dying was after a sort all of us for in our Nature Hee made Himselfe one with us and had us all by name as a body unto Him and all our sinne He tooke as His owne having made Himselfe one mysticall Person with us Secondly you must know that CHRIST thus having us all with Him as members belonging to Him through the gift of His Father and having all our sinne made His He dyeth for us all and for the abolishing of all our sinnes so that we all lye dead with Him and out sinne is all crucified with Him for it beginneth not to be crucified when wee dye to it no here was the beginning of it Thirdly CHRIST lying dead with all His dead in Him having taken away the guilt and wrought the death of sin in all His or the death of all His members to sin CHRIST with His body being dead is raised and receiveth that treasury of supernaturall life which is to be derived in the order of it to all His so that CHRIST rising all of us rise in Him as our Head for the members have society in whatsoever is done in the Head 2 As a thing may be said to be in the cause of it so was all our resurrection in His which was to be the cause of all our resurrection As Adam and Eve were the cause of propagating a naturall life to all mankinde Fourthly CHRIST thus raised and made the conceptacle and fountaine of supernaturall life sendeth out His vitall influence into such as belong to Him 1 By faith giving them a being spirituall or an union in Him even as Adam gave a naturall being or participation of his substance unto his members 2 He doth send into them thus united with Him the Spirit of life from Himselfe that is the HOLY GHOST to dwell in them by the created gifts of grace which is life supernaturall They shall heare my voice who are dead that is they shall beleeve and they shall live 3 CHRIST doth successively perfect this life never leaving till He have in soule and body conformed us for our module to His blessed Soule and glorious body And these may serve to open this point of beliefe The difficulty of conceiving it commeth hence 1. That we know not how straitly and neerely we are united to Him for as all were within the loynes of Adam by the determinate Counsell of GOD to come from Him so all the Elect by GOD's predestination and donation were within CHRIST as one in Him and with Him 2. Wee are not able to see that vertue of His resurrection The use is first Vse to incite us to seeke to have our eyes opened that we may know the treasury of good things we have in CHRIST and the power which Hee hath put forth in us We should love CHRIST a thousand times more if wee knew feelingly what Hee were to us We are not able to see how we in the womb are formed how much more will our eyes dazle here further than GOD doth cleare them This also must make us hold to our head CHRIST even as we will have life in us get a member away from having communion with the Head it is presently livelesse having neither sense nor motion So in us with CHRIST We see whither we must have recourse for life Even to CHRIST Come to me and your soules shall live to GOD in our Nature looke at thy owne flesh in heaven and draw from it as a Conduit-pipe increase of grace sent thee from it by the Spirit which dwelleth with it Having forgiven you all trespasses Now he commeth to the order of our new quickening which hee setteth downe by three antecedents which made way to it 1 He pardoned our sinne 2 He crossed our Bill 3 He freed us from the power of Satan and all infernall spirits Before I enter them let this in generall be premised to cleare the text Suppose that we stood in great debt unto any say againe that he had to shew for all the debt under his owne hand Put the case thirdly that wee were cast into prison and in the custody of some Gaolour or any officers to that purpose If hee at whose suite wee are in hold be willing to set us free what doth he first he doth pardon the debt Secondly he doth Cancell our bills and bonds for he that keepeth our bonds seemeth not to forgive nor willing to let us goe otherwise than that he may have a saying to us when he pleaseth Thirdly he doth release his action and setteth him out of bands that held him and after all this dismisseth him to his liberty So here we are in for debt such debt as toucheth life it selfe the matter is under our owne confession the Divell holds us under chaines of darknesse GOD is willing to restore us to life 1 He pardoneth our faults 2 Rendeth the Articles of our confession 3 Taketh us out of their hands who were ministers of His justice in the close keeping of us This shall suffice to illustrate it in generall We see hence Doct. That in order of nature first we have pardon of sinne before wee have the life of grace begun in us there must be a removall of evill before there can be a conferring of good Thus in CHRIST Himselfe He was acquit from all our sinne which was upon Him before He was raised up yea if the least sinne of any of us who are His had beene unanswered Hee had not beene raised up and for this cause Rom. 4.25 The raising of CHRIST is said to be our justification that is God in raysing Him up did manifest that Hee was fully answered for all our sinnes so that we now are quit from all our sinnes in CHRIST our Head Even as if one lye sentenced a dead man for treason against the King he cannot have His life given him but pardon of his fault is first given So here answerably we are not restored to feele the life of God take place in us till our sins which caused our death are removed In a sinners restoring this is the order 1 God by faith setteth Him into CHRIST who is His righteousnesse in whom belongeth to Him forgivenesse 2 God when by beliefe He is in CHRIST doth pronounce Him just or acquit Him from sinne 3 The LORD doth send the Spirit of His Son into His heart This is the order in Nature though in time these things goe together This is to be noted against the Papists who when a sinner hath by deadly sinne lost the life of grace as they say though he after come to have never such love to God yet will not have the sinne forgiven till the Priest hath absolved him As if God did restore the life of grace before He gave the pardon of sinne This out of the order The words have foure things to be marked 1 Who forgiveth God the Father He raised up both CHRIST and us when He had forgiven 2 The manner of forgiving in
is made a cuppe of fine wine to carry to the heart more effectually a cuppe of deadly poyson whereas the faithfull ones they commend good things in us that they may more equally in their just reproofes be heard of us As a Physitian guildeth a pill that it may be taken the better or to encourage them and excite them to thankefullnesse or some such purpose To teach us godly wisedome Vse and by learning the cunning of these men to bee fore-armed against the hurt of them If the tongue of Angells should withdraw us from CHRIST or any part of his truth the Lord give us power to accurse them and turne from them as most dangerous Syrens that thus goe about to bewitch us VERSE 5. For though I bee absent in the flesh yet am I with you in Spirit rejoycing and beholding your order and your stedfast faith in Christ NOw hee commeth to prevent an objection Why Saint Paul might they say you know not us how we are in beliefe it may be these Ceremony-masters told them he was one that thought least of them to which S. Paul answers though I have not beene with you in body yet you are in my heart I in my mind by relation of others know how it is with you I am in mind with you rejoycing and fixing mine eye on your order and the solidity of your faith towards Christ Marke hence first Doctr. There is a presence whereby Saints are one with another though never so farre disjoyned Saint Paul absent in body with the Colossians present in spirit We believe the communion of all Saints Now were there no way for them by which they might bee each with other how could they communicate together but as we say where the minde is there is the man Now the minde may be in heaven in the utmost corner of the earth wheresoever the thought and affection is hither we are transported in spirit thus Eliah saith to Iehu was not my spirit with thee because God by vision showed him what his servant did For looke as a man may be corporally present without his mind there so he may be in mind here or there where his body commeth not By the mind is to be understood the operation of the mind namely the thought and affections This therefore doth shew us an excellent priviledge of Gods people Vse 1 that after some sort as Christ is with us all to the end of the world so we are with him and one with another For His bodily presence is not with us but the presence of spirit and power never forsaketh us Yea this must teach us one to be in the thought of another Vse 2 not to suffer it to be out of sight and out of mind as we speake in the proverbe It is to be bewailed that our hearts are no more with the Churches everywhere then they are If wee could sit still in our Chayres and goe hither and thither bodily whither would we not goe Rejoycing and seeing That is in spirit discerning as an absent thing but by the image of it made present to the mind for this is the difference of the Greeke words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and with joy seeing their order and faith Observe first Doct. The nature of love it rejoyceth as Saint Paul speaketh in the truth in the worke of grace where it is discerned Iohn 3.4 thus Saint Iohn what greater joy have I then that you walke in the truth How glad are loving Nurses and Parents of all comelinesse and lovely qualities in their Children Even so those who have Gods Nurceries and are Fathers in Him they joy in nothing more then in the externall and internall graces of his children On the contrary how was Saint Paul grieved when the Church of Corinth had such a blemish as that incestuous one uncast forth Alas we want spirituall love Vse let which end will goe forward keepe from being whore or theefe though there be no power of godlinesse no heavenly mindednesse no opennesse of heart love appearing we grieve not though the soules of men lye in a dead swoone for any vitall action of the life of God our spirits moove not if we perceive not forwardnesse of grace we like Iosephs brethren envy it rather then take comfort in it censure it as pride humor singularity nay Pulpits sometimes speake this english Your order Observe hence Doct. That all things in the Primitive Churches were most orderly constituted and carryed Looke at the government at the administrations at the conversations of Christians all you shall see were full of order First there was an order of government for where there is no government there is no order If all were one member there were no order in the body there were some governing some governed Governours such as laboured in word and Doctrine publiquely and ordinarily receiving calling thereto from Christ by his Church or else such as attended the inspection of manners not dealing ordinarily with the Word and Sacraments but as occasion required not by authority directly from Christ but as delegates from the Pastors There were Deacons ministring in carefull oversight of the poore Finally the assembly which was governed by their leaders For ministrations all were comely in their holy native simplicity which became all seemely circumstances of time and place observed in them As I have received of the Lord Iesus Christ so have I delivered unto you 1 Cor. 11.23 Let all be done decently For their conversation they went out and in about their own businesses keeping their owne rankes If one did walke inordinately but as an idle tattler he was noted and they severed from him 2 Thes 3.11 They did goe by rule as in an orderly march 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Gal. 6.16 they did 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Thes 4.12 walke honestly towards them that are without Hence we may learne to mourne at the disorder every where Vse the pompous tyranny the idle toyish ceremonies and fopperies in the Worship of GOD by Popish masse-Priests the most wicked and yet uncensured conversations which may be seene amongst Christians Lastly Doct. marke hence What a joyfull sight it is to see soules cleave to Christ and hold by him A true hearted subject cannot but joy to see the subject cleave fast in all allegiance to his soveraigne Lord the King So it feedeth the hearts of the true servants of Christ to see others stand fast to Him If you stand fast wee are alive It is a pleasant sight to see a valiant man being assaulted on every side stand his ground and quit himselfe bravely But for a souldier of Christ by faith on Christ to subdue all hostility of Sathan and not give backe a foote is much more goodly and glorious to behold Thus Saint Paul now he saw the Divell brave them with tearmes of learning the depth of philosophicall speculation and offering to make them ashamed of the simplicity of
principall end to which the grace of GOD used them was to shadow out CHRIST as followeth but nakedly considered as apart from this grace of the Gospell they did acknowledge our debt what we should pay they did make confession that we did it not they did also acknowledge the mystery which belonged to us in this regard for it is to be noted that nothing can be fitly conceived here but the Iewish rites not our agreement and covenanting with GOD in Paradise or Mount Sinay all these things will we doe this is the debt it selfe not Syngrapha or Chyrographum which doth testifie the debt Now the Ceremonies some did testifie their debt Galath 5. If a man be circumcised say as seeking righteousnesse in the Law he is a debter to the whole Law Marke that as a man by the bill of his hand so the old people by the Circumcision did testifie that they owed GOD obedience in all the Law 2. Some testified their guilt as all their legall uncleannesses and washings their sacrificings both sinne offerings and burnt offerings the one shewed their guilt the other that they were by nature altogether corrupted and must be killed as they were themselves that so they might come to live to GOD such were their humbling their soules annually In conclusion their whole worship did testifie that the perfect offering with which GOD's wrath was to be appeased was not yet come 2. That Heaven was not yet opened that they were all in desert of death through sinne this was all they could doe as purely legall as they are considered a part of the ministery of the Law so farre as it is opposed to the Gospell thus they were a ministery of condemnation beggarly elements a Chyrographum against us Yet the principall end to which GOD used them was to signifie the sacrifices to come this was the principall I say because the Law it selfe is made a servant to grace yea justice in God doth put it selfe forth that the grace of God may be more manifested and it may be therefore the Apostle here saith they were a Chyrographum 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 subcontrary in respect that they had another end more maine which was with us though they wanted not this testification also Now how this testification doth extend to us guiltlesse is above shewed The use of this may be first to admonish us whence it came Vse that the spirit of bondage did so abound in the people of the Iewes ever since CHRIST Answ They were still occupied in one rite or other which did testifie uncleannesse their services were hand-writings against them they proclaimed their guilt aloud but shewed the grace of God very obscurely Againe we see what cause we have to be glad of our LORD IESUS who hath freed us of these lamentable services If wee have called in a bond or bill which we had abroad it joyeth us but we know not our happinesse who have these bonds in statute reversed for us And wee must take heed of this levin of Iewish ceremony from which we were redeemed so dearely A little levin worketh thorow the whole lumpe Ill weeds grow apace What an abundance are these rites growen to in the Church of Rome from beginnings farre smaller But some may say Object Our Ceremonies witnesse nothing against us we grant CHRIST is ascended The Ceremonies not onely as Shadowes of Christ Answ but as they are a more carnall kinde of instructing doe witnesse against us that the time of faith is not come that the Spirit promised is not given that the times wherein wee must worship in spirit and truth that is a spirituall manner not carnall that these times are not yet approached Lastly marke Doct. That Christ hath by suffering on the Crosse abolished these things So you have it Eph. 2.15 1 Pet. 1.20 He hath delivered you from your vaine conversation received by the tradition of your fathers Where it is to be noted that though the whole ceremoniall Law might in some regard be called Vaine for it was but a shadow of heavenly things it brought not things to perfection yet he doth especially note there the traditionary depravations of doctrines yea and their Ceremonies significant which they used by the institution of men to admonish them of inward holinesse as washing of hands Matt. 15. to put them in mind of inward cleannesse of which Christ saith In vaine doe they worship me teaching for doctrine mens precepts as also their corrupt conversation for Christ suffering did crucifie the vaine carnall and sinfull life of our old man that we might be even for the externall manner spirituall and holy to God through Him This then as it sheweth us the love of CHRIST Vse so it teacheth us how wee must much prize and warily maintaine this liberty Such things as we buy at a deare rate we lay them up carefully use them charily we say it standeth us in thus much But alas this benefit not silver nor gold but the bloud of CHRIST hath purchased for us it hath redeemed us as well from such vaine externall rites which men devise as from those typicall Ceremonies of the Law which respected CHRIST to come VERSE 15. And hath spoiled the Principalities and Powers and hath made a shew of them openly and hath triumphed over them in the same Crosse NOw followeth the third thing which went before our quickening that is the freeing us from him who was GOD's fearfull doomes-man having power of executing death upon us by reason of our sinne Principalities and Powers doe signifie all those superiour and inferiour powers of darknesse with which Christ combated on His Crosse The thing is set downe by a gradation 1 He did spoile them which what it is shall be opened more 2 He did make a shew of them that is expose them to ignominy and reproach for so this word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifieth Matth. 1.19 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 3 He triumphes over them within Himselfe or on His Crosse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 supple 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The summe is God in Christ hath quickened us when He had given us an acquittance from all our sinnes abolished all things which shewed any thing against us when He had on the Crosse of His Son disarmed made a scorne and triumphed over all spirituall powers who had us as executioners to His justice before in their custody In the Verse three things may be considered 1 The Victory it selfe 2 The Persons vanquished 3 The Manner First in generall we are to marke Doct. That God doth set us free from the power of Satan before we are made alive throughly in IESUS CHRIST He quickened us in Christ in what order having subdued all Principalities and Powers that held us even as in Christ our Head so in us this worke proceedeth First He died and by death conquered the Prince of this world Then when his power was broken Hee raised Himselfe up againe In the same order are we
preached to the Gentiles is a mystery full of glory 2 CHRIST is the subject of this glorious mysterie of the Gospell 3 CHRIST is among us in the preaching of the Gospell 4 CHRIST is Hee in whom we looke and wait for glorie The end of the Doctrines A COMMENTARY ' VPON THE FIRST Chapter of Saint PAUL to the Colossians COLOS. Chap. 1. VER 1 2. VER 1. Paul an Apostle of Iesus Christ by the will of God and Timotheus our brother VER 2. To them which are at Colosse Saints and faithfull brethren in Christ grace bee unto you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Iesus Christ IN these two Verses there is layd downe the Salutation wherein you have the Persons saluting the Persons saluted The Persons saluting Paul and Timotheus Touching the description of Paul from his Office and calling I passe it by having spoken of it in the first Verse of the Epistle to the Ephesians For the meaning Saints here are those who are already actually sanctified Verse 2. called Saints 1 Cor. 1.2 Washed in CHRISTS bloud There are Saints by predestination as there are Sheepe not yet gathered and brought home to the fold of CHRIST I have other Sheepe which are not of this fold Ioh. 10.16 but he writes to such as had received the spirit of sanctification Colosse a City neere Laodicea and Hierapolis in Phrygia a Citie of the Gentiles inhabited with Idolaters And faithfull brethren not false brethren crept in but faithfull which must be understood by a Synechdoche comprehending all faithfull whether men or women Grace and peace Grace noteth GODS free favour which giveth all good things 2. It signifieth the effects of his grace in us viz. All good things spirituall and corporall which may as fruits testifie the good will of GOD to us his kindnesse and all the fruits of his kindnesse especially grace pardoning sinne and enabling us to doe good as also grace exciting and moving us to worke when now we are made able that we may not receive the former grace in vaine Peace is the effect of grace in us for Gods grace forgiving sinne worketh in us peace of conscience in regard of the accusation which would be in it 2. The habits or qualities of grace Peter calleth them The divine Nature 2 Pet. 1.4 this grace given us we have quiet from the rage of corruption in us which while it tyrannizeth in us filleth all the powers of the soule with disturbance this is called peace of sanctification the quiet fruit of righteousnesse 3. Heb. 12 1â— When GOD sheweth his favour in giving all outward things that are good there is Peace eternall in regard of our outward condition and if Gods grace in any of these wayes be â—id instead of peace we feele disturbance Thou hiddest thy face and I was troubled To come to the Observations Every true member of the Church is a Saint Obs 1 Thou must not be ashamed to be counted a Saint Every thing doth binde to it 1. Our God is holy therefore wee must bee holy ones As he which hath called you is holy 1 Pet 1.15 so be ye holy in all manner of Conversation 2. It is the end of our predestination Eph. 1.4 He hath chosen us before the foundation of the world that we should be holy c. 3. Our calling bindeth us 1 Thes 4.7 1 Thes 4.7 God hath called us not unto uncleannesse but unto holinesse 4. Our Redemption Christ gave himselfe for us Tit. 2.14 to redeeme us from all iniquity and purifie us unto himselfe 5. The grace of God which we taste for the present and the things we looke for hereafter doe teach us this lesson Tit. 2.11 12. The grace of God that bringeth salvation to all men hath appeared teaching us to deny all ungodlinesse and worldly lusts and to live soberly righteously and godly in this present world looking for that blessed hope c. And having such promises 2 Cor. 7.1 let us grow up to perfect holinesse 6. The finall judgement and our owne glory which we looke for do likewise perswade us to become holy Seeing all these things shall be dissolved 2 Pet. 3 1â— what manner of persons ought we to be in all holy conversation And whosoever hath the hope of eternall life 1 Ioh. 3.3 he purgeth himselfe even as Christ is pure And all beleevers are called a Holy Nation 1 Pet. 2.9 7. The right constitution of the Church while the vigor of discipline flourisheth doth not allow that any should abide in her but Saints prophane persons being to be separated as Dogs from partaking in holy things Mat. 7.6 Give not that which is holy to Dogs neither cast Pearles before Swine 1. Vse This discovers to us the vanity of the Pope in restraining this common to all beleevers while they live to some few in comparison whom it pleaseth him to Canonize after they are dead 2. We see the lewdnesse of many prophane Esaus who disclaime yea scoffe at this name using such Proverbes These are the holy ones Young Saints prove old Divels Shall we have a Saint of you 3. We must remember what kinde of men wee must be even such as must professe and practise holinesse according to our calling At Colosse God gathereth and supporteth his people in all places Obs 2 Iob in VZ We say truly Where God hath his Church the Divell hath his Chappell and wee may say as well Where the Divell hath his Throne there God oft hath his people lie they where they will nothing shall keepe them from God I will say to the North winde give and to the South keepe not back bring my Sonnes from far and my daughters from the utmost parts of the earth Despaire of none Vse be they never so vile and farre from God if he have a purpose to call them they shall come home in despight of all the malice and power of the Divell for God is more able to save But why should we pray for them that have grace alreadie Quest Because the Divell is most bent against them Answ a candle new put out is soone blowen in So hee hopeth to kindle in new Converts their old sin which GOD by His Spirit hath extinguished To rebuke our carnall mindes whose lands Vse 1 preferments in marriage c. these things sometime the world will be thankfull for but of faith repentance and the worke of grace not a word with them A foole taketh more pleasure in colour of counters and a painted dagger than in gold and true treasure Such fooles are many found amongst us who are affected with these earthly vanities and are altogether carelesse of the true treasure If we be risen with CHRIST Vse 2 let us shew it in affecting spirituall treasures of grace and holinesse making these heavenly things the matter of our joy and thanksgiving This in Generall Particularly marke 1. Obs 2 What it is
this obedience is a growing up into more familiar acquaintance with or knowledge of GOD. Now as they were to endure many things he wisheth them a convenient grace in this regard 1 Setting downe the grace it selfe That they might be strengthened with all might 2 The fountaine GOD's glorious power 3 The End which is double as trials sometime are strong and long so against the one wee must have Patience against the other long sufferance accompanied with joyfulnesse Thus is the Prayer The thing that needeth explication most is in those words with wisdome and spirituall understanding This Greeke word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as cockmah in the Hebrew to which it answereth hath a double acception Sometime it noteth out the knowledge of hidden heavenly things thus it is expounded Prov. 30.3 one end of the verse doth interpret the other wisdome in the beginning is construed by the knowledge of holy things in the end So in 1 Cor. 2.6 We speake wisdome amongst the perfect that is points of hidden knowledge the great mystery of CHRIST and thus onely prophane Authors take it as Aristotle Tully 2 This word Wisdome is put for that practicall vertue which doth deliberate about and move us to doe things behoofefull commandeth and ordereth actions And the Septuagint use this word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for the same which the Philosophers signifie onely by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Now in this place it is thus to be taken for it cannot be put for the theory of GOD's will because it is annexed as a different thing from that which wee expressely asked in the words before Againe in the third Chapter Col. 3 1â— Wisdome seemeth to be that which maketh a man teach and admonish himselfe and so bring into act that which hee knoweth out of the Word Now if you ask what it differeth from understanding and how spiritual understanding differeth from knowledge To the first Wisdome maketh us put the thing in execution Spirituall understanding doth perceive and judge aright of that which Wisdome consulteth on and executeth And this differeth from knowledge because this as Wisdome is about matter of fact gotten by experience wheras Knowledge conceiveth onely things in themselves not considering of them as they are here and now performed Now for the doctrines from the ninth Verse First in generall the Apostles example doth teach That Ministers must not onely teach and admonish Observ but pray for their people 1 Sam. 12.23 GOD forbid that I should cease to pray for you Moses Aaron and Samuel were thus stiled such as called on His Name the Priest was as well to offer up incense and blesse in the Name of the Lord as to slay the sacrifice Againe all our watering and planting is nothing without GOD's increase which how can we looke for if we will not aske it Spare to speake and spare to speed Moses Prayer did more against the Amalekites than all Israels weapons Such therefore as bow not their knees to GOD in secret for their people Vse neglect their dutie yet some are so unacquainted with this exercise that out of their books they cannot say two lines it may be said of them The Priest hath forgot his Prayers We must be admonished of our duty The occasion was handled above And thus much from this that the Apostle saith We Pray From the time Observ marke wee must not delay going to GOD when occasion is offered that precept every where pray 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is thus fitly construed Pray in every opportunitie let it not slip thee It is good taking the season in every thing striking while the iron is hot for time and tide stay not from that day he heard he did take the occasion of devout remembring them to God Delay is here alwayes dangerous For at the first comming of occasions we are affected with them but if we work not with this motion like as fire not blowed nor fed with fewell it goeth out Againe wisdome biddeth us redeeme the opportunitie Eph. 5. â—5 â—6 Here therefore men are to be taxed Vse who put off and quench the spirit whose modò modò non habet modum who are ever in purpose never in performance who cry yet a little sleepe a little folding the hands sleep over their spirituall harvest We must from his example be exhorted for as hee followed CHRIST so farre forth wee must follow him Marke thirdly that he prayeth uncessantly Observ which teacheth us how we must persevere in Prayer not like them who a day or two will begin this duty and then lay it by all the quarter the Apostle biddeth every one of us persevere in prayer for the Saints Eph. 6.18 not that we must keepe houres stinted as if those houres passe us we must not pray that day or like the Euchites never cease pattering but we must daily at fittest seasons take up this duty This not ceasing speedeth with GOD giveth Him no rest out-wrastleth Him this CHRIST by a double Parable calleth us to one of the widdow Luke 18.3 4. Luke 11.5 the other of the friend in the night-time importuning his friend For GOD doth often delay to see if we will follow Him and not give Him over Those then who are set downe with fainting hands Vse letting fall their prayers must be stirred up to hold out uncessantly by this example Delayes should not hinder us from hoping well That seed that lyeth longest in the earth riseth higher than any other So that prayer groweth to the most glorious issue which GOD seemeth long to bury in forgetfulnesse From this that hee doth not pray howsoever Obs 4 but with an hearty desire Marke here That our prayers must bee fervent Hee doth not continue a forme of words without affection for it is not vox but votum that soundeth in GOD's eare Iâ—â— â— 16 The prayer of the righteous availeth much if it be fervent Our SAVIOUR doth reach that these onely speed these fervent prayers by that trebled phrase Aske Seeke Knocke all importing the same matter heartie calling on GOD. If one aske us a thing but being indifferent doth rather to prove us than that hee careth when we discerne it we hold our owne So GOD c. To rebuke luke-warme devotion Vse 1 nay our frozen prayers when the heart hath no desire in it after that the mouth speaketh To stirre us up in this dutie Vse 2 Now the mother of desire is spirituall Poverty from sight of our wants weaknesses perills c. From the Matter in generall he wisheth their proceeding in grace obedience and patience Observe hence Observ What things wee are to wish those that are called even these here named The Apostle knew how many begunne in the spirit but ended in the flesh hee knew that if they did not gather they would scatter He well perceived how busie Satan would bee to steale this grace out of their hearts For as theeves watch
it more that we are reconciled to GOD already than that we shall have full salvation in due time If we are reconciled to GOD by the death of His Sonne which is the greater Ro. 5 1â— much more shall we be saved by His life which is the lesser To pardon a traytour when he is enemy-like affected to us and take him to favour is more than when he is a friend to give him a preferment To beget and bring forth a son Vse is more than when now it is to nurse it to full stature Wee must stirre up our selves to praise GOD in our precious blessing we are ashamed to take common kindnesse from men but we will returne them a thousand thanks yet who almost heartily praiseth GOD for these spirituall blessings which passe understanding Our plough would speed the better though we should not beg so much if we were more in thanksgiving up goeth thanksgiving downe comes blessings That we by nature are unfit for GOD's Kingdome Obs 2 So our SAVIOUR saith Vnlesse we be borne anew Ioh. 3. â— we cannot enter into GOD's Kingdome What disposition can be in such as are the children and thralls of the Devill to be the sons and heires of GOD No there is nothing in us but enmity against God Rom. 8.7 The wisdome of the flesh is enmitie against God and in the one and twentieth Verse of this Chapter now who can make me owner of that which I am not nor cannot be willing with We see in outward affaires an out-landish man a forreiner cannot have inheritance in our Land untill he be naturalized the son of a traytour whose lands are confiscate cannot inherit them as before till his bloud be restored So it is with us wee are all strangers by nature to God and heaven where Hee dwelleth wee are a tainted bloud rebels from the wombe and therefore till God doe restore us and make us fit wee cannot have part in this heavenly inheritance we love our hell as well as if there were no other heaven Ezek. 16. we are such as have an Amorite to our father an Hittite to our mother such as lye weltering in our bloud It is the worke of God alone that must prepare and fit us for this blessed inheritance all our sufficiencie is of God 2 Cor. 3.5 we are not able to thinke a thought this day No man can beget himselfe and therefore what man can fit himselfe for the heavenly estate none but the Father of spirits can effect this matter he that only can draw us changing our wils who can purge us beautifie us adopt us c. he hath begotten us to this inheritance Which letteth us see Gods exceeding grace to us Vse if there had beene an aptnesse in us as in those children which were trained up to minister before the King his love had not beene so great but when there is nothing but indisposition and withall utter unwillingnesse ready to put His grace from us to set light by and scorne this heavenly birth-right as Esau did his earthly that then he should look lovingly toward us and allure our hearts to Himselfe make us sons and daughters who can sound the depth of this love Suppose a King should take some youth up by the high-way all in ragges ill-favoured ignorant of all liberall education ill mannered such a one as loved a rogueing humor more than a kingdome were it not strange love in him that should fit such a one win his good will and proclaime him heire apparant to the crown So stands the matter betwixt GOD and us This serveth to humble us and make us walke modestly Vse 2 with an holy blush seeking to please our GOD. Away with all kinde of merit as well of congruitie as of condignity What disposition hath darknesse to light that have we to grace and salvation 3 That you may further see His love and what cause we have to give thankes marke what it is Hee putteth upon us Verse 17. an inheritance Observe then Obs 3 That as GOD's manner of taking us up so the matter he taketh us unto must move us to blesse Him The Lawyers know that the title of inheritance is the greatest title to give a stocke of money to one is much to bestow an office to let to farme rich things upon easie rent all are beneficiall good estates but to make one my heire this is farre greater this made Saint Peter so breake forth Blessed be GOD the Father 1 Pet. 1.3 who hath begotten us to an inheritance immortall undefiled that fadeth not away From whence it may be further amplified for if one were made an heire of some three halfe peny possession the benefit were not much to be stood on but to such an inheritance as there is described who can utter this mercy Looke at men on earth can they doe greater displeasure that to dis-inherit their children Can they shew any further love than to write this or that man the heire of all their estates It is so with God what greater love than this can Hee shew than to make us heires unto Him The use of this is to stirre us up to al thankfulnesse Vse 1 dutie yea spirituall joy Looke at children whose parents have great matters to leave them if they be good children what duty will they shew how obsequious will they be how glad to serve their earthly parents yea how jocond will they be for though they be kept low now they know they shall have faire patrimonies Thus should we be affected toward GOD yea much more should we joy in these heavenly possessions We must labour to looke into this our inheritance Vse 2 for if a man have any matter of estate in the world he will be sure to prie into the worth of it to looke upon the severalls to improve it and make the most of it he will lose nothing for the knowing thus we should doe in the heavenly riches But alas it is as nothing to us because we are ignorant of these things and wil not beg the spirit of illumination which might teach us to know the things bestowed upon us And as men that know not the worth of their heavenly things do make cheape and eafie peny worths passing away rich things for matters of nothing So we do even through ignorance like Esau for a little sinfull delight forgoe our inheritance This comforteth the Saints Vse 3 who though they count themselves poore yet they are rich heires of a Kingdome It might be marked that he saith Obs 4 To take part it teacheth That every Saint hath but a childes part GOD giveth not as men all to one the rest have nothing but he giveth every one a severall part as Hee seeth meet Some have greater some have lesse though all shall be blessed not knowing lacke of any good thing in that they possesse nor envying any thing they see in others and have not in the principall all are equall
us It followeth that are in Heaven and that are in earth visible and invisible by heavens He meaneth not onely these aspectable ones which our eyes see but those supreame ones where God His Angels and the spirits of the just abide Obs 3 Observe hence How that God hath His places Ministers attending about Him unseene and unknowne too many such things hath He which the eye of man hath not seen nor have not fully entered into mans heart We that live farre remooved from that heavenly Court we can know but little and that by hearesay onely Take some hamlet of poore subjects that live North-ward remote from the Court what doe they know of Kings Mannor houses of His Court at White-Hall of the furniture of his roomes the state of his attendance and service the solemnities of his Triumphs the manner of his going to the Parliament House we that creepe here below live in a remote place occupied in meane affaires we cannot imagine the glorious Majestie of that high Court where our God our Mediator with the Angels and spirits of the just display their glory True it is we that are truely faithfull we are come a little neerer for we are got into the Suburbs of this City we are come nigher to God in comparison of the world nigher to our Mediator we converse in heaven we are adjoyned to the innumerable multitude of Angels and spirits of the just But yet we have but the report and so a sight by faith without evident view of these things These things must teach us first Vse not to be like such who will beleeve no more then they see and are halfe Sadduces for Spirits and Angells they thinke them fancies O foole doest thou see the wind an elementary thing yet too subtle for the eye to behold doest thou see thy owne soule and yet thou feelest it yea when thou sleepest ere-while it wakeneth and is in action but the spirits of these men are incarnate the things we see are nothing to the things that are not as yet seene Wherefore in the second place this must stirre up our desire further and further to peepe into these things within the vaile and long for the sight of these things that yet are folded By nature we have a desire of knowledg which maketh us long after newes where the court is c. If one should open a piece of some rare workmanship we could not be quiet till we got the rest unfolded yea this maketh some of better abilities which dwell in the utmost parts that once in their lives they will goe up to London to see the City Court King c. How should this provoke us and checke us as sluggards who care not to see further off these most glorious workes of nature and grace which our God hath begunne to unfold that long not to see the City of GOD and our Prince His deare Sonne and with Him to make our glorious aboade To thinke of these invisible things about us must affect us with a sense of our blindnesse our God is looking with a broad eye upon us good Angels armies of them about our bed bad Angels the starres not so thicke in the firmament over our heads as they are hovering to spy their advantage ô shall not we grieve that we cannot see them should thy Father and all thy brethren stand by wouldest thou not mourne to have so sicke a sight as could not discerne them and art thou contented with such weake eyes as cannot behold thy heavenly Father thy brethren and fellow servants would it not grieve thee to be as Sampson with the Philistines thy enemies about thee and eyes out wilt thou not grieve to have innumerable evill spirits about thee not being able to perceive them pray to God to open thy eyes looke into the nature of thy owne soule that will be a good introduction if thou canst find thy owne soule at the rebound of it abstract thy selfe from sensible objects ponder things intellectuall Further it is to be marked Obs 4 That our Lord CHRIST is the Creator of all the Angels all these excellent creatures were created as the matter of heaven and earth the soule of man they were not begotten of GOD The Divell would by those Primitive monsters have broached to the disgrace of the only begotten Sonne of God though the Scripture calleth us begotten of God Iam. 1.18 in regard of our regeneration yea they were created by CHRIST who is therefore called the Lord of hoasts If He had created the inferiour things only it had not beene such an argument of His power and equality with His Father But when the most divine creatures are the workes of His hands O how glorious is He This doth greatly tend to the Majesty of our King into whose government we are translated O we admire and our eyes dazle at the lustre and pompous magnificence of earthly Kings who at their Coronations make Knights create Earles Marquesses Dukes how glorious doe we count them who can give such degrees But what are these All of them flesh What are we to these Thrones Dominions Principalities Powers Angels Archangels which our King hath created It might be asked when He made these Quest The day cannot certainly be defined Answ onely these two things are certaine 1 That they were not created before that beginning wherein GOD gave being to the whole systeme of the creature for before it nothing was that is made 2 It is certaine they were created before the second day was expired 3 By analogie of mans creation so soone as his seat was perfected it is probable that proportionably when these blesied invisible mansions were finished even on the first day that then likewise the hoasts of Angels were created The use of this here so plainly set downe Vse 1 doth let us see even in this one point the great increase of light over that which Moses affordeth in all the story of the Creation they are not expressely named their weake sights not able to endure discourse of such brightnesse but our Apostle who had beene wrapt up into the third heaven doth specifie things which under the Testament lay vailed This doth let us see with how good reason our King in regard of His humane Nature is Lord even of all the Angels Vse 2 with how good reason they are bid to adore Him they accordingly did minister to Him at His birth in His temptations at His refurrection and ascension And what a spurre should this adde to us in our obedience unto Him Shall Angels and Archangels adore Him and shall not wee bee obsequious to Him Dare poore Commons deny homage to that King to whom they see great Princes in their places doe all obeysance This giveth us security that we shall have sent us the helpe of good Angels in our necessities Vse 3 why because our King is the Creator and Lord of them He hath the command of them at His pleasure We see if the
subject in the furthest part of our Countrey be assailed with forren power which doth over-match it the King will levie an armie from the Citie and places neere him and so send them succour Even so our King will send these His heavenly Citizens when the powers of darknesse doe assaile us They are ministring spirits sent forth for their sakes that shall be heires of salvation Lastly Vse 4 we may hence observe the blinde folly of such who withdraw themselves from using CHRIST's mediation and betake them to the intercession of Angells Is not this to leave the Creator in such a way wherein He would have us to use Him and to fly to the Creature Besides the Angels are not such ill taught servants as to take their Lord's worke out of His hands Againe here is occasion given to speake of the distinct ministeries of Angels but nescire oportet quod nec scire possumus nec debemus The cleere knowledge of these things is reserved till we shall be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Luke 20.36 in the heavens Lastly observe That as by Him so to His honour the creature was made Obs Whence we marke first that the Son worketh not as a servile Minister but as a joynt Author in making all the creatures Indeed the Scripture giveth an equall authority to CHRIST with the Father in working As the Father quickeneth Ioh. 5.21 so doth the Sonne whom He will That which I as the Principall doe use my servant to doe is not for his sake but my owne But the end of all these things was no lesse the honour of CHRIST than of the Father It is enough to note that the equality in Nature of this Sonne with the Father may bee conceived Marke hence That glory is due to CHRIST from all the Creatures the Father Sonne and Holy Ghost all one God have made all things for their glory Rom. 11. For of Him and by Him and for Him are all things to Him bee glory for ever God hath made all for Himselfe the wicked for the day of evill More particularly CHRIST both as God and man is the end of the Creature as God Hee is with Father and Spirit the last end of all as man every thing serveth for His praise both workes of nature and grace yet so that even Himselfe as God man looketh to a further end the Father Spirit and Himselfe absolutely considered the harmony of all is made on foure strings The Creature And this is the sweet concord of all when the Creature serveth man and is for Him He CHRIST's and CHRIST GOD's The Man And this is the sweet concord of all when the Creature serveth man and is for Him He CHRIST's and CHRIST GOD's The Christ And this is the sweet concord of all when the Creature serveth man and is for Him He CHRIST's and CHRIST GOD's The God And this is the sweet concord of all when the Creature serveth man and is for Him He CHRIST's and CHRIST GOD's All is yours you CHRIST's and CHRIST GOD's A wise man doth not worke that which hee hath no end in much lesse God neither could God have any other end than Himselfe for there was nothing but Himselfe when this worke was intended We may see how injurious we are to God Vse 1 that doe not glorifie Him in His creature it is strange we should be so little affected toward Him in all this goodly frame wee see that wee should so carelessely passe by it when wee will give money to see a Lion Bawboones yea the skins of some sea-creatures and yet not to eye with any observation all the goodly creatures which under our feet and over our heads are so frequnt We must labor to give praise to God from every thing Vse 2 first by an heedfull looking upon it for as it is an artificers glory to have his workes gazed on So it is God's honour when wee doe but with devotion eye His workmanship Secondly you must learne to see and publish the wisdome and power of Him and His goodnesse and mercy which is over all When I see it raine I may think what a mighty wise good God is this that as a gardiner watereth a bed with his spout-pot so watereth all the earth at once so sweetly why are yee snow haile c. these bid us to praise the Lord Have these tongues No but it is meant that they should shew matter to us who have tongues to magnifie His Name We must learne from them Vse 3 and provoke our selves to some good by them if wee could take them forth God hath written lessons upon them the Ant the Oxe the Asse they would teach us instructions VERSE 17. And Hee is before all things and by Him all things consist NOw followeth His Antiquity He that is before all things must needs be God and Lord of the Creature Observe then Obs That our King is antienter than all the Creatures He was before the beginning in which all these were made Ioh. 1.1 IESUS CHRIST yesterday to day and for ever Hebr. 13.8 His goings forth were from everlasting he is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Which doth still serve to amplifie the dignity of our King Vse 1 and our compleat happinesse who are translated into His Kingdome Among other things that grace and adorne Princes this is one If they are of ancient House and can derive their Pedegrees from utmost memory but our SAVIOUR is the eternall of dayes What Herauld can set downe His descent No He is of antiquity which surpasseth the thought of all the Creature He was from all eternity is and shall be for ever And as it augmenteth His glory Vse 2 So it sheweth that the right of inheritance is His The Angels are called sons Iob 38.7 and we are called sons but besides that we are equivocally so termed we are also younger brethren and therefore the Lordship and inheritance belongeth not to us I meane that which is primary and universall This teacheth us our duty Vse 3 even to reverence our King in this consideration hee that riseth not respectively to the gray-head forgetteth his duty But he that reverenceth not that God which is eternall to whom all ages past are but as yesterday how foulely is he wanting to himselfe It is added by Him all things consist Which word noteth not onely their being but that they keepe with their being their sweet order and melodious consent one with another through Him Observe then That all things are preserved in their being Obs moving and order by Him Hee doth continue the selfe-same creature and order which Himselfe made first and appointed And as the former gave the glory of Creation to Christ so this giveth the glory of preservation and providence to Him also This is plaine by Scripture Hebr. 1.3 He beareth up all things by the Word of His Power In God we live and move and have our being Act. 17. Not
obedience which should of grace have that acceptance and the glorious fruit which followed upon them and therefore the Scriptures yea CHRIST Himselfe referres all those benefits to God's grace which upon the death of CHRIST are given us For it was the fatherly love of God which made Him pleased in the death of His Sonne and smell a savour of rest not that the merit of His death did extort so much derigore justiti◠And truly that the second Person should ever be so joyned to our Nature was unspeakable grace the Nature of Angels more excellent than ours found not this favour He tooke not the Angelicall Nature but the seed of Abraham If a King doe but light and rest Himselfe in some meane Cottage it is no small favour But for the immortall God to dwell by indissoluble bond of union personally in such an house of clay as our Nature is sinne excepted it is grace that cannot be comprehended The greater if we consider how that God full of all Majesty and glory by His incarnation thus dwelling in the forme of a servant did emptie Himselfe by vayling under this flesh the brightnesse of His glory We are then hence to learne Vse that all things must be ascribed to God's grace and with CHRIST to rest in this Father it hath pleased thee to give me CHRIST this or that benefit in CHRIST yea to doe all both in me and CHRIST my SAVIOUR to the glory of thy rich grace all must come hither God hath made me good in His eyes for this or that As for the Papists merit even in rigour of justice not onely in gracious fidelity it is prejudiciall to God's grace I think not to be found betweene the Father and the Sonne much lesse betwixt our God and us with whom it were woe if all our merits were not free mercies This in generall Now for the matter affirmed which first is the Qualification of the Person to be a Mediator 2. The work of mediation touching which 3. Things must bee opened 1 How wee are to conceive of the Person here spoken of in Him 2 What is meant by all fulnesse 3 What is meant by dwelling For the first he meaneth the beloved Sonne as Man as of the Person of CHRIST as incarnate the reason is because the Sonne of God absolutely considered as the second Person in Trinity hath all fulnesse not by voluntary dispensation but by naturall necessity in as much as the eternall Father never was nor could be without His eternall Sonne God with Himselfe this thing never was in the power of His free-will For the second you must know that there is in Christ His Person a three-fold fulnesse The first fundamentall the other two following as derived from it The first is the fulnesse of the divine Nature which doth personally dwell with that Man-hood in Christ whence it commeth to passe that this Man is truly called God that is the Man-hood taken into fellowship of the selfe-perfect and eternall Person of the Sonne of God so that it is become as a part of His Person The second fulnesse is the fulnesse of Office to which even Christ Man is called of being our Mediator Priest Prophet and King For in regard of his humane Nature now united to the second Person He is as Man called to be the Christ of God that is Anointed Thirdly the fulnesse of created or habituall graces wherewith the divine Nature doth fill the soule of Christ which are not the divine Properties but effects which the God-head worketh distinct from it as the soule giveth the body a life which is not the life wherewith the soule liveth for then when the body dieth the soule should die likewise but is an effect of it Now all of them may be here understood for they are all antecedent qualifications fitting him for this worke which in the next words is mentioned especially the first Now for the dwelling of all fulnesse in Christ Man the later two are in Him subjectively the former viz. the God-head doth dwell in Christ Man not as in the Saints 2 Cor. 6.23 I will dwel with you you are the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the habitation of God of God by the Spirit the Temple of the HOLY GHOST which is onely a dwelling by relation of love and communion of the effects of it in grace nor yet as God dwelleth in the glorified Saints 1 Cor. 15. when God shal be all in al which is likewise a dwelling together in regard of aboundant love manifested in the gift of glory nor any such simple cohabitation but it dwelleth with this man-hood as with a Nature which is taken to Vnity of Person in the Sonne of God and so is through grace become of the substance of the second Person So that He is now as truly said to be Man also as before He was said to be God only Now then the summe is Christ as Man or the Manhood of Christ hath the second Person of Trinity God with the Father and Spirit dwelling personally in it So that this Man-hood is essentially and substantially coupled with the Deity in unity of one selfe perfect and eternall Person Secondly it is anointed with fulnesse of Office and of Created gifts that Christ God-man that every way filled might be a fit Person to work our reconciliation following and to be an Head replenishing His Church which went before First then from the matter we see what an all-sufficient Head we have Looke to thy Nature in heaven Such a man as hath Plenitudinem Potestatis in regard of office full of all habituall graces which our nature can receive farre above all Angels yea full of that never drying Fountaine of life grace and glory it being taken into one Person with God neither could he else bee an Head quickening His Church He that must fill all the blessed Angels and all the redeemed peculiar people of God had need to have the Fountaine of life residing in him Which doth both refute that presumptuous usurpation of the man of sinne Vse 1 I meane the Pope in challenging to be an head of all the visible Church whereas Christ could not be our Head were He not God as well as Man As also it teacheth us our duty Vse 2 both whither to run for supply even hither to the Well-head of grace and life all fulnesse is in Him that we might draw from Him grace plenteously grace heaped on grace Oh blessed are those streames of grace which have this Head of living waters to feed them As likewise it teacheth where to offer prayse for the measure of grace we have received we should be affected as receivers in thankfulnesse to GOD in humility towards men For what have wee that wee have not received Lastly this is very comfortable for if there be such a fulnesse in CHRIST then what though there be abundance of sinne in us and guiltinesse yet there is a fulnesse in Him to remove it and take it away
I will bee to them saith God a Covering and a shadow in the day from the heate and for a place of refuge and for a Covert from storm and raine That is You shall be as men within doores others shall be as men without doores And the Apostle sayth 1 Cor. 3.17 Him that destroyes the Temple him shall God destroy For it is His Temple and Christ will not suffer His house to bee pulled downe over His head for it is the place where Hee dwelleth He will protect and defend them If you would therfore have a greater measure of grace comforting and refreshing you Vse if you would be full of life and grace then fasten your eyes upon Christ the fountaine But it is your fault you desire grace remission of sinnes and the parts of Sanctification abstracted from Christ we goe to God and thinke not of Christ but get Christ into your hearts get Him knit to you and then you shall receive grace from Him Looke as it is with a Wife in marriage of her husband she must not thinke of the Titles wealth and honours that he brings separated from her husband if she doe it is an adulterous thought but she must first take her husband and then take those things that are derived from him So let us first get our selves united with Christ cleave to Him live to Him get our hearts moove to Him in holinesse and righteousnesse and then looke for remission of sinnes adoption and reconciliation and every particular grace from Him If a man will have the treasure he must first have the field he must not thinke to have the treasure abstracted from the field but first get the field and then digge for the treasure First get Christ in whom are hid all treasures and then receive them from Him Remember still that Christ must first dwell in your hearts for although the spirit doe immediately act all yet it is CHRIST Labour therefore to be knit to Christ more and more and as you are neerer in union with Him so He dwells more in your hearts As there are degrees of light from the Sunne as it is higher or lower So there are degrees of Christs Vnion and habitation and of all the effects of His cohabitation labour therefore to get Christ into your hearts more and more How shall we doe that 1 Labour for a contrite and humble spirit for there CHRIST dwels and delighteth in such a soule Esay 57.15 He hath but two places to dwell in the highest heavens and an humble heart 2 Againe the lesse you love your selves and the more you emptie your selves the more will Christ dwell in you the cleaner you keepe your hearts the more unspotted the more pleasure and delight will Hee take to dwell in you 3 The larger spirit any man hath the more rich in grace any man is the larger the house is the more Christ will delight to dwell there Which is Christ in you the hope of glory This Christ he describeth by His effect toward us calling Him the hope of glory that is He in whom and by whom wee hope and looke for glory Observe hence Doct. Christ is he in whom we hope for glory Hereupon He is called Our hope 1 Tim. 1.1 God that cannot lye hath promised to give us further assurance of of it He hath lift up Christ on high placed Him at His right hand farre above all Principalities and Powers and made Him partaker of His glory when He shal appeare then we shall appeare with Him in glory this wee wait and looke for this is our rest What then though shame and reproach befal us in this world Vse Let us beare it with patience and with joy look up to the glory prepared for us And what if armies of evils meet with us here below and troopes of miseries follow us at the heeles By the helpe of Christ wee shall overcome them all and be more than conquerours and in the end be crowned with a crowne of immortall glory There wanteth nothing but a little waiting Yet a little while and He that shall come will come and will not tarry Behold Hee commeth in the clouds and His reward is with Him In the meane time let us live as those that looke for His glory and not dishonour our selves with base actions of sinne who are appointed for such glory VERSE 28. Whom we preach admonishing every man and teaching every man in all wisdome that we may present every man perfect in Christ Iesus HAving thus by occasion of speaking of his ministery Verse 25. expressed the subject of it namely the mysterie of the Gospell He returneth now to speake of his ministery againe and of his faithfulnesse and diligence in the execution of it First that which was common to him with Timothy and other Apostles Verse 28. Then that which was proper to himselfe Verse 29. His faithfulnesse and diligence appeares almost in every word of these two Verses Where first observe generally that these two things Doctr. Faithfulnesse and diligence are required of every Minister in his place and calling they are required of every man in his calling but of a Minister in a speciall and singular measure For whether wee looke to the Lord that hath put him in trust or to the things committed to his trust not crownes nor kingdomes but the soules of men who should be faithfull if not he who diligent if not he To whom or wherein will he be faithfull that is not faithfull to God and in these things to whom or wherein will he be diligent for conscience sake that is not diligent in serving the Lord in these things And if he be cursed that doth the work of the Lord negligently withholding his sword from bloud how much more is hee accursed that doth the worke of the Lord in saving mens soules negligently Which our SAVIOUR would have done with such expedition that He forbade His Disciples going about that businesse to salute any man by the way Particularly their faithfulnesse appeareth both in the subject matter and in the manner of preaching For the matter it must bee in generall with all the Word of God concealing nothing that is convenient Act. 20.20 I kept backe nothing that was profitable unto you c. I will give you Pastors after mine owne heart Ier. 3.15 and they shall feed you with wisdome and understanding But Principally they must instruct them in the doctrine of repentance and remission of sinnes in the Name of Christ Secondly in the doctrine of Faith in Christ for Hee is the Bread of life Repentance is but the sowre salled it is the Lambe that makes the feast 1 Cor. 2.3 I cared to know nothing amongst you but Christ crucified Thirdly with the doctrine of good works 1 Tim. 15. Let them that have beleeved have care to shew good workes teach these things they are good and profitable This is for the matter The faithfulnesse of a Minister is seene also in
savoring of the flesh 6 Whatsoever is meerely grounded on tradition and what is carnall and sensuall in GODS service is contrary to Christ Verse 9. 1 THis must make us rest in CHRIST onely as all sufficient that we know Him GOD blessed for ever 2 All the fulnesse of GOD is communicated with CHRIST as man the whole entyre Nature of GOD. 3 Not created gifts or miraculous effects of the divine nature are united with Christ man but the deity it selfe the fulnesse of it 3 The same singular Nature is in all the three persons 5 The manner of GODS dwelling in CHRIST man is personally so as that GOD the Sonne is thereby become personally man Verse 10. 1 CHrist man doth send out all the streames of grace and good things to all His members in that the fountaine dwelleth in Him 2 Being in CHRIST we receive all kinde of graces and benefits that wee lacke nothing 3 The dignity of CHRIST who is all to us is this that He is the chiefe above all the creatures Verse 11. 1 AN excellent meane to hold us fast to Christ is to remember what great evil of sin He hath subdued for us 2 Christ hath given us a spirituall Circumcision 3 No outward action of the hand of man reacheth to the clensing of the soule 4 Sin and grace is to the soule as apparell is to the body 5 Spirituall circumcision standeth in putting off all our corruptions 6 The soule of the naturall man is clad with sinne 7 Wee must forgoe not some part of our corruption but the whole body of sinne 8 Our masse of corruption containeth many sinnes 9 IESUS CHRIST it is who worketh in us this spirituall circumcision Verse 12. 1 VVHat Circumcision was to the old people that Baptisme is to us 2 From our union with CHRIST dead and buried we come to have the body of sinne crucified 3 GOD doth unite us with CHRIST even by our Baptisme 4 To consider of our resurrection which we have through CHRIST is a forcible motive to make us cleave to Him 5 Faith on Christ maketh us rise to new life 6 The omnipotent action of God which raised Christ from the dead is it that begetteth faith in us Verse 13. 1 OVr quickning in CHRIST is such a benefit which we must not quickly have done with and lightly passe over 2 Ministers must amplifie to their people the benefits bestowed on them 3 Sinne both originall and actuall is the death of the soule 4 The life of a naturall man is even a death in trespasse 5 Our course in actuall sin doth sinke us deeper and deeper in death 6 We are farre from being prepared to receive the grace shewed us by God when we are quickened to beleeve 7 The way to bring men to acknowledgement of GOD's grace with thankfulnesse is to make them see what they were when God first shewed it 8 All beleevers have a new life in and through Christ 9 In order of nature first we have pardon of sinne before we have the life of grace begun in us 10 God the Father Son and Spirit doe properly forgive sinne 11 God's pardon is of meere grace to us 12 We must remember what God hath done for us while we shew to others the things bestowed on them 13 The grace of God in forgiving our sinnes is exceeding large Verse 14. 1 NOt onely our sin which is our debt is answered but whatsoever may shew any thing against us is done away in Christ 2 By Christ the ceremoniall Law is taken away 3 The Iewish ceremonies as they were purely legall were as bills testifying the debt of the people before God 4 Christ by suffering on the crosse hath abolished these things Verse 15. 1 GOd doth set us free from the power of Satan before we are made alive in Christ 2 God in Christ hath crucified and disarmed Satan 3 Christ in His death made a scorne of all the power of darknesse and exposed them to open shame Verse 16. 1 VVE must not make account of mens sinister judgements as any way giving place unto them 2 To put no difference in meats for conscience sake or religious respect is no sinne 3 Such as doate upon Mosaicall rites are ready to condemne such as are not done right in them Verse 17. 1 THe legall ceremonies were shadowes of that is done in Christ and His Church Verse 18. 1 FAlse teachers are led with a spirit of arrogancie which maketh them usurpe judgement over others 2 The naturall man doth judge and condemne what doth not agree with him 3 Our softnesse and pusillanimity doth make us subject too much to take to heart mens sinister judgements 4 Wicked deceivers will seeme to stand for vertue and challenge those that are truly godly as wanting it 5 Adoration of Angels and Saints masketh under the vizor of holinesse 6 All religious worship of Saints or Angels is unchristian 7 The property of a seducer is to speake that he knoweth not 8. The cause of vouching and diving into hidden things is Pride Verse 19. 1 LOoking to the creatures for helpe and grace doth make us fall from Christ 2 We have not many but one Head 3 In Christ mysticall there is nothing but the Head giving growth and the body receiving growth 4 For the whole multitude of beleevers there is sufficiency in Christ 5 Before we can take spirituall growth in Christ we must be knit to Him 6 Every true beleever groweth up in Christ not stands at a stay 7 It is God who maketh us as begin so grow in grace Verse 20. 1 CHRIST by His death hath freed us from the Ceremonies of the Law 2 True Christians must not live in that Christ dyed to take away 3 Gods children live out of the world while in it Verse 21.22 1 MEn are exact in outward observancies who know not the power of godlinesse 2 Hard to forgoe old rites to which we are accustomed 3 Bodily observancies profit nothing 4 We are not to give credence to any thing not taught in God's Word Verse 23. 1 VIce and error may have a shew of truth and vertue 2 Will-worship hath a plausible shew of wisdom 3 Lowlinesse of minde argueth wisdome 4 False teachers will make a shew of humility 5 To keepe the body in subjection argueth wisdome 6 False teachers make shew of mortification 7 Exercises much regarded with men are of no esteeme with God 8 Bodily externall things are not of worth with God The end of the Doctrines A COMMENTARY VPON THE SECOND Chapter of Saint PAUL to the Colossians COLOS. Chap. 2. VER 1. VERSE 1. For I would yee knew what great fighting I have for your sakes and for them of Laodicea and for as many as have not seene my Person in the flesh WE have had from the three and twentieth Verse of the former Chapter from the end of it a digression the summe whereof consisteth in declaring Paul's calling Secondly his executing this calling Vers 28 29.
That their hearts might be comforted and they knit together in love and in all riches of the full assurance of understanding to know the mystery of God even the Father and of Christ THis Verse openeth the matter for which he strove with God by all meanes in it two points 1 The thing it selfe 2 The antecedents or meanes leading to it The thing is that their hearts might bee comforted at the knowledge of the mystery of God the Father and of Christ that is of the Gospell which told them that Iesus Christ God-man was made light and salvation to them as to other Gentiles for the incarnation of the Sonne of God and the calling them to be a people who before were none were hidden mysteries till God reveiled them Now to this end he prayeth that they might be knit together in love and a more full knowledge having with it fullnesse of perswasion The better to understand it we must remember that these Colossians were brought by Epaphras to know the Gospell in truth Secondly you must know that they had love yea true love Thirdly that they did not feele the joy of the Holy Ghost so plentifully as others first because through the Divels tares of dissension there was not that soundnesse of love which should make them fully of one heart Secondly because though they knew the Gospell yet they knew it not so plentifully being in part ignorant of their Christian liberty of the all sufficiency of Christs sole mediation as who looked and listened a little to the helpe of Angells this way Thirdly from hence it came that being weake in knowledge they somewhat staggered the Apostle therefore wisheth them the tast of heavenly joy more fully in that they knew and to this end wisheth that all impediments of heavenly joy as dissension doubting ignorance being remooved they might be one in love rich in knowledge and fully perswaded and resolved in the things they knew First then Doct. from Saint Pauls example Ministers must see what they must chiefely helpe forward even the spirituall rejoycing of their people It is a great matter of their office to serve Christians this way What are we saith S. Paul no Lords over your faith but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Co-workers with GOD furthering your joy this he prayed for Rom. 1.10.12 this he made the intent of his journeyes to give and take comfort in them To this end Eph. 6.21 22. hee dispatched messengers to comfort their hearts True it is that sometime they are forced to make sadde as Saint Paul did the Corinthians but this is not their principall intent for they doe this not for it selfe but that it may make way for rejoycing as a Physitian is forced to make his Patients sicke that thus he may restore him to health There is great reason for this We are bound every one by the Commandement that sayth we shall not kill Reas 1 to be no way wanting to the life of others even this bindeth us that we doe every way seeke to make the lives of others comfortable unto them 2 Againe Saint Paul knew how many things the Saints have to presse them downe through the malice of Sathan and keepe them from knowing the sweet fruit of the spirit 3 He knew that this was a friendly Sunne which maketh all graces thrive the better in the heart where it is 4 That if GOD should not refresh them this way by letting them feele this power of that life which is to come they were in danger to shrinke from Christ in the midst of such discouragements with which this world aboundeth For as we say without this vita is not vitalis no man liveth or can live without a delight and joy As we see kind men when they tast a thing that pleaseth them more then ordinary will invite others to tast it with them So the Communicative love of this Apostle was such that finding in his own experience what a soveraigne thing this was he could not but wish it unto others 5 Lastly S. Paul knew that this was forcible to draw others to the profession when men should marke this in it that it filled those that imbraced it with gladnesse of heart and that in the midst of the greatest evils by seeing the joyfulnesse of such who were converted Wherefore it is a slander of sinfull men that thinke a Preacher of the Gospell killeth all good company Vse 1 cryeth down all rejoycing so that none can be merry that live under them indeed we kill that mirth that is nothing but madnesse that we may bring men to sound rejoycing even joy unspeakable and glorious Ministers must set an edge upon this grace and stirre up their people to it Vse the drooping and uncomfortable lives of Christians maketh many affrayd to looke this way For there are some men when God hath touched them a little they are affraid of progresse they thinke they are brought into bondage because they meete with discouragement and turne againe to sinne because they find more sorrow in goodnesse then they did in ill So there be others that are affrayd to enter into Gods way least they should come out of Gods comforts these are like the spies that brought an ill report of the good land it was a good land and fruitfull but there were Gyants Anakims Num. 14. c. and for this they never entered into the land of Canaan save only two faithfull Caleb and Ioshua So these people speake ill of the way to heaven even of heaven upon earth Oh say they the land is good the Kingdome of heaven is a glorious place but the way thither is by a sadde life so full of troubles that a man were as good be dead as live so But marke because they said they could not enter the Lord sware they shall not enter Secondly marke here That beliefe of the Gospell may bee Doctr. where the consolation of it and rejoycing of it appeare not Saint Paul need not to pray for this on their behalfe but that he doth intimate that many of them wanted it We reade indeed of first conversions of Christians accompanyed with the grace of spirituall joy as the City of Samaria very glad and full of joy Mat. 13.46 So the Merchant in the Gospell finding the Pearle in the field went away rejoycing But this is a fruite that lasteth all the yeare yea a babe in CHRIST may be borne crying as we say of teares Esau may have them that wanteth true repentance and another truely repenting may want them So it is true of joy a false Convert may have it Luk. 8.13 as the stony ground received the Word with joy Herod heard the Word gladly when a true Christian ere-while is without the fruite of it The fruite I say for he hath in him the seede of rejoycing which will budde forth blossome and show the fruite in due season Light is sowen for the righteous and joy for the upright in
Soveraigne salve of their soules not as a thing of rare and pleasant knowledge Secondly as they have not a licke but by beliefe bring CHRIST to dwell in their hearts and abide with them so their joy is a permanent abyding and durable joy No mans building can be better or firmer then his foundation nor no mans rejoycing better then the matter of his rejoycing if it be but meate and drinke both that and thou shalt perish and what shall become of thy joy yea if thou hadst a stately pallace like that of Nebuchadnezar which hee built for his royalty what is that to thee where is thy rejoycing when either thou shalt bee taken from it or it shall be taken from thee This is the state of all worldly comfort and of all things till we come to that which is above all that is to say the favour of GOD the eternall grace of GOD in our Lord Iesus Christ My peace I leave with you not as the world giveth the world gives a peace but what manner of peace why like the world it selfe but another manner peace is that which I give I give eternall peace and consolation as the Apostle calls it God hath given us good hope and everlasting consolation Thirdly as they doe not by vaine presumption apply CHRIST but by humble beleefe joyned with care of forsaking the love of all sinne so their joy standeth firme like a sure foundation when the other is turned into shame and confusion because it was grounded upon misconceit Wherefore labour if you be true beleevers Vse to make these things your joy Can a condemned fellow or a traytour get his pardon but it gladdeth him at the heart How can we heare all sinne forgiven Heaven opened God become a Father and take no contentment in them When a poore soule apprehends this it gives a man enough As Iacob said of his sonne Ioseph I have enough that my sonne is alive So the soule of a beleever can speake it in the presence of God My God liveth I have enough my Lord Christ hath redeemed mee I have enough the Spirit of God hath sealed mee to the day of redemption I have enough Psal 16. that I may say My line is fallen in a faire ground I have a goodly heritage Now for the meanes Being knit together in love and unto all riches of the full assurance of understanding that so they might come to joy in the knowledge of that mystery Observe hence Doct. That soundnesse of love and fulnesse of affiance and understanding bring us to heartie rejoycing This may bee shewed by the contrary for these three things are great impediments to true beleevers intercepting that joy which otherwise they might have 1 Want of love when there creepeth in some little strangenesse that they are not one as they should be all of one heart Act. 4.32 as the multitude of beleevers Looke as a family full of contentments while all are friendly and linked in love let some spice of discord enter all the musike of the house is marred every thing as dolefull as before joyfull And no doubt but this hindered the Colossians joy some leaning to mediation of Angels Ceremonies some keeping to CHRIST only difference of opinion bred variance of affection as it commonly falleth out For Satan striveth nothing more than to disband the Church we being knit by sinewes if he can but cut the sinews of love and doctrine and crosse it he hath enough And as light vapours or exhalations being drawne up from the earth come downe with great tempests so from light differences in opinion if not a great measure of grace doe proceed often great stormes and tempests of wrath and envie 2 Want of full Perswasion eclipseth joy for tell a man never such joyfull things if he cannot resolve himselfe that they are so hee will take no pleasure in them The things are good he wil say but I am afraid too good to be true Nay let a man be troubled in matters of lesse moment with a scrupulous conscience being at a stand whether to doe this or that or not to doe it it is such a sicknesse as till it be out-growen doth much weaken the joy of the spirit Even as a man that hath a stone in his shooe cannot travell comfortably 3 Finally want of knowledge doth much hinder joy for further then we know things we cannot be glad of them beside want of understanding breedeth scruple as in young children who will be afraid of any thing almost through weaknesse of understanding But say they were fully perswaded yet if wee want understanding wherewith to give a reason of that wee beleeve it is a great damping to us wheras on the contrary love of our brethren O quà m bonum jucundum Psal 13 3.1 How good and pleasant a thing is it to see brethren to live together in unity It is as pleasant as a fragrant ointment it maketh a sowre sallad better than a stalled exe and it prepareth and fitteth us for that GOD of joy and love to come and dwell with us seâ—led perswasion and plentifull knowledge in one word fulnesse of faith for faith is nothing but an affianced knowledge this bringeth joy Rom. 15.13 Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in beleeving that yee may abound in hope through the power of the Holy Ghost By faith we rejoyce in afflictions For as in earthly things the further we come to get assurance and to know good things towards us the more we take joy in them So in heavenly things the further we grow up in the apprehension of them the more are our hearts cheered and revived Wherefore Vse 1 we may see here what causeth so little spirituall joy among us Christians even this with other things there wanteth that sound Vnion through love We are estranged one from another in opinions of doctrine government Ceremonies which is no small cooler of that spirituall joy which otherwise we might see For the avoiding of this impediment or stumbling block let Christians follow the Apostle in his exhortation in matters of religion and opinion therein he would have them labour to be of one minde 2 Cor. 13.11 to come as neere as possibly they can to the Vnity of Faith He doth be seech them by vertue of this bond Ephes 4.1 2. to walke worthy of the Lord and how should that be in all long-suffering and lowlinesse of minde supporting one another in love endeavouring to keepe the Vnity of the Spirit in the bond of Peace Lowlinesse of minde and Patience will bring men to Vnity as Pride and selfe-love and impatience doth make men easily dissent in affection and opinion Againe private Christians are like the Coninthians very contentious to law for every trifle joy dwelleth not in disagreement So for the second here is much unbeleefe we fix not our perswasion nor provoke not our hearts confidently to rest and trust in
their profession sometime foysting Iewish ceremonies of the Law that so hee might adulterate the sincerity of their profession sometime by advancing the dignity of Angells offering to withdraw them sometime from the meanenes of their Teacher who was no Apostle nor pillar of account labouring to beate off this hand of faith from holding the Lord Iesus yet by the strength of Christ they standing against all But you will say Object you have said hee insinuates their wavering True Answ their faith might bee solid and stand and yet bee shaken a little too A house that standeth and will stand firmly shaketh when the winds blow about it So faith is firme when true and never shall faile though it tremble when the gusts of temptation beate against it Besides this solidity doth rather note the soundnesse as opposed to hypocrisie then the undoubted perswasion of it Let us therefore bee glad that GOD hath kept this Church that all the Popes malice Vse and the Iesuites monstrous attempts could never prevaile against it So let us who have beene often by Sathan assailed and yet stand by faith in that grace which Christ Iesus hath brought us yea when we see others whom the Divell doth many wayes annoy still keeping their innocency let us I say joy in it this is worthy our joy On the contrary how is the case of some to be bewayled who turne Catholiques daily halting betwixt God and Baal it is a heavy sight the Lord stay such apostasie yea all revolting which the world that three headed monster causeth in many VERSE 6. As yee have therefore received Christ Iesus the Lord so walke yee in Him THus farre you have heard the Doctrinall part of this Epistle with the digression annexed to it from the foure and twentieth verse of the first Chapter to the sixth verse of this Chapter Now followeth the Second part of this Epistle which is exhortatory and it reacheth from this sixth verse of the second Chapter to the seventh verse of the fourth Chapter The exhortations are of two sorts Some generall that is conteyning matter which all sorts and sexes and conditions are to obey which beginning in this verse reacheth to the eighteenth verse of the third Chapter Some particular that is which doe not concerne all men and women in this or that particular calling of life as Wives Husbands Masters servants to the seventh verse of the third Chapter Where the conclusion beginneth To returne unto our generall exhortations they are Principall Or Secondarie serving to the principall The Principall mayne one in the sixth and seventh verses the other following First you have the duty it selfe walke in Christ Secondly the manner or consequents following on this their walking described by two Cardinall vertues 1 Confirmed faith 2 Thankefulnesse The first hee doth not simply propose but premiseth their good beginning which hath the force of an argument thus Those who have received Christ Iesus the Lord as their onely Saviour Priest Prophet King they must in their whole course onely acknowledge Him But yee have received Him that is believed on Him as your Lord and Saviour Therefore as you have received Him so walke in Him Marke first What is the property of true faith Doct. it receiveth Christ even as the hand doth take a thing from another reached unto it So doth Faith take Christ offered unto us and given us by GOD the Father in the ministery of the Word and Sacraments thus Galath 3.14 CHRIST was made a curse that we by Faith might receive the blessing of Abraham the spirit promised marke receive by Faith not into knowledge for the Saints doe not know onely that the spirit is given of GOD to His children but that it is poured on them in their measure and received to dwell in them Iohn 1.11 12. The Iewes received Him not that is they believed not in Him but so many as received Him Hee made them the Sonnes of GOD even so many as believed on His Name the latter words expound the former yea faith so receiveth Christ that He commeth to dwell in the heart Ephes 3.17 Hence it is that faith is said to put on Christ Rom. 13. to engraft us into Him to unite us with Him as the members and head are coupled For faith doth not onely know and assent unto but it hath a hearty affiance in it which maketh us rest upon Christ as made of God every thing unto us 1 Co. 1.30 Wisedome righteousnesse sanctification and redemption It condemnes the Papists Vse 1 for faith by their doctrine as faith hath no affiance in it it is only a knowledg of Christ as a Saviour without any confidence resting upon him as a Saviour whence their Schoolmen dispute that a man may be sound in faith and in a damnable despayre at the same instant Now this faith leaveth Christ in the ayre doth not at all apply him unto us For as if one hold out a thing unto me and say it is thus and thus my sight and conceiving what it is without reaching my hand to it doth not at all receive it So while faith with the eye of it looketh on and conceiveth what GOD offereth but doth not by trust and confidence reach that which God offereth into the soule we receive nothing and therefore have no benefit by CHRIST For as medicine meate cloathes seene onely and conceived on but not taken in and put on profit nothing So in Christ our medicine our meate our apparell to heale us nourish us and cover us in the sight of GOD. Wherefore labour for this effectuall justifying faith let the confidence of your hearts be toward Christ that having Him within you spiritually all his benefits may be yours likewise This may serve to informe us something in the Doctrine of faith Vse 2 it letteth us see what is the ground of believing surely the free offer of GOD. That which is the ground and warrant of receiving the same is the ground and warrant of believing it is the free offer of God The offer of an almes from a rich man is a warrant sufficient for a poore man to receive it The free offer of Christ to a sinner is warrant sufficient unto a sinner for to receive Christ It is not then for a poore soule when he would settle the first ground of his faith to looke for something in himselfe that should make him worthy of Christ but in this businesse there is nothing to be done but for a man to goe out of himselfe and to take Christ with an empty hand as He is offered that is to save sinners to seeke the lost to heale the wounded to feede the poore The sense of nakednesse and poverty is warrant enough for a man to receive Christ This being well understood will be very avayleable to settle the faith of Christians to keepe them from wavering in believing whereunto they are exposed by Sathans malice they cannot thinke Christ will save them GOD will
not looke upon them GOD will vouchsafe no such priviledge unto them because they are poore blind and naked But I say for that cause receive Him and take Him for that end He is offered therefore when the Lord convinceth the Church of Laodicea thou art wretched poore blind and naked then I counsell thee to buy of mee eye-salve that thou maist see and white rayment that thou mayst be clothed Say not Christ is not myne I dare not apply Him because I am a sinner indeede if thou hast a purpose to goe on in sinne thou must not venture to apply Christ But if thou be humbled in the sight of thy own unworthinesse and doest account it the greatest favour of GOD to be freed from sinne thou hast good warrant to receive Christ thus offered for so the LORD IESUS doth invite poore sinners Mat. 11.28 Come unto mee all yee that are weary and heavy loaden and I will ease you It may serve to teach us Vse 3 by way of examination to try whether we have received Christ or not To receive Christ is a thing done with the whole heart It was a question which the Apostles were woont to put when they received any man to be baptized Acts 8. Doe you believe with your whole heart as Philip said to the Eunuch It must be a receiving of Christ with the whole soule 2 True faith apprehends Christ such a Saviour as the spirit of God in Scripture setteth Him out to be Hebr. 7.25 a perfect Saviour who is perfectly able to save all that come to Him through faith As He alone trod the wyne-presse of Gods wrath So He alone worketh our salvation This the Apostle presseth because of the false Apostles that were crept into the Church they would graunt that Iesus Christ the Sonne of Mary was the true Christ in whom the Iewes and Gentiles should trust yet they would have something else to be joyned with him they would have Moses joyned with Christ and the Law with the Gospell in the matter of salvation against which the Apostle much laboureth and to settle their hearts onely upon Christ excluding all other causes and things from having any hand or share in being meritorious causes of mans salvation 3 All is not done when the judgement is informed that Christ is the onely Saviour and a perfect Saviour without any act of ours concurring to merit salvation there is another thing to be added which must fasten upon the affections Christ must be received with the whole heart not onely with the understanding but the will and affections the whole soule must incline to it thus to rest onely upon Him to prize Him onely for Himselfe faith fixeth upon the person of Christ and takes all other things as consequents deduced from that which is in Christ So the joy of a Christian the delight of a Christian the love of a Christian should bee fixed onely upon Christ 4 There is yet another thing to be done to receive whole Christ into the whole heart is to receive Christ in all His offices Ioh. 14.6 I am the way the truth and the life He is our way He is our Peace-maker so He is our Priest He is the truth as He is our Prophet to leade us into all truth and He is our life as He is our King and mighty Lord to worke effectually in the hearts of all that shall be saved Take Him thus expect not onely peace by Him but truth also nor knowledge of the truth onely but life also and ability to walke in obedience to that truth thus you must receive whole Christ not only as a Saviour to free you from the wrath of God but also as a Lord and King to rule over you and to guide you Hereby you may know whether you have received CHRIST or not 2 Marke hence Doct. That true beliefe on Christ must have with it perseverance and a life obedient unto Him A true believer on Him must be a constant believer and a good liver in Him for to walke in Christ is every where to converse as those who must in all things acknowledge Him As Christ is the author and object of our faith so He must be the Soveraigne commander the chiefe worker the end of all those workes which I walke in and occupy my selfe about through my whole life But the phrase is worth the opening 1 It signifieth as much as to doe all we doe after the rule and command of Christ the same with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 after CHRIST verse 8. He is our onely law giver we are in all things to heare Him and to attend His pleasure not stirring without His warrant 2 It signifieth continuing in Him in faith on Him to which Hee hath brought us not to recoyle or give in 3 To walke in Christ is to set before our eyes His glory as the white we shoote at in all our affaires great and small Whatsoever you doe doe all to the glory of GOD and so of Christ I count not my life deare that I may fulfill the ministery which the Lord Iesus hath given me whether in my wits or out c. I am to the Lord. And what is more equall when a woman hath married a man must she not live to Him alone Is she to be commanded by others Is shee not to seeke to please him to obey him honour him in all things with feare How much more meet is it that we being by the hand of faith contracted to our Lord should live to Him And as a woman new married must not start but for better or worse continue where her faith is plighted So must we having given our faith not goe backe from Christ our husband that hath bought us deare and given us in joynture heaven it selfe Wherefore this must both admonish us of our duties Vse and be applyed to convince such as say they believe in Christ but live not in Him looke not to His will deny not themselves seeking for His strength labour not to set forth His glory Nay they are at the command of men what such and such like of is their ten commandements yea walke in the flesh in obeying the lusts of their owne hearts following their owne corrupt mindes and affections and the examples of others like themselves O wretch hart thou not ashamed hast thou the face of an honest man and wouldst thou not blush to take a woman to thee and make no conscience of following every trull and leaving her so as she scarce from the beginning of the weeke to the end comes into thy thoughts thus thou servest thy husband Christ Observe lastly Doct. That our good beginnings must be a bond unto us to make good proceeding Have you begunne saith Saint Paul in the spirit and will you end in the flesh have you suffered so many things in vaine So he exhorteth Timothy even from this that hee had beene brought up in the Scriptures of a child and
had made a good profession before many witnesses We see that children when that they have done already is commended it doth hearten them to further diligence Besides it is a secret shame to leape from pale to sprigge and with the Moone to change our beliefes Therefore even in this regard it inforceth continuance to remember us what we have begunne in Besides be that setteth his hand to Gods plough and looketh backe is not fit for His kingdome Wherefore we must the rather I say hold on Vse What art thou ashamed to be counted an unconstant man by ceassing in that which thou beginnest sinfully and wilt thou not be ashamed to be variable in that course which is good and holy Oh thou hast forgot this who hast lost thy first love who hast beene more zealous more carefull of good duties who hast embraced CHRIST more powerfully and affectionately than now thou dost Why doest thou marre good beginnings with such slothfull proceedings VERSE 7. Rooted and built up in Him and stablished in the faith as yee have beene taught abounding therein with thanksgiving NOw followeth the manner of their walking on in IESUS CHRIST which is described from the augmentation of their Faith and their thankfulnesse for CHRIST and the doctrine which brought the knowledge of Him unto them The growth of Faith is described 1. From the effects 2. From the quantity The effects of a proceeding faith and obedient course of life led in Christ are two 1. A more firme union with Christ this is set downe by a double comparison the one taken from trees fastening their roots lower and lower The other from buildings wherein matter is surely laid upon the foundation The 2. Effect is the more full perswasion of the doctrine of CHRIST and grace of God brought them in the same which is set downe by the manner how it was to be held of them firmely even so as they had beene taught by Epaphras The Quantity followeth abounding in your confirmed perswasion above named The second thing followeth which is also a fruit of encreasing faith even thankfulnesse for CHRIST and His benefits bestowed on us and now more certainely perceived by us So that this verse may be thus conceived It describeth our coustant walking in CHRIST and our Faith in Him by these particulars 1 A more neere Vnion with CHRIST we fixing the roots of our affiance more deepely in Him and like as it is in buildings So wee being living stones which more and more settle as it were by constant walking in CHRIST on Him our Foundation 2 Our constant course bringeth us hitherto that whereas we were wavering touching the points of doctrine and God's grace as they were taught us we I say constant by walking in Christ come to be strongly perswaded in all the matter of faith as we first learned it from faithfull teachers 3. This shall accompany your proceeding in Christ that we shall abound in our perswasion of doctrine and GOD's grace toward us 4. That better knowing the things bestowed on us and eased of our doubting which unbeliefe excited wee grow to unfained thankfulnesse for CHRIST and His benefits The summe therefore is now easily set downe Continue in the faith you have begunne in and live according to His will and through His strength on whom you have beleeved growing by this constant persevering to be more neerely knit to Him rooted and builded more fully perswaded of the doctrine as it hath been taught you for measure more abundant both in knowledge and confidence finally heartily thankfull for so great things given you of GOD. Observe first Doct. out of the coherence What fruit we get by constant going on in CHRIST we come to have more firme conjunction with Him When a young plant is newly set the roots are of small depth in the earth one may well pull them up with an hand but as the tree shooteth up in sight and bearing fruit so it striketh the roots deeper and deeper downward yea both together though it be not perceived So that no force can move it So in a building stones new laid while the morter is yet greene may be pecked out but when the cement is dried and they are sunke downe and throughly settled upon the foundation they are more closely joyned to it then they cannot be easily moved So it is in us wee have not for degree so firme and neere conjunction with Christ but the more we live in Him like good trees spreading in the sight of all men and bringing forth the fruit of righteousnesse the more we come to take root downward by a more firme confidence which doth bring us to have a firmer conjunction and more neere union with Him Our Vnion is answerable unto that which uniteth us As the cause is in degree greater or lesser the effect is answerable Now at the first faith is weake like a bruised reed and smoaking weeke but while Faith holding Christ doth draw the Spirit from Him which maketh it fruitful in good works the more it exerciseth the more it is strengthned even as in babes their powers every way at first are feeble but the more they feed and exercise the more they waste the redundant moisture which before enfeebled their faculties and put forth strength in all their operations Saint Peter when faith was weake in him at the voice of a Damosell was shaken by walking in Christ awhile he was so rooted that threatnings whippings imprisonments conventings before great power martyrdome nothing could shake him Wherefore let us walke on without fainting Vse 1 hold on in Christ this will bring us further and further into Christ What if thou standest not so firme what if little winds seeme to shake thee goe on thou shalt grow rooted in him thou knowest not how yea while thou doest thus though thou shakest thy root doth strike lower and lower into Christ Many are moved to think how weakly they are fastened how slenderly they are rooted in Him but to be rooted is not every beleevers state I mean thus deepely rooted this is the condition which they attaine who have long walked in Christ But what then if Christians be not at first rooted Object a weake faith may be quite overthrowne True Answ if they be not rooted in any manner but this they are from their first setting into CHRIST by faith yea so rooted that they shall never fall altogether but this is an higher degree of rooting which doth not only shut forth falling which the other doth also but even that shaking and more grievous tottering for the most part which trees may have and stand neverthelesse to which the former degree is subject on feeling every wind I say for the most part for such may be temptation and desertion meeting that rooted David may shrewdly totter Hence may be shewed men why they are so weakely grounded in Christ Vse 2 because they walke so loosely and remissely so abound with greene lusts which craze their faith
in them as if supernaturall divinity stood in neede of philosophy as the understanding doth of inferiour senses whereas it is nothing so for the supernaturall guifts of the spirit inlightning by the word of God that makes a divine not any humane literature and therefore we reade of few wise of the world converted when babes and the foolish ones in comparison were inlightned this way Besides the Apostles themselves were this way not trayned as Ambrose saith Credimus piscatoribus non dialecticis this is an extreame as well as the other Yea often the Lords children may too much stand upon it for our understandings being more naturall then spirituall are ready too too much to incline to that which is connaturall unto them I meane an object proportioned to their naturall forces Hence in the primitive Churches the Christians were too much dejected in the want of it and too little prized their owne knowledge for the simplicity which to carnall judgement seemeth to be in it Even as Christians in poore bodily rayments are not so much comforted in the clothing of their soules as dejected in the meane attyre of the outward man withall too much esteeming the pompous rich apparell in which others ruffle So in the mind for the soule is cladde with light of knowledge as the body with bodily rayment When it wanteth this secular glorious rayment of Philosophicall sciences it is more often cast downe then it should and too much esteemeth the presence of it in others Yea hence sometime they grew to bee weakened in faith when they could not answer those difficulties which the wisedome of the naturall man objecteth whereas they should have counted the voyce of Angells if opposite to the Gospell utterly accursed True it is that grace turneth this complementall knowledge to the further confirming of us but it is as true that the same spirit doth make the want of it an occasion also of greater affiance even as all earthly meanes of working this or that helpe a heart sanctified in beliefe so the absence of all meanes occasion faith to be more intensively set on God from whom commeth our helpe And vaine deceit Observe hence Doct. That Sathan by empty showes of religion standing in vaine rites doth prevayle against many For this vaine deceit is nothing but the empty and deceiveable practice of religion whereby he drew many from the simplicity of the Gospell How did he ensnare those primitive Churches but with obtruding upon them beggarly elementall services and bodily austerities which profited nothing And how hath he brought the Papists to this passe in which they are but by foysting in all kind of empty toyish rites that either Iudaisme or Paganisme could affoord and by magnifying such canonicall austerities to which their Monks and Anachorets were addicted There is nothing to be seene but such empty deceitfull toyes in all their service of GOD their masse their precessions Palme branches ashes sprinkled their whippings hayre clothes holy water censings pilgrimages adoration of reliques c. For look as children will be quickly woone with fine puppets and babies and joy in these things more then in substantiall matters So these who are without all heavenly wisedome or have but infantlike understanding such ware as this is very saleable in their eyes and doth easily ensnare them Wherefore let us Vse knowing our owne weakenesse and the Divells malicious subtlties knowing likewise the nets he layeth let us be wise and not bite at such vayne baytes as these are which he casteth in for us 2 Observe hence Doctr. All religious observances contrary to the word of GOD are but deceitfull vanity vaine deceite In vayne doe you worship Mat. 15.9 framing religion after the precepts of men saith Christ For first they have not any grace accompanying of them as enlightning the mind confirming the faith stirring up devotion for these things accompany outward services by force of Gods spirit working in them not of themselves now Gods spirit doth not worke in any other then the Lords Ordinances 2 They goe for religion but are not so indeed for true religion the soule of it is not simply to doe this act but to doe it with relation to GOD commanding now this cannot bee in things God requireth not 3 They misse the end which is pretended in them for they please not GOD wherefore as we say of wares deceitfull which looke well but want the substance such are al things intrinsecus defectuosae as they are called as for example counterfeit mony which hath the colour stampe and touch sometime yet is inwardly no such thing we may say such things are vayne deceite for they are but showes that mocke such as they are put upon So in this matter even as the Papists confesse it of their false reliques which are not such as they are affirmed So wee may truely say of all their religious practice in a manner The use is therefore to make us wary that we be not cheated and beguiled this way Vse We would be loath in any commodity or if we received mony to take a slippe amongst it but how wary should wee be not to bee beguiled in matters of so great consequence as these are According to the tradition of men Observe hence That the authority of man in matter of doctrine and religious observance is not to be respected against the Word of GOD. Doct. Men of estimation have alwayes beene of some regard so farre that their opinions have beene entertayned because they were theirs This made the Iewes so erroneous the authority of their great Rabbines and traditionary divinity was so imbraced by them as CHRIST sayth It was said of old but I say So likewise concerning matters of rites their washing hands with signification they call it a constitution of their fathers this was in the Primitive Church continued that many were so addicted to some men that they would receive the things fathered upon them though discrepant from the Evangelicall doctrine So that in Tertullians time many did defend that the Apostles did not write all truth for us to know but that there was a more perfect divinity which was traditionary Lib. 1. cap. 23 24. yea in Ireneus time before Tertullian For this is the property of Heretiques to calumniate the perfection of the Scripture neither doe they ever fly to it but onely to the barke of the outward syllables that they may so avoyd the substance and matter of it which is most manifest And so Arrius did fly from the wholesome phrases and manner of speaking in the fathers to the expresse syllables of Scripture in which he would have 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 shewed him quoad 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and the authority of antique tradition is so forcible that it beguiled some of the Fathers drawing them to use some ceremonies utterly ungrounded in the word as milke and honey in baptism giving the Eucharist to children not kneeling from Easter to Whitsunday But how
should be three severall Wills in the Trinity Againe there is no conversion of these Natures for that which dwelleth with another is not converted into it And all Nestorius his dreame of two distinct divided Persons said to be one through singular assistance love dignity consent for the Text saith Bodily and Saint Iohn saith They so dwell together that God is made flesh which cannot be said by vertue of any Vnion which is not substantiall We see what reason we have to hold to CHRIST Vse 2 if we had Moses or Daniel or Saint Paul upon the earth with whom the LORD pleased to dwell so abundantly by the effects of grace and gifts of prophecie Oh how would wee sticke to them how would we rest in their words or oracles but behold him who is the substantiall flesh of our GOD. This sheweth us whither wee must come Vse 3 if wee will finde God to no other but this Temple All old worshippers under the Law they went to the Temple when they would come to God and before the Temple was built to the Arke and Tabernacle but these were but types here is the true Temple looke to CHRIST-man to that body of which he said Destroy this Temple and I will build it againe in three dayes Looke hither and God shall over-shadow thee for the God head dwelleth with Him personally Consider the wonderfull love of God Vse 4 that vouchsafeth thus to dwell in our Nature If some mighty Prince should come and dwell in some poore cottage for his subjects good what a rare part of his singular love would it be counted How much more is this And thus answering briefly an objection of the Lutherans we will come to the next Verse The Nature in which God dwelleth is every where Object where God is but God dwelleth in the humane Nature viz. Christ-Man then in the humane Nature Let this answer the first part of the reason Answ I answer it with limitation That in which God dwelleth as a thing contained in a place containing that must needs be where ever God is not that in which God dwelleth in other manner as here he doth or that in which God dwelleth per aequipatentiam I illustrate the vanity of their argument with this That in which the light dwelleth that is every where where the light is But the light dwelleth in the body of the Sunne Therefore the body of the Sunne is every where where the light is VERSE 10. And yee are compleat in Him which is the Head of all Principality and Power NOw he commeth to the Reasons taken from the all-sufficient benefits wee receive in Him which first are laid downe in this tenth verse indefinitely after by particular enumeration The reason from this verse standeth thus You must not looke to others leaving Him in whom you have the fulnesse of all grace behoovefull given you But in Christ who is the Head of all Principality and Power you are compleat Ergo c. The Verse then containeth 1 Our most full blessednesse in CHRIST 2 A repetition of His dignity from whom we are replenished Now in the Verse we must first marke the coherence In whom having all the fulnesse of the divine Nature in Him you are compleat or full Observe hence Doct. Whence it is that CHRIST Man doth send out all the streames of grace and good things to all His members even hence that this fountaine dwelleth in Him Did not the divine Nature which is the fountaine of all life naturall and supernaturall Psal 36.9 For with Him is the Well of life Did not this dwell with this man or humane Nature we could not be enlightned and quickned by it So that when we reade Ioh. 6. he that eateth my flesh hath life in him we must know that these things are spoken truely of the man-hood not that this Nature of it selfe can doe these things but because the Deity dwelleth with it and by it as by an instrument joyned personally with it doth properly and efficiently worke these things Even as we see the body of the Sunne doth enlighten all but as an instrument of the first created light which GOD hath united to it This must be held that neither the omnipotent power of ereating spirituall graces nor yet the omnipotent action which doth produce them is in the humane Nature or proceedeth from the humane Nature but in God onely and from God in and with this humane Nature working to the same effects according to the propertie of it As a Scrivenour writing with a pen the effect viz. writing may be ascribed to the pen for we say this pen did write this but the faculty of writing and the proper action which produceth it is in the scribe and goeth not from the scribe into the pen So here after some sort for the pen hath no reason and will to worke with the scribe in that to which it is used but he is an instrument having this humane understanding and will whereby hee worketh The pen is an externall instrument without the person of Him that useth it but CHRIST's humane Nature is an internall instrument united within the Person of God the Sonne as a part of His Person as the body of a man is to his soule yea more nearely for death severeth this but not the other yet in this they are like that one is the effect viz. the thing written is properly and efficiently from the Scribe from the pen instrumentally with efficiencie of inferiour degree So these divine workes which CHRIST the Mediatour worketh the chiefe vertue and action which properly effecteth them is in God not communicated really with the other Nature though it doth worke them in this humane Nature with it yea and by it as a most neerely conjoyned instrument which within the person of God the Sonne hath His proper actions concurring in an inferiour degree of efficiencie to that which the divine Nature principally and properly worketh GOD worketh graces CHRIST-Man worketh the same Saint Paul by laying on of hands giveth grace as to Timothy the divine Nature that createth them and infuseth them into this or that man through CHRIST Man being as a common conceptacle and conduit-pipe of them the humane Nature worketh them not by powerfull creating them but by taking away fin and the cause that so way might bee made for this promised Spirit Galath 3.14 2 By interceding Mediator-like for them 3 By willing the going of such graces from Him as who is with God the Sonne but one Worker though a distinct principle of working that is though distinct in Nature yet the same in Person Hee therefore worketh them as His owne workes from His owne power for God's power is by Vnity of Person made His the divine power not being without Him as the power of another Person than He is but being personally with Him Those things which His humane Nature worketh or which are wrought after His humane Nature they are the workes
not of an humane but a divine Person for though the Nature according to which they are wrought be humane yet the Person working is the Person of the Sonne of God Saint Paul giveth graces by laying on of hands with Prayer But 1 Not as if this were any way His worke but as intreating it from God in CHRIST whose it is 2 Not from power any way within His person but without Him even the power of another 3 Not conjoyned with God as the body with the soule but as an instrument with God as when I use another thing or person in doing this or that without my selfe bence it is that CHRIST-Man doth give graces authoritativè and effectivè yea according to humane action doth effect them in the highest degree that an instrumentall operation cān effect any thing Whereas Saint Paul giveth them Ministerialitèr signifiing what God doth in Christ rather than what Himselfe doth He that planteth and watereth is nothing all the efficacie of his action is to get CHRIST GOD-Man give the graces he intreateth The use is Vse that we should hence be exhorted not to rest in man The flesh profiteth nothing the spirit quickeneth that is my humane nature could not give all these precious benefits unto you unlesse the quickning Spirit did dwell in it in Him in whom all fulnesse dwelleth you are compleat 2 From the words observe That being in CHRIST Doct. we receive all kinde of graces and benefits that we lacke nothing Eph. 4.11 He is said to have ascended above all these aspectable heavens that He might fill all viz. with the gifts of grace as the context following cleareth Eph. 1.3 We are blessed in Christ with all kinde of spirituall blessings and they are said to be full of love and filled with all knowledge Rom. 15.14 These gifts may all be reduced to these two Ioh. 1.17 By Christ commeth grace and truth GODs favour pardoning our sinnes and restoring the life of God and true holinesse for so truth with Saint Iohn often signifieth There is a double fulnesse the one of gifts infused into us or to be given us the other of condition when the state is so full that there is no lacke Now for the first the Saints receive not that plenitude of inherent graces in this life though respectively in regard of such as have small degrees others may and are said to be full as the Romans and others 2. In regard of condition when we have all things so bestowed that nothing is wanting now this in Christ all the Saints have They have not that fulnesse in themselves but in Him their Head who is made of God every thing unto them wisdome righteousnesse sanctification and redemption and this Text is most fitly construed this way they need no other Teacher no other Law-giver no other Mediatour The use of it is against the Papists Vse 1 they are not compleat in Christ other mediators workes their owne righteousnesse satisfactions indulgences imputing the sufferings of men to them they have left the LORD IESUS and are run a whoring with their owne inventions This must make us rest only in Christ Vse 2 like Paul caring to know nothing but Him counting all things dung and drosse in comparison of Him Fill your selves with Christ and there will not be roome for ought else Were a vessell full of any liquor it would receive no more if a womans heart be full of her husband she hath no roome for other lovers So shall it be with you if you see by faith that your estate is full in Christ lacking nothing what will you care to looke further Lastly Vse 3 on this ground invite men to Christ how is the case altered if a poore woman should marry the Prince So if we blinde naked beggarly things marry this Prince of glory our poverty shall be exchanged with riches Who is the Head of all Principality and Power That is of all supreame and inferiour powers which are seene in the creatures visible or invisible Doct. Obs What is the dignity of Him who is every thing to us Hee is the chiefe above all the creatures this is it we beleeve of Christ as man ascending into heaven fitteth at the right hand of GOD He is placed at GODs right hand in heavenly places Eph. 1.21 above all principalities and powers and might and domination and every name that is named not in this world onely but also in that that is to come 1 Pet. 3.22 Which IESUS is at the right hand of GOD gone into heaven to whom the Angels and powers and might are subject To whom of the Angels said He Hebr. 1. Sit at my right hand till I make thy enemies thy foot-stoole Which the Apostle 1 Cor. 15. construeth thus He must reigne till His enemies be put under His feet There are three Preeminencies subordinate 1 GOD above all 2 The Mediator under God but Head over all the Creatures 3 Creatures over other creatures but under Christ and God Looke as if a mighty King doe marry any woman he maketh her Queene next in dignity to himselfe above all subjects So our great GOD IESUS CHRIST coupling our Nature with Himselfe hath in so doing extolled it above all creatures which are but the workmanship of His hands a part of whose Person this Nature is The Vse is the more to binde us to Christ Vse to have so great benefit as to lacke nothing is a great matter yet if we receive or hold good things from meane persons we weigh them the lesse and doe the easilyer part with them but when wee have great things and that from great personages in highest authority we joy as much that we hold under such as in the things which are our tenure Oh worldly wisdome will hold in Capite they will forfeit any thing rather than their Princes favour the LORD make us all as carefull to hold in this head Still remember from these descriptions Vse 2 thus interserted what causeth our looking further than CHRIST we know not His excellencie that rest not in Him And secondly what is the next way to bring us from turning to any lying deceit not according to CHRIST even this to insist much in inculcating the dignity of Christ and all-sufficiencie of Him thus Iohn the Iewes Oh their Moses had seene GOD CHRIST was not so ancient as himselfe they would leave him to follow Christ Oh saith Iohn He that commeth after me is before me none ever saw GOD but CHRIST all have received from His fulnesse that they had He is the Fountaine of grace and truth VERSE 11. In whom also yee are circumcised with Circumcision made without hands by putting off the sinfull body of the flesh through the Circumcision of CHRIST NOw he commeth to set downe more definitely what blessings Christ had brought them they may be recalled to two heads 1 The removall of their evill 2 The conferring of good The first is in the
Christ working through that death in the behalfe of all His the death of the creature so farre forth as by the just judgement of God it hath a power through Sathans working to draw us from God to it selfe 3 A death of our corruption Galath 6.15 By the Cxosse of Christ the world is crucified to me and I to it that is by Christ crucified Briefly as Adam becomming mortall and dying to this mortall life wee all so soone as wee are borne members of Him are mortall and tend to death by force of that mortality in the roote of us So Christ dying spiritually to this world and the sin of all us His members that thus they might be abolished we so soone as by faith we are made His members or are borne of Him we begin to dye spiritually till in death we are fully mortified by vertue of that radicall death in Christ our Saviour who dying according to his flesh did so worke by His omnipotent spirit that as the guilt was at once remooved so the life of it was mortified that it lost the raigne and was successively to be abolished in the being of it in all those who by faith should come to be engrafted into him or all those who should spiritually descend from Him 4 Lastly He brought into our nature supernaturall life that so He in our nature might propagate it to all who were His. The use hereof is to stirre us up above all things to seeke with Saint Paul Vse 1 that we may know what is the power of His death the communion of His sufferings while I feele my selfe made like to Him in dying to this world and sin for by this we know that we are untied to Him suffering and dead to sin and this world while we feele our selves by virtue thereof in like case as I know my communion with Adam that I dyed in him while I see my selfe mortall hastening every day to death as he is dead The Lord Iesus make the scales fall off our eyes that we may see the vertue of His most powerfull death toward all that are His. This also letteth us see what we must doe when this world and the things of it are forcible upon us Vse 2 when our hearts feele the life of sin strongly making to them come to Christ dying speake to Him Thou Lord hast crucified this world thou hast overcome the strength of it thou didst dye not regarding the allurements of it why doe I feele it have so mighty a hand over me even bewitching me as it were at the sight of it So when I feele my sin stirring lively in the lawes of it then to fly hither Lord thou dying hast beene the death of the sin of thy people why doe I who am in thee find it stirre as if it never had received wound The more we get to see our selves in Christ dying for the abolishing of all our sins the more we shall feele them wasting in us Let us give glory to this glorious death which maketh us all to dye Vse 3 As in the naturall body kill the head and all the members dye after so here c. This sheweth us why it is that sin liveth in so many men in the world Vse 4 even from this that they are not engrafted into Christ and so doe not partake of the influence of that spirituall life which from Christ the head floweth into all His members Buryed with Him in baptisme you have put off your sins being set into Him dying and buryed ingrafted with Him buryed in or by your baptisme Observe hence Doct. God doth unite us with Christ even by our baptisme the Lord doth by baptisme signifie to us and confirme thus much yea worke it as by an instrument namely the putting His Christ crucified upon us and our ingrafting into Him dying and rising Rom. 6. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For first by baptisme is sealed our communion w th Christ dying and rising secondly our communion in the effects which are mortification and vivification but yet wee must not think though God useth outward baptisme of His minister that this ministeriall action bringeth forth grace as the Papists doe who hold that God doth so use the ministeriall baptisme that He lifteth up that action as an instrumentall cause to worke grace so that it neither commeth solely from God nor yet immediately For this must be held that the power and act of producing grace is only and immediately from God There are two sorts of instruments some worke somthing with the Principall worker others doe not operari aliquid but ad aliquid they worke to something but not any thing having force to cause that whereto they worke such are Gods meanes which He useth and coordeyneth with him selfe in working of all such things which are not wrought but onely by power omnipotent thus he healed the blind with clay and spittle thus He overthrew the walls of Iericho with the blowing of Rams hornes But one may say this is absurd Object to use meanes which shall doe nothing doth any man doe thus Men use meanes which worke something in that they doe with them Answ because their force doth not reach alone to the effect they intend without the helpe of the meanes concurring with them but Gods force being alsufficient it is not absurd for Him to take to Him selfe such instruments in giving grace which are of no force to produce it especially when hereby he exerciseth our obedience faith c. He that planteth and he that watereth is nothing 1 Cor. 3.7 in regard of working in the soule that they tend to the Gospell is sayd to be the power of GOD to salvation Rom. 1.16 because through GOD it is powerfull who accompanyeth it immediately and enty rely working faith by it Yet Papists will not say that the Preachers syllables are elevated by GOD to rayse up the dead in sinnes and trespasses This then is to be firmely held that GOD useth baptisme of engrafting us with Christ and mortifying and quickning us in Him Vse yet the baptisme of water doth not conteyne any force nor is not lifted up to any such agency whereby grace is properly produced But it may be asked Quest how we are set into Christ with baptisme when none must be baptised but those if they be adulti who have faith in appearance and so are already in Him Things are sayd to be done when they are manifested and done in a further degree then before they were Answ thus the believer baptised is by baptisme manifested to be so before the Church yea often to Himselfe the more plentifull grace of God comming into Him while he useth it faithfully and his faith being more strengthened the union is more confirmed The use is to stirre us up that we would looke backe to our baptisme Vse which sealeth unto us so great matters if we have sealed bonds we will have them sometime read to us that we may know what
we have and when we are to demand this or that how should we look back to this Gospell sealed unto us in baptisme And seeing baptisme is but a seale of other matters let us not content our selves with baptisme alone but make sure we have the things which it serveth to confirme Men that have evidences of house and land they looke not much at their deeds about it but they hold the land it selfe and occupy that carefully Wee contrarily stand upon the seale but let the heavenly estate confirmed be where it will 2 Hence may be inforced upon men what is their estate if they have received baptisme as well inward as outward then as the Apostle saith know you not that you are dead with Christ through baptisme If they are not dead with Him they have but the baptisme of water which is nothing before GOD Circumcision nor uncircumcision are any thing with Him but a new Creature Now hee commeth to a second benefit wee have in Christ the benefit of a spirituall resurrection and new life in whom yee have beene raised up as they had beene circumcised for though this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in whom may agree with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in which baptisme yet it is fitly reduced to the more remote antecedent Christ and to begin a new benefit opposite to that former in whom wee have beene circumcised For the intent of this Scripture is to set out Christ and the benefits we have in Him not to describe the vertue of baptisme which is onely named here so farre forth as it serveth to note the manner after which Christ wrought in us the former benefit of our circumcision from sin And if he had broke off the subject of his speech thus in which baptisme he would have named Christ in the end of the verse not Him as having reference to a plaine antecedent and whether 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the next verse belongeth hither 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in this verse for these two seeme but a repetition of this matter with some application and amplification of it make it therefore agree with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 buried with him in whom also ye are raised up The benefit is 1 Propounded in this verse 2 Applyed more at large verse 13 14. In propounding it 1 We have set downe our refurmetion it selfe in Christ 2 The manner of working it by saith For as the body liveth formally or is raysed from death to life by the guift of life created in it So the soule dead in sin is formally made alive when fayth is created in it Secondly you have fayth described from the efficient cause the potent action of God which raysed Him from the dead in whom yee are raysed The summe In whom or in which CHRIST yee are raysed up with Him the life of fayth being created in your dead soules by that omnipotent efficacy of God by which Christ being now dead for us all was raysed up First then this being the scope to make us cleave to Christ thus You must not goe from him in whom you bave beene raysed up to a new heavenly life But in CHRIST you are raysed up Therefore let none beguile you with deceits which are not after Him The second part is here the conclusion in the eight verse before Doctr. Observe hence That to consider of our first resurrection which we have through Christ is a forcible motive to make us cleave to Him If Saint Peter sayd whither shall we goe thou hast the words of life eternall how much more may we say how should we start from thee Lord thou hast raysed us up when wee were dead How did Lazarus thinke you and others whom Christ raysed up love Him and rest in Him when thus bodily life was againe given them though they were within a while to dye againe But how much more would it bind us to Christ if wee saw how Hee hath raised our soules being dead with such a resurrection as that they shall never dye againe When the Galathians were so fledge after their legall ceremonies Saint Paul thus reasoneth Did you receive the spirit by the ministery of the law or by the hearing of faith preached as if hee would set downe this for a ground that is to be held unto which doth bring us the quickning spirit how then is CHRIST to bee rested on from whom as the fountaine all spirituall life floweth unto us Now our resurrection may bee considered two wayes 1 As wrought in our head 2 As applyed actually in us As wee in regard of our naturall life may bee considered First as we have this life in our roote in our Parents in whom we are seminali ratione as an eare of Corne is in the seede Secondly our life may bee considered as now in us received from them Now when they are sayd to be raysed up in Christ it may be understood both wayes both in regard of their resurrection as it was made in Christ the head of them and as it was in part applyed in them for all the resurrection we have in Christ not yet received we have it by faith hid in Him even the resurrection of our bodyes We may hence then see what maketh the Papists Vse and all sorts of carnall Gospellers so fall from Christ even this they know not or consider not who when they were dead in their sins did rayse them up if they ever had felt that CHRIST had done thus much for them they would never doubt His alsufficiency but waite upon Him to accomplish their salvation We see in Patients which have deadly sicknesses if a Physitian doe when they were given over even then rid their disease away in part and make them pretty well will they thinke of looking to another or be desyrous to joyne others with Him who hath alone almost done all the cure So betweene our soules and Christ Let us then consider what we have had wrought in us through Christ Vse it will so confirme us that hell gates shall not make us leave Him Againe if thou worke not upon thy heart the feeling of the benefits thou hast through Him thou shalt cleave as weakely by Him as if he had never done ought for thee Here in particular are three things to be opened 1 That who so is truely in CHRIST is risen againe 2 That our soules are raysed from death to life by faith 3 That the omnipotent power of GOD is the worker of fayth Of each of these a little 1 As Adam was a roote of death to all that were his neither were they borne of him sooner then mortality did seise on them So Christ is a roote of resurrection 1 Cor. 15.22 As in Adam all dye so in CHRIST shall all be made alive For we must not think that when Christ was raysed it was no more then when Lazarus or some other private person was raysed but His rising was all our resurrections in as much as it
was in the name of us all and had in it a seed-like vertue to worke the resurrection of us all Hence it commeth that we no sooner come to be in Him but the power of His resurrection is felt of us making us rise to newnesse of life 2 Cor. 5.17 In Christ all things are new Whosoever have learned CHRIST as the truth is in Him have so learned Him as they are dead to sinne the life of the old man is killed and they are alive in the life of grace For looke as a member truly by inward ligaments knit with a living head hath life in it so wee when we come to bee in Christ raysed up and living to God in life glorious we cannot but live in Him Wherefore how woefull is the state of many that professe Christ yet live in ignorance Vse know not what a resurrection meaneth are dead while they live in all kinde of fin and wantonnesse these never were in Christ but like as glasse eyes are set in the body or wooden legges which being by outward meanes joyned to it doe not receive life and sense with other members Wee never knew communion with him who is the quickning spirit if we be dead in our sins 2 Observe What it is that maketh us rise to new life Doct. viz. faith on Christ We are sayd to live by faith because after some sort it is life but most properly it bringeth life into us He that believeth hath everlasting life fully in Christ his head inchoative or imperfectly in himselfe For as in bodily death the reuniting of the soule with it doth make it rise againe and become a living body so faith as a spirituall vinculum tying God who is the soule of our soules againe unto them they which before were dead are anew quickened Thus then as an instrumentall cause of our conjunction with God in Christ who is our life it may be sayd to quicken us or rayse us up though further faith it selfe may bee conceived as a part of this life For as the soule died in falling into ignorance of God estranged from the life of GOD through ignorance in them Ephes 4.18 so comming by faith to know God it beginneth to live Ioh. 17.3 hence to know God in Christ faith being an affianced knowledg is life everlasting This then is the first thing which God worketh in us as the beginning and instrumentall cause of our other following life even as in our waking from our naturall sleepe which is a shaddow of death first the eyes open and then our senses and motions doe come fully to us in their order So in awaking from this sleepe of sin first the eye of faith lookes up to GOD and that invisible world then our life returneth more fully the spirit of God from Christ working it in us Marke then hence Vse that all such beliefes as make not new creatures are not sound faith toward CHRIST the reason is playne a true faith bringeth Christ to live in us Now as a quickning soule cannot returne into the dead body of it but there will be new life So Christ that quickning spirit cannot returne to live in a dead soule but needs it must bee raysed up Wherefore if wee feele no life but that we brought from our mothers wombe let us cast downe our selves we have not yet truly believed and we see how our faith doth not shut out good life as the Papists slander us but bringeth it forth as an effect which cannot be severed Finally Vse hence men may assure themselves of the truth of their faith if they bee renewed in life The last thing here to be noted is Doctr. That the omnipotent action of God which raysed Christ from the dead is it that begetteth faith in us Eph. 1.19 It is called the exceeding greatnesse of His power toward us which believe according to the working of His mighty power Faith is the eye of the soule by which we looke upon CHRIST it is the hand by which we receive all good from Christ Now if a man be borne blind or borne without a hand an eye that seeth but these aspectable creatures and discerneth not distinctly but things at hand a hand that cannot reach an ell or two from us yet all the world cannot supply these nor no power but His onely that created the body how much lesse then shall any power bee able to give us that eye which looketh within the vayle that hand which claspeth Christ in heaven but only the Almighty power of God But what Object doth that power that raysed Christ rayse us up Yea that power though daily continued Answ as the Lord creating Adam and Eve with the law of propagating all the race of mankind did by that power which created and coupled them after a sort make all mankinde though the Father and Son and spirit doe still worke in continuing that first power put forth So here GOD raysing Christ up in whom we all were that he might be a roote and fountayne of supernaturall life to us all that power may be sayd fitly to rayse us all Wherefore let us learne to admire and give glory to GODS power which worketh our fayth Vse 1 if we saw a man raysed from the dead ô how would we speake of such a wonderous power but this is the same that raised Christ from the dead which raiseth us to believe If we creepe up from some deadly sicknesse we tell what a power of God it was to rayse us But when our soules creepe out of darknesse and death to believe on the living God it is as nothing with us This teacheth us whither we must fly for the strengthening and susteyning of our fayth even to this power Vse 2 the same power that made all things upholdeth all things He that knoweth how all the considence of his heart is set upon himselfe and the creature how his reason and senses and his own inclination which is not quieted but in outward meanes how Sathan and the course of this world resist us in believing he cannot but confesse it is the Lords power that first brought him to it and that must keepe his faith from fayling Lastly we see hence how wide they are Vse 3 who never felt any want of such a power who thinke of fayth as a thing they have alwayes had since they came to reason Yea Papists that if GOD offer hold it in the power of man to believe when God sheweth the promise and inlighteneth the mind VERSE 13. And yee which were dead in sinnes and in the uncircumcision of your flesh hath Hee quickened together with Him forgiving you all your trespasses NOw he commeth to repeate this benefit insisting more largely upon it and first he setteth downe the state of them before they were quickened Secondly the quickning of them Thirdly the manner of the action the order in which he quickened them which standeth in a threefold antecedent in nature before
are nothing but the stinch which commeth from the dead corps I meane the body of sin dwelling within us For as heavie savours come from a putrified body so doe these motions from a corrupt soule And as a childe if he doe swarve from morality and civill vertue following whores and abominable courses be a royoter a theefe when thou seest an absence of civill vertue thou sayest he is even a lost childe what then shall wee thinke of our selves being without all heavenly vertue of faith hope joy in the Spirit godlinesse temperance c. The use is Vse that we would consider of sinne and our estate through it that we who have not thought of it may yet set our hearts to the way of life that we may be thankfull who have escaped from it that we may take heed of it and labour to be healed more and more of it Should some learned Physitian tell you such or such a deadly thing were growing on your body how would you thank him and make use of it Oh it is well with thee if God make thee wise that thou hearest this day how thou art dead in spirit and for us we are glad when we escape some great bodily sicknesse and if there dwell reliques of sicke matter wee keepe rules desanitate tuenda how much more should we be wise for our soules 3 That he saith they were dead in trespasses Observe What is the life of a naturall man even a death in trespasse Doct. tota infidelium vita peccatum like tree like fruit now the very conscience of them is polluted Tit. 1.15 without faith it is impossible to GOD. True it is that outwardly they doe many things that are laudable but still they walke in the flesh the Divell hath conjured them so into that circle that they cannot stirre forth of it Looke as in the flesh of a beast there is some part of greatuse bought up at great price some that is cast to the pudding pits yet all is flesh so in the life of the naturall man some workes are of good use and in commendation with man some are abominabl but all are of the flesh As a livelesse image hath the resemblance of a man but is nothing lesse So the vertuous actions of naturall men have that appearance of good but want the soule and life of it in which it consisteth This is to be marked against the Papists Vse as it teacheth us not to rest in this that we are neither theefe nor whore for be our life never so civill it is death in sinne till grace quicken There is a double madnesse as Hippocrates observeth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the one very light and toying the other more sober and solemne in which men sit still musing deepely upon some fancies Such a difference we have in spirituall phrensies some are very sober over other some as we see the lives of some naturall men gravely ordered and morally in comparison of others but yet all is deluded phrensie before GOD. 2 Marke hence Doct. 2 That our course in actuall sinne doth sinke us deeper and deeper in death when you were dead in sinne intimating thus much that the custome of their trespasses did hold them under death Even as the more the body putrifies it goeth further into death So here the more the soule doth exercise it selfe in evill the deeper it sinketh into the death of it It is fitly likened to the stone of the sepulchre this custome of actuall sinning for it doth seale us up and keepe us downe more strongly under it Vpon this ground the Prophet asketh How shall the Leopard change his spots no more can those that are accustomed to evill learne to doe well Which must make us take heed how wee goe on in a sinfull course Vse for it maketh us rot in this spirituall death and maketh it more difficult for us to returne Many that procrastinate repentance they thinke not on this You hath He quickened with CHRIST that is both perfectly in CHRIST with whom your life is hid and initially in your selves being joyned with CHRIST Vos cum Christo convivificavit conjunctos Christo Observe hence Doct. How farre we are from being prepared to receive the grace shewed us by GOD when we are quickened to beleeve Even as well disposed as Lazarus was for his resurrection to this present life of whom it was said that he now stanke in the grave No there was as much disposition in that Tohu and Bohu that inanity and deformity which was before the world to the being yea the ordinate being of all the Creature as there is in our soules to the worke of grace We are as farre from this heavenly forme of supernaturall life as the deformed Chaos of the Creature was from this beautifull figure before the LORD did bring it forth There is nothing in Nature can so dispose a man to grace as that it should necessarily follow for onely the principal agent which bringeth in the forme it selfe is able to worke the immediate disposition upon which the forme ensueth As nothing but fire can bring combustible matter to be so sparke as that whereupon it presently burneth for such a disposition is the first point of bringing in he forme it selfe In this therefore many of the Papists are wide yea Vse erre from sound reason it selfe let us therefore by confessing our owne utter untowardnesse and repugnancie to GOD's worke glorifie His Name 2 That hee doth mention their estate before to illustrate GOD's mercy Observe Doctr. What is the way to bring men to thankfull acknowledgement of GOD's grace to teach them to see what they were when GOD shewed it Thus Moses thorow the Booke of Deuteronomie often calleth on them to think what they were in Aegypt yea from their comming forth of Aegypt to that day wherein he spake being now not many dayes from his death So Ezek. 16.30 Saint Paul every-where The Papists doe most wickedly derogate from GOD's glory Vse 1 while they teach something in us which is a partiall agent with God so good preparations and dispositions to this and that But Moses otherwise Not for the goodnesse of thy heart not that yee were more in number though He cast off others for their sinnes He tooke not thee for thy deservings We may hence strengthen our selves Vse 2 not to doubt in receiving God's particular promises though we finde our selves unworthy nothing so fitted as we should be Not unto us O Lord but unto thy Name c. For my Name-sake not for your sake O yee House of Israel As at the first so after GOD doth dispense His favours that we have still cause to confesse our unworthinesse to His Name to CHRIST our Mediatour to His Truth all is to be attributed and from them all is to be expected Hath He quickened together with Him Observe then That all believers have a new life in and through Christ Doct. To understand it wee must note that CHRIST in
withdrawen from CHRIST So that as a Wife yeelding her love and conjugall benevolence to another cleaveth no longer to her husband is one flesh no more with him So a soule bestowing the religious adoration of it here or there doth joyne it selfe with the thing so worshipped and leaveth God This is to be marked against them that are reconcilers Vse 1 that thinke why may they not doe thus and thus and yet cleave to CHRIST well enough yea this doth detect the wicked judging of Papists that will perswade us that this leadeth us unto CHRIST to go to Saints and that honouring them in religious manner we honour Christ in them 2 We must keepe onely to God in Christ Thus much from this that these religiously worshipping Angells held not Christ For understanding the verse We must open some conclusions concerning the head and Naturall body 1 The head is the supreame part in a humane body from which commeth outward direction and inward influence of sense and motion into every member So Christ hath both the soveraignty of outward directing and by his powerfull influence he quickeneth and mooveth all that are his 2 No member hath any thing from the head which is not by joynts and sinewes coupled to the head and by the same bands and joynts furnished from the head So we have nothing from CHRIST till by faith and love we are knit with Him and His body and by the same 〈◊〉 furnished from Him with spirituall grace and heavenly nutriment 3 We must know that the soule from the head doth 〈◊〉 forth a nutritive faculty a vitall faculty which nourisheth and augmenteth every member as the nature of it requireth The first continueth as long as life augmentation till wee come to that perfection of growth which nature affordeth Being come to this augmentation ceaseth about thirty sixe yeares So the quickning spirit from Christ our head doth by all holy meanes nourish every believer and make him grow as his condition requireth and that till he come to be a perfect member of one perfect man in Iesus Christ 4 The last thing to be marked is that a Naturall body groweth up in every part proportionably the hand for a hand the legge with the growth of a legge the toe with the growth of a toe So here all the body thus coupled furnished and wrought upon with the quickning spirit groweth to that perfection in every member which Christ hath appointed The summe is They keepe not to Christ who is an all sufficient head by whose efficacy all that believe on Him being coupled to Him receive all grace needfull and take encrease growing up till they come to perfection with such a growth which God Himselfe causeth in them That wee have not many but one head Doct. not holding the head not Christ and Saint Peter the Scripture knoweth but one head neither was any of His Apostles a head of the Churches for all had alike and the chiefe authority Now if any were a head above others He must have the chiefe alone no other having it with Him thus the Pastor that succeeded Peter at Rome should have beene head over Saint Iohn the Evangelist who lived long after Peter But we neede no better argument then this in the Text. If CHRIST be one head and it is monstrous for a body to have two then the Church hath no other But CHRIST is the head and for one body to have two is monstrous therefore the Church hath no other then Christ The Papists say that a ministeriall and secondary head may be with a principall and it is not monstrous As there may bee a Viceroy under a King yea they say it maketh with the union of the Church to have a visible head and doth no more derogate from Christs glory in being our head then when men are called lights GODS Apostles foundations from Christ who is called the light GOD the foundation the Apostle of our profession For answer First this distinction of a secondary ministeriall head it is contradictory for it is such an essentiall property of a head to be principall and have rule that what is not thus is not a head 2 Who ever heard of any secondary head in a naturall body without deformity now it is a naturall body with which CHRIST doth compare Himselfe in this respect 3 That which is a ministeriall head must doe the worke of a head but that none can doe The worke is double internall or externall influence regiment or direction Of the first it is granted for the other of regiment the Scripture denyeth it to any but CHRIST the Prince of Pastors leaving to all other a power ministeriall onely to serve the Churches as superior unto them Againe the truth is no direction which is dependent is the direction of a head as the hand leading and drawing up the foote directeth it but is not a head to it because the direction of the hand commeth from the principality of the head reported unto it As for those instances First a Viceroy is in a body politique but CHRIST in calling Himselfe a head of his body doth draw the comparison from a body Naturall Againe the proportion is not kept for to have a Viceroy under a King in some Province is one thing but to have a head under a head is another For a head is to the body as a King to the kingdome Now to have another King in a kingdome under the Chiefe is a thing unheard of The union of the Church the Scripture teacheth to depend on CHRIST and His spirit not on a visible head Yea the Grecians continew to this day their rent from the Church and all for the pride of this head Men have many names properly attributed to them and these above repeated but improperly but the names of head and husband the Scripture and all sound antiquity appropriate unto Christ Kings may suffer men to be called Noble Wise Rich but to be called Kings within His Kingdome is not permitted for there is nothing more derogatory from the glory of his Crowne so here c. Let us then cleave to this head CHRIST IESUS Vse and renounce such most lewd usurpation as is detected in the Pope Woe to that body which hath a third thing thrust in betwixt the head and it so that they meete not to close each to the other So it is with the Papists for betwixt Christ and them the Pope hath thrust in so that their immediate conjunction with Christ is hindered and his beneficiall influence intercepted Oh how absurd is it that any but Christ should bee thought head of the Church It is as if the King should put his Queene under the power of a Subject or a mans wife should be made an underling to a servant which never was the Apostles themselves though in their message from Christ they might command the Church in His Name yet in regard of their persons they were under the Churches as a servant who