much power and extent and spaciousnessâ— in it that it will serve to cover all As large as the necessity and want is so far it can cover See how the Lord taxes the Chuâ—ch of Lâ—odiceâ— Revelat. 3.17 18. Behold thou sayest thou art rich and art sulâ— of goods and hast need of zothing well not withstanding her high conceit of her self that she was rich yet she was poor saith the Text and naked and lacked all things and my councell is saith he that thou buy of me gold that thou mayest he rich and that thou buy white raiment of me that the shame of thy nakednesse may not appeare Here Christ puts the Church upon the way by which shee may be secured from that hee charges her withall That he charges her with is poverty and wretchednesse blindnesse and nakednesse the course hee puts her upon is to receive of him gold and white raiment it is white there is the excellent purity of it and this rayment is so large and spacious that if she should be covered therewith not a jot of the shame of her nakednesse shall appear And in the 19. of the Revelations and the 8. verse you shall plainly see that this white raymeâ—t is nothing else but the righteousnesse of the Saints and it was granted unto her saith the Text that shee should be arrayed in fine linnen clean and white for this clean linnen saith the Texâ— is the righteousnesse of the Saints The righteousnesse of the Sâ—â—uts not the righteousnesse acted by the Saints but the righteousnesse or Christ imputed to the Saints and that is the pure cleane and white linnen So in that text I mentioned unto you in Ezek. 16. vers 8. you shall find there this righteousnesse expressed by a â—kirt spread over a person to cover the shame of his nakednesse The summe is only this the righteousness of Christ is such a kind of righteousnesse that there is an ample compleat fulnesse in it to serve for every purpose to extend it selfe to the uâ—most of every transgression That there is not so large a spreading of sinfulnesse but this righteousnesse spreads it selfe perfectly over all that none of this sinfulnesse doth appear But all the difficulty still lies what righteousnesse this is of Christ that is expressed to be so full and large and puâ—e For answer to this you know there are two distinct natures in Christ hee is perfect God and compleate man and answerably there are two distinct righteousnesses in Christ there is the essentiall righteousnesse of Christ the inseparable righteousness of his God-head and there is also the qualitative righteousness of the humanity Now although it be true that in respect of the ineffectable union of these two natures both these righteousnesses areinseparable to the person of Christ yet it is as true there is no more confounding of the righteousnesses of these two natures then there is of the natures in the person but we must consider as distinctly the one as the other Now the question lieth mainly in this whether of the righteousnesses it is which pleads the discharge of a sinner whether the righteousness of God simply as God or the righteousness of the humane nature I answer it is the righteousness of Jesus Christ God simply considered is not Christ nor the human nature simply considered is not Christ neither But it is Christ God and man ineffably knit united in one that makes up Christ Accordingly I say as Christ doth confist of God and man joyntly so the righteousness that becomes the righteousnesss of Christs people is the righteousness of both united and not the righteousness of each severally The simple righteousnesse of the humanity of Christ alone is too short is too narrow to cover all the filth of all the sins of all the members of Christ the simple essentiall righteousnesse of the God-head alone is not communicable to the persons of men but it is a righteâ—usnesse of God-man that carries the strength â—f plea for the discharge of a sinner and someâ—â—ing from both natures must necessarily conâ—ur to the discharge of sin First for the righteousnesse of the humane â—ature of Christ it consists of two things 1. In active obedience 2. In passive obedience In doing the will of God commanded In suffering the will of God imposed upon â—im This I say is the righteousnesse of his huâ—ane nature God as he is simply considered 〈◊〉 not capable of either of these two qualitative â—ighteousnesses The Divine nature is not caâ—able of them God is not capable of obediâ—nce because there is no supreame above him â—o whom he should yeeld obedience and God â—s not capable of passion hee is not subject to â—uffer therefore this obedience and suffering are properly the actions passions of the huâ—mane nature yet both of these do concur necessarily toward the discharge of a Believer from sin His active obedience that is in doing the will of God his passive obedience in suffering the Will of God Compare these things together as they stand together in the 5. Chapter of the Epistle to the Romans 18 19. verses you shall plainly there perceive that the obedience the doing of the will of God is one branch of righteousness requisite in Christ towards the discharge of persons from their sins As by the offence of one man judgment camâ— upon all men to condemnation saith the Apostle so by the righteousnesse of one the free gift came upon alâ—o the justification of life here is a comparison or rather an opposiâ—ion set between Adam offence and Christs righteousness as Adams offence brought judgment so the righteousnesse of Christ brings justification and life to men Yea but what is that righteousnesse that is there spoken of will you say the Apostles own words will tell you plainly For as by one mans disobedience many were made sinners so by the obedience of one many are made righteous Observe it well We are made righteous How It is by the obedience of one that one is Christ Well but what is this obedience It is an obedience set in opposition to Adams disobediencâ— What was Adams disâ—bedience the breach of the Law What must Christs obedience be then but the fulfilling of it So it must be certainly true It is directly against the Gospel of Christ to exclude the active obedience of Christ from power and share to plead out the cause of those that do believe I say the active obedience of Christ comes in to make the plea for this discharge and as the active so likewise the passive obedience of Christ too the Scripture is more full in this then in the other because it is the compleateÌ„nt of all the lastthings Christ went through for the discharge of the sins of men You shall see there is no fruit that doth illustrate the discharge of a person from sin but it is appropriated unto Christ suffering If you speak of reconciliation which consists of Gods exceptance of persons and his agreeing
the Mediator simply considered But God and man in one person as we call it is the Mediator Finally Christ is to be considered not only personally as he is God and man being one individuall person by himself but Christ is to be considered collectively that is he is not only Christ as he is one person of himself but he is Christ as he himself in that one person is â—nited to the persons of all the elect in the world He and they make up but one collective body In brief there is a kinde of trin-union in Christ The divine union which makes the Father and the Son one The personall union which makes the divine nature and the human nature one The mysticall union which makes Christ the Mediator God and man one with all the members of Christ joyntly You know that in respect of the last consideration Christ as he is collectively considered consists of his own person as head and of all the elect as members so that in some sense Christ cannot be said to be separated but hath his members knit unto him A headlesse body or a bodylesse head are equally both of them imperfect If the Church be separated from Christ or Christ separated from the Church he should in the last consideration be imperfect Now in this Text the Apostle speaking of Christ doth understand him in the last consideration I have spoken of namely as God the Son united to the humane nature or rather uniting the humane nature unto himself as these two natures in one person are united unto the Church or members of Christ so Christ is the head It is true sometimes you have expressions of Christs own speaking by way of subjection My Father is greater then I And I came not to do mine own will but the will of him that sent me which phrase of Christ being not rightly understood doth occasion in the thoughts of men some conceits as if God were a distinct being from Christ that Christ makes God here greater then himself whereas the truth is there is as I said before no God but what Christ is Christ doth never acknowledge that the Godhead of his Father is greater then his own Godhead For the Father and the Sonne is but one in the Godhead and divine nature and therefore when Christ in his â—peech hath reference unto God he hath but reference unto the divine nature that is unâ—â—ed unto his humanity and the very nature of God is within himself and there is no other but what is within himself Therefore there is no distinct God in the world but 〈◊〉 God that is become man and is now called Christ Therefore you are never to look upon Christ but as he is the compleat only true God What need all this discourse you will say I answer You must have Christ set forth in this consideration or else you shall never be able to reach that he is the head Therefore the consideration of the second thing will câ—â—er the usefulness of the first What this Headship is the Text saith He is the beginning that is the root and spring from whence things have their first being Now mark beloved either the Apostle must speake false when he saith he is the beginning or else you must consider Christ as the only God All the world grants God to be the beginning of all things therefore if there be any thing in the world that should be the beginning of being besides Christ he himself cannot be the beginning of all things therefore for the maintenance of this prerogative of Christ being the beginning and fountain he is to be considered alwayes as the only God Now this word beginning doth import unto us that Christ is first the beginning of being and secondly the beginning of well being He is the beginning of being in generall All things were made by him and without him there was nothing made that was made John the 1. As â—ere in this 1. of the Colos All things were created by him Whether visible or invisible principalities powers thrones or dominions The main thing the Apostle drives at is this that Christ is the beginning of the Church that is Christ is the beginning of them being members of himself Every member of the Church of Christ received his first being from him and only from him and from none other Consider the originall beginning of them even in eternity it self if it may be properly called a beginning it hath its being from Christ himself Mark the Apostle in the 1. chapter of the Epistle to the Ephesians 2. and 3. verses Blessed be God the Father of our Lord Iesus Christ who hath blessed us with all spirituall blessings in heavenly places in Christ according as he hath chosen us in him before the foundations of the world were laid This expression may seem to some to import a difference between God and Christ or something distinct one from the other as if Christ were the subject in whom persons are chosen and God the Author by whom persons are chosen But beloved properly there is no such thing as Christ distinct from God so as if he were not God If God be in Christ then it is Christ himself as he is God that doth it And therefore if you will mark the expression well it may be you shall see that it is Christ himself hath chosen us I confesse the words may have a double reference either to the Father or to Christ and according to this second reference Christ may be conceived both the object and the fountain too in whom you are chosen and the expression perhaps will bear both According as he hath chosen us in him that is according as he in him chose us But howsoever all comes to one effect the Father and the Son being one God Secondly to come down to particulars Christ is the beginning of a present possessive being as persons are members of him He is the beginning of a possessive being or being in possession Consider the first thing in the being of a member that is life life as it is spirituall and so peculiar to a member hath its first rise from Christ himself mark the expression in the 2. chapter of the Epistle to the Ephesians He hath created us in Christ Iesus unto good works whereto he hath ordained us that we should walk in them You are created of God in Christ Iesus to good works or God in Christ hath done it The very self-same phrase and expression that the Apostle useth there to the Ephesians he useth again in the 2. Epistle to the Corinthians chap. 5. and verse 19. Namely that God was in Christ reconciling the world unto himself The truth is It pleased the divine nature to unite the humane nature to it self and so to mannage the affairs of the Church in those two natures so united not as if God gave out some of himself to the humane nature and reserved some of it self to it self but the whole
renounceth as false and slanderous ibid. 2 He returneth to the Text wherein is observed That the Church is the Spouse of Christ and this great grace is set forth in 2. things 1 In the consideration of the great inequality of the persons matched p. 328 2 The manifold priviledges that come by this match or relation as 1 We thereby become the sonnes of God p. 335 2 Wee are thereby made joynt heirs with Christ ibid. 3 We hereby partake with Christ in all his honours ibid. 4 The Spouse of Christ is hereby freed from arrest ibid. SERMON XI VPON Colos 1.18 He is the head of the body the beginning page 337. Wherein is considered 1 Who this is that is the head p. 343 Who is described 1 By his divine nature and Godhead 344 2 By his eternall personality p. 345 3 By his distinct humane nature p. 346 4 By the personall union of his divine humane nature together Ibid. 5 By the mystical union whereby Christ God-man is united with his body the Church p. 346 2 What this office of Headship imports 348 Namely 1 That Christ is the beginning of the being of his Church pag. 349 2 He is the beginning of all the priviledges prerogatives of the Church page 357 GODS COVENANT with his People the ground of their security SERMON I. Isaiah 41. Vers 10. Feare not for I am with thee be not dismayed for I am thy God I will strengthen thee yea I will helpe thee yea I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousnesse IN the former part of this Chapter which we will speake a little of because it will make way to the discovery of the true scope of this Text you shall finde the Lord graciously acquainting his people concerning his minde in sending Christ into the world and what tumults this sending of Christ should raise how the Lord repell'd that out-cry what sucecsse he giveth unto this Christ raised up in spite of all the malignity and force raised against his power and glory And it is worth your observation beloved to consider how the Lord doth manifest this aâ— a Preamble to this very Text. In the first verse of this Chapter the Lord seems to represent unto us the malignity of the world under thâ— name of Ilands and the people and to presenâ— them in such like posture as Demetrius and his fellows stood in in his time in the 19th of the Acts of the Apostles upon Pauls setting up oâ— Christ there was a horrible tumult raised it that particular against the Doctrine of Christ so is seems the Ilands and the people were it such a kinde of posture here therefore the Lord is pleased to call for silence Keepe silenâ—â— before mee yee Ilands such a noyse there was as I may say that God could not be heard and therefore first hee requires silence and then iâ— stead of that confusion that was among them in respect of their madnesse hee desires them to deale somewhat rationally with him hee chargeth the world to put out all the strength it hath Bring forth your strongest reasons Leâ— them come neere and let us reason together in judgement Now that which the Lord speakes is aâ— intending to heare what they could say for themselves in their opposition of Christ for so you see plainly in the second verse there when the Lord had got silence hee pleads the cause of Christ by way of expostulation as if hee had said what madnesse is it in you to set your faces against this setting up of Christ For who hath raised up the righteous man and called him to his feete and given him to rule over Kings Why doe you contend in this manner can you tell who it is that sets him up If yee did but know against whom ye rise up it would appeare to your selves to be a vain contention And therefore in the fourth verse of this Chapter he answers the question himselfe and therein shewes the vanity of their opposing him For saith he the Lord hath done it who is the first and who is the last If you fight with me what will you get by it Be ye sure I will manage the thing it is the worke of mine owne hands and it is I that raise him up even to rule over Kings and therefore you doe but kick against the pricks in your contending with me The Lord proceeds further to shew the certainty of the prevalency of Christ in the latter end of the second verse and in the third verse he goes on to let us see the facâ—â—lity of Christs prevalency and not onely the facillity but also the extent of the prevalency of Christ both how easily and how far he should prevaile This matter is of excellent consideration He shall pursue saith the Text and he shall passe on safely or as it is in the margent he shall passe on in peace as much as to say when Christ takes upon him to set up his owne Kingdome and glory in the world every one that sets his face against him shall flye before him and Christ will be the pursuer and in the pursuit he will so overtake them in the flight that they shall be easily destroyed Therefore Christ shall run quietly and softly he shall not run after them too hastily there shall be such softnesse in the pursuit of Christ that the overcomming of the opposers shall seem to be a time of peace there shall be such little opposition of him In the fifth verse the Lord goes on and tells of the fruit of this conquest and the victory Christ shall have when he comes to reign in his Church the first fruit of it is terror to them that set their faces against the Kingdome of Christ the Ilands were afraid Secondly the Lord shewes what an ill use they made of this feare whereas it should make them stoop to the Scepter of Christ that was too hard for them like malefactors indeed when they saw themselves overmastered they assembled and gathered themselves together they hoped to raise up more forces and then they will try it out once more againe with Christ Besides you may observe what a politike devillish practice they use to bring downe Christ againe when he was raised that which hath been the main and grand plot of Satan even to raise up Idols and set them up by Christ to steale away the hearts of people It was the policy of Balaam counselling Balak to lay stumbling blockes before Israel to intice them unto the Idols of Moab and it was the counsell of Jeroboam to overthrow the Kingdome of Christ to set up Calves in Dan and Bethel that so there may not be a going unto Christ So you have it in the seventh verse The Carpenter incouraged the Goldsmith c. Well the Lord having thus discovered what opposition there would be at the setting up of Christ begins to speake somewhat comfortably unto his owne giving incouragement to his own people the opposition
righteousnesse by which we come to have our discharge from sin The Apostle tells us in the 2. Chap. of the Epistle to the Collos In him speaking of Christ dwelâ— the fulnesse of the God head bodily and wee are compleat in him saith the Text the fulnesse of the God-head dwells in Christ and we are compleat in that fulnesse of his our compleatnesse consists in and springs from the fulnesse of the God-head in Christ as from its fountaine There is certainly something in it worth our obseruation that the Holy Ghost should take notice of a fulnesse of the God-head in Christ before he speaks of a compleatnesse which we have in Christ Surely it doth import that Christ doth communicate something that is Gods own unto us and yet this will not import any essentiall thing that is wrought in our persons as if Christ did substantially change our natures into Gods nature or Gods into ours which were a grosse absurdity But this there is there is a communication of an infinite value and vertue to the active and passive obedience of Christ For the righteousnesse that becomes ours by which we stand compleat with God it must have so much value as I said as may stand in proportion to the breach of the Law of God Now if there be but a righteousnesse of Christs humane nature consisting in his active conformity to the Law and suffering for the breach of the Law and we to stand in this righteousness this righteousnesse will not make us compleat For mark he that is compleat by the righteousnesse of Christ that righteousnesse must serve for every purpose whatsoever if there should be some defect which the righteousnesse of Christ as it is acted by him in his human nature doth not make up in respect of such defect we could not be compleat by it although that even as it is humane it is absolutely compleat in his kinde and without defect This righteousnesse of a man doth consist in a conformity to the will of God revealed and that in all relations whatsoever and in all actions of those relations Suppose a Magistrate besides his common duties he is to perform as he 〈◊〉 man or a Christian must perform the 〈…〉 his publike relation he must do justice in judgâ—ment and the like Now 〈◊〉 he should be exact in all the common 〈◊〉 as he is a Christian and should still fail in 〈◊〉 duties oâ— this publike relation he is not compleatly righteous because there is a want of a Magâ—â—â—rares righteousnesse Now what is it that makes this man compleat in Christ it must be the fiâ—â—ing up that which is empty in him there must be that found in Christs righteousnesse that may fill up this deffect or else there cannot be compleatnesse in this person So likewise if a father or a mother doe faâ—l in the duties of their relation they must go to Christ for a righteousnesse to supply this and all other defects Now where will you finde it in Christ He never was a Father nor a mother Christ did never perform these severall offices requisite to the severall relations Christ never brought up children Christ was never a Magistrate When a father failes in the duties of his reâ—ation where can he finde out a righteousnesse fit for him to make it up in Christ Now therefore the divine nature either must adde some eminency of worth that must serve in the stead thereof unto that the humane righteousnesse of Christ which his active and passive obedience as humane did not particularly effect or else there cannot be a compleat righteousnesse given by Christ unto this person and therefore whereas it is objected against the active obedience of Christ for as much as it doth not serve for us inregard it is not every way answerable unto the unrighteousnesse done by man therefore there must come a righteousnesse of faith in stead of that righteousnesse I say the remedy is worse then the disease and my ground is this Iâ— Christs active obedience through non-performance of some particulars required of us be not a compleat righteousnesse for every circumstance required much lesse faith wherein as acted by us there is both omission of good and coÌ„mission of evil which simply is sin whereas the active obedience of Christ could not be charged with the least sin in any kinde I say much lesse can faith fill up this emptiness being it self sinfull seeing the active obedience of Christ being free from the least spot of sin only through not-performance of these severall duties of these severall relations and being but a created righteousnesse could not fill it up and therefore I collect from hence rather that a supply here is from the dignity of the God head which could not be in the active and passive obedience of Christ and this shall be in the stead of every particular circumstance which ought to have been in the perfect accomplishment thereof So that though we faile in our relations as of fathers and mothers and Magistrates And the active obedience of Christ hath not these particulars in it yet this is supplyed by the eminency of worth of the person being God himself and it cannot possibly be any otherwise supplyed but by the giving such infinite value and vertue to that which Christ did that though Christ did not every particular circumstance which is wanting in us yet notwithstanding it doth amount in value to all particulars which we should have done Now it remaineth that we should onely consider wherein the strength of the plea of that righteousnesse doth consist we have considered what that righteousness is namely the active and passive obedience of Christ made of infinite value by a supply of worth from the dignity of the person super-added thereunto we should now I say have considered wherein the strength of the plea of that righteousness doth consist There are but two wayes by which persons may be acquitted in judgement being charged with any crime Either by pleading and proving not guilty or by pleading and proving ful satisfaction made though there be guilt either of these two wayes are enough to plead out a full discharge As for the first way of plea Christ manages it not that is Christ doth not plead non factum Christ doth acknowledge this and that person did commit such and such transgression It is true this he doth not deny but the strength of the plea of Christ doth consist in the latter that though the fact be done yet Christ by vertue of this righteousnesse pleads out a satisfaction and by vertue of that satisfaction hee pleads out a ful discharge for those that are his members SERMON VIII 1 John 2. vers 1 2. Wee have an Advocate with the Father Jesus Christ the righteous and he is the propitiation for our sins c. YOu have heard from these word First an Argument to prevaile over the people of God to abstain from sinning My little children I write these things to you
to God as the injury comes to and what is from the Godhead is Gods own before Secondly therefore some say that there is a satisfying justice properly though there be not a full recompence as in every point to answer the injury done I will but give you a familiar illustration of it that you may not say it is not unknown and an unheard of thing that justice is satisfied although no plenary recompence in the former sense for satisfaction be brought Suppose one man murther another an ordinary case now for a plenary recompence to the injury done he that is slain must be in statu quo prius that is he that is slain must be made alive again and till that person slain be restored to life here is not a compleat recompence made But how is it possible that any man that hath committed murther should make this full and plenary recompence to the person that is injured He cannot restore life to him again and yet for all this although he cannot bring in a full recompence in this way this man may properly satisfie justice For if life answer for life if the murtherer be executed the Law and Justice may truly be said to be satisfied Here then they say that there may be satisfaction of justice and yet not the fulnes of recompence in the strictest sense brought in Justice I say is satisfied in this respect because here is as much brought in by way of recompence as is possible to be had You know beloved you have a Proverb Where there is nothing to be had the King must lose his right when a man payes all that ever he hath he can pay no more he doth satisfie justice In this sense justice is said to be satisfied when the Law of justice is satisfied and so the satisfying of justice doth not necessarily imply the fulness of recompence in the strictest sense according to the injury done How cometh it to passe when a murtherer is executed that upon this execution of the murtherer onely the Law doth esteem this tobe a recompence and justice to be satisfied though it be not a plenary recompence answering the injury that is done but onely as it answers to the Law that is the rule of justice so it is satisfaction Even so say they the justice of God is truly satisfied when the will and pleasure of God is fulfilled whether or no there be a bringing in a full and plenary recompence If the will and pleasure of God be satisfied concerning transgression that satisfaction of the will of God is the satisfaction of the justice of God Now what is the will of God It is this that in the day that man sins man must die either he must doe it in person or he must do it by deputation for among men the satisfaction of the Law is made either in the mans own person that is the debtor or his surety that will pay the debt for him The Law in some cases looks more upon the thing that is brought in to answer to it than it doth upon the person that doth bring the thing in The justice of God looks upon the fulfilling of his will although it be not by the same person that sinned this alters not the nature of 〈◊〉 thing whether I my self pay the debt or anâ— ther for me pay my debt the payment is satâ— factory so in that the will of God hath 〈◊〉 utmost bounds for the satisfying of justiâ— whereas transgression must be recompence with death Now Christ the surety of 〈◊〉 people going under the punishment and 〈◊〉 filling the punishment the Law is satisfied be cause every tittle of the Law is fulfilled anâ— there is nothing in the Law remaines to 〈◊〉 answered But yet thirdly I say further that the satisfaction of Christ is compleat even in thâ— strictest sense although it be granted that the bare sufferings and righteousness of the humane nature cannot effect it without the divine nature and the righteousnesse thereof and whereas it is urged that the righteousness of the divine nature is Gods own already it is granted and that both because it is essentiall unto God and incommunicable unto the creature therefore and also for the reasons alledged before in the objection it cannot be formally either the whole or any part of our righteousnesse yet notwithstanding the divine nature and so the divine righteousness doth so by the Hypostaticall Union fit and furnish Christ to be an All-sufficient Saviour and satisfier that thereby the person of Christ is so glorious that his active and passive obedience is thereby made of infinite worth and â—alue that so he might give satisfaction for â—s compleat perfect and that in the strictest sense making a full reparation and restauration of all things in the behalfe of the elect for whom he undertakes and brings upon them salvation to the uttermost In brief beloved and so to conclude this businesse though there may be some hint given for your better understanding by way of illustration how justice may be satisfied yet the truth is the fullest and most satisfying resolution wherewith persons ought sit down without further dispute is not by argumentation but by divine faith Suppose wee could not sound the bottome of this Principle that Gods justice should be satisfyed yet we may sit down as fully resolved that it is satisfyed though we know not how it should be so in that the Lord reveales to us he is satisfied whose word must be more to us then all the evidences and demonstrations in the world can be by way of Argument that here Christ is said to be the propitiation for our sins that God himself doth acknowledge else-where that he is satisfied What matter is it to me how he is satisfied I mean in respect of resolving me by way of Argument how he should be satisfied his ownâ— Word speaking it and resolving it to us is that with which we should sit down withall without any further dispute If therefore all this while you cannot know how he is satisfied your believing upon the testimony of Godâ— Word that it is so may be as full a satifaction to you yea may be a more full resolution to your spirits then all the arguments and demonstrations in the world can be And so I come in brief to the last clause of the Text namely the issue of this Advocateship of Christ in the behalf of his people when they sin The issue is this He is the propitiation for our sins I say the words containe in them the upshot or the conclusion of the pleading of Christ telling us what this pleading of Christ comes to at the last it comes to this that by this pleading of his Christ becomes the propitiation for our sins The main thing to be considered here that wee may understand aright our portion in this Grace is to know what this propitiation meaneth or what it is for Christ to be a propitiation Beloved there is
with persons in the death of all controversie between God and a person for that is reconciliation when persons that were at variaÌ„ce are now made friends all things that were objected between them areanfwered and no more for one to say against another I say if you speak of this reconciliation to God it is appropriated to the blood of Christ God was in Christ reconciling the world unto himself not imputing their trespasses unto them But how will you say and by what means comes in this reconciliation In the 5. Chapter of the Epistle to the Romans and the 6. verse you shall see how they come to that reconciliation If when we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son now much more being reconciled shall we be saved by his life So that reconciliation you see is attributed unto the death of Christ that was the last act of the â—on of God for man So againe You who were afarre off are made nigh by the blood of Christ Here you see the same thing in substance given unto the blood of Christ though in other words Men that were afarre off men that God was at controversie with men who were at great distance from God by the blood of Christ are made nigh againe So likewise the satisfaction that God takes for the discharge of sin which God hath acknowledged is said to be the travell of the soul of Christ He shall see of the travell of his soule and he shall be satisfied with it The Apostle speaks in the generall in his Epistle to the Hebrews without blood there is no remission of sins Christ entred with his blood once into the holy of holies and thereby hee hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified Infinite it were to quote Scripture for the illustration of this that to the sufferings of Christ which are indeed all summed up in his blood in the sheeding of blood because that was the last of all and the chiese of all all blessings are attenbuâ—ed â—s reconciliation adoption c. Thirdly beloved although it be most true that the active and passive obedience of Christs humane nature must concuâ— to make up a righteousnesse yet both these together are not enough â—here must be something more then all this That is strange will some say what can there be more required then the active and passive obedience of Christ to make up the righteousnesse of a person Is not that sufficient Let me tell you beloved what the Holy Ghost speaks of the righteousnesse whereby we come to be righteous and discharged from sin he speaks in a higher strain then to appâ—opriate it to the active and passive obedience of Christs humane nature only In the 10. to the Romans and verse 3. when the Apostle taxeth the Jews for going about to establish their own righteousnesse that which hee taxeth them withall is that they did not submit themselves to the righteousnesse of God Now the righteousnesse of God is manifested saith the same Apostle and in the 5. Chapter of the 2. Epistle to the Corinthians and the last verse He was made sin for us that we might be made the righteousnesse of God in him I say therefore beloved that the righteousnesse by which we attain to our discharge from sin and the pleading out of that discharge is the righteousnesse of God The righteousnesse that doth give the full discharge to persons from sin must have something that is proper to God himself conferred or added to the humane righteousnesse of Christ as giving dignity to it I say something that is proper to God himself must concur with the active and passive obedience of Christ to make up a compleat righteousness for the discharge of a sinner It is a known rule nothing can give more to another then it hath it self the very active and passive humane obedience of Christ can give no more to man then that active and passive obedience hath in it self Now man considered as a sinner hath need of more then barely the humane active and passive obedience of Christ to make him righteous the sin that man doth commit hath its extent according to the dignity of the person against whom the sin is committed You know beloved that crimes against Magistrates have a deeper tincture in them then any ordinary crime The self-same offence committed against a Prince that is committed against an inferiour person hath its additions of extent and hainousnesse according to the person of the Prince offended Now sin is committed against an infinite Majesty against an Infinite God and so hath a more deepnesse of tincture and filthinesse in proportion to the injury done to such a Majesty in that respect sin indeed becomes an infinite crime For still according to the injury done in respect of the person injured so is the offence you know the difference in slanders slander a poore man and it may be the action will not heare above ten pounds for it but slander a rich merchant whose credit goes far there men lay an action of a thousand pounds for the slander of such a man in regard of his degree the richman being greater then others and his credit being of greater value the offence in taking away his credit is so much the more hainous and higher Now by how much God is greater then man by so much is the hainousness of transgâ—ession coÌ„mitted against God beyond all other transgressions whatsoever Now beloved that righteousnesse that must save a person harmlesse must have an extent in it that may reach as far as the transgression branches it self forth Take unto your consideration the transgression committed against a Divine Majesty take the active and passive obedience of Christ as it is acted by his human nature only it 〈◊〉 but a created thing it is but a fiâ—ite thing 〈◊〉 cannot extend to such a height as to anâ—â—â—â—â—n proportion with the offence of the divine Majesty Beloved let it not seem strange that the very Godhead it self must confer something of its own to the active and passive righteousnesse of Christ to make it a compleat righteousness The divine nature doth give value and vertue to the obedience and sufferings of the human nature The divine nature addeth so much as to raise up that created obedience to an infinite value and height of worth All that I contend for at this time is but this very thing namely that the divine nature must give worth and that simply the active and passive obedience of the humane nature of Christ is not sufficient of it selfe without something of Gods own be communicated unto it to discharge a Believer from an infinite fault or guilt But what it is that God doth communicate more then this that he gives value to the humane righteousnesse and how he doth communicate it is a secret we know not But this we are sure of we are made the righteousnesse of God in Christ and that righteousnesse of God is the
In this he is a Housholder with a witnesse he cannot eat his morsels alone he must impart that he hath The tender mother if she have but a bit the childe must have half with her and participate thereof And therefore in the 1. of Iohn he is full of grace and truth saith the Holy Ghost and of his fulnes we have received grace for grace What better Husband can you desire in the world then to have his whole purse at your command You are not at stint and allowance you may draw till you are weary there is no shutting up of the chest of his treasure he is a Fountain set open for you But to draw towards our purpose There are two offices the Holy Ghost is pleased to acquaint us withall proper unto Christ as an encouragement to win people unto him The first is generall in respect of creation and providence over the whole world the second is peculiar and speciall over the Church alone that is the office mentioned in the Text He is the head of the body the Church the beginning In the words you may observe with me a Proposition and an Eposition and Interpretation or an Allegoricall Proposition and the exposition of the Allegory The Allegoricall Proposition is He is the head of the body The interpretation of it is He is the beginning of the Church In the words note whose office this is that is here spoken of it is he that is the Head even the Image of the invisible God the deare Son of God Secondly note the office it self what that is It is Headship He is the Head of the Church He is the beginning Thirdly note among whom this office is executed and for whose use he doth execute this office that is the body interpreted to be the Church the severall members of Christ I will not set down any other Proposition but what the Apostle hath stated in the Text using his own words Christ is the head of the body the Church the beginning A head and so consequently a body admits of a threefold consideration Sometimes it is taken naturally and so proportionably it hath a body consisting of naturall members Sometimes a head is taken politically and so proportionably it hath a body politique But here it is taken spiritually for a spirituall head and a spirituall body Christ is the head and the Church you see is the body so that this is here a mysticall body And the Church is called a body not that it hath a compleatnesse without a head but in reference to the head it is called a part of the whole A body and a head is but a compleat body indeed Sometimes the body goes for a part and sometimes for the whole Here it is taken for a part only But that we are to insist upon is this First to take into consideration who this is that is the head Secondly what this office of Headship doth import unto us Thirdly how this Head is furnished to the office that is proper for a head to a body Fourthly and then as time will give leave we will have a word or two of application First who this Head is You will say we need not ask the question it is confest by all it is Christ It is true it is so but yet there is a mystery in it and peradventure the thoughts of many persons are something more confused in the apprehension of Christ as he is Head then haply they might be And it may be there might be a more cleer apprehension of Christ considered as he is Head then yet there is among us I will therefore as cleerly as possibly I may state unto you under what confideration Christ is to be considered being head of his Church or of his members Note for the making way to this that there are five very distinct things in Chrirst I say all five distinct one from another and all of them as you shall hear in the closure concurre together in Christ as head of the Church First in Christ theâ— is the one only divine nature and Godhead there is no God in the world but the God that Christ is This is worth your consideration for the mindes of men are apt frequenty to 〈…〉 so between God and Christ as if God were one and Christ distinctly another 〈…〉 God 's when as the truth is there is no other God 〈◊〉 the world but what Christ himself 〈◊〉 My Lord and my God said Thomas speaking to â—hrist And in the 2. chap. or this 〈◊〉 to the Colossians vers 9. the Apostle saith thâ—â— in 〈◊〉 dwels the fulnes of the Godhead bodily In the begining was the Word and the 〈◊〉 was with God and the Word was God In 〈◊〉 1. chapter of Iohn and the 1. vers Christ is God there is but one God in all the world and therefore you must know that you are never to separate in your thoughts God from Christ Alwaies as you look upon Christ so look upon God or as you look upon God look upon God no otherwise then as he is in Christ as if there were another God besides what Christ is for there is no such thing Secondly besides the Godhead there is the eternall ineffable personality in Christ as he is God so he is the Son And in this though we cannot fathome the difference yet certainly there is a personall difference between the Fatherhood and the person of the Son There is but one God as I said before but the persons are three the Father is one the Son is another and the Holy Ghost is another There are three that bear record in heaven the Father the Word and the Holy Ghost and these three are one Now the Father and the Son and the Holy Ghost are not all one personally but the Son is the Son and the Father is the Father But the Godhead of the Father and of the Son is one that is the true meaning there is a difference between the person of the Father and the person of the Son but this matter is not to be pryed into by humane wit For this of all the mysteries in Scripture is the pure object of meer faith there is no humane way to illustrate the difference between the eternall Fatherhood and the eternall Sonship Thirdly in Christ there is a distinct human nature that is as this man is not that man such a distinct individuall human nature Christ hath having a peculiar soul and body of his own that which was born of the Virgin Mary and suffered upon the crosse distinct I say from our individuall souls and bodies Fourthly in Christ there is to be considered an ineffable and incomprehensible hypostaticall Vnion of the divine nature of the second person in the Trinity and humane nature in one person There is difference between the being of God and man considered severally and the being of Christ as Mediator The Godhead of Christ is not the Mediator simply the Manhood of Christ is not
divine nature gave up it self though only in the second Person God was in Christ as much as to say whole God the divine nature assumed a humane nature and so makes up a Christ And thus God is in Christ reconciling the world unto himself You shall see in the Apostles expression elsewhere that the beginning of life in a member of Christ flows from Christ Your life is hid with Christ in God It is such another phrase as the two former It is hid with Christ in God that is it is hid in that God who by being man is become Christ For that is all the difference between God and Christ all the difference I say is between God simply and absolutely considered in himself and God considered as ineffably united to the humane nature God I say thus united becomes Christ and so in such a union is reconciling the world unto himself and takes the Church who is his body The Apostle tells us further Now I live but he presently checks himself yet not I but Christ lives in me Christ is the soul of the body and as the body without a soul is dead so a person without Christ is dead I will not dispute that needlesse dispute of the Philosophers whether the soul be seated in the head principally or in the heart but this I am sure of the life and soul of the Church is in the head of the Church I am the way the truth and the life he is the life of the soul of man as the body without the soul is dead even so if there could be such a thing as the body of the Church without Christ that body were but a dead thing It hath all animal vertue from him alone It hath all life in all respects from him Take life in the first fruits in its sence or motion all spirituall sence all spirituall motion all spirituall actions and activenesse for action receives being and beginning only from Christ Hee is given for a covenant to open the blind eyes All eyes are blind till Christ opens them there is no seeing till the body receive sight and seeing from the head The head causeth us also to sinell as wel as to see the sweet savour of the ointment of Christ that makes the Virgins love him Because of the sweet savour of thy oyntments therefore do the Virgins love thee Now this savour the smell thereof being as the smel of a field that the Lord hath blessed to smel this is the sole work of Christ himselfe So also the spiritual taste to tast how good God is to relish the fatnesse and marrow and sweetnesse of the spirituall wine well refined upon the lees is all by the power of Christ and hath its being from Christ So all our feeling to feel comfort joy unspeakable and glorious all is from Christ Christ opens our eyes he boars the eares he causeth us to smell You will say all this is the worke of the Spirit why doe you say it is the work of Christ Mark what John saith in the 16. chapter the words are these He that is the spirit shal glorifie me For he shall receive of mine and he shall shew it unto you The Spirit himselfe as he dealeth with the members of Christ is the agent of Christ proceeding from Christ communicating that that is Christs to those members So that the Spirit is as it were the conduit-pipe through whom the fulnesse of the fountaine conveyes it selfe and runs forth to every member The Spirit is as the veins and nerves in the naturall body The blood you know hath its fountain from the liver but the veins carry it into every part of the body And as the naturall eye cannot see except the nerves feed it with visive spirits so neither can any eye behold the secrets of the Lord the hidden things of Christ such as he thanks his Father hee reveales unto babes while he hides them from the wise of the world except the Lord Christ do feed the members with his own Spirit It is not the eye that doth discerne and see of it selfe but the spirits that do come from the head cause sight by the eye For there may be an eye and no sight where a want of these spirits are Looke over all the Book of God and you shall finde that there is no action that comes from the Spirit but Christ is the head and spring of it You shall finde the strength and hearts of people faile when hee withdrawes himselfe It is hee that is the strength of them for ever Feare not saith the Text be not dismayed I will uphold thee I will strengthen thee There must needs be miscarriage for want of power except Christ come with his strength and power to uphold Therefore when Paul exhorts those to whom he writes to worke the workes of the Lord hee gives them this counsel Be strong in the Lord and in the power of his might and again saith hee Put on the whole armour of God Now it is a vain thing to think of taking up of arms except there be strength to manage them Saul thought David to be a puny when he was to sight with Goliah and had no regard to him although hee might have good armour on hee was too little a man What Saul thought of David is true of all the whole armour of God it is to no purpose except men be strong in the Lord and in the power of his might And therefore when Paul was in a strait hee begged and begged again to have strength given though hee had not an answer to his mind yet God told him My grace is sufficient for thee My strength is made perfect in weaknesse All persons are weak but as they have strength in Christ Yea there is no strength but what is his and is sent by him Let me tell you this and I beseech you consider they that have Christ for their head they have an infinite advantage above the closest hypocrite in the world although he goe never so farre All he doth is but from a weake principle Christ is not the principle of that hee doth but hee that hath Christ for his head hee hath a spring of fulnesse The Holy Ghost tells us He is full of Grace and Truth and in him dwells the fulnesse of the God-head bodily and It pleased the Father that in him all fulnesse should dwell So that you may plainely see that the preaching of Christ as head and setting up of all the glory of Christ is not the preaching of licentious liberty to men Hee that can win a person to be a true member of this head that is Christ hee brings that person into a fat soile hee transplants him from a barren soile from a rocky soil into a rich soile whereby he come to abound in all manner of fruitfulnesse And certainly beloved fruitfulnesse will be more abundant as the soule can apprehend it selfe by true faith to be a part of this head