefore of the glorified bodies of the saints is an utter impassibility which excludes not onely death but also whatsoever is penall any corruptive that is harmefull malignant afflictive passion any passion that is either contra or praeter naturam Flesh and bloud saith the Apostle cannot inherit the kingdome of God 1 Cor. 15.50 Where in the following words the Apostle explaining thinks * In tert St. Thomaetom 2. disp 48. Sect. 1. pag. 521. Suarez what is meant by flesh and bloud subjoyneth neither doth corruption inherit incorruption to shew that not the substance but the mortality of flesh and bloud is excluded from the kingdome of God As by the word corruption the Apostle there understandeth all bodily miseries so by incorruption saith * In 4. Sent. dist 44. §. 15. pag. 265. Estius he would signify a state of the body exempt from all misery whatsoever To prove that glorified bodies shall be thus impassible the Schoolmen alleadge these following scriptures Revel 7.16,17 They shall hunger no more neither thirst any more neither shall the sun light on them nor any heate For the lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feede them and shall lead them unto living fountaines of waters and God shall wipe away all teares from their eyes Revel 21.4 God shall wipe away all teares from their eies and there shall be no more death neither sorrow nor crying neither shall there be any more pain For the former things are past away A hot dispute here is among the Schoolmen whether the impassibilitie of glorified bodies be intrinsecall or extrinsecall Here we must premise with Durand that glorious bodies are not impassible per privationem principii passivi for they shall consist of matter and there shall be in them a temper of elementary qualities that have contraries Impassible then they are onely per aliquod praestans impedimentum actualis passionis ne fiat All the doubt then is whether the hinderance or prevention of this actuall passion be from without or from within 1. Scotus Durand and others resolve that it is onely from without ex manutenentia Dei by Gods providence assisting and preserving of them either by positive resistance of the corruptive influence of second causes or else as Scotus resolveth by not cooperating with any such causes He illustrates it by the similitude of Shadrach Meshech and Abednego in the fiery furnace Dan. 3. That the fire did not consume their bodies it was not from any intrinsick impassibility in them arising either from the want of passive power or from something seated in their bodies contrary unto fire and so making head and resistance against it But the cause of it was onely from without Because Gods will was not to concurre