of him 1 Pet. 3. 22. 2. He is precious in the esteeme of the Angels The Angelical host did him honour at his birth Luke 2. 13 14. They tuned their instruments and sang with a loud voice Glory be to God in the highest As God hath commanded them to worship him Heb. 1. 6. so they do continually worship him They are ready at his beck to do his will They do ascend and descend upon the Son of man John 1. 51. Not as if they ministred to Christ alone but because out of respect to Christ and to do him honour they do at his command go forth to serve his Church as he gives them charge The Angels worship the Sonne with the very same aderation wherewith they worship the Father Christ is very high in their books 3. He is precious in the esteeme of the Saints Whether ye take it of the Saints triumphant or of the Saints militant for the Saints triumphant see how they adore him Rev. 5. 8 9. And the Saints militant they have an high esteeme of him They glory and triumph in him They venture their whole salvation upon him They disesteeme all other things in respect of him I account all things saith the Apostle but losse for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord Phil. 3. 7 8. They are joyful when they can have communion with him See what follows in the verse after the Text unto you that beleeve he is precious he is but a nominal beleever that doth not account Christ precious See how the Church speaks of him Cantiles 5. 10. He is white and ruddy the chiefest of ten thousands 4. He is precious in himself This I shall shew you in these three particulars 1. In the glory of his person Never did such a person appear in the world as is Jesus Christ He is truly God and truly and properly man The Divine and humane Nature never hypostatically met in any person besides the person of Christ The Apostle saith of him that he is the brightnesse of his Fathers glory and the expresse image of his person Heb. 1. 3. He is the head of principalities and powers Col. 2. 10. The highest and most glorious of the Angels being compared to Christ is but a dark and a fullied creature He excels the Angels in the glory of his person far more then they do the meanest of men All the Divine attributes are appropriated to Christ as he is the Son of God as well as to the Father He is eternal Micah 5. 2. His goings forth are from everlasting He is immutable as the Father is Heb. 1. 12. He is omniscient Heb. 4. 13. He is omnipotent Esay 9. 6. In one word he is as God every way equal to the Father Phil. 2. 6. There are such mysteries in the person of Christ as shall be matter of admiration both to men and Angels to all eternity There is in Christ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 though not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 identity of person and diversity of natures and these united without composition and confusion both natures reteining their distinct properties and yet both making but one person This is the first 2. In the glory of his qualifications and endowments Jesus Christ is endued with such rare gifts and graces as never any before See how the Scripture expresseth it Psalme 45. 7. God even thy God hath anointed thee with oyle of gladnesse above thy fellows Col. 2. 3. In him are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge Col. 1. 19. It pleased the Father that in him all fulnesse should dwell The fulnesse of grace in Christ excels the fulnesse of all other persons in these three respects 1. In him are all kindes of fulnesse He hath not onely the fulnesse of parts but the fulnesse of degrees also The best of the Saints have onely the fulnesse of parts There may be additions made to their fulnesse But in Christ is fulnesse of degrees There can be no additions made to his fulnesse The Spirit which is given to others in measure is given to Christ without measure John 3. 34. And then 2. In Christ there is the fulnesse of redundancy as well as the fulnesse of sufficiency All other persons have onely a fulnesse of sufficiency The Angels albeit they want nothing which is agreeable to their estate yet they have no overplus to redound to others But now in Christ is the fulnesse of redundance he hath not onely the fulnesse of the vessel as others have but he hath the fulnesse of the fountaine whereby he is able to communicate unto others Zech. 13. 1. A fountaine shall be set open for sin and for uncleannesse He hath the fulnesse of the root the fulnesse of the heap the fulnesse of the Sunne Hence it is that men are invited to him to be made partakers of his fulnesse Esay 55. 1. All the fulnesse that is in the Saints is communicated from him to them according to that of the Evangelist John 1. 16. Of his fulnesse have we all received and grace for grace 3. All this fulnesse which is in Christ is in him after a peculiar and special manner The Apostle sets this out by that phrase of dwelling Col. 1. 19. That expression notes a threefold difference in fulnesse as it is in Christ from fulnesse as it is in the Saints 1 'T is in him originally That fulnesse which is in the Saints is in them derivatively They have it from another Christ hath his fulnesse from himselfe The Divinity doth fill and replenish the humanity with all kindes of grace 2 'T is in Christ essentially As he is God his fulnesse is his essence Therefore doth the Apostle say that the fulnesse of the God-head dwels in him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 bodily Col. 2. 9. that is personally and essentially 3 T is in him unchangeably It is maintained constantly at the same height It doth not abate nor is there any potentiality of abating It 's alwayes high tyde with Jesus Christ That fulnesse which is in the Saints is the fulnesse of a dish which is abated if one drop be taken away but the fulnesse of Christ is as the fulnesse of the fire which though it kindle hundreds of sticks yet is not abated or as the fulnesse of the Sunne which though it send down its beames continually upon the world yet the light of it is not darkned Never any person endowed with so many excellencies in such a measure after such a manner as Jesus Christ No perfection can be named or imagined which is not to be found transcendently in Jesus Christ wisdome beauty meeknesse patience heavenlinesse c. All Christian vertues are called the vertues of Christ 1 Pet. 2. 9. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 both because they were all eminently in Christ and because as they are in the Saints they are communicated from Christ This is the second 3. In the worth of his sufferings The Scripture calls the blood of
hopes that our eyes shall still according to Gods promise see Isa 30. 20 our Teachers and that we shall not be left 2 Chr. 15. 3 without God through the want of a true Gospel Ministery 1. Both because of his abiding compassions notwithstanding our ill deservings from whence in former ages his Church hath been supplyed with a succession of faithful painful Embassadors 2 Chr. 36. 15 though there have been therein many people of very high provocations 2. And also because there is a considerable accession of young men rich in gifts and graces who from time to time seek entrance into the Ministery through the right dore of Ordination though it be an Ordinance wofully sleighted by multitudes yea by some who pretend much love unto the Gospel And therefore seeing Christ who holdeth the stars in his right hand is obliged Rev. 1. 16. Eph. 4. 11 12 13. to maintain his own Officers in the Church till his Saints arrive at perfection we his Ministers in reference to our calling may boldly say We shall not die but live and declare the works of the Lord. Reader Ps 118 15 believe it Nothing more endangereth the loss of the Gospel then contempt and none proficiency Therefore once and againe we most heartily entreat thee to prize and to improve a Gospel Ministery and all other means of grace which the God of thy mercies doth yet vouchsafe To him that hath and fruitfully tradeth what he is trusted with shall be given and he shall have abundance Mat. 23. 29 Let not this book be received in vain which the good hand of providence doth now tender unto thee This field is full of Gospel treasures digged out of Scripture mines for thine enriching in the knowledge of Christ and what knowledge is so necessary excellent or profitable For from hence do issue all things which pertaine unto life and godlinesse Hereby our love to Christ is 2 Pet. 1. 3. enflamed our longings after him enlarged our faith in him confirmed our joyes in him raised yea by the knowledge of him he is possessed and improved both for growth in all graces augmenting of all spiritual comforts and preparation for everlasting glory Therefore commending this book which hath by one of us been diligently and carefully compared with the Authors own notes together with all thy other helps for heaven unto thy faithful improvement we commend thee to the fulnesse of the blessing of the Gospel Rom. 15. 29 through Jesus Christ in whom we desire alwayes to approve our selves May 28. 1656. The real friends and servants of thy soul Simeon Ashe Edm. Calamy William Tayler A TABLE Of the several DOCTRINES handled in this TREATISE 1. A Prelimunary Sermon to the whole discourse that Christ is All and in All. pag. 1 2. Christ a Christians life 11 3. Christ a Christians food 39 4. Christs righteousnesse the Christians robe 67 5. Christ the Protector 87 6. Jesus Christ the Physician 119 7. Christ the true light 225 8. Jesus Christ the great Shepherd 249 9. Jesus Christ the true Vine 282 10. Christ the horn of salvation 324 11. Christ the dew of heaven 351 12. Christ the chief corner stone 385 13. Christ to the wicked a stone of stumbling 432 14. Christ the Sunne of righteousnesse 455 15. Christs Name a precious oyntment 487 16. Jesus Christ the consolation of Israel 509 17. Christ the fountaine opened for penitent sinners 555 Second Part of the Table 18. CHrist the Lamb of God 1 19. Christ a bundle of myrrh 3 20. Christ the way 16 21. Christ the truth 40 22 Christ the glory of his people 80 23. Christ the gift of God 81 24. Jesus the Authour and finisher of our faith 101 25. Christ the rock 121 26. The Word of Christ the sword of the spirit 153 27. Jesus Christ the desire of all Nations 1â—4 28. The Covenant of grace established in Christ 206 29. Christ the hope of salvation 235 30. Jesus Christ as rivers of water in a dry land 258 31. Christ the power of God 288 32. Christ the wisdom of God 306 33. Christ the true brazen Serpent 329 34. Christ the end of the Law 365 35. Christ the holy one of God 379 36. Christ the Christians spiritual Altar 400 37. Christ the Christians Passeover 408 COL 3. last part of ver 11. I. SERM. at Mary Wolnoth Lon. May 18. 1651. Christ is all and in all THe Apostle in the two former Chapters perswadeth these Colossians to constancy in the Faith of the Gospel in which they had been instructed against the practice of those false apostles who laboured to draw them away to judaical ceremonies He doth in this Chapter as his manner is give them sundry Exhortations to holinesse of life And first he stirs them up to the more diligent study of heavenly things by many Arguments verse 1 2 3 4. If ye be risen with Christ seek those things that are above Secondly he perswades them to mortifie their earthly members those vitious motions and affections of corrupt nature which were still too strong in them he doth not only urge this in general but instances in many particulars all which are pressed by several Arguments verse 5 6 7 8 9 10. Amongst other Arguments this is one They have put off the old man and put on the new man ver 9 10. This new man he describes three wayes First it is the renuing of the holinesse of our nature which we lost in Adam Secondly it consists in the knowledge of the mystery of the Gospel Thirdly the example or Archetype according to which this new man is fashioned is the image of God our Creator This Argument the Apostle follows verse 11. he sets it on two wayes 1. By removing the false opinion of some who neglecting this new man did confide in their external priviledges and contemned all such as wanted them this in the former part of the verse where there is neither Greek nor Jew c. that is in this new man it matters not what Nation a person be of whether he be Jew or Gentile nor doth it matter what outward prerogatives a person have whether he be circumcised or uncircumcised nor doth it matter what his outward state be whether he be bond or free c. none of all these differences are looked at or considered No man is more accepted of God for the having of any of these things nor is any less esteemed of him for the want of them There is neither Jew nor Greek c. 2. By opposing the true opinion But Christ is all and in all Qâ—d All those external things which are accounted so honourable without this new man do not availe to salvation nor will the want of all these hinder a person of salvation and acceptance with God if the great work of regeneration be wrought for Christ is all and in all We have such another expression Gal. 3. 27 28. Ye are all
far from them wondrous confident have the Saints of God been in times of danger upon this very ground God is our refuge and strength saith the Church a present help in time of trouble therefore we will not fear though the earth be moved c. Psal 46. 1 2 3. A Saint that beleeves this may laugh at fear he may esteeme iron as straw and brasse as rotten wood as the Scripture saith of the Leviathan Job 41. 27 28. 'T is a disparagement to your hiding place that you should be afraid If Christ be able to hide you you shall not be undefended Let the world rage let devils roare let men lift up their voice let sinne be never so furious Christ is a hiding place he hides you from Gods wrath and he will hide you from mans fury Let unguarded sinners fear and tremble but let Christs hidden ones rest in setled peace in firme security Your sinking doth upbraid your hiding place with weaknesse and insufficiency 2. Acknowledge from whence all your safety and protection comes That you are hid from danger when others are exposed to danger that you are sheltred when others 〈◊〉 without shelter that your soules bodies graces comforts are secured it is not because of your own care but because Christ hides you If the Lord himself had not been on our fide now may Israel say they had swallowed us up quick when their wrath was kindled against us Psal 124. 1 2. If Christ did not prepare a place for the woman the Church and if he did not give her the two wings of an Eagle to carry her to her hiding place the Dragon would soon devoure both her and her childe Rev. 12. 14. Acknowledge the protection of Christ let him have the praise of all your safety The ancient Romanes used to pay tribute for shadows let Christ have praises for his shadowy protection Whosoever are the instruments he is the principal Authour of all your hiding 3. Take heed of making any other hiding places Men are very apt when danger approacheth to dig created hiding places for themselves We may reade how the Prophet reproves this practise Esay 22 9 10 11. A providential use of outward means is not onely lawful but necessary but carnal trusting to any such hiding place is sinful To trust to creatures in time of danger is very Atheistical God hath cursed such confidence Jer. 17. 5 6. But to descend to particulars There are sundry places which men create to themselves in time of danger 1 Many make great men their hiding place When troubles arise they have recourse to men that by the strength of horses and Armies they may hide them Alas what a vain confidence is this Ahaz thought to have hid himselfe under the wing of the King of Assyria but what was the event 2 Chron. 28. 20. The King of Assyria came unto him but strengthened him nâ—t The skirt of men the strength of horses is weak and very vaine Prov. 21. 31. The horse is prepared against the day of battel but safety is of the Lord. We must say as the Church Lord give us help in trouble for vaine is the help of man He that makes a chariot his hiding place shall not be hid God will drive the wheeles over their own back If men and horses could be a hiding place from men to your bodies they cannot be any competent shelters to your soules they cannot hide the inner man I shall conclude this with Psal 20. 7. Some trust in chariots c. They are brought down and fallen but we are risen and stand upright He that makes men and horses his hiding place shall bring down the fire of Gods anger upon his hiding place and upon himselfe Esay 31. 1 3. When God shall stretch out his hand both he that helpeth shall fall and he that is holpen shall fall down and they all shall fall together 2 Others make strong Castles and desenced Cities their hiding place When danger approaches they slie to such places and there think to be safe But alas how insecure are all these places The high walls of Jericho fell down with a shout when Jesus Christ gave commandment for their downfal Josh 6. 20. such hiding places are made of perishable materials Nineveh was a strong place but it could not secure the inhabitants thereof See how the Prophet derides their confidence Nah. 3. 12 13 14. Tyrus was very strong Ezek. 27. 11. The Gammadims were in thy Towers They were a people of Phenicia called Gammadims as if we should say viâ—i 〈◊〉 becausâ— of the grâ—â—t strength they had in their 〈◊〉 〈…〉 lacâ—rtosi saith Juniâ—s And not for all their strength they could not preserve their Towers nor their Towers them from the rage of Nebuchadnezzar Chap. 26. 7 8 9. If any defenced place could hide you yet it could but hide the outward man it could be no security to the soul either from sinne or temptations Devils can climb the highest walls brazen wals cannot keep out his temptations much lesse can they secure you from the wrath of God 3 Others make their silver and gold a hiding place The rich mans wealth is his strong City and as a high wall in his conceit Prov. 18. 11. but alas how unable are these things to secure us riches sometime lay men open to danger poverty is a better securer then riches even from bodily danger Osiander reports that in that bloody Epit. Cent. 16. l. 3. c. 69. Parisian Massacre many rich Papists were murthered for their wealth as well as protestants Though their profession made them Papists yet their wealth made them Hugonots as well as others However riches cannot secure a man from a disease nor from death Luke 16. nor from temptation nor from troubles of conscience nor from the wrath of God Prov. 11. 4. and Zephan 1. 18. Neither their silver nor gold can deliver them in the day of the Lords anger 4 Others make their outward priviledges a hiding place This the carnal Jewes did ever betake themselves to when the Prophets threatned any stormes Nothing is more frequent in Scripture then this Jer. 7. 4. The Temple of the Lord c. Mic. 3. 11. and Mat. 3. 9. Think not to say within your selves we have Abraham to our Father c. But alas all this will not hide you Go to my place at Shiloh saith God Jer. 7. 12. Go to Jerusalem and see how it is there go to the seven Churches of Asia and see how it is there These priviledges are so farre from being hiding places that if he that enjoyes them be not hid savingly in Christ they will expose him to more sudden more certaine and more dreadful ruine Reade Mat. 11. 20 21 22 23 24. Ioab was slaine at the horns of the Altar Gods Temple shall not be a Sanctuary except he who is the Lord of the Temple be our hiding place Indeed whatever hiding place is made besides Christ shall not shelter
Christ He that saith he abideth in Christ ought himselfe so to walk even as he walked 1 John 2. 6. And then 4 That they would acknowledge their whole dependance to be on Christ The branch doth not depend upon it selfe but upon the Vine All a beleevers dependance should be on Christ 1. On him we depend in point of fruition God hath laid up all that ever we shall have in Christ All that the branches receive they receive from the root All the good which a beleever shall have it is from Christ Out of his fulnesse have we all received John 1. 16. And then 2. On him we depend in 〈…〉 the good we receive is from him 〈…〉 we do is done by him he is the 〈…〉 good both in a Passive sense and in 〈…〉 sense Without the ye can do nothing John 〈…〉 It is very unseemly and very in congruous 〈◊〉 Branch of Christ to deny his dependance oâ— the root either by Word or Action To expect any thing but from and through Christ to go about to do any thing without power derived from Christ is to deny our dependance on him And he that denies his dependance on him shall have no benefit by him Christ in you the hope of glory Col. 1. 27. He that will have either glory or grace any other way then thorough Christ shall certainly come short either of grace or glory He that will undertake to performe any action to encounter any temptation without actual rolling himself on Christ shall finde the action too hard the temptation too strong for him to encounter A Christian may do all things when Christ doth strengthen him but he can do nothing till Christ enable him 'T is a dangerous thing not to depend on Christ These two inconveniences follow upon it First He that doth not acknowledge his dependance on Christ for what he doth will not give Christ the glory of what he doth And what Sacriledge is it to rob Christ of his glory And then 2ly He that will not acknowledge his dependance on Christ doth stop up the currant of the grace of Christ to himself If we with-hold our acknowledgements Christ will with-hold his outflowings Let this perswade all Christians to own their dependance on Christ And then 5 Strengthen your union with Christ more and more Grow farther and farther into Christ The Apostle speaks of growing up into Christ Eph. 4. 15. A beleever as soon as ever he is implanted is inseparably united but yet the union may be strengthened As the tree shoots up in height so the root grows down-ward in depth and every branch the longer it grows in the stock the more firmly is it united A beleever must get faster and faster hold on Christ every day He must strengthen his faith in Christ daily As our faith is strengthened so is our union with Christ strengthened The Apostle tells us this in that Col. 2. 6 7. As ye have received Christ Jesus the Lord so walk ye in him rooted and built up in him and stablished in the faith As our faith is stablished so is our union stablished Every Sermon every Prayer every Sacrament should cause us sink deeper and deeper into Christ Thus for the Exhortation as it respects them that are Branches of Christ 2. To them that are not branches That they would endeavour to be implanted I know a Christian is meerly passive in his first conversion the grace of conversion is preventing grace yet something may be done The Word of God I told you is the mediate instrument of our implantation Wait constantly on this Word when ye come to it lift up your hearts to God and get others to joyn with you that God would cut you off from the stock of the wilde vine and implant you into Christ Sigh after Christ when Christ lays hold on you by his Spirit to cut you off do not resist Cut your selves off from sinful acts and God may cut you off from a sinful cool This is 〈…〉 â—â—hortation 3. For Consâ—latiâ—â— This Doctriâ—◠〈…〉 are branches of Christ affords many 〈…〉 of Comfort There are foure springs 〈…〉 to beleevers arising from four priviledgeâ— which redound to them from this relation theâ—â— stand in to Christ As 1. Surely Christ will be very sensible of all the wrongs which are done you They come very neere to Jesus Christ that lay violent hands upon his branches There is sympathy between the Root and the branches There is sympathy between Christ and beleevers Saul Saul why persecutest thou me Acts 9. 4 He that hacks and hews the branches is injurious to the stock that bears them He that hews and hacks at a beleever doth hew at Christ who is the Root of a beleever And 2. Surely Christ will revive you under all decayings and dyings Beleevers these mystical hranches have their winteâ—s as well as the natural branches They lose their verdure and greennesse sometimes thorough sinne as other trees do Well here is your comfort Christ your stock will send out his sap he will by the communications of his influences restore you to your luster and greennesse again He will cause a fresh and beautiful Spring to succeed a drooping Winter He will make you fresh and gay after al your spiritual witherings and failings The Root owes this to the branch to revive it to convey sap to it Jesus Christ having undertaken this work and office to be the Churches Stock doth owe this to every beleever to communicate sap and moisture to him God hath put fulnesse into him that he might send out to all the branches David had once lost his greennesse Peter was foully withered many other Saints have languished but Christ hath sent out his moisture and revived them againe He restoreth my soul saith David and leadeth me in the paths of righteousnesse for his Names sake Psal 23. 3. A branch of Christ may promise to himself that he shall have spiritual restorings from Christ after spiritual languishings Christ may for a time let his branches wither but he will not let them die And then 3. Surely Christ will beare thee up in all shakings Beleevers meet with may sore tempests in this world they have stormes and earth-quakes fightings without and feares within Jesus Christ will not suffer you to be broken off by any of these stormes In this the mystical branches exceed all the natural They may be broken off from the stock but those cannot You have seen sometimes strong armes of mighty trees broken off by strong windes mighty thunders c. But let it lighten and thunder never so violently Christ will secure these branches Once a Branch and ever a Branch Simon Simon Satan hath desired to lift thee c. Luke 22 32. He that will pluck off a branch must first pluck up the root While the stock hath strength to bear the branches they shall be borne up onely two things the Branches must be careful of 1. They must importune Christ by their