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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A12183	The excellencie of the Gospell above the law Wherein the liberty of the sonnes of God is shewed. With the image of their graces here, and glory hereafter. Which affords much comfort and great incouragement, to all such as begin timely, and continue constantly in the wayes of God. By R. Sibbs, D.D. Mr. of Katherin Hall Cambridge, and preacher of Grayes-Inne, London. Begun in his life time, and published by T.G. and P.N.	Sibbes, Richard, 1577-1635.; Goodwin, Thomas, 1600-1680.; Nye, Philip, 1596?-1672.	1639 (1639)	STC 22492; ESTC S117300	150,485	668

rather increased by the Law for although Moses bee read yet untill this day remaineth the same vayle untaken away the Jewes will unavoydably abide in their Ignorance and bondage Now in opposition to this darknesse and obscurity of the Law in all those respects the Apostle exalteth the Gospell in this high and excellent privilege of it That it is plaine and evident and full of demonstration and that the light of it is not terrifying and amazing but sweet and comfortable so that wee may with much liberty and boldnesse of Spirit looke constantly upon the great glorious things set before us in it although it be no other but the glory of the Lord Jesus Christ. And there is moreover such an efficacy and working power in this Ministery of the Gospell as it will not suffer men to remaine the same without alteration as they did under Moses Ministery though hee was read daily but it will change them even into the Image of Jesus Christ and the carry them on still in that Image and likenesse from one degree of glory to another after a most admirable and spirituall manner of working This speciall excellency and prerogative of the Gospell is laid downe in the two last verses of this Chapter which are the words upon which wee shall more largely insist in the following discourse Vers. 17. Now the Lord is that Spirit and where the Spirit of the Lord is there is liberty The Lord is that Spirit that takes away the vaile that is spoken of before Hee sets downe what Christ is by what he doth Christ is that Spirit because he gives the Spirit And then a sweet effect of the Spirit of Christ Where the Spirit of Christis there is liberty The Spirit here is not taken for the person of God as if the Holy Ghost had said The Lord is a Spirit and not a bodily thing though that be a truth And as it is not meant naturally so not personally Christ is that Spirit as if Christ were the holy Ghost that were a confusion of persons nor as restrained to the third person the holly Ghost is the Spirit Neither as some heretofore would have it to shew that the Spirit is Iehovah God It is neither to shew that Christ is God nor that the Spirit is God nor that Christ is the holy Ghost But it is meant in regard of a speciall dispensation The Lord is that Spirit that is the Lord Iesus Christ who is the Lord of his Church by marriage office c. is that Spirit that is hee 1. hath the Spirit in himselfe eminently and 2. dispenseth and giveth the Spirit unto others all receiving the Spirit from him as the common root and fountaine of all spirituall gifts First he was that Spirit as having the holy Ghost in himselfe as man the holy Ghost filled the Humane Nature and made it spirituall The Spirit is all in all in the Humane nature of Christ and whatsoever hee doth he doth as it were being full of the Spirit in himselfe He gives the Spirit as God and receives it as man so hee both gives and receives the Spirit proceedeth from the Father and the Sonne as God but the Spirit sanctified Christ as man as it did in the Virgins womb the holy Ghost sanctified that blessed masse of his body it sanctified him and filled him with all graces and gifts whereupon it is said he received the Spirit without measure that is in ●bundance Christ hath the Spirit in himselfe in a more eminent excellent manner than all others and it must needs be so for these reasons 1. From the neere union betweene the Humane na●ure and the Divine they ●re one person therefore ●here is more Spirit in Christ than in all creatures ●ut them together then in all the Angels and all men because the Divine nature is nearer to Christ then it is to the Angels or to any creature 2. Christ hath the Spirit without measure both in regard of extention and intention as we say he hath all graces in all degrees even next to an infinite all others have it in their measure and proportion 3. The Spirit doth rest upon Christ invariably in other men that have the Spirit it ebbes and flowes it is sometimes more and sometimes lesse there be spirituall desertions not onely in regard of comfort but in regard of grace though not totally but the Spirit rests ●n Christ eternally in a full ●easure and therefore you have it thus in Esa. 11. 2. The Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him the Spirit of Wisedome and Vnder standing the Spirit of Counsell and might c. 4. By reason of his place or offices in relation to the Church as Head Husband King Priest Prophet c. the Head is made by nature the seat of the more noble faculties as of Seeing Hearing Understanding Iudgeing and is furnished accordingly with greater plenty of spirits for the ruling and governing the whole body so Christ is the head of the Church and the governement of all the world is laid upon him and all excellencies are derived from him unto all his members as from the Root life is derived unto all the branches and therefore he must needs have the Spirit in greatest abundance his fulnesse of the Spirit is as the fulnesse of the fountaine ours is but as the fulnesse of the Cister●● hee hath grace in the Spring wee have it but in the Conduit his graces are primitive ours derivative we have nothing but what wee have received therefore it is sayd hee hath the oyle of gladnesse powred upon him above his fellowes Hee hath his name from Annoynting Christ. Hee was annoynted that is separated and ordained to the office of Media●orship by annoynting not properly that is with any materiall oyle but with the Spirit this was in regard of his Humane nature onely but it was above his fellowes that is above all Kings and Priests for they are his fellowes in regard of titles hee was above them all for all have their annoynting from him therefore he is the King of Kings and the Prophet of Prophets c. Also above all his fellowes as we take his fellowes for Christians they are his fellowes I goe to my God and your God c. he is the first borne amongst them and in all things hee hath the preeminence 5 Hee is to be as the patterne we are to follow him wee are predestinated to be conformed to ●im and to grow up to that fulnesse which is in him and in thi● respect there is cause why hee should have the Spirit and all the graces of it is greater abundance that hee might exceed all even Christians of greatest growth and perfection hee is to bee a patterne and example to all to the strongest as wel as to the weake Eve● Paul himselfe who was 〈◊〉 Leader to others for the excellency of the grace 〈◊〉 Christ that was in him 〈◊〉 a follower of Christ Be 〈◊〉 followers

of mee as I am of Christ. Q. When did this fulnesse of the Spirit come upon Christ when had hee it Ans. There was a fulnesse of the Spirit powred out upon Christ in the union of the Humane nature with the Divine Vnion and Vnction went together there was annoynting of the Spirit together with the union of the Spirit 2. There was a more full manifestation of the Spirit in his Baptisme when the holy Ghost fell on him in the shape of a Dove then he received the Spirit hee was to enter into the Minist●ry of the Gospell the Spirit of the Lord God was upon him because hee had anoynted him to Preach good tidings unto the meek c. Esa. 61. 1. 3. But the fullest degree of declaration and manifestation of the Spirit upon Christ was after his Resurrection after he had satisfied fully for our salvation then the stop of his glory was taken away For to worke our salvation there was a keeping backe of the glory of Christ from his Humane nature that hee might bee abased to suffer for us when hee had fully suffered for us that stay of his glory his abasement was taken away and then nothing appeared but all glory and Spirit in Christ. All things were put under his feet and he was set upon his Throne as a glorious King His Priestly Office appeared in his death his Propheticall Office before his death but then hee appeared to be King and Lord of all in the Resurrection Thus wee see how Christ is that Spirit that is hee is full of the Spirit in regard of himselfe Secondly he is that Spirit in regard of his dispensations towards his Church and Children The Lord is that Spirit that is 1. of all truths and 2. of all persons to give life and quickning to them First of truths what is the scope of the whole scriptures but Christ from the first Promise of the blessed Seed The Seed of the woman shall break the Serpents head to the end of the book What is all the Scriptures without Christ The Law is a dead letter yea and so is the Gospell too without Christ hee is that Spirit which gives life unto all the Scriptures Moses without Christ is but a shadow without a body or a body without a soule Take away Christ what was the Brazen Serpent What was the Arke What were the Sacrifices What is all Is not Christ all in all these The Kings and Pr●ests and 〈◊〉 they were types of Christ all the Promises they were made and fulfilled in Christ the Law Ceremoniall aymed at Christ the Law Morall is to drive us to Christ Christ is the Spirit of all and the Scripture without Christ it is but a meere dead thing it is but a shell without a kernell as it is to the Iewes at this day 2. Christ is that Spirit in regard of persons quickning them hee is an universall Principle of spirituall life infusing it into al his Church and Children Christ is alwayes with his Church from the beginning of the world and will bee to the end It was no losse to the Church that Christ in his bodily presence l●ft it for hee left them the Comforter his Spirit by which he wrought greater workes after his Ascension than hee did before He is annoynted with the oyle of gladnesse and grace above his fellowes but all was for his fellowes whatsoever he is or hath all is for his Church and Children for us he was borne for us he was given hee is a King a Priest a Prophet for us he dyed for us he rose againe for us And he doth all he doth toward the Church as hee hath the Spirit and by the Spirit The Father is the first in the Trinity from whom all comes and the Son by whom all things are but the holy Ghost is the immediat worker of all things next the creature all things are applied from God the Father through the Sonne by the Spirit what Christ wrought and what the Father in wisdome devised was applyed by the Spirit and so the framing of us to be fit for such a glorious condition as wee have by Christ is also by the Spirit And this is the reason why Christ giveth the Spirit to those to whom hee purposeth to give faith or love or to worke any gracious worke For where Christ saveth he doth it not onely by merit and satisfying the wrath of God for us but also by san●tifying and effectuall working in us that he might be a perfect Saviour Now the Essentiall vigour and operative Principle in all things either wrought by or from the Father or the Sonne is the Spirit As in Man there is his will from which he resolveth and purposeth there is wisedome and understanding by which hee proceedeth and then there is a vigorous power in man by which he executeth and doth all so is it in this working of God the Father plotteth and determineth of what is to be done the Sonne who is the wisdome of the Father dispenseth what the Father willeth the holy Spirit the power of both finisheth and worketh all upon us and therefore hee is called the power of the highest Luk. 1. 35. Whatsoever works come from God to the creature in generall and are wrought in the world as works of Creation and providence are immediately by the holy Spirit nakedly considered as the third person comming from the Father and the Sonne And in those speciall workes wrought in his Church and on his Children all things commeth from the holy Ghost but not simply considered as the third person but as hee is the Spirit of Christ that is first sanctifying and filling the Humane Nature of Christ and then sanctifying and filling us Christ could not give the holy Ghost immediately to us wee being in enmity with God and separated from him through our sinnes but he must first take it to himselfe who having by his death and sufferings reconciled us to his Father and purchased the Spirit for us may now dispense and give forth his Spirit to us If we had stood in Adam wee should not have received grace so as now we doe for we should have received it from the first Adam but as from a man now wee receive it not from meere man but which is much more from the second Adam who is God-man nay Adam himselfe received not his grace after so glorious a manner as we doe for he received it from the Spirit nakedly considered as the third person in the Trinity and as all other creatures received their excellencies but wee receive it from the holy Spirit which doth not onely proceed from the Father and the Son but commeth as it were through our owne nature which was marvellously united to God the Sonne and made one with him unto us and worketh in us The first Adam was a living soule the last Adam was a quickning Spirit he quickened himselfe when he was dead and hee

in them and how to his enemies he prayed for his very enemies And for the Devill himselfe deale with him as Christ did that is have no termes with him although he come to us in our nearest friends hee came to Christ in Peter Sathan avoyd saith he if the devill come to us in our wives in our children in our friends avoyd Sathan Sathan comes to us sometime in our friends to give corrupt judgement to maintaine false causes to doe this or that that may cracke our conscience discerne the devill in our best friends for sometime they may be the trunkes of the devill the devill may conveigh his Spirit through Peter let us immitate Christ discerne betweene our friends love and the subtilty of the devill in them and be able to give them an avant avoyd Sathan wee see Christ when hee encountred Sathan he fights not with Sathans weapons and when he was to deale with his instruments but with the Word of God he gives not reproach for reproach nor sophistrie for sophistrie but It is written shewing that we must encounter Sathan with Gods armorie with weapons out of the booke of God And then when Sathan would confesse him and make much of him Oh thou art the Sonne of God he would have nothing to doe with him so those that are manifestly led with the Spirit of Sathan and would presse kindnesses on us have nothing to doe with them so farre as we say of the devill he is not alway a lyer but he alway cozeneth so take those that are lead by the Spirit of the devill that are Iesuited Papists they lye not in all but there is cozening in all for all is but snaring kindnesse and gifts that will hurt more all offers from Sathan and those that are led with the Spirit of Sathan wee ought to suspect as Christ we see when Sathan offered him a kindnesse hee saw he was to bee tooke heed of therefore saith he away you and your kindnesse so have nothing to doe with devillish men those are best at ease and prosper most that have least to doe with them those that see they are alway deceivers though they be not alway lyers those that are nearest hostility prosper best thus you see a taste of Christs carriage to his friends to his enemies to Sathan and for hypocrites hee speakes Woe to them he hated them above all the proud Pharisees I might spend much time in going over particulars in the Gospell to see what expressions there are of Iesus Christ. Vse 2 I beseech you make this use of it when in the Gospell you reade of any expression of his love and gentlenesse of his obedience and humility in washing his Disciples feete and Learne of me for I am meeke c. and Come unto me all ye that are weary and heavie laden then thinke this is the expression of my blessed Saviour the socond Adam to whose Image I must bee conformed and transformed and changed and therefore when you are moved and tempted to sinne from your owne corruption or from Sathan reason thus with your selves would our blessed Saviour if he were upon earth doe thus would hee speake thus would he not doe thus if he were here now would he not be ready to doe this good turne surely he would and I must bee changed into his Image and likenesse therefore let me consider what my blessed Saviour would doe in the like case surely our blessed Saviour would not staine and defile his body he would not make his tongue an instrument of untruth to deceive others he would not bee covetous and injurious Art thou a Christian or no If thou be a Christian thou hast the anoynting of Iesus Christ that annoynting that was poured on him as the head it runnes downe to thee as a member as Arons oyntment ranne downe to his skirts if thou be the skirt of Christ the meanest Christian thou hast the same grace if thou be a Christian and therefore thou must expresse Christ that as thou art partaker of his name so thou must be partaker of his anoynting if thou be a Christian why doest thou thus doth this suite with thy profession dost thou carry the Image of Sathan and dost thou thinke to bee a Christian except it be in tytle and profession onely No there is no Christian but if he be a true Christian he is changed into the likenesse of Christ into his Image therefore it is a good thought upon all occasions every day to thinke what would my blessed Saviour say if he were here and what did he in the like case when he was upon earth I must be led by the Spirit of Christ or else I am none of his therefore let us shame our selves when we are moved by our corruptions and temptations to doe any thing contrary to this blessed Image And consider the more we grow into the likenesse of Christ the more wee grow in the love of God who delights in us as hee doth in his owne Sonne This is my beloved Sonne in whom I am well pleased now the more like we are to Christ the more hee is pleased with us And the more we shall grow in love one to another for the liker pictures are to the first patterne the liker they are one to another so the liker wee grow to Christ the liker we are one to another and the more like the more love Who keepes Christ a live in the world but a company of Christians that carry his resemblance as wee say of a childe that is like his father this man cannot dye as long as his sonne is alive because he resembleth his father so as long as Christians are in the world that have the Spirit of Christ Christ cannot dye he lives in them and Christ is alive no otherwise in the world than in the hearts of gracious ' Christians that carry the picture and resemblance of Christ in them But how are we changed into the likenesse of Christ how come wee to be like him When once we beleeve in Christ we are graft into the similitude of his death and into the likenesse of his resurrection it is a point somewhat misticall yet it is stood upon in the Scriptures in Rom. 6. especially at large How come we to dye to sinne by vertue of Christs death and to live to righteousnesse by the fellowship of Christs resurrection it is sayd we are transformed into the likenesse of Christ the phrases of Scripture shew it but to stand upon these phrases a little Beloved as it was in Christs owne person when Christ dyed whole Christ dyed and was crucified but yet the death it selfe the crucifying was terminate in the humane nature the humane nature dyed and not the Godhead yet by reason of the union whole Christ dyed and was Crucified the Lord of glory was crucified as the Scripture speaks and as it was in Christ naturall so it is in Christ

misticall whole Christ misticall was crucified whole Christ misticall is risen againe notwithstanding the crucifying was terminate in Christ the head not in the members as his death was terminate in his humane nature it ended and was confined in that so this crucifying belonged to the head and the head rose yet whole Christ all beleevers as soone as they are one with Christ by reason of the misticall union they are dead and crucified in Christ their head and risen and sit in heavenly places in Christ their head so then a true beleever when he is made one with Christ he reasons thus my corruption of nature this pride of heart that naturally I have this enmity of goodnesse this is crucified for I am one with Christ when he dyed I in my head did dye and this pride and covetousnesse and worldlinesse this base and filthy carnall disposition was crucified in Christ my head I in my head was crucified and I in my head now am risen and sit in heaven therefore now I am in some sort glorious therefore I minde things above in my head and therefore because of the necessary conformity of the members to the head therefore I must more and more dye to sinne be crucified to sinne and rise by the Spirit of Christ and ascend with him the more I know and consider and meditate of this the more I am transformed into the likenesse of his death and resurrection but to goe a little further Quest. What things in Christs death did especially discover themselves to us when we once beleeve to our comfort Ans. Three things In regard of us wonderfull love that he dyed for for us In regard of sinne wonderfull hatred that hee would dye for sinne And wonderfull holinesse and love of grace he shewed his hatred of sinne that hee would shed his heart blood for it and wanting the glory of God as it were by feeling the wrath of God for a time even in hatred to sinne There were these two affections pregnant in Christ upon the crosse wondrous love for us to dye for us and wondrous hatred of sinne to purge it for which he dyed and wondrous holinesse from whence hatred of sinne came whence doth hatred of sinne come but from wonderfull purity and holiness that cannot indure sinne Thus when the soule considers it is one with Christ it hath the same affections that Christ had Christ in love to us dyed can I apprehend that love of Christ when hee dyed and was crucified and tormented for my sinne but out of love I must hate sinne againe And when I consider how Christ stood affected to sinne upon the crosse when hee dyed to purge it and to satisfie for i● c●n I have other affections being one with him then hee had upon the crosse I cannot so whether I consider his love to me or the hatred he bore to sinne considering my selfe one with him by a mysticall union I shall have the same affection of love to him and bee like him every way to love what hee loves and to hate what hee hates I cannot but hate sinne and hating sinne I must act his part anew that is as he dyed for sinne so I dye to sinne as hee was crucified for it so it is crucified in me as he was peirced so hee gives corruption a stabbe in me as hee was buryed so my corruption is buryed and as he dyed once never to dye againe so I follow my sinnes to the grave to death and consumption of old Adam that hee never riseth againe so I say the consideration of my union with Christ that I in Christ did dye and was crucified because my head dyed and was crucified And then it puts that affection into mee that was in Christ and makes me act Christs part to dye to sin daily more and more these the like thoughts are stirred up in a christian which Saint Paul aimes at in Rom. 6. and other places So by the vertue of his resurrection I am conformable more and more to the graces in him for as the power of Gods Spirit raised him up when hee was at the lowest when he had beene three dayes in the grave so the Spirit in every Christian ray seth them up at the lowest to comfort to a further degree of grace more and more nay when they are fallen into any sinne or any affliction for sinne the same power that raised Christ when hee was in the grave for our sinnes in the lowest humiliation that could bee it raiseth them from their sinnes daily that they gather strength from their sinnes the power that raised Christ at the lowest raiseth a Christian at the lowest in sinne and in affliction for sinne for when he is tripped and undermined by his corruptions God by that power that raised Christ at the lowest recovers and strengthens him and makes him afresh revenge himselfe upon his sinne and when hee is at the lowest in the grave the same power will raise him like Christ every way so you see how we are changed to the liknesse of Christ. How shall wee know then whether we have the Image of Christ stamped upon us or no If wee be changed into the likenesse of Christ we shall be changed in our understandings to judge of things as he did his ayme was to please his father in all things if we have the same ends and the same opinion and esteeme of things he judged matters of grace and of the kingdome of God above all other for the soule is more worth then the whole world see the judgement that he passed upon things Seeke ye first the Kingdome of God and all other things shall be cast upon you We must bee changed in our judgement if we will have his Image upon us Wee must bee like him in our will in our choyce in the cleaving and purpose and resolution of our will wee must have the bent of our soule as his was our soules must be edged and pointed as his was wholly for heaven and the Kingdome of God And so for our affections there must bee a change in them in our love and joy and delight we must love and joy and delight in whatsoever he did Now the way to stirre us up to this is to see what Image wee naturally carry and to see our selves in the glasse of the Law if a man consider thus if Christs Image be not upon me I carry the image of the devill this would make him labour to get another Image upon him For beloved at the day of judgement Christ will not owne us if he see not his Image upon us Caesar will owne Caesars coyne if hee see his image upon it Whose image and superscription is this Give unto Caesar that which is Caesars If Christ see his stampe on us he will owne us at the day of judgment or else not Naturally we are all opposite to Christ naturally wee are full of pride and mallice of the

quicke●s all his members too first hee receives the Spirit himselfe and the same Spirit that filled and sanctified his humane nature the sam● Spirit sanctifieth his Church which hee loves even as himselfe as he loveth that his owne humane nature which the holy Ghost sanctified so doth he love his owne mysticall body his Church being mystically united to him and sanctifieth it by the same Spirit Christ dispenseth his Spirit unto us as Head of his Church and this he doth in divers respects 1. As he is God by way of immediate influence he powreth it out upon us as the prime and pricipall cause and this he doth as God not as man for the Man-hood cannot worke above it selfe it cannot doe the worke of God it cannot worke grace or give the Spirit 2. As he is Man considered as joyned together with the God-head by way of merit and satisfaction he procureth the Spirit to bee given powred out which is done by the Father and the Sonne on all those who are beloved in the Sonne so that the Spirit is given by Christ with the Father as Mediator Meritoriously for hee by suffering and satisfying procured the gift Christ himselfe is the first gift yea the greatest that ever was given the giving of Christ to dye to satisfie the wrath of God and to obtaine eternall life Next to 〈◊〉 maine gift is the gift of the Spirit in which is the seed of all gifts and graces and this we have by his Merit and Mediatorship Yet this wee must likewise remember that although Christ be sayd to give the Spirit as he doth yet the holy Spirit giveth it selfe too for there is such an unity in the Trinity of consent and nature that though the Father and the Sonne send the Spirit yet the Spirit comes of his owne selfe though the Father and the Sonne give the Spirit yet the Spirit giveth himselfe 3. Wee have the Spirit from Christ not onely by way of Merit but in some kind by way of Example hee is the exemplary cause of all graces in us looking to whom wee are transformed as wee shall see afterwards from glory to glory For when wee consider that Christ hath done so much for us as to save us and redeeme us and dye for us this begetteth a love in us to Christ and makes us often to thinke of him and desirous to imitate him as wee usually doe such as we love and highly esteeme of The dispensation of the Spirit is in most abundance after the resurrection of Christ as hee appeared in himselfe then to bee most spirituall and glorious after he rose againe so then being as the Sun in its full height and perfect beauty casteth his beames most plentifully abroad and that for these reasons 1. Because then hee having finished the worke of Redemption and satisfied the wrath of God fully and given contentment to Divine Justice and accomplished all by his death there was nothing to hinder the blessed gift of the Spirit It is sayd that before the holy Ghost was not given because Christ was not glorified The gift of the holy Ghost especially depends upon the glorifying of Christ when he had fulfilled the worke of Redemption and was raised to glory God being pacified gave the holy Ghost as a gift of his favour 2. Then againe after his Resurrection and Ascension he did give the holy Ghost more abundantly than before to his Church because now hee is in heaven and hath the advantage of the place being exalted on high As that glorious creature the Sunne by the advantage it hath being placed in the heavens above us is able to shine upon the greatest part of the earth at all times and wee need not call the Sunne downe from its place to come into our houses or fields or gardens no where it is seated in its proper place or orbe it hath the best opportunity in most abundance and largest extent to send downe heat and light and influence to inferiour things So Christ doth his Church more good now he is in heaven from whence he sends the Spirit then hee could doe if hee were below because though his Humane nature be confined in heaven his person is every where and being ascended now farre above all heavens he giveth gifts more liberally and plentifully insomuch as he filleth all things Eph. 4. hee enlargeth the tents of his Gospel and hath taken in a greater people to himselfe We see in Winter when the Sunne is low and neare the earth all things are dead and cold but when the Sunne in the Spring commeth to over-top us to bee in a higher point above us wee see how all things put a new garment upon them there is a new vigour and freshnesse in them so there was more abundant vigour of the Spirit when Christ came in the Flesh his vertue appeared much more every way then before But when this blessed Sonne of righteousnesse was advanced and seated at the right hand of his Father where his Nature was perfectly inriched and perfectly adorned with all kind of graces whatsoever in the highest glory of them his influence of light and heat now beginneth to be increased and the efficacy and working of it to bee felt every where The glorious beams of the Sunne beganne to be scattered and the light of the Gospel to shine to a greater number of people now there was no respect of persons whether Jew or Gentile bond or free male or female all was one the Commission was enlarged to all Mark 16. Goe preach the Gospell to every Creature and with the Word the Spirit went and was received and those that were added to the Church even such as should be saved were many thousands Thus have wee opened the meaning of the words and shewed how Christ is that Spirit both in respect of the Spirits being eminently in him and his giving of it and spirituall gifts by it all the vigour and life and influence we have that is spirituall and supernaturall and above the ordinary course is from the Spirit and whatsoever the Spirit hath or doth for us is done as sent from Christ in whom the Spirit is in all fulnesse Now wee shall shew how many wayes the consideration of these truths will be profitable and usefull to us in the course o● our lives and for the comfort of our spirits Vse Christ is the Spirit of the Scriptures of all Truths of all Ordinances Wee may be this bee able to reconcile the Scriptures one place with another where they s●eme to contradict The Law is said to be a 〈…〉 a ministr ation of condemnation c. 2. Cor. ● but in the 19. Psal. there it is sayd The Law of the Lord is perfect converting the soule c. These places are thus reconciled The Law is said to be dead so it is without Christ without the Spirit which quickneth and so is ●he Gospell too even a savour of death and so

proud cannot indure a change because it is some prejudice to their reputation but it must be so if they looke for salvation thus you see that point prooved enough Into the same Image The patterne to which wee are changed is the image of Christ. It is a rule and a true rule the first in every kinde is the measure of all the rest it is the Idea the patterne and platforme of all the rest now Christ is the first for hee is the first borne the first fruites the first beloved therefore he is the patterne of all the rest and the measure of all other the nearer we come to Christ the better we are for that that is the measure of a thing the nearer it answereth to that the better Now Christ is the best and our nature in Christ is joyned to the God-head in one person therefore we are changed to the likenesse of Christ the second Adam for as before we are changed we are corrupted and depraved according to the likenesse of the first Adam after his fall and as before his fall if he had not fallen we had beene borne according to his likenesse that is good and righteous so now being fallen as soone as by faith wee are planted and grafted into the second Adam we are changed into his likenesse Christ as it were it Gods master-peece that is the excellentest worke and devise and frame of heaven that ever was to set up such a Mediator to reconcile justice and mercy in bringing God and man into one person now Christ being Gods Master-peece the best and most excellent frame of all he is fit to be the patterne of all excellency whatsoever therefore hee is the Image the Idea the patterne and platforme of all our sanctification Christ the second Adam is the Image into which we are changed we are not changed to the Image of the first Adam by grace but to the Image of the second Adam There is from him a derivation of all good opposite to all the ill wee drew from the first Adam wee drew from the first Adam the displeasure of God by the second we obtaine the favour of God by his death and satisfafaction with the wrath of God we drew corruption from the first Adam in the second wee have grace from the first Adam wee have death and all the miseries that attend death and follow it In the second Ada● we have life and all happinesse till it end in glory In a word whatsoever ill we have in the first Adam it is repaired abundantly in the second when we are changed into his Image therefore when you read of the Image of God in the New Testament it must be understood of the Image of God in Iesus Christ the second Adam Now this Image confists in knowledge in holinesse and righteousnesse if we compare Col 3. with Ephes. 4. this was perfect in Christ who was the Image of his Father and wee must bee like Christ the second Adam in sanctification Now the grounds why wee must bee conformable to the Image of the second Adam and not to the first are these Because the second Adam is farre excelling the first Adam and as I said we must be conformed to the best Image as wee have borne the Image of the first so we must beare the Image of the second as it is in 1 Cor. 15. And then the Image of God in the second Adam is more durable for all excellencies and grace is more firmely set on Christ then ever they were upon Adam it is set upon him with such a character and stampe as shall never bee altred when God set his Image on the first Adam it was raced and decayed and lost by the malice of the devill because it was not set on so firmly Adam being a man and a good man yet hee was a man changeable But Christ is God man in one nature God hath set such a stamp of grace on the humane nature being eternally united to the God-head that shall never be altred therefore we are renewed according to the Image of God as it is stamped on Christ not as it was stamped on the first Adam And that is the reason why the state of Gods children is unalterable why being once gracious they are so for ever if God set the stampe of the Spirit of Christ on them it is firme as it is upon Christ it never alters in Christ nor in those that are members of Christ the alteration is in growth from better to better Gods children sometimes a little deface that image by sinne security and the like but as a peece of coyne that is a little defaced yet it hath the old stampe still and is acknowledged for good coyne so a Christian in all desertions in the worst state he hath the stampe still though it be darkened by his carelessenesse yet after it receives a fresh stampe it is an everlasting stampe when once wee are Gods coyne wee are never reprobate silver and all is because we are renewed according to the Image of Christ and grace is firmely set in our nature in Christ so sure that all the devils in hell cannot race it out and hee is the quickening Spirit and therefore able to transforme us to his likenesse better then the first Adam was therefore the Image of God is the likenesse of the second Adam and wee are changed into that Now the reasons why the second Adam changeth us into his owne Image are many First because hee is a powerfull head that changeth all his members a powerful roote that changeth all his branches into his owne nature a powerful husband that changeth his owne Spouse I say he is a quickning Spirit a publicke person and the roote of all beleevers as the first Adam was of us all as wee are naturall men Againe it is meete that brethren should bee all a alike therefore as it is in Romanes 8. Wee are predestinate to bee conformed to Christ hee is the first among many brethren the chiefe brethren must bee all alike therefore wee being predestinate to salvation it was fit we should be predestinate to be conformable to our elder brother that brethren might bee of one nature and disposition it is fit that the husband and wife should be of one disposition Christ is the husband and wee are the Spouse therfore by grace he alters and cleanseth and purgeth his Spouse as it is Ephe. 5. He loved his Spouse and gave himselfe for it that he might purge it and make it a glorious Spouse It is meete the wife should be the glory of the husband as S. Paul saith that is that she should reflect the excellencies of her husband therefore that the Church might be the glory of Christ and reflect the excellencies of Christ she is changed to bee like Christ more and more daily there is a kind of congruity that brethren should be like and that the Spouse and the Husband should