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
them that have treasure and great charge about them letting penniles travellers alone So doth Satan he is busie to rob those whom GOD hath trusted with His graces VERSE 10. That ye might walke worthy of the Lord and please Him in all things being fruitfull in all good workes and increasing in the knowledge of GOD. NOw followeth the obedience it selfe set out by the practice of it that he prayeth for 1. In generall 2. More particular In generall it is to walke worthy of the Lord what this is may be understood by comparing it with like places Ephes 4.1 Worthy of the vocation whereunto yee are called Phil. 1.27 As it becommeth the Gospell 1 Thes 2.12 Worthy of God who hath called you to His Kingdome and glory To walke worthy of the Lord then is to live and behave our selves as becommeth those to whom God hath vouchsafed so great mercy that passing by thousands and ten thousands for deserts all as good and in outward respects many of them better than they Hee hath of His meere grace and free love in CHRIST chosen and called them out of the World to be partakers of Eternall life and glory with Him and for this cause hath caused His Gospell to be preached unto them and by His spirit hath made it effectuall in them we must therefore seriously consider 1 the dignity of our calling 2 the excellency of the Gospell whereby we are called 3 the kingdome of Glory whereto wee are called 4 and our most Holy and glorious Lord God by whom we are called and accordingly with due regard of all these things carry our selves in this present world let others then live as they list walke in sinne and wallow in filthinesse such a course may sort with their condition but for us we are by the grace of God of another dignity of an higher and more holy calling and such as waite for a Kingdome prepared for us even an Eternall Kingdome in the heavens This walking worthy of the Lord he expresseth by the end that it respecteth and aimeth at namely a pleasing of Him in all things or a full and entire pleasing of Him If then we will walke worthy of the Lord we must study to please Him and to give Him contentment in all things not accounting of pleasing any man yea or al men with displeasing him 1 Cor. 4.3 And good cause for life and death depend on Him He hath power to save and destroy yea He hath done such great things for our soules already and assured us of so great glory hereafter that we are the most unthankefull and impious Creatures that ever breathed our selves being judges if wee study not to please Him in all things Wherefore let others addict and give themselves over dedicate devote and consecrate themselves to serve and please to bow and becke to kneele and crowch and in all points to observe this or that great man on whom they depend by whom they live from whom they expect their advancement and rising in the world let us study and strive how we may please the Lord our GOD. He is to us in stead of all yea all inall Here Observe That this pleasing of GOD must bee in all things Obs or it must bee whole and universall for hee that seeketh not to please Him in all things seeketh not to please Him in any thing and hee that laboureth not to give Him an universall contentment laboureth not to give Him any at all according to that of Saint Iames Sam. 2.10 Whosoever shall Keepe the whole Law and yet offend in one point is guilty of all for the same God hath commanded all as well that Hee leaveth undone as that Hee doeth and therefore if out of conscience toward God hee hath care of doing any he would have conscience of doing all Which serveth notably to convince those who reforming and conforming themselves to the will of God as they would have it thought in many things Vse yet retaine some speciall beloved sinnes whereby they plainely shew that their reformation in other things is but counterfeit as being for some by-respects of their profit or estimation or such like Having thus set forth this pleasing of God in generall he expresseth it after in two particulars Bringing forth fruite Increasing in the knowledge of God For the bringing forth of fruite being an expressing of our duty to please God specially in an outward manner before God and Men may bee called not unfitly one particular of pleasing God Observe Hence Obs We must be fruitfull in good workes as Trees and plants are fruitfull in their kindes for from thence is this speech taken for being planted by Gods owne hand in His own Orchard or Garden yea in His owne house Psa 92.14 being also kept and dressed by Him as our Husbandman Ioh. 15.3 Esa 27.3 Ioh. 15.3 being watched over night and day and watered every moment finally being branches of CHRIST the true vine from whom by the vertue of His spirit we receive sappe and juice good reason wee should be fruitfull and if not we shall bee surely cut downe and cast into the fire Mat. 3.10 Ioh. 15.6 Luk. 13.7 For who among us would endure an unfruitfull Tree in his Garden who would not say with indignation Cut it downe why cumbreth it the ground If that were rooted up I might have another planted in the place of it that might bring me forth good fruite When the wicked see us grow livelesse powerlesse sapplesse they say what matter is in them and in their profession It is a shame that they should say I had rather live with any deale with any have a promise from any than from a Professor Their condition is incurable Reason when the Carpenter hath cut and hewen and sees it will not fit his turne ther 's no remedy but it must be cast into the fire My spirit shall not alwayes strive with man Gen. 6.3 Esay 5. GOD calls a counsell What shall I doe with my Vinyard A hedge Lord will do it good send them prosperity and security that they have had A winepresse Lord will doe them good that they have had afflictions will not worke upon them When no plaister will cure the Legge it must bee cut off when the Gospell will doe thee no good nothing can do thee good See the ground and cause of all our evils Vse wee impute them to the malice power or improvidence of men No no thy barren heart is the cause of all 1 Cor. 11. For this cause many are weake and many sicke and many sleepe as if hee should say you blame the ayre you say such a distemper was the cause no no it was your unprofitable comming to the Sacrament that hath brought this plague upon you Our unprofitablenesse is the cause why the Lord is still hacking at the Tree of England How many great Families are perished and yet by no ill husbandry or great improvidence no no they
were too good to favour the Gospell to pray in their Families The cause of our ruine is not three yeares but sixtie yeares unfruitfulnesse nay is it not better to bee any thing than fruitfull doe not many beginne to say what neede so much fruite I wonder how you can beare with such a fellow how can you stand to his bent preach and pray repeate in Families conferre and meditate c. What adoe is here what so much fruite will breake the boughes Alas is this to answer the cost that God hath bestowed on us The better the Land is compassed the more tedious yea the more odious it is to the Husband-man if it answer not his expectation with a fruitfull encrease Oh my brethren lay this neere to your hearts would you bee content to part with the Gospell with your Lands with your Children If you would not then bring forth the fruites of the Gospell Your grounds cry out unto you master be fruitfull or wee shall be laid desolate your Wives and Children cry be fruitfull or we shall perish Consider the unnaturalnes of this sin must none kil your Children but your selves none give your wives to bee ravished but your selves but Lord pardon us then you wil cry no go to your lazy proud hearts for comfort you have despised the bowels of Christ and are you not justly left to men that have no bowels But is there no hope reade Psal 81 13 14 16. The Lords compassions have rolled within him many a time and he cryes how shall I give thee up Oh England as the Palatinate how shall I make thee as Bohemia as God did be speake Ephraim Hos 11. v. 8. But how shall we doe to become fruitfull Que. Keep thy soule abiding in CHRIST Ans 1 A Tree out of the earth growes not a painted Tree never growes give the Lord Iesus earth enough in thy heart Keep the little succours about the Tree fresh Ans 2 keep love joy and hope alive there is about every seede a skinne if that be off it dyes that suckes moister from the earth which is the cause of growth Keepe close to the rivers of water Ans 3 reading are waters hearing and praying are waters the spirit is waters holy conference is waters Take heede of wilde beasts and cold Northerne blasts the commission of sinnes will bee as the letting in of wilde beasts into the Vinyard these blasts are cold company Act. 2.40 save your selves from this untoward generation the Apostle speakes to them as to men a drawing to whom a rope is cast The Gardiner desires to plant the Apricocke tree against the backe of a Chimney where the heate of the Sunne may come most directly on it and where besides the benefit of reflexion it may have warmth from the Chimnie The other particular is Obs that We must increase in the knowledge of GOD. Of that which the Scriptures teach concerning the essence property workes and Ordinances of God this is also commanded 2 Pet. 1.5 Ioyne moreover to your faith vertue and to your vertue knowledge faith and vertue could not bee without knowledge It is cleare then that hee meaneth an increase of knowledge So 2 Pet. 3.18 Grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Saviour Iesus Christ This is very worthy to bee noted here that having prayed before that they might bee filled with the knowledge of His will he now addeth increasing in the knowledge of God and addeth it as a practice of former knowledge We should never cease to grow in knowledge the rather because when wee know all we can attaine we know but in part 1 Cor. 13. And our knowledge is but like the knowledge of Children in comparison of the perfect knowledge wee shall have in the world to come This checketh all that are negligent herein Vse especially such as make an opposition betwixt knowledge and practice we have knowledge enough say they let us labour to practice that wee know whereas it is evident here that increasing in the knowledge of God is a part of practice Such also are here to bee rebuked whose office being to plant and increase knowledge in others doe either neglect increasing in knowledge themselves or which is much worse discourage the people from so doing perswading that they should content themselves with the knowledge of the principles and for other things depend on them that have the guiding and leading of them verily this bewrayeth they meane not well that they are loath to have the people have too much knowledge they sinne against this Doctrine VERSE 11. Strengthened with all might according to His glorious power unto all patience and long suffering with joyfulnesse NOw because they that doe but sincerely labour thus to be filled with the knowledge of God and to walke worthy of the Lord as hath beene said shall bee thought to bee strang men in the world specially by their old consorts 1 Pet. 4.4 and shall be sure to bee scorned taunted and diversely ill intreated in the world for all that desire to live godly in Christ Iesus must suffer perfecution 2 Tim. 3.12 that they may be like their Head therefore in the close of his prayer he desireth that they may be strengthned to all patience to beare these afflictions be they never so great or many and long-sufferance bee they never so long in continuance and because there is a singular measure of strength required herein he asketh that they may bee strengthened with all might that is with abundance of strength according to His glorious power which being in Him infinitely is expressed mervailously in His workes that so they may bee able to beare these things not with patience onely but even with joyfulnesse rejoycing that hereby they are made like to Christ and counted worthy to suffer any thing for His Name sake Christians have neede of spirituall strength to walke with God in their spirituall conditions Hence S. Paul Eph. 6.10 Obs 1 exhorteth all to goe out of themselves for strength and power from God whereby they might bee able to withstand those spirituall enemies which will encounter them Be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might This spirituall strength stands in two things Eph. 6.10 1 That the principium or cause of this strengthning be from the spirit 2 That the object of it whereabout it is conversant be spirituall things To strive with God a little in Prayer is a signe of some strength but to wrastle with God as Iacob did not to let Him goe without a blessing shewes great strength To beleeve a promise wherin there is a little difficulty shewes some strength but for Abraham to offer up his Sonne in whom the promise was made shewes great strength to beare a little iniury without desire of revenge shewes some patience but to endure great and manifold persecutions and reproaches and with Saint Paul and Sylas to rejoyce in afflictions and to sing in Prison shewes
though in the accessory of degrees it shall be otherwise We inherit partly Re partly Spe. This inheritance is a glorious life or condition which to all the heires of it is here begun in the Resurrection is perfected That which is begun is the life of grace which is given us from CHRIST our Head from what time wee truely beleeve on Him with so much right in the creature as maketh for GOD's glory and our soules health Now for the perfection of glory and Lordship over all the creatures this in some sort we have in other regard we have not First in our Head we are seised of this CHRIST GOD and man our Head as man is in heaven infinitely glorious Lord over all the creatures Secondly we have this presently in regard of right to it though we have not right in it as an heire in nonage ward to the King he hath presently right to all his lands though till one and twenty they come not into his hand So wee have right presently to the whole state which is given us though we shall not come to it till the comming of CHRIST Glory is here begun though perfected hereafter And truly so it is we are the sons of GOD though it appeare not what we shall be 1 Ioh. 3.1 whom GOD hath justified those He hath glorified Rom. 8. that is hath given them the first fruits of the Spirit of glory in their sanctification Even as parents doe sometime trust their children while they yet live with some pensions stockes of money as part of their patrimony trying how they will husband it and reserving their full inheritance to be given hereafter whether we looke at the title or state of our inheritance in part we have it the Spirit of Sons is sent into our hearts the title of children confirmed to us What is it to have the inheritance of a Baron But to have the title with the lands this should more comfort us we love in earthly things to have something downe in hand Thirdly we have the things themselves present to our faith which is the evidence of things not seene With the Saints Observe hence Observ Who they are that are inherit ours in this glorious inheritance Saints If you aske me why we have this inheritance I will tell you it is GOD's free gift for CHRIST His sake the naturall Son and Heire on whom we beleeve But if you aske not why wee have but who shall have then I tell you the holy man onely Looke Act. 20. 32. Matth. 5. and Act. 26.18.1 Thess 1.10 No uncleane thing shall enter into GOD's kingdome The Pure in heart shall see GOD. Will a wise man leave his estate to one whom hee seeth to be of lewd qualities Shall GOD part these heavenly riches to prophane miscreants covetous earth-wormes No. Againe this inheritance is called a Crowne of righteousnesse though it be not deserved by our righteousnesse yet it is a recompence which GOD of grace giveth to righteousnesse onely Wherefore this putteth in a caution against all those that are children of this world Vse 1 not holy like their heavenly Father but loving covetousnesse lusts pride c. Doe you looke for an inheritance Will a man give a childes part from amongst his wife and children to base broods of some harlot or of his sworne enemie Shall GOD give you inheritance with his children who have amity and are the brood of the world an old adulteresse Yee that doe live in these sinnes which are the works of the Divell and therefore are his children and here mock Saints that walke after their lusts may see that they shall have no place but in utter darknesse with the Divell and his Angels It is added in light Marke Obs What for substance and nature our inheritance is it is light For if I should speak thus to one of my children you shall be heires with my other children in my money goods lands c. I expresse the matter of my substance in which hee should be coheire with the rest Earthly men leave earthly substance But our God is a Spirit the true light dwelling in that light to which there is no accesse like as himselfe is like is the matter of his inheritance it is light We by nature are in darknesse and the shadow of death as we shall speake in the next Verse God doth make us all manner of light in Himselfe doth give us our parts even while we live here 1 Pet. 2.9 in a marvellous light Awake thou that sleepest Eph. 5.8 and stand up from the dead and CHRIST shall give thee light What light are we in Even in the light of Gods countenance which is as the Sunne to the world of spirits We are in the light of knowledge Yee are light in the Lord In the light of holinesse light of joy 1 Pet. 1. even joy of the Spirit unspeakable and glorious Object But we cannot see this light Answ Not because it is not light but because thy owle-like eyes are not able to looke against the brightnesse of it To moove us to thankefulnesse Vse that wee should ever bee brought into such an happy estate If one lay shut up in a dungeon where hee could not see any light of Sun Moone or Starres no nor have the light of a Candle allowed how joyfull would hee bee if hee should bee brought forth and set at large to behold this Sunne the heavens the face of the earth men walking and conversing on it Oh then how should we rejoyce to be drawne forth of our spirituall darkenesse wherein wee lay unable to get any saving fight of our God He. 12.23 of our Christ the mediator of Angels ministring Spirits about us of the spirits of just and holy men in the heavens of those blessed habitations and that blessed Citie whose maker is God It teacheth us Vse 2 seeing we are in the light that we must have care to walke honestly as in the day in the night we care not how we goe what we lie in but when wee walke forth in the day amongst men then wee would bee comely attyred VERSE 13. Who hath delivered us from the power of darkenesse and hath translated us into the Kingdome of his deare Son THe order followeth in which God wrought the former benefit set downe 1. From the state out of which wee were delivered 2. From the condition to which He brought us of mercy For though this followeth in the text yet it goeth before in Nature and sheweth how God did make us meete and therefore you have this first set downe Acts 26.18 First in the coherence we see Obs That none living in the state of darkenesse can be inheritors of Gods Kingdome Till wee come from under the powers and Principalities which rule in darkenesse we cannot bee heires unto God for beside that wee cannot live thrall to the Divell and be heires to God at once the matter as I shewed
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
Whosoever and whatsoever teacheth Christ teacheth the mystery of the Gospell and whosoever teacheth not Christ teacheth not the Gospell Of Christ he saith that He is among us for so should the particle 〈◊〉 be here rendred as it is immediately before among the Gentiles For by the Gospell we have communion with God and with Christ His Sonne Observe hence Doct. That CHRIST dwelleth in His members in all true believers He lives in them He dyneth and suppeth and lodgeth with us we see and heare and feele we taste and eate Him How glorious then is the Gospell by which Iesus Christ is communicated with us and how glorious is the Church even the assembly of GODS people among whom CHRIST the Sonne of GOD dwelleth For better cleering of this point I will shew you what it is to have CHRIST dwelling in us viz. When He doth exist after another manner then He did before when there are other effects then there were before when He doth shew Himselfe kinde and favourable when He doth manifest His comfortable presence as he did in the Temple It is seene in foure particulars 1 When as He commeth into the heart to be there He is united unto it and made one with it 2 He continues in the heart where once he begins to dwell and that is the reason why we continue in the state of grace 3 He delighteth in us he delighteth to dwell in the place where He dwelleth For a man cannot properly be said to dwell in a place except he delight to dwell there A man may be in a prison all his life long yet cannot be said to dwell there because he hath no delight to be there he would not be there if he could choose 4 He is said to dwell in us because he is so operative there he worketh efficaciously in all the parts and faculties of the soule He dwells in the soule as fire in the iron He is in every part thereof If it be objected how can Christ so dwell in us Object seeing He is in heaven and we on earth He dwelleth in us as the Sunne in the house Answ by his influence of grace into our hearts so that though He be absent yet He dwells there By these effects Christ discovereth Himselfe to be in us But what doe the Saints get by His comming Quest Many speciall priviledges and benefits come thereby Answ as 1 Where CHRIST dwels He makes that person glorious He fills his heart with glory and this I take out of Psal 24.7 Be ye lift up ye everlasting deeres that the King of glory may come in Where CHRIST comes into the heart Hee comes as a King of glory Hee comes not as a man that is glorious who keepes his glory to himselfe but He communicates His glory to us And herein is the difference betwixt CHRIST and an earthly Prince When a Prince comes into a house the house is the same still he keepes his glory to himselfe But where Christ comes He changes the heart he alters the house He makes that glorious He beautifies and decks the soule with such excellencies as makes us seeme glorious to our selves and appeare so to others So Moses face did shine because God did communicate His glory to him now that outward glory was a type of this inward glory which Christ communicates to the soule of him in whom He dwells Where Christ comes in He ruleth and governeth the soule He guides the spirit where he dwells He keepes the heart in order He keepes the understanding will and affections in obedience and this I take also out of Psal 24. Be yee lift up yee everlasting doores speaking of the soule For Christ where He comes He comes like a King He ruleth as a King He brings His kingdome with Him As Sathan rules in the children of disobedience so CHRIST ruleth in the children of obedience He guides and orders the spirit the right way 3 Where Christ enters in and dwells He refresheth the heart He comforts the heart He brings a great deale of joy with Him So saith the Prophet Esay Chap. 57. Esay 57. â—â— Thus saith the High and lofty one that inhabiteth eternity whose Name is Holy I dwell in the high and holy place with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit to revive the spirit of the humble and to revive the heart of contrite ones Here are two benefits layd downe To refresh To give life He doth refresh the spirit of the humble that is when the spirit is drooping and the heart is made sadde and dejected meditating upon nothing but feares and dangers then Christ comes into the heart and calmes all sets all at rest brings tranquillity and refresheth the soule even as a man that feareth death is refreshed when a pardon commeth He fills the heart with joy where He comes as the Sunne doth bring light where ere it is present and no more can a man have Christ in his heart without joy then he can have the Sunne without light For He brings matter of joy with Him He brings salvation with Him as when He came home to Zaccheus He said Luke 19. this day is salvation come to thy house and it Christ so say to any man He brings matter of great joy Again when he comes He brings the spirit of joy called the refore the joy of the Holy Ghost for where the Holy Ghost is He is full of joy Againe where He comes He brings His kingdome with Him and that conlists of joy Rom. 14.17 4 Where Christ dwells He gives life He makes them living men for He dwelleth in His Saints as the Vine in the 〈◊〉 and every man that is in Him is a branch in the Vine All the properties of life we have from Him our sense and motion is from Him in Him we live and moove and have our being from Him is our life derived He that hath the Son hath life 1 Ioh. 5 1â— For as the old Adam did communicate corruption to us to make us active in sinne So the second Adam doth communicate grace and life to all that are borne of Him and therefore is called the quickning spirit For as a man doth then live when his soule comes into his body So doth the soule then live when CHRIST comes into the soule and therefore He is sayd to be the Resurrection and the Life for where He is there is Life 5 The last benefit is Defence Hee defends those in whom He dwels He is a buckler to them He preserves them from all crosses at the least from the evill of them And herein is the difference betwixt CHRIST and other Inhabitants Other Inhabitants are defended by their houses but Hee the Inhabitant defends the house And good reason for though He dwell in our hearts yet Psal 90.1 He is our Habitation This is excellently expressed Esa 4.5 6. Vpon all the glory shall be defence that is upon all the people that are glorious
to condemne you or no weake Iew condemne you in not using these things but this is not probably here understood because the Apostle dealeth with the Colessians shewing them their duty as may be gathered by the inference and the next Verse Againe weake converts of Iewes it is not probable there were any with them The second sense Let none condemne you that is doe not take up these shadowes or continue the practice in them and so give occasion to other Churches of the Gentiles to condemne you but this though a good sense I doe not allow for these reasons 1 Because after the rule of the Apostle Rom. 14. Churches were not to condemne Churches though they were a little levened this way if they did it was a fact not very warrantable 2 Because in the twentieth Verse hee dehorteth them from detaining and using these rites 3 Because that as in the next Verse he doth call them to stand their ground against Philosophicall seductors So here against Iewish Ceremony-masters I thinke then this is the meaning Let none condemne you that is stand in the liberty so dearely purchased yeeld not your selves for any mans condemnation in these matters passe not if any man condemne you for not using rites crucified in CHRIST This is a way whereby we suffer not any to condemne us when wee stand not to any censure of them challenging our freedome Thus though we cannot keepe the Pope from cursing excommunicating us in regard of his deed and minde yet we may truely be said not to let him excommunicate us in respect wee submit not to any censure he passeth in kinde This then is the meaning Passe not if Iudaising spirits doe condemne you for not keeping a part of an holy day a new Moone c. for all these things are shadowes which in CHRIST and His Church the substance of them is accomplished 1 Observe hence Doct. That wee must not make account of mens sinister judgements as any way giving place unto them It is the property of erroneous spirits they will be prodigall in their peremptory condemning of all that dissent from them Thus you see how the Pope thundereth anathema's in every article against us and Papall spirits subscribe not to every Canon you shall be excommunicate yea an anathema presently Now then if we might not turne our deafe eare and contemne subjecting our selves to their sentences we should quickly shake in our beliefe Thus our Saviour taught His Disciples When they revile you excommunicate you for my Names sake passe not what they count of you great then is your reward So when the Apostles told Him what the Pharisies would except at Tush let them alone they are blinde leaders of the blinde and how doth Saint Paul 1 Cor. 4.3 I esteeme it the least matter of a thousand to be judged of you or men And we see how in the Primitive story when Victor would in the matter of Easter condemne all the other Churches differing from him they gave no place but rebuked his insolencie and contemned his audacious censure For wee stand and fall to our owne Master What have they to doe to judge us Yet this must be rightly understood For there is a sinfull carelesnesse of others censure when a man out of an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a selfe-conceited proud pertinacious humour passeth not for others or when one regardeth not this or that because of the base account in which he hath the persons that speake it or when one distinguisheth not persons but is most carelesse of all alike whereas we must never out of pride or contempt as they in the Gospell what doe you stand upon that these old cursed people thinke that know not the Law but from a good conscience testifying with us in that we doe before GOD 1 Cor. 4.3 2 We must distingush betwixt weake ones misconceiving through weaknesse of judgement and malicious ones the latter are not to be regarded but for the other though we must not cease from that which is good necessarily to be done of us yet we must pity it in them and seeke at GOD to shew them the truth The Vse is to us Vse that we never feare men slavishly we are the servants of CHRIST if wee doe that which is His will what need wee care who condemne that wee know He approveth in us We that are taught of GOD shall we give place to blinde Bats who speake they know not what and have no savour of heavenly things they are incompetent judges wee yeeld not to them What careth an Artist if an ignorant person find fault with him he will say Cobler not beyond your last So may we to such who condemne us holding to that which is the truth Hence then may be reproved that pusillanimity in many who will give in if they be opposed in the least degree 2 Observ That to put no difference in meats for conscience sake or religious respect is no sinne the text proves it Doct. Let no man condemne you in meat that is care not for their condemning you when you put no religious difference betwixt meats as pure and impure so in drinkes Wee know the Iewes if a thing stood in a pot uncovered were not to touch the liquor it was legally impure to them for these things are all the good creatures of GOD and all these things in CHRIST are made pure to the pure There is a foure-fold distinction of meats 1 The one Naturall 2 The other Politike 3 Religious 4 Superstitious Some in regard of natural properties and wholesomenesse to our bodies good some have a malignancie in them and are hurtfull thus in way of diet to distinguish them is not evill So politikely for the benefit of the fisher-man and breed of cattell A truely religious difference is when GOD for some holy purpose doth make a distinction permitting some and denying others or when we in Christian wisedome abstaine from some things which we finde through our weaknesse to be hurtfull for us The fourth kinde is that we are to marke the superstitious difference when we will out of a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a sinfull imitation or out of mecre humane presumption prohibit the use of some meats and allow others and that as a thing pleasing to GOD thus Montanus forbade all drie things and would have them religiously refrained as comming from an evill beginning Thus the Papists forbid flesh egges and white meats though not as evill in their nature yet as defiling the conscience of him that useth them when now they are forbidden and that not onely because he transgresseth the commandement of the Church but because he neglecteth a thing which is good in it selfe even as a religious exercise But this was the old opinion of the Pharisies who did thinke that some meates did defile them not onely which GOD had forbidden but which they refrained out of humane tradition for they had their weekely fasts of their owne making Matth.
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