Selected quad for the lemma: nature_n

Word A Word B Word C Word D Occurrence Frequency Band MI MI Band Prominent
nature_n humane_a person_n union_n 11,677 5 9.6253 5 true
View all documents for the selected quad

Text snippets containing the quad

ID Title Author Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication) STC Words Pages
A12186 Light from heaven discovering the fountaine opened. Angels acclamations. Churches riches. Rich povertie. In foure treatises. By the late learned and reverend divine, Rich. Sibs, Doctor in Divinitie, Master of Katherine Hall in Cambridge, and sometimes preacher at Grayes-Inne. Published according to the authors owne appointment, subscribed with his hand; to prevent imperfect copies. Sibbes, Richard, 1577-1635. 1638 (1638) STC 22498; ESTC S117381 274,966 518

There are 14 snippets containing the selected quad. | View lemmatised text

our whole nature a humane body and humane soule And he tooke our nature upon him when it was at the worst not in innocencie but with all the infirmities that are naturall infirmities not personall Therefore he came to be so that he might be pittifull You will say How can he be pittifull There are many infirmities that he tooke not upon him he tooke not upon him all infirmities I answere by proportion to those that hee tooke he knew how to be pittifull to those hee tooke not He is infinitely wise he knowes how to make the proportion it is often set downe in Heb. 2. and Heb. 4. as one end of his taking our nature upon him that he might be a pittifull and mercifull Redeemer But some will say Indeed he tooke my nature and the generall infirmities as wearinesse and hunger and the like but I am sicke and troubled in mind and conscience Though he felt not all particular grievances yet notwithstanding having taken our nature upon him that he might be pittifull and mercifull according to the proportion that he felt himselfe he knowes how to pittie us in our sicknesses and losses and crosses every way And for the chiefe the trouble of mind alas he knew it in that great desertion when he cryed out My God my God why hast thou forsaken me So we may comfort our selves that we have a mercifull and pittifull and gracious Saviour God in the flesh He hath taken our flesh upon him for that purpose that he might have experimentall knowledge of our infirmities and weakenesses and from that he might be the more sweet and kind and gentle to us He was not sick himselfe but by experience of labour and thirst and the like he knew what it was to be sick by that he felt He knew not what it was to sinne and to be troubled for sinne because he felt it not in himselfe but being our suretie for sinne and feeling the wrath of God for it he had experience to be compassionate from this He was wearie to pittie those that are wearie he was hungry to pittie them that are hungry he was poore to pittie those that are so he was mis-used and reproached to pittie those that are in the like condition You can name nothing but he can out of his owne experience be mercifull and pittifull unto In that God the second Person appeared in our nature in our weake and tainted disgraced nature after the Fall From hence comes first of all the enriching of our nature with all graces in Christ as it is in Coloss. 2. All the Treasures of Wisedome and Knowledge are in him in our nature in Christ there is abundance of riches our nature in him is highly enriched Hence comes againe the ennobling of our nature in that God appeared in our nature it is much ennobled when our nature is eng●affed into a higher Stock a meane Graff or Syens into so glorious a Stock as Christ it is a high dignitie that now our flesh is marryed to the second Person it is a wondrous advancement of our nature even above the Angelicall Hee tooke not the nature of Angels It was a great exaltation to our nature that God should take it into the unitie of his Person for the humane nature of Christ had no subsistence but in the second Person And this doth not any way debase the humane nature of Christ that it had no subsistence but in the God-head Peter and Iames and Iohn c. had a subsistence of their owne but Christ had no subsistence but in the second Person And yet I say it did no way demeane the humane nature of Christ because it was advanced to a higher Stock where it hath a glorious subsistence and being In the third place hence comes the enabling of our nature to the worke of salvation that was wrought in our nature it came from hence God was in the flesh From whence was the humane nature enabled to suffer Whence was it upheld in suffering that it did not sinke under the wrath of God God was in the flesh God upheld our nature so that both the riches and dignitie and the ablenesse of our nature to be saving and meritorious all came from this that God was in our nature And hence comes this likewise that whatsoever Christ did in our nature God did it for God appeared in our nature he tooke not upon him the person of any man but the nature And therefore our flesh and the second Person being but one person all that was done was done by the Person that was God though not as God Therefore when he dyed God dyed when he was crucified God was crucified If he had beene two persons he had dyed in one person and the other had not dyed Now being but one person though two natures whatsoever was done in the nature the person did it according to the other nature He could not die as God therefore because in love he would dye and be a Sacrifice he would take upon him such a nature wherein he might be a Sacrifice This is a great dignitie that our nature is taken into the unitie of the Person of the Sonne of God Therefore hence it comes I say that whatsoever was done in our nature God did it Hence comes also the union betweene Christ and us Whence is it that we are sonnes of God Because he was the sonne of man God in our flesh There are three unions the union of Natures God to become man the union of Grace that wee are one with Christ and the union of Glorie The first is for the second and the second for the third God became man that man might be one with God God was manifest in the flesh that we might be united to him and being brought againe to God the Father we might come to a glorious union By this that God was manifest in the flesh it is that he was marryed first to our nature that we by union might be marryed to him we had never had union with God unlesse God had united our flesh to him in that flesh had satisfied God All that Christ did sayth S. Peter it was to bring us back againe to God Hence likewise comes the sympathy betweene Christ and us for Christ is sayd to suffer with us Saul Saul why persecutest thou me He is sayd to be imprisoned in us and we are sayd to ascend gloriously with him because he tooke upon him our nature so if he be honoured we are honoured if we be despised he is despised There is a mutuall affection and sympathie betweene Christ and us Hence likewise comes the efficacie of what Christ did that the dying of one man should be sufficient for the whole World it was that God was in the flesh The Apostle may well call this God manifest in the flesh a Mysterie and place it in the first ranke
And certainly if troubles come we should many of us be better then we are now afflictions would be so farre from doing us harme that they would refine us we shall lose nothing but that that doth us hurt that that we may well spare that that hinders our joy and comfort But I say let us comfort our selves in respect of the present state of the Church Christ rules in the midst of his enemies in the midst of crosses and persecutions not to free us alway from them but he rules in turning them to good in strengthning exercising our graces and he rules in the midst of his Church at this time by turning his enemies cruelty to the good of the elect As he ruled in the Israelites when he suffered Pharaoh to goe on in the hardnesse of his heart but he had a time for Pharaohs ruine so Christ hath a time for the persecutors of the Church as he had for all the ten persecuting Emperours that came to fearefull and base ends Was there ever any man fierce against God and prospered sayth Iob. Was there ever any that set themselves against the Church of God and prospered No No It is with the Church as it was with Christ to have looked on Christ hanging and bleeding on the Crosse to have seen him groveling on the ground in the Garden men would be readie to take offence what he the Saviour of the world But stay and see him in the Text assumed to Glory and then there would be no offence taken at Christ. So it is in the Church You see the Church suffers persecution but lay one thing with another see the Church in Heaven with the Head of the Church see the Church advanced see it in glory ere long see it refined and fitted by sufferings to come better out of afflictions then it went in and then none will take scandall at the afflictions of the Church as they ought not at the abasement of Christ for though he was God manifest in weake flesh yet we see he ascended up in glory There is a comfortable speech Ierem. 30.7 It is even the time of Iacobs trouble but he shall be delivered out of it So we may say This is the time of the Churches trouble but the Church shall be delivered out of it The enemies have their time to afflict and trample upon the Church but Christ hath his time to trample on them Let us wait and expect with comfort better times The Kingdomes of the world will be knowne to be the Lord Iesus Christs there will be a further subjection to Christs Kingdome then ever there was since the first times when the fulnesse of the Gentiles and the conversion of the Iewes shall be Let us comfort our selves with the times to come Christ is in glory and he will bring his Church to further glory even in this world besides eternall glory at the latter day Rejoyce not over me oh mine enemie for though I be fallen yet shall I rise Let not the enemies of the Church insult over-much though the Church be fallen yet she shall rise againe after three dayes sayth the Prophet Christ though he were abased as low as possible he could be yet after three dayes he arose so the Church shall rise out of her troubles after three dayes that is after a certaine time that we know not but the exact time is onely in the hands of Christ but certainely there are glorious times of the Church comming Consider the wonderfull love of Christ that would suspend his glory so long the glory of Heaven was due to him upon his Incarnation by vertue of the union of his humane nature with the divine for that nature that was united to the God-head it must needs have right to glory by that very union What should hinder when it was so neere to God as to be one Person to be taken into the union of the Person Oh but where had our salvation beene then if Christ had entred into glory upon his Incarnation if he had not shed his blood if he had not beene abased to the death of the Crosse Therefore the Schoole-men speake well he enjoyed the presence of God affectione justitiae with the affection of Justice and all Vertues that is he was as gracious from the beginning from his Incarnation for matter of Grace and love of all that is good yet not affectione accommoda There was a neerenesse to God in pleasure and joy and comfort this he denyed himselfe till he was assumpted to glory after his Resurrection and this he did in love to us that he might suffer and be abased to worke out our Salvation that redundance of glory that should have beene upon his Person presently upon the Union it was stayed till his Resurrection that he might accomplish and fulfill our Salvation What a mercie and love was this So it is with the Church it is glorious as it hath Union with Christ Is not the Church a glorious thing that is joyned to Christ that is Lord of Lords and King of Kings the Ruler of Heaven and Earth What is the reason the Church is so abased th●n If the Church were not abased it could not be conformed to Christ. Christ that he might worke our Salvation he must be abased and have suspension and stopping of the glory due to him till the Resurrection Of necessitie we must be conformed to Christ as farre as we may and that we may be conformed to him in abasement and suffering there must be a stop of our glory till we be dead and turned to dust untill we rise againe untill Christ come to be glorious in his Saints If Christ as I formerly sayd had shewed all his glory in his abasement hee could never have suffered the Devill himselfe would have done him no harme there had beene no pretence the Pharises would never have persecuted him and hated him if they had seene him to have beene such a person as he was but he veiled his glory that he might suffer If the World did but see the thousand part of the glory that of due belongs to Christians would they revile them and disgrace and maligne and trample on them Certainely they would not This is discovered in Scripture but the World to discover their Atheisme that they beleeve not the Word of God take no notice of it And that the children of God may be conformed to their Head and that way may be made to the malice of wicked men to trample upon them they goe in the shape of miserable men Therefore let us not be discouraged for any abasement we have a glorious life hid with Christ which shall be revealed one day in the meane time in the midst of abasement let us beleeve Glory And let me adde this to the rest As the same Body wherein Christ was spit upon and mangled and crucified in the same Body he rose againe and in the same Body ascended
then those things wherin they dissent from us that were neither held from the Apostles times for they were the inventions of Popes one after another their fooleries wherein they differ from us they are late inventions and we hold them not they are lesse Catholike then that that they and we and all Christians hold ever since the Apostles times But to come to a use of practice Therefore when we have the Truths of Religion discovered to us by the Ministerie or by reading c. when they are conveyed to our knowledge by any sanctified meanes let us propound these Quaere's to our owne soules Are these things so or no Yes Doe I beleeve them to be so or no Yes If I doe beleeve them then consider what the affection and inward disposition is whether it be sutable to such things and so worke upon our hearts that our knowledge may be affective knowledge a knowledge with a taste that sinkes even to the very affections that pierceth thorow the whole soule that the affections may yeeld as well as the understanding and let us never cease till there be a corre●pondence betweene the affection and the Truth Are they true beleeve them Are they good embrace them Let us never rest till our hearts embrace them as our understanding conceives them And let us thinke there is a defect in our apprehensions that we call them into question if the affections embrace them not for alway answerable to the weight and the depth of the apprehension of the Truth is the affection stirred up and the will stirred up to embrace it A man knowes no more in Religion then he loves and embraceth with the affections of his soule The affections are planted for this ●nd upon the report of that which is good to them to embrace it to ●oyne with it therefore let us never thinke our state good till we find our hearts warmed with the goodnes of divine supernaturall Truths Oh how doe I love thy law● saith David He wonders at his own affections Let us labour to have great affections answerable to the things and never leave till we can love them and joy and delight in them as the greatest things and with blessed S. Paul account all as d●ng and drosse in comparison of them That knowledge is only saying knowledge that workes the heart to a love to a joy and delight that workes the whole man to practise and obedience that is onely spirituall knowledge All other knowledge serves for nothing but to minister God matter of justifying our damnation that our damnation wil be just that knowing these things we doe not worke our hearts to love them but we rest in the naked barren knowledge of them It is a pittifull thing to know things no further and no deeper then to minister matter of our just damnation Now all that have not a transforming knowledge that have not a spirituall knowledge they are in this state Therefore we should labour to see spirituall things in a spirituall Light for where spirituall Light is there is alway spirituall heat where spirituall evidence is in the understanding there is spirituall embracing in the affections evidence brings quicknesse supernaturall light and supernaturall life they goe together Let us labour therefore that our apprehension of these great Mysteries may be supernaturall and spirituall and then as the judgement apprehends them without controversie to be true the affections will be present to close with them So much for the Preface Without controversie great is the Mysterie of Godlinesse Now wee come to the particulars of this great Mysterie God manifested in the flesh This and the other branches that follow they are all spoken of Christ. Indeed the Mysterie of Godlinesse is nothing but Christ and that which Christ did Christ was manifested in the flesh justified in the Spirit seene of Angels preached to the Gentiles beleeved on in the World received up in Glorie So that from the generall we may observe this that Christ is the scope of the Scripture Christ is the Pearle of the Ring Christ is the maine the Center wherein all those Lines end take away Christ what remaines Therefore in the whole Scriptures let us see that we have an eye to Christ all is nothing but Christ. The Mysterie of Religion is Christ manifested in the flesh justified in the Spirit c. all is but Christ. And that is the reason the Iewes understand not the Scriptures better because they seeke not Christ there Take away Christ take away all out of the Scriptures they are but empty things Therefore when we reade them thinke of somewhat that may lead us to Christ as all the Scriptures lead one way or other to Christ as I might shew in particular but I onely name it in generall He begins here with this God manifest in the flesh not God taken essentially but God taken personally God in the second Person was manifested all actions are of persons the second Person was incarnate The three Persons are all God yet they were not all incarnate though God were incarnate because it was a personall action of the second Person And why in that Person Because he was the Image of God And none but the Image of God could restore us to that Image He was the Sonne of God and none but the naturall Sonne could make us Sonnes He is the Wisedome of the Father to make us wise and he is the first beloved to make us beloved Such reasons are given by the Schoole-men and not disagreeable to Scripture for indeed it is appropriate to the second Person the great worke of the Inca●nation God in the flesh Therefore they usually compare the Incarnation of Christ to a Garme●t made by three Virgins Sisters and one of them weares it So all the three Persons had a hand in the Garment of Christs flesh the Father had a worke in it and the Holy-Ghost sanctified it yet he onely wore it therfore the second Person is God manifest in the flesh By flesh here is meant humane nature the propertie of humane nature both body and soule And by flesh also is usually understood the infirmities and weakenesse of man the miserable condition of man So God manifest in the flesh that is in our nature and the properties of it he put that on and not onely so but our infirmities and weakenesse our miseries and which is more he tooke our flesh when it was tainted with Treason our base nature after it was fallen which was a wondrous fruit of Love As if one should weare a mans Colours or Liverie after he is proclaymed Traytor it is a great grace to such a man For Christ to weare our garment when we were proclaimed Traytors after wee were fallen it was a wondrous dignation And he tooke not onely our nature but our flesh he was God manifest in the fl●sh that is in the infirmities of our nature he tooke
into Heaven so it shall be with us the same body that suffers any thing for Christ the same body that dies the same Body shall rise and be assumed to glory Hence likewise we have a ground of patience in all our sufferings from another reason not from the order but from the certaintie of glory Shall we not patiently suffer considering the glory that we shall certainely have If we suffer with him wee shall be glorified with him Who will not be patient a while that hath such glory in his eye Therefore let us looke upon the glory of Christ in all our sufferings whatsoever What made Moses and all the Saints in all times to be so patient They had an eye this way What made Steven not onely patient but glorious His face shone as the face of an Angel he looked on Iesus Christ and saw him sitting at the right hand of God What made the Martyrs not onely patient but triumphant in all their sufferings They had an eye of Faith to see Christ sitting in glory and to see themselves in Heaven glorious in Christ and not onely to see themselves glorious in Christ but in themselves afterwards Wee are not onely glorious in our Head but we shall be our selves where he is Taken up in glory And let it stirre us up likewise not to be ashamed of Religion and to stand out in good causes for Christ and the Church He is not ashamed to be called our Brother no not after his Resurrection Goe tell my brethren I ascend to my Father and your Father He was not ashamed of it when he began to be in the state of glory he is not ashamed of our nature now to take it up into Heaven he is not ashamed to owne us here and at the Day of Judgement to set us at his right hand And shall we now for feare of men for feare of shame for any base earthly respect be ashamed of our glorious Head Doe we beleeve that we have a Head that is glorious in Heaven sitting at the right hand of God that ere long will come to judge the quike and the dead and shall we be ashamed to hold out the profession of Religion for a scorne for a word for a frowne Where is the Spirit of glory the Spirit that should be in Christians that hope to be glorious He that is ashamed of me here saith Christ I will be ashamed of him at that great Day How can we thinke that Christ will owne us when we will not owne Religion here When we are ashamed to stand for him shall we thinke to stand at his right hand All base carnall Atheisticall spirits that are afraid of disgrace of displeasure of losse of any thing but of him they should be afraid of let them know there is no comfort for them in Christs exaltation For if they had any communion with Christ he would infuse another manner of spirit into them Let us therefore stand for Christ we have a glorious Head a glorious hope a glorious Inheritance And let us goe on with incouragement in good duties with a Spirit of Faith for wherefore is Christ in Heaven but to rule his Church by his Spirit To leade captivitie captive and to give gifts to men Let us therefore goe on with confidence that Christ from Heaven will give us his Spirit to subdue our corruptions He is in Heaven to rule his Church and what is his Kingdome but the subduing of our spirits by his Spirit to be more humble and more holy and gracious every way Let us not thinke that our corruptions will be too hard for us but goe on in a Spirit of Faith That Christ that dyed for us as a Priest he will rule us as a King and if we be true to our owne soules we shall have strength to sustaine us he sits in Heaven to rule us by his gracious Spirit Let us not despaire though we carry this and that corruption about us we shall by little and little overcome all he will lead captivitie captive and overcome all in us as he did in his own person he that overcame for us will overcome in us if there be a Spirit of Faith to depend upon him Againe this Mysterie is a Mysterie of Godlinesse it tendeth to and enforceth godlinesse and holinesse of life Christ received up to glory You see then our flesh is in Heaven Christ hath taken into Heaven the pledge of our flesh and given us the pledge of his Spirit It was a dignifying of our nature that God should be manifest in our flesh that that was an abasing to him as God was an honour to our nature the Incarnation of Christ it was the beginning of his abasement in regard of his God-head for the God-head to be clouded under flesh but it was a dignifying of the humane nature that it should be graffed into the second Person And is it not a greater honour to our nature that now in Christ it is gone to Heaven and is there above Angels Our nature in Christ rules over all the world And wherefore is all this As it is for wondrous comfort so for instruction to carry our selves answerable to our dignitie What! hath God taken our nature upon him to the unitie of the second Person and exalted and honoured and enriched it Is he likewise gone to Heaven in our nature and is there above all Principalities and Powers all the Angels in Heaven attend upon him And shall we debase and dishonour our nature that is so exalted Let it worke upon us to carry our selves in a holy kind of state Shall we defile our selves with sinfull courses make our selves baser then the Earth we tread on worse then any creature for a man without grace is next to the Devill in miserie if God be not mercifull to him If God have thus honoured our nature above all created excellency whatsoever shall not this stirre us up to a correspondent carriage It is oft pressed by the Apostle that we walke worthy of our calling And indeed let us oft consider to what great matters we are called for the life of Heaven it must be begun upon Earth Whosoever hath this hope to be glorious with Christ in Heaven it purgeth him it frames him to be like the state he hopes for and he that hath not a care to sute and fit his carriage and disposition to the state he beleeves it is an emptie hope he deludes himselfe Whosoever shall be glorious with Christ in Heaven is also glorious now there is a Spirit of Glory resting upon them that is Grace Grace makes them glorious Those that have not a Spirit of Glory that is a Spirit of Grace to fashion and conforme them in some measure to be like Christ by little and little they have no right nor interest in the state of Glory that shall be revealed after Is Christ taken up to glory and for us as well as for himselfe
The verbe is not set downe here whether it should be Glory is given to God or whether by way of wishing Let glory be given to God or by way of prediction or prophesie for the time to come glory shall be to God from hence to the end of the world the verbe being wanting all have a truth For first it cannot be a wish unlesse it were a positive doctrinall truth that all glory is due to God in the Incarnation of Christ and because all glory is due to him thereupon comes the ground of wishing and of prayer Let God be glorified why because it is due if it were not a positive doctrinall truth there could be no foundation to raise a wish or a prayer for what is a prayer but the turning of a promise or truth into a prayer and what is praise but the turning of a truth into praise so it is a doctrinall truth First that God is to be glorified especially in Christ and in Christ in this particular in the Incarnation of Christ. And it is a wish for the time to come let him be glorified and a prediction God shall be glorified in the Church hee shall alway have some to glorifie him for Christ and especially for his Incarnation Glory to God on high Glory is excellency greatnes and goodnes with the eminency of it so as it may be discovered There is a fundamentall Glory in things that are not discovered at all times God is alwayes glorious but alas few have eyes to see it but here I take it for the excellency and eminency of the goodnesse and greatnesse of God discovered and taken notice of In the former part of the Chapter Light is called the glory of the Lord Light is a glorious creature nothing expresseth glory so much as light it is a sweet creature but it is a glorious creature it carries it's evidence in it selfe it discovers all other things and it selfe too So excellency and eminency will discover it selfe to those that have eyes to see it and being manifested and withall taken notice of is glory In that the Angels begin with the glory of God I might speake of this doctrine that The glory of God the setting forth of the excellencies and eminencies of the Lord should be the end of our lives the chiefe thing we should ayme at The Angels here begin with it and wee begin with it in the Lords prayer hallowed bee thy name it should be our maine imployment Of him and by him are all things therefore to him be glory Rom. 11. Therefore wee should give God that which is his owne Thine is the glory as it is in the conclusion of the Lords Prayer but this being a generall point I will passe it by and come to the particular in which 〈◊〉 will more comfortably appeare as this glory shines in Christ in the Incarnation of Christ there is matter of glorifying God both the Angels and men And here I doe not take the Incarnation of Christ abstractively from other things in Christ ' But I take the Incarnation of Christ as a foundation prerequisite to all the other good we have by Christ glory to God on high now Christ is borne why only that he is borne No but by reason of this Incarnation there is a union of the two natures God and man so that by the Incarnation now Christ is man and holy man the humane nature in Christ is pure and holy being sanctified by the Spirit and united to God now Christ being not onely man but pure man and God-man God taking our nature to the unitie of his person hence it is that he comes to be qualified for all that he did and suffered after it was from hence that they had their worth What was the reason that his being made a curse and to dye for us should be of such worth It came from a person that was God-man nay so neere is the manhood to God that what the manhood did God did because the person was God the second person taking the nature of man and what he suffred in his humane nature God suffred according to mans nature hence comes that phrase of the communication of properties whatever was done or suffred in mans nature God did as a Mediator God did it in that nature thereupon comes the price of it thus the Incarnation is a pre-requisite foundation to all other benefits by Christ therefore take it conjoyned his Incarnation and his death and resurrection and ascention and all Well then The incarnation of Christ together with the benefits to us by it that is Redemption Adoption c. It is that wherein God will shew his glory most of all That is the doctrinall truth the glory excellency of God doth most shine in his love mercy in Christ. Every excellency of God hath its proper place or Theatre where it is seene as his power in the Creation his Wisedome in his Providence and ruling of the world his Justice in hell his Majestie in heaven but his Mercy and kindnesse his bowels of tender mercy doe most of all appeare in his Church among his people God shewes the excellency of his goodnesse and mercy in the Incarnation of Christ and the benefits we have by it many Attributes and excellencies of God shine in Christ as His truth All the promises of God are yea and Amen in Christ there is an accomplishment of all the promises And then his wisedome that hee could reconcile Justice and Mercy by joyning two natures together this plot was in heaven by God the Father the Sonne and the Holy-Ghost the Trinity that God and man should be joyned together to joyn and knit two Attributes seeming contrary Justice and Mercy to reconcile man by reconciling Justice and Mercy and by such an excellent way that God should become man Emanuel this was a great wisedome to reconcile Justice and Mercy by such a Person as should satisfie Justice and give way to Mercy that is by Christ. God will lose none of his Attributes his Justice must be satisfied that his Mercy might be manifested the wisdome of God found out that way it is a plot the Angels study in Likewise here is Justice Justice fully satisfied in Christ he became our Surety who is God as well as man if no creature can satisfie God God can when the second Person tooke our nature and was our Surety and dyed for us here was the glory of his Justice And of his holinesse that hee would be no otherwise satisfied for sinne it was so foule a thing that to shew his hatred of it he punished it in his owne Sonne when he became our Surety How holy and pure is God that is what a separation is there in the nature of God from sin considering that he so punished it in his Son our Surety that he made him crie out My God my God why hast thou forsaken me We
us take heed that we defile not this flesh of ours this nature of ours What is this flesh of mine taken into unitie with the second Person Is this flesh of mine now in Heaven sitting at the right hand of God And shall I defile this flesh of mine that I professe to be a member of Christ Shall I make it the member of an harlot Shall I abuse it as intemperate persons doe Let us honor our nature which Christ hath so honoured and let us take a holy kind of state upon us to thinke our selves too good since God hath so advanced our nature to aba●e it to the service of sinne Likewise it should teach us to stoupe to any service of Christ or our brethren What did the love of God draw him into the Wombe of the Virgin Did it draw him to take my nature and flesh on him And shall I thinke much to be serviceable to my poore brethren for whom God was made flesh and not onely so but was crucified Such thoughts will take downe such proud conceits as enter into our hearts when we are about any worke of charitie for the members of Christ. Shall I have base conceits of any man whose flesh Christ hath taken especially when I see any goodnesse in him let me abase my selfe to any worke of charitie Take heed of pride God himselfe emptied himselfe and wilt thou be full of pride He became of no reputation and wilt thou stand upon termes of credit He tooke upon him the forme of a servant and wilt thou be altogether a Lord and King in thy affections not serve thy brethren Did Christ doe this that thou shouldest be a proud person He came to expiate thy pride Away with thy proud conceits If thou be too proud to follow and imitate humble men yet thinke not thy selfe too good to imitate an humble God There is no spirit more opposite to the spirit of a Christian then a spirit swelling and lift up that thinkes it selfe too good to be abased in the service of others that carries it selfe loftily A proud spirit is most opposite to the Spirit of God that became man to expiate this pride of ours and to worke our salvation in this flesh of ours Of all sinnes let us take heed of this Diabolicall Satanicall sinne let us be abased for Christ that was abased for us and as he left his Heaven to doe us good he left Heaven it selfe so let us if we have a conceited heaven and happinesse in our selves leave it and become base and low to doe any good we can Shall he stoupe and bend to us from Heaven to Earth and conceale his Majestie not to be known to be as he was and shall not wee stoupe one to another to doe good and come downe from our conceited excellencie Here we have a ground likewise not to envie the blessed Angels their greatnesse nay here we have that wherein we are above the Angels themselves for he tooke not upon him the nature of Angels but he was God manifest in our flesh Christ marryed our nature to himselfe out of his love that he might marry us to himselfe by his Spirit and now by our union with Christ we be neere● him then the very Angels are The Angels are not the Spouse of Christ but now by reason of his taking our nature we are kinne to Christ he is bone of our bone and flesh of our flesh and wee are bone of his bone and flesh of his flesh We are the Body Christ is the Head We are neere to Christ then the very Angels No wonder then if those blessed Spirits daily prie into this Great Mysterie Lastly let us labour that Christ may be manifested in our particular flesh in our persons As he was God manifest in the flesh in regard of that blessed Masse he tooke upon him so we would every one labour to have God manifest in our flesh How is that We must have Christ as it were borne in us formed in us as the Apostle speakes Certainely the same Spirit that sanctified Christ doth sanctifie every member of Christ and Christ is in some sort begotten and conceived and manifested in every one that is a Christian. We must labour that Christ may be manifest in our understandings in our affections that he may be manifest to us and conceived as it were in us as S. Pauls phrase is That the life of Christ may be made manifest in our mortall flesh The life and Spirit of Christ must be manifest in every true Christian and their flesh must be sanctified by the same Spirit that Christs flesh was sanctified withall As Christs flesh was first sanctified and then abased and then glorious so the flesh of every Christian must be content to be abased as the flesh of Christ was to serve Christ to be conformable to Christ in our abased fl●sh And let us not make too much of this flesh of ours that shall turne to rottennesse ere long it must be gracious sanctified flesh as Christs was and then glorious flesh Christ must be manifest in our flesh as he was in his owne that when a man sees a Christian he may see Christ manifest in him But how shall I come to have Christ manifest in my flesh my heart is not fit to conceive Christ in there is nothing in it but deadnesse and darknesse and dulnesse and rebellion Even as the Virgin Mary she conceived Christ when she yeelded her as●ent When the Angell spake to her what sayth she presently Be it as thou hast sayd let it even be so she yeelded her assent to the Promise that she should conceive a Sonne So when the Promises are ●●●tered to us of the forgivenesse of sinnes of salvation by Christ as soone as ever we have a spirit of Faith to yeeld our assent Let it be so Lord as thou hast promised thou hast promised forgivenesse of sinnes Let it be so thou hast promised favour in Christ Let it be so As soone as the heart is brought to yeeld to the gracious Promise then Chr●st is conceived in the heart Even as Christ was conceived in the Wombe of the Virgin when she yeelded her assent to beleeve the Promise so Christ is in every mans heart to sanctifie it to rule it to comfort it as soone as this consent is wrought we should labour therefore to bring our hearts to this So much for this Because it is of great consequence and the leading Mysterie to all that followes I have been somewhat the longer in unfolding these words God manifest in the flesh Iustified in the Spirit These words are added to answer an objection that may rise from the former He was God manifest in the flesh he veiled himselfe he could not have suffered else when he tooke upon him to be the Mediator he must doe it in abased flesh If Christ being God had not abased himselfe he should never
have beene put to death Satan and his instruments would never have medled with him therefore God being veiled in the flesh being clouded with our flesh and infirmities thereupon the World had a misconceit of him He was not generally thought to be what hee was indeed he appeared to be nothing but a poore man a debased dejected man a persecuted slandered disgraced man in the World he was thought to be a Trespasser It is no matter what he appeared when hee was veiled with our flesh he was justified in the Spirit to be the true Messias to be God as well as man Iustified It implyes two things in the phrase of Scripture A freedome and clearing from false conceits and imputations and declared to be truly what he was to be otherwise then he was thought to be of the wicked World When a man is cleared from that that is layd to his charge hee is justified when a man is declared to be that he is then he is said to be justified in the sense of the Scriptures Wisedome is justified of her children that is cleared from the imputations that are layd upon Religion to be mopish and ●oolish Wisedome is justified that is cleared and declared to be an excellent thing of all her children So Christ was justified hee was cleared not to be as they took him and declared himselfe to be as he manifested himselfe a more excellent person the Sonne of God the true Messias and Saviour of the World In the Spirit That is in his God-head that did shew it selfe in his life death in his resurrection and ascension the beames of his God-head did sparkle out though he were God in the flesh yet he remained God stil was justified to be so in the Spirit that is in his divine Power which is called the Spirit because the spirit of any thing is the quintessence strength of it God hath the name of Spirit from his purity and power and vigour So God is a Spirit that is God is pure opposite to grosse things earth and flesh and God is powerfull and strong The Horses of the Aegyptians are flesh and not spirit that is they are weake a spirit is strong so much spirit so much strength So by the puritie and strength of the Divine Nature Christ discovered himselfe to be true God as well as true man The word Spirit is taken in three senses especially in the Gospel It is taken for the whole nature of God God is a Spirit sayth Christ to the woman of Samaria the very nature of God is a Spirit that is active and subtile opposite to meanenesse and weakenesse Then againe Spirit is taken more particularly for the Divine Nature of Christ as it is Rom. 1.4 Of the Seed of David according to the flesh but declared mightily to be the Sonne of God with power according to the spirit of sanctification or holinesse by the resurrection from the dead The opposition shewes that Spirit is taken there for the Divine Nature of Christ. He had spoken in the Verse before concerning his humane nature he was made of the Seed of David according to the flesh and it followes declared to be the Sonne of God according to the spirit of holinesse by the resurrection from the dead and so likewise in 1 Pet. 3.18 He was put to death in the flesh ●ut quickned in the spirit He was put to death in his humane nature out quickned and raysed as he was God The Spirit is taken likewise for the third Person in the Trinitie the Holy-Ghost the holy Spirit And indeed whatsoever God the Father or God the Sonne doth graciously to man it is done by the Spirit For as the holy Spirit is in the order of the Persons so he is in the order of working the Father workes from himselfe the Sonne workes from the Father the holy Spirit from them both the holy Spirit proceeds from the Father and the Sonne as a common Principle Therefore sometimes the Father is sayd to rayse Christs Body by his Spirit Christ is sayd to do things by the Spirit Here in this place it is especially to be understood of Christs Divine Nature not excluding the Holy-Ghost For as the Holy-Ghost in the Incarnation sanctified his flesh the second Person tooke flesh but the third Person sanctified it so in the Resurrection of Christ the second Person that raysed it selfe up but yet it was by the Holy-Ghost too So when there is mention here of Christ justified by the Spirit that is by his God-head and by the Holy-Ghost which he alway used not as an instrument for the Holy-Ghost is a common Principle with himselfe one with himselfe of equall dignitie onely differing in the order of Persons Whatsoever Christ did he did with the Spirit that must not be excluded Christ was as well justified in the Spirit as God as manifest in our nature to be man And this was in the time of his abasement in the greatest extremitie of abasement there was somewhat that came from Christ to justifie him that he was the Sonne of God the true Messias there is no part of his abasement but some beams of his God-head did breake forth in it He was made flesh but he tooke upon him the flesh of a Virgin Could that be otherwise then by the Spirit to be borne of a Virgin she remaining a Virgin When he was borne he was layd in a Manger indeed there was God in the low estate of the flesh I but the Wisemen worshipped him and the Starre directed them there he was justified in the Spirit He was tossed when he was asleepe in the Ship but he commanded the Winds and the Waves He wanted Money to pay Tribute as he was abased but to fetch it out of a Fish there he was justified the one was an argument of his povertie and meanenesse but the other was an argument that hee was another manner of person then the World tooke him for that he had all the creatures at his command He was apprehended as a Male-factor but he struck them all down with his word Whom seeke yee Come to the greatest abasement of all when he was on the Crosse he hung betweene two Theeves I but he converted the one of them When the Theefe had so much discouragement to see his Saviour hang on the Crosse yet hee shewed such power in that abasement that the very Theefe could see him to be a King and was converted by his Spirit He did hang upon the Crosse but at the same time there was an Eclipse the whole World was darkned the Earth trembled the Rocks brake the Centurion justified him Doubtlesse this was the Sonne of God He was sold for thirtie pence but he that was sold for thirty pieces did redeeme the whole World by his bloud Nay at the lowest degree of abasement of all when he struggled with the wrath of God and wat
carryed it to Heaven with him Here was the Mysterie of the Exaltation of our nature God was as much abased as he could be being borne and dying for us our humane nature was as much advanced as it could be when God raised it up to Heaven God could be no more abased remaining God and mans nature can be no more advanced remaining the true nature of man This is a great Mysterie the advancement of our nature in Christ that was made lower then the Angels he was a worme and no man now our nature in Christ is advanced above the Angels Now this nature of ours in Christ it is next to the nature of God in dignitie here is a Mysterie Among many other respects it is a Mysterie for the greatnesse of it We see after his Ascension when he appeared to Paul in glory a glimpse of it strucke Paul downe he could not endure it Nay before he suffered a very shadow of his glory it amazed Peter and Iames and Iohn they could not beare it they forgat themselves Let us build say they three Tabernacles c. If a little discoverie of his glory on Earth wrought these effects what great glory is it then that he hath in Heaven Certainely it is beyond all expression In this glorious condition that Christ is received into he fulfils all his Offices in a most comfortable manner He is a glorious Prophet to send his Spirit now to teach and open the heart he is a glorious Priest to appeare before God in the Holy of Holies in Heaven for us for ever and he is a King there for ever from thence hee rules his Church and subdues his enemies So that though he accomplished and fulfilled those blessed Offices that were appointed him in the state of humiliation on Earth as it became that state to suffer for us yet it was necessarie that he should enter into glory to manifest that he was a King Priest and Prophet for he was not manifested who he was indeed to our comfort till he was received up in glory We had not the Spirit the Holy-Ghost sent from above till he ascended as it is in Iohn 7. The Holy-Ghost was not given because Christ was not ascended to apply and to helpe us make use of Christ and all his benefits and riches so that in regard of the manifestation of Christs Offices and of application of all the good we have by it it is by Christ received up in glory To come to some application First of all we must lay this for a ground and foundation of what followes That Christ ascended as a publike person he must not be considered as a particular person alone by himselfe but as the second Adam As he tooke the nature of man in his Incarnation so he ascended into Heaven in it as a publike person As the first Adam was in whom we all sinned and all came to misery and basenesse and died so Christ must be considered as the second Adam as in other things so in his ascension to glory In the second place we must know that there is a wondrous neerenesse betweene Christ and us now for before we can thinke of any comfort by the glory of Christ we must be one with him by Faith for he is the Saviour of his Body therefore we must be in him we must be his members we must be his Spouse and being so once we are one with Christ. There is no relation in the world that is able to expresse the neerenesse betweene Christ and us sufficiently and therefore when we speake of Christ ascended into glory we must needs think of our selves of our glory and advancement he was taken up to glory in our nature not only for himselfe but for all his As the husband of the Church he is gone before to take up Heaven for his wife as a husband takes up Land in another Countrey for his Spouse though she be not there Christ hath taken up Heaven for us I goe before to prepare a place for you So likewise he is in Heaven as a glorious Head ministring vertue and comfort and strength to all his all our power and strength it comes from Christ now as our Head in Heaven Againe there is a causality the force of a cause in this because Christ therefore we here is not onely a priority of order but a cause likewise and there is great reason Was there the force of a cause in Adam that was but meere man to convey sinne and misery and the displeasure of God to all that are borne and descend of him and is there not the force of a cause in the second Adam to convey grace and glory to his he being God man Therefore whatsoever is good it is first in Christ and then in us Christ first rose therefore we shall rise he ascended into glory therefore we shall be afterward in glory And then we must consider Christ not onely as an efficient cause but as a patterne and example how we shall be glorified he is not onely the efficient of all glory within and without but he is the exemplary cause for all is first in him and then in us he was first abased and so must we and then he was glorified and so shall we we must be conformable to his abasement and then to his glory he is the first fruits of them that sleepe he being the first fruits we succeed These things being premised as grounds I come to make some use of this comfortable point Christ is received up in glory Therefore first of all for our information we must not seeke him in a Wafer-cake we must not looke for him in the Sacrament bodily how can he be there when he is received up in glory Therefore when we come to the Sacrament let us consider we have now to deale with Christ who is in Heaven Cannot Christ shew his vertue to comfort and strengthen us but we must have his Body in the Communion to touch our bodies The foot hath influence from the head yet the head is distant from it in place The utmost branches have life and sap from the root yet they are remote in respect of place A King spreads his influence over his whole Kingdom though it be never so large yet he is but in one place in respect of his person Doth the Sunne in the Heavens come downe to the Earth to make the Spring and to make all fru●tfull Cannot he send beames and influence from thence to cherish the Earth Must Christ come downe in his Body to us or else he can doe us no good Must there be a corporeall descent or else we can receive no influence from him There may be a derivation of vertue from Christ though his person be in Heaven where he shall remaine till the last day when he shall come to be glorious in his Saints The Sunne doth more good being in Heaven
it must be no ordinary mercy It is true Gods mercy is no ordinary thing of all Attributes he will triumph in that the glory of his mercy and goodnesse is that he seekes to have of men by the Incarnation and Redemption wrought by Christ above all things whatsoever Thou wouldt have infinite mercy Thou hast it in Christ. Thy sins have abounded Gods grace abounds much more Thy sinnes are mountaines Gods mercy is as the Ocean to cover those mountaines But is it possible for God to forgive such a wretched sinner that hath beene a blasphemer c It were not with men but saith God My thoughts are not as your thoughts you are vindictive in your dispositions and will not pardon but my thoughts are as farre above yours as the heavens are above the earth therefore bound not the infinite mercy of God wherein he will triumph with thy narrow thoughts but let it have its scope especially in plunges and assaults and at such times as the best of us may be brought unto In Hosea 11. I am God and not man implying that if he were man we might have meane thoughts of him confined thoughts but I am God and not man therefore comfort your selves in this consider how God sets himselfe to be glorious in his love and mercy to poore miserable wretched man in Iesus Christ. You see the mercy of God in Christ even in the Sacrament he doth not onely give Christ to us So God loved the world that he gave his onely begotten Sonne to be borne and to dye for us but his mercy is a boundlesse mercy we see hee labours to strengthen our faith by these pledges that we make us of this What if God be mercifull in Christ and what if Christ be gracious and there is nothing but grace and mercy if there be not an application if there be not an interest what benefit have we by it we must interest our selves in this glorious Person interest our selves in Christ for it is founded upon Christ all the glorious mercy of God is grounded upon satisfaction of justice that is in Christ but this is nothing except wee interest our selves in Christ and in the mercy of God for our appropriation is the ground of all comfort God out of Christ is a fountaine sealed he is a fountaine of mercy but he is sealed up he is a consuming fire but in Christ he is a chearing comforting fire but this is nothing to us unlesse we be in Christ we must have interest in Christ we must be bone of his bone and flesh of his flesh he hath marryed our nature that we might have marryed to him we have no benefit by his Incarnation else Now all our comfort is by this union and Communion with Christ by marrying our selves to Christ by strengthening our faith in this Union and Communion that so we may make use of the boundlesse mercy of God in Christ therefore how should we be encouraged to come to the Sacrament to enjoy this comfort You have heard Beloved of the joy of the Angels of their manner of celebrating the birth of Christ and if the Angels should leave heaven and come downe upon earth and take upon them bodies how would they celebrate the Incarnation of Christ You see here Glory to God on high this would be the course wherein they would carry themselves to glorifie God answerable to their Song so should we doe if we will be like the blessed Angels we see how to celebrate the Nativity of Christ we need not goe to fetch joy from hell to celebrate it if the Devill should be incarnate and come to live among men how would hee celebrate the Incarnation of Christ otherwise then in many places it is if we do not love to have our portion with Devils surely we should not imitate those whose state and condition we are afraid of The Angels saw matter enough in the thing it selfe to make them sing Glory to God on high on earth peace good will towards men What hath God heene so rich in love to us in Christ so wondrous in mercy as to take our miserable nature not at the best but at the worst and to take onr condition upon him here is matter of joy and shall we be beholding to the Devill for joy when we should rejoyce for Christ will not the thing it selfe yeeld matter of rejoycing oh base dispositions that we should ●ot content our selves with homogencall uniforme joy to the thing it selfe I desire repentance and reformation of what hath beene amisse if there be any that have beene guilty in this kind that intend to come neare God in these holy mysteries let them know that God will be honoured of all that come neere him let them take it to heart As Tertullian said in his time What shall wee celebrate that which is a publicke matter of joy to all the Church for a publike shame in a disgracefull way I beseech you consider of these things Repent for the Kingdome of God is neare saith the Baptist. What shall wee therefore give carnall liberty to all loosenesse as if Christ came to bring Christians liberty to licenciousnesse shall we insteed of repenting runne further and further into guilt and indispose our selves to all goodnesse is that the reasoning of the Scriptures No repent for the Kingdome of God is at hand change your lives for Christ and the fruites of the Gospell are at hand The grace of God hath appeared in Christ what to teach us to live as we list and to be more disordered then at other times oh no to live soberly and justly not to wrong any body and holy and godly in this present world this is the Scriptures reasoning and thus if ever we looke for comfort from God and Christ we must reason too Let none thinke it too late to speake of these things now but those that have not had the grace of God to keepe them innocent let them make use of the grace of God to repent and as the phrase of some of the Ancients is repentance is a boord to escape to the shore after wee have made shipwrack and done things amisse therefore as I said those that have not had the grace before to be innocent let them make use of the grace of God that now invites them to repentance or not presume to come to these holy things I speake it not onely to free mine owne soule but to free you from contracting further guilt for doe you thinke to make amends by comming to the Sacrament without repentance of what you have done before What hast thou to doe saith God to take my name into thy mouth to take my Sacrament into thy mouth when thou hatest to be reformed God accounted his owne Service as the cutting off a dogges head when they came indisposed and unprepared The Sacrament is bane and poyson to us if wee
the sonne is no Traytor but because hee is part of his father that was a Traytor by his nearenesse and communion with his father he is wrapped in the same punishment In a City that is obnoxious to the Kings displeasure perhaps there are some that are not guilty of the offence that the body of the City is yet being all Citizens they are all punished by reason of their communion so in this respect CHRIST became poore hee tooke upon him our nature and by communio● with that nature hee tooke upon him whatsoever was penall that belonged to sinne though he tooke not nor could take the demerit of sin Hie was made sinne for us wee cannot have a greater argument of Christs poverty then to bee made sinne for vs sinne is the poorest thing in the world and the cause of all beggery and poverty and misery hee was made under the law and so became a curse for us hee was made sinne a sacrifice for our sinne In particular hee was borne of a poore Virgin and instead of a better place hee was laid in an Inne and in the basest place in the Inne in the manger As soone as hee was borne his birth was revealed to poore Shepheards not to Emperours and Kings not to C●sar at Rome Then presently after his birth hee was banished together with his mother into Aegypt When hee came home againe hee was faine to be beholding to a poore woman for a cup of water Ioh. 4. when hee was thirsty Againe when he was to pay tribute he had not wherewith to pay it but was faine as it were to be heholding to a fish for it And though he made heaven and earth yet he had no habitation of his owne The Foxes had holes and the Birds of the ayre had nests but the Sonne of man had not where to lay his head When hee was to ride in pompe to Ierusalem he had not a beast of his owne hee was faine to send for and ride upon another mans Asse all his life it was a state of poverty He was poore in death especially for when life is gone all is gone he gave himselfe to death for us in death he was poore every way they stripped him of all his cloathes he had not so much as a garment to cover him he was poore and destitute in regard of friends they all for sooke him when hee had need of them most of all as he foretold that they all should leave him And as he was thus poore in respect of his body and condition so he was poore in soule in some respects and indeed the greatest poverty was there for the greatest riches that Christ estemed it was the blessed communion that hee had with his father which was sweeter to him then all things in heaven and earth when his father hid his face from him that he felt his displeasure becomming our surety in the garden before his death the sense of Gods displeasure against sin affected him so deeply that he sweate water and blood he was so poore wanting the comfort of his fathers love that an Angell his owne creature was faine to come and comfort him And at his death when he hung upon the Crosse besides the want of all earthly comforts wanting the sense of that sweet love that he alway enjoyed before it made him cry out my God my God why hast thou forsaken me not that indeed God had forsaken him in regard of protection and support or in regard of love and favour but in regard of solace and comfort that he felt before in regard of the sense of divine justice being then upon him that stood surety for sinne When he was dead he had no Tombe of his own to lie in hee was faine to lie in another mans Tombe and then he was held under the captivity of the grave three dayes so that from his birth to his death there is nothing but a race of poverty And which adds to this abasement of Christ it was from an excellent condition to so low a state as we say It is a miserable thing for a man to have beene happy it makes him more sensible of his misery then in other men for Christ who was alway in the presence and favour of heaven to come into the Virgins wombe for him to stand in neede of the necessities of this life for life to die for riches to become poore for the glory of heaven and earth to be abased for the Lord of all to become a servant to his owne servants it must needs been great abasement to him that was so highly advanced to become so poore But though Christ became thus poore yet hee ceased not then to be rich but that his riches was vayled with our flesh The Sunne though he bee kept from our sight by clouds he is the Sunne still and hath his owne proper lustre still hee is as glorious in himselfe as ever he was though he be not so to us so Christ vayled his divinity under our humane nature and vnder our misery hee became man and a curse therefore though hee were the Sonne of righteousnesse glorious in himselfe yet to appearance he was otherwise he became poore The Papists would have him a begger Bellarmine to countenance begging Fr●e●s would have Christ to bee so it is a disgracefull false conceit If wee divide his life before hee was thirty yeares old that hee was invested into his office he lived with his parents in that calling and submitted to them he was no begger afterward he lived by ministring the Word of God and this was not Eleemozinarie but honour it is not Charity that is given to Governours especially Ministers it is not aimes to receive temporall things for spirituall but it is due Besides he had somewhat of his owne hee had a bagge and Iudas was good enough to carry it hee gave to the poore therefore he was not a begger for he that came to fullfill the law would not breake the Law The law forbids beggers it was one of Moses Lawes There shall not be a begger among you so much breifly for that Christ was rich and became poore The next point is the parties for whom this was For your sakes Why doth not the Apostle say for our sakes and so take himselfe in the number He applies it to serve the Argument in hand being to stirre up the Corinthians to bounty hee tells them Christ was poore for their sakes that they might bee assured of their salvation by Christ that his example might be more effectuall the example of those whom wee have interest in is effectuall therefore he saith for your sakes hee became poore This should teach us when we speak of Christ to labour for a spirit of application to appropriate Christ unto our selves or else his example will not move us as without application wee can have no good by him so we can have no comfort by
his example it is not prevalent unlesse wee can say as the Apostle to the Corinthians here for your sakes Againe for your sakes not for himselfe he became not poore to make himselfe richer hee did not merit for himselfe what neede hee for by vertue of the union of the humane nature with the God-head heaven was due to him at the first moment as soone as hee was borne what should hinder him had he any sin of his own No there was nothing to keepe him from heaven and all the joy that could be in respect of himself but he had our salvation to worke he had many things to do and suffer and therefore of his infinite goodnesse he was content that that glory that was due to him should be stayed he became a servant to appease his Fathers wrath for us and procure heaven for us for us men for us sinners as it is in the ancient Creed and as the Prophet saith to us a Child is borne to us a Sonne i● given for us he was borne for us he was given for us he lived for us he died for us he is now in heaven for us he humbled himselfe to death even to the death of the Crosse to a cursed death Therfore when we heare of Christs poverty let us think this is for me not for himselfe this will increase our love and our thankfulnes to him Againe it was for us for mankinde not for Angels for when they fell they continue in that lapsed state for ever this advanceth Gods love to us more then to those noble creatures the Angels who remaine in their cursed condition to all eternity The end of Christs becomming poore That wee through his poverty might bee made rich How are wee made rich by the poverty and abasement of Christ By the merit of it and by efficacy flowing from Christ for by the merit of Christs poverty there issued satisfaction to divine justice and the obteyning of the favour of God not onely for the pardon of our sins but favour and grace to bee entituled to life everlasting and then by efficacy we are enriched by the power of his spirit who altereth and changeth our natures makes them like to the divine nature But more particularly what be the riches that we have by the poverty of Christ First our debt must be paid before wee could bee enriched wee are indebted for our soules and bodies wee did owe more then wee were worth we were under Sathans kingdome therefore Christ discharged our debt There is a double debt that he discharged the debt of obedience the debt of punishment Christ satisfied both for the debt of obedience he fulfilled the law perfectly and exactly for us and for the debt of punishment hee suffered death for us and satisfied divine justice so by his poverty wee are made rich by way of satisfaction for our debts And not onely wee are made rich by Christ paying of our debts but he invests us into all his owne riches he makes us rich partly by imputation partly by infusion By imputation his righteousnesse and obedience is ours his discharge for our debts is imputed to us and likewise his righteousnesse for the attaining of heaven he having satisfied for our sinnes God is reconciled to us and thereupon we are justified and freed from all our sinnes because they are punished in Christ for the justice of God cannot punish one sin twise so we come to bee reconciled because we are justified and we are justified from our sins because Christ as a surety hath discharged the full debt And hence it is that wee are freed from all that is truely ill from the wrath of God and eternall damnation and freedome from the greatest ill hath respect of the greatest good for what had we beene if we had lien under that cursed condition But Gods workes are compleat hee workes like a God therefore we are not onely freed from evill in justification but intitled to heaven and life evelasting And then he makes us rich by infusion of his holy Spirit by working all needfull graces of sanctification in us for by the vertue of Christs death the spirit is obtained and by the spirit our natures are changed so wee have the riches of holinesse from Christ the graces of love of contentment of patience courage c. of his fulnesse we receive grace for grace grace answerable to the grace that is in him the same spirit that sanctified his humane nature and knit it to his divine it sanctifieth his members and makes them rich in grace and sanctification which is the best riches Then againe wee are rich in prerogatives we are the sonnes of God by adoption what love saith the Apostle hath the Father shewed that wee should be called the sonnes of God and this wee have by the poverty of Christ whatsoever Christ is by nature we are by grace he is the Sonne of God by nature we are his sonnes by grace and being sons we are heires heires of heaven and heires of the world as much as shall serve for our good all things are ours by vertue of our adoption because we are Christs and Christ is Gods there is a world of riches in this to be the sonnes of God And what a prerogative is this that we have liberty and boldnesse to the throne of grace as it is Ephes. 3. that wee have boldnesse to appeare before God to call him Father to open our necessities to fetch all things needfull to have the eare of the King of heaven and earth to be favourites in the court of heaven every Christian may now goe boldly to God because the matter of distance our sinnes which make a separation betweene God and us they are taken away and the mercy of God runs amaine to us our nature in Christ standing pure and holy before God And then wee have this grand prerogative that all things shall turne to the best to us what a priviledge is this that there should be a blessing in the worst things that the worst things to a child of God should bee better then the best things to others that the want and poverty of a Christian should be better then the riches of the world because there is riches hid in his worst condition condition Moses esteemed the rebuke of Christ greater riches then the treasures of Aegypt A crosse or the want of any blessing sanctified is better then the thing enjoyed that hath not Gods blessing with it a Christian is so rich that ●ee is blessed in his very afflictions and sufferings it is a greater prerogative to have ill turned to our good then not to have the ill at all It is an argument of greater power and of greater goodnesse that God should turne the greatest ills the greatest wrongs and discomforts to the greatest good as he doth to his children for by them hee
drawes them nearer to himselfe Hereupon the Apostle saith all things are yours things present and things to come c. reductively they are ours God turnes them to our good he extracts good to us by them all good things are ours in a direct course and other things by an over-ruling power are deduced to our good contrary to the nature of the things themselu●s What did I say all things are ours yea God himselfe is ours and he hath all things that hath him that hath all things now in Christ God himselfe is become ours all things are yours you are Christs and Christ is Gods and Rom. 5.10 we rejoyce in God as ours if God be ours his al sufficiency is ours his power is ours his wisdome all is ours for our comfort Againe for glory the riches of heaven which are especially here meant for how ever the riches of heaven be kept for the time to come yet faith makes them present when by faith wee looke upon the promises we see our selues in heaven not onely in Christ our head but in our own persons because we are as sure to bee there as if we were there already but for the joyes of heaven they are unutterable the Apostle calls them Ephes. 3.8 unsearchable riches eye hath not seene nor eare hath heard or hath entred into the heart of man to conceive the things that God hath prepared for them that love him there shall be fulnesse of glory in soule and body both shall be conformable to Christ. At the right hand of God there is fulnesse of joy and pleasures for evermore Nay the first fruits the earnest the beginn●ngs of heaven here are unsearchable to humane reason the riches of Christs righteousnes imputed to us the glorious riches of his Spirit in inward peace of conscience and joy in the Holy Ghost the comfort and inlargement of heart in al conditions it is peace that passeth understanding and joy unspeakeable and glorious it is not only unsearchable to humane reason but Christians themselves that have the Spirit of God in them cannot search the depth of them because wee have the spirit but in measure we see then what excellent riches wee have by the poverty of Christ. Was there no other way to make us rich but by Christs becomming poore God in his infinite wisedome ordeyned this way he thought it best wee may rest in that but besides to stay our mindes the better we were to be restored by a way contrary to that we fell wee fell by pride wee must be restored by humility wee would bee like GOD GOD to expiate it must become like us and take our nature and suffer in it Then againe God would restore us by a way sutable to his own excellency every way wherein no Attribute of his might be a looser he would bring us to riches and friendship with him by a way of satisfaction to his justice that wee may see his justice shine in our salvation though indeed grace and mercy triumph most of all yet notwithstanding justice must bee fully contented There was no other way wherein wee could magnifie so much the unsearchable and infinite wisedome of God that the Angels themselves prie into whereby justice and mercy seeming contrary Attributes in God are reconciled in Christ by infinite wisedome justice and mercy mee●e together and kisse one another justice being satisfied wisedome is exalted but what set wisedome on worke the grace and love and mercy of God to devise this way to satisfie justice it could not have beene done any other way for before we could be made rich God must be satisfied reconciliation supposeth satisfaction and there could bee no satisfaction but by blood and there could bee no equall satisfaction but by the blood of such a person as was God Therefore Christ must become poore to make us rich because there must bee full satisfaction to divide justice and all his precious poverty before his death his incarnation his want his being a servant c. all was part of his generall humiliation but it was but to prepare him for his last worke the upshot of all is death which was the worke of satisfaction Againe all the inherent part of our riches infused into our nature it comes by the Spirit of God now the Spirit of God had not beene sent if God had not beene satisfied and appeased first because the holy Ghost is the gift of the Father and the Son he comes from both therfore there must be satisfaction and reconciliation before the Holy Ghost could be given which inricheth our nature immediately the immediate cause of sending the Holy Ghost it is Christs comming in our nature Now if God had not beene satisfied in his justice he would never have given the Holy Ghost which is the greatest gift next to Christ therefore Christ became poore to make us rich that wee might have the Holy Ghost shed in our hearts Now al these riches that we have by Christ it supposeth union with him by faith as the riches of the wife supposeth marriage union is the ground of all the comfort we have by Christ our communion springs from union with him which is begun in effectuall calling as soone as we are taken out of old Adam and ingrafted into him all becomes ours Christ procures the spirit the spirit workes faith faith knits us to Christ and by this union we have communion of all the favours of this life and the life to come therefore I say all is grounded upon union by the grace of faith Christ married our nature that we might be married to him by his spirit and untill there be a union there is no derivation of grace and comfort The head onely hath influence to the members that are knit unto it therefore Christ 〈◊〉 our nature that he might not onely be a head of eminency as he is to Angells but a head of influence Now there must be a knitting of the members to the head before any spirits can bee derived from the head to the members therefore the Apostle saith that Christ is our riches but it is as he is in us To whom God would make knowne what is the riches of this mystery among the Gentiles Christ in you the hope of glory Christ is all to us but it is as he is in us and we in him we must be in him as the branches in the Vine and he in us as the Vine in the branches so Christ is the hope of glory as he is in us We must labour therefore by faith to he● made one with Christ before we can think of the settings with comfort And when by faith we are made one with Christ then there is a spirituall communion of all things Now upon our union with Christ it is good to think what ill Christ hath taken upon him for me and then to thinke my selfe freed from it because Christ
in part of our riches that it is good for us and what is good for me is my riches if poverty be good for me I will be poore that I may be humble humility is better then riches if I bee in any want if I have contentment it is better then riches if I fall into trouble he will give mee patience that is better then friends A man may have outward things and be naught but he that wants outward comfort and hath supply in his soule is it no better therefore take a Christian in any condition he is a rich man and this riches wee have by the poverty of Christ hee became poore that wee through his poverty might be made rich We see here then that a Christians estate is caried under contraries as Christ was hee was rich and became poore hee caried his riches under poverty he was glorious but his glory was covered under shame and disgrace so it is with a Christian he goes for a poore man in the world but he is rich he dies but yet he lives hee is disgraced in the world but yet hee is glorious As Christ came from heaven in a way of contraries so wee must be content to goe to heaven in a seeming contrary way Take no scandall therefore at the seeming poverty and disgrace and want of a Christian Christ himselfe seemed to bee otherwise to the world then hee was when hee was poore he was rich and sometimes he discovered his riches there were beames brake forth even in his basest estate when he died there was nothing stronger then Christs seeming weaknesse in his lowest abasement he discovered the greatest power of his God-head for he fatisfied the justice of God he overcame death and his Fathers wrath he triumphed over Sathan hee trod on his head what hath Sathan to doe with us when Gods justice is satisfied so that his hidden glory was discovered sometimes so there is that appeares in the children of God that others may see them to be rich if they did not close their eyes but we must be content to passe to heaven as Christ our head did as concealed men Againe here is matter not onely for us men put for the Angells of heaven to admire and wonder at this depth of goodnesse and mercy in Christ that he would become poore to make us rich by his poverty see the exaltation of his love in this saith Saint Bernard well ôh love that art so sweete why becamest thou so bitter to thy selfe whence flowed Christs love and mercy that was so sweete in it selfe that it should be onely sowre and bitter to him from whence it had his rise and spring his love that is so sweet to us it became bitter to him he indured and did that that we should have done and suffered There be some men that will doe kindnesses so that themselues may not be the worse so that they may not be the poorer that they may not be disgraced or adventure the displeasure of others but Christ hath done all this great kindnesse for us by being poore for us by taking our nature our poverty our misery he doth us good in such a way as that hee parted with heaven it selfe for a time and with that sweete communion that hee had with his Father the dearest thing to him in the world he parted with it for ou● sakes that made him cry out my God my God why hast thou forsaken me hereupon he made us rich in a way that cost him something And let us be thankefull to him in a way that may cost us something let us bee content to bee abased for him to doe any thing for him hee descended from heaven to the grave as low as hee could for us let us descend from our conceited greatnesse for him can wee lose so much for him as he hath done for us what are our bodies and soules in comparison of God It was God that became poore for us wee cannot part with so much for him as he did for us And then we are gainers by him if wee part with all the world whatsoever wee doe for him I will be yet more vile for the Lord saith David hee became vile for us he became a sinner and of no reputation and shall not we be vile and empty for him certainely we shall if we have the Spirit of Christ in us it will worke a conformity If hee had stood upon termes and disdeyned the Virgins wombe and to become poore for us where had our salvation beene and if we stand upon termes when wee are to suffer for him or to stand for his cause where will our comfort be surely it is a signe wee have no right by the poverty of Christ unlesse wee bee content to part without Isaac with the best things we have when he calls for it Againe hath the poverty of Christ made us rich what will his riches doe Could hee save us when hee was at the lowest when hee was on the Crosse and satisfie divine justice by his death what can he doe for us now hee is in heaven and hath triumphed over all his enemies what can we looke for now by his riches that have so much by his poverty therefore we may reason with the Apostle Rom. 5.10 If when we were enemies wee were reconciled to God by the death of his Sonne how much more being reconciled shall wee bee saved by his life It is a strong argument not onely as it hath respect to us because there is more likelihood that any good should be done for us now when we are reconciled to God than before when we were enemies but also as it hath respect to Christ since he hath stucke not to reconcile us to God by his death cannot bee unwilling to save us by his life and he that was able to redeeme us by dying for us is more clearely and evidently powerfull to save us now he lives and reignes triumphantly in heaven For is not he able to preserve us to protect us and invest us into the glory that he hath purchased for us he that did so much for us in the time of his abasement will he not preserve the riches he hath gotten for us Is he not in heaven in majesty to apply all that he hath gotten Is he not our intercessor at the right hand of God to appeare before God for us to make all good Certainly he will preserve that which he hath procured by his death It is a disabling of Christ to thinke of falling away from grace he is able to maintaine us in that glorious condition that he hath advanced us to especially considering that he is now in heaven and hath laid aside the forme of a servant all his humiliation except our humane nature that for ever hee hath united to his person but all other things of his abasement he hath laid them aside he is able perfectly not only to save us as
of wonder 1 65 To learne of the Angels to wonder 1 97 World What meant by world 1 144 For whose sake the world stands 2 85 Wrath. How to oppose Christ to the wrath of God 1 62 FINIS Ephes 3.8 Eccles. 12.11 Heb. 5.12 The scope of the words The words divided Godlinesse what Divine Truth onely breed● goodnesse From what reasons we must be godly True Christian who Divine Truth Wisedome Mysterie what 1 1 That that was secret 2 2 That the reason of it is hid 3 3 That is conveyed by outward things Ephes. 5. Christian Religion a Mysterie B●anches of Religion Mysteries Ephes. 5. Mark 4. The Gospel a Mysterie 1 1 Because it was hidden Gen. 3. 1 Cor. 2. 2 2 Revealed to few 3 3 Hid from carnall men 4 4 It is revealed but in part 5 5 In regard of what we shall know Question Answer Every Grace a Mysterie Faith Reformation All in Christ Mysteries The Church mysticall Simile Coloss. 3. Vse 1. Religion why persecuted Simile Vse 2. How to carry our selves in Religion Rom. 11. At the Sacrament In hearing the Word 1 Cor. 11. Application to the Feast of Christs Nativitie Vse 3. To blesse God for these Mysteries Vse 4. Not to set on Mysteries with humane parts Simile Vse 5. Mysterie of Religion abo●● Reason Question Answer What use Reason hath in Religion Simile Reason must s●oupe to Faith Vse 6. Not to despaire of learning Religion Matt. 11. Psal. 19. Vse 7. To take heed of slighting Divine Truths Question How to know this Mysterie Answer 1 1 By Prayer Tit. 2. Necessitie o● depending on Gods Spirit Psal. 119. Ephes. 1. Ephes. 3. 1 Cor. 2. The Spirit teacheth to apply Truths Necessitie of Prayer Revel 5. Difference in mens dispositions to Gods Mysteries 2 2 Humilitie Psal. 25. 3 3 Purpose to know and obey 4 4 To avoyd passion and prejudice Simile Luke 16. Act. 23. Mysterie of iniquitie Question Answer Poperie a mysterie why Rev. 7. ●●lius secund Question Answer How it is a Mysterie of iniquitie Why God suf●ers the Mysterie of iniquitie Godlinesse a great Mystery 1 1 In regard of the originall 2 2 The end 3 3 The manner of publishing 4 4 The worke of it 5 5 The parts of it 6 6 Those that knew it not 1 Cor. 2. 7 7 Because it makes us great What makes Times and persons great To prize Religion 8 8 Comparatively great Vse 1. How to be affected with this great Mysterie How to have large apprehensions of this Mysterie 1 1 To see the depth of our co●●uption● 2 2 Meditation of this great mysterie How to ●●●se to wonder at worldly things Esay 9.6 Rev. 7. Vse 2. Love and endeavour to learne it The mysterie of Godlinesse without controversie Object Answer Religion a Mysterie because opposed The Gospel without controversie 1 1 In it sel●e 2 2 To Gods children Question Answer Whence staggering comes Thucydides Livie Vse 1. Men live as if Gospell were no Truth Simile Simile Vse 2. What Truths to be accounted Catholike Vse Of our affections and carriage to the Gospel Aff●ctions why planted in man All knowledge not saving condemnes God manifest in the flesh Christ the scope of the Scriptures Why the Iewes understood not the Scriptures What meant by God here Question Answer Second Person incarnate why What meant here by flesh What infirm●t●es Christ tooke Question Answer Heb. 2. Heb. 4. Ob●ect Answer Christ pitties our miseries from experience In that Christ tooke our nature thence comes 1 1 The enriching of it Coloss. 2. 2 2 The ennobling of it 3 3 The enabling of it 4 4 That what Christ did in our natu●e God did it 5 5 Our union with Christ. Three unions 6 6 The sympathie betweene Christ and us 7 7 The efficacie of what Christ did Vse 1. Christ tooke our flesh for great purpose Greatnesse of Christs abasement Comfort against despaire Rom. 3. All objections how answered How Satan presents God in temptation Comfort when Conscience is awaked What to doe in trouble of Conscience Coloss. 2.16 Oppose Christ to the wrath of God Whence we have communion with the Trinitie Satan transformes God and Christ to men Esay 9.6 Ground of boldnesse to God Simile Exod 33. Christs incarnation matter of wonder Vse 2 Ground no● to defile our nature Vse 3. To stoupe to serve Christ and our brethren Grounds against pride Vse 4. Not to envie Angels Question Answer How Christ may be manifest in us Object Answer When Christ is conceived in the heart Iustified in the Spirit Mis-conceits of Christ in the World Iustified what it is God a Spirit 1 1 For puritie 2 2 Strength Spirit how taken in Scripture 1 1 For the nature of God Iohn 4. 2 2 For the Divine Nature of Christ. Rom. 1.4 1. Pet. 3.18 3 3 For the third Person in Trinitie God-head appeared in Christs abasement Christ at the lowest did the greatest works Christ justified 1 1 In regard of God 2 2 In regard of men By overcomming the Devill By healing the outward and inward man Object Answer To whom Christ is justified Iohn 1.14 Matth. 16. Christ justified himselfe 1 1 To strengthen our Faith 2 2 To stop the mouthes of gaine-sayers Vse 1. Christ will justifie himself at length Simile Comfort in disgraces Simile Object Answer Affl●ctions conforme us to Christ. Psal. 37. Not to take scandall at the Churches afflictions Christs worke in the afl●ctions of the Church Vse 2 Christ by his Spirit will overcome in his Church We shall be justified of God Iustification double Vse 3. To justifie Christ. Question Answer How we justifie Christ. 1 1 As God Psal. 2. 2 2 As a Prophet 3 3 As a Priest 4 4 As a King In his Resurrection Question Answer How to justifie our profession Christians doe things above other men Some Christians worse then Pagans Meere civill men who 2 Tim. 3. Great power to make a Christian. Ephes. 1. Faith in temptation Seene of Angels what Sight put for 1 1 Wonderment 2 2 Attendance 3 3 Witnesse Angels knew Christs Incarnation before hand Knowledge of Angels Matth. 4. Psal. 8. Angels office 1.12 3.10 Vse 1 Angels wonderment should teach us Vse 2. Of Comfort Cherubins what they signified Exod. 25. Exod. 26. Mercie-Seat a Type of Christ. 1 Pet. 1.12 Exod. 16. Heb. 1. Iacobs Ladder what it figured Ground of Angels attendance on us Why Angels appeare not now Comfort in affliction Angels care in our infancie In danger Ioy at our conversion They carry our soules to Heaven Heb. 12.22 Communion with Angels Psal. 91. Object Answer Conflict betweene good and evill Angels Guard of Angels Not to grieve the good Ang●ls To blesse God for their protection Wherein we are advanced above Angels Benefit of Ang●ls by Christ. Object Answer Why God useth service of Angels Object Answer Good motions stirred in us by good Angels