Spirituall and Heâ—â—â—â—â—â— Bl 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 So much we may learn from the Apostle Eph. 1.3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who hath blessed us with al spiritual and Heavenly blessings in heavenly places or things in Christ Being in Christ they are blessed with all spirituall blessings in him and through him God giving them unto his Son and his Son unto them he giveth all things that are in him He that spared not his own Son but delivered him up for us all how shal he not with him freely give us all things Rom. 8.32 All things necessary convenient More particularly The fatness of this Olive the Excellencies of Jesus Christ Particularly in his Merit his Spirit which here he communicateth to beleevers may be reduced to two heads His Merit and his Spirit both these Christ is full of Full of Merit and full of Spirit And both these he imparts and communicates unto beleevers His Merit unto their Justification Adoption His Spirit unto their sanctification Of each briefly 1. The first thing Christ communicates unto the beleever is his Merit And that 1. unto Justification 1. Merit Unto justification This Benefit the Gentiles receive from their ingrafting into the stock and Covenant of Abraham Thereby it cometh to passe that Righteousness is imputed unto them So the Apostle layeth it down Rom. 4.11 Abraham received the sign of Circumcision c. that he might be the father all them that beleeve though they be not Circumcised that Righteousnesse might be imputed to them also This saith Grotius Idem hic figuratè indicat Paulus quod aperâ—iùs dixerat cap. 4. ver 11. Grotius in â—om 11.17 is the fatnesse of the Olive which the same Apostle speaketh of cap. 11. The one a covert and figurative the other a plain expression of the same thing And this benefit are all true believers made partakers of being made one with Christ now Christ is made unto them Righteousnesse So saith this Apostle 1 Cor. 1.30 Of him are ye in Christ Jesus who is made unto us of God Wisdome Righteousnesse And how is Christ made Righteousnesse to the believer not by way of Infusion but Imputation not by putting a Righteousnesse into him but by putting a Righteousness upon him even his own Righteousness By the imputing his merit his Satisfaction his Obedience unto them thorow which they are accepted as righteous unto eternall life Thus is the Righteousnesse of Christ communicated unto all believers He is to them The Lord their Righteousnesse Jer. 23.6 2. The second Benefit issuing from hence is Adoption Thus in Ingrafting there is a kind of Adoption Ramum ramus adoptat 2. Adoption Venerit Insitio fac Ramum Ramus adoptet Ovid. as the Poet elegantly describeth Grafting The Stock as it were adopteth the Branch that is put into it For what is Adoption but the taking of anothers child and bringing it up as a mans own Thus ingrafting the Stock receiveth the branch of another tree and nourisheth it as its own And the like benefit are believers made partakers of by their engrafting into Christ Christ being the Son of God by nature he maketh them the Sons of God by grace the grace of Adoption To as many as received him he gave power 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Right Priviledge to become the Sons of God even to them that believe on his Name John 1.12 This benefit Christ came to procure and purchase for his Elect. When the fulnesse of time was come God sent forth his Son made of a woman made under the Law to redeem them that were under the Law that we might receive the Adoption of Sons Gal. 4.5 And this benefit upon their believing their receiving of Christ they are made actuall partakers of Being thereupon made Heirs of God and co-heirs with Jesus Christ Rom. 8.17 These benefits believers have from the merit of Christ Secondly As they are made partakers of his Merit so of his Spirit 2. Spirit He that is joyned to the Lord to Christ is one Spirit 1 Cor. 6.17 i. e. like minded with Christ in as much as he is made partaker of the same spirit Because ye are Sonnes saith the Aposte God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts Gal. 4.6 And by this means Christ is made unto believers Sanctification Unto Sanctification So the Apostle goeth on in the place fore-named 1 Cor. 1.30 Who is made unto us of God Wisdome Righteousnesse Sanctification So he is viz. by the communicating of his Spirit unto them which is a Spirit of Sanctification So called by the Apostle Rom. 1.4 where speaking of Christ he saith He was declared to be the Son of God with power according to the spirit of holinesse or sanctification 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 meaning the Divine Nature dwelling in Christ which being holy in it selfe sanctifieth others by the merit and vertue thereof according to that of the Authour to the Hebrews Heb. 2.11 where speaking of Christ he saith That both he that sanctifieth and they who are sanctified are all one Christ and believers are one And being one with Christ they are sanctified through the Merit Mat. 23. â—â— 19. and Spirit of Christ Through the Merit of Christ imputed unto them Luke 1.35 as the Gold was sanctified by the Temple and the Gift by the Altar Through the Spirit of Christ dwelling and working in them after a sort as it did in Christ in his Conception sanctifying and purifying their natures Of Sanctification there are two parts Mortification the one Vivification Of Sanctification Two parts Mortification Vivification the other the one a dying unto sin the other a rising to newnesse of life and of both these Christ is the cause and that not only the Exemplary Cause the Pattern Sampler of both Christ the cause of both of which God willing I shall speak in the Sequel of the Text which tels us that believers are ingrafted with Christ in the likenesse of his Death and Resurrection the one in their Mortification the other in their Vivification but also the Meritorious Cause having merited and procured these benefits for them by his Death Resurrection And withall the Efficient Cause working both these in them which he doth by the communication of his Spirit in them By this Spirit he worketh the mortification of sin in them If ye through the spirit do mortifie the deeds of the body ye shall live Rom. 8.13 And by the same spirit he quickeneth them up to newnesse of life This the Apostle calleth the power and vertue of Christ's Resurrection Phil. 3.10 That I may know him and the power of his Resurrection 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 viz. that power whereby Christ himselfe was raised from the dead which was the power of his eternall Spirit dwelling in him Of this power the work of this spirit the Apostle desireth a further experimentall knowledge in himselfe in raising him
suppose it be directed to others men dead in trespasses and sins Such exhortations not uselesse to others yet such Exhortations are not uselesse unto them In as much as through those channels God is pleased to convey his grace and spirit wherby he enables them to do what hee requireth from them Thus in raising Jairus his daughter from the death-Bed our Saviour cals to her Talitha Cumi Damosell arise Mark 5.41 And in raising Lazarus from the grave he cries unto him Lazarus come forth Joh. 11.43 not that either the one or the other had power of themselves to do what was commanded but there was a power went forth together with the word like that which went forth with that Creating word at the first God said Let there be light and there was light Gen. 1. There was a power went forth with the word giving a being to that which was not Thus doth God cal things which are not as if they were Rom. 4.17 By his word making things to be what they were not And thus doth be call upon dead souls to awake and arise by and through his word conveying that spirit and power unto his Elect wherby they are inabled to do what of themselves they cannot The first Resurrection is a work of no lesse power no lesse difficulty then the second 5. To these adde in the fifth place Resemb 5. This spirituall resembles the corporall Resurrection in the Indisposition of the Subject In the indisposition of the Subject A dead Corps lying in the grave it hath no disposition no aptitude no inclination to rise again As it cannot raise it selfe so neither can it do any thing in a way of tendency towards its own resurrection It can no wayes fit or prepare it self for it Nay it cannot so much as will or desire it Even such an indisposition is there in a dead soul to this first Resurrection A soul dead in sin as it cannot raise it selfe to the life of grace so neither can it do any thing which tendeth that way Such an Impotency is there in man since the fall All are now by nature 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 without power When we were yet without strength Christ died for us Rom. 5.6 Not able to contribute ought towards this blessed change Not able to do any thing by way of preparation to fit themselves for the receiving of the grace of God no nor yet so much as will and desire it when the grace of God first meeteth with man it findeth him a meer patient like a dead body lying in the grave having only a passive capacity rendring him a subject capable of receiving the impressions of grace and so of having a new life put into him Man hath not only an outward but an inward Impediment to this Resurrection So indisposed is man naturally to the work of God's grace not only having an outward Impediment as Papists and Arminians would have it like a Prisoner as some of them frame the similitude who having fetters upon his legs cannot walk but yet he hath an inward power in himselfe so to do if that outward impediment were removed Not onely so but man hath also an inward impediment Being like a dead carkass lying in the grave which though all the grave-clothes be taken from it yet it cannot move nor stir untill a new life be put into it Until God doth breathe the breath of a new life into the soul the man is whole indisposed unto this blessed change I might go a step further Man not only indisposed but averse to this Resurrection and shew you how he is not onely indisposed to this life but averse to it In which respect the first Resurrection goeth beyond the second The second Resurrection meeteth with a Body which though of it selfe it be indisposed to live again yet it maketh no resistance no opposition against its own resurrection But in the first Resurrection when God cometh to raise up a dead soul from the grave of sin he findeth it not only indisposed but opposite to it making resistance against the work of his grace Ye stiffe-necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears ye do alwayes resist the Holy Ghost As your fathers did so do ye saith Saint Stephen to the Jewes Acts 7.51 To these I might yet add one more 6. This spirituall resembles the corporall Resurrection in the efficient causes of it Resemb 6. The Efficient Causes of it and that both Principall and Ministeriall and Instrumentall In the second Resurrection the Resurrection of the body the Principall Efficient is God himselfe the Ministeriall the Angels the Instrumentall the sound of a Trumpet You have them all together 1 Thes 4.16 The Lord himselfe shall descend from heaven with a shout with the voice of an Archangel and with the Trumpet of God and the dead in Christ shall arise Now see a resemblance of all these in the first Resurrection The same Principall Efficient God God quickneth the dead Rom. 4.17 as dead bodies so dead souls The like Ministeriall and Instrumentall Cause Herein God maketh use of his Angels Revel 2. 3. and of his Trumpet His Angels the Angels of the Churches the Ministers of the Gospell whom he now sendeth forth to gather together his Elect from the four winds from one end of Heaven to the other Mat. 24.31 His Trumpet is his word in the mouth of his Ministers A spirituall Trumpet shadowed out by those silver Trumpets under the Law by the sounding whereof the Priests called the people to the publick Assemblies on earth Numb 10.2 Thus do the Ministers of the Gospel by lifting up their voice like a Trumpet as it is given in charge to the Prophet Isaiah Isai 58.1 by preaching and publishing the Gospell they call men to the Kingdom of God Hereby awakening and raising them up The hour is coming and now is saith our Saviour when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God and they which hear it shall live John 5.25 Men dead in sin hear the voice of Christ in the Ministery of his Word and thereby the Spirit concurring with the Ordinance and giving efficacy to it they are quickned and raised up to a new spirituall and heavenly life Even as dead bodies shall be at the last day raised from their graves by the voice of an Arch-angel and sound of a Trumpet Thus then you see this Generall made out How that the first resurrection the resurrection of the soul from the death of sin to the life of righteousnesse carries with it the resemblance of a Resurrection resembling it in the Order in the Nature in the Integrity in the Difficulty of the work in the Indisposition of the Subject in the Efficient Causes of it both Principall Ministeriall and Instrumentall Now come we in the second place to see how it resembleth the Resurrection of Christ 2. The spirituall Resurrection resembles the Resurrection of Christ So it doth
part to make use of in the working of this first Resurrection Not that hee is tyed to an uniformity in his way of working alwaies to work after the same manner No his dispensations as in other of his works so in this are various But ordinarily so it is Before dead soules arise and come out of the grave of sin there is a shaking and an Earthquake and a rending of the Rocks God prepares the hearts of his people for this blessed work by some degree of a Legall contrition and compunction giving the soul to feel somewhat of the spirit of Bondage letting into it some sense and apprehension of sin and the wrath of God due unto sin After this cometh the still voice In the Gospel As it was in Eliahs vision at Mount Horeb 1 Kin. 19.11 12. After the whirlewind and the Earthquake and the fire came the still small voyce Thus fareth it ordinarily in the work of Conversion After the Whirlewind and the Earthquake and the fire of the Law cometh the still voyce of the Gospell quieting the soul with the offers of grace and mercy letting into it some comfortable apprehension of Reconciliation with God through Christ withall exciting it to lay hold upon that mercy and to indeavour to walk answerably to it in newnesse of life Now have we heard this voice of the Son of God Have we heard Christ thus speaking to our souls making his word effectuall unto us in this way If so here is an hopefull evidence that this blessed change is begun and that we have a part in this first Resurrection Whereas otherwise are we strangers to this voice never felt any such power in the word We may justly conclude our selves strangers to this blessed work surely we are as yet in our graves under the power of a spirituall death Enquiry 2. Have we received the spirit of Christ 2. Let a second enquiry be Have we received the spirit of Christ we know by what meanes it is that the dead body is raised by putting a spirit into it Thus we read of Jairus his daughter Luk. 8.55 After that Christ had called upon her saying Maid arise her spirit came again saith the Text and shee arose straightway By a like meanes doth Jeses Christ effect this Resurrection of the soule by putting his spirit into it By this meanes was his own Body raised Hee was put to death in the flesh but quickned by the spirit 1 Pet. 3.18 viz. that divine and eternall spirit which dwelt in his humane nature And by the same meanes are dead soules quickned By this means were those dry bones made to live again Ezek. 37.5 Behold saith the Lord I will cause breath to enter into you and you shall live Now what were those dry bones and what was this Breath you may see the Interpretation of both in the sequels These bones are the whole house of Israel ver 11. And yee shall know that I am the Lord when I have opened your graves O my people and brought you up out of your graves and shall put my spirit in you and yee shall live ver 13 14. This is the Breath put into these dry bones even the spirit of God put upon his people being then in Babylon causing them to live again restoring them to a flourishing condition By the same meanes doth Christ cause dead soules being Captives unto sin to live by putting his Spirit into them Hence is it that he is called a Quickning spirit 1 Corin. 15.45 Because by this meanes hee shal quicken the dead Bodies of his Saints at the last day Hee shall quicken your mortall Bodies by his spirit which dwelleth in you Rom. 8.11 And by the same meanes hee now quickneth dead soules by communicating his Spirit unto them Which in this respect the Apostle calleth The Spirit of life Rom. 8.2 Now then have we received this Spirit It was Pauls question to those new Converts Act. 19.2 Have ye received the Holy Ghost This he spake concerning the Extraordinary gifts of the Spirit which flourished in the Church at that time Let me propound the same question in a more ordinary sense Have we received the Holy Ghost Have we received the Spirit of Christ As it was Pauls question to his Galatians Gal. 3.2 Received ye the Spirit by the works of the Law or by the hearing of faith Taking it for granted that they had received the Spirit And so have all those who have any true union with Jesus Christ If any man have not the spirit of Christ he is none of his Rom. 8.9 Now have wee received this spirit by the hearing of faith Have we so heard the voice of Christ in the doctrine of faith the Gospell as that wee have received the spirit of Christ If so questionlesse this Spirit will have the same operation and effect in our soules that it had in the Body of Christ As it raised up the one so it will raise up the other Whereas otherwise being voyd and destitute of this Spirit of Christ we may like dreaming men fancy and imagine our selves to be risen but we are yet in the grave This Quickning spirit how discerned Question But the Question here will run on How shall we know whether we have received this Quickning Spirit or no. A Question that will be very usefull in the resolution of it The rather because there are so many who pretend to this spirit never more then at this day who yet are meere strangers to it By the fruits and effects of it Answer For your satisfaction know that this Quickning spirit where it is discovers it selfe by the fruits and effects of it Of these fruits and effects I might name many I shall only single out three of the Principall which will be properly usefull to our present purpose This Quickning Spirit where it dwelleth in the soul Which in working this Resurrection are three it is to it a Spirit of Illumination a Spirit of Faith a Spirit of sanctification A threefold work whereby the Spirit effecteth this first Resurrection in the soul being to it first a Spirit of Illumination secondly of Faith thirdly Of Holinesse 1. A Spirit of Illumination 1. It is a Spirit of Illumination Here is the beginning of this work it beginneth in Light Even as in the first Creation the first born of Gods works was Light God said Let there be Light Gen. 1.3 So is it in this new Creation the first work is Light The Light shineth in darknesse John 1.4 a new light shining into the soul of man which since the fall is become a dungeon of darkenesse As it was with Peter when God sent his Angell to fetch him out of Prison Acts 12.7 he caused a light to shine in the prison So is it with dead souls when God sendeth his Angells his Ministers to fetch them out of the prison the dungeon of the grave he causeth a light to shine forth unto them
up to the life of grace here and glory hereafter And this power this spirit all true believers in their measure are and shal be made partakers of even as the members of the naturall body participate in those animall spirits which are in the Head And hereby they shall be inabled as to mortifie sin so to live unto God And thus you see the communion which is betwixt Christ the Believer as betwixt the Stock the Graft implanted in it Applic. Which is a ground of everlasting consolation to all those that are truely baptized into Christ A ground of everlasting Consolation mystically ingrafted into him by faith Being thus made one with him now let them know that all that is Christs is and shal be theirs The sap that is in the Stock is for the use and benefit of the Graft And thus whatever is in Jesus Christ it is for the Benefit and advantage of those that are in him So as All that is in Christ is the Believers what is it that they can want Is it pardon of sin is it Grace and favour with God Lo here is merit enough for both He hath by his obedience active and passive made an abundant satisfaction to the Justice of God He hath done and suffered enough to finish the Transgression and to make an end of or seal up sins and to make Reconciliation for iniquity and to bring in everlasting Righteousnesse Dan. 9.24 Here is nothing wanting to the Justification of a Believer before God Nor yet to his Sanctification As there is a fulnesse of merit so there is a fulnesse of spirit in Christ It pleased the Father that in him should all fulnesse dwell Col. 1.19 So it did during his abode here upon earth The Word was made flesh and dwelt amongst us full of grace and truth John 1.14 Upon his change of State he received an addition to that fulnesse When he ascended up on high he received gifts for men Psal 68.18 Gifts which he might distribute and give unto men as the Apostle renders that of the Psalmist Eph. 4.8 He ascended far above all heavens that he might fill all things So it followeth ver 10. All things that is all his Elect and faithfull people all which do and shall in their measure receive of that his fulnesse Of his fulnesse we have all received grace for grace saith Saint John John 1.16 We all all believers have received grace for grace 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 grace upon grace say some one grace after another abundance of grace or grace for grace graces answering to those graces which are in Christ as the characters in the wax answer those in the seal or grace for grace The grace of Sanctification following upon the grace of Justification both flowing from the free-grace and good will of God in Christ And this believers receive from the fulnesse which is in Christ which is not only a repletive but a diffusive fulnesse Plenitudo non vasis sed fontis Not like the fulnesse of a vessel which if a drop be taken from it it suffers a diminution by it but of a fountain which runneth over for the benefit of all that will come unto it Such a fulnesse of Spirit such a fulnesse of Grace is there in Jesus Christ who is in that respect compared to a Fountain Zach. 13.1 In that day there shall be a fountain opened to the house of David for sin and for uncleannesse That Fountain is Christ himselfe whose merit and spirit represented by the water and blood issuing out of his side in his Passion are as streams ever running from a living Spring sufficient to wash and cleanse all believing sinners from the guilt and pollution of sin Here is merit enough for their Justification and here is spirit enough for their Sanctification And in both these Believers being united unto Christ have and shall have communion with him A four-fold Benefit flowing from this Union and Communion Out of which Generall still to follow the Metaphor bud forth divers other particulars The Graft being thus put into the Stock made one with it and partaking in the sap and juice that is in it it now receiveth from it a four-fold benefit viz. Nutrition Augmentation Fructification Sustentation Nourishment Growth Fruitfulnesse Establishment And the like four-fold benefit we shall find accrewing unto the Believer from this his union and communion with Jesus Christ Each of which will yeild us a severall Resemblance A first of these Benefits is Nutrition 6. Resembl 1. Benefit Nutrition nourishment This the Graft receiveth from the Stock And this the Believer receiveth from Christ So the Apostle holdeth it forth though under a different Metaphor Col. 2.19 where comparing Christ to the Head and the Church to the Body he sheweth how the one receiveth nourishment from the other Not holding the Head from which all the Body having nourishment ministred 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Graeci 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 appellant illum qui omnia ornamenta suppeditat sacras Choreas agentibus Abbis ducta Motaphora 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 dicitur quicunque aliis suppeditat res ad quemcunque finem necessarias Et 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 est hoc facere abundè copiosè in Davenant in Col. 2.19 The word there used signifieth generally a Supply of all things requisite and convenient and that in an abundant manner Such a supply doth the Head make unto the naturall Body It giveth to every part sense and motion and particular abilities for the discharge of their severall offices and functions as to the eye to see to the ear to hear c. And such a supply doth Jesus Christ make unto his mysticall Body giving spirituall sense and motion to every member with abilities and graces sutable to their severall offices and conditions furnishing them with whatever is requisite for their Personall Salvation and the Churches Edification In this place the word more particularly imports a supply of such things as are necessary for the nourishing of the Body Est autem 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 accipere ea quae alendo corpori sunt necessaria Grotius ad loc These the Head supplyeth to the members of the naturall body And these Jesus Christ supplyeth to the members of the mystical Body even to all that are in him Such a supply the Stock maketh to the ingrafted Branches And such a supply Christ yeildeth to all those living spirituall Branches that are ingrafted into him ministring to them spirituall Aliment for the nourishing up of their souls unto eternal life To the nourishment of the naturall Body there are but two things requisite Christ is perfect nourishment to the Believer viz. Meat and Drink and both these is Christ unto the believer My flesh is meat indeed and my blood is drink indeed saith he to the Jews John 6.55 Meat indeed and drink indeed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 verè eminentissimè Truely and really though
sin using all means for the through mortification of it breaking the bones the power and strength of sin and peircing the heart of it by renewed contrition and repentance letting out the vitall blood of it never resting till we have let sin wholly out of our heart till the heart be brought to an inward loathing and detestation of all sin and so to feel the whole body of sin daily decaying languishing dying Such is the Christians death a copy and counterpane of the death of Jesus Christ resembling it in the properties thereof a True voluntary violent painfull lingring death And thus have I done with the former of these conclusions which informs us that The Christians death unto sin carries with it a resemblance of the death of Christ for sin It is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the likenesse or Representation of his death The second and third follow All true Beleevers are partners in this death and that by a vertue flowing from Jesus Christ Upon these two I shall insist severally by way of Doctrinall Explication and Illustration jointly by way of practicall Application Begin with the former All true beleevers are partners in this death Doctrine 2. All beleevers are dead unto sin All that are in Jesus Christ are thus conformable to him in his death This the Apostle here layeth down by way of supposition If we have been planted together in the likenesse of his death Taking it for granted that all who are ingrafted into Christ have a mysticall union with him they have also a communion with him and that first in his Death This is that which he hath told us in the two verses foregoing Know ye not saith the 3d verse that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death Again ver 4. Therefore wee are buried with him by baptism into death And thus he here inculcates again the same thing under a different expression If we have been planted together in the likeness of his death So are all true beleevers Being in Christ they die with him being dead to sin as he died for sin That they are so Confirmat we find it often asserted by this Apostle as in this chapter ver 2. How shall wee that are dead to sin saith he live any longer therein and again ver 11. Likewise reckon ye your selves to be dead indeed unto sin So elswhere This is that he tels his Colossians Colos 3.3 For ye are dead dead to the world to the flesh to sin This he saith of himselfe Gal. 6.14 The world is crucified to me and I unto the world And the like of all others Gal. 5.24 They that are Christs have crucified the flesh All in effect speaking one and the same thing with this in the Text that all which are in Christ are ingrafted with him in the likenesse of his death being dead to sin as he died for sin Explication Quest But what is this death unto sin Or how are Christians said to be dead unto sin What this death unto sin is Ans It is not my purpose here largely to insist upon the Doctrine of Mortification which as I have touched upon already in handling of the verses fore-going so I shall meet with again and again in the verses following Briefly To be dead unto sin is not to be wholly freed from the Inhabitation and molestation of it to be delivered from the body of sin to have it eradicated plucked up by the roots No that is contrary to universall experience None but find and feel that fomes peccati corruption of nature the body of sin still dwelling and living and working in them But to be freed from the dominion the reigning power of sin To have the vigour and strength of sin which is the life of sin so broken so enervated and weakned by the work of the Spirit of grace dwelling in the soul as that it doth not rule and reign and bear sway as it did before regeneration This it is to be dead to sin So much we may learn from this Apostle who explains his own meaning in the 12th verse of this Chapter Having in the former verse bid his Romans Reckon themselves dead unto sin he adds in this verse Let not therefore sin reign in your mortall bodies that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof This reigning power of sin when it hath the upper hand of the motions of the Spirit of God in the soul beareth such a sovereign incontroulable sway in it so over-powring the faculties of it as that the man is wholly overcome by it made a servant yeilding a willing and spontaneous obedience to it making either none or at best a weak and vain resistance against it this is the life of sin Now when this power is broken when it is conquered by a superiour power the power of the Spirit of grace so as the believer is freed from the dominion of sin now though sin do still live in him yet he is said to be dead to it And he may be said so to be The regenerate person dead unto sin three wayes 1. In regard of God's acceptation and that in a threefold respect In regard of Acceptation Inchoation Assurance 1. In regard of Acceptation God beholding the believer in and through Christ he beholdeth him not as he is in himselfe but as he is in Christ and so he beholdeth him as crucified as dead with Christ Besides where there is a willing and ready mind God accepteth a man according to what he hath and not according to what he hath not So the Apostle informeth us 2 Cor. 8.12 God measures men's bounty and liberality for of that the Apostle there speaketh not by their hands or purses but by their hearts And so is it in all other duties and services Desires and indeavours where they are reall with God go for actuall performances Now this is the Christian's desire He desireth nothing more then to be freed from the body of sin O wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from the body of this death And this he seriously indeavours he doth what in him lieth to kill and destroy it Now this in God's gracious acceptation is death unto sin As it is in the committing of sin Intentions in God's account go for actions Wanton looks are Adultery Whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart Mat. 5.28 Murdering intentions are murder Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer 1 John 3.15 He is so though not before man yet before God who judgeth men by their hearts Even so is it in the killing mortifying of sin He that hath designed the death of it desiring and indeavouring it he is in God's gracious acceptation looked upon as dead to sin 2. In regard of Inchoation 2. In regard of Inchoation The work of Mortification is begun In a regenerate person sin hath received a
glorified Glorifieth here in this life in Sanctification begun in the life to come in Sanctification perfect Grace is Glory inchoated Glory is Grace consummated And thus not unfitly may we understand the language of the Text as intending this twofold Resurrection the first Resurrection whereof Christians in measure already are and shall be made partakers in this life the second Resurrection whereof they shall be made partakers in the life to come And of each of these we shall find it true which the Apostle here insinuates in the Text that they carry with them a Resemblance of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ Each carrying a Resemblance of Christ's Resurrection Each of them is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Representation of his Resurrection The truth hereof I shall shew you by comparing the one with the other And this I shall do severally beginning first with the first 1. The first Resurrection 1. The spiritual Resurrection carrieth a resemblance the raising up of the soul from the death of sin to the life of righteousnesse this is a work which carrieth with it a resemblance of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ A resemblance of a Resurrection and of his Resurrection Of a Resurrection in generall of his Resurrection in particular Touch upon each distinctly 1. In the generall 1. In generall of a corporall Resurrection This spirituall Resurrection carrieth with it a resemblance of a corporall Resurrection It is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And hence it is that we find it so familiarly set forth under this expression If you be risen with Christ Col. 3 1. He hath raised us up together Ephes 2.6 Bring them together we shall find the one answering to the other See it in five or six particulars 1. They are alike in the Order of the work 1. Resemb In the Order of the work Resurrection presupposeth a Death going before it A man must first die before he can be capable of a Resurrection Herein lieth the difference betwixt Resurrection and Resuscitation the raising a man from his bed and from his grave In the one he is raised onely from sleep in the other from death This is peculiarly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 resurrection Which word however it may be sometimes used for any kind of raising again As Luke 2.34 it is opposed to falling Behold this Child meaning Jesus is set for the falling and rising again of many in Israel 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 opposed to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 yet most commonly in Scripture phrase it imports a raising from the dead And such is this spirituall Resurrection It is such a Resurrection as presupposeth a Death So much the Text giveth us clearly to understand If we have been engrafted in the likenesse of his death we shall be also in the likenesse of his resurrection Such was the Resurrection of Christ He first died before he rose again And such is the Resurrection of the Christian a resurrection which in order followeeh a death The Christian must first die to sin before he can be raised up to this new life this life of Righteousnesse This is the order which the Spirit of God in Scripture every where prescribeth and layeth down Psal 34.14 Depart from evill and do good Isai 1.16 17. Cease to do evill learn to do well 1 Pet. 3.11 If any man will love life and see good dayes let him eschew evill and do good As in naturall works Privation goeth before Generation so in this spirituall work Privation must go before Regeneration A thing must put off its old form and cease to be what it was before it can put on another form and become what it was not Thus must a Christian first put off the old man before he can put on the new Ephes 4.22 24. He must cease to live the life of sin before he can live the life of grace True in time these two go together but in order the one goeth before the other as Death doth before Resurrection A man is not capable of a corporall Resurrection untill he be dead There must first be a separation of the soul from the body And so must it be here Before man can be made partaker of this spirituall Resurrection he must die to sin There must be a separation of his soul from the body of sin otherwise he can never live unto God Mortification in order goeth before Vivification Applic. Some convinced to be strangers to this Resurrection Which by the way may convince many to be as yet strangers unto this blessed life However happily they may perform many duties and services unto God yet they do not live unto God How should they they never yet knew what it was to die to die unto sin Their souls are not yet separated from the body of sin they are not turned from and against all sin Some sins there are which their soules do yet cleave unto are wedded to they like them love them and live in them Against such the evidence is too clear they are strangers unto this Resurrection which in order followeth after death Here is a first resemblance 2. 2. Resemb In the Nature of the work This spirituall resembles a corporall Resurrection as in the Order so in the Nature of the work What is the Resurrection of the body but a motion from death to life a raising of a dead body from the grave of the earth to a new life and that by the return of the soul unto it which was for a time separated from it inabling it to exercise the operations of a naturall life And such is the spirituall Resurrection a motion from death to life from the death of sin to the life of righteousnesse caused by the return of the Spirit of God unto the soul inabling it to exercise the operations of a spirituall life Mark it Such is this spirituall Resurrection Spirituall Resurrection what The quickning and raising up of a dead soul Such are all men by nature dead men The hour cometh and now is when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God c. John 5.25 The dead men dead while they live living corporally but dead spiritually Dead in trespasses and sins as Paul hath it Ephes 2.1 having no more power to do any work of the spirituall life then a dead man of the naturall And as dead so buried Their souls daily as it were putrifying and rotting in the grave of sinfull corruption Such is the state of all men in their naturall condition before the grace of God meet with them Now this grace meeting with them it quickens and raiseth them Even when we were dead in sins he hath quickned us together with Christ and raised us up together Ephes 2.5 6. Thus in the work of Regeneration there is a new life put into the soul And that by the return of the Spirit of God into it At the first Creation of man man himself being made after the Image of
God his soul was then a Temple an habitation for the Spirit which was to the soul as the soul to the body the very life of it But upon man's fall this Spirit forsook that habitation and thereupon followed a spirituall death the soul of man died And in that state it continueth under the power of this spirituall death until that Spirit return again which it doth in the work of Regeneration And so returning now it restoreth it to life again enabling it to live unto God and to exercise the operations of a spirituall life to live in the Spirit and to walke in the Spirit as the Apostle phraseth it Gal. 5.16 25. to live no longer to the lusts of men but to the will of God as St Peter hath it 1 Pet. 4.2 Such is this work of Renovation and in this respect not unlike a Resurrection 3. In the third place Resemb 3. In the Integrity of the work This Spirituall resembles the Corporall Resurrection as in the Order and Nature so in the Integrity of the work Such is the Corporall Resurrection a raising up not of some one or more members onely but of the whole body And such is this Spirituall Resurrection It is a raising up of the whole man Even as I said before of Mortification It is an entire work running thorow the whole man and thorow the whole body of sin A separating of the soul not onely from some one sin or many sins but all sins Even so is Vivification a through work going through the whole man Hence is it that we finde it called a Putting on the New man Eph. 4.24 intimating that this work of Renovation it is an entire work passing through the whole man through all the faculties of the soul all the members of the Body It is Pauls prayer for his Thessalonians 1 Thes 5.23 Now the very God of peace sanctifie you wholly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the whole man in every part and I pray God that your whole Spirit Soul and Body be preserved blamelesse unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ Where truth of Sanctification is vouchsafed the whole man partakes of it No part of soul or body in a Regenerate person but feeles the vertue of the spirit of Grace purging out old corruption infusing new qualities In the Soul the understanding that is renewed Be ye renewed in the spirit of your minde Eph. 4.23 and that by putting a new light into it Ye were sometimes darkenesse but now yee are light in the Lord Ephes 5.8 The Will and Affections they are renewed having new Motions new Inclinations new Dispositions put into them new desires new feares new loves new joyes new sorrows new hopes new confidences In the Body all the members are renewed in respect of their Obedientiall faculty being no longer what they were Instruments of unrighteousnesse unto sin but Instruments of Righteousnesse unto Holinesse Rom. 6.13 Thus the beleever being in Christ he is made a New Creature Old things are past away All things are become new 2 Corinthians 5.17 Thus doth the Grace of Christ equalize the sin of Adam Adams sin like a desperate poyson it spread it selfe through the whole man infecting all bringing death upon all So doth the Grace of Christ like a Soveraigne antidote it diffuseth it self through the whole man healing restoring renewing all The salve is as large as the soare Here is a third Resemblance in the Integrity of the work 4. See a fourth Resemb 4. The difficulty of the work in the Difficulty of the work Resurrection is a work of difficulty To raise up a dead body from the Grave is a work that transcends the power of nature In no one thing did Christ more manifestly and mightily declare himself to be the Son of God then in this in raising up others and himselfe from death to life Declared to be the Son of God with power by the Resurrection from the dead Romans 1.4 And such is this spirituall Resurrection the raising up of a dead soul from the grave of sin to an heavenly life It is a work which men or Angels cannot do In respect of difficulty no ways inferiour to a Resurrection A work of a mighty almighty power So the Apostle setteth it forth Ephesians 1.19 20. Where he prayeth for his Ephesians that amongst other things they might know know by experience what is the exceeding greatnesse of his power towards them which beleeve According to the working of his mighty power which hee wrought in Christ when hee raised him from the dead Such is that power which God manifests in raising up dead souls from the death of sin to the life of Righteousnesse it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 exceeding greatnesse of power no less then that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that effectuall working of the power of his might which hee put forth in raising Christ from the grave Applic. Much then are they mistaken who conceive the work of the holy Ghost Conversion more then a Morall swasion in producing and breeding faith and Holinesse in the soul to be no more but a morall swasion to which it is in the power choice of man himself to yeeld or not to yeild Surely such a swasion cannot be said to be the working of Gods mighty power like that wherby he raised Christ from the dead Resurrection imports more then a swasion They are not all the Arguments and perswasions that can be used that will raise a dead man from his grave There must be a new principle of life put into that liveless carkass to give motion to it So is it here They are not all the most perswasive Arguments that can be suggested to and pressed upon a dead soul that can cause it to arise from the dead There must be a principle of a spirituall life breathed in the face of it by the Spirit of God before it can awake and arise Why men are called upon to arise which of themselves they are not able to do Obj. But why then are men themselves called upon so to do Awake thou that sleepest and stand up from the dead c. So the Apostle exhorts Eph 5.14 speaking from the prophet Isa cap. 60.1 as it is commonly taken or rather as Beza notes it cap. 26.19 It should seem then that man hath some power in himself to perform what here he is put upon The Exhortation Eph. 5.14 directed to Beleevers A. To this it is answered As for that exhortation it may be conceived to be directed to beleevers Even they somtimes sleep So did the five wise Virgins as well as the foolish All slumbred and slept Mat. 25.5 And they may seem somtimes to fall into a dead sleep through the surprizall of carnall security Now as for them the Exhortation is not vain to call upon them to awake and arise in as much as they are able to do this by the power of that spirit which they have already received But
This it is which our Saviour meaneth in Joh. 4.14 Whosoever shall drink of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst So again Joh. 6.35 He that cometh unto me shall never hunger and he that believeth in me shal never thirst that is he shal find a full satisfaction in me as that he shal not hunger and thirst after other things as somtimes he did his soul shal not run out inordinately after creature-comforts to seek for happinesse and contentment in them Thus doth the life of this new-creature carry with it in measure a conformity to the life of Jesus Christ after his Resurrection being as his was a spirituall life 2. An immortall life 2. And secondly an immortall life Thus was Christ raised never to die again And so is the Christian raised So the Apostle himselfe maketh out this Resemblance ver 9 10 11 12. of this Chapter Christ being raised from the dead dyeth no more death hath no more dominion over him c Likewise reckon ye your selves also dead unto sin but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord. Let not sin therefore reign in your mortall bodies c. Christ being raised from the grave he returns no more to his old lodging to his former state He never came under the power and dominion of death again Even so the Believer being once raised up from the grave of sin he dieth no more Expresse to this purpose is that of our Saviour John 11.25 26. He that believeth on me though he were dead yet shall he live And whosoever liveth and believeth on me shall never die This are we to understand not only of the second Resurrection as Arminians would have it who that they might decline the evidence of this Text make use of that subterfuge but also and most properly of the first Resurrection the raising up of the soul to a spirituall life Of such a life speaketh our Saviour in Joh. 5.25 The hour cometh and now is when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God and they which hear it shall live Understand it not only of a corporall Resurrection as Grotius would have it in which sense yet it is true which is there said but of a spiritual Resurrection The Dead such as are spiritually dead dead in sin They shall hear the voice of the Son of God They shall hear Christ speaking to them in the Ministery of his word And they which hear this word hear it with faith They shall live live a spirituall life the life of grace here and glory hereafter And in a like sense are we to understand this passage in this 11th Chapter wherein our Saviour as Diodate observeth upon it according to his usuall custome taketh occasion from the corporall Resurrection before spoken of to instruct Martha in the doctrine of the spirituall Resurrection And speaking of this Resurrection he saith He that believeth on me though he were dead dead in trespasses and sins yet shall he live live a spirituall life And whosoever so liveth and believeth on me shall never die never die a spirituall death again never come under the power and dominion of sin again never totally fall from the grace which he hath received That incorruptible seed by which he is regenerated shal abide in him that Spirit of grace which he hath received shall maintain this spirituall life in him True indeed the body is still subject unto death but not so the soul If Christ be in you saith the Apostle the body is dead because of sin but the spirit is life because of righteousnesse Rom. 8.10 that is as Diodate and Beza and others expound it the body is yet subject to corporall death through the remainders of sin that are in all regenerate persons but The spirit is life even that little spark of the Spirit o grace that is still life unto the soul here and shall be both to soul and body hereafter through the most perfect righteousnesse of Christ imputed unto them Their bodies they are daily decaying daily dying as Paul saith of himselfe 1 Cor. 15.31 but not so their souls Though our outward man perish yet our inward man is renewed day by day 2 Cor. 4.16 And as for the second death that shall have no power over them Blessed and holy is he that hath his part in the first Resurrection on such the second death shal have no power Rev. 20.6 The second death is eternall death so expounded chap. 2. ver 8. And from this death are they freed who have their part in this first Resurrection The Believer an immortall creature O the blessed condition of a Believer The very day that he is raised up from the death of sin to the life of grace he is made an immortall creature That grace of God which bringeth this life bringeth immortality with it as the Apostle puts them together 2 Tim. 2.10 The believer dieth no more As for the death of nature it is not worth the name of death to him being only an entrance and passage into life and the poison and bitternesse of it being taken away As for those true and terrible deaths spirituall death the death of the soule eternall death the death both of soul and body these the believer is no more subject to Or though subject to them as in himself he is yet he shall be so kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation as he shall never actually come under the power of them He that will make a believer being once risen with Christ raised from the grave of sin subject to die again subject to fall away from the grace of God totally and finally and so to be brought under the power of the second death may as well make Christ subject to death after his Resurrection Christ being risen from the dead he dieth no more All the men and divels in the world could not drag him to the grave again being once risen from it The soul that is once risen with Christ quickned by his Spirit it is not all the power of hell that can bring it to the grave of sin again that can bring it under the power of a spirituall and eternall death Herein the Christian 's first Resurrection his soul-Resurrection answers the bodily Resurrection of Jesus Christ He is raised as Christ was in the generall to a new life in the particular to a spirituall to an immortall life Generall 2. The believer raised to the glory of God his Father And thus also is he raised as Christ was To the Glory of God the Fahter There is the second Generall Thus was Christ raised To the Glory of his Father and that both actively and passively Actively to the glorifying of him Thus was Christ raised 1. Actively to glorifie him Passively to be glorified with him 1. To glorifie him Father glorifie thy Son that thy Son also may glorifie thee So our Saviour begins his prayer John 17.1 This Jesus
where he telleth beleevers that they were chosen in Christ before the foundation of the world Chosen 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Christ or for Musculus Loc. Com. de Electione Cap. 6. by and through Christ In him as Members in their Head For by and through him as Mediator He being the Head of the Election the first born amongst many Brethren as the Apostle upon another account calls him Rom. 8.29 the first that opened the womb others were Elected in by and through him Thus was he a Mediator before his Incarnation yea before the worlds Creation Then was he a Mediator in the business of Election yea and then was he predestinated to be a Mediator of Reconciliation I was set up from Everlasting saith Wisdome Prov. 8.23 It is spoken of Christ the Wisedome of the Father who was designed and appointed to be a Mediator from Eternity Thus was he called to be a Mediator before time 2. In time 2. In time Then was he invested in this office put upon the undertaking and executing of it Which he did first virtually then actually 1. Virtually 1. Virtually and Inchoately So was he a Mediator even from the fall of Adam When God and Man were fallen at variance by reason of sin so as the First Covenant the Covenant of works was disolved and broken and an enmity through Satans artifice introduced Now did the Lord Christ for the disolving of that work of the Divell and the repayring in measure that breach which sin had made enter upon the exercise of this office of Mediatorship to which he was before designed Now did he undertake that great negotiation of Reconciling God to man and Man to God Now did that promise made unto our first parents being yet in Paradise take place Gen. 3.15 Now did the seed of the woman begin to break the serpents head So as from thenceforth he was a Mediator virtually How ever he was not of many ages after incarnate yet was he an Effectuall Mediator The vertue and efficacie of his Mediation extending it self even unto the first Ages of the world In which respect as also in the former Christ is said to be the Lamb slain from the beginning of the world as that passage is commonly read Revelation 13.8 So he was as in respect of Gods destination being designed before time to be offered up in time so in respect of the Efficacy of that his Sacrifice which extended to the first age of the world as far as Adams fall Even as it was with the Incense offering in the Tabernacle or Temple however it was burnt only in one place viz. upon the golden Altar before the Arke of the Testimony Exod. 11.5 yet the perfume of it extended to every corner of the house Thus the Sacrifice of Christ however it was offered up onely at one time in one age in the End of the world as the Apostle hath it Heb. 9.26 and only in one place upon the Altar of the Crosse yet the vertue and efficacy thereof extended to all places and all ages as well to those who lived before his Incarnation as those who lived after Thus did Christ enter upon the exercise of this office immediately upon the fall of man so soone as there was need of a Mediatour From thence doth this his Mediatourship Commence From that time he was a Mediator vertually 2. Actually 2. Actually Thus was he a Mediator after his Incarnation When he had taken the nature of man upon him and was made man Then was he an Actuall and Compleat Mediator Marke the Text There is one Mediator betwixt God and men the Man Christ Jesus The eternall Son of God being made Man 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 God-Man now was he an Actuall and compleat Mediator Being thus manifested in the flesh now he was manifested to be what before he was Now did he act that part visibly upon earth which before he had acted secretly and invisibly in heaven Now was he every way furnished for the office of a Mediator Now was a Body prepared for him so the Apostle Heb. 10.6 following the Translation of the Septuagint citeth that of the Psalmist Psal 40.6 applying it unto Christ A Body hast thou prepared or fitted for me Thereby meaning the humane nature of Christ which was prepared fitted for the work of the Mediatorship Fitted through Sanctification of the Spirit Thus are all believers fitted for their worke of obedience as Saint Peter telleth them 1 Pet. 1.2 Elect according to the foreknowledge of God through sanctification of the Spirit unto obedience And thus was the Lord Christ fitted for his great work of obedience which as Mediator he was to perform here upon Earth viz. through Sanctification of the Spirit the large effusion of the Spirit upon his humane nature And being thus fitted for it now he entred upon it upon the worke of his Active and Passive obedience discharging his Propheticall and Priestly office here upon earth which having done then he entred upon his Kingly administration in heaven But this I shall have occasion to cleare up unto you more fully in resolving of the next Question which now falleth in fitly And that is Question How and in what waies the Question 4 Lord Christ manageth and carrieth on this work of mediation for the effecting of this Reconciliation The Work of Mediation how managed and carried on Answer By divers steps typified by Jacob's Ladder Where Ans A Question of great use high concernment unto all those who desire to be acquainted with the mystery of Christ For the Resolution of it we must know that this work of Mediation it was begun and carried on by divers steps and and degrees not unlike that ladder which the Patriarch Jacob saw in his nightly vision Gen. 28.12 which I look upon as a Type carrying with it a lively representation of this our Mediatour and his blessed Mediation So our Saviour himselfe applieth it John 1.51 That ladder reached from Earth to Heaven uniting the one to the other So doth the Lord Jesus by his Mediation he uniteth Heaven and Earth God and man by the means whereof they come to have a sweet and blessed union and communion each with other So as all graces descend from God unto men upon earth and men come to ascend unto God in Heaven Now in this Ladder there are two things to be taken notice of viz. First The two Extremes or Ends of it the Bottome and the Top. Secondly The intermediate steps or staves betwixt them And the like may we observe in this our Mediatour and his Mediation 1. The two Extremes representing the two Natures in Christ 1. Here may we first take notice of the two Extremes viz. the two Natures of Christ his Humanity his Divinity fitly represented as some conceive it by the two ends of that Ladder the foot whereof was upon Earth and the top in Heaven the one aptly representing the Humanity of Christ
permanent impression upon the soul stamping the Image of God upon it making it partaker of the Divine nature as S. Peter calls the work of Grace which consisteth in those divine Qualities of Holiness and Righteousness 2. Pet 1.4 which is as a mark a Character wherby men may know whose children they are Even as the Spartans or Lacedemonians of old are said to know what stock linage they were of by a mark that was made upon their bodies by the head of a Lance G ot in Rom. 8.16 or Speer as Grotius illustrates it Not only so but besides this there is a more immediate witnesse of the Spirit sealing up that and other benefits unto the soul Thus it testifieth to the spirit and with the spirit of the Beleever The spirit of Christ and his own spirit they do 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 witnesse together each bearing witnesse with the other His Spirit beareth witnesse with the Spirit of Christ viz. by observing the work of that spirit the work of grace and Sanctification wrought in upon the soul And the spirit of Christ beareth witnesse with his spirit by assuring him as of the truth of that work of Grace so of his Interest in that and all other benefits belonging to the Covenant of Grace Thus doth the Spirit notifie unto the soul of a Beleever it own interest in Christ and his Benefits So saith the Apostle 1 Cor. 2.12 We have received the spirit of God that we may know the things which are freely given us of God Those spirituall benefits and blessings which beleevers have by Christ whether in present possession or future expectation the Spirit causeth them to know them To know them not onely in a generall way in the Theory to know what they are but to know their owne right unto them and interest in them assuring them both of the one and of the other And in this respect again as judicious Diodate looketh upon it Christ may be conceived to be called the Surety of the Covenant Diodate annot in Heb. 7.22 in as much as he assureth the Grace of the Covenant the grace of God by his spirit unto the soul And thus you see this other Branch of this point opened and explained unto you How Christ is said to be a Surety on Gods part to Man Assuring him of the performance of the conditions of the covenant on God's part which he doth as you have heard by his Word by his Works by his Blood by his Spirit And thus am I at the length got off from this third Staffe also where we have seen how Christ is a Mediatour betwixt God and man Qua Sponsor as a Surety undertaking for man to God and for God to man Which being the middle and as I conceive the principall staffe of this mysteriall Ladder I have stood upon it the longer Which I have done as not without content to my selfe in the contemplation of these divine and sacred Truths so I trust not without some benefit to you to all you who desire to be clearly and fully informed concerning this great mystery of Christ I shall now in the Name and Fear of God passe on to those two other steps which I shall passe over with what convenient speed I may reserving the Application of all into the close The fourth Staffe of this mysticall Ladder Jesus Christ is a Mediatour betwixt God and men in the fourth place Quà Intercessor as an Intercessour Such a Mediatour was Job for his friends Job 42.8 My servant Job shall pray for you Christ an Intercessour for him will I accept And such a Mediatour is the Lord Jesus for his elect people So he was upon Earth and so he is in Heaven Upon Earth He was so upon Earth Then was he an Intercessour then did he performe a peice of this part of his Mediatorship interceding with God his Father in the behalfe of his elect People This he did in those many sweet and fervent prayers which he poured forth for them from time to time specially in that sacred and solemn one which we have recorded John 17. A prayer so divine so heavenly that whosoever hath ought of the Spirit of Christ cannot but be exceedingly affected and even ravished with it There have we a true Cygnea Cantio a Swan-like Song wherein our blessed Saviour being then to leave the world he commendeth his Elect in the present and succeeding ages to the care and custody of God his Father that he would conferre and bestow upon them all those benefits which himselfe had purchased for them As namely that he would sanctifie them ver 17. Sanctifie them through thy Truth That he would keep them in unity ver 11. Holy Father keep them through thine own Name those whom thou hast given me that they may be one as we are i. e. joyned in the unity of faith and love one in him and one among themselves That he would deliver them from evill ver 15. I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world but that thou shouldest keep them from evill 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from that evill one viz. Satan their grand Enemy That he would expresse his peculiar love to them ver 23. That the world may know that thou hast loved them as thou hast loved me So again ver 26. That the love wherewith thou hast loved me may be in them That he would fill their hearts with inward joy and comfort ver 13. That they may have my joy fulfilled in themselves And finally that in due season he would bring them to the participation of the same eternall glory with himselfe ver 24. Father I will that they also whom thou hast given me be with me where I am that they may behold my glory And so beholding it might be transformed into it Thus did he then intercede for his Elect Praying for them This he did in his Life and this he did in his Death Even upon the Crosse whilest he was a Sufferer he was also an Intercessour So saith the Prophet Isai chap. 53. ver 12. He bare the sins of many and made Intercession for the transgressours So he did in that prayer of his which he poured out in the Paroxisme of his Passion the midst of his Agony in the behalfe of those that crucified him Father forgive them for they know not what they do Luke 23.34 Thus was he an Intercessour upon Earth And he is the same in Heaven He is so in Heaven There he performeth the same office stil interceding though not after the same manner that he did here upon Earth Grot. Com. in Heb. 7.25 Non submissâ ut olim sed potenti Interpellatione as Grotius citeth it out of Gregory not any longer in a submisse humble way with knees bowed down with hands and eyes lifted up as here he did in his state of humiliation but in a way sutable to his glorified condition In
was under Pharaoh giving out provisions unto the people according to his discretion So is the Lord Jesus under God his Father He provideth for the Bodies of his people For their Souls And as for their Bodies so also and specially for their Souls Thence is he called the Shepherd and Bishop of Souls 1 Pet. 2. last Them he nourisheth Even as men nourish their natural Bodies so doth Christ his mysticall Body No man ever yet hated his own flesh saith the Apostle Ephes 5.29 i. e. No man in his right wits will wrong or starve his own body but nourisheth and cherisheth it even as the Lord the Church The Lord Christ nourisheth his Church This he doth by his Word and Spirit the one being a vehiculum a conduit-pipe to the other so conveying spirituall nourishment to all the members of this Body So much we may learn from the Apostle Col. 2.19 where speaking of this Head he tels us that from hence All the Body by joynts and Bands having nourishments ministred c increaseth with the increase of God Thus is it in the naturall Body The Head being the fountain of the animall spirits it giveth sense and motion and nutrition to all the members And thus doth Jesus Christ this mysticall Head He maketh a supply to all the members of his mysticall Body of what ever is requisite for their spirituall nourishment and growth To the nourishment of the naturall Body there are two things requisite Meat and Drink And both these Christ affordeth to the soul Of the former you may read John 6.27 Labour not for the meat which perisheth but for the meat which endureth unto everlasting life which the Son of man shall give unto you meaning his word or himselfe his own flesh as he expounds it ver 51. The bread that I will give is my flesh The other you have John 7.37 If any man thirst let him come unto me and drink And again John 4.14 Whosoever shall drink of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst meaning thereby his Spirit the Spirit of Grace which is like a living Spring in the soul refreshing and comforting it Both together you have John 6.55 My flesh is meat indeed and my blood is drink indeed So they are The flesh and blood of Christ being eaten and drunk by faith applying the merit of his death and passion unto the soul now they afford as true and perfect nourishment unto the soul as any meat and drink do to the body thus doth Jesus Christ nourish his people Even as Joseph is said to have nourished his Brethren and all his Fathers Houshold Gen. 47.12 So doth this our Mediator the Lord Jesus nourish his people feeding them To which I might add As he feedeth so also he cloatheth them He cloatheth them and this he doth with a double garment The one of Imputed the other of Inherent Righteousnesse This is the fine-linnen spoken of Rev. 19.8 wherewith the Bride the Lamb's wife is said to be arrayed The fine-linnen is the Righteousnesse of Saints 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith the Originall the Justifications the Righteousnesses Such is the Righteousnesse of Saints a double Righteousnesse Besides the Righteousnesse of Christ put upon them by a gracious Imputation they have also an Inherent Righteousnesse consisting in holinesse of heart and life inward Graces and outward good Works which as Beza notes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Justificationes i. e. bona illa opera qua sunt vinae fidei 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Beza Gr. Annot. ad Apocal. 19.8 may not unfitly be called Justifications in as much as they justifie a mans faith and the truth of grace in him This is the Government in which that Royal Spouse is said to be brought to her Husband Psal 45.13 The Kings daughter is all glorious within her cloathing is of needle-work A contexture of variety of graces and good works meeting together And this is a Garment not of the Spouses own making but is bestowed upon her by her Bridegroom To her was granted that she should be arrayed c. Rev. 19.8 And so is it to all true believers whom Jesus Christ both feedeth and clotheth But I hasten Fifthly Thus providing for them now he also disposeth of them 5. He disposeth of them Thus did Joseph dispose of his Brethren Gen. 47.11 Thus doth our Joseph the Lord Jesus dispose of all his people and that both in respect of their stations and services where he will have them to be and what he will have them to do or to suffer Thus did he dispose of his servant Paul as you may see Acts 9. Having first dismounted humbled him and so fitted and prepared him for his service brought him to his Lure insomuch that he calleth out Lord what wilt thou have me to do ver 6. Now he orders him to go to Damascus and there to repair to Ananias to receive his instructions from him to whom he had imparted his mind concerning him as you find it ver 15. Go thy way saith the Lord to Ananias for he is a chosen vessels unto me to bear my name before the Gentiles and Kings and the children of Israel this was Paul to do And for his suffering work that followeth I will show him what great things he must suffer for my names sake ver 16. Thus did Jesus Christ dispose of him and thus did he then dispose of all his Disciples sending them which way he pleased Matth. 10.16 17. And thus doth he still dispose of all others under his Government Calling some to one office to one service others to another He gave some Apostles and some Prophets c. Ephes 4.11 Some or these 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not only appointing the offices but designing the persons Stil he doth the same though not in so immediate a way He putteth one upon doing this another upon suffering that He disposeth of the persons of his subjects 6. And lastly disposing of them he Dispenceth to them 6. He dispenceth to them distributeth among them And this he doth both Gifts and Honours and Rewards All this doth a Vice-Roy at his pleasure dispence to those under his government And all these doth Jesus Christ dispence unto his people 1. Gifts 1. Gifts All kind of Gifts whether of Nature Of Nature or Grace Christ is the dispencer of both Of the former speaketh Saint John as he is commonly understood cap. 1. ver 9. That was the true light saith he speaking of Christ that enlightneth every man that cometh into the world viz. with a Naturall light the light of Reason and Vnderstanding which as it was at first infused into the mind of man by him by whom all things are made ver 3. so some sparkes thereof are still preserved and continued by the same Mediator by vertue of the generall mediation of Christ But to let them passe Gifts of Grace are all of his dispencing To every one of us is
First Resurrection from Christ 86. First Resurrection imperfect 149. 248. Resurrection spirituall resembling the Corporall in six particulars 151. Resurrection spirituall a Difficult work 157. Resurrection spiritual a work to which man naturally is indisposed and averse 160. 161. Resurrection of Christ a patterne of the first Resurrection 164. Resurrection of Christ a pattern of the Christians second Resurrection 180 Resurrection to life proper to beleevers 183 Christ the Efficient cause of the Beleevers first and second Resurrection 189. First Resurrection common to all beleevers 195. Evidences of the first Resurrection 196. Motives to the first Resurrection 215. First Resurrection how attained 227. First Resurrection a mercy to be acknowledged 233. First Resurrection to be evidenced by the actions of a spirituall life 24. Beleevers how to Rise more and more 241 S Sanctification a benefit flowing from union with Christ 38 Stability of a Regenerate mans estate 48 Strivings of sin in a regenerate person comforts against them 121. The two Adams two Stocks 23 The Mysticall Stock Christ 14 Christ a generous Stock 46. 20. Christ a living and quickning Stock 21 Christ a Stock changing the nature of the graft ibid. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the word explained 5 Sustentation a benefit flowing from Christ 9 82 T. TRanslation to be waited for 245 Translation to be prepared for 247 V. VErtues imitable in Christ 210 Unity among Christians 4 Union with Christ desirable and necessary 8 26 Union between Christ and the beleever inseparable 10 82 Union mysticall a neer union 32 Union with Christ an honour to Beleevers 34 Voyce of Christ raising dead soule 196 W. WAiting for glory the Beleevers property 179 Weakness of Christians in themselves 6 Wildings such are all men by nature 19 Christians have their Winters 60 Good works Gospel fruits 71 World how to be used by Christians 172 ERRATA Pag. 24. li. 31. for in r. to p. 37. l. 23. r. in ingrafting p. 54. l. 19. dele and. p. 93. l. 1. r. discovers l. 2. dele make p. 133. l. 20. for that r. of p. 142. l. 31. r. from p. 161. l. 9. r. wholly p. 136. l. 11. r. was white l. 31. r. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 204. l. 7. r. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 224. l. 1. r. not Mysticall IMPLANTATION OR The great Gospel Mystery of the Christians Union and Communion with and Conformity to Jesus Christ both in his Death and Resurrection ROM 6. VER 5. For if wee have been planted together in the likenesse of his death wee shall bee also in the likenesse of his Resurrection IN the verse foregoing Context the Apostle fetteth forth the Christians Communion with and Conformity to Jesus Christ Communion and Conformity both in his Death and Resurrection both Represented sealed and conveyed unto the beleever in by and through the Sacrament of Baptism Therefore we are buried with him by Baptism into Death that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father even so we also should walk in newnesse of life What he there plainly and simply propounds in this 5th verse he prosecutes and illustrates which he doth by an apt and elegant Similitude or Comparison A Similitude taken from planting or grafting where the Graft and the Stock being made one partake in Life and Death dying together in the Winter seeming so to do Reviving and living together in the Spring Even thus saith the Apostle fareth it with Christ and the Beleever The Beleever being implanted and ingrafted into Christ made one with him from that union floweth the like Communion and that both in his Death and Resurrection For if we have been planted together in the likenesse of his death we shall be also in the likenesse of his Resurrection Division A Supposition A Position In which passage we may take notice of two things a Supposition and a Position The Supposition or Ground-work in the former words If we have been planted together in the likenesse of his Death The Position or Inference deduced from and built upon that ground in the later we shall be also in the likenesse of his Resurrection Begin with the former the Supposition If we have been c. This the Apostle here supposeth laying it down for a ground-work that All Beleevers are planted together with Christ in the likenesse of his Death which we may for the better handling of it breake or resolve into two distinct Propositions or Conclusions The Supposition resolved into two Propositions 1. Beleevers are planted together with Christ 2. They are planted together with Christ in the likenesse of his Death The former more generall the later more particular I shal insist upon them severally beginning with the former Proposit 1. All beleevers are planted together with Christ A double reference of the word together 1. To beleevers themselves All Beleevers are planted together with Christ Planted together 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith the Originall where the Preposition 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 together may admit of a twofold reference Either it may be referred to Christians themseselves or to Christ and them 1. To Beleevers themselves We have been planted together i. e. saith Erasmus wee Jews and Gentiles both which are now planted together in the same stock or wee viz. Paul himself and all other beleevers even the whole company of the faithfull who are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 planted together like so many branches growing upon the same stock making up one mysticall body A truth which the Apostle elsewhere setteth forth under another Allegory of a Building Ephes 2.20 21. where resembling Christ unto a Foundation-stone hee compares other beleevers to so many stones laid upon that foundation all fitly framed together and builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit Thus some conceive the Apostle here to speake the same thing under another Metaphor Applic. Being planted together let them agree together A truth and an usefull one did I list to improve it Usefull as to other ends so especially to minde Christians of that holy concord unity and agreement which ought to be betwixt and amongst them They are planted together like branches of the same tree Now how do we see such branches growing up together quietly peaceably Happily in a storm there may be some clashing but that being over they agree again imbracing each other with mutuall complications Thus in stormes of Satans raising there may and will bee sometimes animosities and unbrotherly contentions amongst Christians as there was betwixt Paul and Barnabas but the violence of the Tentation being over now they ought to affect a holy agreement being knit together and growing up together in Love But I shall not dwell upon this 2 The second Reference more proper with Christ The later Reference I look upon as more proper and geinune Planted together viz. with Christ. So it will appear to bee if we paralell and compare the phrase here with
spiritually and that most eminently No food so nourishing to the body as the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ being eaten and drunk by faith are unto the soul Whence it is that he compares himselfe to that which is most alimentall most nourishing as to Bread I am the Bread of life John 6.35 Bread is the staffe of life naturall there being no food that yeildeth more solid nourishment to the body then that And thus is Jesus Christ the staffe of life spiritual nourishing up the soul unto eternall life Wherein this Bread excels all other bread Mannah was excellent bread Angel's food Man did eat Angels food Nourishing the Soul to Eternall life saith the Psalmist speaking of the Mannah in the wilderness Ps 78.25 Such food as Angels could eat no better if they used or needed food excellent food yet they which are of it died Your fathers did eat mannah in the wilderness are dead saith our Saviour to the Jews Joh. 6.49 But saith he speaking of himself in the next verses This is the bread which came down from heaven If any man eat of this bread he shal live for ever Such is the nourishment which Jesus Christ this generous and vigorous Head and Stock ministreth to all that are united to him engrafted in him What this soul-nourishment How this soul-nourishment is conveyed is and in what way supplied I might here further shew you I touched upon it in the last point Take it in a word Christ nourisheth those which are in him by the communication of his spirit unto them Thus doth the Head supply nourishment unto the members of the body by communicating unto them of those spirits which are in it self And thus doth Jesus Christ nourish his members by a continuall supply of his Spirit unto them This is that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which Saint Paul speaketh of Phil. 1.19 where speaking of the malicious designes and intentions of his adversaries against himselfe I know saith he that even this shall turn to my salvation through the supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ Thus are meats and drinks turned to nourishment to the body through a supply of spirits from the spirituous parts helping to digest and distribute them and extract nourishment from them And thus are all things made advantageous to the believer in furthering his salvation through the continued supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ which Spirit furnisheth the soul with all graces requisite and convenient and by that means maintains the spirituall life of it nourishing it up unto eternall life Applic. 1. Applic. 1. A Spring of Consolation to Believers For Application of this Branch Here is another spring of consolation unto all those living branches that are truely ingrafted into this stock all true believers that are made one with Jesus Christ let them know that being in him they shall find him a generous and a vigorous Stock Christ a generous and a vigorous Stock full of sap full of juice full of vertue sufficient to keep and maintain spirituall life in them in the midst of the hardest Winters or most scorching Summers the sharpest Solstices of Tentation or Persecution that can happen unto them Aye not only to keep life in them but to maintain them in a flourishing condition like those Trees of the Lord which are said to be full of sap Psal 104.16 So run these sweet promises Psal 92.12 The righteous shall flourish like the Palm-tree he shall grow like the Cedar in Lebanon Palmes and Cedars are Winter Plants green all the year long And such are the Trees in God's Plantation like those Trees which David speaketh of Psal 1.3 Trees planted by the rivers of waters which bring forth fruit in their season and their leaves wither not Living fruit-bearing flourishing trees Those that be planted in the House of the Lord shall flourish in the Courts of our God They shall bring forth fruit in their age they shall be fat and flourishing so the Psalmist there goeth on Psal 92.13 14. And whence have they this That when other trees wither and die so do Hypocrites who in the day of Tentation or Persecution cast their leaves of an outward profession losing what ever shew of piety and holinesse they once had yet these Trees of Righteousnesse should not onely live but flourish Why thanks to the Root the Stock into which they are ingrafted Thanks unto Jesus Christ who of his fulnesse thus communicates unto them giving unto them that water of life whereof himselfe speaketh John 4.13 that influence of his grace and Spirit which whosoever drinketh of shall never thirst more that is he shall not need to go seek for any thing out of Jesus Christ as the graft seeketh for nothing out of the stock for that water which he shall give him shall be unto him a well of water springing up unto everlasting life Vse 2. Vse 2. Come unto Jesus Christ for nourishment What remaines then but that every of us who would have our soules thus nourished come unto Jesus Christ Come we unto him even as the sons of Jacob came unto their brother Joseph who nourished them and theirs with bread according to their families Gen. 47.12 So come we unto our Joseph As Joseph's Brethrem came unto him the Lord Jesus Christ of whom Joseph as in many other so in that particular was a Type Come we unto him And that 1. 1. In the sense of our wants As they came unto Joseph in the present sense of our wants not knowing where else to find a supply Come unto Jesus Christ hungring and thirsting after him earnestly desiring to partake of his fulnesse He filleth the hungry with good things Luke 1.53 2. In obedience to our Fathers Commandement 2. In obedience to our Fathers Commandement So went they the first and second time to their Joseph by the direction and command of their father Jacob Gen. 42.1 2. So come we unto our Joseph in obedience to the direction and command of our Heavenly Father This is his Commandement that we should believe on the Name of his Son Jesus Christ 1 John 3.23 3. At Christ's own Invitation 3. At Christ's own Invitation So came they unto Joseph the third time being by him invited thereunto Gen. 44. 45. Thus come we unto our Joseph the Lord Jesus Christ whose gracious Invitation we may read John 7.37 In the last day the great day of the Feast Jesus stood and cryed saying If any man thirst let him come unto me and drink This spake he of the spirit which they that believe on him should receive ver 39. 4. But come not as they came with money in our hands 4. Come not as they with money in our hands So came they the first and second time not intending to be beholding but to pay for what they had But thus may not we come to Jesus Christ Gen. 42.2 43.15 We know how the
of the duties of Piety towards God Justice Charity Mercy towards men Tit. 2.12 Not unfitly called Fruits being in walking righteously soberly godly These are Gospel-fruits and not unfitly so called Fruits being 1. Delectable So are fruits unto man delectable to the eye to the palate 1. Delectable Gen. 3.6 And so are good works unto God Fruits of holinesse and righteousnesse brought forth by a Tree of righteousnesse good works performed by a justified person they are gratefull they are acceptable to God by Jesus Christ 1 Pet. 2.5 With such sacrifice God is well pleased Heb. 13.16 And 2. Profitable So are good fruits 2. Profitable and so are good works As delectable to God so profitable to man Godlinesse is profitable for all things 1 Tim. 4.8 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Nusquam non nunquam non utilis Grotius ad loc Profitable at all times in all places in all occasions The tree bringeth forth fruit upwards but it is for the benefit of those which are below A Christian bringeth forth fruit unto God Rom. 7.4 but the comfort and benefit thereof extendeth to himselfe and others My goodnesse extendeth not unto thee but unto the Saints which are upon earth Psal 16.2 3. Again 3. Giving evidence to the Tree Fruits give evidence to the Tree which beareth them shewing it to be a living tree and of what kind it is The tree is known by its fruits Mat. 12.33 And of such use are good works to the Christian They are evidences discovering a man to himselfe and others shewing him to be a living tree and a good tree a Tree of Righteousnesse a branch of that generous Vine one truly engrafted into Jesus Christ Such fruits do all these engrafted branches bring forth This Benefit Beleevers have from their engrafting into Christ And this benefit they have from their engrafting into Christ Fructification is a consequent of Insition That Christians are thus fruitfull it floweth from that communion which they have with Jesus Christ Two things there are as I shewed you wherein the Christian hath communion with Christ viz. in his Merit and Spirit His Merit unto Justification his Spirit unto Sanctification And from hence is it they bring forth such fruits fruits acceptable to God 1. Through his Merit 1. This they have from the Merit of Christ Thereby their persons are justified and themselves made good trees which they must be before their fruits can be good Make the tree good and his fruit good Mat. 12.33 Hereby their persons come to be accepted and consequently their Works God had a respect unto Abel and to his offering Gen. 4.8 First the Person then the Sacrifice Works performed by an unjustified person whatever they be materially in themselves yet formally they cannot be good so good as to find acceptance with God 2. By his Spirit 2. And secondly This they have from the Spirit of Christ This it is that worketh all these works in and for the beleever who is but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a reasonable Instrument acted by the Spirit of God in supernaturall performances So as these fruits are more properly the fruits of the Spirit then of the Beleever Col. 5.22 The fruits of the Spirit are love and peace c. This benefit the Graft receiveth from the Stock communicating sap and moisture unto it And this benefit doth the believer receive from Jesus Christ communicating his Spirit unto him Applic. By this try our mysticall Implantation By this then to make some Application of this Resemblance trie we our selves whether we be truely engrafted into Jesus Christ or no. Do we bring forth fruit and such fruit If not feed not our selves with a fancy of Faith or Justification by faith Saint James hath put it beyond all controversie in his second Chapter of his Epistle were he tels us ver 17. That Faith if it have not works is dead being alone Again Faith without works Dead ver 26. As the body without the spirit is dead so faith without works is dead also Dead viz. as to Justification and Salvation As Abraham and Sarah's bodies were said to be dead in that they were unapt for generation Rom. 4.19 Even so faith without works is said to be dead in as much as it is unapt and unable to produce those desired and intended effects to justifie to save True it is works are not properly a Cause of Justification as faith is commonly said to be viz. an instrumentall cause yet they are a necessary concomitant of that faith which justifieth requisite qualifications in the person justified That trite distinction of fides sola solitaria clears this point well Though faith alone justifie yet not that faith which is alone If faith justifie the person it is works that must justifie that faith Shew me thy faith without works saith Saint James And I will shew thee my faith by my works ver 18. The former impossible the later infallible An Evangelicall Obedience that is an uniform impartiall universall obedience such in desire and indeavour though not in performance is an undoubted evidence of a true saving justifying faith Such an one may conclude to the comfort of his own soul that he is truely engrafted into Christ Barren Christians no true ingrafted Branches But so cannot others Barren Christians such as have nothing to speak for them but the leaves of an outward profession if that onely the Name of Christ called upon them In the mean time expressing nothing of the power and life of Christ in the course of their lives and conversations All they can say for themselves is no more then the proud Pharisee's boast Luke 18.11 They are not as others are They are free from grosse open and scandalous evils no Drunkards no Sweaters no Adulterers I wish all that hear me this day could but say so much Negative Christians But as for positive acts of Holinesse and Righteousnesse works of Piety Charity Mercy they have no acquaintance with them Let not such deceive themselves certainly they are yet strangers unto this Mysticall Implantation they have no part nor portion in this blessed Priviledge Much lesse such as are fruitfull in evill works But what then shall we say to those who are fruitfull in evill works whose fruit tendeth all to sin as Solomon speaketh Pro. 10.16 Fruitfull in the works of the flesh such as those reckoned up by the Apostle in that black list Gal. 5.19 Now the works of the flesh are manifest which are these Adultery Fornication Vncleannesse Lasciviousnesse Idolatry Witch-craft Hatred Variance Emulations Wrath Strife Seditions Heresies Envyings Murder Drunkennesse Revellings and such like Where these any of these raigning evils are to be found there shall need no other evidence to discover what Stock a man belongeth to viz. the Old Stock the Old Adam the Stock of corrupted nature Were a man engrafted into Jesus Christ that grace of God which hath
They that are Christs have crucified the flesh Now crucifying as I shewed you is a painfull death Elsewhere we finde it compared to a Plucking out the right eye a Cutting off the right hand Matth. 29.30 Such is the mortifying of the members of the Body of sin inordinate lusts some of which may be as near and dear to a man as his right eye or hand A painfull work Thus doth this death unto sin carry with it a likenesse to the death of Christ Attended with Agonies it is attended with agonies and soul-conflicts Agonies before conversion and after Before it Before Conversion Ordinarily this work is not wrought without some compunction of spirit some pricking of the heart so were the Jews affected at the hearing of Peter's Sermon Acts 2.37 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 They were pricked at their hearts They were inwardly touched and deeply affected with the apprehension of the hainousnesse of that sin of theirs in crucifying the Lord of life and of the wrath of God hanging over their heads for it In like manner the Jaylor in that known place Acts 16.30 What an agonie do we there find him in when he came trembling and fell down at the Apostles feet crying out Sirs what shall I do to be saved Such agonies the beginning of Conversion is ordinarily attended with True indeed it must be acknowledged Which are not alike in all that these Agonies are not alike in all whether for degree and measure or continuance of them yet in an ordinary way true and sound conversion is not without some of them As in the naturall birth so in this new birth all have not the like pains and throws yet none but are in some degree sensible of some of them some soul-conflicts some remorse of conscience for sin whereby the heart is pricked nay rent and broken So it is in true Repentance Rent your hearts and not your garments Joel 2.13 A broken and a contrite heart O God thou wilt not despise Psal 51.17 viz. a heart broken and rent with a kindly apprehension of sin and of Gods just displeasure against it such agonies is the soul subject to in the beginning of Conversion And the like afterwards As in the naturall Agonies after Conversion so in this new birth there are after-pains after-throws The Christian though the main work be done though he be delivered of sin in respect of the guilt and reigning power of it yet he hath still some remainders of sinfull corruption left in him which draw many a groane many a sigh from his heart Wee also which have the first fruits of the Spirit saith the Apostle Rom. 8.23 even wee our selves groan within our selves waiting for the adoption c. We we beleevers which have the first fruits of the Spirit the first degree of Regeneration conferred upon us here as a pledg and assurance of the full crop of perfect Glorification hereafter even wee our selves groane within our selves That which the frame of heaven and earth do by a kind of secret sympathy and instinct we do out of a certain knowledge and well grounded judgement sighing and groaning under the burden of sin which lieth upon us earnestly desiring a full and finall deliverance with a fruition of that glorious inheritance which is entailed upon us in and by our Adoption Such are the groans of mortified Saints Saints dying unto sin like the groans of dying men whose souls being weary of their bodies earnestly desire a dissolution Thus do God's Saints groan within themselves or rather his Spirit within them earnestly desiring to be freed from the body of sin O wretched man that I am saith the Apostle who shall deliver me from the body of this death Rom. 7.24 Thus doth he crie out being wearied by continuall conflicts with the remainders of sinfull corruption that body of sin Rom. 6.6 as he calleth it ver 6. of the Chapter foregoing This he there calleth the body of death Corpus mortis i.e. Corpus mortiferum because it was as a death to him to be so infested with it like a living man tied to a dead threatning him with spirituall and eternall death And therefore he earnestly desireth to be freed from it accounting himselfe a wretched and unhappy man so long as he was in any degree so molested by it Thus doth this death unto sin carry with it a conformity to the death of Jesus Christ being as his was a dolorous and painfull death Applic. Which may serve us yet as another touch-stone to discover a great deal of counterfeit Mortification by Counterfeit Mortification discovered Many think they are dead unto sin who are in truth nothinglesse It may be sin is asleep in them It may be it is dead to them but they are not dead to it So much appeareth in that there were no pangs in this death It is a difference betwixt death and sleep There are pangs in the one not so in the other And the like difference there is betwixt a naturall and a violent death In the former when a man dieth according to the course of nature the light of life going out like a lamp when the oile is spent there is no great pain As David speaking of wicked men who sometimes live in pleasure and die with ease he saith they have no bands in their death Psal 73.4 But violent Deaths they have their bands and their pangs And so hath this spirituall death this death unto sin being as I showed you in the last resemblance a violent death it will not be without some pangs or other Sin hath a strong heart and so there will be pangs in this death Examine what Agonies we have felt for or about sin I beseech you bring it home to your selves you that suppose your selves to be thus dead unto sin Examine your own hearts what pangs were there in this death what agonies what soul-conflicts have you at any time felt what compunction of heart what affliction of spirit have you suffered for sin And that not only for the guilt of it That may and often is to be found in a Reprobate we see it in Judas When he had betrayed his Lord and Master what a compunction of spirit did the apprehension of the guilt of that sin work in him But for the power of it This it was that troubled Paul to find the body of sin so vigorous and active in him to find such a law in his members rebelling against the law of his mind and bringing him into captivity to the law of sin Rom. 7 23. And this it is that troubles the Christian Though the guilt of sin be taken away yet is he not wholly freed from the power of it Though it do not rule in him as a Prince yet it tyrannizeth over him oft-times carrying him contrary to the bent of his regenerate mind to the omitting of what he would do the committing of what he would not And this to him is
It is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the similitude of his resurrection That it is so will appear in four or five particulars The Principals whereof we shall find hinted unto us in the verse before the Text in the later part of it where the Apostle saith that We are buried with Christ by baptisme into death That like as he was raised from the dead to the Glory of the Father so we also should walk in newnesse of life In which passage we may take notice of two things touching the Resurrection of Christ Two generall Resemblances taken from the verse fore-going both usefull to our present purpose 1. That he was raised to a new life 2. That he was raised up to the Glory of God the Father The former of these is insinuated Like as Christ was raised from the dead so we also should walk in newnesse of life intimating that Christ was raised up to a new life The other expressed Christ was raised from the dead to the Glory of the Father So Beza and others read it To the Glory conceiving the Preposition 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 put for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 By for To. The like we find 2 Pet. 1.3 Him that hath called us to glory and vertue The Originall hath it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by glory put for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to glory as our Translation renders it So here Christ was raised from the dead by the Glory i. e. to the Glory of the Father And in both these we shall find the Christian 's spirituall Resurrection resembling his corporall Resurrection Generall 1. In the newness of his life 1. In the newnesse of life whereunto he is raised Christ was raised to a new life a life different from that which before he lived Herein did his Resurrection differ from the Resurrection of those others whom we read to have been raised again from the dead Such was the the life of Christ after his Resurrection In the Old Testament the son of the widow of Zarephath 1 King 17.22 the Shunamites son 2 King 35.36 the man that was cast into Elisha's Sepulchre and touched his bones 2 King 13.21 In the New Testament the son of the widow of Naim Luke 7.15 Jairus his daughter Mat. 9.25 Lazarus John 11.43 Tabitha or Dorcas Acts 9.40 All these were raised from the dead but they were raised to the same life which formerly they lived But so was not the Lord Jesus He was raised up to a new life new both for kind and continuance For kind he was raised from a naturall to a spirituall life for continuance he was raised from a mortall Such is the Christian's life to an immortall life And herein the Christian's first Resurrection carries with it a resemblance of his Resurrection Being 1. In the Generall 1. In the generall a new life a raising up of the soul to a new life That we should walk in newnesse of life 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 put for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Newnesse of life for a new life Such is the Christian's life to which he is raised in and by his spiritual Regeneration A new life That it is so and in what respects it may be said so to be I shewed you at large in opening of the former verse I shall now only remind you of the heads It is a new life having a new principle a new rule a new end ordered after a new manner 1. Having a new Principle 1. Having a new Principle Before regeneration what was the principle of his life why the Flesh The unregenerate person is one that walketh after the flesh Rom. 8.1 that is sinfull corruption whereunto all meer naturall men are servants as Peter describeth those pernicious seducers 2 Pet. 2.19 Out of this principle it is that they act being themselves acted by the spirit of Satan as Paul saith of his Ephesians Ephes 2.3 In times past ye walked after the Prince of the air the spirit that worketh in the children of disobedience This was the old Principle But now behold a new Principle even the Spirit of God that Spirit of Holinesse or Sanctification as Paul calleth it Rom. 1.4 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that Spirit which dwelt in the humane nature of Christ and raised him that also dwelleth in every true believer So saith the Apostle Rom. 8.11 2 Tim. 1.14 where speaking of the Spirit of God he calleth it an indwelling Spirit Even as the soul dwelleth in the body so doth this spirit dwell in the soul of a regenerate person animating and actuating it Whence it is that the believer is said to live in the spirit Gal. 5.25 and to walk in the spirit ver 16. and to walk after the spirit Rom. 8.1 and to be led by the spirit ver 14. and to serve in newnesse of spirit Rom. 7.6 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 put for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 newnesse of spirit for a new spirit even the Spirit of God by which believers are acted and according to the dictates directions motions whereof they now order the course of their lives and conversations Thus is the regenerate man's life a new life having a new Principle 2. A new Rule 2. And secondly a new Rule What is the unregenerate man's rule which he walketh by Why at the best carnall reason It may be the precepts of men humane Laws and Constitutions which he dare not transgresse for fear of the penalty It may be example Vivitur exemplo the custom of the times the course of the world In times past ye walked according to the course of the world Ephes 2.2 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Mundane itatem mundi as the Syrian Interpreter and Tremelius render it the worldlinesse of the world It may be his rule is to walk without rule Such is the course of licentious persons who walk as Paul saith of some of his Thessalonians 2 Thes 3.11 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 irregularly disorderly making their will their rule But so doth not the regenerate person His life is a regular life his conversation is an orderly conversation So David describeth the righteous man Psal 50.23 He is one that disposeth his way as the Hebrew hath it that ordereth his conversation walking by rule And what rule Why the rule of the new creature As many as walk according to this rule peace shall be upon them and mercy Gal. 6.16 which is the rule of the word the rule of faith and obedience According to this rule doth the regenerate person walk It is David's prayer unto God for himself Psal 119.133 Order my steps in or according to thy word And in the 9th verse of that Psalm propounding the question Wherewith shall a young man cleanse his way he answers By taking heed thereunto according to thy word Here is a new rule 3. A new End 3. A new End What is the unregenerate man's end In living he liveth to himselfe to his own honour profit pleasure
Christ now doth being risen from the dead and living and reigning with his Father he maketh it his work to glorifie him In that he liveth saith the Apostle ver 10. of this Chapter he liveth unto God that is with God to the Glory of God 2. To be glorified with him And now 2. Passively to be glorified with God O Father glorifie thy Son with the selfe same glory which I had with thee before the world was So he goeth on John 17.15 This Glory the Godhead of Christ the second Person reassumed after his Resurrection and the Manhood was assumed to the participation of the same glory in such a degree and measure as it was capable of Thus was Christ raised from the dead to the Glory of the Father And in this Thus is the believer raised the Christian's Resurrection carrieth with it a like resemblance of his Resurrection He is thus raised from the death of sin to the glory of God his Father Actively to the glorifying of him Passively to be glorified with him 1. To the glorifying of him 1. Actively to the glorifying of God This is the end wherefore God bestoweth this his grace upon his Elect people viz. that they should be to the praise of his glory Ephes 1.12 which they are when his grace shineth forth in them Now they are to the glory of God glorifying of him themselves Therefore glorifie God in your bodies and in your spirit for they are Gods 1 Cor. 6.20 And others glorifie God on their behalfe Let your light so shine before men that others seeing your good works may glorifie your Father which is in heaven Mat. 5.16 Thus is the believer raised to the glory of God in as much as those fruits of Righteousnesse and Holinesse which are conspicuous in his renewed conversation they are by Jesus Christ to the praise and glory of God Phil. 1.11 2. Passively to be glorified with him 2. He is raised to be glorified with God his Father God hath called us to glory and vertue saith Saint Peter 2 Pet. 1.3 to vertue on earth to glory in heaven Thence is it as I told you that Sanctification is comprehended under the name of Glorification Rom. 8.30 The one is a pledge of the other Grace ends in Glory The glory which thou gavest me saith our Saviour I have given them John 17.22 speaking not of that power of working miracles called the glory of God John 11.40 which he gave unto his Apostles after his Ascension as Grotius apprehends it but of that eternall glory which himselfe was now to enter upon This he had purchased for them and all believers this he had promised to them and this in due season he will confer upon them Father I will that they also whom thou hast given me be with me where I am that they may behold my glory ver 24. This shall all believers do They shall continually be with the Lord beholding his glory And beholding it they shall be transformed into it We all with open face as in a glasse beholding the glory of the Lord are changed into the same image from glory to glory 2 Cor. 3. last from grace to grace and from grace to glory To this believers are called to the obtaining of the glory of the Lord Jesus Christ 2 Thes 2.15 And this they shal have possession of Christ waited for his Glory after his Resurrection and so doth the Believer Though not presently I might add that as another Resemblance which I shall onely touch upon Christ being raised from the dead he was raised to the glory of God his Father yet was he not presently possessed of that Glory He waited for a time during his forty dayes betwixt his Resurrection and Ascension In the mean time he was not perfect as he should be So much he willeth Mary to take notice of John 20.17 where he saith to her Touch me not for I am not yet ascended unto my Father intimating to her that he would not have her to fix her thoughts so much upon his present condition in as much as that was not the highest pitch of his Exaltation which was to follow upon his Ascension Thus fareth it with the Christian though he be raised up to the glory of God his Father made an Heir of glory as all true believers are If children then heirs heirs of God and joynt heirs with Jesus Christ Rom. 8.17 Through the grace of God already vouchsafed to them they are made in measure meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the Saints in light as the Apostle hath it Col. 1.12 yet is he an heir under age having a Jus ad rem but not in re a Right to heavenly glory through Christ but not the actuall possession of it For this he must wait We which have the first fruits of the spirit saith the Apostle Rom. 8.23 even we our selves groan within our selves waiting for the Adoption even the Redemption of our bodies Believers they have received the first fruits of the spirit those graces of the spirit which are to them a pledge and assurance of the full crop of perfect glorification in due season But this they must wait for untill the time appointed of the Father They are raised up to the glory of God the Father but not presently glorified I shall proceed no further Thus you see this Parallel made out and withall the first branch of the former Proposition made good viz. that the Christian's first his spirituall Resurrection carries with it a resemblance of Christ's Resurrection 2. The believers corporall Resurrection resembling Christs And so shall his corporal resurrection There is the 2d branch upon which I shall not insist long looking upon the former as principally eyed by the Apostle in this place As the believer is comformable to the resurrection of Christ in this first resurrection the resurrection of his soul so he shall be in the second Resurrection the resurrection of his body This shall carry a resemblance of Christ's Resurrection As Christ was raised so shall the believer be raised The Paralel or Comparison betwixt these two I might shew you in divers particulars I shall mention some few of the principall reducing them to two heads The Christian's Resurrection shall resemble the Resurrection of Christ both in the verity and quality of it Two generall Resemblances 1. In the Verity of it 1. In the Verity of it It shall be a true Resurrection Such was the Resurrection of Jesus Christ a true Resurrection The same body that was buried was raised again Christ's Resurrection a true Resurrection Destroy this Temple saith our Saviour to the Jewes and in three dayes I will raise it up again Joh. 2.19 This he spake of the Temple of his Body saith the Evangelist ver 21. This Temple the Jews destroyed this Temple he raised up again Not another Temple another Body in the room of it but the same body That it
was so he sufficiently manifested it to his Disciples after his Resurrection conversing with them to that end that they and others might be assured of the truth of his Resurrection To this end he not only spake to them but eat with them withall shewing them his martyred crucified body Behold my hands and my feet that it is I my selfe handle me and see c so he speaks to his Disciples Luke 24.39 40. And afterwards when Thomas not being at that time present with the rest was not satisfied concerning it he so far condescended to his weaknesse as to permit him to put his fingers into the prints of the nails and thrust his hand into his side John 20.27 Ipse auditus visus ne phantasma crederetur etiam contrectatus Tertul. advers Praxeam Thus did Christ manifest the reality of his Resurrection by audible visible sensible demonstrations He was both heard and seen and handled that none might ever question the truth of it Such was his Resurrection Such I shall the Believer's be And such shall the Believers Resurrection be a true Resurrection The same body which dieth shall rise again not another created and substituted in the room of it as the Manichees and some other Hereticks of old fondly dreamed but the same individuall body This was an Article of Job's faith I know saith he that my Redeemer liveth and shall at the last day stand on the earth And though after my skin worms destroy this body yet in my flesh shall I see God whom I shall see for my selfe and mine eyes shall behold and not another Job 19.25 26 27. Job was confident that that very body which he should lay down in the grave should be raised up at the last day And hereof Paul was as confident as he 1 Cor. 15.53 This corruptible must put on incorruption and this mortall must put on immortality 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 This corruptible this mortall So the Apostle spake saith Tertullian Tertul. adversus Marcion tenens utique carnem suam touching or pointing at his own flesh This very flesh and blood this Numericall Identicall Body shall rise again Tertul. libro de Resurrectione Resurget caro quidem omnis quidem ipsa quidem integra so the same Authour There shall be a Resurrection of the flesh of all flesh of the same flesh and of the whole flesh The same body shall be raised again That it shall be so and must be so Paul's reason is convincing 2 Cor. 5.10 We must all appear before the Judgement Seat of Christ that every one may receive the things done in the body whether good or evill This is the end of the Resurrection that there may be a compensation a retribution a gracious remuneration a just retaliation according to what men have done in the body Now should there another body be substituted in the room of that body which was the souls companion here upon earth this new body having done neither good nor evill what equity or congruity that it should receive either reward or punishment The same body that sinned must suffer The same body that suffered for Christ shall be glorified wiih Christ And therefore the same body shall rise again As Christ was raised so shall all Believers be for the verity of their Resurrection But this is common with them to all others 2. In the second place 2d Generall Resemblance In the Quality of it being Their Resurrection shall resemble his in the Quality of it His Resurrection was a Resurrection unto life and that life a spirituall life and a glorious life and an eternall life And such shall the Resurrection of all true Believers be 1. A Resurrection to life 1. A Resurrection to life Therein differing from the Resurrection of others So our Saviour sets it forth John 5.29 The hour is coming in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice and shall come forth they that have done good unto the Resurrection of life and they that have done evill unto the Resurrection of damnation Thus shall believers have a peculiar Resurrection Whence it is that they are called the Children of the Resurrection Luke 20.36 because they shall obtain a better Resurrection as the Authour to the Hebrews calls it Heb. 11.35 better then others Their Resurrection shall not be a bare 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not onely a Resurrection but a Resurrection to life 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as our Saviour there calleth it the Resurrection of life Such shal be the Resurrection of the just as our Saviour cals it Luke 14.14 Such as are Evangelically just through the righteousnesse of Christ imputed to them themselves also endeavouring after righteousnesse They shall come forth to the Resurrection of Life whereas others They that have done evill the workers of iniquity as our Savior describeth them Mat. 7.28 Luke 13.27 therein speaking in the language of the Psalmist Psal 5.5 125.5 Such as make a practice of sin they shall come forth to the Resurrection of Judgement so the Originall hath it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is of condemnation punishment So it is explained Mat. 25. last These shall go into everlasting punishment but the righteous into life eternall In this shal the resurrection of believers resemble the resurrection of Christ It shall be a resurrection unto life 2. And that life a spirituall life 2. And that life in the 2d place shal be a spiritual Life Such was the life of Jesus Christ as I have shewn you after his Resurrection And such shal the lives of God's Saints then be They shal then live a spiritual life their bodies being then made spiritual bodies That is the Apostles Epethite 1 Cor. 15.44 So shal it be in the Resurrection of the dead dead Saints It is sown a natural it is raised a spiritual body The body whilest it liveth here is a natural body 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an animal body maintained by natural means as meats and drinks breathing and sleeping as other Animals are subject to all the infirmities of impaired nature sicknesses age death Such it is But in the Resurrection it shall be elevated to an higher state of perfection made a spiritual body 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Not in respect of substance as if the body should be turned into a spirit or into an Aery Ethereal Substance as some have fondly imagined but in respect of the Qualities and Perfections which it shall then be endued with It shall then subsist without the help of naturall supports neither shall it thenceforth be subject to any such naturall infirmities That which was sown in weaknesse shal be raised in power 1 Cor. 15.43 The body shall be maintained in that state to which it is raised by the continued efflux of a supernaturall power so as the person shall thenceforth live after a sort an Angelical Life according to that
of our Saviour Mat. 22.30 In the Resurrection they neither marry nor are given in marriage but are as the Angels of God in heaven Not standing in need of any natural much lesse carnal comforts or contentments such as the flesh was here delighted in In which respect also the body may be said then to be a spiritual body in as much as it shall then be freed from all carnal desires being wholly subject to and ruled by the Spirit Thus shall Believers be raised to a spirituall life 3. A glorious life 3. And that in the third place a glorious life Such was the life of Jesus Christ to which he was raised A Praeludium whereof he shewed unto some of his Disciples in that his Transfiguration upon the Mount Mat. 17.2 He was transfigured before them saith the Text and his face did shine as the sun and his raiment white was as the light A dark Representation of that transcendent light of glory whereinto he was to enter and whereof he was to be swallowed up after his Resurrection Ought not Christ to suffer these things and so to enter into his glory saith he to his Disciples Luke 24.26 This he did upon his Ascension into heaven From thenceforth he enjoyed a glorious life even his body being made a glorious body as the Apostle calls it Phil. 3.20 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a body of glory Such was his Resurrection And herein shall the Believer's Resurrection answer his It shall be a Resurrection unto Glory It is sown in dishonour it is raised in glory saith the Apostle of the body of a believer 1 Cor. 15.43 To which that of the same Apostle answers Phil. 3. last He shall change our vile bodie that it may be like unto his glorious body The bodies of God's Saints whilest they live are vile bodies 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Bodies of abasement vilenesse as the Originall there hath it subject to manifold infirmities diseases some of which are so loathsome as may well denominate them vile bodies much more when they are dead The soul being departed which was as salt to them whilest it dwelt in them now they become putrifying stinking carcasses fit for nothing but to be removed out of sight Thus are they sown in dishonour buried out of sight that they may not be noisome and offensive to the living But they shall be raised in glory glorious bodies made in their measure conformable to the glorious body of Jesus Christ partaking with him in the same glory the same for kind though not for degree A representation hereof we see in Moses who having been with God for a time in the Mount he came down with his face shining Exod. 34.30 Behold the skin of his face shone By the reflex of the divine Glory which he there beheld his face became glorious as the Greek there translates it and the Apostle alledgeth it 2 Cor. 3.7 Even so shall the bodies of God's Saints when they shall come to stand in the presence of their glorified Saviour beholding his glory which they shall do Father I will that they also whom thou hast given me be with me where I am that they may behold my glory which thou hast given me John 17.24 they shall be transformed into it We know that when he shall appear we shall be like him saith Saint John for we shall see him as he is 1 John 3.2 Like him in glory When Christ who is our life shal appear then shal we also appear with him in glory Col. 3.4 4. An Eternal life 4. Lastly This life being a glorious life it shall also be an eternall life Such was the life of Jesus Christ as I shewed you Christ being risen from the dead dieth no more And such shall the Resurrection of all that are Christs be This corruptible must put on incorruption and this mortal must put on immortality 1 Cor. 15.53 As the death of the wicked to which they shall be raised shall be eternall Their worm dieth not and their fire goeth not out Mar. 9.44 So shall the life of the righteous These shall go into everlasting punishment but the righteous into life eternall Mat. 25. last In this respect also they are said to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 like unto or equall to the Angels Luke 20.35 36. They which shal be accounted worthy to obtain this world and the Resurrection from the dead viz. this Resurrection of life They neither marry nor are given in marriage there is no need of generation in heaven where there is no corruption neither can they die any more for they are equal unto the Angels and are the children of God being the children of the Resurrection viz. of this blessed Resurrection the Resurrection of the just which carrieth with it a resemblance of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ And thus I have dispatched the Doctrinal Part of this first Proposition here held forth unto us viz. That Believers are and shall be made conformable to Christ in his Resurrection They are so here in their first they shall be hereafter in the second Resurrection And this Conformity of theirs floweth from Christ and his resurrection Propos 2. This Conformity floweth from Christ and his Resurrection There is the secon Proposition which I shall dispatch with all possible brevity and so come to the Application of both together The Beleevers conformity to Christ in his resurrection floweth from Christ and his resurrection So much is insinuated in the phrase in the Text as I shewed you To be Ingrafted with Christ in the likenesse of his resurrection is to be made partaker of such a resurrection as resembles his and that by a vertue flowing from him and his resurrection Thus doth the Graft revive with the Stock in the Spring time and that by a vertue which it receiveth from the Stock And thus is the Christian raised by a vertue flowing from Christ into whom hee is ingraffed Christ himself being the principal Efficient cause of this resurrection That he is so wee shall need no other testimony then that of his own John 11.25 Christ the principal Efficient of this resurrection in the believer I am the Resurrection and the Life that is the author and worker of the resurrection so he is both of the first and second resurrection The Author both of spirituall and eternall life to the Beleever In him was life saith St John speaking of Christ Joh. 1.4 It was so and is so and that originally as water in the fountain Thus was natural life in the Father thus is spiritual and eternal life in the Son As the Father hath life in himself so he hath given to the Son to have life in himself John 5.26 God the Father being himself the originall and beginning of natural subsistencie and life in all the creatures be hath given to his Son Christ as Mediator that he should be the Author of spirituall and eternal life to all that are given to
A supernaturall light the light of divine and heavenly knowledg to shine forth into their Hearts God who commanded the light to shine out of darknes hath shined into our hearts saith the Apostle to give the light of the knowledg of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ 2. Cor. 4.6 Gods Ministers being his Instruments in the work of Conversion they communicate that light of knowledg unto others which themselves have received making known the glorious grace of God shining in the face of Jesus Christ revealed and manifested in and by him without which Illumination there is no Regeneration Baptisme anciently called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Illumination and why Hence was it that the Greek Fathers anciently called Baptisme which is the Sacrament of Regeneration by the name of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Illumination taking the ground of it as is conceived from that of the Apostle Leigh Critic sacra Heb. 6.4 where he speaks of those that were once enlightned 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which the Syriack renders Grotius Beza ad loc qui ad baptismum descenderunt such as had been baptized And not unfitly may it be so called in as much as all those who are baptized with the Holy Ghost they have their minds illustrated with the beams of this divine and heavenly light Without such illumination no regeneration Hence is it that the twofold state of man the state of nature and the state of grace are called the one darknesse and the other light Ye were sometimes darknesse but now ye are light in the Lord Ephes 5.8 And the work of Conversion is described to be a turning from darknesse to light Acts 26.18 and a calling out of darknesse into a marvellous light 1 Pet. 2.9 Now have we received this Spirit of Illumination Hath this light shined forth unto us shined into our minds and shined into our hearts Into our minds enlightning our understandings with some measure of speculative knowledge in spiritual heavenly mysteries Certainly without this there can be no true work of Conversion no spirituall Resurrection God doth not bring men out of their graves blindfold He first openeth their eyes Paul was sent to the Gentiles to open their eyes Acts 26.18 to turn them from darknesse to light from the darknesse of ignorance to the light of knowledge which shineth into the mind And into the heart He hath shined in our hearts saith the Apostle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And so he doth in the hearts of his people giving them not onely a speculative but an affective knowledge not onely to know the truth but to be affected with it to love it believe it embrace it to receive a love of the truth for the want of which those Apostates fell away 2 Thes 2.10 Now hath this light thus shined not onely into our minds but into our hearts then may we conclude that we have received the Spirit of Christ even this quickning spirit beginning this work of a spirituall resurrection in our souls Whereas otherwise Do we stil sit in darknesse surely we are as yet in the shadow of death 2. This Quickning Spirit 2. A Spirit of Faith is a Spirit of Faith So it is to all who have any part in this first Resurrection We having the spirit of faith saith Paul to his Corinthians 2 Cor. 4.13 that is the Spirit of God working faith in the soul This it doth in all whom it quickneth first revealing Christ unto them then it inclineth their hearts to close with him upon those Gospel terms upon which he is offered to receive him as a Saviour and as a Lord. And so it uniteth them unto him ingrafting them into this Stock from whence they receive this quickning vertue and are made conformable to Christ in his resurrection This is conveyed unto believers through faith That we might receive the promise of the spirit through faith saith the Apostle Gal. 3.14 The Promise he there speaketh of is the promise of the Spirit of Regeneration as Diodate expounds it This is the promise which the Prophets make such frequent mention of Isai 44.3 Jer. 31.33 c. Now this promise of the spirit is received by faith faith on Jesus Christ which is the purifying grace Putrifying their hearts by faith Acts 15.9 The sanctifying grace Them which are sanctified by faith in me Acts 26.18 and the quickning grace by and through which this spirituall life is conveyed from Christ into the soul Expresse is that of our Saviour John 11.25 I am the resurrection and the life He that believeth on me though he were dead yet shall he live Though he be dead in sin yet shall he live a spirituall life upon his believing Which life is therefore called the life of faith because faith is both the beginning and the principall Act of this life The just shal live by his faith Rom. 3.11 The life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God Gal. 2.20 He that liveth and believeth on me saith our Saviour ver 26. of that 11th of John speaking of this spirituall life whereof saith is both the first and principall Act. Now have we received this Spirit of Faith Have we felt this work of the spirit upon our hearts drawing and inclining them thus to receive Jesus Christ thus to close with him thus to rest upon him thus to give up our selves unto him If so surely we are in the number of those that have part in this first Resurrection Otherwise being yet in a state of unbeliefe we are also in a state of death 3. 3. A Spirit of Holinesse This Quickning Spirit is also a sanctifying spirit a spirit of sanctification Such was the spirit whereby Jesus Cbrist was raised He was declared mightily to be the Son of God according to the spirit of sanctification by the resurrection from the dead Rom. 1.4 That Spirit which raised up Jesus Christ was the same divine spirit which sanctified his humane nature wherein it dwelt And such is this quickning Spirit to all in whom it dwelleth Being to them a Spirit of Faith it is also to them a Spirit of Sanctification purifying their hearts through faith Hence is it that the Apostle puts these two together Sanctification of the spirit and beliefe of the truth 2 Thes 2.13 Faith and Holinesse never go asunder Where the Spirit of Christ is a Spirit of faith it is also a Spirit of holinesse changing the heart putting into it a new quality of holinesse turning the bent of it from and against all sin unto holinesse and righteousnesse working in it an unfeigned hatred of the one and love to the other Now have we received this Spirit also Do we find such an inward change wrought in our hearts Do we find the Law of God a Law of Holinesse written upon them A law contrary to the law of sin so the Apostle calleth that sinfull corruption which dwelleth and reigneth