King so graced with mentall endowments a great Potentate and most Christian King if God had given us one though of obscure parentage it had beene a blessing but much obscured even by this circumstance So if that noble quality of the person ruling hath this force in earthly States what a thing is this that we have one annointed over us who is God over all Now as this increaseth our happinesse and is matter of thanksgiving So it must augment in us all reverence and dutie all holy confidence of obtaining good of getting aid and deliverance against and out of all evils We see the more excellent the gifts are as the strength wisdome of our King the more awfully they are respected the more obsequious we are to them the more confidently we promise our selves all things under their regiment Looke at Salomon one part of wisedome made feare fall on all Israel see their subjection though he taxed them heavily yet none durst quitch against him What shall we be to our God who in his abasement was greater than all Salomons This shall suffice to have observed out of the scope Now for the words themselves 1 For the opening of them 2 The deductions or use of them 1 He is said to be an Image but coessentiall with God the Father whose Image he is 2 He is that is Christ whole CHRIST God and man is said to be this Image of the invisible GOD and that not onely as invisible GOD with the Father but as man visible But this must bee warily understood not that CHRIST man hath qualities of other nature than wee have for more and lesse change not the kinde but because the man is taken into personall union with God the Son So that this man secundum Esse personale is God 3 It is to be marked of what he is the Image not of the personall difference in the Father but of the invisible God-head common to the Son with the Father as the childe is the image of his parent not in regard of the characteristicall property which his father and every one hath in singular to themselves but in respect of the same substance and nature derived by generation from the Father Look Heb. 1.3 Character Personae and that derived by generation from the Father We may learne to see the reason of that truth which our Saviour uttereth to Philip Vse 1 Philip Hee that seeth mee seeth the Father This teacheth us how wee must come into the knowledge of God invisible Vse 2 even by looking unto this visible Image of IESUS CHRIST our LORD Cast thy eyes to that nature of thine thou seest not onely where God is but that which personally is God if one had seene where the HOLY GHOST was and a figure with which Hee did extraordinarily and temporarily testifie His presence yet he should not have seene the HOLY GHOST because the Dove was not so taken in one Person with the HOLY GHOST but this humane nature is taken into fellowship of Person with GOD and so is become GOD. He that seeth this or that body hee seeth the man though he seeth not the spirituall nature in man because he seeth that visible nature which is a part and belongeth to the person of man So who so seeth this visible nature of God the Son may be said to see God though he see not the invisible Godhead because he seeth the nature which is joyned in unity of Person with God 2. By looking at the divine workes which this man wrought we come to conceive of the God-head in this Person as in His giving sight to the blinde raising the dead stilling the Sea I come to see that He is Almighty a quickening Spirit Setting before me that which He speaketh of Himselfe Vse 3 as in a glasse I see a reflected Image with the eye of my minde thus Moses by Faith saw the invisible God Considering such sentences who commeth downe from heaven but the Sonne of man which is in heaven Ioh. 3. I see an omnipotent nature I am the resurrection and the life When He knew their thoughts Lord thou knowest all things who can subdue all things to Himselfe In these and such like sentences let mee see the Image of an All-knowing Omnipotent Life-giving Nature Now thus seeing CHRIST in regard of both Natures I come to see the Father who hath the selfe-same Nature and the Spirit for in this Sonne is the Father and the Father in Him in the Sonne and Father is the Spirit and they in the Spirit This shewes us the grosse idolatry of the Papists Vse 2 who looke at Images of wood and stone at pictures of old men leaving this lively Coessentiall Image that is painted before us in the Gospell This is an introduction to us how wee may come to know the Father and Spirit get CHRIST Vse 3 know Him and thou knowest all The second Person onely is incarnate but the three Persons are all made manifest in that flesh with which the second Person is coupled For the selfe-same divine Nature of the second is the Nature of both the other also We say of a childe like his parent Doe you see this boy you see his father he resembles him up and downe But if thou seest this Sonne then thou feest the Father and Spirit for they are in Him as if wee could suppose three Persons all subsisting in one onely soule and body he that should see the one should see the other for the same soule and body which one hath the other two have also Now followeth his description in regard of that respect He hath to the Creature set downe in this Verse Hee is the first begotten of every creature Secondly Hee is proved both to be the Coessentiall Image of God and first begotten of the Creature by three arguments 1 His creating all Creatures 2 His antiquity and being before all Creatures 3 His susteining all Creatures But these words are doubtfull Two principall constructions are these the one that these words note Christs eternity begotten before all Creatures of the Father by eternall generation Secondly these words may signifie Him to be Heire of the Creatures the Lord of them by a metonymie of the subject for the adjunct the right of inheritance and dominion belonging by God's Law to the first begotten and this I take to be the true meaning for these reasons 1. CHRIST's eternall existence before all Creatures is laid downe in the next Verse save one in plaine words 2. The Holy Ghost construeth this being the first begotten as having this annexed the preeminence over other 3. Hebr. 1.2 Hee is said to be made heire of all things and this followeth For by Him all things were created as a reason both of His being the naturall Son of God with God and true Heire as here the same words are set downe to prove Him the Essentiall Image or naturall Sonne and the first begotten that He is Heire or Lord of all the
much lesse canst thou divide the Divine Nature And this is to be marked against the Lutherans Vse who imagine a communion of the Divine properties with the humane nature in part onely for they give it an omnipotency the omniscience of the God-head but not the eternity and simplicity whereas the Scripture knoweth no union nor communion of the Divine Nature with the humane which is not of all the fulnesse of the God-head No it is so absurd that sound reason cannot imagine it without making the essence of GOD such as may bee divided one part being where another is not 3 That he faith the fulnesse of the God-head is in Christ hence it is to be noted That not created guifts Doct. or miraculous effects of the Divine Nature are united with Christ man but the deity it selfe the fulnesse of it yea the whole fulnesse which is to bee noted against Arrius and all such spirits Againe this sheweth that the same singular Nature is in all the three Persons for he speaketh of the God-head in the singular number as being but one and as it is in the Father without controversie so it is wholly in the Son also as but one Sun in the firmament in which the whole kind of the creature subsisteth So there is but one Divine Nature neither indeede can be for the Divine Nature is most perfect infinite omnipotent the most absolute thing that can bee imagined Now were there many Gods having every one a distinct deity none of them were most perfect powerfull for every one had but his owne wanting that which is with others as no man hath all the perfections of mankind for he wanteth all that which is out of himselfe in others This is to bee marked for hence we come to know that there is but one God though three persons because the same fulnesse of the Divine Nature that is in the Father is in the Son and the same that is in the Father and the Son is in the spirit for He is called Iehova and it may as well bee all the fulnesse of it in the spirit with them both as in the Son with the Father as well be the essence of three as two Now hence it is manifest that these three persons are but one God for as Iohn Richard and Thomal if they all had but one body and one soule should all bee but one man So these all having but one God-head can bee but one God To be three Gods there must be not onely three Persons but three distinct Natures differing the one in number from the other for so many men as you have so many soules and bodies must be multiplied in which standeth the nature of man But how can three persons be one in nature I answer we are content to know it is so though how it is so we know not aspici Deus potest introspici non debet Though why not three persons in one nature as well as three Natures in one Person which is in Christ A bodily a spirituall created as His soule a spirituall increate And as the same light is originally from no other in the Sunne and secondarily by communication in the ray or beame of it So what hindereth c. Dwelleth bodily Obs The manner of GOD's dwelling in this man Doct. He doth dwell personally in Him that is so as that GOD the SONNE is thereby become personally man as he was from all eternity personally God with the Father and Spirit the God-head so dwelleth in this man that with the man-hood it maketh but one Person even as the soule and body in man make one man So this divine Nature and humane are now joyntly but one Person of CHRIST He which was a compleat Person from everlasting in fulnesse of time creating within His owne Person a singular body and soule such as we have sin excepted as a substantiall part of His Person not a part which made up the Person of God as before imperfect but a part because a new thing substantially that is personally assumed to that which before was perfect thus much this word Bodily or personally teacheth For it putteth a difference 1 betweene God dwelling in every thing as an efficient and preserver of them 2 betweene His dwelling in the Saints and Prophets by His assistance and workes of grace in them 3 Betweene His dwelling in the Saints in heaven God shall be all in all by His presence of glory and this dwelling in CHRIST which is by being united personally with this humane Nature As the Arrians abuse the similitude in the first Chapter when CHRIST is said to be the Image of His Father they gathered that therefore Hee had not the same substance with Him for we see a mans image or picture is not of the very same substance with the man whose picture it is not distinguishing betwixt naturall things properly so called and these artificiall ones which are but respectively and abusively so termed So here Nestorius Loe saith he GOD dwelleth in CHRIST man therefore he is not personally united with man For a man is no part of person with the house he dwelleth in not distinguishing betwixt common inhabitation and that which is personall But we see here the Text is plaine that He so dwelleth in this Nature that it is essentially or substantially united to Him as a part of His Person Againe He so dwelleth or doth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in our Nature that He is made flesh the Word was made flesh which cannot be understood of a simple but bodily or personall inhabitation This therefore doth first serve to confute all erroneous opinions touching the union of Christ Vse 1 for first wee see all Arrius his opinions overturned who granted that there were most divine qualities in Christ and wonderfull effects wrought by God in the man Christ but would not yeeld Him true God Marke all the fulnesse of the Godhead 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the divine Nature as Saint Peter speaketh dwelleth in Him All Eutiches his schollars Vse 2 who grant that God Himselfe was man but they say that this Vnion stood in that the divine Nature did swallow up the humane for they could not else see how they could make up one Person The Monothelites granted two Natures but one action For they could not see how divers actions would not conclude that there were many Persons But marke the divine Nature dwelleth in Christ Now the inhabiting and the inhabited are not confounded therefore both the Natures and their actions are distinct and if there were such a swallowing up of the humane Nature then flesh were made God not God flesh by force of the Vnion As for diversity of Persons it doth not follow upon the diversity of actions for there may be as well three actions in one Person as there are three Persons all having but one action If the multiplicity of action did come from the number of Persons then there
obedience which should of grace have that acceptance and the glorious fruit which followed upon them and therefore the Scriptures yea CHRIST Himselfe referres all those benefits to God's grace which upon the death of CHRIST are given us For it was the fatherly love of God which made Him pleased in the death of His Sonne and smell a savour of rest not that the merit of His death did extort so much derigore justiti◠And truly that the second Person should ever be so joyned to our Nature was unspeakable grace the Nature of Angels more excellent than ours found not this favour He tooke not the Angelicall Nature but the seed of Abraham If a King doe but light and rest Himselfe in some meane Cottage it is no small favour But for the immortall God to dwell by indissoluble bond of union personally in such an house of clay as our Nature is sinne excepted it is grace that cannot be comprehended The greater if we consider how that God full of all Majesty and glory by His incarnation thus dwelling in the forme of a servant did emptie Himselfe by vayling under this flesh the brightnesse of His glory We are then hence to learne Vse that all things must be ascribed to God's grace and with CHRIST to rest in this Father it hath pleased thee to give me CHRIST this or that benefit in CHRIST yea to doe all both in me and CHRIST my SAVIOUR to the glory of thy rich grace all must come hither God hath made me good in His eyes for this or that As for the Papists merit even in rigour of justice not onely in gracious fidelity it is prejudiciall to God's grace I think not to be found betweene the Father and the Sonne much lesse betwixt our God and us with whom it were woe if all our merits were not free mercies This in generall Now for the matter affirmed which first is the Qualification of the Person to be a Mediator 2. The work of mediation touching which 3. Things must bee opened 1 How wee are to conceive of the Person here spoken of in Him 2 What is meant by all fulnesse 3 What is meant by dwelling For the first he meaneth the beloved Sonne as Man as of the Person of CHRIST as incarnate the reason is because the Sonne of God absolutely considered as the second Person in Trinity hath all fulnesse not by voluntary dispensation but by naturall necessity in as much as the eternall Father never was nor could be without His eternall Sonne God with Himselfe this thing never was in the power of His free-will For the second you must know that there is in Christ His Person a three-fold fulnesse The first fundamentall the other two following as derived from it The first is the fulnesse of the divine Nature which doth personally dwell with that Man-hood in Christ whence it commeth to passe that this Man is truly called God that is the Man-hood taken into fellowship of the selfe-perfect and eternall Person of the Sonne of God so that it is become as a part of His Person The second fulnesse is the fulnesse of Office to which even Christ Man is called of being our Mediator Priest Prophet and King For in regard of his humane Nature now united to the second Person He is as Man called to be the Christ of God that is Anointed Thirdly the fulnesse of created or habituall graces wherewith the divine Nature doth fill the soule of Christ which are not the divine Properties but effects which the God-head worketh distinct from it as the soule giveth the body a life which is not the life wherewith the soule liveth for then when the body dieth the soule should die likewise but is an effect of it Now all of them may be here understood for they are all antecedent qualifications fitting him for this worke which in the next words is mentioned especially the first Now for the dwelling of all fulnesse in Christ Man the later two are in Him subjectively the former viz. the God-head doth dwell in Christ Man not as in the Saints 2 Cor. 6.23 I will dwel with you you are the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the habitation of God of God by the Spirit the Temple of the HOLY GHOST which is onely a dwelling by relation of love and communion of the effects of it in grace nor yet as God dwelleth in the glorified Saints 1 Cor. 15. when God shal be all in al which is likewise a dwelling together in regard of aboundant love manifested in the gift of glory nor any such simple cohabitation but it dwelleth with this man-hood as with a Nature which is taken to Vnity of Person in the Sonne of God and so is through grace become of the substance of the second Person So that He is now as truly said to be Man also as before He was said to be God only Now then the summe is Christ as Man or the Manhood of Christ hath the second Person of Trinity God with the Father and Spirit dwelling personally in it So that this Man-hood is essentially and substantially coupled with the Deity in unity of one selfe perfect and eternall Person Secondly it is anointed with fulnesse of Office and of Created gifts that Christ God-man that every way filled might be a fit Person to work our reconciliation following and to be an Head replenishing His Church which went before First then from the matter we see what an all-sufficient Head we have Looke to thy Nature in heaven Such a man as hath Plenitudinem Potestatis in regard of office full of all habituall graces which our nature can receive farre above all Angels yea full of that never drying Fountaine of life grace and glory it being taken into one Person with God neither could he else bee an Head quickening His Church He that must fill all the blessed Angels and all the redeemed peculiar people of God had need to have the Fountaine of life residing in him Which doth both refute that presumptuous usurpation of the man of sinne Vse 1 I meane the Pope in challenging to be an head of all the visible Church whereas Christ could not be our Head were He not God as well as Man As also it teacheth us our duty Vse 2 both whither to run for supply even hither to the Well-head of grace and life all fulnesse is in Him that we might draw from Him grace plenteously grace heaped on grace Oh blessed are those streames of grace which have this Head of living waters to feed them As likewise it teacheth where to offer prayse for the measure of grace we have received we should be affected as receivers in thankfulnesse to GOD in humility towards men For what have wee that wee have not received Lastly this is very comfortable for if there be such a fulnesse in CHRIST then what though there be abundance of sinne in us and guiltinesse yet there is a fulnesse in Him to remove it and take it away
they should never meete till they yeelded a little Thus many now a dayes thinke it wisedome to retaine some things though altered common with the Papists that we might gaine them more commodiously But though there be place for some indulgence this way and therefore for a while tolleration and practice of some thing more indifferent yea and so far as edification and avoyding offence a law made for such things yet this must be in indifferent things onely and that for a time onely least they plead themselves as perpetuall by a kind of prescription which was the ground of the Nazarites heresie as S. Augustine thinketh Wherefore when we would heale men Vse let us not be ficke with them for this is folly But remember that safe maxime contraria contrarijs curantur Let us recover them with giving them an example of spirituall worship least admitting a little poyson we hurt our selves more then with all our good beside we can helpe them You that will walke in CHRIST be not deceived with things after this world Lastly marke by the opposition Doct. That what is meerely grounded on tradition and what is carnall and sensuall in Gods service is contrary to CHRIST In CHRIST all things are new the old carnall worship is changed into a spirituall according to that Iohn 4. and for all pure humane traditions in GODS matters they are accursed Gal. 1 9. Which is to be marked against the Papists Vse who reconcile humane traditions and make them according to Christ who will also have all their carnall rites agreeing with Christ. VERSE 9. For in Him dwelleth all the fulnesse of the godhead bodily NOw he setteth downe the reasons why these things not being after Christ must bee avoyded the first taken from the alsufficiency which he hath in himselfe the second from his alsufficiency to us You must not listen to others besides him who is not man onely but very GOD in one Person But such is CHRIST or in CHRIST dwelleth the fullnesse of the GOD head Corporally these are all one in sense To open the words before wee come to the Doctrine In Him That is in Christ-man or in that person whom we know to have had a body and soule like us is the same divine Nature which the Father and the Spirit have Or it may be constred thus in Christ that is the humane Nature of Christ dwelleth all the fulnesse of the God-head that is God the Son with His infinite deitie which commeth to no more then this God the Word was made flesh But the former is better because this phrase the fulnesse of the deitie doth note the divine Nature without any personall relation of it whereas the second sense doth necessarily take it to signifie the Person of God the Son with His Nature Secondly Christ man is fitly called God and therefore in Christ-man the God-head is sayd to dwell properly But CHRIST His humane Nature may not be sayd God and therefore the God-head is not so fitly sayd to dwell in the humane Nature as in the person denominated after it that is in Christ-man All the fulnesse That is the whole infinite indivisible Nature of GOD. bodily that is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Essentially or Personally the Greekes call body as we in our vulgar tongue here is no body that is no person so we say bodily perill for such danger as toucheth ones person The summe For in that man Christ Iesus the whole infinite Nature of God dwelleth not as in all believers who are His habitation nor as in His beloved Prophets in whom hee spake and gave His Oracles nor as in a materiall Temple which is different from the substance of him that inhabiteth but bodily that is so that this Divine Nature with the humane maketh one Person For the Doctrines 1 We see in generall What must make nerest in Christ onely as alsufficient even this that we know Him God blessed forever Shall not God allsufficient in Himselfe to Himselfe to all the creatures shall not He undertaking to be our King Priest and Prophet be allsufficient for it We fitly leave men seeking supply at God but to turne from God to men is to dig puddles and leave the spring of living waters Hence then first gather to thy selfe Vse how absurd those Papists are and how far from considring that which they know that Christ is God would they did they weigh this be so bold as to adde to His institutions to take away as in the Supper the Cuppe would they leave this Sunne of righteousnesse to follow the blind starre of their traditions let them say what they will they doe not truly consider this Let us likewise confirme our selves in our resting onely on Christ even from hence that He is God Vse 2 let us say with Saint Peter Whither shall wee goe thou hast the words of eternall life thou art the naturall Son of God thou art allsufficient In particular marke three branches of this Text 1 In whom this dwelling is sayd to be 2 What is sayd to dwell 3 In whom 1 Note That we must not looke at Christ as meere man Doct. but life up our mindes to that invisible nature which is in him Those that saw Him on earth whose eyes God opened not they saw nothing but man and therefore not knowing any thing else they crucified the Lord of glory And thus we al naturally are ready to know him after the fresh but when God giveth us that eagles eye of beliefe the evidence of things not seene then we see that God is with this man as being now substantially united to Him and made a part of His person This maketh Christ say when Saint Peter told Him Thou art the Sonne of God Flesh and blond hath not reveiled this to thee Peter And what doth make the Apostle often inculcate such descriptions but that we are slow of heart in considering this point For as many see a house or a tent that see not the inhabitant and as the body is hidde when the apparell is discerned So this humane nature unles we get the better eyes may be seene when the deity which dwelleth in it is not perceived 2 Marke Doct. That all the fulnesse of the God-head is communicated with Christ as man the whole entyre nature of God I understand by communicated as much as is united dwelleth bodily that is in unity of person w th Christ-man or in the same person with the humane nature For the divine Nature is a thing most simple not having bodily quantity one part out of another nor yet any composition in it Now that which is not compounded of parts cannot be divided If a man have house and land he may give to one Son one part to the Wife another but when the divine Nature is communicated it is all of it given or none at all Thy soule cannot bee divided one part from another thou canst not cut the light how
but it hath by a kinde of excellency the common name of all other given it because it is the chiefe of other 2. This Gospell was published by Iesus Christ Himselfe immediately in His owne Person who is truth it selfe I am the truth 3. It is so called to prevent our unbeliefe who do with this as with other good newes we say it is too good to bee true who by nature count it to be foolishnesse the Holy Ghost therefore to take us by the hand doth style it a Word of truth This serveth to strengthen our faith in the particular promises Vse 1 that God assureth us they are truth it selfe if an honest man as he is telling me any thing that is somwhat strange shall interlace this asseveration I assure you that it is very true I speake no more then I know we doe the better beleeve him in it much more when GOD shall binde Himselfe by His Word and oath and seale to it It sheweth us the power of this Gospell Vse 2 it shall prevaile against all Popery and Heresies Mighty is Truth we can doe nothing against it but for it It doth convince the unbeliefe of GODS Children and the prophane scorne of the wicked Vse 3 who thinke that these things are but golden phancies to make fooles fond with VERSE 6. Which is come unto you as it is in all the World and bringeth forth fruit as it doth also in you since the day yee heard of it and knew the Grace of GOD in Truth HOw the Gospell by Gods providence doth visite us Obs 1 not looking after it it commeth to us wenot minding it all the things of the Gospell are not once in our thoughts by nature every one of us have this Word sent to us as the whole World had at the first publishing of it How was this they sate in darkenesse as our Saviour saith Mat. 4.16 The people which sate in darknesse saw great light and to them which sate in the region and shadow of death light is sprung up we all were estranged from the life of God through ignorance Eph. 4.18 Committing sin with greedinesse God looking on this their misery sent His Embassadours His Apostles Mat. 28. Goe teach all Nations c. God also did direct them and moove them in executing this His command sometime by fitnesse of circumstance sometime by brethrens information sometime by instinct of his spirit guiding them hither and thither and hindering them as Saint Paul from Bithynia from such places as stood not with his pleasure We cannot make the Sunne rise nor set that giveth light to our bodies God doth make it rise c. So much more doth it belong to Him to raise up this light of the Gospell and carry it by His Ministers the Vehicula of it whither He pleaseth and it is an argument hereof that it is sent by God not sought for of us because it commeth where it is gaine-said As God saith Rom. 16.21 All the day long have I stretched forth my hands unto a disobedient and gaine-saying people To shew us how it is with our selves Vse 1 for thus it came to us when the most and the greatest did not send for it We must acknowledge from hence the free grace of God Vse 2 which doth visite us and send us such blessed tydings who inquire not after them We must rejoyce in it Vse 3 and walke by the light of it we are glad of the light of the Sun yea of a candle how much more should we be glad that this glorious light of the Gospell is come amongst us The faithfulnesse of GOD in his promises Obs 2 and the piercing force of this heavenly Truth God hath promised long agoe to give Christ a light to the Gentiles and a witnesse to the end of the World accordingly we see it here made good the world is visited with the Word of truth And as it letteth us see that God keepeth touch so the force of this Word is commended by this Circumstance that this Doctrine should goe through the World in so short a space yea and be fruitfull this argueth a Divine power in it that like as the Sunne getteth up like a Gyant runneth from East to West in a short space So this Sun did scoure it apace through all the Coasts of the earth The light is a piercing Creature even bodily light much more this which is Spirituall This may be further opened by showing how this is to bee meant that it is come through the World 2. What reasons there were furthering it For the first We must not understand every hamlet Town-ship much lesse every Creature in the world but the most principall parts by a Synechdoche are put for the whole as we say all the world doe thus or thus when the most parts of it do the thing and thus it might bee prooved by the acts and story how the Gospell was preached in all the quarters of the earth yea in the most remote Northerne parts Crescens in France Thomas in Germany as Sophronius writeth Simon Zelotes in our Country as Nicephorus saith Ioseph of Arimathea as Gildas yea Paul himselfe as Theodoret and Sophronius witnesse The reasons of it may bee taken partly from the great aboundance of light which is in the Gospell above the old Scriptures they being as a Candle in a darke place which could not cast its light farre and therefore was bounded within one Nation This being like the Sunne for cleerenesse speading forth the beames of it more aboundantly but in vaine the Sunne shineth to blind men The principall cause therefore was in the abundance of the spirit powred forth upon the Resurrection of Christ The instrumentall causes 1. The fidelity of those primitive Pastors 2. The lively Communion of the primitive Christians who did not hide their Candle under a Bushell but did shine as lights to others and labour the Conversion one of another See what Paul saith 1 Thes 1.8 of that people From you sounded out the Word of the Lord not onely in Macedonia and Achaia but also in every place your faith toward God is spread abroad The promises fulfilled are seales to us that the rest shall be accomplished We may amplifie our unworthinesse Vse 2 that which subdueth the World standeth still and getteth no ground with us what with negligent Pastors Christians careles of all heavenly comfort chiefely that we have grieved the spirit so with our unfruitfulnesse that he doth not delight to joy in us That the Word of God is Effectuall Obs 3 it never wanteth His fruit where it commeth Wherever God doth send it Hee hath some fruit to gather to Himselfe some whom He will make heires of Salvation It was not the ordinance of God to send the Apostles onely to ring an empty sound of the Gospell Ioh. 15.16 but to gather fruite which might abide to everlasting life Eph. 4.8 God giveth Pastors and Teachers to gather the Saints
we be thus thankefull what praise should wee offer to our God for bringing us under the Kingdome of His deare Sonne If we had some grievous Tyrant ruling over us and God should take him away and set a Prince of singular Clemency over us should not the blessing of all the kingdome come upon him for so singular a change But when he taketh the Divells iron yoaks off our necks and bringeth us under the Kingdome of that most meeke King who will not bruise a broken reed nor quench the smoaking flaxe here none in comparison is thankefull This giveth us to consider of our happy estate Vse 2 who are brought to live under Him reade Psal 72. To live in such a Kingdome were a great felicity but no more to be compared with this then the shadow with the substance What a blessing is it that we have His spirit to be a law in us good lawes in a Kingdome are no small benefit What a blessing is it that we have true peace from accusation of sinne from feare of death from disturbance which the remnants of sin doe cause before they be better mortified Say I am spiritually opposed and molested yea have great corporall enemies what a mercy is this that looking to CHRIST our King and crying for helpe we have succour they are weakened defeated scattered we are strengthened and comforted I see that I am besieged with enemies too mighty for me yea with Traytors in my owne bosome what a favour is this that we should be protected our King being such a wall and as a mighty flood about us that they cannot come neere us I want things looking to CHRIST I have supply I feare time to come looking to Him I heare it spoken This is our King Psa 48.14 Hee shall leade us to death VERSE 14. In whom we have redemption through His bloud the forgivenesse of sins NOw followeth the description to shew the excellency of this former blessing from the excellent benefit wee have by him and the worthinesse of his Person In whom in which deare Sonne and this phrase in whom noteth both the Author of the benefit next adjoyned and likewise the order or meane by which it commeth to be applyed in us viz wee being by faith in Him in whom then is through which Sonne we being set into Him by faith wee have redemption which word is taken Actively or Passively Actively for the act of CHRIST His working it Passively for the receiving of it into us or the applying of it in us that are believers so it is here as if it were said we are redeemed The force of the Word is ransomed brought forth of some miserable penall condition a price or ransome payd for us which was His bloud See Ephes 1.7 14. 1 Tim. 2.6 Who gave Himselfe a ransome for all He construeth this redemption to be Pardon of sinne freedome from all that penall condition to which wee were subject by reason of sinne For to pardon sinne is to release the punishment to which the guilt of sin doth bind us What is the singular love of our King unto us Obs 1 even such that Hee hath bought us with His bloud wee are ransomed by Him and not with silver or gold but with His pretious bloud 1 Pet. 1 18 19. If that a King should empty all his coffers and alienate all his Crowne Land to rescue his Subjects he should shew himselfe a naturall Prince but what is this to that ransome which our King hath tendered This doth let us see what cause we have of thankefulnesse for CHRIST not onely in regard of his love Vse 1 and naturall affection to us but for this great benefit which we have by Him Were we slaves in the Turkish gallies taken prisoners in the warre were we kept hard in debters hall how would we give thankes to God for such a one as should purchase our liberty with some summe of money How much more to be released from that woefull captivity in which the Divell doeth hold us through sinne and the curse of God whereof he is the executioner This letteth us see our duties towards CHRIST Vse 2 not to be young masters our owne men walking after our owne hearts but to live to Him who hath bought us dearely the Apostle Saint Peter on the same ground inferreth this exhortation For as much then as CHRIST hath suffered for us us in the flesh 1 Pet. 4.1 2. arme your selves likewise with the same minde for hee that hath suffered in the flesh hath ceased from sin that He no longer should live the rest of His time in the flesh to the lusts of men but to the will of God If men doe but small matters for us we are theirs to be commanded their servants theirs while we live to the utmost of our power but God may come from heaven take thy nature to the fellowship of His Person shed the pretious bloud of His man-hood and when He hath done all have no thankefull duty acknowledged Lastly we see hence our woefull estates by nature Vse 3 wee are bondslaves further then this our King doth set us free True it is we are like the Iewes when they were told of being set free from this thraldome we say they were never any mans servants never other then free So wee thinke we are free enough ô no beloved we are all by nature sold under ignorance under sinne under condemnation neither shall we ever come forth till this Sonne of God the truth set us free Remission of sins Observe hence Obs What is the greatest blessing which CHRIST our King doth procure us pardon of sinne great indeed binding us to be thankefull for our King We see how Kings at their Coronations when they enter upon their people they doe every way endeavour to winne their hearts testifie their princelike bounty and clemency hence come the customes of giving pardons to sundry even of capitall offences of releasing subsidies and such like dues otherwise of giving and enlarging and confirming charters to sundry places thus our Saviour that King of glory doth give a full pardon to His Subjects a generall pardon for it is sayd indefinitely none excepted that in Him we have forgivenesse of sinnes which Saint Iohn doth conster in these words the bloud of CHRIST clenseth us from all sins 1 Ioh. 1.9 originall actuall past future the most royall Charter that ever was given to the sonnes of men This is the grace promised I will be mercifull to their iniquities and remember their sinnes no more It is the justification and absolving of us sinners by God for that satisfaction or redemption which Christ tendered we are justified saith Saint Paul freely by His grace that is we are set free from our sins through Christ His redemption Rom. 3.21 Christ was made sinne that is a sacrifice or surety for sinners bearing all our sin that we might be made Gods righteousnesse righteous before God in him
under the government of a flagitious servant such as the Papists grant Popes may be Let us therefore take heed that while we set up other heads then Christ over the Churches we doe not reject this glorious Head Iesus Christ from ruling over us as the Israelites when they refused that Aristocraticall governement in which God ruled and would have a King like other Nations the Lord chargeth them not only to have cast off Samuell but himselfe and what is more foolish then to thinke it needfull to have a visible universall high Priest on earth because CHRIST is in heaven invisible to us touching His corporall presence should the people of Israell have erected another High Priest to themselves when Aaron was at any time in the Holy of Holies where he was not visible to them so we stand here below in the entry our High Priest is but gone into the Holiest Sanctuary and we though His Divine nature be with us will set up another Sooner shall the heaven have two Suns then the Church two heads and though metaphorically one may be said to be the Head of a Church for the name of God Himselfe is thus Communicable yet in proper analogy none can be so termed For then the Church might be said His body properly which is such sacriledge as He I thinke in whose forehead blasphemy is written dare scarce commit A double head and a double husband become not the Church the latter is not for her honesty the former fitteth not to decency Thus much who is over us 2 Marke from this Observ that He is called the Head of His Church what neere compassionate and beneficiall superiority or authority that is which Christ hath over His Church He is the Lord of all Creatures yea the hellish fiend must bow the knee to Him But He is not an head to every creature if we take it in that proper analogicall accommodation which the Scripture looketh to in this terme The head hath the highest place and power in the body but yet it is so intimately conjoyned with every member so amiable and beneficiall a superiority that the like cannot in nature be shewen For first looke at the head it is by sinewes and other ligaments straitely conjoyned to every member so is Christ through the spirit of faith coupled with us Secondly from this union the head commeth to have a sense if any part be disturbed so hath Christ He knoweth how to compassionate our infirmities Saul Saul why persecutest thou Me Thirdly the head what ever it hath hath in a sort for the good of the body The perfect comlinesse of the head is the ornament of that body whereof it is the head the body being but a deformed trunke if the head be remooved Againe the sense and motion which are originally in the head as a fountaine they are derived from it to every member Fourthly The head giveth full direction to the other members So Christ is our glory He quickeneth us He giveth us direction both inward and outward We see then that His superiority He hath is most intimate fellow-feeling and commodious unto us Which first doth let us yet farther see what cause we have of thankesgiving who are come into His kingdom Vse 1 who is rather an head unto us then a King over us as the head is to the body To have a powerfull wise King is a great guift but to have one who is rather Pater then Rex Patriae is greater but to have one who should so affect his subjects as to condole with the poorest of them this were a miracle This must breed willing subjection to CHRIST our Lord Vse 2 looke at the members of the body doe they feele it a burthen to doe that which the head directeth to This must strengthen our affiance towards CHRIST Vse 3 that He will not faile to take notice of our griefes to succour and direct us That is a blockish head which can goe on in a Stoicall dedolency when the members are ill affected yea it must assure us that we shall have direction and protection from him Marke Obs 3 Who they are that have Christ so neere so beneficiall to them viz. the Church that is such only who are truely faithfull who shall one day be presented glorious in the heavens such as shall at length have salvation by Him There are in the visible Church many who are by outward profession members of Christ but if they have not learned Christ as the truth is in Christ they shall be found not to be of His body though they seeme so a while A glasse eye may be so set into the head that one would take it verily to be a naturall part of the head yet it hath but an externall insition which art affordeth and is nothing lesse then the naturall eye So many are externally by the Sacrament and externall profession tyed to Christ which are not native members and have no spirituall combination with Him Nay if like some temporisers thou dost get some quicknance of the spirit of Christ yet not such as purifieth the heart bringeth thee above all things to rejoyce in Christ Iesus thou art not of His body nor a true member having Him thy head but art like a wenne or warte mole or such like thing which hath a life in the body but is no member of it Wherefore as you would have any benefit by Christ Vse labour to come into this body not to be as wennes and wooden legges but to be living members such as have Christ living in you teaching you by His spirit to thinke speake and doe all things it is good being members of good Corporations which have good endowments priviledges and Charters but there is not a body like to this which hath all the unsearchable riches of IESUS CHRIST given it in which onely there is salvation That nothing is betwixt Christ and His body Obs 4 and that all the Church is his body and every one in the Church a member of the body not a substitute head unto it Where then shall we find the Pope let him take heed least while he strive to be a secondary head he doe not deprive himselfe of roome in the body out of which there is no salvation I know a Papist will say that the Pope as he is referred unto Christ is a member of the body but as he is referred to men subjected to him he is a head under Christ Answer that every one is a member we reade it and therefore beleeve that any one is a head to all but Christ we reade it not and therefore reject it Beside it is likely that betwixt Christ and the visible Church Saint Peter should have come in thus God is Christs head Christ of the Spirits with Him and Saint Peter and his successors the Churches head but this is no where found yea the contrary God over Christ Christ over the Church the Churches above Cephas Objection Emperours are
a fulnesse of mercie to heare our supplications a fulnesse of merit to make a full atonement for our foulest sinnes a fulnesse of favour to prevaile with His Father in any request if therefore there be such a fulnesse in Christ as there is be not discouraged though thy sinnes abound yet his grace abounds much more they cannot be so out of measure sinfull as he is mercifull Remember but the two metaphors in Scripture I will scatter your sinnes as a mist I wil drowne them in the bottome of the Sea Now the Sunne by reason of his force can scatter the thickest mist as well as the thinnest vapour and the Sea by reason of his great vastnesse can drowne mountaines as well as mole-hils So CHRIST by reason of the great vastnesse of grace that is in Him is able yea forward and willing to forgive the greatest as well as the least sins For mercy though it be a quality in us yet it is a Nature in God now that which is naturall there is no unwillingnesse nor wearinesse in doing of it as the eye is not weary of seeing the eare is not weary of hearing therefore though our sinnes be never so great and many His grace is all-sufficient for the pardon of them Now I beseech you take not this exhortation in vain for there is nothing more effectual to heale a rebellious disposition and to cause a sinner to change his course than to bee fully perswaded that hee shall be received to mercy and that his sinnes shall be forgiven him in Christ Therefore let this fulnesse of mercy in Christ be an effectuall motive to us all to come in and to give up our selves wholly to Christ to serve Him with perfect hearts all our dayes Secondly Obs marke Into what glory our nature is exalted that God should dwell personally in our nature and take it to Himselfe so as to be of the substance of his Person It is an unspeakable dignity all the conceits of men and Angels put together cannot devise an higher exaltation of it See what love the Father hath shewed us 1 Ioh. 3.1 that we should be called the sonnes of God having the title and thing through grace of adoption but that our Nature should be made the true Naturall Sonne of God of the substance of His Person what admiration is here sufficient Which must be taught diligently to the people for this is the rocke to see the Son of God God with the Father blessed for ever Personally existing in this our Nature which Hee hath taken unto Him to see God dwelling in this His owne soule and bodic no lesse now through free grace of His Person than my soule and body are of mine This is the rocke against which Hell-gates cannot prevaile this is the onely rocke of Israel But there is place of speaking more fully of this in the next Chapter VERSE 20. And by Him to reconcile all things unto Himselfe and to set at Peace through the bloud of His Crosse both the things in earth and the things in heaven NOw followeth the benefit hee had said before In Christ wee had pardon and were received to favour Now he sheweth the ground of this viz. It pleased God as to qualifie the Person of Christ in manner above-named so to doe it to this end that we might by Him be reconciled The benefit is first simply propounded then applyed The simple propounding hath two parts 1 The thing to be done by Him To reconcile all things to Himselfe 2 The manner of doing in those words Pacifying all things by His bloud Marke first in the coherence Observ What gave occasion to the incarnation of the Son of God viz. our enemy like estrangement from God We see here that to the intent God might reconcile us He calleth His Sonne to be a Mediator Evill manners give occasion as we say to good lawes You know what brought forth first that secret of the Gospell The Seed of the woman shall breake the Serpents head Gen. 3. This is the nature of God to bring light out of darknesse to overcome evill with good As there is nothing so good which the Divell will not draw evill out of as when he perverteth this grace shewen in Christ to become a cloake of wantonnesie which Gregory observing exclaimeth O foelix flagitium and indeed the event to the faithfull is happie but we must not take heart to doe evill that the miracles of grace might be discovered you know what the Apostle saith Shall we sin that grace may abound Rom. 6. â— God forbid though the Physitian restore life with poyson none will therefore eat it who is wise but let us expresse the vertue of our heavenly Father who hath called us out of darknesse into His marvellous light and learne out of evill to doe good and to wound the Divell with his owne weapon Secondly marke that whereas we were the offenders and should have sought to God He doth when we goe on in our enmitie seeke out a way to reconcile us Observe then Obs How God followeth froward man He had never done but good by us we had revolted to the divell from Him highly provoking Him yet see He seeketh us O gracious Shepheard of soules that commest downe from heaven to seeke stray soules that are as willing to wander as they wickedly strayed God was in Christ reconciling the world you never heard the world first sought Him mark it for it setteth out His love Hee is faine to love us first and to overcome our peevish wickednesse with love or we should never leave our enmitie It teacheth us our duty rebuking the pride of many Vse who if one have done them any wrong and bee stiffe through weaknesse they will say A God's name let him seeke to them they are as good as he they are sure he did the injury But what if God should have stood on such nice termes with you Let us overcome evill with good doe good to those that hate you Seeke Peace and follow after it when through peevishnesse of men shee is running from you Thirdly marke Obs That Christ must have the God-head first dwell personally in Him before He can take up the matter betwixt God and us Whence note what it is that maketh the death of Christ accepted for all our reconciliation even this that He is not bare man but God also God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himselfe who not being God durst have ventured on this worke 1 Sam. 2.25 If man offend the Iudge can determine but if a man sinne against the Lord who will plead for him who could have endured the wrath which was to be borne before attonement could be made whose death could have beene a sufficient pacification the Scripture doth hold out this with emphasie God hath redeemed us with His bloud Act. 20.28 Tit. 2.14 the great God hath given Himselfe for us to redeeme us and purifie us
discipline practised where those duties flourish to which the communion of Saints doth tye us They that are estranged from Gods Church can have no society with God He is walking amongst the golden Candlesticks amongst His Saints onely where two or three are met together in His Name He is present among them As they have no acquaintance with God so they are under the power of Sathan where it is that Saint Paul calleth excommunication the giving up to Sathan Hee that hath not the Church for his Mother cannot have God for His Father In a word heaven and earth the Eden and Paradise of God is His Church So that miserable is that state neverthelesse this was ours sometime in our predecessors We were all of us alients from Israel but God hath kept us for happy times Let us therfore be thankfull and bring forth fruites least he take away our Candlesticke Vse 1 and deface the face of our Churches causing us to want our holy assemblies Let us not leave our fellowship Vse 2 and estrange our selves from Gods people from the assemblies as Brownists and other Novelists doe To be discommoned a Towne for a Citizen to be banished a City is a great reproach but to be an exile from Gods City and discommoned from the communion of Saints this is lamentable indeede being alients from this Common wealth of the Church they have nothing to doe with the covenants of grace and of the Gospell but strangers from all meanes of salvation This letteth us see that all true comfortable affinity Vse 3 kindred and society is in Christ onely and in the Word and Ordinances count all strangers that are not allyed to us in Him count them forreyners that will not communicate with us in the Word and Ordinances of GOD strangers as men of another Nation though never so neere allyed in Nature and let our neerest society fellowship and acquaintance be with Saints and holy Christians in the word and ordinances as our neerest kindred our spirituall brethren in CHRIST Therefore Abraham after he was called of GOD and sanctified was commanded to come out from his kindred and fathers house to count them Aliens and strangers to seeke new kindred a new Nation of his owne nature and bloud the generation of the righteous Why should we like prodigalls withdraw our selves from our fathers house and bring upon our selves by such singular separations this great misery to be estranged from them who are Gods true Israell Againe he saith they were enemies in mind and workes affection and action note hence What is our estate by nature Observ we are enemylike affected to God and His people the wisedome of the flesh is enmity against God Rom. 8. it is not subject to the Law of God neither indeed can be In his Iudgement he counteth the things of God foolishnesse in his affections he doth not savour them he counteth of His Commandements as a yoake intollerable and maketh a tush at sincere obedience so for the Saints the righteous is an abomination to the wicked Gal. 4.29 Were not the Iewes a mocking in the mouth of the heathen did they not reproach them for their circumcision To let us see our selves Vse 1 we are altogether by nature thus heathens beasts the most of men in part we have a law in our flesh rebelling against the law of our mindes not enduring the spirituall obedience of Gods law What is all our love of this world know you not that the amity of the world is enmity with GOD If a woman cared not for her husband but were bent to the imbraces of other men were she not enemylike affected to him so we to God what is enmity if this be not not to care for him and his wayes to incline and looke another way for the Saints they are our enemies as we thinke and they are hatefull of all other to us our spirituall phrensie like not them of all others whose presence doth binde us in some sort We must labour to be changed Vse 2 seeking to God to give us another mind who can endure to heare these termes thou art an enemy a hater of God yet who laboureth to be free of the thing praying to God to purge forth the secret hatred which maketh him hee cannot assent to and affect that which is good Could an honest woman find a heart strange to her husband would shee not be ashamed of it labour to the contrary doest thou finde a heart averse not affected toward thy God ô wilt thou not cry who shall deliver me from this body of death Seeke to GOD to put enmity against the seede of the Serpent and to circumcise thy heart making thee love Him Deu. 30.6 Who ever hardened his heart against GOD and prospered Your mindes were set in evill workes By repeating the words from the part of the sentence before it teacheth thus much Obs What it is that maketh discovery of this enemy-like affection our naughty actions when we do that which crosseth God's will that evill worke is the triall of the inward affection He that loveth me keepeth my Commandements he that keepeth them not and saith he knoweth me is a lyar and the truth is not in him As the tongue is the interpreter of the minde so is the action to the affection A traytor we see may be a traytor in heart and not in attempt but when his treason breaketh forth in some disloyall action then it is manifest that he bare a trayterous heart So it is with this inward corruption when now ripe it practiseth the rebellion of it in the workes of unrighteousnesse Which meeteth with such as will say they love God Vse he were unworthy to live that is an enemie to God but if we looke at their course of life they leave the wayes of God and will have leave to walke in their owne wayes This is to give God good words and speake Him faire but indeed to deny Him But we have no such intention in any thing we doe Object If we through ignorance sinfully contracted Answ doe not know that we sinne against God when we doe this mitigateth not our offence If one should make himselfe drunke and after practice against the life of the King and State would this excuse him from being a traytor if he say I had no such meaning in that I did I meant the Kings person no hurt Lastly marke hence That men by nature are altogether occupied in evill works None doth good no not one the thought of man is evill onely and continually It is strange how the naturall man is devoted to his owne wayes which are all evill He museth mischiefe on his bed hee sleepeth not if hee have not done his mind For his mind is as meat and drinke to him and hee is fasting not able to take rest when hee hath not effected it He committeth sinne and doth his owne will with greedinesse he hateth to be reformed in these wayes
heart but the harvest of it lasteth not all the yeare without interruption CHRIST telleth His Disciples that after His departure they should be heavy though afterward their heavinesse should be turned into joy Sometimes chastisements which lie heavy upon us doe over-cast our comfort Heb. 12.11 for the present they are not joyous Sometime inward lawes of evill with which we conflict make us cry o miserable Ro. 7.24 Sometime grievous falls whereby we have wounded our consciences Psa 51.12 Lord restore me to the joy of thy salvation In a word as civill rejoycings are upon many occasions damped though life continue so is spirituall joy though faith and grace faile not in us The use is to strengthen and support by this consideration such weake ones as doe call in question the truth of their faith through want of this comfortable taking which the Scripture much speaketh of and they see others enjoy One complayned to me that sure if his faith were right and living he should have more joy So I asked him what he would say to this reason living men are merry and goe cheerefully about their businesse but you are sadde and full of griefe and heavinesse surely you are not alive you could not be thus mournfull sadd and heavy if you were even as naturall life and naturall joy are not alwayes coupled so spirituall life and spirituall joy till we come to heaven are not joyned together inseparably There is a wonder in Spaine of a river that runneth fifty miles under ground this river though it be sometimes unseene yet it is continuall and it breakes out againe So the consolations of GOD are sometimes unseen not onely of others that goe away sadde when they see us want the comforts of GOD but also to our selves the Lord hiding the sweet Sunshine of his countenance from us which is yet in the skie and giveth some measure of light to us like as the Sunne though sometimes it be darkened yet there will be a time of reviving againe Thirdly observe Doct. What kind of joy the spirit worketh in believers viz. not a hollow but a hearty rejoycing he maketh our hearts glad and spirits rejoyce in God our Saviour As the groanes Gods spirit helpeth us with are inward such as cannot be uttered So is the joy hearty which in believers it worketh 1 Pet. 1.8 yea a joy unspeakeable and glorious Why glorious partly in respect of the principall object of it which is the glory of the life to come and partly in respect of the quality and kind of it as it is opposite to that contemptible beggarly base and filthy rejoycing of beggarly base and filthy persons There is a joy that men are ashamed of such is the joy of sinners that have overgrowen the controle of Nature it selfe Otherwise take them in their meriment let there come in a man of gravity or civill honesty and you see what a dampe he casts upon the joy of carnal and wicked men as if he had taken all their tongues from them some goe one way and some slinke another way they are afraid he hath overheard some words that they have spoken What a base joy is this that men are ashamed of Such is the joy of all naturall men compared with the joy and rejoycing of a sanctifyed man it is base and contemptible joy He can goe no higher then to rejoyce in his riches because he is rich in his ease and that he hath a good house he feeles no evill money comes in apace trading lasts well and the like a poore base joy What are these things to the things of eternity what is thy house thy plate thy furniture what are these riches and these houses of clay to the house whose builder and maker is God what are these riches which the moath shall eate or the canker corrupt to those riches which are eternall and glorious The joy of worldlings yea of temporizers reacheth not beyond the teeth it is but the joy of a deluded dreame which a man waking findeth nothing so Hence Salomon compareth carnall laughter to the cracking of thorns under a pot it is a widdowes blaze assoone almost extinct as kindled and this is it that causeth the wickeds joy soone to come to an end His joy is like seede that hath no depth of ground it deweth not his heart and therefore wanting this deepe rooting it fodainly fadeth away Wherefore if ever any would bee glad at heart indeede Vse let him know that it is God through His Spirit who must worke this in him he cannot till the Lord give it him through the knowledge of Christ be truly joyfull True it is Object you may say who merry to wicked men they spend their dayes in merriments laugh their hearts fat But alas Answ have you not seene mad men whose phrensie lyeth in bloud have you not marked them notably addicted to laughter frequent in it till they tickle at conceits which within themselves they apprehend there is nothing more common yet we count not this mirth but pitty it as a woefull fruite of a crazed braine and deluded senses Such is thy joy till thou commest to GOD it commeth from the absence of all heavenly understanding with which thou shouldest descry the misery of thy estare Finally from the thing intreated in the end of the verse joyned with the beginning that their hearts might be comforted in their comming out of the darkenesse of sinfull ignorance for that is the force of the Word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to know the mystery of God in Christ Observe hence Doct. What must be the matter of sound joy the Gospell of CHRIST The Gospell is called glad tydings because it maketh glad no wonder good newes as Salomon saith from a farre Country is very delightfull What then is newes from heaven of Gods mercy to a sinfull soule in the pardon of his sinne in giving him a Title to a Crowne of everlasting glory A carnall man joyeth when his bags are full when Corne and Wine and earthly commodities abound with him but the Saints have another joy set upon matters so high that in comparison of them they count all drosse and dung But one may say Object may not wicked men rejoyce in the Gospell Yes in the novelty of it Answ as a matter they have not before thought of Iohn was a burning Candle and yee would for a while rejoyce in his light or from a licke and taste which they may get of sweetnesse in it Hebr. 6. They may have a taste of the powers of the life to come they may have a flashing and momentany lightning of joy in them Or finally from an ungrounded overtly perswasion that they shall have pardon of sinne and salvation by CHRIST they may shew forth for a time great gladnesse but soundly to take joy in these things is only proper to true believers who humbled in sight of their unworthinesse and guilt rejoyce in Christ as the onely
that God revealeth to us 3 We must hang upon CHRIST the Author and finisher of our faith and pray Him to heale this trembling palley of our soules 4 We must be good husbands with the knowledge we have obeying it carefully Ioh. 7. If ye obey ye shall know my doctrine whether it be of God 5 We must attend upon the publike ministery of the Word which God hath appointed for the edification of the Church Ephes 4. VERSE 3. In whom are hid all the treasures of wisdome and knowledge NOw followeth a description of CHRIST named in the end of the former verse taken from the infinite wisdome and knowledge in Him In whom may be referred to the mystery a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but it is fitlyer conceived of CHRIST b 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 because the intent of the Apostle in this Epistle being to stablish the Colossians in the faith of Christ from whom Angels Ceremonies and the depth of Philosophicall wisdome did thorow Satans working assay to withdraw the beleevers therefore the Apostle doth upon all occasions amplifie the dignitie and all-sufficient riches of CHRIST IESUS Againe having before wished them all riches of understanding he doth fitly describe CHRIST from His Omniscience that he might thus point them at the fountaine whence they were to draw that which hee mentioned even all riches of understanding which they wanted Thirdly as in the third Chapter our life is said to be hidden in CHRIST So here all wisdome and understanding are said to be hid in Him Beside the reason following may be respective to these words I say thus For in spirit I see you that none may draw you from your solid faith in CHRIST 1 Then we learne hence Doct. That upon fit occasions we must publish the glorious properties of IESUS CHRIST the Apostle doth rarely mention Him but he reciteth something or other which tendeth to glorifie Him the LORD commanding us no way to dishonour His name but by all meanes to seeke the glory of it doth tye us to this duty especially then we are to doe it when the subtilty of the enemie doth labour to obscure the account of CHRIST and seduce us from Him And if wee are bound to challenge the credit of our neighbour by lending him the best testimony wee may and not suffering his innocencie to be wronged how much more must we doe this when the honour of our God in some sort hangeth on it Which must rebuke the barrennesse of Christians this way Vse when doe wee upon naming of our SAVIOUR CHRIST breake forth to extoll Him and publish His glory Followers of great States how will they commend the deepe reach the great experience the universall knowledge of all State affaires which are in those they retaine unto CHRIST may long be out of account before we like the true Church preach forth his due praises and commendations 2 That Paul to stablish them in holding on Christ doth no other thing but tell them the excellencies of Christ here and every where Observe hence Doct. What maketh us listen to deceivers our ignorance of Christ Did we know the excellencie of His Person the riches of His Nature the offices and all sufficiencie of Him our hearts would be armed against all seducements then wee would reject them and say Wee knew whom we have trusted but dimly seeing these things 2 Tim. 1.12 it is otherwise with us A foole that knoweth not how good he and his money are soone parted So we like little children not knowing so fully what a rich Pearle this our LORD IESUS CHRIST is listen too much to such beguiling suggestions as the Divell by his instruments whispereth in our eares Wherefore Vse as you would be armed against all enticements and engines of this nature labour to get the knowledge of CHRIST's Person and offices of the riches of all glorious good things which are in Him that so nothing may make you start aside from your faith received Marke againe Doct. Who is the store-house of all wisdome and knowledge namely Christ our Lord. We know the treasury is it from whence we fetch for all occasions Our treasuries are stores sufficient to furnish our particular necessities So God hath made Christ a treasury and store-house as of all other spirituall gifts so of wisdome and knowledge that from His fulnesse every member might be served The Spirit of wisdome and knowledge rested upon Him above measure As the light is fully in the Sunne that Moone and Starres might thence borrow So the fulnesse of this and every supernaturall gift is in Him that thence it might be derived There is as in Christ a double Nature so a double treasure of wisedome and knowledge The first is uncreate that omniscient wisdome of God which knoweth perfectly and fully comprehendeth all the divine Nature and not only all which have beene are and shall be hereafter but all things which are possible to be done if God were so pleased Secondly there is as the nature of man so proportionably a created wisdome and knowledge whereby Christ knoweth God more fully than all the creatures though not so fully as God may be knowne and is knowne of Himselfe For a finite nature is not capable of an infinite so as to comprehend it for nothing can receive above that which it hath capacitie to receive Againe Hee knoweth in God as in a glasse all things which have beene are and shall be so farre as agreeth with His happie estate and the execution of His Offices which are committed to Him Thirdly Hee knoweth within Himselfe and by experience above all that can be uttered for Hee is filled with these gifts not onely for Himselfe but that He might send from Him into all His members Christ therefore as man though He know not God so fully as God is knowne of Himselfe and know not all things which are possible to be done because this cannot be knowne but by a full comprehension of GOD's omnipotencie which being infinite no finite nature can fully comprehend yet His knowledge is above all knowledge of Angels and men and is unmeasurable after some sort though not simply infinite that from it all of us might be supplyed This then thus opened First confuteth the Lutherans Vse 1 who will have the humane nature simply omniscient as the divine Nature is and the divine knowledge to become the humane Nature that it might know by it as wee know by created gifts of knowledge which they goe about to prove thus In Christ are all treasures of wisdome and knowledge Object all treasures therefore He is omniscient He doth not say in Christ's humane Nature Answ but in Christ Now in Christ is the divine Nature as well as the humane CHRIST hath it Therefore His humane Nature hath it followeth not à toto ad partem In a man is reason Therfore in His body Besides all treasure may be said simply or respectively compared with that other Creatures
cannot but see the other As that CHRIST is both GOD and perfect man in one Person is a point fundamentall That Christ hath two wills distinct is of cleere consequence for who so is GOD hath a most free and almighty will as GOD and who is perfect man hath a humane will like man For as not every wound killeth a man but if the heart or braine be pierced life perisheth So it is here if the soule in things fundamentall be truely touched it is divorced from Christ It is answered then to the first that stubble may stand while it is admitted ignorantly with a prepared minde to disclaime it if it be found such not directly crossing the foundation Now it is not fully received in a minde thus qualified It is seene in experience that a man going where the plague is not witting of any such thing taketh no hurt often So in this matter To the second it is manifest that as those who have that precious faith of the Elect which faileth not cannot be prevailed against So GOD doth never leave them to yeeld unto any herefies directly fundamentall or wittingly and willingly against eviction to persist in them This is to be marked against such as thinke it no such danger to reconcile in many points with Papists Vse A little leven is perillous if any should offer a farre off to filtch away our earthly substance we would betime stand on our keeping let us be more shie of the pearle of the Gospell Againe wee see hence what to thinke of the Papists Church the state of it is dangerous so that though God hath a remnant knowne to Himselfe yet the generall estate of that Church cannot but be comfortlesse because since Luthers time and the Councell of Trent the pillars of that Church representing the whole have against most cleere light withstood the truth and have joyned such pertinacie to errour that they anathematize whatsoever shall be brought against them 2 Marke Doct. What hath beene an engine of Satan against the faith even the wisdome renowned of the great of the world Philosophy This kept many from entering the faith When Saint Paul disputed of the Resurrection the Athenians mocked him This made many brought to the faith stagger when they could not answer the plausible sophismes they were dazled with the curious subtilty that did shine forth in it this drew many from the faith and be got heresies for heresie is an errour held with pertinacie by them who sometime have beene beleevers Hierom saith Philosophi sunt primogeniti Aegypti and other of the Ancient doe brand it bitterly No wonder for then it was generally received as the wisdome of the world every quarter of the earth as it were having their Philosophers whom as Sect-masters they followed then there were Peripatecians Platonists who as it is likely troubled these Colossians Stoicks Epicures What bred heresie in the article of the Resurrection but this What in the point of the Trinity three Persons and one Essence What in the Person of Christ why not two Natures in one Person the one being an Essence without being 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 this or that thing subsisting by it selfe because the like is not in all Nature What made Arrius sow his conceit prefidence in his Logicke for he was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as story reporteth Finally what maketh the Papist he will not beleeve that a man is formally righteous before God by righteousnesse in Christ's Person onely imputed Even this because in all Nature every thing is that it is formally by something inherent in it selfe No man wise with anothers wisdome c. this is the fruit that Scotus exclaimeth on Doctores theologiae Philosophiam cum theologiae maximo cum fructu miscuerunt If Saint Paul would shew what this fruit is he would doubtlesse answer much error which Trithemeus well-witnesseth Sacra Theologia Saecular is Philosophiae mutili curiositate faedatur This is sufficient to shew that this humane wisedome if unsanctified hath alwayes beene a Moabitish minion whose aspect is so amiable to a carnall mind that he hath woone unto himselfe by it not a few and no wonder for the wisedome of the flesh is enmity to GOD and the reason of it so farre as corrupt must be captivated to Christ But some may say Object may we not have Philosophie in regard or is all knowledge dangerous and of no use Philosophie is double that which is truly Answ or that which is falsly so called that which is true Philosophy is that which man agreeably with his darkenesse but reliques of sight conceaveth and that often not without some more then common illumination of God Philosophy falsely so called is what men not as men but singular persons erring have broached as truths Now this last is at all hands utterly to be abandoned For the first this also in men unregenerate not of it selfe but through their corruption is an enemy to grace Secondly this is of it selfe good and through grace sanctified to good uses First it helpeth grace better to apprehend and more fitly to teach others the things it knoweth Secondly it doth helpe and exceedingly further every believing man that with it he groweth more confident for though I believe not for reason yet seeing the consent of reason my beliefe is furthered as we that love God for Himselfe yet enjoying His benefits doe more ardently affect Him this use Christ gives us to understand Spirits have not flesh and bones as I have Doct. and we abhorre the transubstantiation of the Papists more confidently doth pre-ground that by good reason it is eviced 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 nothing but evinceth and better silenceth Heretiques religion whereby their owne sword killeth them Thus Saint Paul evinceth the Corinthians out of nature who through naturall reason impugned the resurrection of the dead To know the creature is of it selfe good a ladder to heaven a spectacle wherewith heavenly things may be better discerned yet our corruption abuseth this priding it selfe therein as if there were no higher fixing it selfe on this beauty it discerneth neglecting to goe to the top while it lodgeth it selfe with delight and admiration in the workemanship of the stayres by which it should ascend Sometime by knowing the excellency of the creature it doth grow to thinke that there is no higher happinesse then to posses it and the delight of it As a beautifull complexion is the good creature of God yet oft misleads a corrupt eye So this mentall Helene if I may so call truesecular knowledge doth too much enamor our carnall understanding The use of this is first though we must not reject the seeking Vse nor all applying of this knowledge which out of prophane philosophie is learned to reproove such as do too highly extoll it yea account of Aristotle as if he were a fore-runner of Christ and a pillar of the Gospell and of Philosophicall sciences as if a man could not be a good Theologue that were not skillfull
should be three severall Wills in the Trinity Againe there is no conversion of these Natures for that which dwelleth with another is not converted into it And all Nestorius his dreame of two distinct divided Persons said to be one through singular assistance love dignity consent for the Text saith Bodily and Saint Iohn saith They so dwell together that God is made flesh which cannot be said by vertue of any Vnion which is not substantiall We see what reason we have to hold to CHRIST Vse 2 if we had Moses or Daniel or Saint Paul upon the earth with whom the LORD pleased to dwell so abundantly by the effects of grace and gifts of prophecie Oh how would wee sticke to them how would we rest in their words or oracles but behold him who is the substantiall flesh of our GOD. This sheweth us whither wee must come Vse 3 if wee will finde God to no other but this Temple All old worshippers under the Law they went to the Temple when they would come to God and before the Temple was built to the Arke and Tabernacle but these were but types here is the true Temple looke to CHRIST-man to that body of which he said Destroy this Temple and I will build it againe in three dayes Looke hither and God shall over-shadow thee for the God head dwelleth with Him personally Consider the wonderfull love of God Vse 4 that vouchsafeth thus to dwell in our Nature If some mighty Prince should come and dwell in some poore cottage for his subjects good what a rare part of his singular love would it be counted How much more is this And thus answering briefly an objection of the Lutherans we will come to the next Verse The Nature in which God dwelleth is every where Object where God is but God dwelleth in the humane Nature viz. Christ-Man then in the humane Nature Let this answer the first part of the reason Answ I answer it with limitation That in which God dwelleth as a thing contained in a place containing that must needs be where ever God is not that in which God dwelleth in other manner as here he doth or that in which God dwelleth per aequipatentiam I illustrate the vanity of their argument with this That in which the light dwelleth that is every where where the light is But the light dwelleth in the body of the Sunne Therefore the body of the Sunne is every where where the light is VERSE 10. And yee are compleat in Him which is the Head of all Principality and Power NOw he commeth to the Reasons taken from the all-sufficient benefits wee receive in Him which first are laid downe in this tenth verse indefinitely after by particular enumeration The reason from this verse standeth thus You must not looke to others leaving Him in whom you have the fulnesse of all grace behoovefull given you But in Christ who is the Head of all Principality and Power you are compleat Ergo c. The Verse then containeth 1 Our most full blessednesse in CHRIST 2 A repetition of His dignity from whom we are replenished Now in the Verse we must first marke the coherence In whom having all the fulnesse of the divine Nature in Him you are compleat or full Observe hence Doct. Whence it is that CHRIST Man doth send out all the streames of grace and good things to all His members even hence that this fountaine dwelleth in Him Did not the divine Nature which is the fountaine of all life naturall and supernaturall Psal 36.9 For with Him is the Well of life Did not this dwell with this man or humane Nature we could not be enlightned and quickned by it So that when we reade Ioh. 6. he that eateth my flesh hath life in him we must know that these things are spoken truely of the man-hood not that this Nature of it selfe can doe these things but because the Deity dwelleth with it and by it as by an instrument joyned personally with it doth properly and efficiently worke these things Even as we see the body of the Sunne doth enlighten all but as an instrument of the first created light which GOD hath united to it This must be held that neither the omnipotent power of ereating spirituall graces nor yet the omnipotent action which doth produce them is in the humane Nature or proceedeth from the humane Nature but in God onely and from God in and with this humane Nature working to the same effects according to the propertie of it As a Scrivenour writing with a pen the effect viz. writing may be ascribed to the pen for we say this pen did write this but the faculty of writing and the proper action which produceth it is in the scribe and goeth not from the scribe into the pen So here after some sort for the pen hath no reason and will to worke with the scribe in that to which it is used but he is an instrument having this humane understanding and will whereby hee worketh The pen is an externall instrument without the person of Him that useth it but CHRIST's humane Nature is an internall instrument united within the Person of God the Sonne as a part of His Person as the body of a man is to his soule yea more nearely for death severeth this but not the other yet in this they are like that one is the effect viz. the thing written is properly and efficiently from the Scribe from the pen instrumentally with efficiencie of inferiour degree So these divine workes which CHRIST the Mediatour worketh the chiefe vertue and action which properly effecteth them is in God not communicated really with the other Nature though it doth worke them in this humane Nature with it yea and by it as a most neerely conjoyned instrument which within the person of God the Sonne hath His proper actions concurring in an inferiour degree of efficiencie to that which the divine Nature principally and properly worketh GOD worketh graces CHRIST-Man worketh the same Saint Paul by laying on of hands giveth grace as to Timothy the divine Nature that createth them and infuseth them into this or that man through CHRIST Man being as a common conceptacle and conduit-pipe of them the humane Nature worketh them not by powerfull creating them but by taking away fin and the cause that so way might bee made for this promised Spirit Galath 3.14 2 By interceding Mediator-like for them 3 By willing the going of such graces from Him as who is with God the Sonne but one Worker though a distinct principle of working that is though distinct in Nature yet the same in Person Hee therefore worketh them as His owne workes from His owne power for God's power is by Vnity of Person made His the divine power not being without Him as the power of another Person than He is but being personally with Him Those things which His humane Nature worketh or which are wrought after His humane Nature they are the workes
not of an humane but a divine Person for though the Nature according to which they are wrought be humane yet the Person working is the Person of the Sonne of God Saint Paul giveth graces by laying on of hands with Prayer But 1 Not as if this were any way His worke but as intreating it from God in CHRIST whose it is 2 Not from power any way within His person but without Him even the power of another 3 Not conjoyned with God as the body with the soule but as an instrument with God as when I use another thing or person in doing this or that without my selfe bence it is that CHRIST-Man doth give graces authoritativè and effectivè yea according to humane action doth effect them in the highest degree that an instrumentall operation cān effect any thing Whereas Saint Paul giveth them Ministerialitèr signifiing what God doth in Christ rather than what Himselfe doth He that planteth and watereth is nothing all the efficacie of his action is to get CHRIST GOD-Man give the graces he intreateth The use is Vse that we should hence be exhorted not to rest in man The flesh profiteth nothing the spirit quickeneth that is my humane nature could not give all these precious benefits unto you unlesse the quickning Spirit did dwell in it in Him in whom all fulnesse dwelleth you are compleat 2 From the words observe That being in CHRIST Doct. we receive all kinde of graces and benefits that we lacke nothing Eph. 4.11 He is said to have ascended above all these aspectable heavens that He might fill all viz. with the gifts of grace as the context following cleareth Eph. 1.3 We are blessed in Christ with all kinde of spirituall blessings and they are said to be full of love and filled with all knowledge Rom. 15.14 These gifts may all be reduced to these two Ioh. 1.17 By Christ commeth grace and truth GODs favour pardoning our sinnes and restoring the life of God and true holinesse for so truth with Saint Iohn often signifieth There is a double fulnesse the one of gifts infused into us or to be given us the other of condition when the state is so full that there is no lacke Now for the first the Saints receive not that plenitude of inherent graces in this life though respectively in regard of such as have small degrees others may and are said to be full as the Romans and others 2. In regard of condition when we have all things so bestowed that nothing is wanting now this in Christ all the Saints have They have not that fulnesse in themselves but in Him their Head who is made of God every thing unto them wisdome righteousnesse sanctification and redemption and this Text is most fitly construed this way they need no other Teacher no other Law-giver no other Mediatour The use of it is against the Papists Vse 1 they are not compleat in Christ other mediators workes their owne righteousnesse satisfactions indulgences imputing the sufferings of men to them they have left the LORD IESUS and are run a whoring with their owne inventions This must make us rest only in Christ Vse 2 like Paul caring to know nothing but Him counting all things dung and drosse in comparison of Him Fill your selves with Christ and there will not be roome for ought else Were a vessell full of any liquor it would receive no more if a womans heart be full of her husband she hath no roome for other lovers So shall it be with you if you see by faith that your estate is full in Christ lacking nothing what will you care to looke further Lastly Vse 3 on this ground invite men to Christ how is the case altered if a poore woman should marry the Prince So if we blinde naked beggarly things marry this Prince of glory our poverty shall be exchanged with riches Who is the Head of all Principality and Power That is of all supreame and inferiour powers which are seene in the creatures visible or invisible Doct. Obs What is the dignity of Him who is every thing to us Hee is the chiefe above all the creatures this is it we beleeve of Christ as man ascending into heaven fitteth at the right hand of GOD He is placed at GODs right hand in heavenly places Eph. 1.21 above all principalities and powers and might and domination and every name that is named not in this world onely but also in that that is to come 1 Pet. 3.22 Which IESUS is at the right hand of GOD gone into heaven to whom the Angels and powers and might are subject To whom of the Angels said He Hebr. 1. Sit at my right hand till I make thy enemies thy foot-stoole Which the Apostle 1 Cor. 15. construeth thus He must reigne till His enemies be put under His feet There are three Preeminencies subordinate 1 GOD above all 2 The Mediator under God but Head over all the Creatures 3 Creatures over other creatures but under Christ and God Looke as if a mighty King doe marry any woman he maketh her Queene next in dignity to himselfe above all subjects So our great GOD IESUS CHRIST coupling our Nature with Himselfe hath in so doing extolled it above all creatures which are but the workmanship of His hands a part of whose Person this Nature is The Vse is the more to binde us to Christ Vse to have so great benefit as to lacke nothing is a great matter yet if we receive or hold good things from meane persons we weigh them the lesse and doe the easilyer part with them but when wee have great things and that from great personages in highest authority we joy as much that we hold under such as in the things which are our tenure Oh worldly wisdome will hold in Capite they will forfeit any thing rather than their Princes favour the LORD make us all as carefull to hold in this head Still remember from these descriptions Vse 2 thus interserted what causeth our looking further than CHRIST we know not His excellencie that rest not in Him And secondly what is the next way to bring us from turning to any lying deceit not according to CHRIST even this to insist much in inculcating the dignity of Christ and all-sufficiencie of Him thus Iohn the Iewes Oh their Moses had seene GOD CHRIST was not so ancient as himselfe they would leave him to follow Christ Oh saith Iohn He that commeth after me is before me none ever saw GOD but CHRIST all have received from His fulnesse that they had He is the Fountaine of grace and truth VERSE 11. In whom also yee are circumcised with Circumcision made without hands by putting off the sinfull body of the flesh through the Circumcision of CHRIST NOw he commeth to set downe more definitely what blessings Christ had brought them they may be recalled to two heads 1 The removall of their evill 2 The conferring of good The first is in the
therefore we have not put off all for we have parted with all though not wholly totum exuimus corpus sed non totaliter The ayre in the morning hath put off all her sable weeds that darknesse which in the night did cladde her but not altogether for it is cleere and cleere till Noone-tyde so here c. The use is to stirre us up with honest hearts to renounce all corruption Vse 1 Many doe by piece-meale part with their evills retayning the love of some though they seeme to leave other one will not part with lustfull affections another will keepe covetousnesse yea some put off the outward actions but never care for putting off their corrupt qualities which are rooted in their spirits 2 In the second place hence assure thy selfe that thou art in Iesus Christ if thou puttest off this body lovest no evill though sin hang about thee every where yet thou lovest and likest none of it but holdest CHRIST thy sanctifier and cryest to be uncladde and freed from all this body of death 3 Of sinnes not sin Observe hence Doct. How our masse of corruption conteyneth in it many kindes of sinne Even as the body naturall is not all one kind of member but hath great variety So this body of corruption therefore he calleth it a body of sins of many sins being as so many members in it ignorance unbeliefe irreligiosnesse pride wrath covetousnesse untruth Ephes 2.1 hence it is that the Apostle sayth the Ephesians were dead in sinnes and trespasses and the old man is sayd to be corrupted through deceivable lusts Eph. 4.22 that is so corrupted as that now he expresseth the image of divers lusts as he was formerly created after the image of GOD or else through lusts of many kindes And from hence it commeth that our native corruption doth bring such variety of fruites as are mentioned Galath 5.19 20.21 Adultery fornication uncleanenesse wantonnesse idolatry withcraft hatred debate c. and observed in experience because it is a body which hath divers members the which bring forth divers operations Which must make us both grow up in acknowledging our naturall misery Vse and to magnifie the grace of the LORD IESUS CHRIST who hath healed us of so many corruptions as have formerly had dwelling in us to take from us one sicknesse is mercy but when a man is a very body of diseases hath every member filled with infirmity then to cure him is much more And let such know who are not yet in CHRIST Vse 2 they are a lumpe of all sinnes what though all appeare not that is because the Lord doth restraine them for else we should not live together men would be woolves to men yet though the fruite appeare not the rootes are within us By the circumcision of Christ Observe hence Doct. Who it is that worketh this inwardly in us Iesus Christ He and none but Hee can remoove the filthy lusts in which the heart is wrapped as Saint Iohn spake of His Baptisme hee baptised with water but Christ baptised with the spirit and Saint Peter saith 1 Pet. 3.21 Not the baptisme which is the washing of the flesh saveth but in that a good conscience maketh request to God by the resurrection of Iesus Christ Saint Paul saith hee that planteth and watereth is nothing in regard of force which doth reach unto the soule it selfe This must be distinctly taught that we may avoyd the Papish snare and that we may glory fie God in ascribing to Him intyrely such workes as these are which are no more communicable with men then to create out of nothing another World VERSE 12. In that yee are buried with Him through baptisme in whom yee are also raised up together through the faith of the operation of GOD which raised Him from the dead NOw he commeth to the third thing buryed with Him in baptisme or by baptisme this is the modus action is and agreeth with those words you have beene circumcised in Him how being buryed with Him in baptisme It openeth both the manner and may be as a proofe thus Such as are dead and buryed to sin in Christ they have put off all the body of sinne But you have beene buryed with CHRIST by baptisme First then from the context we see Doct. that what circumcision was to the old people that is baptisme to us for he saith thus much you have beene circumcised in being baptised though in circumstantiall things these disagree as in the sexe receiving the Sacrament there men onely here women In the matter signified Christ to come in the degree of grace given In the externall rite yet the substance of the thing signified manner of receiving generall ends they conspire Hence we may have a ground and warrant to proove the baptisme of infants lawfull and warrantable by the Word of God Vse For circumcision being administred to infants in the time of the old Testament there is no reason why baptisme succeeding it should not bee administred to them in the time of the Gospell The second thing is Doct. that from our union with Christ dead and buryed we come to have the body of sinne crucified and put away from us This is thus gathered he saith they were circumcised that is had the body of sin put off them while they were together buried with Christ which baptisme signifieth and sealeth up in them from this then we come to put off sins that we are set into Christ dying and buryed for the abolishing of sin and hence Rom. 6. Saint Paul sheweth that we cannot live in sin as formerly we did and have to doe with it because we are dead to it being set into Christ dying and that by baptisme The reason is because that Christ hath by his death killed the sin of all that belong to Him and therefore such as are set into His death they cannot but feele the death of this body of sins which before lived in them Even as when Adam sinned and dyed to the life of God all of us in him are dead and so soone as we come actually to be members of him we feele the effect of Adams death even this that being dead to the life of God we lye in the spirituall death of ignorance and lusts So CHRIST the second Adam He dying to abolish sin even that He might be the death of sin in all His members and lying buried under it that He might so abolish it as never to rise againe Briefly then Adam a roote of mankind finning brought death upon all His. 1. By bringing imputation of sin 2. Extinction of the life of grace 3. A propagation of death in sin and trespasse Christ standeth as a second Adam in the persons of all given Him to be His members and having their sin imputed to Him 1 He doth take away the guilt of it 2 Dyed to sin and lay under it in our nature that we by vertue thereof might dye to it the omnipotent spirit of
meane while see nothing into those favours which they themselves have enjoyed But let us learne hence so to be affected to God for that we have received that we faile not to tell what God hath done for our soules when we are telling of His kindnesse Lastly Doct. marke the largenesse of God's grace forgiving all our sinnes all past present and to come If any future sinnes were not forgiven us we could not have life eternall restored For as one of our sinnes kept without pardon would have kept CHRIST from rising from the dead so it would keepe us from feeling the power of His Resurrection if all our sinnes were not remitted to us There is no condemnation to one that is in CHRIST Rem 8.1 Hee hath passed from death to life and shall not come into condemnation God doth not forgive as justifying us judicially but once neither doth he remit all present to the beleever suspending the pardon of future till hee should anew repent and beleeve for this standeth not with the nature of that everlasting Covenant I will remember thy sinne no more Againe unlesse one would hold a totall which must needs also bee a finall fall from CHRIST it would follow that one should be in CHRIST and yet for a time in state of damnation before God Why then doe we pray Object Answ forgive us our sinne That we may have continuance of our pardon sense and feeling of it that we may have pardon of God's Fatherly displeasure and so of bitter corrections which our sinne might cause not that we would have a new justification with GOD. How are those that are excommunicate made as Publicans Object and it is good in Heaven The Church doth not cut them off from all conjunction with GOD Ans but separate them from all communion with her selfe and in this regard doth censure them as Publicans and not let them communicate with them no more than prophane persons though she may think they may be brethren in God's secret sight and estimation and this censure of hers is ratified Hence then let us thinke of the Lord 's wonderfull love Vse to forgive one fault a second and a third this is much but to pardon such thousands of talents is wonderfull If the King should forgive a traytor against whom one treasonable practice was proved is it not great clemencie but to pardon one against whom there is good proofe of a thousand Articles in this kinde Thus it is with God hence Rom. 5. God amplifieth His grace and maketh it to glory above justice justice condemned in one sinne but grace is given to the pardon of many offences This is to be noted against the Papists they say God forgiveth all sinnes fully in Baptisme only after Baptisme God forgiveth not veniall sins and if we fall into mortal God forgiveth for CHRIST the eternall punishment but leaveth us to satisfie the temporall Thus when God forgiveth us not all our sins but sins committed before Baptisme not all after but mortall only nor mortall fully but in regard of the eternall punishment thus they infringe the Charter of all the Christian world that they may maintaine their merchandize of Pardons and indulgencies But this were to make God no pardoner but a mitigater of punishment If the King now when a traytour is condemned to dye doe change his sentence of of death into perpetuall imprisonment hee is not said to forgive the treason but to mitigate punishment Privilegiasunt amplianda When God saith He forgiveth all who but such enemies of mankinde would restraine it further than God Himselfe doth True it is that many punishments doe still lye upon GOD's children but they are childe-like chastisements not judiciary penalties whereby the Law might be satisfied VERSE 14. Blotting out the hand-writing of ordinances that was against us which was contrarie to us and tooke it out of the way nailing it to his Crosse NOw he commeth to the second benefit which went before our quickening In laying it downe 1 He setteth downe the benefit 2 The manner of working it In describing the benefit he doth by a gradation set it forth 1 He blotted out the hand-writing against us 2 He tooke it out of the way quite abolished it The manner of working nailing it on the Crosse But to cleare the Text some Questions are necessary It may be asked Qu. 1 what is meant by this hand-writing The Apostle leadeth us to know it Answ 1 By the Quality it was Contrary 2 The Subject about which it was occupied in rites which doe define it sufficiently to be the Ceremoniall Law but it is more evident by comparing it with Ephes 2.15 Abolishing the Law of Commandements in rites by that which he presently inferreth Therefore seeing that CHRIST hath blotted out the hand-writing in rites let none condemne you in legall rites not obeyed by you This illation doth shew that legall rites are meant somewhere in the precedents Further Verse 20. he thus useth the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Why doe yee use rites as touch not taste not handle not It may be asked Qu. 2 how this was a hand-writing against any They have a double consideration the one Evangelicall Answ whereby they are visible words preaching Christ thus they are not the other legall purely Mosaicall whereby they preached our guilt and the wrath belonging to us thus they were hand-writings against us It may be asked how Saint Paul can say Qu. 3 these were hand-writings against the Colossians and how he can name the taking of them away as a benefit to the Colossians seeing that nothing is more evident than that the Ceremoniall Law was laid on none by God but the houshold of Abraham Saint Paul saith to us who was of the tribe of Benjamin Answ Phil. 3. and it may be he changeth the Person in the Verse before having respect to this But to passe this Conjecture it may be answered that the Iewish rites had a double testification the one direct which respected their owne persons that worshipped with them the other indirect by force of Consequent onely and thus they did witnesse the guilt of all the world For if they testifie that the peculiar people of God were by nature in sin and guiltie of death then à fortiori they witnessed all the world beside lay in sinne and death And thus Saint Paul on the contrary maketh those Scriptures which are spoken against the Gentiles in the old Testament to witnesse against the Iew by nature the Iew is no better than the Gentile Now this was a benefit to all the Gentiles the abolishing of them not that it easeth us from any thing had beene upon us but because it doth save us from ever having this importable yoke laid on us and this I take to be the sound answer of this question What it meaneth Qu. 4 that God is said to blot out and take them away Because they are so answered in CHRIST Ans that their obligation
when we beleeve first translated out of the power of Satan before we have our new life infused from Christ Even as a traytour cannot be safe from the sentence of death untill he be first taken out of the hand of a cruell Executioner So here with us Hence it is that Heb. 2.15 Christ is said first to abolish him who hath power of death and then to deliver those who through feare of death were still subject to bondage But it may be asked Quest how these were subdued by Christ when we finde them still encounter us Because they have no right in us Answ nor power to hurt us and are totally in due time to be troden under our feet therefore they are said subdued not that they have not leave a while to exercise us This then must make us rejoyce in God our Saviour Vse who hath vanquished such enemies in our behalfe When the great Armado in eighty eight was overthrowne what a joy was it to all true English hearts But this is the joy of all joyes to the Israel of God to thinke how Christ hath troden on the Serpents head and captivated all their power who sometime lead us captive In particular when he saith Doct. Who hath spoiled Observe hence That God hath in Iesus Christ crucified and disarmed Satan that he hath no weapon against us It is the custome of conquerours to disarme their vanquished enemies and make a prey of what ever they have so hath Christ Iesus done with Satan For first whereas they had sin and our owne confessions against us CHRIST tooke away our sins laying them on Himselfe and satisfying for them Secondly whereas they having power of death did hold us under CHRIST bare the death in His owne Person that so this weapon might not hurt us Thirdly whereas we by reason of sin and death were in their power He stripped them off us likewise making the mighty deliver these captives for sin and death being taken away by which they held us in their power they had nothing to shew why wee should be detained now this was the spoiling of him of his free-hold as hee imagined This must teach us to stirre up our selves in serving GOD confidently for why Vse Wee are delivered from our enemies who are spoiled that we might serve the LORD without feare Great are these spirituall powers in their nature but to those that are in Christ they are disarmed so that they cannot hurt us they are naked divels and we being in Christ are in a strong for t Wherefore as for armed men being in a strong hold it were too much shame to be afraid of naked enemies that should offer with nothing in their hands to assaile them So here True it is as children not knowing what is what are afraid of bull-beggars which cannot hurt them So are we here but the LORD maketh us grow up in His strength We see how to comfort our selves when we feele sinne darted against us or seeme to feele feare of death Vse 2 or discerne that the Divell doth halfe hold us still as we thinke what must we doe but looke to Christ tell Him LORD thou hast taken sin and death out of the Divels hand and tooke me from him likewise Lord make my eye of faith cleere that I may see this thy victory for me thy victory I know is full though in my feeling it seeme otherwise Looke with the eye of faith to Christ give glory to Him that He hath done it and thou shalt quickly see His victory applyed in thee And though the Divell hold hard feare not all is vaine he must yeeld the bucklers when all is done to thy Lord Christ his prey must be delivered up he hath no right in it nor power to hold CHRIST did discharge him of the one and brake the other in his death He hath made a shew of them openly Observe hence Doct. How Christ in His death made a scorne of all the powers of darknesse they are exposed to open shame It is said of the wicked Dan. 12. they shall be an everlasting reproach and it is a part of their deserved punishment So here it was just that these wicked powers should be exposed to all reproach But what was this open shew of them Quest The taking them captives Ans 1 the pinioning them with His Almighty power the presenting them before GOD Angels and every beleeving eye as naked things who are spoiled and cast out of their usurped possessions the filling them with confusion Yea not onely doth He thus make them stoope to His command but made them become hang-men doing execution at the command of His servants in His Name as Paul saith of Hymeneus and Alexander I have delivered them up to Satan 1 Tim. 20 Now as a serpent that leaveth the sting in one cannot sting againe so it was with this old serpent his sting was so stricken into Christ that he could not now any more sting us who are His Nay more the putting him under the feet of such demie creatures as we are and making him serve for our good whom he usurped over as cruell Pharaoh sometime Even as Conquerours taking their enemies captive doe make them serve for base slaves in the basest ministeries lead them along pinnioned one to another So doth our Conquerour IESUS CHRIST This must the more make us magnifie God Vse and animate our selves under the shadow of His wings who is all our salvation Note againe that our SAVIOUR hath openly triumphed on His Crosse which doth let us see the perfect victory of Christ over all our enemies in His death this was the consummation of His Conquest that the Victor did ride in His Chariot of triumph the vanquished captives of divers Nations led beside him When the Emperour came home he went up to the top of the Capitoll and there in publike view triumphed as he saith of Augustus Ille triumphata Capitolia ad alta Corintho victor aget currum This is the fulnesse of victory But here a Question ariseth Quest How doth this triumph on His Crosse stand with His humiliation For the first degree of His exaltation is made His resurrection He is said to triumph in regard He suffering Answ wrought that whence His after triumph ensued Secondly Christ who in His man-hood lay conquered and humbled under death the same Person in regard of His God-head was conquering and triumphing for though to faine the same nature in contrary taking is a contradiction as Schoole-men doe who will have the humane nature formally in the greatest felicity and greatest sufferings at one instant yet to affirme the same Person in divers regards humbled extreamely and yet triumphing is no contradiction because it is not understood secundum idem and in respect of the same but a diverse nature Which must be all our rejoycing Vse 1 with what acclamation doe subjects meet and welcome their Princes returning with victory Such should be our entertaining this