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A16506 The true vvay of a Christian, to the nevv Ierusalem Or, a three-folde demonstration: first, of the excellencie of the true and sauing knowledge of Christ; and the meanes to attaine it: with the antiquitie, necesitie, and benefit of catechisme. Secondly, of our vnion and communion with Christ, and his Church. Thirdly, of our new creation in Christ, by the blessed Spirit. With diuers questions, and cases of conscience, most comfortable for a Christian. Deliuered first in briefe, in a sermon preached at Paules-Crosse, the first Sunday in the new yeere, 1617. And newly reuised and enlarged by Immanuel Bourne ... Bourne, Immanuel, 1590-1672. 1622 (1622) STC 3419; ESTC S106545 102,817 130

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〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 If any man be in Christ Expositio Beza in Annotat Here is the Adiectiue us any But the Substantiue man is vnderstood yet necessarily implyed both in the Greeke and Latine and wel expressed in our English translation If any man A word or two therefore of this That you may know man and what man our Apostle here speakes of consider his name First in Hebrew 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is as much as Earth or earthy to teach man that hee is mortall and as hee was taken from the earth so hee must turne to earth againe Gen. 3.19 The name of Man In Hebrew first Adam red Earth To teach man to remember his end Gen. 3.19 And therefore hee should studie to liue in this life here as euer remembring hee must once die and so change this life if he liue well Dan. 12. Mat. 25.2 Bu●aeus lib. de cont●mptu reru n so●tunarum psum ●oelum suffi●ere h●●●mi natura dedit vt nom●● Gra●ū indicat for a better a life of glorie and happinesse in heauen But if he liue ill for a worse a life of woe and miserie for euer in hell Secondly in Greeke his name is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which seemeth to signifie as much as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is tending vpwards as Budaeus intimates To shew that he onely liueth as becomes his name who lifteth vp his eyes to heauen and heauenly things to God in thankefulnesse who gaue him both his name and his nature with all the good that hee hath Man should h●ue his eyes towards heauen both for his soule and body But for that man who hath his eyes the eyes of his body and minde alwayes fixed down-wards towards the earth and earthly things as he hath the nature so he deserues the name of a beast rather then that excellent and noble name of Man In Latine to teach man obedience to God Steph. Paris serm Thirdly in Latine the name of Man is Homo which as learned Varro inferres hath his signification ab Humo from the moyst and plyable ground easily following the turne and winding of the Potters wheele that men might learne from the proper name of their owne nature To teach vnitie betweene man and man Dominicus Nauus in Peliante tit hom socialis est homuus ac benefica natura quo solo cognationem cum deo habet Lactantius lib. 5. insititut easily to be turned and guided in obedience to the will and command of God But some deriue the Latine name Homo from the Greeke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifieth vnity concord and agreement of minde To shew that men should striue to be at vnity and charitie one with another like Pylades and Orestes who had but one minde in two bodies so true was their loue But I goe no further concerning his name If you consider his nature First after a Philosophicall manner I find there were three opinions amongst Philosophers concerning man The first did teach that man was onely ap●orporall substance that his soule it selfe was a body The nature of man Opinions of Philosophers and b● consequence the whole man corporeall So Democritus Leucippus and a sort of Philosophers called Epicures The second did teach that man was only incorporeall that is all soule for they would haue only the soule of man to pertaine to the substance and essence of man and his body to bee but an instrument to the soule as the ship is to the pilot So Plato and other Stoicall of philosophers like himselfe The third sort did affirme that man was composed of both as of his essentiall parts of a soule as of his formall and of a body as his materiall cause and both required to make vp the essence and being of man Thus Aristotle and the Peri-pateticks his followers And this is most agreeable to the Scriptures for when God made the body of man of the earth he made his soule from heauen and vniting them both together in a wonderfull manner Psal 139.14.15 man became a reasonable creature or a liuing soule Gen. 2.7 Not that he is only a liuing soule for he is a liuing body as well as as a liuing soule the body liuing by the soule but hee hath his denomination in that place from the better part which is his soule And thus you see mans nature philosophically If we consider him theologically Man considered Theologically 3. Estates 1. Estate of creation wee shall finde him changeable according to the diuers estates whereunto he is subiect And in this life there is a threefold estate of man The first our excellent estate of creation in Adam when God did giue vs our portion with large endowments of all graces both spirituall and temporall The second our state of nature and naturall corruption since Adams fall 2. Of nature corrupted in whom like prodigals we spent our patrimony and lost the excellency of that image wherein God did make vs. 3. Of grace The third and last is our state of grace and regeneration in Christ for whose merits God the Father doth freely embrace vs in the armes of his mercy and accepts vs in him to bee sonnes and heires of eternall glory And this is the estate of a Christian man of that man of whom our Apostle speakes in my Text If any man be in Christ And thus hauing gathered some fruite from the branch which is man and euery Christian man let vs see what we can finde in the vine which is Christ 2. Branch If any man bee in Christ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In Christ The Scripture doth as well teach that Christ is in vs as that we are in Christ I will giue you a few places for many which are most emphaticall At that day ye shal know that I am in my Father and you in me and I in you saith Christ to his disciples Iohn 14.20 Know you not that Christ Iesus is in you except ye be reprobates saith Saint Paul 2. Cor. 13.5 And if any man be in Christ An admirable vnion betweene Christ and his Church A threefold vnion of Christ and Christians Greg. lib. 6. epist 61. Verbum carnē dicimus factum non immutando quod erat sed suscipiendo quod non erat nostra auxit sua non minuit Hil. lib. 12. de Trinit Cyril lib. 1. c. 16. Chrys Hom. 10 Ambr. de Incarn Dom. c. 6. is my Text. So that hence we may learne that there is an admirable vnion and Communion betweene Christ and his Church betweene our Sauiour and euery faithfull soule And to vnderstand this we must know that there is a threefold Vnion and Communion of Christ with vs. The first in nature the second in grace and the third in glory The first is that Hypostaticall or personall Vnion of our humane nature with the divine of which Saint John speakes Iohn 1.14 And the word was made flesh and
dwelt amongst vs and we saw the glory thereof as the glory of the onely begotten Sonne of the Father full of grace and truth The Word that is the Divinitie of Christ was made flesh that is did take vpon him our humane nature he tooke on him the seede of Abraham saith the Apostle Heb. 2.16 and did dwell 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in vs as it is in the Originall that is in our humane nature as Saint Hilary S. Cyrill S. Chrysostome S. Ambrose and others obserue And so they vsed this place against those heretickes who affirmed that the Word was conuerted into the flesh for if he dwelt in the flesh that is in our humane nature then he remained still what he was and therefore could not bee conuerted into the flesh as they falsly imagined This exposition is true in the substance though it doth not fully explicate this vnion of Christ with vs for Christ doth not onely dwell in our nature as a man in his mansion house but is vnited vnto our nature as the soule to the body yea after a farre more excellent and wonderfull manner The two natures of Christ the divine and humane being vnited make one person saith Damascen Damasc lib. 3. cap 4. there is one Christ not by conuersion of the Diuinity into the flesh but by assumptiō of humanity into his Godhead one altogether not by confusion of essence but by vnity of person as Athanasius Athanasius in Symb. affirmes And by this admirable vnion Christ the eternall Word of his Father did assume in most neere maner vnto himselfe our whole humane nature without any conuersion confusion alteration or separation as the Chalcedon Chalcedon Symb. creede doth testifie and that as Damascen addeth the proprieties of both natures being safe Therefore the Ancients did affirme that the mystery osthis vnion was Mirabiliter singulare singulariter mirabile Wonderfully singular and singularly wonderfull it is that great mystery of godlinesse 1. Tim. 3.16 Of which there is no example in nature which 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in all respects is answerable vnto it for howsoeuer 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in some kind there are some to illustrate it as that vnion of the soule and the body of the fire and the yron red hotte of the Sunne and the light which Iustine Martyr Cyrillus Athanasius and others vse in their writings yet none can fully explicate this great and wonderfull mystery To conclude this vnion is not imaginary onely but true and reall though supernaturall and the foundation of our spirituall with Christ both in grace and glory depends vpon it For had he not taken our nature vpon him and so freely marryed himselfe vnto vs Hosh 2.19 we could neuer haue beene vnited to him But Christ vniting himselfe to vs in nature and God accepting vs as iust and righteous for his merits we are vnited to him in grace which is the second vnion betweene Christ and vs. The second vnion is of our persons with Christ here Zanchias in comment in Ephes Gen. 2.24 And this is the vnion of our persons of our whole man both soule and body vnto the whole person of Christ God and man by the excellent bond of our spirituall marriage in which Christ hath vnited vs vnto himselfe as the whole person of Adam was ioyned in wedlocke to the whole person of Eue so are we to our heauenly bridegroome For that carnall marriage betweene Adam and Eue was a type and figure of this spirituall betweene Christ and his Church as S. Paul witnesseth Ephe. 5.33 And this is in the kingdo me of grace in this life The third vnion is our union with Christ in glory in the kingdome of heauen A vnion with Christ in glory by which we shall enioy the presence of our Sauiour yea wee shall haue vnion with God and his Angels and be filled with abundance of glory and happinesse for euermore of this our Sauiour speakes John 14.3 J goe to prepare a place for you and if I goe to prepare a place for you I will come againe and receiue you vnto my selfe that where J am there may you bee also And for this vnion our Sauiour prayeth to his Father Iohn 17.24 Father I will that they also whom thou hast giuen me be with me where I am that they may behold my glory which thou hast giuen me for thou louedst mee before the foundation of the world And this vnion the blessed Apostle did so earnestly long after Philip. 1.23 Idesire to be dissolued and to be with Christ Neither is it to be doubted but that our Sauiour in the first vnion the vnion of our nature was willing to praemonstrate the second our vnion in grace and in the second to manifest the third that by that vnion which we enioy in present we might bee confirmed in the hope of that which wee shall enioy hereafter Amandus Polanus s●ntag The first vnion is referred to the second and the second to the third as nature is ordinated to grace and grace to glory The first vnion is the cause of the second and the second is the cause of the third For we cannot be vnited to Christ in glory in the life to come except we be ingrafted into him in this life by grace but we could not haue been vnited to him in grace except Christ had vnited himselfe to vs in nature by taking our nature upon him Whosoeuer therefore will be vnited to Christ in glory it is necessary that he be first vnited to him in grace and whosoeuer is vnited in grace it is necessary that he should haue bin vnited to him in nature Thus you haue a briefe view of our threefold vnion with Christ But it is the second of these our vnion with Christ in grace of which I am now to speake And therefore to illustrate this a little further I shewed you it was a vnion of our persons soule and body with the person of Christ both God and Man For as in the first vnion the vnion of Christ with our nature the whole person of the Sonne of God did assume into the vnitie of himselfe the whole man that is his whole humane nature not the body alone nor the soule alone but both together So is it when Christ is vnited to a Christian he is vnited to the whole man both soule and body as a Christian is vnited to the whole Christ both God and Man Therefore the Apostle doth not onely witnesse that he which is ioyned to the Lord is one Spirit 1 Cor. 6.17 1 Cor. 12.13 but that our bodies are the members of Christ in the 15 verse of the same Chapter Yea wee which are many are one body in Christ Rom. 12.5 So that Christ is vnited both to our soules and bodies And thus are we vnited vnto whole Christ To his humanitie not after a carnali but a spirituall manner For thus Heb. 2.14 wee are members of his
eater remaineth in Christ because he receiueth life from him whose blood is drinke indeede and whose flesh is meate indeede not carnally to feede the body as the fleshly Capernaits and grosse Papists doe imagine Ludolphus in vita Christi part 2. cap. 56. Ioh. 6.55 but spiritually to feede and nourish our soules and bodies to eternall life For so Christ explaineth himselfe shewing against his fleshly hearers how his speech was to be vnderstood not after a carnall and fleshly as Bellarmine Bellarm. lib. 1. de Sacram. Eucharist cap 5. Tertul. lib. 4. contr Marcion S. Ambros de illis qui initiantur mysteriijs August in Psal 3. Chrysost hom 11. would haue it but after a spirituall manner as the Fathers agree Jt is the spirit that quickeneth saith Christ the flesh profiteth nothing the words that I speake vnto you are spirit and life Ioh. 6.63 And by this vnion also you may see how our vnion with Christ is exemplified Againe Christ expresseth it in most liuely manner by the comparison of the vine and the branches I am the Vine saith Christ and ye are the branches as the branch cannot beare fruite of it selfe except it abide in the vine no more can ye except ye abide in me Ioh. 15.4 5. So that as there is a vnion betweene the vine the branches so is there betweene Christ and his Church and as the branches receiue the sappe and life from the vine so doe we from Christ Lastly 6. Simil. it is demonstrated yet more plainely by the Embleme and similitude of the graft and the stocke of the branches of the wilde oliue grafted into the good which S. Paul sets forth excellently Rom. 11. from 17. to 25. ver of the chapter for as the wilde oliue cannot be changed except it be first grafted into the good nor can it bring forth good fruite vntill it be partaker of the roote and fatnesse of the true Oliue tree so we who by nature are wilde oliues cannot spring out of this true Oliue Christ Iesus except wee be first ingrafted into him by grace and after so dressed and ordered by that heauenly Oliue-planter the blessed Spirit that by little and little leauing the bitternesse of our naturall corruption wee may bring forth and become sweete fruite for our heauenly Father Similitudo non Cur●it quatuor pedibus Herein the similitude agreeth but it runneth not of foure feete as the prouerbe is but in some respect is different as are the rest For first in naturall grafting looke of what nature the graft is such fruite will the stocke nourish and bring forth because the stocke is turned into the nature of the graft But in this spirituall grafting it is not so for it is necessarie that we who are the grafts should be turned into the nature of the stocke Christ Iesus that we may bring forth such fruite as is answerable to his nature Luk. 1.75 in holinesse and righteousnesse all the daies of our life Secondly hence there is not to be imagined any confusion or transfusion of Christ or of his essentiall qualities into vs as may seeme to be of the stocke into the graft and as the Libertines did imagine but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quaedam a certaine power and vertue and efficacy by which Christ doth change vs by his Spirit being freely iustified and engrafted by faith in him and doth regenerate and daily renue vs vnto a spirituall and heauenly life And in this especially our vnion doth consist and is made manifest that being ingrafted by faith we doe spring vp in all holinesse and heauenly vertue and are conformed to the image of him 2. Cor. 3.18 euen of Christ vnto whom we are vnited Thus then you may see plainely the veritie and realitie of this vnion declared vnto you If you consider the manner and order of it you shall finde it spirituall and supernaturall as in part I have touched already It is a spirituall vnion Lanchius in Ephes because it is wrought by the Spirit and by faith by the spirit in respect of Christ because Christ worketh it by the spirit and by faith in respect of vs because true faith working by loue is as it were the bond and tie by which the blessed spirit doth as it were knit and Vnite vs to Christ It is the Spirit that workes faith and all other graces in vs and therefore questionlesse he workes and effecteth this vnion which is the fountaine and foundation of the rest All these worketh that one and the same Spirit diuiding to euery one seuerally 1. Cor. 12.11 We are made the spouse of Christ the members of Christ and flesh of his flesh by his spirit by whom he doth incorporate himselfe to vs and vs vnto him And faith is the instrument by which we are vnited Christ dwelleth in our hearts by faith saith the Apostle Ephes 3.17 Therefore whether Christ be propounded in the word or in the Sacraments it is by his spirit and our faith that he is vnited to vs and we to him and this not in a carnall but a spirituall manner for the workes of the spirit are spirituall and spiritually to bee vnderstood De naturali in nobis Christi veritate quae dicimus nisi ab eo discimus stultè atque impiè dicimus saith Hilarie Hilary de Trin. lib. 8. pag. 141. of the naturall truth of Christ being in vs Those things which we speake we speake them foolishly and impiously except we first learne them of Christ And this is the scope of Cyrill Cyril in Ioh. lib. 10. cap. 13. on Iohn that we should vnderstand the words of Christ spiritually and not after a carnall manner Thus shall we see and know that spiritually we may receiue Christ and bee vnited vnto him though Christ be in heauen and we in earth as S. Augustine August Tract 50. in Ioh. fol. 368. declareth excellently in his Tractate vpon Iohn Let the Iewes saith he heare and lay hold on Christ who sitteth at the right hand of his Father in heauen But they will answer Whom shall I hold what he that is absent how shall I send vp my hand into heauen that I may hold him there This is done spiritually not after a carnall manner Fidem mitte tenuisti Send thy faith saith S. Augustine and then thou hast layed hold on Christ thy forefathers did hold Christ in the flesh and doe thou hold him in thy heart because Christ absent is also present For except he were present he could not be holden of vs absent in the flesh in his humanitie but present in his Deitie present in his Spirit working faith and loue in vs by which in a spirituall manner we may be vnited to Christ though he be absent and lay hold of him though he be in heauen And thus as plaine as I can I haue set forth vnto you both the substance and manner of our vnion with Christ If any man
weake and feeble and wantest helpe Christ is that vertue and power that is able and willing to succour thee If thou fearest death Christ is the life If thou desirest heauen Christ is the way If thou be pressed downe with the burden of thy sinnes Christ is that righteousnesse that will take thy yoake of sinne vpon him Mat. 11.28 which is heauy and put his yoake of righteousnsse vpon thee which is light to ease thee If thou flyest darknesse Christ is the light to lighten thine eyes that they steepe not in death Ioh. 1.9 yea that light who lightneth euery man that commeth into the world If thou seekest foode Christ is that bread that came downe from heauen to feede and nourish thy soule body to eternall glory where is freedome from euill E●t omnibus omnia quia isto ha●●o omnia habentur sine ipso nihil est quicquid est Chrysost ibid. and fulnesse of good for euermore Quid plura charissimi What shall I say more beloued as the Father concludes Christ is all things to all men because he that hath Christ he hath all things and he that wants Christ had he the whole world he hath nothing All this we haue by Christ and the meanes of hauing Christ and this is the true knowledge of Christ of which our Apostle speaks So that here you see againe the excellency of this true knowledge of Christ from whence hee inferres our new creation And further that of Saint Bernard Bernard super Cant. serm 37. Ornat animam eruditeam facit vt p●ssitetiam alios erudire is truely verified againe of this divine knowledge this knowledge of Christ It decketh and garnisheth the soule and instructeth it and makes it able to teach others also And hence Saint Paul did so highly esteeme it that he counted all things losse for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Philip. 3.8 So that as Plutarch Plutarch aduersus Colotem relates of that wise counsell 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Know thy selfe that amongst all those sayings which were written or giuen by the Delphian Oracles that was generally accounted to bee most divine so may we conclude of the knowledge of Christ that amongst all those things which are giuen from God for man to know and beleeue there is none more excellent more necessary more comfortable then is this divine and sauing knowledge of Christ Quest 1 But before I come to the vse To explaine this Doctrine a little further Wherein the true knowledge of Christ consisteth Answ What is this knowledge may some man demand or wherein doth it consist which is so excellent so necessary so comfortable for euery Christian soule And I answer it consists first in the knowledge of Christs person and secondly of his offices His person is manifested first by his names and secondly by his natures His names in the new Testament are commonly two The 1. Iesus which signifieth a Sauior so interpreted by the Angell and the reason giuen for he shall saue his people from their sinnes Mat. 1.21 Name Iesus Mat. 1.21 A name that is full of ioy full of comfort and full of vnspeakeable gladnesse to the soule of a Christian Iesus it is hony in the mouth Bernard in Cant. musick in the eare and a iubile of reioycing in the heart as Saint Bernard sweetely a name vnder which no man may despayre since the mercy of God in Iesus is abundantly sufficient for all that beleeue in him This is his firist name His second is Christ We haue found the Messias saith Peter which is Name Christ being interpreted the Christ Ioh. 1.41 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is Vnctus Christ the annoynted yea annoynted with the oyle of gladnesse aboue his fellowes Psal 45.8 Christ is that annoynted who giueth freely to vs that oyntment of the Spirit 1. Ioh. 2.20 by whom we haue comfort in the beloued And as his names are so is his nature gracious and full of goodnesse And this is twofold Diuine and Humane First Christ is God the second person in the blessed Trinity that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that eternall word of his Father begotten of his Father from all eternity Ioh. 1.1 The nature of Christ is twofold 1. Diuine nature Athanasius Creede Est patri 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Zanchius in Epist 1. Ioh. c. 1. loc 2. Euseb ecclesi Hist lib 10. cap. 1. Luk. 1.35 Galat. 4 4. Coequall and Consubstantiall that is of one substance with the Father and the Spirit as it was decreed in the Nicen Councell against Arius the Hereticke And so the Scripture affirmes him to be the Eternall God Esay 9.6 The brightnesse of his Fathers glory and the expresse image of his person Heb. 1.3 And necessary it was that hee should be God First in respect of that intollerable waight of euill with which mankind was oppressed which could be taken off by no creature in the world and therefore the Sauiour must needs be God And secondly in respect of that inestimable good that freedome from euill and fullnesse of ioy restored by Christ who is made vnto vs of God wisedome righteousnesse sanctification and redemption 1. Cor 1.30 And therefore the Redeemer must needes be God Yea Christ is not onely God but Man which is his second nature 2 Humane nature For 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The word was made flesh and dwelt amongst vs and we beheld his glorie as the glorie of the onely begotten of the Father full of grace and trueth Iohn 1.14 Ditata est illa humanitas propter vnionē ad verbum omni sapientia gratia saith Damascen Damaescen li. 3. De Fide ca. 22. For that admirable vnion of the Flesh with the Word the humanitie of Christ was inriched with all wisdome and grace And expedient it was that Christ should be man that the nature of man might satisfie the iustice of God for man who hath sinned against God Therefore hee tooke not vpon him the nature of Angels but the seed of Abraham saith S. Paul Heb. 2.16 Lastly he is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 God and man in one person Athanasius Creed Apostles Creed God of the substance of his Father before all worlds and man of the substance of his mother conceiued of the holy Ghost and borne of the blessed Virgin in time according to the Scriptures The Offices of Christ 1 Propheticall Mat. 5.1 Ioh. 10.11 Mat. 28.19 Zanchius in 1. Ioh. c. 1. loc 3. Iesus verus Messias id est rex ill● sacerdos prophetae vnicus promissus in lege Bucan loc com Alsted Theolog. Catechet 2 His Priestly Office Iohn 1.29 1. Iohn 2.2 Hebrews 10.10 Zanchius in Epist. ad Philip. Capit. 2. Vtraque pars obedientiae Christi id est tota eius obedientia nostra facta est cessitque in salutem nostram His offices are three The first is his Propheticall office by which first in his