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
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
savoring of the flesh 6 Whatsoever is meerely grounded on tradition and what is carnall and sensuall in GODS service is contrary to Christ Verse 9. 1 THis must make us rest in CHRIST onely as all sufficient that we know Him GOD blessed for ever 2 All the fulnesse of GOD is communicated with CHRIST as man the whole entyre Nature of GOD. 3 Not created gifts or miraculous effects of the divine nature are united with Christ man but the deity it selfe the fulnesse of it 3 The same singular Nature is in all the three persons 5 The manner of GODS dwelling in CHRIST man is personally so as that GOD the Sonne is thereby become personally man Verse 10. 1 CHrist man doth send out all the streames of grace and good things to all His members in that the fountaine dwelleth in Him 2 Being in CHRIST we receive all kinde of graces and benefits that wee lacke nothing 3 The dignity of CHRIST who is all to us is this that He is the chiefe above all the creatures Verse 11. 1 AN excellent meane to hold us fast to Christ is to remember what great evil of sin He hath subdued for us 2 Christ hath given us a spirituall Circumcision 3 No outward action of the hand of man reacheth to the clensing of the soule 4 Sin and grace is to the soule as apparell is to the body 5 Spirituall circumcision standeth in putting off all our corruptions 6 The soule of the naturall man is clad with sinne 7 Wee must forgoe not some part of our corruption but the whole body of sinne 8 Our masse of corruption containeth many sinnes 9 IESUS CHRIST it is who worketh in us this spirituall circumcision Verse 12. 1 VVHat Circumcision was to the old people that Baptisme is to us 2 From our union with CHRIST dead and buried we come to have the body of sinne crucified 3 GOD doth unite us with CHRIST even by our Baptisme 4 To consider of our resurrection which we have through CHRIST is a forcible motive to make us cleave to Him 5 Faith on Christ maketh us rise to new life 6 The omnipotent action of God which raised Christ from the dead is it that begetteth faith in us Verse 13. 1 OVr quickning in CHRIST is such a benefit which we must not quickly have done with and lightly passe over 2 Ministers must amplifie to their people the benefits bestowed on them 3 Sinne both originall and actuall is the death of the soule 4 The life of a naturall man is even a death in trespasse 5 Our course in actuall sin doth sinke us deeper and deeper in death 6 We are farre from being prepared to receive the grace shewed us by God when we are quickened to beleeve 7 The way to bring men to acknowledgement of GOD's grace with thankfulnesse is to make them see what they were when God first shewed it 8 All beleevers have a new life in and through Christ 9 In order of nature first we have pardon of sinne before we have the life of grace begun in us 10 God the Father Son and Spirit doe properly forgive sinne 11 God's pardon is of meere grace to us 12 We must remember what God hath done for us while we shew to others the things bestowed on them 13 The grace of God in forgiving our sinnes is exceeding large Verse 14. 1 NOt onely our sin which is our debt is answered but whatsoever may shew any thing against us is done away in Christ 2 By Christ the ceremoniall Law is taken away 3 The Iewish ceremonies as they were purely legall were as bills testifying the debt of the people before God 4 Christ by suffering on the crosse hath abolished these things Verse 15. 1 GOd doth set us free from the power of Satan before we are made alive in Christ 2 God in Christ hath crucified and disarmed Satan 3 Christ in His death made a scorne of all the power of darknesse and exposed them to open shame Verse 16. 1 VVE must not make account of mens sinister judgements as any way giving place unto them 2 To put no difference in meats for conscience sake or religious respect is no sinne 3 Such as doate upon Mosaicall rites are ready to condemne such as are not done right in them Verse 17. 1 THe legall ceremonies were shadowes of that is done in Christ and His Church Verse 18. 1 FAlse teachers are led with a spirit of arrogancie which maketh them usurpe judgement over others 2 The naturall man doth judge and condemne what doth not agree with him 3 Our softnesse and pusillanimity doth make us subject too much to take to heart mens sinister judgements 4 Wicked deceivers will seeme to stand for vertue and challenge those that are truly godly as wanting it 5 Adoration of Angels and Saints masketh under the vizor of holinesse 6 All religious worship of Saints or Angels is unchristian 7 The property of a seducer is to speake that he knoweth not 8. The cause of vouching and diving into hidden things is Pride Verse 19. 1 LOoking to the creatures for helpe and grace doth make us fall from Christ 2 We have not many but one Head 3 In Christ mysticall there is nothing but the Head giving growth and the body receiving growth 4 For the whole multitude of beleevers there is sufficiency in Christ 5 Before we can take spirituall growth in Christ we must be knit to Him 6 Every true beleever groweth up in Christ not stands at a stay 7 It is God who maketh us as begin so grow in grace Verse 20. 1 CHRIST by His death hath freed us from the Ceremonies of the Law 2 True Christians must not live in that Christ dyed to take away 3 Gods children live out of the world while in it Verse 21.22 1 MEn are exact in outward observancies who know not the power of godlinesse 2 Hard to forgoe old rites to which we are accustomed 3 Bodily observancies profit nothing 4 We are not to give credence to any thing not taught in God's Word Verse 23. 1 VIce and error may have a shew of truth and vertue 2 Will-worship hath a plausible shew of wisdom 3 Lowlinesse of minde argueth wisdome 4 False teachers will make a shew of humility 5 To keepe the body in subjection argueth wisdome 6 False teachers make shew of mortification 7 Exercises much regarded with men are of no esteeme with God 8 Bodily externall things are not of worth with God The end of the Doctrines A COMMENTARY VPON THE SECOND Chapter of Saint PAUL to the Colossians COLOS. Chap. 2. VER 1. VERSE 1. For I would yee knew what great fighting I have for your sakes and for them of Laodicea and for as many as have not seene my Person in the flesh WE have had from the three and twentieth Verse of the former Chapter from the end of it a digression the summe whereof consisteth in declaring Paul's calling Secondly his executing this calling Vers 28 29.
this their restoring to life The first is pardon of sin The second is cancelling the obligation against them The third is the setting them free from those jaylors and executioners in whose keeping they were The two first are in this thirteenth verse the latter in the end of the thirteenth verse and in the other two following The first of the antecedents in the end of the thirteenth verse The second in the fourteenth verse The third in the fifteenth verse To returne to the thirteenth verse And first in genenerall from this his Commoration in this benefit wee note Doct. That our quickning in CHRIST is such a benefit which we must not quickly have done with and lightly passe over The Apostle cannot move from this till hee have dwelt a while upon it and amplified and enforced on them the consideration of it So it is we lend it little thought but the more is our fault we should when wee thinke on God's benefits in Christ make a stand and dwell upon them that so we might be more affected 2 Marke What Ministers must doe Doct. viz. they must amplifie to their people the benefits bestowed on them how often doth Moses this in Deutr. For 1 It is for the honour of God that His benefits should be set forth 2 It edifieth others and gaineth glory to God while they are to know the things bestowed on them and they are by this meanes wrought unto thanksgiving Againe wee are like children wee know not the worth of those great things wherewith GOD hath enriched us As a young childe that hath great patrimonies and priviledges doth not to any purpose conceive the worth of them yea we are as forgetfull as the eaten bread is quickly forgotten And beside a benefit while enjoyed groweth no dainties with us in all these regards we must use this practise of the Apostle If men have outward commodities and abilities and gifts of any kinde they know them too well even till they be proud of them but in heavenly things it is quite otherwise Now for their condition it is described from the state of death You when you were dead 2. The kinde of death viz. in sin 1. Actuall in trespasses 2. Originall in uncircumcision of heart which is set downe by a Synecdoche or Metonymie of the signe for the thing signified Outward Circumcision put for outward and inward which is more emphatical when they were so dead that inwardly and outwardly they did lye in evill the meaning is when you were utterly dead in soule mortall in body subject to eternall damnation by reason of your actuall transgressions and original corruption You then He quickened that is GOD the Father out of the Verse before with His CHRIST First then observe That we are by nature dead to God the same is Eph. 2.1 We are not like a man in a sleepe nor like the Samaritan greatly wounded but we are starke dead in regard of the life of GOD. Rom. 5. he saith Wee are of no strength not of feeble strength and the naturall man is often so called My Sonne was dead and is alive let the dead bury their dead A man is every way by nature dead his body is mortall in dying from his birth eternall death of soule and body hangeth over him His soule is quite dead for God in regard of His presence of sanctifying grace going from a man he dyeth in soule As the soule going from the body the naturall life is extinct But it may be said Object why man hath some reliques of knowledge Againe some of the Heathen have excelled in vertuous actions without grace Every knowledge is not the life of God strictly so called Answ but that knowledge which affecteth the heart to follow God to trust in Him love Him They that know thee will trust in thee otherwise the divels doe know God in their kinde 2 The knowledge of man is able to make him unexculable onely not able to make him alive according to GOD for these Heathens vertues they were but pictures without the soule and life of vertue in them splendida peccata good trees they were not and therefore their fruit could not be good all is not gold that glisters This then confuteth all doctrines of free-will Vse 1 or of any power in man which holpen a little can helpe it selfe Dead men have nothing in them to help themselves toward this world so it is with us toward the other Yea we see hence that it is not suggestions to the minde nor exhortations that will doe it we doe but tell a dead man a tale and all in vaine till God create a new light in the minde and take away the heart of stone and give us tender new hearts let us confesse our utter 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 impotencie and inability and give glory to God Hence must be enforced to the natural man what is his estate dead in his soule Vse 2 hee heareth not the thunder of GOD's Law nor His sweet promises he seeth no heavenly thing neither GOD nor any spirituall matter hee tasteth no relish in any meat of the soule he speaketh not a word powdred with grace hee stirreth not hand nor foot to that which is good Oh the world is full of these ghosts twice dead as Saint Iude speaketh yea the relikes of this spirituall death hangeth about us all Marke from this that we who are alive through grace Vse 3 must not associate our selves with those that are meere naturall men for we see that no living thing can abide that which is dead the beasts will start at a dead carrion our dearest friends we put from us when dead but alas the LORD's children now can goe hand in hand with such who have not a sparke of grace in them Oh this death is not terrible we are al so much in it that we see not the filthinesse of it As a blacke hue among the Black-moores is not reproachfull So dead ones with us whose graces are ready to dye agree well enough In sinnes Observe Doct. That sinne both originall and actuall is the death of the soule Mors animae peccatum Our sin in which we are borne and live is the death of our soules and the demerit of further death Death it is to death it goeth Now what is death is it not the absence of life the soule being gone with the entrance of corruption And what is sinne Is it not the absence of saving knowledge righteousnesse and holinesse with the corruption of the minde will affections so that the spirituall stinch of it streameth out at the eye lust at the eare itching after vanity at the mouth rottennes is the best I mean unfruitfull speech sometime bitternesse Looke as holinesse is the beginning of life everlasting which goeth on till it end in glory so is sin the death of the soule which doth if the grace of CHRIST heale it not never stay till it come to everlasting damnation As for sinfull actions they
us should quicken us to all duty 2 Our riches of glory are kept for us in the heavens 3 The hearing of the Gospell bringeth us to be possessed of our hopes 4 The promises of the Gospell are infallible and certaine Verse 6. 1 THe Gospell doth visit us not looking after it 2 The faithfulnesse of God in His promises and the piercing force of His heavenly truth 3 The Word of God is effectuall it never wanteth His fruit where it commeth 4 It is good dealing with men to come home to their own experience 5 Before wee can have the fruit of the Word wee must heare the Word 6 Not all hearing no nor all knowing but the true inner powerfull affectionate knowledge is it which is fruitfull Verse 7. 1 ALbeit men are not graced with great titles yet their worke is not in vaine in the Lord. 2 We must speake the best of all but especially of Ministers though not outwardly glorious Verse 8. 1 WE are to speake such things of man to man as may tye them in love more neerely one to another 2 The best intelligence and newes fittest for Ministers to speake and heare of is how it fareth with the soules of the faithfull 3 We are to tell what good things God worketh in our people 4 Our love must be hearty and unfeigned Verse 9. 1 MInisters must not onely teach and admonish but pray for their people 2 We must not delay going to God when occasion is offered 3 We must persevere in Prayer 4 Our Prayers must be fervent 5 We must wish those that are called a blessed proceeding in grace Verse 10. 1 OVr pleasing of God must be in all things 2 We must be fruitfull in good workes 3 We must encrease in the knowledge of God Verse 11. 1 CHristians have need of spirituall strength to walk with God in their spirituall conditions 2 We have not need of strength only but great strength 3 All our strength commeth from the strong God 4 Long-suffering is an argument of great spirituall strength 5 We have need of patience and long-suffering Verse 12. VVE must as well give thankes for the things given us as begge for that we want 2 By nature we are unfit for God's Kingdome 3 That matter God calleth us unto viz an heavenly inheritance must move us to blesse Him 4 Onely Saints shall inherit the glorious inheritance 5 Our inheritance in heaven for substance and nature is light Verse 13. 1 NOne living in the state of darknesse can be inheritours of God's Kingdome 2 Wee are all by nature under the power of the Divell the prince of darknesse and are in all kinde of darknesse 3 It is speciall matter of praise that God hath put us under the government of Christ Verse 14. 1 THe singular love of Christ our King that Hee hath bought us with His bloud 2 The greatest blessing we have by Christ our King is that He doth procure us pardon of our sinne 3 Before we can have any blessing from Christ we must be partakers of Christ Verse 15. 1 IT is matter of praise that we have such an one to be our King and Saviour who is God with the Father 2 It is a wonderfull benefit to us that we are made subjects to such a King as is the Lord lesus Christ Verse 16. 1 THese creatures which we see doe give testimony to the invisible God whom we see not 2 Christ hath just title to the Lordship and inheritance of all the creatures 3 Christ our King is the Creator of all things 4 God hath His places and ministers attending about Him unseene and unknowne to us 5 Our Lord Iesus Christ is the Creator of Angels 6 As by Him so to His honour all the creature was made Verse 17. 1 OVr King is ancienter than all creatures 2 All things are preserved in their being moving and order by Christ Verse 18. 1 CHrist hath not Lordship over the creatures onely but also over the Church 2 We have such a Head given us of God who is God with the Father 3 Christ hath a most neere compassionate and beneficiall superiority over His Church 4 Onely the Church and people of God have Christ so neere and so beneficiall to them 5 All the Church is the body of Christ 6 The dignity of the faithfull in having so neere conjunction with Christ 7 Christ's Resurrection hath speciall priviledge above all others Verse 19. 1 VVHatsoever the man-hood of Christ is advanced unto it is the meere grace of God not the merit of the creature 2 It is an admirable glory to which 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 Verse 20. 1 THat which gave occasion to the incarnation of the Son of God was our enemy-like estrangement from God 2 God followeth froward man 3 Christ must first have the God head dwell personally in Him before Hee can take up the matter betwixt God and us 4 The deare Sonne of God is the worker of our reconciliation with God 5 All our peace is grounded in the bloud-shed of Christ Iesus 6 The Fathers of old were reconciled to God by the bloud of Christ 7 The Fathers were in heaven before Christs Ascension Verse 21. 1 VVE must not only teach in generall but apply in particular the things of the Gospell 2 We must not forget our miserable condition by nature 3 A most miserable condition not to be a member of the visible Church 4 We by nature are enemy-like affected to God and His people 5 Our naughty actions discover our enemy-like affections Verse 22. 1 AS we must looke with one eye downe to our unworthinesse so wee must cast the other up on God's mercies to us 2 The grace of God is most free and large 3 Every one who findes his sinne forgiven in Christ shall one day be made glorious before Him Verse 23. 1 VVHosoever is partaker of the benefit of reconciliation by Christ must persevere founded and established in Christ 2 Wee must bee well grounded and lay a good foundation 3 Hee loseth his hope that is removed from his profession 4 The Gospell hath beene preached thorow the world 5 Paul was a speciall instrument thereof Verse 24. 1 IT is no new thing for the Ministers of Christ to be afflicted for the Gospell 2 The Church loseth nothing but gaineth much by the sufferings of the godly 3 The Church is the body of Christ Verse 25. 1 TThe Ministers of CHRIST are the Ministers of the Church 2 Their ministery is committed to them by the most wise and holy government whereby God governeth the Church His house 3 A Minister must have a care of every part of his charge Verse 26. 1 THe Gospell is a mysterie not to be attained by any wit or learning 2 It is the priviledge onely of the Saints to know the mysteries of the Gospell Verse 27. 1 THe Gospell
which faith layeth hold on onely CHRIST IESUS this is the only matter that Faith claspeth for righteousnesse before God and life everlasting So God loved the world Ioh. 3.16 that he gave His only begotten Son that whosoever beleeveth in Him should not perish but have life everlasting He is lifted up as the brazen Serpent that eying Him crucified we might be healed Rom. 3.25 Him hath GOD set forth for a reconciliation through faith in his bloud True it is the same saving faith beleeveth all that is set downe of GOD in the Scripture all particular promises for the passing of this life for these distinct offices doe not make three distinct faiths in us as the reasonable sensitive and naturall functions doe not make three soules in man but one whose effects are three-fold Neverthelesse Faith though it lay hold of all truth as it is taught yet so farre forth as it justifieth it buildeth and leaneth it selfe on Christ onely like as the Israelites they with their eyes did see divers things and looke on sundry objects as occasion served but so farre as they got themselves healed of the stings of firy serpents they looked with their eyes at nothing but the serpent lifted up To rebuke the worldlings faith Vse 1 which is grounded not on CHRIST crucified but such a mercy in GOD as is generally so good that it will save all The Papists their faith is grounded on their good workes with CHRIST and on the treasury of merits and satisfaction but the Arke and Dagon wil not stand together CHRIST and this stubble will not agree Wee may trie the truth of our faith this way Vse 2 it layeth hold on CHRIST Eph. 3 17. Phil. 3.3.7 bringeth Him to dwell in the heart rejoyceth in Him counteth all things drosse in comparison of Him Toward whom our love especially must be shewed Obs 2 to Saints Gal. 6.10 Rom. 12.13 Doe good to all especially to the houshold of Faith Distribute to the necessities of the Saints My good reacheth to the Saints Psal 16. all my delight is in them All in their order are to have the fruits of our love but those most who are nearest us as in nature every one is next himselfe then next to such as are of his bloud in neerest degree or otherwise made one body with him as the wife with the husband Thus in grace after GOD and our owne soules the Saints are neerest us as who are by faith and love fellow-members knit to CHRIST the Head of us all Againe a wise man will sow his seed in the best ground which will returne it with most increase So a Christian will sow the fruits of his love chiefly on the Saints for GOD taketh that which is done to them as done to Himselfe Againe this love of the brethren the Saints is a token we are translated from death to life for as this is a token the world doth not know GOD and so have not life everlasting in them because they know not His children So it is an evidence when we acknowledge such as are begotten of GOD that God hath brought us to know him who is the begetter of them To stirre us up to our duties Vse 1 our eyes should be to them that are faithfull our affections with them Birds of a feather will fly together good fellowes love one another And shall not the fellowship of grace in those that are members of one body whereof CHRIST is the Head knit the Saints together in the strongest band of love This rebuketh the weaknesse of some Vse 2 they are afraid to give any countenance to a Saint though like Nicodemus they have some good affection and liking to the godly yet they dare not be seene to hold any neere communion and familiar converse with such lest they should be thought Puritanes and favourers of men in disgrace with the State Blessed is he that is not offended at CHRIST in His poore members This rebuketh the prophanenesse of othersome Vse 3 who as the Philistims brought out Sampson when they would be merry So out must some Saint come and beare their flouts and derision when they are more pleasantly disposed Ismaeliush mockers of Isaak Yea others worse than the former hate the Saints wish there were not one in a towne of them like Cain who hated his brother to death because his workes were better than his It is an evidence of a godly heart to cleave more affectionately to those who are more godly than other And it savours of a carnall heart in a great measure when any one doth equally impart his favour If any have points of service and can apply themselves to their humour though they have small acquaintance with GOD they shall be countenanced this maketh their religion linsey-woolsey this confirmeth the hands of such in their carnall course this maketh those that are good more remisse than they should be should they finde from Christians better incouragement Davids delight was in the Saints Psal 16.3 Ps 101.6 he did purge his family of such as were unprofitable and gracelesse he set his heart on such as did set their hearts to please GOD in all things not such as could get the length of his foot were precious in his eyes Can a loyall wife take pleasure in such men who are observant and officious about her but devoid of all respect to her husband Are your soules betrothed to GOD in CHRIST and can you abide their service about you who are carelesse in dutie toward your LORD with whom you are by faith contracted this shewes there is but a forme of godlinesse or that it is much decayed when wee can like of men not as wee see them sincerely serve GOD but as their behaviour is more or lesse pleasing and contentful to our selves VERSE 5. For the hope which is laid up for you in heaven whereof ye heard before in the Word of truth the Gospell FOr the hope Hope is put for the quality of hope or the thing hoped for we are to take it here in the latter sense Observe hence Obs 1 What is a spurre quickning us to all duty the recompence which our GOD hath in store for us Heb. 11.25 26. Moses chose rather to suffer affliction with the people of GOD then to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season esteeming the reproach of CHRIST greater riches then the treasures of Aegypt for he had respect unto the recompence of reward We faint not knowing that our labour is not in vaine in the Lord. If the Lord kept nothing in store for us we might thinke as good play for nothing as worke for nothing but no office of love no not a Cup of cold water shall goe unrequited How doth this provoke to obedience but we must not hence thinke wee merit and grow mercenary minded serving for our Penny not of love to our Father for we looke not at these hopes this recompence of reward as
see one that should sinke when any thing were laid on him we would say hee were but a weake man Which convinceth that valour falsely so called Vse many thinke that valour to challenge the field and cast their gauntlet of defiance downe upon any trifling provocation to sweare GOD out of heaven if any thing crosse them but blinde men discerne not of colours this is notable impatience and weaknesse As a man whom with halfe a finger we may throw downe to the ground is a weake body So thy soule which every thing moveth out of place is a very weake spirit Marke how Long-suffering is an argument of great spirituall strength Obs 2 This is a vertue which maketh us hold out in patience under the continuance of evill on us it maketh Patience have her perfect worke and be at length no lesse than in the beginning it is not counterfeit biting in of anger by two yeares together like as in Absolom but a continuance of true patient bearing our crosse to lift up a quarter of wheat or two were rare strength though one should stand under it but a while but to carry it foure or five miles were a token of ten-fold strength So to beare our burthens any time is a fruit of glorious strength but to carry them at length argueth treble vertue To convince the false estimation of men touching this matter To assure those that long have endured Vse 2 of GOD's strength dwelling in them Now as Paul desireth these three things for the Colossians so he teacheth us thus much Obs 3 That wee have need of these vertues we have need of Patience saith the Scripture Heb. 10.36 need indeed to beare our evils to forbeare and expect the receiving of our good things wee looke for a Porter whose calling is to beare had need of shoulders So we that are called to beare many afflictions had need of patience but wee have no lesse need of long-suffering for so deepe are our staines that they will not come out unlesse we be long dowsed in these waters of afflictions which maketh GOD many dayes continue our evils Now how shal we hold under long afflictions without long-sufferance yea we have need of the joy of the HOLY GHOST No life can last without delight and though to the being it be not so necessary yet it is altogether needfull for the well being of us that like Paul and Silas we sing not able to sleepe for joy To seeke these things Vse we have need of them and may have more it is not good to seeke them when we should use them begge them before Observe how hasty and impatient thou art short-spirited not able to beare any thing Pray the Lord to give thee wisdome patiently to endure his will he will give it and not upbraid thee think how though thou art patient now yet ever and anon it is ready to be crazed yea broken in thee pray for long-suffering treasure up joy against evill houres fire doth well against winter and while thou mayest take it deny thy foolish rejoycing exercise thy heart with godly sorrow Such as sow in teares Psal 126.5 shall reape in joy We live neither having exercise of these things nor feeling want of them nor seeking after them our hearts love to be in the house of vaine mirth woe will be to this security and this laughter shall end in mourning Woe to you that now laugh Luk. 6.25 yee shall weepe VERSE 12. Giving thankes unto the Father which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the Saints in light THus having laid downe his Prayer he commeth to mention expresly the matter of his thanksgiving which was first named in the third Verse In it two things are to be considered 1 The fact it selfe of giving thankes with the person to whom they are offered of which we have spoken something above Verse 3. 2 The arguments moving him or the things for which he is thankfull The first in those words Giving thankes to GOD the Father The matter is two-fold first a benefit a great good thing given them even an inheritance Part in an inheritance which is set downe with three circumstances 1 Their qualification which maketh them capable this goeth before 2 From the quality of their being fellow-heires with whom they were joyned the Saints 3 From the matter of this inheritance in light The second argument of his thankesgiving is a great evill from which they were delivered in setting downe which 1 Hee sheweth the point or passe from which GOD did deliver them From the power of darknesse 2 The state to which hee brought them and hath translated us into the kingdome of His deare Sonne Now to amplifie the greatnesse of this last benefit he describeth the Sonne first from the effect Verse 14. which is propounded in whom wee have redemption after expounded that is the remission of Sinnes Secondly he describeth the nature of His Person to the nineteenth Verse three wayes 1 As He was in reference to GOD Who is the Image of the invisible GOD. 2 As He was in relation to the creature in generall in those words The first begotten of every creature Verse 15. and sustainer of them Verse 16 17. 3 As He is in regard of His Church And Hee is the Head of the body the Church Then followeth the reason how came this man to be personally GOD the Creator of all things the Head of the Church It pleased the Father that in Him all fulnesse should dwell Vers 19. How come we to have redemption by Him It pleased the Father by Him to bring us to these benefits the benefit is repeated First in generall Verse 20. Secondly with application to the Colossians Verse 21 22 23. Where first he setteth downe what they had their state antecedent Secondly their state present where we have the worke of their reconciliation and the manner of working Verse 21 22. Thirdly to shake off security the condition of all is annexed Verse 23. Whence the Apostle taketh occasion to digresse in signifying his Apostolical affection to them to the eighth Verse of the second Chapter Giving thankes Observe first From his suffixing thanksgiving Obs That we must as well give thankes for the things given us as begge for that we want Many are suiters when any necessity presseth but few returne to give thankes we see it in the ten Lepers one onely returned to give thankes Eaten bread is soone forgotten that we have we take no further thought of but we must remember to couple these together For first in this is GOD's chiefe honour Reas 1 He that offereth praise honoureth me Psal 50. This is forcible to make us speed in that wee intreat Reas 2 a thankfull petitioner hath alwayes gracious hearing We have more cause when GOD hath given us faith c. to give thankes than to intreat Reas 3 for the things we have are more than those we desire the Apostle maketh
Againe this remission is a general never-revoked pardon I will be mercifull to them and remember their sins no more Why doe we then still aske forgivenesse Que. We aske not every day to bee anew justified Ans but that the sense of this which our sinne doth weaken might bee renewed the Copie of our Charter is not every day anew graunted but exemplified onely The Papists erre that make remission of sinne onely a release of some part of the punishment and of sins before baptisme leaving us to penance to the treasury of satisfaction for our after offences as if we could have no new benefit by Christ His bloud they derogate from that worthy Sacrifice and abridge our royall Charter To shew us what cause we have to blesse God for this deare Sonne Vse to shew us likewise this comfortable estate to which we are brought If we were deepe in books and had Sergeants feed every where upon bils and bonds to lay us up Is it not a wofull condition would not one be beholding and glad of him that would set him forth of debt and danger that he needed not to feare the wolfe at his doore How much more are we to thinke that God hath forgiven us all our debts that CHRIST hath paid the uttermost farthing Hence commeth all our boldnesse whereas before we durst not shew our heads now we say it is God that justifieth who shall condemne us What can comfort a man which is ready to suffer if not this to see his pardon sealed him from the King Lastly marke that he saith in CHRIST wee have these things which noteth not onely CHRIST His meriting and effectuall applying but our being in Christ by faith which is a necessary antecedent before wee can have them applyed in us Observ Whence observe That before we can have any of these blessings which come from Christ we must have Christ by faith All benefits may be conceived as they are gotten by CHRIST as they are applied in us begun continued perfected Now our redemption CHRIST hath begged or rather bought of His Father yet wee are in our selves as if there were no such matter till by Faith we come to be in Him Suppose there were twentie traytours in the Tower lay condemned Say againe the Prince should yeeld his Father such satisfaction for some whom hee would save wherewith the King his Father should be contented and give him their pardon thereupon here the thing is done betwixt the King and his Son yet till the Prince send to them write to the Keeper to deliver such and such to him they are in the state they were in and so continue So it is with God Christ and us the redemption is all concluded betwixt God and His beloved Son yet till this is effectually made knowne to our hearts so that they beleeve on this grace of CHRIST we are as we were in hold in the feare of our condemnation we are justified through the redemption in CHRIST but so that before it can be applyed in us wee must have faith in His bloud being set forth unto us in the Word preached Can wee have the strength of bread without eating bread no more can we have any benefit by the bread of life without beleeving on Him In Christ by faith we have these things Wherefore rest not in your naturall conditions Vse 1 come forth of your selves to CHRIST get Him your own even to dwell in your hearts by faith and all is yours We see Princes doe give pardons but yet if men according to the forme will not sue out their pardons and take them out of my Lord Keepers Court they shall have no benefit by the Kings mercy and most worthily for they debase the benefit for we deeme that an ill benefit that is not worth the fetching So you if by faith and true repentance you doe not sue forth this free pardon of God then woe be to your soules you shall have no benefit by His mercy We that have our part in CHRIST Vse 2 what cause have we to rejoyce whom it hath pleased Him to ingraft into Himselfe we can want nothing being in Him and He in us Thus much for the benefit VERSE 15. Who is the Image of the invisible God the first borne of every creature NOw followeth the description of His Person first compared to God this His deare Son is said here to be the Image of the invisible God still hee continueth to amplifie the greatnesse of this benefit for which hee so blessed God that wee are got into the Kingdome of His Son to be such a kingdome whose King is not man only but God blessed for ever with the Father and Spirit who is Lord even by right of Creation over all the creatures who is head of His Church to be of His Kingdome is matter worthy all thanksgiving this is the scope See then What is matter of Praise Obs that we have such an one to be our King and SAVIOUR who is God with the Father Thus much is laid downe in this spoken of this Sonne that He is the Image of the invisible God this phrase indeed is spoken sometime by man as 1 Cor. 11.7 Man is the Image and glory of God though there onely for we are said to be made according to the image of God not to be the Image of God But we must understand these diversely when spoken of this deare well beloved proper only begotten Sonne naturall Son and when of us that are made sons by grace of adoption through faith on Him Ioh. 1.12 He hath the selfe-same invisible God-head or divine nature with the Father Wee have onely created qualities which have some proportionable resemblance of Him When I say Prince Charles hath the King his Fathers Image I meane one thing and when I take a shilling and say this money hath the Kings Image on it the one is a picture having some resemblance the other is a naturall Image that hath the same substance So Heb. 1.3 He is called the brightnesse of His glory and the expresse Image of his Person And besides that it is cleare by plaine testimonies else-where wee may convince it out of this Text for He is so the Image of God that He is no creature but the Creator of all creatures this then is the matter of praise that we are in such a Kingdome whereof not man but God is King Israel the type of us they had Kings indeed but all of them were flesh served their times and dyed But our King is God whose Throne is for ever this the men of God fore-saw and rejoyced in Thy God reigneth O Sion c. And in truth this is altogether it which doth so credit this kingdome of ours this is all the glory of our Israel Wee see in earthly Kingdomes the Persons and qualification of Princes is the chiefe grace and ornament of them This doth augment the felicity of England that God hath given us such a
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
to Himselfe a peculiar people Zealous of good workes Rom. 8. It is God that Iustifieth Which doth first serve for confutation of the Papists Vse 1 who though they yeeld Christ God-man yet will have His sacrificing praying c. onely to come from His humane Nature whereas all the efficacy commeth hence that the divine Nature and the humane are conjoyned as the body to the soule the humane nature being but an instrument to the divine neither is it absurd that the same Person who as God is to be prayed unto should as God-man pray to Himselfe as God absolutely considered with the Father and spirit for Christ susteyneth a double person one as God absolutely considered with the Father and Spirit and offended by man as they another as God-man undertaking to reconcile man offending to the Father Himselfe and the Spirit offended This doth teach us what we must looke at in Christ Vse 2 if we will have our consciences comfortably setled in the perswasion of our reconcilement we must looke at Him as God who goeth betweene us and God this doth still the conscience and fill it with good hope When we have offended some great personages if some meane one should moove them in our behalfe it would not so stay us for we know they will often not heare them speake or have them in light regard if they doe give them the hearing but if we can procure such as are their peeres to deale effectually for us we doubt not but that things shall be well compounded what will they deny to such as shall be equall to themselves and most neerely acquainted with them so with us c. Now in the coherence it selfe these things being marked come wee to the action it selfe where are three things 1 The reconciler by Him 2 The thing to be reconciled 3 To whom these things were to be reconciled to Him which is to be supplied out of the ver before where either 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 indefinitely or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 may bee understood out of the first and third circumstances wee gather these things joyntly By Him Obs Observe hence Who is the worker of our reconciliation with God even this deare Sonne the Father testifieth from heaven saying this is my beloved Sonne in whom I am well pleased So Rom. 3.25 Him hath God set forth speaking of Christ as a reconciliation as a propitiatory sacrifice in which He would returne into favour with us God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himselfe The Father and the spirit reconcile us to themselves but by Christ Christ immediately by Himselfe doth procure us favour and this was it which all the attonements made by propitiatory sacrifices did presignify unto us even how this High Priest Iesus Christ should with the sacrifice of His bloud make God and us one againe in mutuall love as He and His Father are one Which doth let us see what we must looke to in all terrors of conscience caused by apprehension of God Vse 1 wrath even to Iesus Christ He hath with His bloud quenched this wild fire for Gods wrath is a consuming fire We with screenes doe keepe the fire from face and eys but they are wise which put between their soules and Gods wrath this screene of Christ His reconciliation least this fire burne to the pit of destruction This must make us cleave unto Christ even to let our tenderest bowels love Him that hath done this for us ô if one doe but take up some hurtfull jarre betwixt us and some other whose favour we have found very beneficiall whose displeasure we find very prejudiciall wee would be very thankefull to Him If one should mollifie the Kings displeasure and make Him favour us would we not with all love imbrace Him Christ hath healed worse things betwixt God and thee love Him with all thy soule If one should interpose his mediation to the King for some malefactor say a Theefe that hath greatly wronged some man in his estate the King will say out of justice thou must see the dammages done bee made whole and undertake that he shal leave that course of life els in justice and wisedome I cannot but refuse the suite even so if Christ had not giuen such satisfaction as was accepted and undertaken to kill the raigne of sinne and enmity against God for the time to come this blessed reconciliation could not have beene concluded The use of it is to stirre us up Vse 1 if we have care to have God reconciled to us to make sure that our sin is covered and that there be no enmity raging in our hearts against Him for hereafter As he said to Iehu peace Iehu he answer'd how can there be peace whiles Iezabels fornications are not revenged Say thou to God in thy enemylike courses not subject to his commandements art thou reconciled Lord He wil say how should I thou hast that uncovered in thee which maketh all the quarrell for I cannot see iniquity so as to like of it I am God that hate it This teacheth us what is the true way of reconciling to take away that which maketh the difference for else truce we may have which souldiers hostilelike affected have but true reconcilement will be far from us Marke Obs 2 in what all our peace is grounded the bloud-shed of Iesus Christ the phrase is to be noted by the bloud of the Crosse by Him the latter pointing at the excellency of of His person as the thing which made His bloud-shed so forceable 1 Ioh. 2.7 This purgeth all our sinnes saith Saint Iohn This doth worke a death of sinne our sinfull life being crucified in Him and through Him this maketh way for the Father of all mercies to exchange and that without wrong to His justice His just wrath with fatherly favour yea the conspiring Angels with the heyres of salvation and joy they have in them yea peace w th all the creatures yea inward and outward agreement of man with man must hence be derived for what breakes downe the partition wall what killeth sinne in vs but this alone ô pretious bloud that cryest not for revenge but speakest better things then the bloud of Abell But here three things are to be layd downe for the cleering of this point 1 The true order of our reconciliation 2 What is meant by the bloud of His Crosse 3 Why the Scripture doth attribute this every where to His bloud and externall sufferings 1 To the first we are reconciled in this order 1 All cause of inward and outward enmity is taken away the matter of enmity betwixt God and us being sinne betwixt man and man Iew and Gentile the ceremoniall law now Christ by His death did take both away 2 This done away God doth lay aside wrath and is quieted toward us God is said to smell a savour of rest in Christs death so that He saith wrath is not in Me. 3 He doth come to take us to grace
and sheweth us the favour of a most mercifull Father and in this is perfect reconciliation 2 For the second this phrase is a Synechdoche bloud is put for a bloudy death upon the Crosse and bloudy death on the Crosse doth together note the curse of the Law felt in His soule who indured it Gal. 3.13 Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the Law when he was made a curse for us Now though Christs intercession hath His place in appeasing God and other actions yet His death is chiefely named because the force that other things have to pacify God is derived from this sacrifice which Christ the Sacrificer Himselfe offereth Againe He so often nameth bloud not to exclude inward sufferings but because this was more easily knowne being visible 2. The cursed manner in which it was shed that is how it was shed so that His soule did feele the wrath of God against sinne the curse of the Law for in these two stands the vertue and excellency of Christs Passion This Doctrine is a looking glasse to us wherein we may see the heavy displeasure of God against sin Vse 1 heavy it is which could not otherwise be reconciled sinne is good cheape men thinke yet we see it was of that haynous nature that the pardon of it could not be purchased nor obteyned but by the shedding of the dearest bloud in the heart of the Sonne of God It letteth us see CHRIST His love to us Vse 2 and to our peace It gives us to understand in what pretious account we are to have this benefit Vse 3 if we should buy a thing with a masse of money how charily would we keepe it but this and the other are bought not with silver and gold but with the pretious bloud of CHRIST Marke lastly Observ the thing in which the Fathers were reconciled to GOD it was CHRIST His bloud for what spirits were at Christs sufferings in heaven which did need reconciling to God by bloud but the sinne of the just who were dead in the faith of CHRIST to come Now as we see they by the faith on this bloud had salvation Acts 15.11 How can they be said to be reconciled to GOD by Christs sufferings Quest who were in heaven with God before He suffered This is said Answ not in regard that now the benefit was applyed in them but because now the thing was done by force wher of they had reconciliation that was now actually exhibited whereby they in former ages were taken to mercy the sins under the old Testament are said to be forgiven in Christs death Heb. 9.15 because then that was done for which they were pardoned though the pardon was given forth before 2. Because these things were now actually passed twixt God offended and God man our surety and Mediator This letteth us see how Christ hath beene in all times the onely atonement twixt God and us Vse Lastly marke hence Obs that the Fathers were in heaven before Christs ascension Psal 73. Thou guidest me by thy counsell and takest me to glory The Saints dying goe into everlasting Tabernacles now what is an everlasting mansion never to be changed but heaven VERSE 21. And you which were in times past strangers and enemies because your mindes were set in evill workes hath Hee now also reconciled NOw He commeth to set downe this benefit with application to them unto whom he wrote 1 Making way to it by remembring their former misery 2 Hee mentioneth the benefit applied in them with the manner of working it 3 Openeth the end of it 4 By way of caution adjoyneth the condition of perseverance vers 22. First then in generall from the Apostle his example note thus much That we must not onely teach in generall Obs but apply in particular the things of the Gospell* ⎠* So Saint Paul doth every where the nigher they are brought the more they affect To tell a whole Towne there are priviledges bestowed on it doth not so much move as to tell them of this or that houshold that such and such things are bestowed upon them And therefore that Sacrament which commeth nearest Take eate this is my body given for thee it is most helpefull to particular affiance Beside such is the infirmity of many of Gods Children that if like a Nurse you doe not feede them putting the meate of their soule by particular application into their mouth you may famish them at least keepe them low in this heavenly grace Againe there is such an indiligent carelesnesse that we let them hang in the ayre unlesse they be brought the nearer to us that which is sayd to every body is sayd to no body let it therefore be exemplary for our imitation 2 Marke how the Apostle doth call to their remembrance what they had formerly beene taught teaching us Obs that we must not forget our miserable condition by nature worldly advancement maketh meane ones forgotten the Priest as we speake forgetteth he was Clerke but our spirituall dignity must therefore be with bearing in mind our naturall misery 1 Co. 6.11 Such were some of you but now ye are washed c. 1 For this is a ground of meekenesse it is like the Swannes blacke foote which when we behold will humble us 2 It stirreth up holy groanes O'miserable man that I am Rom. 7.24 3 It is a good sallad and maketh Christ with His benefits taste better 4 It is a good spurre to fruitfulnesse for the time to come Rom. 6.19 As you have given your members servants unto uncleannesse and to iniquity so now give your members servants unto righteousnesse in holinesse 5 Againe it is the ground of a holy blush wherewith all must walke before God Rom. 6.21 What fruit had yee in these things whereof ye are now ashamed We must therefore heare on this side when we are told of our naturall estates Vse 1 you must not tell of your former lewd led lives in a bravery but beare them in mind and speake them when it is for edification even to glorify Gods mercy to further meekenesse and holy shame-facednesse in us Now for the particular hee sets downe their misery two wayes 1 In regard of their externall constitution you who sometimes were strangers Supply it out of the Ephes 2.12 from the Common wealth of Israel ₠that is you who sometime were not so much as members with the Church by outward profession and society Vse 2 much lesse of it as Saint Iohn saith they were amongst us but not of us therefore they went out from us 2 In regard of their more inward condition partly standing in the quality and disposition of their mind which is here set downe enemies in minde partly in conversation in evill workes in which we have set downe What is a most miserable condition viz. Obs not to be a member of Gods visible Church to be a stranger to the societies where Gods word is preached
Whosoever and whatsoever teacheth Christ teacheth the mystery of the Gospell and whosoever teacheth not Christ teacheth not the Gospell Of Christ he saith that He is among us for so should the particle 〈◊〉 be here rendred as it is immediately before among the Gentiles For by the Gospell we have communion with God and with Christ His Sonne Observe hence Doct. That CHRIST dwelleth in His members in all true believers He lives in them He dyneth and suppeth and lodgeth with us we see and heare and feele we taste and eate Him How glorious then is the Gospell by which Iesus Christ is communicated with us and how glorious is the Church even the assembly of GODS people among whom CHRIST the Sonne of GOD dwelleth For better cleering of this point I will shew you what it is to have CHRIST dwelling in us viz. When He doth exist after another manner then He did before when there are other effects then there were before when He doth shew Himselfe kinde and favourable when He doth manifest His comfortable presence as he did in the Temple It is seene in foure particulars 1 When as He commeth into the heart to be there He is united unto it and made one with it 2 He continues in the heart where once he begins to dwell and that is the reason why we continue in the state of grace 3 He delighteth in us he delighteth to dwell in the place where He dwelleth For a man cannot properly be said to dwell in a place except he delight to dwell there A man may be in a prison all his life long yet cannot be said to dwell there because he hath no delight to be there he would not be there if he could choose 4 He is said to dwell in us because he is so operative there he worketh efficaciously in all the parts and faculties of the soule He dwells in the soule as fire in the iron He is in every part thereof If it be objected how can Christ so dwell in us Object seeing He is in heaven and we on earth He dwelleth in us as the Sunne in the house Answ by his influence of grace into our hearts so that though He be absent yet He dwells there By these effects Christ discovereth Himselfe to be in us But what doe the Saints get by His comming Quest Many speciall priviledges and benefits come thereby Answ as 1 Where CHRIST dwels He makes that person glorious He fills his heart with glory and this I take out of Psal 24.7 Be ye lift up ye everlasting deeres that the King of glory may come in Where CHRIST comes into the heart Hee comes as a King of glory Hee comes not as a man that is glorious who keepes his glory to himselfe but He communicates His glory to us And herein is the difference betwixt CHRIST and an earthly Prince When a Prince comes into a house the house is the same still he keepes his glory to himselfe But where Christ comes He changes the heart he alters the house He makes that glorious He beautifies and decks the soule with such excellencies as makes us seeme glorious to our selves and appeare so to others So Moses face did shine because God did communicate His glory to him now that outward glory was a type of this inward glory which Christ communicates to the soule of him in whom He dwells Where Christ comes in He ruleth and governeth the soule He guides the spirit where he dwells He keepes the heart in order He keepes the understanding will and affections in obedience and this I take also out of Psal 24. Be yee lift up yee everlasting doores speaking of the soule For Christ where He comes He comes like a King He ruleth as a King He brings His kingdome with Him As Sathan rules in the children of disobedience so CHRIST ruleth in the children of obedience He guides and orders the spirit the right way 3 Where Christ enters in and dwells He refresheth the heart He comforts the heart He brings a great deale of joy with Him So saith the Prophet Esay Chap. 57. Esay 57. â—â— Thus saith the High and lofty one that inhabiteth eternity whose Name is Holy I dwell in the high and holy place with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit to revive the spirit of the humble and to revive the heart of contrite ones Here are two benefits layd downe To refresh To give life He doth refresh the spirit of the humble that is when the spirit is drooping and the heart is made sadde and dejected meditating upon nothing but feares and dangers then Christ comes into the heart and calmes all sets all at rest brings tranquillity and refresheth the soule even as a man that feareth death is refreshed when a pardon commeth He fills the heart with joy where He comes as the Sunne doth bring light where ere it is present and no more can a man have Christ in his heart without joy then he can have the Sunne without light For He brings matter of joy with Him He brings salvation with Him as when He came home to Zaccheus He said Luke 19. this day is salvation come to thy house and it Christ so say to any man He brings matter of great joy Again when he comes He brings the spirit of joy called the refore the joy of the Holy Ghost for where the Holy Ghost is He is full of joy Againe where He comes He brings His kingdome with Him and that conlists of joy Rom. 14.17 4 Where Christ dwells He gives life He makes them living men for He dwelleth in His Saints as the Vine in the 〈◊〉 and every man that is in Him is a branch in the Vine All the properties of life we have from Him our sense and motion is from Him in Him we live and moove and have our being from Him is our life derived He that hath the Son hath life 1 Ioh. 5 1â— For as the old Adam did communicate corruption to us to make us active in sinne So the second Adam doth communicate grace and life to all that are borne of Him and therefore is called the quickning spirit For as a man doth then live when his soule comes into his body So doth the soule then live when CHRIST comes into the soule and therefore He is sayd to be the Resurrection and the Life for where He is there is Life 5 The last benefit is Defence Hee defends those in whom He dwels He is a buckler to them He preserves them from all crosses at the least from the evill of them And herein is the difference betwixt CHRIST and other Inhabitants Other Inhabitants are defended by their houses but Hee the Inhabitant defends the house And good reason for though He dwell in our hearts yet Psal 90.1 He is our Habitation This is excellently expressed Esa 4.5 6. Vpon all the glory shall be defence that is upon all the people that are glorious
men have their reward they doe their owne worke and they shall be paid their wages accordingly VERSE 29. Wereunto I also labour striving according to His working which worketh in mee mightily HItherto of that which the Apostle affirmeth of himselfe and Timothy or his fellow Apostles together Now followeth that which he affirmeth particularly of himselfe alone which is that he aimed at this marke labouring with hard and sore labour for so doth the word signifie using great endeavour and contention as they doe that strive for the best gaine Where besides that which hath beene before observed we learne That the worke of the ministery being rightly performed is a painefull and carefull worke full of hard labour and much striving Hence they are compared to harvest labourers to souldiers 2 Tim. 2.4 5. and to those that strive for masteries 1 Tim. 4. They are charged to preach to be instant in season and out of season Surely the sweat of the Ministery exceeds the sweat of other callings and with the sorest labourer the Minister eates his bread in the sweat of his browes 1 Thess 5.12 Now we beseech you brethren know them which labour among you Men ordinarily will not know them nor know their labour Yet GOD Himselfe takes notice of it for a labour Revel 2.2 I know thy workes and thy labour God acknowledges the Ephesian Angels labour The Elders that rule well 1 Tim. 5.17 let them be counted worthy of double honour especially they that labour in the Word and doctrine We shall finde 1 Thess 2.9 two sore words joyned together 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Yee remember our labour and our travell The pastorall toile in the cure of Soules is no lesse than was Iacob's in keeping of Labans sheepe Gen. 31.40 To stop the foulest mouthes of such persons Vse that cry downe the ministery for an idle calling and account Ministers of all other men to live the most easie lives It is to be confessed that of many Ministers it may be sayd as our Saviour speakes of lillyes Math. 6.28 They labour not But the point is not what is the labour of some persons but of the calling and office And yet indeed many may be sayd to labour hard enough and yet are guilty of idlenesse We laboured day and night viz. even with our hands So farre goe many with Saint Paul painefull and laborious in worldly affaires but remisse and most carelesse in the worke of their ministery to build up the Church of God and to edifie the people committed to their care and charge See then ye Pastors what the Lord requireth of you Vse 2 and be instructed in your duty to be painefull faithfull and carefull acquit ye like men and discharge the trust put upon you 1 Pet. 5.4 that When the Arch-Pastor shall appeare yee may of Him receive an incorruptible Crowne of glory And you people committed to their charge Vse 3 how carefull God is of your salvation who requireth such a deale of labour care striving c. in those that He appointeth ouer you And you that have such magnify the goodnesse of God in giving them and strengthen their hands and encourage their hearts unto the worke of their ministery And you that want them pray for such and for remooving of those that are unsufficient and scandalous Finally that no man might attribute any thing to himselfe to his owne vertue and power as if he had done all these things he attributes it wholly unto God saying it was according to his working which worketh in mee mightily Observe The love Doct. diligence and faithfulnesse of a Minister in the labour of his calling is from Gods gracious working in us and is to be ascribed wholly to Him Wherefore where these things are not Vse 1 let them be earnestly asked at his hand who giveth freely and upbraideth no man And let all men seeing that the guifts of the ministery Vse 2 and the paines taken in the worke of the ministery are of the free guift of GOD acknowledge that their whole salvation and all the meanes thereof are meerely of the grace of GOD in CHRIST IESUS FINIS THE DOCTRINES CONTAINED IN THE SECOND CHAPTER Verse 1. 1 VVE must warily prevent that which may bee misconstrued of us in speeches 2 In some case we must report our love and that we doe in love for others 3 We must not onely seeke the good of those we know as familiars but of those who have no outward acquaintance with us Verse 2. 1 MInisters must see what they must chiefly helpe forward even the spirituall rejoycing of their people 2 Beliefe of the Gospell may be where the consolation of it and rejoycing of it appeares not 3 The Spirit worketh in beleevers not a hollow but a hearty rejoycing 4 The Gospell of CHRIST must bee the matter of sound joy 5 Soundnesse of love and fulnesse of affiance and understanding bring us to harty rejoycing 6 True Christians may be much wanting in love confidence and Spirituall understanding Verse 3. 1 ON fit occasions we must publish the glorious properties of Christ 2 Ignorance of CHRIST maketh us listen to deceivers 3 Christ our Lord is the store-house of all wisedome and knowledge 4 It is not yet apparant to us that Christ is so full of wisedome Verse 4. 1 THe practice of false teachers is to bring us out of liking with the faithfull servants of Christ Iesus 2 We must be carefull to keepe our people out of the hands of deceivers 3 The force of seasonable speeches is such that it preserveth the people 4 False Teachers fight with deceit and shew of reason not sound reason 5 False Teachers use flattering and glozing language Verse 5. 1 THere is a presence whereby Saints are one with another though never so farre disioyned 2 The nature of love is to rejoyce in the truth in the worke of grace where it is discerned 3 All things in the Primitive Churches were most orderly constituted and carryed 4 It is a most joyfull sight to see soules cleave to Christ Verse 6. 1 TRue faiths property is to receive CHRIST 2 True beliefe on Christ hath with it perseverance and a life obedient unto Him 3 Our good beginnings must bee a band to us to make good proceedings Verse 7. 1 BY constant going on in Christ wee come to have firme conjunction with Him 2 Resolved perswasion in the Doctrine we professe and grace we believe groweth out of a constant course in faith and obedience 3 Constant walking in Christ will bring us to abound in perswasion Verse 8. 1 TO yeeld to erroneous Doctrines which corrupt reason teacheth doth take us from Christ 2 The wisedome renowned of the world hath beene an engine against the faith 3 Sathan by empty shewes of religion standing in vaine rites doth prevaile against many 4 All religious observancies contrary to the word of God are but deceitfull vanity 5 Error and false worship become infectious because they are carnall
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
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
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
eleventh and twelfth verses the other followeth For the former three things are to be marked for the opening of it 1 He setteth downe the benefit In whom ye have been circumcised with circumcision not made with hands 2 He setteth down in what this benefit did formally consist viz. In putting off the bodie of sinnes viz. the flesh the originall corruption dwelling in spirit and flesh through Christ's Circumcision 3 He noteth the maner or instrument by which Christ did further work and seale up in them this benefit mentioned being buried with Him in Baptisme The intent of it is to confirme the former truth That they were not to follow any thing which is not after Christ and standeth not with walking in Him thus You must not listen to any thing which draweth you from Him who hath taken from you the masse of your naturall corruption But it is Christ in whom your hearts have beene circumcised from selfe-love of this world and the things of it and all other evill inclinations Therefore you must not follow the deceitfull vanities which are not after Christ but seduce you from Him First then that the Apostle doth to this purpose bring in this benefit Doct. We see what is an excellent meane to hold us fast to Christ to remember what great evill of sinne He hath subdued for us and taken from us Truely when we fall from Christ either to seducing errours in judgement or errours in practice it commeth hence as Saint Peter intimateth We forget that we were washed from our sins in His bloud Did we confidently weigh what we have received from Him wee could not but cleave faster to Him If a man did heale us of some deadly leprosie could we forget duty to such an one while wee remembred this great good we had received from Him So here much more while Aegypt kept in minde what Ioseph had done for them they clave to him in those he left behinde him but when new came up who knew not or regarded not what good they had received they turned Turkes to him in his Seed whom they were to have honoured So here Wherefore Vse let us hence marke how wee may strengthen our selves in cleaving to Christ ponder upon the mercy He hath shewed thee in healing in some measure the corruptions of thy nature Say with thy selfe shall I start from Him who hath done such wonderfull things killed this life of my owne in sin which I have felt so strong and lively in me healed such a leprosie as is above all I can speake or thinke Doe it the rather for we are like those Israelites all their deliverance out of Aegypt was quickly forgotten and this made them upon all occasions start aside like a deceitfull bow Againe we are weake in judgement babes in understanding and know not the things bestowed on us Thirdly Satan is most malicious to keepe us at least from thankfull considering of GOD's blessings when he cannot hinder us from receiving them In whom yee are circumcised with circumcision not made with hands Doct. Observe hence What Christ hath done for us who are in Him Hee hath given us a spirituall Circumcision Here are two things to be opened 1 The Circumcision it selfe 2 The Author of it The first is specified by this distinctive propertie it was not made with hands that is such a Circumcision as was spiritually wrought in their spirit not in their flesh the old Testament distinguisheth it by calling it the Circumcision of the heart Deut. 30.6 Ier. 4 4. And the Lord thy God will circumcise thine heart This is no small benefit it was a priviledge to have Circumcision in the flesh it was GOD's Cognisance as being the signe of a confederacie with GOD it was a seale confirming him that beleeved by it that God would take away his sin both by not imputing it and killing it Rom. 4.12 for so Saint Paul saith of Abraham's circumcision But yet many had this whose Circumcision was before GOD as nothing to them Wherefore if this were a priviledge what a gift is this to have the heart circumcised with the finger of God 2 Againe for the Authour of this benefit in the Law the Priest did circumcise the males brought the eight day and it was no small thing that God by His Minister should doe so to an infant but to have our High Priest in Heaven who is the great God handle our leprous hearts and by force of His Spirit take off the corruption which sticketh faster to our spirits than our skinne doth to our flesh what a prerogative is this this then must stirre us up to thankfulnesse It doth shew us whither we must have recourse when we feele the remainders of our corruption cleaving to us Vse as selfe confidence whorish love of the creature self-love we must come to Christ He is our Priest who onely can take away this impure fore-skin of our hearts that even as they brought their young ones in the Law to the Priest so must we bring our selves by a renued faith every day to our LORD IESUS and pray Him to goe through with this His Circumcision which Hee hath begunne in us 2 This is to be noted that he calleth it not made with hand Whence observe Doctr. That no outward action of the hand of man reacheth to the cleansing of the soule The hand of man putteth forth no efficiencie to that which is done in the heart as nothing that goeth into the body can defile it so nothing that is done to the body can sanctifie it This maketh Saint Paul say That he that planteth and he that watereth is nothing for a bodily action can worke nothing but a bodily effect Which is to be observed against the Papists Vse who will have the Priest's action lifted up by GOD to the taking away of the soules sin but then it could not truly be said that the removall of corruption from the spirit were not done with the hand of man as because God doth by meats maintaine our life He by His blessing giving that vertue to them it cannot be truly said that our life is sustained by meat and drinke Now to the second thing in the putting off Observe That sinne and grace are to the soule Doct. as apparell is to the body therefore he saith by putting off the body of sin that is the flesh the body this is a borrowed speech because that as mans body is a systeme or a frame not having one but many kindes of members So sin is such a frame of corruption as containeth in it many distinct kindes which are as members of this masse of corruption Coloss 3. â—â— Rom. 6. But it may seeme strange that he sorteth these metaphors of putting off a body when clothes not bodies are put off But you must know that the body is the soules rayment as it were and therefore the soule is most fitly said to put off a body the body of corruption the flesh this
expoundeth the other as a more knowne and frequent phrase in Saint Paul's Epistles for so I take it as if he should say my meaning is by body of sins the flesh the originall corruption in which is all kinde of sin or the body of sins of the flesh that is of the flesh or native corruption which is a whole body of sinfull members the corruption originally and principally seated in the soule is called by the name of flesh because the soule most manifests it selfe in the flesh the soule being incarnate after a fort and living more in the flesh than in it selfe For the life of naturall man is little but sensuality and the Scripture maketh the heart of man the Seat of the soule because the soule in regard of his action is rather naturall than animall For as a man extremely loving here or there liveth in the person loved more than in himselfe so the foule fallen from God is wedded in such impotent sort to the love of its owne flesh that it liveth there altogether Lastly by Circumcision of Christ Note that this phrase may be taken actively and passively passively Christ's circumcision is that Circumcision with which Christ the eight day as circumcised Actively that Circumcision wherewith Christ doth circumcise in others and this is here meant Now this is the meaning You have beene circumcised in CHRIST insomuch as you have put off that frame of sin in which are many distinct kindes of sin I meane the flesh or originall corruption with which as a most filthy rayment your soules were sometimes clothed and this not by vertue of legall Circumcision or any outward act whereof man is Minister but by vertue of that powerfull Circumcision wherewith CHRIST circumciseth These words first in generall lay open Doct. In what standeth our spirituall Circumcision viz. in putting off all our corruptions our corrupt confidence the rebellion of our wills the disordered frame of our affections Wee saith Saint Paul are the Circumcision in the heart Phil. 3. â— who rejoyce in CHRIST IESUS and have no confidence in the flesh this depravation of our Nature is the fore-skin of the heart in the removall whereof standeth this Circumcision Let us then all seek to be thus circumcised Vse many yea who amongst the old people would not run unto the Circumcision of the flesh carefully procure that as wee doe the Baptisme of water to which it answereth But few of them and few of us seeke this inward Circumcision without which the other is nothing not the Circumcision wich is open in the flesh but that which is secret in the heart is it which God requireth which hath praise with Him If they that wanted Circumcision outward were cut off in Israel from their people what shall be done with us if we get not this Circumcision inward without which none pleaseth God This in generall for having told them that they were circumcised he doth tell them in what the matter of Circumcision standeth Now in particular first observe hence Doct. That the soule of the naturall man is clad with sinne putting off you know doth imply that there is some thing as apparell upon him who is said to put off And truly so they are for what is in the naturall minde but ignorance unbeliefe curiosity pride What in the will but wicked propensity to evill aversenesse and crossenesse to good yea rebellion against light What in all the affections but inordinacie What in his eyes but uncleannesse revenge His eares but itching after vanity His tongue but rottennesse This maketh the Prophet say Psal 73.6 7. That Pride compasseth about the wicked man as a chaine and violence doth cover him as a goodly garment And looke as the body is so covered that it cannot be seene for the rayment on it So wicked men are so wrapped about with sin that the beautifull worke of God in mans soule cannot be discerned for it yea as men thinke their apparell an ornament so doe sinners their sin The use of this is to warne us of our misery Vse to see a poore Snake goe in filthy tottered rags all stinking loathsomely is a pittifull spectacle But if we could see with what menstruous garments all thy soule is covered every faculty being cladde with ungodlinesse unrighteousnesse intemperancy it is farre more woefull Wherefore weigh this and begin to put off looking to Iesus these filthy rags Oh you that will not let the least moth lye on your bodily garment doe suffer with patience your soules to goe thus filthily attyred yea begin betime for to make thee unready asketh time So this garment of sin cleaveth unto thee and hangeth so fast on that were not God with us in this businesse we might sooner put off our selves then these sinfull qualities so firmely they cleave to us The Christians when baptised did in those primitive times lay aside their old cloths as testifying and speaking by this action that they had put off these rags of sinfull lusts with which formerly their soules had been clothed In putting off the body Observe then That we must foregoe not some part of our corruption but the whole frame of it Doct. Wee are in other places called to put off the old man marke the whole man to shew that our leaving off corruption must not be by halves but entirely old things are gone in CHRIST all are new we must when we come by faith to CHRIST forgoe all our old corruption Such as are all over filthily apparelled they will desire to have all new all or none for some old and some new doe worse then all old but if the garment bee so woven that one cannot put off one part but all will follow then needs it must be that either all of it be put off or none at all So it is in this body of sin it doth goe so together that he that putteth one member off truely he putteth off all other likewise and therefore Saint Iames saith he that liveth in sin against one commandement he breaketh all that is hee hath in his soule that corruption which inclineth to breake every one he is not mortified to the sin against any one that is not mortified to every one The body of darknesse which is in the night upon the first rising of the Sun is in some degree all at once scattered So this whole body of spirituall darknesse when the Sun of righteousnesse getteth up in our hearts is at once all in some degree dispersed But you will say happily Object we have much sinne hanging about us and some corruptions more strongly then other 1 We are sayd to put it off Answ because we have begun to doe it through the grace of Christ 2 Because we desire further to doe it through Christ strengthening us 3 We know that Christ our sanctifier will abolish all the reliques which still hang with us We must not therefore thinke because we have not perfectly for the degree put off all
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
we have and when we are to demand this or that how should we look back to this Gospell sealed unto us in baptisme And seeing baptisme is but a seale of other matters let us not content our selves with baptisme alone but make sure we have the things which it serveth to confirme Men that have evidences of house and land they looke not much at their deeds about it but they hold the land it selfe and occupy that carefully Wee contrarily stand upon the seale but let the heavenly estate confirmed be where it will 2 Hence may be inforced upon men what is their estate if they have received baptisme as well inward as outward then as the Apostle saith know you not that you are dead with Christ through baptisme If they are not dead with Him they have but the baptisme of water which is nothing before GOD Circumcision nor uncircumcision are any thing with Him but a new Creature Now hee commeth to a second benefit wee have in Christ the benefit of a spirituall resurrection and new life in whom yee have beene raised up as they had beene circumcised for though this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in whom may agree with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in which baptisme yet it is fitly reduced to the more remote antecedent Christ and to begin a new benefit opposite to that former in whom wee have beene circumcised For the intent of this Scripture is to set out Christ and the benefits we have in Him not to describe the vertue of baptisme which is onely named here so farre forth as it serveth to note the manner after which Christ wrought in us the former benefit of our circumcision from sin And if he had broke off the subject of his speech thus in which baptisme he would have named Christ in the end of the verse not Him as having reference to a plaine antecedent and whether 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the next verse belongeth hither 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in this verse for these two seeme but a repetition of this matter with some application and amplification of it make it therefore agree with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 buried with him in whom also ye are raised up The benefit is 1 Propounded in this verse 2 Applyed more at large verse 13 14. In propounding it 1 We have set downe our refurmetion it selfe in Christ 2 The manner of working it by saith For as the body liveth formally or is raysed from death to life by the guift of life created in it So the soule dead in sin is formally made alive when fayth is created in it Secondly you have fayth described from the efficient cause the potent action of God which raysed Him from the dead in whom yee are raysed The summe In whom or in which CHRIST yee are raysed up with Him the life of fayth being created in your dead soules by that omnipotent efficacy of God by which Christ being now dead for us all was raysed up First then this being the scope to make us cleave to Christ thus You must not goe from him in whom you bave beene raysed up to a new heavenly life But in CHRIST you are raysed up Therefore let none beguile you with deceits which are not after Him The second part is here the conclusion in the eight verse before Doctr. Observe hence That to consider of our first resurrection which we have through Christ is a forcible motive to make us cleave to Him If Saint Peter sayd whither shall we goe thou hast the words of life eternall how much more may we say how should we start from thee Lord thou hast raysed us up when wee were dead How did Lazarus thinke you and others whom Christ raysed up love Him and rest in Him when thus bodily life was againe given them though they were within a while to dye againe But how much more would it bind us to Christ if wee saw how Hee hath raised our soules being dead with such a resurrection as that they shall never dye againe When the Galathians were so fledge after their legall ceremonies Saint Paul thus reasoneth Did you receive the spirit by the ministery of the law or by the hearing of faith preached as if hee would set downe this for a ground that is to be held unto which doth bring us the quickning spirit how then is CHRIST to bee rested on from whom as the fountaine all spirituall life floweth unto us Now our resurrection may bee considered two wayes 1 As wrought in our head 2 As applyed actually in us As wee in regard of our naturall life may bee considered First as we have this life in our roote in our Parents in whom we are seminali ratione as an eare of Corne is in the seede Secondly our life may bee considered as now in us received from them Now when they are sayd to be raysed up in Christ it may be understood both wayes both in regard of their resurrection as it was made in Christ the head of them and as it was in part applyed in them for all the resurrection we have in Christ not yet received we have it by faith hid in Him even the resurrection of our bodyes We may hence then see what maketh the Papists Vse and all sorts of carnall Gospellers so fall from Christ even this they know not or consider not who when they were dead in their sins did rayse them up if they ever had felt that CHRIST had done thus much for them they would never doubt His alsufficiency but waite upon Him to accomplish their salvation We see in Patients which have deadly sicknesses if a Physitian doe when they were given over even then rid their disease away in part and make them pretty well will they thinke of looking to another or be desyrous to joyne others with Him who hath alone almost done all the cure So betweene our soules and Christ Let us then consider what we have had wrought in us through Christ Vse it will so confirme us that hell gates shall not make us leave Him Againe if thou worke not upon thy heart the feeling of the benefits thou hast through Him thou shalt cleave as weakely by Him as if he had never done ought for thee Here in particular are three things to be opened 1 That who so is truely in CHRIST is risen againe 2 That our soules are raysed from death to life by faith 3 That the omnipotent power of GOD is the worker of fayth Of each of these a little 1 As Adam was a roote of death to all that were his neither were they borne of him sooner then mortality did seise on them So Christ is a roote of resurrection 1 Cor. 15.22 As in Adam all dye so in CHRIST shall all be made alive For we must not think that when Christ was raysed it was no more then when Lazarus or some other private person was raysed but His rising was all our resurrections in as much as it
was in the name of us all and had in it a seed-like vertue to worke the resurrection of us all Hence it commeth that we no sooner come to be in Him but the power of His resurrection is felt of us making us rise to newnesse of life 2 Cor. 5.17 In Christ all things are new Whosoever have learned CHRIST as the truth is in Him have so learned Him as they are dead to sinne the life of the old man is killed and they are alive in the life of grace For looke as a member truly by inward ligaments knit with a living head hath life in it so wee when we come to bee in Christ raysed up and living to God in life glorious we cannot but live in Him Wherefore how woefull is the state of many that professe Christ yet live in ignorance Vse know not what a resurrection meaneth are dead while they live in all kinde of fin and wantonnesse these never were in Christ but like as glasse eyes are set in the body or wooden legges which being by outward meanes joyned to it doe not receive life and sense with other members Wee never knew communion with him who is the quickning spirit if we be dead in our sins 2 Observe What it is that maketh us rise to new life Doct. viz. faith on Christ We are sayd to live by faith because after some sort it is life but most properly it bringeth life into us He that believeth hath everlasting life fully in Christ his head inchoative or imperfectly in himselfe For as in bodily death the reuniting of the soule with it doth make it rise againe and become a living body so faith as a spirituall vinculum tying God who is the soule of our soules againe unto them they which before were dead are anew quickened Thus then as an instrumentall cause of our conjunction with God in Christ who is our life it may be sayd to quicken us or rayse us up though further faith it selfe may bee conceived as a part of this life For as the soule died in falling into ignorance of God estranged from the life of GOD through ignorance in them Ephes 4.18 so comming by faith to know God it beginneth to live Ioh. 17.3 hence to know God in Christ faith being an affianced knowledg is life everlasting This then is the first thing which God worketh in us as the beginning and instrumentall cause of our other following life even as in our waking from our naturall sleepe which is a shaddow of death first the eyes open and then our senses and motions doe come fully to us in their order So in awaking from this sleepe of sin first the eye of faith lookes up to GOD and that invisible world then our life returneth more fully the spirit of God from Christ working it in us Marke then hence Vse that all such beliefes as make not new creatures are not sound faith toward CHRIST the reason is playne a true faith bringeth Christ to live in us Now as a quickning soule cannot returne into the dead body of it but there will be new life So Christ that quickning spirit cannot returne to live in a dead soule but needs it must bee raysed up Wherefore if wee feele no life but that we brought from our mothers wombe let us cast downe our selves we have not yet truly believed and we see how our faith doth not shut out good life as the Papists slander us but bringeth it forth as an effect which cannot be severed Finally Vse hence men may assure themselves of the truth of their faith if they bee renewed in life The last thing here to be noted is Doctr. That the omnipotent action of God which raysed Christ from the dead is it that begetteth faith in us Eph. 1.19 It is called the exceeding greatnesse of His power toward us which believe according to the working of His mighty power Faith is the eye of the soule by which we looke upon CHRIST it is the hand by which we receive all good from Christ Now if a man be borne blind or borne without a hand an eye that seeth but these aspectable creatures and discerneth not distinctly but things at hand a hand that cannot reach an ell or two from us yet all the world cannot supply these nor no power but His onely that created the body how much lesse then shall any power bee able to give us that eye which looketh within the vayle that hand which claspeth Christ in heaven but only the Almighty power of God But what Object doth that power that raysed Christ rayse us up Yea that power though daily continued Answ as the Lord creating Adam and Eve with the law of propagating all the race of mankind did by that power which created and coupled them after a sort make all mankinde though the Father and Son and spirit doe still worke in continuing that first power put forth So here GOD raysing Christ up in whom we all were that he might be a roote and fountayne of supernaturall life to us all that power may be sayd fitly to rayse us all Wherefore let us learne to admire and give glory to GODS power which worketh our fayth Vse 1 if we saw a man raysed from the dead ô how would we speake of such a wonderous power but this is the same that raised Christ from the dead which raiseth us to believe If we creepe up from some deadly sicknesse we tell what a power of God it was to rayse us But when our soules creepe out of darknesse and death to believe on the living God it is as nothing with us This teacheth us whither we must fly for the strengthening and susteyning of our fayth even to this power Vse 2 the same power that made all things upholdeth all things He that knoweth how all the considence of his heart is set upon himselfe and the creature how his reason and senses and his own inclination which is not quieted but in outward meanes how Sathan and the course of this world resist us in believing he cannot but confesse it is the Lords power that first brought him to it and that must keepe his faith from fayling Lastly we see hence how wide they are Vse 3 who never felt any want of such a power who thinke of fayth as a thing they have alwayes had since they came to reason Yea Papists that if GOD offer hold it in the power of man to believe when God sheweth the promise and inlighteneth the mind VERSE 13. And yee which were dead in sinnes and in the uncircumcision of your flesh hath Hee quickened together with Him forgiving you all your trespasses NOw he commeth to repeate this benefit insisting more largely upon it and first he setteth downe the state of them before they were quickened Secondly the quickning of them Thirdly the manner of the action the order in which he quickened them which standeth in a threefold antecedent in nature before
are nothing but the stinch which commeth from the dead corps I meane the body of sin dwelling within us For as heavie savours come from a putrified body so doe these motions from a corrupt soule And as a childe if he doe swarve from morality and civill vertue following whores and abominable courses be a royoter a theefe when thou seest an absence of civill vertue thou sayest he is even a lost childe what then shall wee thinke of our selves being without all heavenly vertue of faith hope joy in the Spirit godlinesse temperance c. The use is Vse that we would consider of sinne and our estate through it that we who have not thought of it may yet set our hearts to the way of life that we may be thankfull who have escaped from it that we may take heed of it and labour to be healed more and more of it Should some learned Physitian tell you such or such a deadly thing were growing on your body how would you thank him and make use of it Oh it is well with thee if God make thee wise that thou hearest this day how thou art dead in spirit and for us we are glad when we escape some great bodily sicknesse and if there dwell reliques of sicke matter wee keepe rules desanitate tuenda how much more should we be wise for our soules 3 That he saith they were dead in trespasses Observe What is the life of a naturall man even a death in trespasse Doct. tota infidelium vita peccatum like tree like fruit now the very conscience of them is polluted Tit. 1.15 without faith it is impossible to GOD. True it is that outwardly they doe many things that are laudable but still they walke in the flesh the Divell hath conjured them so into that circle that they cannot stirre forth of it Looke as in the flesh of a beast there is some part of greatuse bought up at great price some that is cast to the pudding pits yet all is flesh so in the life of the naturall man some workes are of good use and in commendation with man some are abominabl but all are of the flesh As a livelesse image hath the resemblance of a man but is nothing lesse So the vertuous actions of naturall men have that appearance of good but want the soule and life of it in which it consisteth This is to be marked against the Papists Vse as it teacheth us not to rest in this that we are neither theefe nor whore for be our life never so civill it is death in sinne till grace quicken There is a double madnesse as Hippocrates observeth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the one very light and toying the other more sober and solemne in which men sit still musing deepely upon some fancies Such a difference we have in spirituall phrensies some are very sober over other some as we see the lives of some naturall men gravely ordered and morally in comparison of others but yet all is deluded phrensie before GOD. 2 Marke hence Doct. 2 That our course in actuall sinne doth sinke us deeper and deeper in death when you were dead in sinne intimating thus much that the custome of their trespasses did hold them under death Even as the more the body putrifies it goeth further into death So here the more the soule doth exercise it selfe in evill the deeper it sinketh into the death of it It is fitly likened to the stone of the sepulchre this custome of actuall sinning for it doth seale us up and keepe us downe more strongly under it Vpon this ground the Prophet asketh How shall the Leopard change his spots no more can those that are accustomed to evill learne to doe well Which must make us take heed how wee goe on in a sinfull course Vse for it maketh us rot in this spirituall death and maketh it more difficult for us to returne Many that procrastinate repentance they thinke not on this You hath He quickened with CHRIST that is both perfectly in CHRIST with whom your life is hid and initially in your selves being joyned with CHRIST Vos cum Christo convivificavit conjunctos Christo Observe hence Doct. How farre we are from being prepared to receive the grace shewed us by GOD when we are quickened to beleeve Even as well disposed as Lazarus was for his resurrection to this present life of whom it was said that he now stanke in the grave No there was as much disposition in that Tohu and Bohu that inanity and deformity which was before the world to the being yea the ordinate being of all the Creature as there is in our soules to the worke of grace We are as farre from this heavenly forme of supernaturall life as the deformed Chaos of the Creature was from this beautifull figure before the LORD did bring it forth There is nothing in Nature can so dispose a man to grace as that it should necessarily follow for onely the principal agent which bringeth in the forme it selfe is able to worke the immediate disposition upon which the forme ensueth As nothing but fire can bring combustible matter to be so sparke as that whereupon it presently burneth for such a disposition is the first point of bringing in he forme it selfe In this therefore many of the Papists are wide yea Vse erre from sound reason it selfe let us therefore by confessing our owne utter untowardnesse and repugnancie to GOD's worke glorifie His Name 2 That hee doth mention their estate before to illustrate GOD's mercy Observe Doctr. What is the way to bring men to thankfull acknowledgement of GOD's grace to teach them to see what they were when GOD shewed it Thus Moses thorow the Booke of Deuteronomie often calleth on them to think what they were in Aegypt yea from their comming forth of Aegypt to that day wherein he spake being now not many dayes from his death So Ezek. 16.30 Saint Paul every-where The Papists doe most wickedly derogate from GOD's glory Vse 1 while they teach something in us which is a partiall agent with God so good preparations and dispositions to this and that But Moses otherwise Not for the goodnesse of thy heart not that yee were more in number though He cast off others for their sinnes He tooke not thee for thy deservings We may hence strengthen our selves Vse 2 not to doubt in receiving God's particular promises though we finde our selves unworthy nothing so fitted as we should be Not unto us O Lord but unto thy Name c. For my Name-sake not for your sake O yee House of Israel As at the first so after GOD doth dispense His favours that we have still cause to confesse our unworthinesse to His Name to CHRIST our Mediatour to His Truth all is to be attributed and from them all is to be expected Hath He quickened together with Him Observe then That all believers have a new life in and through Christ Doct. To understand it wee must note that CHRIST in
dying was after a sort all of us for in our Nature Hee made Himselfe one with us and had us all by name as a body unto Him and all our sinne He tooke as His owne having made Himselfe one mysticall Person with us Secondly you must know that CHRIST thus having us all with Him as members belonging to Him through the gift of His Father and having all our sinne made His He dyeth for us all and for the abolishing of all our sinnes so that we all lye dead with Him and out sinne is all crucified with Him for it beginneth not to be crucified when wee dye to it no here was the beginning of it Thirdly CHRIST lying dead with all His dead in Him having taken away the guilt and wrought the death of sin in all His or the death of all His members to sin CHRIST with His body being dead is raised and receiveth that treasury of supernaturall life which is to be derived in the order of it to all His so that CHRIST rising all of us rise in Him as our Head for the members have society in whatsoever is done in the Head 2 As a thing may be said to be in the cause of it so was all our resurrection in His which was to be the cause of all our resurrection As Adam and Eve were the cause of propagating a naturall life to all mankinde Fourthly CHRIST thus raised and made the conceptacle and fountaine of supernaturall life sendeth out His vitall influence into such as belong to Him 1 By faith giving them a being spirituall or an union in Him even as Adam gave a naturall being or participation of his substance unto his members 2 He doth send into them thus united with Him the Spirit of life from Himselfe that is the HOLY GHOST to dwell in them by the created gifts of grace which is life supernaturall They shall heare my voice who are dead that is they shall beleeve and they shall live 3 CHRIST doth successively perfect this life never leaving till He have in soule and body conformed us for our module to His blessed Soule and glorious body And these may serve to open this point of beliefe The difficulty of conceiving it commeth hence 1. That we know not how straitly and neerely we are united to Him for as all were within the loynes of Adam by the determinate Counsell of GOD to come from Him so all the Elect by GOD's predestination and donation were within CHRIST as one in Him and with Him 2. Wee are not able to see that vertue of His resurrection The use is first Vse to incite us to seeke to have our eyes opened that we may know the treasury of good things we have in CHRIST and the power which Hee hath put forth in us We should love CHRIST a thousand times more if wee knew feelingly what Hee were to us We are not able to see how we in the womb are formed how much more will our eyes dazle here further than GOD doth cleare them This also must make us hold to our head CHRIST even as we will have life in us get a member away from having communion with the Head it is presently livelesse having neither sense nor motion So in us with CHRIST We see whither we must have recourse for life Even to CHRIST Come to me and your soules shall live to GOD in our Nature looke at thy owne flesh in heaven and draw from it as a Conduit-pipe increase of grace sent thee from it by the Spirit which dwelleth with it Having forgiven you all trespasses Now he commeth to the order of our new quickening which hee setteth downe by three antecedents which made way to it 1 He pardoned our sinne 2 He crossed our Bill 3 He freed us from the power of Satan and all infernall spirits Before I enter them let this in generall be premised to cleare the text Suppose that we stood in great debt unto any say againe that he had to shew for all the debt under his owne hand Put the case thirdly that wee were cast into prison and in the custody of some Gaolour or any officers to that purpose If hee at whose suite wee are in hold be willing to set us free what doth he first he doth pardon the debt Secondly he doth Cancell our bills and bonds for he that keepeth our bonds seemeth not to forgive nor willing to let us goe otherwise than that he may have a saying to us when he pleaseth Thirdly he doth release his action and setteth him out of bands that held him and after all this dismisseth him to his liberty So here we are in for debt such debt as toucheth life it selfe the matter is under our owne confession the Divell holds us under chaines of darknesse GOD is willing to restore us to life 1 He pardoneth our faults 2 Rendeth the Articles of our confession 3 Taketh us out of their hands who were ministers of His justice in the close keeping of us This shall suffice to illustrate it in generall We see hence Doct. That in order of nature first we have pardon of sinne before wee have the life of grace begun in us there must be a removall of evill before there can be a conferring of good Thus in CHRIST Himselfe He was acquit from all our sinne which was upon Him before He was raised up yea if the least sinne of any of us who are His had beene unanswered Hee had not beene raised up and for this cause Rom. 4.25 The raising of CHRIST is said to be our justification that is God in raysing Him up did manifest that Hee was fully answered for all our sinnes so that we now are quit from all our sinnes in CHRIST our Head Even as if one lye sentenced a dead man for treason against the King he cannot have His life given him but pardon of his fault is first given So here answerably we are not restored to feele the life of God take place in us till our sins which caused our death are removed In a sinners restoring this is the order 1 God by faith setteth Him into CHRIST who is His righteousnesse in whom belongeth to Him forgivenesse 2 God when by beliefe He is in CHRIST doth pronounce Him just or acquit Him from sinne 3 The LORD doth send the Spirit of His Son into His heart This is the order in Nature though in time these things goe together This is to be noted against the Papists who when a sinner hath by deadly sinne lost the life of grace as they say though he after come to have never such love to God yet will not have the sinne forgiven till the Priest hath absolved him As if God did restore the life of grace before He gave the pardon of sinne This out of the order The words have foure things to be marked 1 Who forgiveth God the Father He raised up both CHRIST and us when He had forgiven 2 The manner of forgiving in
heavenly newes that our King hath subdued all our spirituall enemies yea triumphed over for this argueth full conquest when no wise man will ante victoriam cantare triumphum We must hence strengthen our faith Vse 2 for this triumph was all our triumphs the like being to be done in every member through the power of this begun in the Head in behalfe of all the members Is not the victory of a King the victory of all his subjects Likewise can we be in danger of them whom the King hath surprised so that they are altogether within his power So it is betweene us and our spirituall King the LORD give us faith This letteth us see what a potent Vse 3 all sufficient SAVIOUR we have If death and the power of hell could not prevaile against Him under death and in the grave in His lowest humiliation how much lesse shall any creature take from Him now in glory those things which He hath in keeping for us Finally that He saith in that His Crosse We see hence that in CHRIST crucified all victory is obtained against these infernall enemies this must be read in that Crosse not in Himselfe For the antecedent in all these is GOD the Father working these things in His Sonne Iesus Christ crucified In this unlike those great Potentates they never celebrated triumphs while they were receiving the assault of the enemie but stayed till they were returned into their owne Countries to their Imperiall Cities as Claudius who when he had conquered this Countrey of Britaine he went home to Rome there to rule in triumph But our LORD while He receiveth all the hot assault of these powers of darknesse triumpheth Nobile genus vincendi Patientia to let them doe all their worst and by His suffering it to overcome them is a most triumphant kinde of conquest The very fight it selfe is triumph It is reported of the Lion and the Vnicorne that there being deadly hostility betweene them when the Lion spyeth the Vnicorne he taketh a tree the Vnicorne following him eagerly runneth his horne into the tree in which case the Lion spoileth him at his pleasure So betwixt our Lion of the tribe of Iudah God-man and these proud Vnicornes those spirituall sons of Pride there being great hostility these Principalities hating GOD and oppugning His glory in the salvation of mankind it pleased Him to dwell under the vaile of our nature even with such a body and soule as we have sinne excepted that while the Divell did run with all his strength and lodge his horne as it were in this man his power might be broken for ever every stroake he gave returned on his owne head being the death of this man hee killed himselfe the head of him in which you know lyeth the life of a Serpent was bruised for ever And as angry Bees foolishly stinging once make themselves drones ever after So these wily Serpents but foolish here if ever foolish stinging our SAVIOUR CHRIST have made themselves stinglesse to all that are CHRIST's for ever their wisdome had beene not to have stirred up any sinful men to have attached this sacred Person they should have fled from Him to the most remote quarters of Hell rather than have made Him suffer the least thing from them Had they done thus their power in the world had still remained For as the sparkles of fire lighting on water are extinct so sinne and death falling on the GOD of Holinesse and life were extinguished in Him The use is first to arme us Vse 1 that wee take not offence at the scandall of the world at this that our GOD and Saviour dyed was a man hanging upon a Crosse Looke by the eye of faith what victory was gotten by this Crosse what was the powerfull worke of this death and then it shall no more hinder us in beleeving when we know that GOD created light out of darknesse Nay that our GOD did thus by His death as a second Adam abolish spirituall death and bring immortality and life to mankind is more wonderfull than the Creation of the world Wee see that when Satan seemeth the most to prevaile on CHRIST Vse 2 or His members that then hee is most of all foiled and subdued Now his power was comming now hee made Him feele the sting of the Crosse he killed Him c. all this was against himselfe Thus it is in all that are CHRIST's when hee thinketh to have the greatest hand over them all turneth to their good when by death they are stricken death it selfe dyeth and his power is almost quite abolished Wherefore let us not faint in our straits but stand still looking to the salvation of GOD Thus that type of him Pharaoh when he sore tasked the Israelites they most encreased when hee had them so hemmed in betwixt mountaines and seas that there seemed no evasion then was their deliverance at hand and his confusion VERSE 16. Let no man therefore condemne you in meat and drinke or in respect of an holy day or of the new Moones or of the Sabbath dayes YOu have heard at the sixth Verse of this Chapter that there began the exhortatory part of this Epistle and the Exhortations were generall concerning all sorts or speciall The generall you heard were either principall as that in the sixth and seventh Verses or secondary pertaining to the Principall the lesse principall assistant to that great duty of walking in CHRIST were prohibitions of things to be avoided In this Chapter are rules of spirituall practice in the next the Prohibitions are given first in generall Verse 8. Goe not after Philosophy and vaine deceit after the tradition of men and elements of the world the which generall prohibition hath beene propounded and by reasons hitherto enforced Now he commeth to some particular prohibitions which doe open unto us what things he meant by vaine deceit which leaneth on mans tradition and is carnall The dehortations are two-fold 1 From a servile respecting the censures of men so walking in CHRIST that they meddle not neither with Iewish nor Philosophicall superstitions to the twentieth Verse 2 He dehorteth them from the practice of every carnall and elementary fashion of worshipping GOD from the twentieth Verse to the end of the Chapter To returne this dehortation in the sixteenth Verse may be divided into the prohibition and the reason The Prohibition Let no man condemne you in these things The Reason they are shadowes of things which now in Christ and His Church are exhibited for this hath a secret force enforcing what by the Apostle is urged That which is a Shadow vanished that is not so to bee regarded as to feare lest you bee censured in the neglect of it But these are such Therefore passe not though you be condemned for omitting these But the former part of the sixteenth Verse may be diversely construed Let no man condemne you First it may sound to this sense Let no person in heart Iewishly affected take on him
withdrawen from CHRIST So that as a Wife yeelding her love and conjugall benevolence to another cleaveth no longer to her husband is one flesh no more with him So a soule bestowing the religious adoration of it here or there doth joyne it selfe with the thing so worshipped and leaveth God This is to be marked against them that are reconcilers Vse 1 that thinke why may they not doe thus and thus and yet cleave to CHRIST well enough yea this doth detect the wicked judging of Papists that will perswade us that this leadeth us unto CHRIST to go to Saints and that honouring them in religious manner we honour Christ in them 2 We must keepe onely to God in Christ Thus much from this that these religiously worshipping Angells held not Christ For understanding the verse We must open some conclusions concerning the head and Naturall body 1 The head is the supreame part in a humane body from which commeth outward direction and inward influence of sense and motion into every member So Christ hath both the soveraignty of outward directing and by his powerfull influence he quickeneth and mooveth all that are his 2 No member hath any thing from the head which is not by joynts and sinewes coupled to the head and by the same bands and joynts furnished from the head So we have nothing from CHRIST till by faith and love we are knit with Him and His body and by the same 〈◊〉 furnished from Him with spirituall grace and heavenly nutriment 3 We must know that the soule from the head doth 〈◊〉 forth a nutritive faculty a vitall faculty which nourisheth and augmenteth every member as the nature of it requireth The first continueth as long as life augmentation till wee come to that perfection of growth which nature affordeth Being come to this augmentation ceaseth about thirty sixe yeares So the quickning spirit from Christ our head doth by all holy meanes nourish every believer and make him grow as his condition requireth and that till he come to be a perfect member of one perfect man in Iesus Christ 4 The last thing to be marked is that a Naturall body groweth up in every part proportionably the hand for a hand the legge with the growth of a legge the toe with the growth of a toe So here all the body thus coupled furnished and wrought upon with the quickning spirit groweth to that perfection in every member which Christ hath appointed The summe is They keepe not to Christ who is an all sufficient head by whose efficacy all that believe on Him being coupled to Him receive all grace needfull and take encrease growing up till they come to perfection with such a growth which God Himselfe causeth in them That wee have not many but one head Doct. not holding the head not Christ and Saint Peter the Scripture knoweth but one head neither was any of His Apostles a head of the Churches for all had alike and the chiefe authority Now if any were a head above others He must have the chiefe alone no other having it with Him thus the Pastor that succeeded Peter at Rome should have beene head over Saint Iohn the Evangelist who lived long after Peter But we neede no better argument then this in the Text. If CHRIST be one head and it is monstrous for a body to have two then the Church hath no other But CHRIST is the head and for one body to have two is monstrous therefore the Church hath no other then Christ The Papists say that a ministeriall and secondary head may be with a principall and it is not monstrous As there may bee a Viceroy under a King yea they say it maketh with the union of the Church to have a visible head and doth no more derogate from Christs glory in being our head then when men are called lights GODS Apostles foundations from Christ who is called the light GOD the foundation the Apostle of our profession For answer First this distinction of a secondary ministeriall head it is contradictory for it is such an essentiall property of a head to be principall and have rule that what is not thus is not a head 2 Who ever heard of any secondary head in a naturall body without deformity now it is a naturall body with which CHRIST doth compare Himselfe in this respect 3 That which is a ministeriall head must doe the worke of a head but that none can doe The worke is double internall or externall influence regiment or direction Of the first it is granted for the other of regiment the Scripture denyeth it to any but CHRIST the Prince of Pastors leaving to all other a power ministeriall onely to serve the Churches as superior unto them Againe the truth is no direction which is dependent is the direction of a head as the hand leading and drawing up the foote directeth it but is not a head to it because the direction of the hand commeth from the principality of the head reported unto it As for those instances First a Viceroy is in a body politique but CHRIST in calling Himselfe a head of his body doth draw the comparison from a body Naturall Againe the proportion is not kept for to have a Viceroy under a King in some Province is one thing but to have a head under a head is another For a head is to the body as a King to the kingdome Now to have another King in a kingdome under the Chiefe is a thing unheard of The union of the Church the Scripture teacheth to depend on CHRIST and His spirit not on a visible head Yea the Grecians continew to this day their rent from the Church and all for the pride of this head Men have many names properly attributed to them and these above repeated but improperly but the names of head and husband the Scripture and all sound antiquity appropriate unto Christ Kings may suffer men to be called Noble Wise Rich but to be called Kings within His Kingdome is not permitted for there is nothing more derogatory from the glory of his Crowne so here c. Let us then cleave to this head CHRIST IESUS Vse and renounce such most lewd usurpation as is detected in the Pope Woe to that body which hath a third thing thrust in betwixt the head and it so that they meete not to close each to the other So it is with the Papists for betwixt Christ and them the Pope hath thrust in so that their immediate conjunction with Christ is hindered and his beneficiall influence intercepted Oh how absurd is it that any but Christ should bee thought head of the Church It is as if the King should put his Queene under the power of a Subject or a mans wife should be made an underling to a servant which never was the Apostles themselves though in their message from Christ they might command the Church in His Name yet in regard of their persons they were under the Churches as a servant who
fanglenesse to come on in things which sometime we thought not on such as thinke men know not what they would have when they still call on them to be more forward 2 Hence we must exhort men to forget what is past and strive to perfection he is the best Christian that is ever finding some want in himselfe and hungering and thirsting What man would willingly have his stocke kept at one stay not caring to grow in wealth No men will cast up their bookes and see how they come on worldward So must we never be weary of seeking more grace and examining our selves what we profit which might be made a third use Lastly that hee saith with the increase of GOD The Hebrewes call the most excellent and choyce things the things of GOD as Nineveh a Citty of GOD Trees of GOD but here it noteth the Author of this increase for as hee faith after Chapter 3.3 Our life is bid with CHRIST in God and it is GOD in Christ that bringeth us on Observe hence Doct. Who doth make us as beginne so grow in grace it is GOD. 1 Thessalo 5.23 The very God of peace sanctifie you throughout that is in every part perfectly for the degree of grace all the strength of man cannot adde one cubit to the stature of his body how much more doth GODS power alone give the growth of the soule He that knew what sicknesses and enmities the soule hath to keep it down will the easilier grant it To teach us whither we must goe Vse 1 when we find we grow not on even to our GOD 2 Cor. 9.8 who is able to make all grace to abound toward you praying Him to purge us and make us more fruitfull and happily to leads us out of our infancy 2 It letteth us see to whom wee must ascribe our comming on viz. Wholly to GOD who is the Author and Finisher of our faith For as the same Sunne which first bringeth the light of the day doth after increase it and bring it to full strength So the same God that beginneth the light of grace doth continuing his gracious presence bring it to full strength and perfection It is not in mans power that which he hath much lesse to augment it 3 The Papists hence are confuted that put perseverance and growing up in the power of our will for some of them thinke that looke as in fire a man cannot make fire where there is none but give him some few sparkes he can keepe them in and increase them So here the first working of grace is from God after a more speciall manner but the continuance is otherwise VERSE 20. Wherefore if ye be dead with CHRIST from the rudiments of the world why as though living in the world are yee subject to ordinances HAving in two exhortations armed them against the condemning sentences of arrogant false Teachers he now doth turne himselfe and by way of communication or expostulation vehemently dehort from yeelding to bee burthened with the customary observation of these elements And two things are to bee marked to the end of the Chapter 1 The dehortation 2 The reasons In the dehortation which is in the end of this verse We must marke the Manner We must marke the Matter For the manner it is layd downe by way of interrogation which denyeth most strongly Why as if yee lived in the World are yee subject to ordinances that is you are at no hand to live that is customarily to observe any carnall or Iewish rites The matter is set down indefinitely why are ye injoyned rites More distinctly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the kind of them is opened in the 21 verse Touch not tast not handle not and this for the dehortation The reasons are two fold Such as are dead to worldly elements such must not live in them But ye are dead to these things verse 20. in the beginning The second kind of reason is taken from the nature of the things themselves 1 Things that perish and come to nothing are not to be observed 2 Such things as are after mens commandements and doctrines are not to be followed of you These two reasons are expressed in the two and twentieth verse Such things finally as have only an empty show of godlinesse but not the substance of it they are not to be used Such are these verse twenty three This is the Apostles discourse in the last verses of this Chapter For our being dead with Christ you heard above verse twelve buryed with Him in baptisme but marke from what we are dead in CHRIST from the rudiments of the world Observe That Christ by His death hath freed us from the ceremonies of the Law of Moses Doct. To understand it wee must know that the ceremonies of the Iewes were not onely taken away as they were types foreshewing things to come but as they were a worldly or carnall elementary kind of instruction or as they were sensible traynings of them to which GOD did condescend because it was the baby age of the Church wherein men were carnall that is in great measure carnall but in little measure spirituall True it is Gods worship is for the substance of it spirituall and was alwayes but for the manner of it it was carnall that is standing of sensible and fleshly observations which GOD did prescribe not as simply delighted in them but as accommodating himselfe to the childish condition of the Church in those times wherein the more plentifull presence of spirituall guifts was not obteyned Christ not being as yet manifested and glorified We must so conceive that our whole old man with his sinfull life his vayne life in traditions of men which were superstitious and his naturall life in Mosaicall rites ordeyned of GOD and injoyned him not simply but so farre forth as he was carnall living more in his senses then in spirituall contemplation this whole life is so crucified that after CHRIST it is to take no place de jure in those that are His the Apostle doth not say without cause 2 Cor. 5.17 old things are gone in Christ all things are new This is to be marked Vse for it doth strike through all the Popish rites in which they teach every thing by some sensible significant rite or other as if this sensible trayning were not taken away as if elements of this world such as follow in the next verse were not remooved All the rites of the Iewes did not signifie CHRIST to come but were by stirring up a motion in the mind to admonish them of their spirituall duties yet these are abolished Such therefore are to bee condemned that would still bring the Church to be in the A. B. C. and to use the Festkue from which Christ by his death hath delivered it As if you lived in them doe yee receive rites Observe secondly Doct. from the argument it selfe That true Christians must not live in that which CHRIST dyed to take away If yee be