Exposition of the Apostles Creed
Hitherto I have demonstrated out of the Scriptures the truth of Peters confession, so that no more needs be said. Yet that I may stop the mouths of too too many impudent men, that at this day bark against this Article of our Creed, Ex sup • rabundanti over and above, I shall add these following reasons.
1. The properties of the God-head are ascribed to him. For he knew men's thoughts. He was eternal, Yesterday, today, and the same forever. He is present in all places. I am with you to the end of the world. He is Omnipotent; Whatsoever the Father doth, that doth the Son also. All which attributed to him, evince that he is God.
2. The works of the Deity are attributed to him. Creation, Ill • mination, Sanctification, Eph. 5.26. Remission of sin, Mat. 9.6. Justification, Rom. 3.24, 25. That I name not the many miracles done in his Name.
3. Divine worship is to be given to him; For God hath given him a Name above every Name, that at the Name of Jesus every knee should Bow.
4. Lastly, As others attributed, so he himself did assume and justify this Name, when in the Gospel of Saint John, a Gospel written on purpose to confirm his Deity, he gave a resolute and plain Testimony, that God was his Father. For this they, the Jews, sought to kill him, for this they accused him before Pilate; at that accusation Pilate was the more afraid; And the high Priest rent his clothes, saying, He had spoken blasphemy. Had he meant, or they understood no more, but that he was the Son of God in that sort that other men or Angels were, they never would have been so highly offended at him; Where had been the blasphemy? The accusers malice then, and the Judges fear, argue that they understood his words, as indeed he spoke them, and meant them, that he was God's Son, not 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , but 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , not by excellency or prerogative, but substantially his Son. The Son of God, and consequently God.
An honor of which God hath been so jealous, that never any usurped it, but well paid for their pride and ambition. The devil would needs mount into God's seat, But how art thou fallen, O Lucifer the son of the morning? how reserved in chains of darkness to the judgment of the last day? What should I tell you of Herod, Alexander, C. Caligula, Domitian? &c. who because they would be God's, died not like men, but before their time, either by a bloody or nasty death. So true is that Observation of the Muses chief Priest, which there is to be read at large
The bold Giants, Oetus, Ephialtus, Salmoneus, with the rest of the rabble all in Hell, in the bottom of Hell, quod divum sibi posceba • honorem, because they would be God's. And doubtless, had Christ been but a mere man, and not true God, as he avouch'd, the same hand of God would have been upon him, and overtook him, that overtook others.
He suffered indeed, and was crucified; but even then he most triumphed; when he died he was honored. He died with power, Nature was strong; he might have lived, but he yields in the midst of his strength, gives up the ghost, and dies, that he might show himself to be Lord of Life and Death: Quis tam facile quando vult moritur? who can so easily die at his own pleasure? Like a God he causeth the Sun to detain his light, the earth to tremble and totter, the Rocks to split, the Temple to rend, the graves to open, the dead to arise; and notwithstanding his opprobrious death, extorted this confession from the mouth of the Centurion, and they that were with him, out of great fear, Truly, this was the Son of God.
What should I tell you how he made his greatest enemies feel the power of his Godhead? Herod that derided him, Pilate that condemned him, Caiaphas that would suffer him to be spet on and buffeted for th • s blasphemy, as he called it, Judas that sold and betrayed him, and the whole Nation of the Jews that crucified him, have dearly paid for the denial of this Truth. Not one of these escaped the power of his arm. Wherefore since God, that cannot abide that his glory should be given to another, hath so exemplarily revenged himself upon the usurpers of this title; and yet notwithstanding the assumption of this Name, hath highly exalted him, and by infallible signs and wonders approved him to be his Son; it is necessary we confess that that testimony which Christ gave of himself, be infallibly true, and without all question received by us. The High Priest sa • d, I adjure thee by the living God that thou tell us whether thou be the Christ, the Son of God? Jesus saith to him, Thou hast said.
Since the extirpation of these Miscreants, there be that would have made him a creature; but the Ring-leaders have not escaped the hand of God. Arius voided his Guts on a Public House of Office. Valence the Arian Emperor, was shamefully put to flight by the Goths, pursued and burned in a little house set a fire by them, to which he fled. Nestorius was banished, tormented with a strange disease; the worms did gnaw asunder his blasphemous tongue, and at length the earth opened her mouth, and swallow him up. Servetus perished, raving in the fire. Valentinus Gentilis, ended miserably at Berne. Lisman broke his neck into a Well. Francis David died mad. Hacket and his two Disciples, Coppinger and Arthrington had the reward they deserved. And so let thine enemies perish O Lord, such an end attend on those who think, ad unici patris gloriam se non posse nisi per unici filii contumeliam pervenire; that they cannot honor the Father enough, but by dishonoring his only Son.
2. Having proceeded thus far, and proved that Christ is God, it remains now to show that he was man also: Had it been otherwise, how could he have been the seed of the woman, the seed of Abraham, the son of David? or as Saint Paul hath it, made of a woman; made ex, and ex always shows the material cause out of which anything is made.
The Word was made flesh; made it was, and so no phantasme or shadow of a body, as the Gnostics held. Made of the Virgin, and then not of a Starry substance or an Airy, as Apelles; nor yet a spiritual body, as Valentinus. Made flesh the Word was, but how made? not by conversion, as if the Word had been turned into flesh, as Cerinthus dreamed: Nor by a loving conjunction, as two friends being made one, so as they continue two persons still, as Nestorius thought: Nor yet by composition, and so a third thing produced of both, as Eutiches imagined; but made he was, by taking the seed of Abraham; but of this Point I shall speak more fully in a fitter place.
Into the Godhead then was the Manhood taken, and both together make one Person, yet so, that the Natures are preserved without confusion, and the Person entire without division; 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 ; truly, perfectly, without separation of Persons, without commixtion of Natures, he was God and man, as the Old Councils declared against the Heretics of those times; truly against the School of the Gnostics, and the Manichees; perfectly against Apelles, Ebion, and Cerinthus, &c. indivisibly against the Nestorians, and yet distinctly against Eutiches and his followers.
Christ then, that did really subsist before in the Nature of God, took the seed of our Nature, which had no personal subsistence before, and joined it to his Deity, that so being united to his Person, it might have the same subsistence which he had. The Person then of the Son of God being made man, did not acquire any new subsistence, but changed only the manner of it. He that from all eternity did subsist only in the Nature of God, assumed the nature of man, and dwells in our flesh bodily, that is personally; not only by efficacy and assistance, but by an hypostatical union; so that 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , the word assuming and inhabiting, and the Nature assumed, in which the word dwells, make but one person, which is not 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , a man only strengthened and sanctified by the Holy Ghost; but truly 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , God and man.
This we usually call the grace of union, and the personal subsistence of these two natures are explained to us under many Similes, all which yet are far short of the truth of this mystery, as Bellarmine shows, as of the soul and body that make but one man; of a fiery Sword, or glowing Iron, in wh • ch are the properties of Fire and Iron, and yet but one Subject; of a man in whom there be two accidental forms, as the Art of Physic, and Skill of Law, and yet the man but one man; of a Stock and a Graft, which is of another kind, and yet both make but one Tree; These give some light, and thus much only, that as two things of different kinds may meet, and denominate one subject; so the Natures of God and Man did meet, and make but one Christ.
Now from this union of our Nature to the Person of the Son of God, there ariseth to us these privileges or benefits.
1. The first is, the Exaltation of our Nature even above all creatures whatsoever, not the Angels themselves excepted, in that now it hath its subsistence in the second Person of the Trinity.
2. The second is, that which Divines call the communication of properties; but this must be taken with a grain of salt, for here was no real donation by which one Nature might use the properties of the other; for whatsoever was proper to the Deity, was not communicated to the Humanity; and whatsoever was natural to the Manhood, the Deity was not capable of. This then is that we affirm, that the properties which really and essentially belong to either Nature, are attributed to the whole Person. 'It is proper unto God to be immutable, impassible, immortal; yet because God dwelt in our flesh, we may say, that he that was God, was born of the Virgin Mary; God suffered, God died for us, because the Person in which the Godhead dwelt, was born, and died. Again, we may truly say that man is Omnipotent, Eternal, Omniscious, because that Person to whom we attribute these properties of the Deity, had the Nature of God as well as the Nature of man in him; so that all the actions and passions of Christ are to be referred properly unto his person, and the Predications to be understood of his Person, as the true subject in which they do exist, though some of them must be referred to one Nature, some to the other, as the principle and cause from which they flow. The Rule in Logic is true, and of excellent use in this Point: Quod est partis, qua pars, id etiam totius est secundum illam partem; that property which belongs essentially to any part, may be attributed to the whole in respect of that part: Both Propositions then are true, Christ died, and Christ died not; for Christ is the whole, and the Godhead and Manhood are as it were the parts; here what belongs to a part only, is attributed to the whole and truly; for he died according to his Manhood, but he died not according to his Godhead: And thus the properties of either Nature may be safe, and yet communicated to the whole.
3. Lastly, By reason of this union it is, that the Godhead of Christ works all things in that great business of our redemption in and by the Manhood. Thus he became the way, the truth, and the life; thus wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, redemption; thus he became the peace of the world, the hope of the Fathers, the heir of all things, the supreme head of the Church: The man Christ and Son of Mary, is the subject and person upon which these honors and prerogatives are bestowed, but not simply as he is man, but as a man with whom Deity is personally joined. The flesh profiteth nothing, yet by virtue which it receiveth from the person to which it is joined, it is quickening flesh, and the bread of life; which one point of Christian belief, is the very groundwork of all things believed concerning life and salvation.
1. For had he not been the Son of God, he could not have been a Savior, a Redeemer. This is evident; for man cannot redeem his brother, nor make agreement unto God for him; Saints cannot do this, Angels may not undertake to do it; for in his Saints he found folly, and in his Angels pravitatem, somewhat that was awry. They need a Redeemer and Savior themselves, and what they need themselves, they cannot supply to others. Who then, if nor man, nor Saint, nor Angel is fit for this work, is able to redeem and save? Who but God alone, and upon him David pitcheth? It is God that redeems my soul from the power of hell. For he that will redeem, must necessarily do these four things.
1. He must give a full price for that which he will redeem; lay down he must whatsoever can be demanded, or else the person to whom the forfeiture is made, may choose whether he will set free or no. This 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , this price God only was able to lay down, and therefore God only a Redeemer; and this he did lay down, whence it is written, God redeemed the Church with his own blood. Ye know ye were not redeemed with gold and silver, &c. but with the precious blood of Christ. I am the Lord, and besides me there is no Savior, saith the Prophet. The dignity of the satisfaction depended upon the dignity of the person.
2. He must make amends for the wrong that was done to the offended party, and repair him in point of honor, if in justice it be demanded. The wrong that was here done to Almighty God by sin, was infinite, an infinite dishonor; for which he exacting reparation, it could never be had from a finite creature; and therefore he that would undertake to restore this honor, must be God alone.
3. For this infinite wrong, God was infinitely angry, and in his anger he threatened an infinite and eternal punishment. The satisfaction for this must be correspondent, which had it light upon any creature, he would have been overwhelmed and crushed with it; God then he must be that should undergo this wrath; God, that he might overcome, and not sink under this punishment, which was, and is rightly called infinite, because sustained by such a person, that makes it equivalent to an eternal.
4. Lastly, He that will redeem, must set the person so at liberty, that he be in statu quo prius, in as good an estate as he was at first, for else his work is but done by halfs. The state in which man at first was, was very glorious; for created he was in the image of God, in righteousness and true holiness. Defaced this was, utterly lost and repaired it must be, or else he shall never be able to appear rectus in Curiâ, a holy and a righteous creature, when the Judge shall sit on the Bench. Now can anything we do repair it? Alas no, for all our righteousness is but a filthy rag, and our specious works as dung: That which will purge away this filth, must be the blood of the Son of God, this alone can restore the image of God in us, and make us appear holy and righteous creatures; whence the Prophet teacheth us a Name by which we are to call him, Jehovah our righteousness; Jehovah you see must be an ingredient, or else our righteousness will fall short.
Whether then we consider the price to be paid, the wrong to be satisfied, the punishment to be sustained, or our wicked and perverse nature to be rectified and restored; necessary it is that he who would undertake to do this, be God, or else he could be no Redeemer.
2. On the other side, if a Redeemer of men, man he must be also; so is the flat redemption of persons. He must be a brother, or next of blood, else not admitted to redeem a person. Job took notice of this in that chap. where we first meet with this word Redeemer, I know that my Redeemer liveth; for the word is very Emphatical, Goel, it is that signifieth a Kinsman, near allied to him, of his own flesh, as well as a Redeemer; and I doubt not that the Spouse had an eye to this in her earnest desire for his Incarnation; Oh that thou wert as my brother, sucking the breasts of my mother; her brother saith she; his kinsman saith Job, or else no redeemer; for
1. He that would redeem a man from the breach of the Law, must himself come under the Law; for if he be out of the compass of the Law, the Law cannot take hold of him. No remedy then but he who would undertake our debt and danger which the Law exacted of us, must put and bind himself under the Law, that so he might perform whatever the Law required at our hands, and where we fell short pay for all our misdemeanors, and bear the stripes we deserved. This was impossible for the Deity; for he cannot be brought under, nor cannot suffer; since then it pleased him to be our Surety, and to enter bond for us, necessary it was that he should be man, to do what we should have done; and suffer what we should have suffered.
2. God and man were fallen at variance; and requisite it was that someone should step in, and work a reconciliation. God was the offended Party, and of too high a Nature for such a work: Man was the offending person, and no way capable to treat. 'It is the Medium that unites the extremes; and such an one was Christ, the Medium betwixt God and man, and so composed of both, that he came betwixt both. As God, speaks to the Father for us, and presents our prayers to him; but man, that God might speak to us, and we to God by Christ. For there is one God, and one Mediator betwixt God and man, the man Jesus Christ.
3. But praying would not serve the turn; there must be paying also; a payment to be made with blood; for without shedding of blood there is no remission; but God had no blood to shed. Dye he could not, nor shed blood he could not, had he only continued to be the Son of God. He must then become also the Son of man, that he might partake of death for man, without which we had lain under the curse still.
4. Yet farther, man he would be, that we thereby might have strong consolation; for had not this been, he could never have been one with us, and we with him, which is the sole ground of our comfort; for by this union it is that we are made partakers of the Divine Nature. God is become our Father, Christ our elder Brother; he the Sanctifier, and we the Saints; and he that sanctifieth, and they that are sanctified, are all one. He then must be like to us in all things, sin only excepted, or else our Brotherhood, our Filiation, our Sanctification, our Kindred, our Fellowship with him is quite gone, and with that all our hope and confidence.
5. And yet there is one reason more, which is, that that Nature might be a means to work the peace which had made the breach; and that nature conquer the Devil, that was conquered by the Devil. 1. It was the Nature of man that in Adam did transgress; and it was the Nature of man in Christ that must and did satisfy. As by man came sin, so by man Redemption from sin. And this seems to belong to Justice, that he should satisfy who hath sinned: Et ideo in natura per peccatum co • rupta debet assumi id per quod satisfactio erat implenda pro tota natura; and this is Leo 's Reason. 2. But then again, this Nature of man had not only been seduced and corrupted, but trampled upon, captivated and enslaved by the Devil; that then the same Nature might conquer that had been conquered, and triumph which had been led captive, it pleased God to join himself to our Nature, and in it to give the Devil a deadly blow, and as it was promised, to break the Serpents head; and this belonged to the wisdom and goodness of the Creator, ut per eandem creaturam superaretur Diabolus, quam se superasse gaudebat; That the Devil should be conquered by that self-same creature, whom he did glory to have conquered; and this is Augustine 's Reason.
Sum up all this, and the total will be, that it was necessary (God's Decree being presupposed, for of absolute necessity I speak not) that the Redeemer of men should be a man, that he might come under the Law, might be fitted to be a Mediator, might have blood to shed, might in our Nature satisfy and pacify the wrath of God, conquer and triumph over the Devil, and be made one with his Church.
Oh the infinite riches of the wisdom and mercy of Almighty God, who so fitted a Person to this great work of man's Redemption, in whom both these Natures are combined, the Godhead and the Manhood! Man, that he might have wherewith to pay; and God, that this his payment might be fully satisfactory; never such a person, never such a price, never such a mercy: By this we have access to the Throne of Grace, where we receive this comfort, that being man, he will be more pitiful to man, fit to be a Mediator; and being God, able to finish the work of our salvation to the uttermost. Both together make him to be the Savior of the world, to which he was anointed, and was therefore called Christ, or as Peter here stiles him, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , the Christ.
2. Thou art the Christ.
THis is that other Title given by Peter to our Savior; and as the former was Nomen Naturae, so is this Officii; that expressed to us his Nature, this his Office; that was peculiar and proper to him; for never was any so the Son of God as he was. This is an appellative or common name given to others, because they were Types and Figures of him, and bore those Offices in their times, which he forever executes in his Church. It is all one with Messiah in Hebrew, whereby the Redeemer was named in the Old Testament; and under that name the woman of Samaria, as the other Jews expected him: I know that the Messiah comes, which is called Christ. The Hebrew, Greek and Latin signify no more than anointed in English; whence Tertullian made a doubt whether it be a name or no: Si tamen nomen est Christus, & non potius appellatio; if yet it be, saith he, a name, and not rather an appellation, as are other denominatives; be it then no more, yet it is an appellation both of Office and Honor.
1. Of Office, Trust and Charge; for he was a Savior ex Officio; at his coming into the world God erected an Office of salvation. Some before him had been temporal and particular saviors as it fell out; but none ordained, none so sanctified, none so commissioned fully to execute that Office besides himself; he was elected, called, sent, anointed, sealed to exercise this function of a Savior.
2. And as it is a Name of Office, so also is it a Title of Honor and Dignity; for though some had it before his coming, yet never any bore it, but such as were in some honorable place, and high calling. Kings were called Christi, and Priests were called Christi, and Prophets were Christi, Christ's, or anointed; the calling of all three before our time was never questioned to be very honorable; Christ therefore is a Name of Dignity: Quod propter eximiam aliquam praecellentiam conferebatur; which was conferred for some signal preeminence; for those three above-named bore the title in regard of the unction, because by the external Ceremony of anointing, they were all three consecrated and enabled to the execution of their Office. The Office of the King is in temporal things chiefly, to Judge, to Rule, to Defend his People; to set all right, and keep all right; to save his people from those who would hurt, and to help the innocent. The Office of the Priest lies in spiritual matters; to stand in the gap, to pacify, and reconcile man to God, and God to man. The Office of the Prophet is to illuminate and direct, and by this light and direction to save our feet from the by-paths of Error, and our souls from the fire of hell. Kings, Priests, and Prophets then were put into these high places to save; and all these three had their several annointings; Aaron the Priest, Elisha the Prophet, David the King.
But when Jesus came into the world, because he was to do the Office of all these three, therefore was he called 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , the Anointed, in a more peculiar manner than they were; for they were anointed with material oil, he with the Holy Ghost; they by the hands of men, he by no other than God himself; they to save for a time, he to save forever.
They were typical, he a perfect Christ; in him all those Offices were conjoined, which in them were never perfectly to be found. Two of these met in someone or other, but in none of them all three. Melchizedek was King and Priest, but no Prophet; David Prophet and King, but no Priest; Samuel Priest and Prophet, but no King; he the sole perfect Christ, because all three. David's Priest: Moses Prophet: Daniel's King; for he was to reign in the house of Jacob forever.
Farther yet, this name of honor was given to him in a more eminent manner, because in him alone are contained the causes of that unction, for which those other were honored with the Name of Christ; for he was by his Prophetical Office to teach and instruct in the whole will of God. The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because the Lord hath anointed me to preach good tidings to the meek, &c. By his Priesthood to purge, to expiate, to offer a Sacrifice for us, to reconcile us again to God, to mediate for us, and bless us; and by his Kingly power to subdue his enemies of all sorts; to protect his Church; to prescribe wholesome Laws by which he would govern it; to reward the observers, and punish the breakers of them; but of this more at large by and by.
For my more methodical proceeding, and your better understanding this necessary point of Doctrine. In this Office to which our Savior was Anointed, I will consider these three things.
- 1. His Separation and Consecration to this Office.
- 2. The Endowments and Graces which were given for the execution of it.
- 3. The Charge and Trust by this Office committed to him.
1. His Consecration.
To Consecrate, is to set apart to some sacred use, or function; and to this Office he was Consecrated when he became man; for as he was God he could not be Anointed. That which made him capable of this Unction, was the assumption of the seed of the woman into the Unity of his person. Which when in the fullness of time it was effected, then by the concurrence and good will of all three persons, he was anointed, and had the name of Christ given him; The Son of God he was before, but not 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , the Christ till now; Now it was that the Father anointed him. Now it was that he was anointed with the Holy Ghost and with power. So that there is a concurrence of all persons in this name, all willing and well-pleased that he should be consecrated, and set apart to do the Office of a Mediator betwixt God and man. The Father he designed, sealed, the Son was consecrated and sealed, the Holy Ghost anointed him with power, endowments, gifts and graces for the perfect execution of this high calling.
2. His Endowments and Graces.
For this Anointing is the pouring out of the fullness of the Spirit or Grace into the manhood of Christ, whence he is said to be full of Grace and Truth. With outward Oil as other Kings, Priests, and Prophets, he was not, he needed not be anointed. And the reason is, because Divinitas, his Deity being inseparably united to his humanity, humanitatis unctio est, is the anointing of his human nature. This made him full of Grace, and this fullness of Grace was either in respect of
- Union or
- Unction.
1. Than the Grace of Union there could be no greater bestowed on the nature of man. For besides the Sanctification of it, how far hath God honored our clay, by joining his Deity to our dust? By this Union God and earth, Majesty and infirmity, power and weakness cohabit and dwell together. Nihil Deo sublimius, nil limo vilius. Nothing is higher than God, nothing baser than earth or dust, and yet out of so great condescension • od hath descended to our earth, and with so great honor our earth hath ascended to God, that whatsoever God hath done in it, that our earth and dust is said to have done; and whatsoever our earth suffered, God is believed to have borne it out. By reason of this Union it is, that God hath put all things into his hands. The name which he hath above every name is given unto him, yea and he hath power to bequeath life to whom he pleaseth.
The Union then of the flesh to the Deity, is to the flesh a principal grace and favor; for by virtue of this Grace man is really united to God, made an associate of the Deity, partaker of Divine power, a creature is exalted above the dignity of all creatures, and hath all creatures made subject to it. Agnosce O homo Christiane dignitatem tuam, & divinae consors factus naturae, dole in veterem vilitatem degeneri conversatione redire. O Christian man take notice of thy dignity, and being made a partaker of the Divine nature, think thyself too good to degenerate and return to thy old baseness by a sordid and sinful life.
2. But to come to the grace of Unction; Did the two parts of our Nature, the soul and body of Christ, receive from the influence of the Deity, whereto they were conjoined, no ability of operation, no virtue or quality above Nature? yes verily; for otherwise the Holy Ghost had never taught the holy men of God thus to write, that he was anointed above his fellows; that he was full of grace and truth; that it pleased the Father that in him all fullness should dwell.
Grace then, as the Schoolmen have well observed, is to be considered two ways; vel ex parte gratiae, vel ex parte subjecti habentis gratiam; either in respect of grace itself, or the subject in which grace is.
1. The fullness of grace in respect of grace itself, is, when one cometh to the highest pitch of grace, both quoad essentiam, & quoad virtutem, & extensive, & intensive; both so far as it may be had, and to all the effects and purposes to which it may extend; as he that hath life in all the perfections, must have whatsoever the vegetative, the sensitive soul, or what reason can contribute to him. This kind of grace is proper unto Christ alone; for God gave not the Spirit unto him by measure, or in any small scantling.
2. But the fullness of grace in respect of the subject, is, when one hath gracefully and perfectly, according to his estate and condition; intensively, according to his rank; and extensively, according to the duties and offices which God requires from men of his rank. And thus Mary, Stephen, the Apostles were full of the Holy Ghost, in that they had grace so far forth as might appertain to the performance of those things to which God made choice of them.
Their graces were then limited, Christ's without limitation; theirs in measure, his had no stint, no bounds. Whence Saint John saith, that the holy Ghost did descend and remain upon him. The Deity (the essential properties of the Godhead only excepted) imparted to the humanity all things, replenished it with all such perfections according to the exigence of that economy and service, for which it pleased him in love and mercy to be made man.
And these graces and qualities subjectively, habitually, and formally inherent in the Human Nature of Christ, are in particular aptly typed out to us by that Holy Oil which Moses was commanded to make after the Art of the Apothecary, and reserve for the Unction of Aaron and his Sons, when they were to be consecrated to the Priests Office. And that in three respects.
1. That Holy Oil had no man for its Author, but God alone: So the supereminent graces in the Manhood of Christ, have no other beginning or fountain save his very Deity. The Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him, the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge, and the fear of the Lord.
2. Though that Oil were more precious, yet the composition was of earthly substances, as Myrrh, Cinnamon, Cassia, Calamus, &c. to signify that the spiritual Oil of grace, whereof the Man-hood of Christ was as it were, the Vessel or Store-house, did not consist of the essential properties of his Deity, but in certain habitual gifts and graces resident in his Human Nature; otherwise we could not have had our parts in them.
3. That Oil was a most fragrant perfume, sending forth a most sweet smelling savor. This was a most lively resemblance of the graces of Christ, which are a sweet smelling savor in the nostrils of the Almighty, which doth sent our persons and actions, and make them so acceptable to him, that the strong vapors of our stinking sins are no more loathsome and unsavory to him. Hence it is, that Saint Paul calls our Savior's death a sacrifice of a sweet smelling savor; and saith also, that through it we are unto God the sweet savor of Christ.
3. The Charge and Trust by this Office committed to him.
I am past the two first points, his Consecration, and his Endowments; It remains now that I speak of that threefold Office to which he was anointed; that of a King, that of a Priest, and that of a Prophet. And there is very great reason for this number.
1. Fist, In that man by his Apostasy from God, became ignorant and knew not, an enemy and would not, so impotent that he could not return of himself again to him. By these Offices there is a present remedy set forth for all these. As a Prophet, he teacheth us knowledge, and so cures our ignorance: As a Priest, he takes up all matters of difference and dislike, makes God our friend, and so removes all enmity: And as a King, he empowers us with strength, and enables us to conquer and overcome all difficulties and impediments that are cast in the way of our return.
2. Again, the Method of God's bestowing salvation requires this number. For this mystery of our Redemption ought first to be expounded, then paid for, and lastly be applied to us. Now who fitter than a Prophet to open and expound the Will of God to his people? who than a Priest to offer a Sacrifice, and by it to make God amends for sin? what person so fit as a King, who hath power in his hand to apply to everyone what is needful? And all this he did; As a Prophet he made known, as a Priest he paid, and as a King he applied his whole Ransom and Satisfaction, and made it ours.
3. Lastly, These three Offices appear in the orderly execution of them. For first as a Prophet he walked about, at least for three years, publishing and preaching the glad tidings of the Gospel. Then as a Priest he offered his soul a Sacrifice for sin upon the Altar of the Cross. And lastly having conquered his and our enemies, Sin, Death, and Hell, as a King he entered triumphantly into his glory, and took possession of his Crown. But it will not be amiss to speak of these more particularly.
1. Christ a Prophet.
A Prophet is derived from 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , to foretell. And in a strict sense it signifies a man who hath received a gift to foretell things to come. But in a larger acception it denotes a man that is endowed with power to interpret, and make known the Will of God. Though then we exclude not Christ from the Office of Prophecy in the first sense of that word (for we know the Revelation proceeded from him, which is a prophecy of the state of the Church to the end of the world, that I name not many other predictions) yet in this case we rather embrace the latter, because
1. He taught upon what terms blessedness was to be had under the Gospel; which could never have been made known, had he not revealed it; viz. The Redemption of the World by his death and passion; The Application of it by his Resurrection, Ascension, and sending of the Holy Ghost; Remission of sin, and Justification by his blood, and Reconciliation of all things in heaven and in earth.
2. He purged the Law from divers corruptions, which the false glosses of the Pharisees had put upon it; and in that excellent Sermon upon the Mount, and through the whole Gospel sets down an Exacter Rule of life than any Law-giver ever before him thought of, or at least so obscurely, that their injunctions were not well understood, much less observed.
3. He ordained Sacraments, instituted a Ministry, Gave some to be Apostles, some Prophets, some Evangelists, some Pastors, some Teachers; Gave into their hands the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven, and power to make use of that Discipline which he ordained to the end of the world.
All these are Acts of his prophetic function; and in regard of the execution of them, he is called The Apostle of our profession; confessed to be a Teacher sent from God; A Rabbi, the sole Rabbi; Magni consilii angelus; The Counselor; The wisdom of God; nay, the very treasury in which are stored up all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.
And in two things it is that he hath the preeminence of all other Prophets.
1. That he was in the bosom of his Father, and conscious to his Fathers secrets; he needed not stay for a Revelation, but out of his own immediate knowledge, is enab • ed to deliver the whole Will of God to us; whereas all other Prophets and Teachers receive their Revelation at the second hand, according to the grace given them by the Spirit of Christ, searching what, or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them would signify. The gift of Prophecy in him then was per modum habitus; a habit it was, so that he could work by it, so that he could reveal the secrets of God, where, when, to whom, and as he would: But in other Prophets it was only per modum coruscationis & actus, a light that shined into their understanding for the present, so that they could not prophecy when they pleased, or speak what they list, but only so much, and at that time when God informed them. In a word, Prophecy in Christ was like the light in the Sun; but in any of his Messengers, like the same light in the air, which you know vanisheth when the Sun is set.
2. But thete is not only a manifest difference in the receipt of this Prophetick Spirit, but a great disparity also in the effects to which it is given. All other Prophets could no more but declare, and teach, and labor, and plant, and water, and build. Paul is a planter, Apollos a waterer; in one place a fellow laborer, in another a chief Builder. But who is Paul? and who is Apoll • s? Ministers only by whom men believe. It is the Lord that gives the increase; They may plant indeed, and water, and labor all night, and build, and toil, but unless Christ be with them with the powerful presence of his Spirit, they are not able to save one soul. We as lively stones are built up into a spiritual house, but except the Lord build the house, their labor is but lost that build it; for who is able to breath that Spirit of life into those cold stones but he? who can make the dead in their graves hear the voice of the Son of God but he? He calls his Apostles, and they leave all, and follow him instantly. He commands Zacchaeus to descend, and he comes down quickly, and entertains him. He opens to the two Disciples the Scriptures, and their hearts glow within them. This then is another privilege he hath beyond any other Prophet; that whereas he can only declare and speak, Christ can give Spirit, life, and power to his Word, and make it so effectual to the conversion of the hearer, that it returns not empty.
2. Christ a Priest.
Which yet will be more evident, if we consider his second Office, that of a Priest. For the Office of a Priest lies in this especially, that he interpose and mediate; that he offer Sacrifice, that he do bless the people. For we know in the old Law, if at any time God and his people were fallen out, the Priest was to stand in the Gap to pray for them, and to mediate a peace. Then again to purge and expiate their sin by Sacrifice. Lastly, to bless them. And all these ways Christ may well be called a Priest by his Mediation, his Sacrifice, and Benediction.
First, He mediates; for there is but one Mediator betwixt God and man, the man Christ Jesus. Now mediation is nothing else but an act by which one interposeth himself betwixt two that are at variance to reconcile them, and join them in a new League of amity or friendship. This mediation is performed four ways. First, By discerning and judging the matters of quarrel and dislike, that separate and estrange the parties. Secondly, By making report to either party the conditions on which the peace should be made, and the differences ended. Thirdly, By entreating one party for another. And fourthly, by satisfying one party for the wrong done by the other. Now all these ways was Christ a Mediator.
1. For first he interposed himself as an Arbitratour between God and us, and easily discerned the whole matter of dislike, and judged it to be most equal on the part of God.
2. Then he reported the conditions upon which the dislike might be taken up; to wit, that we should submit to God, prostrate ourselves at his feet, repent of the wrongs we did him, beg mercy, believe those promises of pardon he should make us, and enter into a Solemn Obligation, never willfully hereafter to reject his Laws, or wrong him anymore, upon which conditions God should accept of our submission, faith, repentance, and purpose of amendment.
3. Farthe • , He mediated by supplication and entreaty, praying God to be reconciled to us; he sits at the right hand of God, there he is our Advocate, and makes request for us.
4. Lastly, He mediated by satisfying the one party for the wrong done by the other, which could be done only by Sacrifice, and so he performed the other duty of the Priest.
Secondly, For every high Priest taken from among men, is ordained for men in things pertaining to God, that he may offer both gifts and sa • rifi • es for sins: Ordained then it is, that every Priest offer a Sacrifice; This then is common to him with Aaron, that he offered; but that Sacrifice which he offered, far exceeds that of Aaron's and of his family. They offered first for themselves, he for the people only; for, for himself he needed not. They often, he but once; They somewhat else, as Bulls, Goats, &c. but he offered himself for the Sins of the world, to a painful and shameful death, by which he did satisfy God for the injuries and wrongs done him by sinful men, and repair him in point of honor, so far as ungodly wretches had dishonored him.
A Priest that would undertake this, must needs be such a person as Christ was. Man: that he might be a Sacrifice, shed his blood, and die, which God could not. God: that the effusion of this blood, might be a price sufficient and valuable for the sin of man. For though the Sacrifice was offered according to his human Nature; yet the force, virtue, and efficacy thereof did depend upon his Divine. Which is most evident by this. Suppose a man were never so innocent, never so pure, just, holy, yet a mere man, who would be content to suffer all that Christ did for the ransom of mankind, could he so suffering and dying satisfy God's wrath? could he reconcile him to all men? Surely no; it were well if he could save his own soul. What is it then that makes Christ's blood of more value than his? of a greater price than that holy, just, righteous man's? Nothing but that he was not such a person as Christ was; only that his blood was not the blood of the Son of God: An infinite person he was not, as Christ was, and therefore could not satisfy for an infinite offense. It was the Son of God, and Lord of life, that died for us upon the Cross; but the Nature of man, and not of God, in which he died. But it was the Nature of God, and the infinite excellency of the same, whence the price, value, and worth of his passion grew.
Thirdly, Two Offices of the Priest evident it is that he executed; and in this last of Sacrifice, Aaron was a type of him. For as he offered the blood of beasts, so did Christ his own blood, to make satisfaction for the sins of the people. A third duty there is yet of the Priest behind, and that is to Bless, in which Melchized • ck was a lively type of him. For he blessed Abraham. And so doth Christ as a Priest yet bless the spiritual seed of Abraham, and none else. The Sacrifice which he offered as an Aaronical Priest, ended with his death, and all those other sacrifices, which were but types of it. For Christ being once dead, dies no more; he needs not; that one death was sufficient. There remains no more sacrifice for sin. But this other part of his Office, To bless, is perpetually to continue; whence it is written of him, That he was to be a Priest forever after the order of Melchizedek. For ever a Priest, but not after the order of Aaron, that had its period with his Sacrifice: but after the order of Melchizedek; The chief Act of whose Priest-hood was, which we read of, that he did bless Abraham.
True it is, that the Priests of Aaron's order did bless too, but it was in the name of another. The Lord bless thee; The Lord make his face to shine upon thee, &c. But Christ blessed in his own Name; They by prayer and petition; He by so powerful an Intercession, which because it is backed with authority, is all one with an actual donation. He was sent to bless, and he doth bless indeed.
But perhaps you will ask in what this blessing doth consist? Saint Peter shall tell you, God having raised up his Son Jesus, sent him to bless you, in turning away everyone of you from his iniquities. After his Resurrection there follows his M • ssion, he raised, he sent; and the end of this sending is to bless; and the blessing consists in this, that everyone of us be turned from his iniquity. The act is in him, but the work must be in us. He turns, and we must be turned. He gives sufficient grace to work an universal, sincere, impartial, thorough change of every sinner; and therefore every sinner must co-operate with this grace, and be changed.
1. There must be a turning, or inverting of the soul, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , a transmentation, and less than that will not prove sufficient; Humiliation, Confession, grief for, and hatred of sin will not serve the turn, for all these are but initial preparations to repentance; there must be an actual turning from sin, a repentance from dead works.
2. To effect this, observe the blessing expressed by 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , in turning, which is common to Christ and us; but in a different power and sense; he by way of efficiency, we of non-resistance; he to turn us, and then we to turn; not to resist, to grieve, to quench that power of his grace which he blesseth to turn us.
3. The extent of this blessing, 'tis upon all. The end is that everyone turn: Jew or Gentile; for the grace of God, that brings salvation, appeared to all; and the lesson it teacheth, is, That everyone live soberly, justly, and piously; for except everyone repent, he shall perish.
4. The blessing is so effectual, that it turns 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , from iniquities. There be frailties, weaknesses, infirmities, which are reconcilable with a regenerate estate; from these we are not so far blessed, as to be turned, while we carry about with us this burden of flesh. And there be 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , villainies, and wickednesses of the carnal man, deliberate acts and wasting habits of an unsanctified life; and from these, especially from the reign of these, Christ Blesseth all those, who admit Him for their Priest.
There be that are glad to hear of that Sacrifice which this our Priest offered for them upon the Cross; in their mouths they have always that Ransom; and well it were they would remember it more, so withal by a wicked life they would not crucify him again. But well it were also, that while they solace themselves with his death, they would call to mind also that he rose again; and then that they, as they are to die with him, so must rise again to newness of life; without which the Sacrifice he offered on the Cross, will stand them in little stead.
Remember, that he came not only to Sacrifice, but to b • ess also; and can any man persuade himself that he is partaker of the blessing, so long as he is not turned from his iniquities? or rather so long as he turns to them, and suffers them to domineer and reign in his mortal body? 'It is a vain persuasion for any man to look for a blessing, a pardon, eternal salvation from this high Priest, either as satisfying or suffering, but upon the good use of his grace. So far only we may expect justification and salvation from the sufferings of Christ, as we are wrought upon by his Renewing and Sanctifying Spirit: This being the end of his death, That he might Redeem us from our iniquities, that is, from the reigning power, as well as the guilt, and purify unto himself a people zealous of good works. And if he fail of his end, we are like to fail of ours; after the light he held out as a Prophet, and the Sacrifice he offered as a Priest, the impenitent wretch, and the unreformed Caitiffe, notwithstanding the great boast of his faith and confidence in the blood and merits of Christ, may be cast away, and perish everlastingly. I shall close this point with those fearful words of Saint Paul, which I wish may sound continually • ike a clap of thunder in the ears of every dissolute and presumptuous sinner; For if we sin willfully after that we have received the knowledge of the Truth, there remains no more Sacrifice for Sins; but a certain fearful looking for of Judgment, and fiery Indignation, which shall devour • the Adversaries.
3. Christ a King.
And that he might be able to reward all his good Subjects, and punish his rebellious Enemies, this Christ, besides that he is a Priest and a Prophet, is a mighty King; for as he told Pilate, to that end he was borne, and to that end he came into the world. But not to be a Temporal King, that you mistake not with the Jews, who dream of a Messiah to come in such State, Power, and Majesty, that he shall cast down all Monarchs before him, and subdue all Princes unto him. For as he said before Pilate, His Kingdom is not of this world; It stands not in the arm or policy of man, as earthly Kingdoms do; But it is Spiritual, and hath its efficacy upon the hearts and consciences of men, in whom he rules by the power of his Spirit, and by the light of his Gospel. For this is the Sword and Scepter of his Kingdom, which he weilds in the midst of his enemies, and makes them all his footstool: Such of his enemies he converts as pertain to God's Election; and such he conquers and confounds, as are the sons of perdition. His Gospel to one is the savor of life, and to the other the savor of Death unto Death, 2 Cor. 2.16.
Divers differences there are betwixt him and other Kings, betwixt his and other Kingdoms.
1. The dominions of all other Princes are limited, and the Borders of their Kingdoms bounded. But he is a Catholic King, and hath an universal Kingdom. All power is given unto him in heaven and earth. Nay, under the earth. All people and Nations must serve him; All creatures must bow to him; for God hath put all things under his feet, being given to be the head of all things to his Church.
2. Other Princes (many of them at least) have set up their Kingdoms by the power of the Sword. A Captain of Caesar's being sent by him to the Senate for continuance of his Province, and understanding they would not grant it, claps his hand to the pummel of his Sword; Well, saith he, since you will not yield to this motion, Hic dabit, this shall force it from you: And Pompey (the Messenians alleging their Laws and Privileges) answered in choler, What do you prattle of your Laws to us that have our Swords by our sides? Wich these Mahomet brought in his Alcoran, thus he maintains it. So the Assyrian, Persian, Graecian, Roman Monarchies were erected; So Tyrants and Potentates of the world end all their quarrels, and make their enemies their footstool.
But the Scepter of Christ's Kingdom is not a Sword of Steel. I know not one of his Disciples were sent forth to Preach with a Sword by his side. He subdues a people to himself non ore gladii, but gladio oris, not by the mouth of the Sword, but by the Sword of his mouth; For the Gospel is the great power of God unto salvation; casting down holds, and imaginations, and everything that is exalted against the knowledge of God; and bringing into captivity every high thought to the obedience of Christ.
3. And this is also a third difference, that every high thought is brought to the obedience of Christ. For whereas all other Princes may by a penal Law restrain the hand, and enforce the outward Act only; this King gives grace that reforms and amends the heart, by which our iniquities are not only subdued, but the virtues of faith, and hope, and charity are so powerfully infused, that the man becomes a new creature, and takes delight to do his duty to this King in righteousness and holiness all his days. For which obedience, if sincere, though imperfect, he will at last reward him with an immortal Crown.
His Kingdom then is a Kingdom of power, by which he will destroy all his and our enemies, Sin, Satan, Death, Hell, and all ungodly men; even them who said, Nolumus hunc regnare, We will not have this man to reign over us. His Kingdom is a Kingdom of grace, under which he calls the Church out of the world to a holy fellowship with him; institutes Ordinances for his worship, and appoints Ministers to dispense them; Gives Laws for the ordering of our ways, and the ordering of his house; Gives power of life to all his Institutions, and to his people by them; Bestowing strength of grace to overcome all rebellious lusts, and habits of sin: And protecting and delivering his Church from all the enemies of their peace. Lastly, His Kingdom is a Kingdom of glory, called in Scripture the Kingdom of God, the Kingdom of light, the Kingdom of heaven, and the world to come; because this will be the end of the good use of his grace to make us Raign with him in Everlasting Glory.
The CONCLUSION.
Whatsoever Christ did, whatsoever Christ was made, it was for us men, and our salvation. Let us then consider how nearly this benefit of unction and consecration concerns us. For as the Oil upon Aaron's head descended to the beard, and reached to the skirts of his clothing, so also this Oil was poured upon Christ's head, thence descended to his Members, that so he might not only be Unctus, but Unctor; not the Anointed only, but the Anointer.
It is recorded that upon the day of his birth at Rome a fountain of Oil broke out of the earth, and continued to run that whole day. A presage this might be, that from him as a fountain, should stream forth a holy Ointment, from which all that belonged to him, should receive their Unction and Appellatfon. Which of those old Kings, Priests, or Prophets, though they were styled Christ's, yet left that name to any that they saved or ruled? The Ointment they had for themselves, not to communicate it to others. But this Name of this Christ is Oleum effusum, an Ointment poured forth; we may be said to receive some part with him. In that from this anointing we have our names; 'It is our honor that we may be bold to proclaim 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , Christians we are denominated from Christ; Uncti ab Uncta, anointed from him who was the Anointed. A Name first given at Antioch, and retained ever since by all posterity.
And now let us inquire with Gregory Nyssen, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , what we promise and profess upon the assumption of this Name. The meditation, if sad, will be very profitable; for it being once accurately found out, what is contained in this Name, we must needs be much quickened to a virtuous life. For as he who affects to be honored with the Title of a Physician, Orator, or Mathematician, will endeavor by all means to give sufficient Testimony that he is worthy of that name: In like manner they who intend to glory in the name of a Christian, will labor to live as a Christian ought, that so their works may adorn their profession, and force even those who are without, to confess that Christ is in them indeed.
A Christian is a name of virtue, of justice, of goodness, of integrity, of patience, of chastity, of prudence, of humility, of courtesy, of innocence, of piety. In a word, it is 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , an imitation of the divine Nature. Neither doth this definition pass the bounds of reason. For since man at first was created after the Image of God; which being lost, our Christian profession aims to restore; it cannot then be otherwise, but Christianity must be an imitation of the Divine Nature. A Christian then is he who imitates Christ, who is holy, innocent, undefiled; in whose breast there is no malicious wickedness, in whose tongue there is no guile, who undoes no man, but helps all.
But and if in the profession of Christianity a man live the life of a Jew, and fall below the Heathen; if he take delight in mischief, plot and practice it; if he fear not God, nor reverence man; if he give himself over to wantonness, to adultery, to fornication, to drunkenness; if he harbor hatred, strife, wrath, variance, or cruelty, he is but a dead fly that corrupts the sweet Ointment of Christ's Name; or the Ape dressed up, and dancing hansomely in the attire of a Boy, that discovered himself upon the casting down of the Almonds.
Should some skillful Painter undertake to present you with the lively portraiture of some great and good Prince, and instead thereof set him out with the head of a Lyon, the paw of a Bear, the teeth of a Dog, and the tail of a Fox, would not he that expected some excellent piece, and the Prince who by this deformed Image is so abused, conceive an intolerable injury and scorn put upon him? The case is not altogether unlike; every Christian by profession makes you believe that he will present you with an exact express of Christ, with a draught of his humility, his meekness, his patience, his innocence, his sincerity, indeed that very Image of righteousness and holiness in which he was created; but upon the view you find the cruelty of a Lion, the mercy of a Bear, the raven of a Dog, the craft of a Fox, and must not this needs provoke him to anger whose picture you have undertaken to represent, yet have so falsified? Will not this give occasion to the enemies of the Lord to blaspheme?
For in what draught the image is represented, such an enemy will conceive the Prototype to be. If then Christianity be the imitation of Christ, he that shall behold in our lives expressions of all goodness, will easily be persuaded that Christ is a good Master, and the God whom we honor, a just and a holy God. But and if the man who gives out that he is his Image, be deformed with passions, and mis-shaped with beastly vices, advantage will be taken by an ill mind to cast an aspersion upon that God whose Name we bear, as if he were the same with his servants.
Julius Caesar quieted a sedition in his Army with one word, He called them only Quirites, and they were presently stricken with it, and returned to their obedience.
And methinks we, who have our name from so sweet a perfume, should take heed how we make it stink in the nostrils of unbelievers. The very name of Christians from such a Christ, such a Priest, such a King, such a Prophet, should move us all to study to be Kings, Priests, and Prophets too. For think of yourselves what you will, if you truly belong to Christ, you have a share of this holy oil. For you are a chosen generation, a royal Priesthood, an holy Nation, a peculiar people. A Nation of Kings and Priests. Kings and Priests to God the Father; that ye should show fo • th the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvel • us light. Be then what you are called, all Prophets, all Priests, all Kings.
Let the Word of God dwell in you plentifully, and richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another, as Prophets. Present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, as Priests. Fight his battles against Sin, and Satan, as Kings. Yield a ready obedience to his institutions, and doctrine, neither disputing nor neglecting the use of what he hath taught, or thought fit to prescribe: Subdue proud Reason to the Revelations of Christ. For thus did the Prophets of old. 2. Make your heart an Altar, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , present upon it the sacrifices of mortification and contrition, the sweet incense of prayer and supplication, the perfume of righteousness and holiness, the odors of praise and thanksgiving, and the holocaust of the whole man unto your God. Thus ye may be a Kingdom of Priests. 3. To conclude, show yourselves to be obedient, loyal, constant subjects to this King; vow and perform allegiance to him, pay him his tribute of honor, and reverence, entrust him with your protection, address your petitions to him, have no peace but with his friends, no war but with his enemies, and this will be a strong evidence that you are a royal Priesthood.
I might farther set off these persuasions, and improve them to such a necessity, that everyone must confess, they must be done, or else forever disclaim the name of Christian. Since to be wise in the ways of salvation, to mortify all carnality, to conquer their traiterous wills, and rebellious affections, is as proper to this profession, as light is to the Sun, heat to the fire. But I have tired you, and therefore in a word, I shall labor to melt, and charm, and win you into so necessary, so feizable, so gainful a service. Remember that he who was the Son of the living God, became Christ for you, that he might be your Jesus. I say no more, I need say no more; for if this charm you not into your duty, though one should rise from the dead yet you would not be persuaded.
If then there be any consolation in the name of Christ, any comfort of love, any virtue, any praise, any hope of heaven hereafter, think of these things.
Since there is an union of Christ in all these offices, receive him in all these in your hearts. For he will be a Jesus to none, but to such as so uniformly receive him. This is the sole way to enter into the family of this good Master. This is the sole way to an immortal crown. For those only whom he hath protected by his power, furnished and adorned with his grace, softened by his Gospel, grounded in faith, moor'd in hope, rooted in charity, shall obtain that crown of righteousness and glory, which he will give to all that love his appearance, when he shall come in the clouds to bring eternal life and bliss with him for all the children of God.
He which testifieth these things, saith, Surely I come quickly. Amen, Even so come Lord Jesus. The peace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.
The near Union betwixt Christ and his Church.
2 Corinth. 11.2.
For I have espoused you to one husband, that I may present you a chaste Virgin to Christ.
THe first word is Causal, and assigns a reason of what went before. The Apostle begins the Chapter as a jealous man, speaks in the phrase of lovers, acknowledgeth his folly, and desires to be born with. This manner of speaking (such was his heat of affection) he could not help, nor his jealousy neither; for he had espoused them. Suspitious and fearful he was lest he should lose all his pains, and they after his long endeavors cast their affection on some other, put case Ap • llos, Cephas, nay upon himself, and set by Christ. That which was once done, mi • ht, for ought he knew, be done again. The Devil, when time was, beguiled Eve out of Paradise; and why not now again corrupt their minds from the simplicity which is in Christ? Being crafty then, he took them by guile, and endeavors to make sure work; to do that, which being once done, could never be undone; to wit, to draw a firm contract betwixt Christ and the souls at Corint • , that by this internal, indissoluble, and nearest bond of Union, that Church might become his.
At any marriage whatsoever, of any person whomsoever, the Omen is good luck, Felix fanstumque sit, God give you joy. And no marvel, for it puts us in mind, that we had not been alive to bless others, had not our father and mother been thus blest. 'It is the Rock whence we are hew'd, the Root whence we sprung. Prima societas in conjugio, hoc quasi principium urbis, & seminarium Reipublicae. The first link of all Society is in wedlock, this is as it were the Principle of a City, and the Seminary of a Common-wealth. T'was not well with man, while he was alone, then his happiness and joy began when God made him a help meet for him.
And if joy at any wedding, then sure at this, when our Creator becomes our Husband, the creature his spouse; against which day there was an Epithalamium prepared in the Canticles; a solemn, but sacred Feast in the Eucharist; and a Priest, our Apostle I mean, enabled wi h a faculty to do his office, to espouse the Bride, and present her to her Husband, which is Christ.
Good God, how much the Spirit of God is pleased with this allusion! It is pressed in the Old, it is opened in the New Testament; In both we find, that God also hath his Espousals. The first marriage that ever was betwixt our great-great Grandsier Adam, and our mother Eve, is applied to this mystical marriage by Saint Paul; so that though we have no warrant to make it a Sacrament, yet authority enough we have to make it a Mystery, in which the Church is God's Spouse, Christ the Husband, the Prophets and Apostles 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , friends of the Bridegroom to bring them together.
Now among this Reverend and Holy Order, Saint Paul steps forth, Loquitur ut procus & ambit, non autem sibi, sed Christo. He speaks as a Suitor, and woos, but not for himself, it is for Christ: Being ready to do that at Corinth, what they, who succeed these twelve Patriarchs in the Pastoral charge, must do to their flock. He, and they to be Suiters, labor to espouse, and present souls as pure Virgins to Christ.
Three persons take up the whole Text, as many as are absolutely necessary at every wedding. Ego, Vos, Christo. The Apostle, as the Priest. Christ the Bridegroom. The Corinthians in place of the Bride. The whole runs upon Relatives. Here then we are to consider,
1. The Relation that Ego hath to Vos, in what relation Saint Paul stands to the Church of Corinth; if he were not an Apostle to others, yet he was to them, for they were the seal of his Apostleship in the Lord. This then intimates a reciprocal office, a Duty of care in him, and a return of willingness in them. He to espouse; they to be espoused; without which ordinarily this match cannot well proceed:
2. The next Relation to be though on is, how Vos stands to Christo. The Corinthians and all the faithful to Christ; As men they relate to their Maker, but as Christians to their Redeemer. Either then be content to be espoused, and keep you fast to him, or expect no Redemption.
3. Upon just reason I hope you will be persuaded to it; and in the Relato, which is Christ, you have reason upon reason, even a threefold cord. He to whom you are to join, is, Unus, Vir, Christus. One, a Husband, Christ; by his Unity, his Manhood, his Unction, he will be helpful to you. For these causes also, keep you only to him. Now these three shall be the motives by which I will promote the suit:
4. To which, if you mean to yield, know that you are the Correlatum, the Spouse; and then your qualifications must be such as are required in every honest Bride; you must be a chaste Virgin; Virginity and Chastity, the one before, the other after, being the conditions that everyone expects that marries a Maid.
5. In brief, will you hear the Conclusion of the whole matter? The very end that the Apostle was called, that I, or any Priest took Orders, is that which St. Paul here endeavors, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , to fit, and so represent to Christ. I will make it my last point, and conclude with it, laboring to make the knot firm, to join you to Christ, and Christ to you.
1. Ego Vos.
The estate of mankind as they are conjoin'd in the Society of the Church, are presented unto us in the Book of God under divers notions; sometimes of a flock, one while of a field, a Net, a Vineyard, sometimes of a House, sometimes of Marriage. Now the style of this Text runs under this last, where we have a couple to be join'd, and a Minister to join them: Who had endeavored to do his Office, and therefore he speaks in some passion, I am jealous of you; This being the speech of Paul the zealot. Ever a jealous soul is a loving soul; jealousy always arising from love; whence it is very common in the mouth of the Italians, That there is no true love, where there is not a mixture of jealousy.
All which have their rise and fall from jealousy. Since then the Apostle doth not hide that passion, which they who are most guilty, are yet ashamed to own; and that this his affection reflects not upon the Ore of Corinth, but the persons who lived there: Them, not theirs: Their souls, not their Wealth; and not any particular person neither, but them indifferently, and indefinitely: Methinks it should warm the blood of everyone, who is employed to woe for Christ, and make a match for Christ, not to pursue and follow his suit in a cold careless manner. But Zelando zelari, to be exceeding jealous, lest the devil come in the shape of an Angel of light, and beguile, and commit fornicati • n with the poor soul, to which he makes love for Christ, as he sometime did with our mother Eve.
'It is not for a Prophet with Jonah, to get him out of the City, and set himself up a Booth, and sit at ease under the shadow of it. Whither he is sent, he must go, and upon every opportunity make a motion for him who sent him, and zealously attend, Ne quid Chris • us detrimenti capiat, lest his Master receive some prejudice by his coldness, and be crossed in his suit. The speech was profane, which some employed upon this business used in Saint Augustine's days, Quid ad me pertinet? quis{que}, quod velit, agat; victus meus salvus sit, & lac, & lana. Satis sit mihi, Ecclesia Christi eat, qua potest. What is Abel to me? Soul thou hast enough; though the souls at Corinth be naked and poor, let them do as they can. Perhaps it was the jealousy of that devout Father, that there were such; and if any were, I hope they died with that age. Yet that none of that race revive and live with us, well it were Saint Paul were made an example: who remembering that he was made an Ambassador for Christ, prays for his children at Corinth, Preacheth the Gospel to them, bestows what he had received, freely upon them, yea and is content to be bestowed for them. He burns, when any one of them is scandalized; Like salt, melts himself to season them: like a Lamp wastes himself to give them light: Nay, is jealous and suspicious when all's done, lest he should fail of his purpose.
Magnes amoris amor. Love as a Loadstone attracts love: So it should be. This love of Ego the Apostle, the Priest to the people, should move Uos, you the people to return some love to the Priest, cause your love to be reciprocal, ebb back to us, make us more dear to you, and better thought on. What it should be is apparent; what it is we know and feel; even the self-same Saint Paul found at Corinth, the more we love, the less we are beloved. Jesuits are dear to their Proselytes, Seminaries to their Converts, Pastors to their collected Churches, Presbyters to their Congregations; scorn and contempt is cast upon none but those who desire to present you pure Virgins to Christ. By Protestants the true Protestant Minister is made the Owl in the Wilderness.
Well, be it what it will, Saints you are by calling; God so loved you, that he hath given his Son; His Son so loved you, that he hath given his blood; and therefore we will not love you so little, as not to bestow our pains.
2. Ego vos Christo.
Now of what weight this motive is, will be best understood if we remove our station, and take a view of the second Relation, examining in what nearness you are to Christ. He bone of your bone, and flesh of your flesh; and you flesh again, quickened and enliven'd by his Spirit. Germanissima est haec societas; for a nearer conjunction there cannot be. 'It is too cold and comfortless a bond, by which some would so unite Christ to us, as if this tie imported no more but the communication of our nature to him. He, and we both perfect men. For what man, even the veryest Pagan and Infidel, hath not a Relation to Christ in this sense! who is not man as he is? A nearer coherence then there must be than that of Nature. For the Church doth partake of Christ, as Eve did of Adam. Now God made Eve of the Rib of Adam; and his Church he hath built out of the very flesh, and bleeding side of the Son of God. That is as it were principium passivum, the material part; and this he doth actuate, enlive, and move by his own Spirit, which is principium activum, and the formal part, that truly dat nomen & esse, gives it its name, and makes it what it is. He took our pawn, and he gave us his; he took unto him our flesh the pawn from us, and he gave unto us his Spirit the Pawn from Him, upon that day that he made us His.
And I pray observe diligently, that I say He made; for we are facti, not nati; made, not borne Christians. Trees of righteousness grow not of themselves. A good tree is a tree planted, taken out of the wild and common stock of Adam, and engraffed into the true Olive, by which it becomes partaker of Christ's Oil.
And yet that you be not too bold or presumptuous upon this conjunction, you shall do well to know, that this as all other Relations are 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , or 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , that appear to be, and are not; or that are indeed what they appear.
1. There be that have given up their names to Christ; their bare names and no more; because they profess one Lord, one Faith, one Baptism, they must by us be esteemed of the Corporation: when yet in truth they are but aequivocae partes, visible parts, and do receive no more virtue or spirit from Christ, than a wooden leg, or an eye of glass doth life or motion from the body, to which they are for fashion sake added. Keep in memory Judas, Ananias, Sapphira, Hymenaeus, Philetus, with the Catalogue of such hypocrites and formal Professors, and you cannot want instances of these reputed but adulterate members.
2. Now besides these Nominals, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , Christians falsely so called, who have a name to live, and yet are dead, there be reals, qui vere nominantur & sunt, are what they seem to be, true parts of Christ, and truly partaking of the Divine Nature. Such the Apostle would have the Corinthians to be, join'd truly and really to him, and not bear the world in hand to be so; chaste and Virgins indeed, and not assume the names where both are wanting. In such Ornaments he desires to present them, in which if clad, then they make good Spouses. And that he may the easier gain their assent to the match, he commends his Master to them, and sets him forth in his Attributes and Endowments, that he is Unus, Vir, Christus. One, not such another; one that would not admit of Corrivals. Vir, a man, a Husband, that would do the Office of a Husband to her; and this one man Christ, that is, one anointed for that end, that he might be the Husband to his Church.
3. Ego Uos Uni.
One; One whose love was immutable unto her, and therefore her love should be immutable unto him. This he hath promised in Hosea thrice, one after another, I will betroth, I will betroth, I will betroth; and if this repetition will not bear it out, sure I am the word following will, For ever; I will betroth thee to me forever; for which he gives in his justice, and judgment, and mercy, and loving-kindness, and faithfulness for security: From which there never can be a divorce, except upon manifest adultery. This separated Israel from him, and it may cause a Divorce of any Church.
If then you intend to be his Spouse, upon necessity you must keep yourselves to One. For no bed did yet admit of plurality of Husbands. In a scarce time, seven women laid hold of one man, and would be called by his name; but you shall never read of seven men that gave a Coniugal name to one Woman. Polygamy in respect of the man no Nation hath admitted.
Goods, Lands, Money, men are content to enjoy in common, but the Bed admits not of Coparcenary. Omnia communia preter uxores, saith Plato. I am content in my Common Wealth that all be common besides wives. 'It is a plain Book Case, The Woman which hath a Husband, is bound by the Law to her Husband so long as he liveth: So that if she be married to another man, while her Husband liveth, she shall be called an Adulteress. The inference is evident, Vivit maritus vester, your first love is yet alive, and he will live forever, for he hath the keys of death and hell; and must you not then by the Law keep you only to him?
Were he dead, you might make your own choice, but since he is yet alive, he must be, as Abim • lech told Sarah, the covering of your eyes.
When you became his verbis conceptis & consultis, in solemn words, thus much you promised, and gave in Sureties for it. The day of your Baptism was the very hour of the contract, and there and then you undertook to forsake the devil, the world, &c. in effect to forsake all other, and keep you to this One, as long as you both should live.
I require and charge you all, as you will answer it at the dreadful day of Judgment, when the secrets of all hearts shall be opened, whether you were not espoused to Christ alone in this form? and if your hearts tell you thus much; how is it come to pass, that you are insatiable, and have mu • tiplied your lovers?
Beware, vir vester est Deus zelotes, your God is a jealous God, and he hath begun already to judge you, as a woman that hath broken wedlock. Go and ask the former age what he hath done in the like case. The wheel being turned, will bring up Jerusalem, the seven Churches of Asia, of Greece, of Afrique, nay, this of Corinth; everyone in their times, which all, because they kept not their first faith and love given to this one, have had their Bills of divorce. For their lewdness God hath dealt furiously with them, served them like harlots, and taken away their nose and their ears.
What we have deserved for our wantonness I know; how he hath dealt with us we feel; how further he will proceed I know not. Would we yet return to the guide of our youth, who can tell but he might return? For such a case he hath put, that contrary to the fashion of all jealous husbands, he will come to his bed again, after it is defiled, so that it be first bath'd and washed with penitent tears. As we stand divided into fractions and factions, as we stand enamored on Cephas, Apollo; as we go a whoring after Presbytery, Independency, Anabaptism, a fifth Monarchy, and I know not what; there is very little, hope of it. Gad then no more about to change the way; cast not your affection upon every new man, but keep close, Uni, to this One. To this One I say in that simplicity, which our mother, the Primitive Church, hath commended him unto us, and that was in those ornaments in which the Church of England, by her doctrine and discipline had attired him. The content and benefits which our ancient mother had from him, should methinks content us; which were, what any chaste wife could expect from a husband, a Viro. For no husband could confer more honor, and a greater dowry upon a wife, then he hath done upon his Church, as will appear by opening unto you the next notion in which the Apostle presents him, which is Vir.
4. Ego vos uni Viro.
For first he honors us with his Name; His own name, Christ. Even so is Christ, saith the Apostle, meaning the Church. This is desponsatae nobilitas, it is the dignity to which any Spouse is raised, to be honor'd with her husbands name. The seven women in Isaiah, that I but now mentioned, who would content themselves with one man, would not lose that honorable title, We will be called by thy Name. Their own bread they would eat, and their own apparel they would wear, not put their husbands to charge for maintenance (indeed it was too much to maintain seven) but however their Name they would take from him; This, as they thought, would take away their reproach. It is then our glory to be dignified by our husbands name, to be called Christians from Christ, a name first imposed at Antioch, and to this day continued; Catholic is our Name, Christian is our Sirname; 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 . Let all the world know that we are Christians, that we are in heart Christians, as Julians soldiers proclaimed to his teeth. And what service and duty this Name imposeth upon us, you have heard in the former Sermon.
2. But Titles are but blasts of air, with realities they beget respect. You shall now see then, what a Dowry this husband upon the match conveys over to keep up his Spouses honor. As the husband endows his wife with his worldly goods, so he makes over to his Spouse his spiritual Graces, and gives her a right to partake in what is his; Communio bonorum intercedit conjugatis, ita donis suis Deus cumulat fideles. His presence he vouchsafes her, and with that himself, and what is his, partly by imputation, and partly by real infusion.
First, a good husband hides the weaknesses and infirmities of his wife, and this man doth it to his Spouse. He imputes to her his whole innocent life, and casting his skirt over her, covers her all, vest talari, with his long white robe; long enough to cover all, and white enough to beautify all, so that God cannot see iniquity in Jacob. Aethiopissa haec, black of herself, and moorish in her complexion, yet betroth'd to him in loving kindness and mercy, becomes fair, and draws God's eye to her. These are the garments of salvation in which she is clothed, these the robe of righteousness in which she is covered; as a bridegroom decketh himself with his ornaments, and as a bride adorneth herself with her jewels. In these he atires her, that he might present her unto himself a glorious Church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing.
Again, a husband must answer for his wife, for she is under covert-barn; and in Law there lies no Action against the wife, during the husbands life. This trouble also he put himself to, to answer for his Spouse. Trouble, did I say? my, pain and shame, and sorrow and death. This was his passive obedience, and he imputes this, and by it frees his Church from all forfeitures and penalties whatsoever. This is a comfortable point. For if the devil at any time enter his Action, and sue you for breach of Covenant; your answer may be, that the flesh and you are divorced, that you have made choice of another husband, virum Christum, the man Christ, who, as your Head, hath taken upon him to pay your debts; and therefore if the Plaintiff will reply and proceed, let him sue him. And this is the first part of the Dowry, a discharge of the bond, and a discharge of the penalty; the one by his unspotted life, the other by his undeserved death, or rather both by both. So that nor debt, nor penalty, nor the breach of the directive, nor penal part of the obligation can light upon his Spouse.
Secondly, but beside this imputed justice, it pleaseth him to adorn his Spouse with a world of graces. And in this he exceeds all other husbands. If they find fair wives, well, but they make them not. No man can make a black face white, a deformed comely; and all the Art used to do it, doth at last mar and wither it. But Christ comes to his Spouse, by nature deformed, in visage black, puts his beauty upon her, and with his gifts and graces makes her comely. He makes her wise with the one, and virtuous with the other: 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , by his graces and gifts the Kings daughter is all glorious within, and the King hath pleasure in her beauty.
More plainly, sanctification and holiness of life, a virtuous and godly conversation, the duties of piety and charity, are a good part of this dowry, to which he hath entitled every soul that shall be his Spouse. You were, saith the Apostle to these Corinthians, you were, before this marriage, fornicators, idolaters, adulterers, effeminate, &c. But now, since the match, you are washed, you are sanctified, ye are justified in the Name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.
Thirdly, for upon the marriage the Church brings forth children to God. No more then to the world, and the flesh. A main end of Wedlock, this. How passionate was Rachel in her barrenness? Give me children, or else I die. A comfort then it is, and a great comfort for the Church of the Gentiles, that she, who before these espousals was barren, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , and wanted a husband, had bestowed upon her gifts, that is, men enabled with gifts, Apostles, Prophets, and Evangelists for the time, but Pastors and Doctors to remain with her forever, by whose means she hath brought forth more then she which had a husband.
5. Ego vos uni viro Christo.
But, unde hoc vobis? How came all this to pass, that he should thus affect, thus honor and advance his Spouse? That he did thus affect, it was his mere good will; but that he might thus endow, we are beholding to Christus; for nothing could he have done this way, had he not been Christ.
Conceive it thus. The aptitude or faculty to match arose from his Person, and his Office; and by virtue of the anointing, he became such a person, and was capable of such a place.
1. That he was anointed, demonstrated that he was man, and this was necessary, or else no matching; for all Matrimonial contracts must be betwixt those of the same kind. A promise there was for this match many years before; but the solemnization of it was upon that day he took flesh, to which you are called in the Canticles. Go forth, O daughters of Zion, and behold King Solomon, that is Shar-solom, this Prince of peace, with his Crown wherewith his mother crowned him, i. e. that flesh which he assumed from his mother, the blessed Virgin Mary, in the day of his espousals.
The foundation then of this matrimonial union is in the flesh of Christ. A faithful man is first united to the human nature, and afterwards by help of the humanity, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , to the word, or divine nature. For though fullness of salvation and life depends on the fullness of the Godhead of Christ, yet it is communicated to us by his flesh. For we can apprehend and elect, but as we know; but by the humanity we first come to the knowledge of Christ as a Mediator, and therefore in the order and nature of faith, his flesh is the first thing we can reflect on, to which in our thoughts we join.
Thus God proposed him to us, The seed of the woman. Thus Moses foretold him, A Prophet of your brethren like unto me. Thus the Prophets made mention of him; To you a Son is born, to you a child is given. Everywhere, the seed, the Son of David, the root of Jesse. Saint John confesseth, That they saw his glory, as of the only begotten Son of God; but before he acknowledgeth, that he took flesh, and dwelt in us: That he was the word of life, but such, that they saw it, and handled it. First they knew him to be man, then God.
His Deity no question is the fountain, from whence doth arise all our good, life, salvation, &c. but his flesh and humanity, is as it were the channel, by which all these graces are derived to us. If then we know not the channel, by which these Graces are conveyed, we may thirst forever. And the way to know this conduit-pipe, is to go along with God, and search for it as he hath proposed, promised and revealed it unto us; that is, to begin at the seed of the woman, and thence ascend to his eternal generation; else Christ can be no Savior, no Mediator, no Husband unto us.
Farther, in the Sacraments, as in two crystal glasses, this doctrine is most apparent. Two parts there are of every Sacrament; the visible sign, and the invisible grace, res terrena, & coelestis. A faithful soul comes preparedly, and takes a share of both. But in what order? is it not in that, as they are proposed by God? First the visible, put case the water, the bread and wine: Then remission of sin, and all Christ: As by this Divine dispensation, the material part is received first, and after in that, and by that the spiritual: So also in this case, you must reflect upon Christ as a perfect man, and in that nature, and be conjoin'd to him, before you can be partaker, or have any benefit from the Divine. And therefore the Apostles endeavor is to join you here to one husband, which is Christ the Messiah, the Anointed, that is, to the Man Christ, as well knowing that God is not capable of unction.
2. And this anointing fitted him for this Office, to be a King, and a Priest, and Prophet to his Church, and to make us Kings and Priests to God. For though he was anointed prae consortibus, far above his fellows, yet it was pro consortibus, for his consorts sake. He needed none of this sweet oil for himself. But she, his Spouse, was in great want of it, and for her sake he would be Christus, the Messiah.
For had he not been united to our Nature, which is that grace of union; and had he not sanctified this our Nature, which is the grace of unction; there had been no Church to bear his Name; there had been no obedience, either active or passive, to be imputed to us; there had been no Gifts, no Graces sent down upon men: In one word, no Christian society to bring forth children to God.
All this while, as I conceive, there hath been nothing, but that you have been well enough content to hear. For the beauty of a bridegroom is glorious, and draws eyes after him. And if ever any, then he who is unus, vir Christus. Not Solomon's one of a thousand, but one to whom among the thousand thousands of Israel there was not the like. Not one conceived of the Holy Ghost, but he: Not one born of a pure Virgin, but he: Not one ever so endowed, as he: One and singular in his conception. A Man by his incarnation: Christ from his unction: Now this is your beloved, this the man, this your friend; O daughter of Jerusalem; This is He. And now consider what you are to be. Conceive not that he your husband must be a man of perfections, and you left loose to be as lewd as may be. On your parts a qualification is necessary, and without it the match cannot go forward. Requisite it is, that you be, what every man expects that marries a maid: Virgines & Castae, Virgins and Chast. Virgins at the time; Chast after the solemnity; Virgins for thoughts, Chast for deeds, in mind untouched.
6. A Virgin.
Not to hold you in Generals. The first condition is, that you be a Virgin. In the old Law, the high Priest might not match but with a maid; and in the new, our high Priest will not cohabit forever, with any Church that will not remain a Virgin. Virginity is then preserved, when sincerity of faith is defended. Virgo propter fidei sinceritatem. And therefore Eusebius tells us out of Egesippus, that so long as the Apostles lived, the Church remained a pure and uncorrupt Virgin.
Conceive not that God comes a wooing for your beauty, or that he is taken with your blood, your place, your honor; read the 16. cha • . of Ezekiel, and you will be of another mind. It is in much mercy, bowels of compassion, and faithfulness he hath espoused you. All this matter concerns Religion. In faith and religious worship he would have you pure Virgins. As in the bed, so in the Church there may be adultery and fornication committed. Serving of false gods is whoredom; the adorning of vain imaginations, and falling in love with every new man, and every new fancy, is wantonness at least. Christians should no more do it, then maids gadd abroad, and let their eyes wander after every goodly man they see. The eyes of this Virgin are Doves eyes, single and direct as a Dove; not leering and squinting every way like a Fox: and Pliny tells us that Doves never look with desire upon any male, except their own mate. A quality so essential to everyone of Christ's Doves; that the Fathers tell us, No Dove, no Church.
And great heed, they who mean to keep their Virginity for Christ, ought to take to their eyes. Never more need to make a Covenant with your eyes then now, that they wander not after every lover; for suitors there are on all hands; and all, insidiantur virginitati, aim to defloure you.
1. Would it were but the young Levite, or Itinerant, that goes out to sojourn where he can a place, some reason that he cry, Loe here is Christ; for inde acquisitio, by that means he must get his living. The danger is greater; an old subtle-pated Apostate prophet there was in Bethel, and he is risen again, and he forsooth hath seen a vision; The Spirit of God hath spoken this and this unto him, nay, but Christ is there, when he lies unto you. Want, ambition, male-content, give many an assault to your Virginity. It behooves you then not to show the least sign of lightness, least you become prostitutes to these importunate and factious spirits. Casta est, quam nemo rogavit.
2. But zealots there are from Rome, they speak as fair as the Apostle, though never with so honest an intention, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , &c. Deceiv'd they would not have you, when it is their study to deceive. It is their whole labor to bring Vicariatum in conjugio, a Vicar for an husband, an Antichrist for Christ, and so to undo, at once, the true Essence of this nuptial bond, that dispenses not with a husband to supply his place by a Vicar.
Betwixt both will you know what to do? believe neither, yield to neither; Let neither the Holy water of Tiber, nor the pure stream of the Leman lake too much affect you. You have a mother in England, she is a grave matron, aged and venerable, likest the time when the Church was a pure Virgin, of any Church in the Christian world; and I dare say, that if any Church remain illibata Virgo, an unspotred Virgin in her Doctrine, in her Discipline, it is she. Gad no more then after new Lovers, but hearken to her and obey her. Behold she hath set forth the Apostolic age for a form of discipline to govern you. A C • techisme brief indeed, but full to instruct you. Two Testaments to feed you with the sincere milk of the Gospel. Three Creeds to ground you. Four Councils to confirm you. The five first ages for Presidents to assure you. And what lack you yet? If this gravity, this antiquity, these foundations, these determinations, these patterns cannot settle your hearts, your love, I must needs then say, You are wantons.
7. A Chaste Virgin.
For the preservation of your Virginity I require no more; But to Chastity there is somewhat else required. For as you must be Virgins, quantum ad fidei sinceritatem, as to the sincerity of faith: so you must be chaste, quantum ad morum integritatem, in integrity of manners. Your honest conversation must be suitable to your profession, or else you shall disgrace and dishonor him you call your husband; occasions you will give to the enemies of our Lord to blaspheme. Christ's Spouse is a Beauty more than ordinary, a precious part separated from the vile; a face without spot or wrinkle; Such, as though the eye of God may, yet an enemy should not find a blemish in it.
The envious spirit that is too apt to accuse the brethren, and lay to their charge things that they know not:
Vixque tenet lachrymas, quia nil lachrymabile cernit. Being put to consider Job, could not find what to object; all that he could say was, That Job feared not God for naught; that he feared God, was undeniable. He was so in his time, and so Noah before him, a perfect and just man, that walked with God; and so long after him Zacharias and Elizabeth, both righteous before God, both blameless.
Innocui ambo, cultores numinis ambo. And the Christian Church that succeeded in her younger days, was as innocent. For the three thousand first converts did all in singleness of heart; and so to Pliny's time harmless people they were, that rose before day to sing Psalms and Hymns to God and Christ. Homicidium, fraudem, perfidiam, adulterium, &c. prohibentes; Murder, fraud, adultery, perfidiousness, and all wickedness were hateful to them. Prisons might abound with heathenish malefactors, but in those Cages of unclean birds, not one Christian among that rabble, nisi tantum quod Christianus, except because he was a Christian. So all along those golden days, their very enemies could not find what to charge upon them but their Religion. So chaste, so holy, so pure was their conversation.
But the date of those holy souls is now worn out: As if such purity, and holiness, and integrity had been only for those Baby and Infant Christians, and they Babies only that used it; we have molded Christianity to another fashion; more wit it seems we have then those simple souls, and can find a broader way to heaven then ever they dreamed of, or thought upon. Providence is the rule we follow, and not God's revealed will; and we make that lawful which the power of our hand can execute, not Christ's Sermon on the Mount, or what God wrote with his own finger on Mount Sinai. The Apologies that those harmless souls wrote for their innocence and obedience, are derided by our new Lights. So that whatever the Poets told us of the iron age we see done, countenanced, defended in this. Vivitur ex rapto, &c. But I refrain myself; I said, I will take heed to my tongue, while the ungodly is in my sight. For a man may follow truth so close at the heels, that he may have his teeth kicked out.
This is pain and grief to me. Yet thus much I dare say of those ancient Professors of Christianity; They thought that nulla parte decuit maechari virginem, that a Virgin should not be unchaste in any part, non lingua, non aure, non oculo, non vultu, non nictu, non nutu. Not in tongue, not by the ear, not by the eye, not by a look, a wink, a nod; whereas we set the door open to blasphemous words, and the windows to lascivious objects, we admit the devil to parle as Eve did, and drink in his suggestions. And that after all this we set the hand to work is too apparent.
And are we not chaste Virgins in the mean time, that have neither continentes oculos, nor continentes manus, nor abstemious eyes, nor hands. Well, men may frame to themselves what speculations they please; but sure I am, that Saint Peter joins virtue to faith; and Saint Paul, honesty to godliness; and the common Maxim must not be despised, That a good conscience and good manners must go together. Our Religion is ancient, and therefore it must be attired like a grave and ancient matron, in a civil, virtuous, sober, decent, modest and comely manner. The new fashions of these times neither for faith, nor manners become it; not the first, for it forceth her Virginity; nor the last, for it wrongs her chastity. And the Spouse of Christ, if we will believe the Apostle, must be a chaste Virgin.
I fear me, I have been tedious unto you. But I hope I shall the easilier obtain pardon, because it is the fashion of Suitors, who can never tell where to end. And a little more there is behind, and methinks that should be told, this day, you are at leisure to hear it. 'It is my desire, since God hath called me to th • s Office, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , & 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , to fit, and so to present you.
8. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 .
Beza reads it aptarem, and aptly; for whatsoever is join'd, especially per 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , must be even and equal, because uneven parts will never well close together; Which God thought so necessary in this case, that in the first institution of marriage, he made for man a help meet for him. And many matches succeed very ill, because there is not choice made of a meet person. Besides the virginity and chastity, I but now spoke of, this word seems to me to import a farther matter. Those are requisite, but not those only. Those qualities at large, even in a maid, whether she match, or no. Some other things there are more nearly to be respected, and sought after, when she intends to become a Bride; somewhat before, somewhat after the marriage.
1. Before or at the time a free consent; then it is demanded of her, Wilt thou have this man to thy wedded husband? and upon an open profession of consent, the bond is tied. For as much as A. B. have consented in Wedlock; I pronounce them to be man and wife together. The case is very like. For God makes no Covenant with the unwilling. Non salvabit te sine te. We never can aptare, fit you for this one husband till you give your consent. Say then, are you a ready and a willing people? Will you have this man, or no? If that be your mind, we will not be backward to do our office; espouse you to Christ. Coactive power we have none, persuade only we may, yet profess we do, that it is our whole desire to get your good will to this match.
2. After that you be resolved to live in love and peace with him; (For discords do not well in the marriage bed) that you be amiable as Rachel, wise as Rebekah, faithful and obedient as Sarah, and in all quietness and peace submit to him, and learn of him all the days of your life.
3. For your affections must not be fickle and inconstant, as is that of many women, won today and lost tomorrow; it must be permanent. To that purpose it is that we sue: to that purpose he hath chosen you, to serve so long as you have a day to live; omnibus diebus vitae, your life and your obedience must end together.
You now know the conditions, you see your duty; how to be qualified before, how at the time, how to behave yourselves after the marriage; Which if you resolve to do, then we shall do our office for the present with comfort, but at the last day with more joy, be bold
9. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 . Present you to Christ.
In the mean time we are but 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , only friends of the Bridegroom; all we do, is but 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , to fit you for this and that day. And know this, that there must be this same 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , this same espousal made by us on earth, or else there will be no 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , no presentation of you by us in heaven.
O happy you of the Laity, that are to present but one only! our case of the Clergy is far more pitiful, who must present, and reckon for you too. Enough we shall have to do to present ourselves, everyone of us saved as through fire. But the Lord knows what we shall say, when we come to present you also. For except it appear that every soul we present, be tam moribus quam doctrina habilis & idonea, have a Virgin Faith, and a chaste life; carry a willing, loving, quiet, humble, reverent, and obedient heart, present we dare not: And how far everyone of you is thus qualified, you best know.
〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , Zealous we are to have it so. And what is it you return for this heat of love, except it be a heat of fury, hatred, and suspicion! Zealous we are for you, and you for this jealous over us, and suspect the worst, that we would present you to one husband the Pope, Arminius, Socinus, Antichrist, and I know not to whom. Hence you fly from us your spiritual Fathers, and would be presented by a Super-intendent. If any amongst us have bent their wits that way, to present you to, or by any Vicar, or upstart Heretic or Scismatick, they have troubled the Church, and God trouble them. Utinam abscindantur; Would they were cut off. But by that love that you bear to this your sole Husband Christ Jesus, let me beg this for the whole Tribe of Levi, that the whole be not made a 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 presented to scorn for their sakes. Hate not the whole Apostolic College for one Judas.
Be so charitable to conceive, that the manifest part of those whom God hath set upon their Watch, do watch for your souls, as those who long to see this contract consummate, and the marriage Solemniz'd; you join'd to Christ, and Christ to you; you made one with Christ, and Christ with you.
For as the world began, so it must end; it began with a Wedding, and it must end with a Wedding. In Genesis it began with the Nuptials of the first Adam with his Eve: And in the Revelation it is foretold to end with the Nuptials of the second Adam with his Church. When that will not be wanting, which doth accompany all Weddings, joy, and gladness. For God will rejoice in his Spouse. The Angels will rejoice over the penitents, the Spouse shall rejoice for her honor, and we the friends of the Bridegroom be glad at heart to present you there, and that we can give up our accompt with joy. Neither will that joy be like that which accompanieth our marriages sometimes on earth; one merry day perhaps and no more, but joy in a perpetuity.
Of the eternal Generation of the Son of God; and his Incarnation.
ISAIAH 53.8.
And who shall declare his Generation?
THE Subject of this versicle, is the cause of this days meeting; yea, indeed of all other our meetings in this place. For had not Christ been forever, and been borne in time, we sinners of the Gentiles had had no day, nor place to bless God. Since therefore now we have both by his Generation granted unto us, let us do that for which we are met: I to declare, you to hear of his Nativity. Your task is the easier; for he can do little, that cannot lend an ear; mine the harder, for Quis declarabit? saith our Prophet, evident it is there is difficulty in it.
Other Offices of our Savior's Mediatorship were more easily expressed, more easily conceived; our Eloquent Prophet, like some cunning Artist (as if he would make this his Masterpiece) hath here showed his skill, and drawn his abasements and sufferings to the life. The sorrow and grief in his countenance, the unfriendly wounds in his hands and side, the blows and bruises on his face, the chastisements and stripes on his back, his oppression and affliction at his Arraignment, and his Lamb-like silence at his slaughter; Not so much as the course dealing of his own Nation toward him is omitted; nor the small pity they had of a man, when they should see him in this lamentable case. They rejected him, they despised him, they esteemed him not. In the expression of all these severals the Prophet hath gone beyond himself; and in admiration only demands, as well he might, Quis crederet? who would ever believe that the Savior of the World should be thus coarsely and rudely handled?
Marry, when he comes to this point, his Generation, then he was at a Non-plus; the 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , that it should be so, he could well tell; that he should grow up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground; and the 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , why it should be so, he could tell also; for our transgressions, for our peace; that we with his stripes should be healed: But the Modus, the manner how this should be done, he knew not; he could not declare, nor indeed fully no man else: For Quis declarabit, Who shall declare his Generation?
The word in the Original is Dor, that signifies an age, duration of time, and generation; and accordingly Expositors give two Interpretations. The Modern understand by it, the continuance of Christ after he was received up in glory; and they make an Antithesis betwixt this and the former Clause, to this purpose. He was indeed taken out of this life by distress and judgment; but who can declare his duration and age afterward? for he is taken from a mortal life to an immortal, so that death shall have no more dominion over him. This sense I dislike not. But all the Ancient Fathers sails another way; and I had rather be carried in their Ship, than in any new Boat. They understand by Generation, either the manner by which Christ is begotten of the Father from all eternity, or else, by which in the fullness of time, by the power of the Holy Ghost he was made man of the Virgin Mary. And both are apt for this place, for both are wonderful. Both follow well after his ignominious death. As if this our Prophet, converting his eyes from the ignominious passion of our Savior, which he had described, to the Nobility of his B • rth, should be as it were in an ecstacy; and being able to say no more, in great admiration cry out, W o can declare his Generation? For all you behold him now in this low and lamentable condition, yet his descent is such, that no man can declare it.
No man can, for it is a mystery. Without all controversy it is so; the great mystery of godliness. A mystery hid from the beginning of the world. How well then do the Greek and Latin Fathers style it, The great mystery of Christ's Incarnation!
What we have revealed to us of it, was not by man; an Angel did it; and that none of the Inferior Orders, but of the chief, even Gabriel; not of his own head neither, but sent from God to tell Mary, that she should conceive a Son. She, as she might well inquire of the manner, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 ; How shall this thing be? She knew well that there was extant a promise, Ecce Uirgo concipiet, Behold a Virgin shall conceive, and bring forth a Son. She no way doubted of the performance: Neither are these words, words of curiosity, or incredibility, but of necessity; 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , &c. as a wise and discreet woman she asked, as willing to be informed of the manner, how this should be done, since she knew not man?
To which the Angel returns her this obscure answer, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Most High shall over-shadow thee, &c. And perhaps it was for this said 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , shall over-shadow thee, because the thing was to be done in a mystery; and that that which the Trinity alone intended to do, and did in and with the sole Virgin, soli datum est nosse, cui datum experiri, was to her alone granted to know, to whom alone it was granted to try and find.
And yet so strictly I would not be understood, as if our Savior's Incarnation were such a mystery that could in no part be unfolded; should I affirm that the Anthem of the Angels set Choir-wise at his birth, the expedition of the Shepherds to view the Manger, the Stable, the swaddling clothes, the faith and joy of the wise men that followed his star, and presented their gifts; the cruelty of Herod, and Martyrdom of the Innocents, would be out of those Sacred Amanuenfes produced as Witnesses against me. This is that I contend, Semper erat Mysterium, nec cessabit esse Mysterium, It always was, and it always will be a Mystery; that when we have said all we can, it is an object of faith, not of reason; rather fit for us to believe, than curiously to examine. As Aristotle therefore said of his Physiques called commonly 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , sic editos, quasi non editi viderentur, that they were so set forth, as if they had not been published, the style was so curt, and the matter so abstruse: So also may I say of the manner of our Savior's Generation; the Angel that reported it, hath so shadowed it out unto us, that still we are but sub umbra, under the veil, we see but in part, and know but in part, as in a glass darkly.
Which will be yet more manifest, if we call to mind that there is a double Generation of the Son of God. One in the beginning, the other in the fullness of time; the one from all eternity, the other as upon this day; by the first he was the Son of God, by the second the Son of man; by the first he was 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , without Mother, by the last he was 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , without Father; and so in both the true Melchizedek; in both 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , without Pedegree or Descent; having neither beginning of days, nor end of life, but abides a Priest forever, as Nazianzen applies this Text.
First, Now as he is the Son of God begotten from all eternity, what tongue dare attempt? or if so daring, can fully declare his Generation? What may be declared of it, I have said before, and can add nothing unto it. He was 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , not 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , not 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , he was the substantial Word of God, not Vocal, not spoken, as if he intended that this Generation should not be the Subject of our speech, but matter for our contemplation. Those who most modestly have searched into it, have confessed it to be, and so left it as an unsearchable depth; and those who have over-curiously gone about to fathom it, have at last betrayed their own ignorance, and brought forth monstrous and blasphemous doctrines, to the trouble of the Church, and disquiet of the peace of Christendom. I resolve therefore, and I hope so will you too, to believe what I cannot comprehend, viz. That Jesus Christ was the eternal Son of God; 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , not 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , the first-begotten, not the first creature; begotten, not made; being of one substance of the Father. Who, for us men, and for our salvation, came down from heaven, was conceived by the Holy Ghost, borne of the Virgin Mary; which is his second Generation of wh • ch I come now to speak.
Secondly, But in this also there is room left for the Prophets Quaere, Quis declarabit? Who shall declare? born he was, but 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 . search not how, for it is impossible in all things to give a satisfactory answer. For had our Savior been borne only after the ordinary and natural generation of men, it had been no easy matter to declare how in the womb those elements of being do unite, and mingle, and curdle together: how these three noble and heroic parts, the Liver, Heart, and Brain linked together by slender strings, do in time fill with flesh: Lastly, how every portion of the whole body being, as I may so say, entuned to other, stretched out by sinews, and strengthened with bones, were at last clothed with skin, and after some few months sent with tears to draw in the common air. Had, I say, our Savior's birth been after the usual manner of men, it might well be the Subject of our admiration: David was amazed when he searched into it, I am fearfully and wonderfully made, &c. And well he might; for even the Mother herself, in the shop, as I may so say, of whose womb this strange work is wrought, is utterly unacquainted with the Creatours skill, by which the frame is perfected: Witness that Religious Mother encouraging her seven sons to die for the Laws of their Fathers; I cannot tell, saith she, how ye came into my womb, for I neither gave you breath nor life; it is not I that set in order the members of your body, but doubtless the Creator of the world, who formed the birth of man. Had it been then no more but this, Quis declarabit, what tongue were able to declare it? what pen fully to express it?
But there is more in it than so. For as there was never such a man, so there never was such a birth in which God was the Father, a Virgin the mother, the Holy Ghost the workmaster; by which to speak in Nazianzens Eloquence, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 . That is, He who had no flesh, was made flesh; the eternal Word was thickened; He who was invisible is seen; who was not tangible, is handled; who was without time, takes a beginning; In a word, The Son of God is made the Son of man.
And how difficult it is to declare all this, and make it fully intelligible, were there no other reason to persuade it, yet this one were sufficient; that Learned men, and those of the sharpest wits, while they endeavor'd to open to others their conceits about it, have split upon so many Rocks, and pestered the Church with so many Heresies. In plain things and evident, wise men will not be much mistaken; Then men run awry, when the matter being mystical, casts a mist upon the understanding; in which, without diligent and careful circumspection, a Traveler is apt to deviate, and to mistake his way. Which because in this point it hath happened to many subtle heads, and that especially in the first times, when they were near the best guides, we must needs conclude that the Declaration of this mystery is not so easy as most men conceive, and persuade men rather readily to belive it, than search over curiously into it.
1. Ebion, Cerinthus, Photinus, with the greater part of the Gnostics could not conceive how it was possible, that he who was in the form of God, that is, who had the Essence and Attributes of God, should so far humble himself, as to take upon him the essence, properties, and proportions of a Servant. Which since it is manifest he did, they gave it out, that he was but 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , a mere, bare, pure naked man; or as Samasotenus, a man working miracles by the power of God; and of the seed of Joseph by Mary, having no existence before that he was borne of her. Against which opinion Saint John entreated by the Bishops of Asia wrote his Gospel.
2. These then denied that the divine dature was in the flesh. On the other side, the Ma • cionites, Cerdon, Saturninus, Basilides, could not see which was it was imaginable, that the human nature should be assumed, and join'd in one person with the Deity, upon which conception they taught, that he had no true flesh, but was a man only in appearance, a mere phantasme and thought to be what he was not.
But after these arose Valentinus, who confessed he had a true body, but not of the flesh of the Virgin Mary, it was spiritual, it was aethereal, or heavenly; or as A • elles, out of the four Elements, far unl • ke to ours, which past through the womb of the Virgin Mary, as water through a pipe. And with them of old agteed the Manichees, and of late years some Anabaptists.
3. After these arose Nestorius, who though he acknowledged Christ to be true God and man, yet he could not conceive how these two natures being united, should exist in one person. And therefore he affirmed, that Christ must be an individuum confisting of two persons. The person of the Son of God, which was in the form of God, and the person of the son of man, which did exist in the form of a servant; and that these two persons were united in the Virgins womb, as two friends are made one. The two natures he did admit, and acknowledged that they were distinct: But withal he gave to each a several subsistence, and divided the one from the other; united only by consociation and assistance, so that the Word, and Jesus, that is the human nature, were not only aliud & aliud, distinct, which we admit, but alius & alius, distinct persons, which we deny.
4. Sixteen years after Nestorius arose Eutyches, who held the opinion of Nestorius unreasonable, and therefore he confessed that there were in Christ two natures, the divine and human; but that these were changed, confused, and mixed together after his incarnation; of which there resulted but one nature, to wit, the divine. So that the form of a servant was as it were swallowed up by the form of God, converted into it, and the properties confounded, as if a man should pour a dish of water into a whole butt of Wine.
The father of this heresy, as I said, was Eutyches the Abbot; In Constantinople it was begot, nursed up in Alexandria by Dioscorus the Patriarch, and sent to travail into Syria by one Jacobus, surnamed Zanzalus, who gave name to the Jacobites: and it gained such affection, that it overspread the Church of Greece, Egypt, and Syria. And it gave occasion to many other heresies, that infinitely deformed the Church, rending with many schisms the unity, and wounding with as many heresies the faith of it.
For first it drew after it the heresy of the Theopaschites, or of the the passibleness of the Deity, because the Deity of Christ was become (in their conceit) the same nature with the humanity, which was passable.
Secondly, (the absurdity of the former opinion being discerned) it occasioned another extremely opposite, maintained by those called Aphthardocitae, who affirmed the body of our Savior from his incarnation to be free from passibility, and corruption, because it was become one nature with the Deity, which we know is impassible, incorruptible.
Thirdly, when the fondness of both these were discovered, a new device arose, namely, that there was but one nature in our Savior, but not by permixtion or confusion of substances, as Eutyches taught, but only by composition: The Deity and humanity becoming one nature by coalition, as the body and soul into one nature in man. Which was near that of Apoll • niaris, who affirmed the divinity of Christ to supply the place of the human soul.
Lastly, this error being exploded as a mere fancy, there succeeded that of the Monothelites, who confessing two Natures to be in Christ, yet affirmed, that there was but one Will, and one Action of both natures in the Person of our Savior. If you shall now ask, how it came to pass that so many great Wits ran so many wild-goose chases about this Article? the answer is obvious, that it proceeded from the depth of this mystery, which while they went about to sound with the short line and plummet of human Reason, they foully erred from the truth. Whereas had they soberly contented themselves with what is revealed of it, they had seen enough to guide their feet in the way of peace, and not perhaps have let in the Sarracens and Mohammedans among them, who have been ever since to them the scourge of God, for that dishonor they brought upon his Son.
1. Would they have humbly consulted with the Oracles of God, and not with the pride of their own heart heightened by prosperity, these fancies either had nere been broached, or at least quickly vanished. Saint Paul would have taught them, that Christ, before he took the form of a servant, was 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , mark that word, was existent in the form of God. But in what form? what an accidental? but that is not in God; it then must needs be essential and substantial; and farther, that he thought it no robbery, no usurpation, to be, not to seem, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , in everything equal to God; which Deity he deposed not, when he took upon him the form of a servant, but only 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , he emptied himself of it, the glory and Majesty of the Deity being vayled with flesh. He then ceased not to be what he was, but assumed our flesh into the unity of his person. The conceit then of Ebion and his followers, that affirmed him to be 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , a mere man, falls to the ground by this one place of the Apostle, that I produce not infinite others, which it were easy, to the same purpose.
2. Farther, had the Marcionites and Valentinians considered attentively those places of Scripture, in which it was plainly set down of what matter his body should be made, they never had made Christ a spectrum, a phantasme, or an Aethereal, or Aërial substance. For do we not read, That the seeed of the woman should break the Serpents head? That in Abraham's seed all Nations should be blessed? That Christ was made of David's seed according to the flesh? In a word, doth not the Angel at his conception tell Mary, Nascitur ex te. He shall be borne (ex) of thee? Now, Ex, dicit causam materialem. Ex shows the material cause whence anything is made, and therefore Christ from her flesh was to take the substance of his body. Besides in him we find all the true properties and operations of his manhood, such as Irenaeus reckoneth up. If Christ, saith he, had not taken flesh from the very earth, he would not have coveted those earthly nourishments, wherewith bodies which be taken from thence are fed. This was the nature that felt hunger and thirst, was desirous of rest after travail, testified compassion and love by tears, groaned with heaviness, and with extremity of grief even melted away itself into bloody sweats. These are all evidences of flesh taken from the earth. And all these Christ did, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , after the fashion of other men, that you may know that that airy body of Valentinus is but an airy speculation.
3. As for that of Nestorius fancying two persons in Christ, it is no other; as will appear, if those words of that judicious Divine Mr. Hooker be well weighed, which I will here set down;
The seeds of Herbs and Plants at first are not in act, but in possib • lity that which they afterwards grow to be. If the Son of God had taken to himself a man now made, and already perfected, it would upon necessity follow, that there are in Christ two persons; the one assuming, and the other assumed: whereas the Son of God did not assume a man's person to his own, but a man's nature to his own person; and therefore he is said to have taken the seed of the woman, the seed of Abraham, the seed of David, the first and Original Element of our Nature, before it came to have a personal subsistence. For 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , the assumed Nature did not exist before the assumption.
So that flesh and the conjunction of the flesh with God began at one instant; his making and taking our flesh, but one act; There can be then in Christ no personal subsistence, but one, and that from everlasting. Only that wh • ch subsisted before in the glory of God, subsists now in the habit of our flesh.
4. And these two Natures subsist in the same person without any confusion, commixtion, alteration, or change, either of natures or properties essential to either Nature. For utra{que} forma agit quod suum est, each Nature performing those actions that are proper unto it, which yet are attributed to the whole person. 'It is an excellent rule delivered by Mr. Hooker, for the deciding of all doubts and questions about the union of both Natures in Christ, That of both Natures there is a co-operation often, an association always; but never any mutual participation, whereby the properties of the one are infused into the other.
It is critically and well observed by Zanchi, that the Apostle Phil. 2.7. makes choice of the word 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 ; he saith not, He emptied himself, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , changing, turning, or confounding the shape of God into that of a Servant, but only 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , taking upon him the shape of a servant, the form of God remaining unchanged and unmixed. Therefore the Natures of Christ are not in his person, are not changed, or confused, or mixed, or blended together, but both remain in their integrity: Who though he be God and man, yet is he not two, but one Christ. One not by the conversion of the Godhead into flesh, but by the taking of the manhood into God. One altogether, not by confusion of substance, but unity of person. For as the reasonable soul and flesh is one man, so God and man is one Christ. Et sic actum de Eutychianis.
To conclude this point, there be four things which concur to make complete the whole state of our Lord Jesus Christ; his Deity, his Manhood, the conjunction of both, and the distinction of one from the other, being join'd in one person. All these have found their Opponents. For to omit the Gnostics, whose labor was to overthrow either his Divinity, or Humanity; whose sick-brain fancies Ignatius, Irenaeus, Tertulliau discovered and confuted: After them arose four principal Heresies which have withstood the Truth. The Arians bent themselves against his Deity: The Apollinarians maimed him in his humanity, by denying him to have a reasonable soul: The Nestorians rent Christ asunder, by dividing him into two Natures: The Eutychians confounded his Natures by blending them together, which they should distinguish. And against these there have been four most famous ancient general Councils; the Council of Nice defined against Arius for Christ's divinity; the Council of Constantinople against Apollinaris for his humanity; and both withal gave a deadly blow to the whole School of Gnostics; the Council of Ephesus against Nestorius and his two persons; and the Council of Calcedon against Eutyches and his mixture of Natures. A few Adverbs they have left us, to which we may reduce whatsoever may be said in Declaration of Christian belief, or in refutation of Heresy in this matter. To wit, that the Son of God took the form of a Servant into the unity of his person, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , substantially, and then not united as an accident to a subject; 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 truly, and then not in appearance only; 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , indivisibly, and then not to be divided into two persons or subsistences; 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , immutably, and then not one Nature changed into another; 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , without blending, and then not one Nature mixed with the other: Lastly, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , without any division or separation, so that the Son of God will never depose that nature of man which he hath assumed, but will retain it, being God and man forever and ever.
When I had proceeded thus far, I thought that I had made a sufficient Declaration of this grand mystery: But taking a second view, I found that all this while I was upon the destructive part, and had only declared and confuted what Heretics had imagined about it. Besides, I saw that most of these Adverbs were either Negative or Privative. And negations and privations, teach no more than what the thing is not; they inform not what it is. Necessary then I thought it, to take another course; to try whether there might not be a farther disquisition made, by which the truth, to be holden about this secret, might in some sort be declared.
And an easier way, and clearer, I thought could not be found, than the Creed hath directed in two words, Conceived, and Borne; for if the riches of those notions were fully discovered, the truth necessary to belief, would easily appear. In the first we have to consider his Conception; the last points us to his Incarnation.
In his Conception we are to reflect upon two things especially.
- 1. The framing of the manhood, Conceiv'd.
- 2. The Sanctifying of it, By the Holy Ghost.
In his Incarnation we will open these two points.
- 1. The personal union of the manhood with the Godhead,
- 2. The glorious effects which proceed from so glorious an union with the Deity.
First, For the framing of his manhood we have the matter of it, and the manner of it expressed in Scripture.
1. The matter of his body was the flesh and blood of the blessed Virgin; flesh immediately he took from her seed, which yet was the seed of Adam, derived by succession to Abraham, propagated to David, and so onward till it came to Mary, that so he might be the Son of Mary, the Son of David, the Son of Abraham, the Son of Adam, as Saint Luke deduceth his Genealogy. In a word, he was the seed of the woman who was to break the Serpents head; that seed in which all the Nations of the earth should be blessed; that seed of whom God said to David, Of the fruit of thy body will I set upon thy seat; and this is one reason that the Evangelist ends not his Genealogy till he comes to Adam. And yet there is another, that we might know that he was to purge, expiate, and save Adams flesh; that is, Adam, and all his race from the guilt and punishment of sin due to him and them, for his and their disobedience, of which his was the first Original: whence St. Paul, when he showed by whom sin came into the world, and polluted all men, viz. The first Adam; immediately declares who it was that took it away, and saved men from it, viz. Adams, or the Virgins seed, The Second Adam. The matter then of his Body is Evident.
2. As for the manner how this Virgins seed should be framed into the proportion of a man, in is miraculous. The God of Nature changed here the course of Nature, and above Nature, without the help of man, by an extraordinary operation of the holy Ghost, made the Word to become flesh. Two actions are ascribed by the Angel to the holy Ghost in this great work; the one to come upon the Virgin; the other to overshadow her. By the first was signified his extraordinary power in making a Virgin remaining a Virgin to conceive a Son: Which was done at that instant, when the blessed Virgin broke out into these words, Behold the handmaid of the Lord, be it to me according to thy word; for here was no need of any delay, since this conception was the sole work of God, without the help of man. Her consent only, was expected; and that being given by Ecce ancilla Domini, the fiat instantly followed; as soon as when upon his fiat the heaven and earth were created. Presently she conceived a Son.
The increase and growth of his body to a just quantity, was not in an instant, but was by degrees brought to it in about nine months time. But the formation of his body was perfected and shaped at that instant; flesh he then took, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , that was animated with a reasonable and understanding soul. Or which we are able to give these reasons. First, Because the power of the Agent was infinite, and therefore he was able without any delay to perfect the conception out of the matter before prepared. Secondly, Because that which was conceived was Homo, a man; but a whole man is not a body alone, or a soul alone, but a substance composed of both. And therefore it was necessary, that 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , the Word should take a body informed with a reasonable soul: for otherwise there would be some moment of time, in which the Son of God should not be true man, but only a body the material part of man. Thirdly, This body so informed, was perfect in all parts and Organs; a soul it had, as is but now proved, and then the body must be perfect, for the soul is 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , that which moves an Organical body. And it no way became the Son of God, who is the fountain of all perfections, to assume into the unity of his person, an unshaped or imperfect thing, such as that of an Embria.
Secondly, The other action of the holy Ghost, was Overshadowing, which checks all curiosity, and commands us not to be bold to search into that work too far, over which the Holy Ghost hath cast a shadow: Doceri non potest nisi à donante, nec disci nisi à formante, to alter Bernard's words a little.
O God, why should men go about to seek for a clear light, where thou hast cast a shadow! why to look upon that Sun, betwixt which and us thou hast interposed a Cloud? No Mother knows the manner of her natural conception; what presumption then is it for flesh and blood to be inquisitive how the holy Ghost did his work in the dark womb of the Virgin? As therefore after the Angels salutation and solution, this blessed mother makes no more doubts, nor raises no more questions about the manner; for her How shall this thing be? went before; So also when the Scripture hath taught us, that the Birth of Christ was on this wise, let us ask no more questions, but in an holy admiration break out with Saint Paul, Great is the mystery of godliness, Christ revealed in the flesh! for if we should, I know not how we should be satisfied; for Quis Declararet? Who shall declare it?
Secondly, The manner of it I mean. For as for the second point, and the effects thence proceeding, they may be declared.
1. The first of which is negative; that though he took upon him 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , a body of weakness, yet he took not to him 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , a body of sin. For he was Sanctified from the womb; That which is born of the shall be called holy; not holy flesh, not a holy man, nor a holy infant, but 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , or Singulariter Sanctum, by some prerogative.
He was no more polluted by the contagion of our depraved nature, than fire is changed, being received in the pores of some piece of rusty Iron, whose force is no whit dulled by the rust, coldness, or soil of that heavy body. For by the power of the Holy Ghost, there was a stoppage made of that Original corruption which doth flow into the nature of all mankind, and as a little leaven, doth sour the whole lump.
2. But secondly, Negative holiness there was not in him alone, but Positive also; even an infusion of all holiness and purity in the manhood of Christ, being the endowment of the soul and body with all manner of graces and virtues proportionable to his own purposes, intents, and counsels.
And this is the grace of Divine Unction, which Divines willingly attribute to the body and soul of this Messiah: For we may not think, that the humanity of our Savior by this conception, received no virtue or quality above nature. But even as the Sword that is made fiery, doth not only cut by the sharpness which it hath from its own edge, but also burns by that glowing heat which it received and retains from the fire: So also the humanity of our Savior is enabled by the Deity that assumed it with many more graces than it naturally had. The Godhead imparting unto it so many perfections, as either it was being a creature capable of, or the exigence of that economy, viz. man's Redemption did require.
Saint John shows us plainly, that the Word which dwelt among us, was full of grace and truth. For the illustration of which, the Schoolmen do thus distinguish of grace and the fullness of it.
First, Say they, there is plenitud • excellentiae, a fullness of excellency; such as is that of some main pipe, by which the Virgin-water of the fountain is conveyed into the lesser Cisterns. And such a plenty of grace they place in the blessed Virgin, who was indeed 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , highly graced, highly favored, to be made the Mother of our Lord; in reference to which we may say truly, Nil gratiae ad nos venit, nisi quod non prius per uterum Mariae transit, No grace came to us, but first past through the Virgins womb.
Secondly, There is plenitudo abundantiae, abundant grace; such was the grace which was in the Apostles, who were all filled with the Holy Ghost, ad mensuram vasculi, as full as a Vessel could hold; being those greater Cisterns, that first held, and then let out the water of life which yet refresheth our thirsty souls; and these are commonly called 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , or gratiae gratis datae, Gifts freely given by God.
Thirdly, There is plenitudo sufficientiae, as much grace as is sufficient to save a soul, and keep it from sin, which is commonly called Sanctification, or 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , or gratia gratum faciens, that grace which makes a man acceptable in the eyes of God, renews, comforts, upholds a sinner from falling and fainting. And to that soul which hungers and thirsts after it, is returned that answer which was given to Saint Paul, Sufficit tibi gratia mea, My grace is sufficient for thee; for to everyone is given some, more or less, as their wants are more or less in their Pilgrimage toward the Celestial Canaan.
Fourthly, But the last is Gratia effluentiae, overflowing grace, or the grace of the fountain, from which Cistern, Pipe and Pitchers are filled. It is sweet in itself, pure in itself, sufficient of itself; from which all sweetness, all pureness, all excellency, all abundance, all sufficiency is. And this alone we confess to be in our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, who was sanctified in his mothers womb, by the Holy Ghost the fountain of all Sanctity; both by the extirpation of Original corruption, and infusion of grace and holiness.
CONCLUSIO.
Hitherto have I gone about to declare that, which in declaring I admire, and in admiring reverence, and in reverence do admire again, and in humility ever shall, why the second Person in the Trinity would have a generation to declare; why he should become bone of our bone, and flesh of our flesh; be sanctified in the womb, be united to our nature, and clothed with our skin.
But if God would come down to us in the likeness of men, why did he not appear like himself? why not as sometimes he did upon Mount Sinai, covered with a pavilion of thick Clouds, ushered with the blast of some Angels Trump, speaking in Thunder, and lighted down with some flash of lightning from heaven? This had been for the Majesty of a God, fit for the glory of so great a King.
Yea, but he came not now in Majesty; he came in great humility to visit us, in love to Redeem us, and therefore he hath not now so much as a still and soft voice to affright us. His voice was still and soft enough when he spake to Adam in the Garden, Ubies Adam? Adam, where art thou? and yet so terrible, that when he heard it, he fled, and hid himself. That we should not flee at this his visitation, Ecce infans & sine voice, Behold an infant, and without a voice; voice he hath none, except it be vagire in cunis, to cry for us, not a word to speak in an angry tone.
In nature, creatures of like kind are commonly well-affected to other; that then we might know how he stood affected to us, he came in our own likeness, an infant of a span long, born of a woman, wrapped up in swaddling clothes; and except it were that his mother wanted a Chamber to lie in in the Inn, and a Cradle to rock him, for which she was glad to make use of the Manger, like he was to us in all things.
〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , Never object to him his poverty or low estate; for it was for your sakes that he became thus low. Love him rather, since he is become your kinsman in the flesh, and by it gained a faculty to speak for his kinsmen to God. With this meditation Job comforts himself, I know that my Redeemer liveth; the word is Goel, and there is comfort in it; a kinsman, one near allied; as if our Savior 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , would plead for us to God, as indeed he doth; for how could he have used those powerful Arguments of his wounds in his side, hands, feet; and those skars in his body to reconcile an angry God unto man, had he not been allied to us in the flesh? yea, how could he exercise dominion over all men with so true, natural, and sensible a touch of mercy, were it not for his manhood, which is the proper subject of compassion and feeling pity?
2. And yet besides the Office of Mediation and Intercession, yea, and that main cause of Satisfaction (that so that Nature which had offended God, might make him amends) another reason is assigned, why it did please the Son of God to humble himself, and dwell with flesh. This is, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 . For God having divers ways before Christ's Incarnation, thought to repress sin, at one time by the promulgation of his Law, at another by the threats of his Prophets, sometimes by punishments, sometimes by favors: One while he rerz'd the world clean by a flood of water, another while he purged it with a shower of fire: Signs in the heaven, strange sights in the air, commotions on the earth, and irruptions of the Sea, amazed, destroyed, and sunk many Cities and Kingdoms: and all these a bitter and a sharp potion, or incision necessary for the cure of the old world, desperately sick and over-run with sin: But when none of these courses would serve the turn, but still the disease prevailing, the whole began to gangrene; that sin should not be mortal, but a period should be set to those unnatural lusts, perjuries, and adulteries, and especially that first and last of mischiefs, the idolatry of the Gentiles; it pleased him, who was the brightness of God's glory, and the express image of his Person, to shadow himself with a body of flesh, and blur his image with the stamp of man, that so in our nature he might destroy the works of the Devil. Since the world needed a strong cure, stronger it obtained; flesh he took to purge the flesh, and a soul to cure the soul, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , purging like with like.
Neither let any man object this humility to our Savior, except he who is offended with the Physicians diligence, who notwithstanding the offensiveness of stinking sores, will bow himself down, handle, and search the putrefied parts, that so he may cure his diseased patient: or with the compassionate bowels of that man, who in mere pity will let himself down into the ditch, to help his neighbors Ox out of the pit.
Let the Jews be scandalized at the Inn and Stable; let Infidels scoff and mock at the Manger, and Swathbands; let Heretics be offended with the form of a Servant; it shall be our glory, That to us this day is born a Savior, which was Christ the Lord.
3. You that sit in the dust, be amazed no more with destruction and death; for to you is born a Jesus. You whose souls are ulcerated with sin, and wounded with transgression, take heart again, for to you is born a Messiah, a Christ, a Physician that hath precious Ointment enough to heal your maladies. Lastly, you whose Heroique spirits aim at a Kingdom and a Crown, bless God for that here is a Lord come down to set you on thrones in heaven. Neque enim sine salute Jesus, neque sine Unction Christus, nec sine gloria Dominus. For Jesus cannot be without Salvation, nor Christ without Unction, nor a Lord without Glory.
And indeed, who can do less than rejoice, when he doth but think of the salvation which he shall receive by Jesus! of the Spiritual Unction he doth enjoy by Christ; of the glory this Lord hath prepared for him? Especially upon this day, which is a day of joy. Every birth day is a day of mirth. Even the very Heathens kept their solemn feasts upon the days on which their Kings, Princes, Patrons, Friends, Benefactors, or themselves were born; neither in these was it lawful to sadden their mirth by the execution of any condemned man; much less of any other. And this is conceived to be the reason, that the dissembler Herod was so sad to behead St. John the Baptist on his birth day; it grieved him to shed the blood of another on that day he received life.
I bid you not to imitate the Heathen in their excesses and riot, but in their joy, in their thankfulness; not for the birth of some temporal Benefactor, but for the Nativity of Jesus Christ the Son of God. Methinks it doth not become a Christian to look sadly on that day that Christ came to visit him; it becomes him not I say, in a dull and heavy manner to hang down his head upon that day a Savior was born for him.
Abraham saw this day, and he rejoiced: The Prophet Isaiah foresaw this day, and foretold there should be great joy on it; joy as the joy in harvest; joy as at the division of the spoil. Zacharias calls him the Branch, and upon that day he should be brought forth, tells us, that every man shall call his neighbor under his Vine, and under his Fig-tree, to make merry as at a feast. These Prophets foresaw not only the day, but prophesied of the mirth of the day: And if they who rejoiced only in Spe, in hope, were so glad of it; what joy doth it behove us to express, who have all in Re, the substance of that which they hoped for? God is with us, who can choose but be merry? nay, God is become as one of us; whose heart doth not leap for joy?
Lord, what joy was there at this birth! and shall we only, whom it most concerned, be sad? Joy there was in heaven. I collect it thus; For if in heaven there be joy at the conversion of one sinner, what joy was there, think you, at the salvation of a whole world of sinners! Joy there was on earth; for then the fields were the Temple, the Shepherds the Auditory, an Angel the Chantour, Angels the Choir; the Uersiculus, Behold I bring you tidings of great joy; after which the Chorus comes in, and sings with full voice, Glory to God on high. I am persuaded (pardon me if I err, for in this I err willingly) that could we but lay aside this clod of earth a little, and ascend with Saint Paul above the Sphears, we should hear those heavenly Musicians singing the same Carol, and all of them closing in the same Diapason, Glory to God an high.
Joy there was at Bethlehem, learned, and unlearned; wise men and Shepherds rejoiced at it. From the East the Magi came, and when they saw the star over the house, they rejoiced with an exceeding great joy. From the fields of Bethelehem the shepherds, and found the Angels words verified. So joyful were the wise men, that they opened their Treasures, and presented gold, incense, and myrrh. And so glad were the shepherds, that they returned glorifying and praising God.
To conclude, I read of none that were sad at his birth but Herod and his faction: He indeed is nettled at the news, and Jerusalem is troubled with him. If then we will not be like him, and those miscreants, let us join with the Angels, praise God with the shepherds, magnify him with Mary, bless him with Zacharias, adore with the wise men; offer to him the pure gold of a holy life, present him with the sweet incense of our prayers, and glorify him with the bitter myrrh of a mortified conversation; that so when we have prayed to him, and praised him in this life, we may laud him in heaven hereafter, being perfect, in that Cherubicum, Therefore with Angels and Arch-Angels, and all the company of heaven, we laud and glorify thy glorious Name, evermore praising thee, and saying, Holy, holy, holy Lord God of Hosts, heaven and earth are full of thy glory; Glory be to thee, O God most High!
A Hymn for Christmas day.
Of Christ's Circumcision, and the Imposition of his Name Jesus.
LUKE 2.21.
And when eight days were accomplished for the circumcising of the child, his Name was called Jesus, which was so named of the Angel, before he was conceived in the womb.
〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 . Behold I once more present you with my Jesus, and once more with salvation: And if Jesus the person, and if Salvation the favor be not glad and welcome tidings to you, I know not how to choose a Text. Brethren, as sometimes Saint Paul told the Philippians, To write the same things to you, to me is not grievous, but to you safe: So say I, To preach the same things unto you, I shall not think it troublesome, when it may concern your profit and your safety.
Before, you have heard the earnest desire of the old Church, That God would make good his promise for the Redemption of the world: That the Patriarchs and Prophets desired to see that day. Heard you have also of his Eternal Generation, and of that in time, that he was from everlasting the Son of God; and that he was borne in the fullness of time the Son of a Virgin, and as such the Messiah, anointed to be King, Priest, and Prophet to his Church. It remains only, that I acquaint you how he became under the Law; for till that be done, we cannot have any solid comfort from him. 'It is not the unity of his Nature that can sufficiently secure us; for so he is united to all mankind. There must be an unity of person also, which only can be beneficial to us. And so it was upon this day of his Circumcision; then he personally became our Surety, submitted himself to the Law, undertook for us to pay both debt and penalty, and so was in as deep as we were, since in Law the Debtor and Surety make but one person. Now this is the day when he went under the Knife, engaged himself for our Debt, and had the Name above every Name, that Name Jesus imposed upon Him.
In this Gospel there be very many memorable things, all worthy of a serious consideration. First an Army of Angels that sung the Anthem. Then the diligence of the Shepherds in seeking, their gratitude in praising God. Lastly, the carefulness of Mary the Virgin; who as a Mother, kept him in her arms; as an hand-maid kept him in her lowly heart.
But at this time I pass by these, and will insist upon these three particulars clearly set forth in this verse.
- 1. The Circumcision of Christ.
- 2. The time, the eighth day.
- 3. The Imposition of his Name J • sus.
1. When they came to circumcise, &c.
I presume I shall not need to Catechize you about the Sacrament of Circumcision; when, why, and to whom given; as that it was the first Sacrament of the old Law: that it was instituted by God: that given to Abraham as a sign, a seal. A sign, that whatsoever is begotten and proceedeth of the seed of man, is originally corrupt and sinful. And a Seal also, that as the praepu • ium, or foreskin was cut away, so was there a discharge of that original pollution. Yea, and a farther assurance, that now God and man were entered into a closer and nearer Covenant; He to be their God, and they his people; He to bless them, they to serve him.
But what do you now circumcising this Child? that all other children, nay men, Abraham, and all be circumcised, there is great reason; but why this Child? Abraham, and all the posterity of Abraham are subject to many foolish and noisome lusts; which of the Saints did you ever yet read of, who in something was no sinner? Their best righteousness is but pannus m • nstruatus, a homely cloth; nor much Nitre, nor the herb Borith will be able to cleanse it. Necessary then it is, that not faex populi, the dregs the worst, but flos populi, the flower, the best of the people be cut. And this reason is binding for Infants also; for being conceived of unclean seed, and warmed in a sinful womb, at their birth polluted no less in sin than in blood, they also must go under the Knife.
But what do you now Circumcising him in whom there was nothing superfluous? how comes this about? Go and circumcise your own corrupt and sinful flesh; never make him bleed for it, qui nec peccatum admisit, nec contraxit. That he committed none, his age is a certain evidence; that he contr • cted none is manifest; for which way should he contract any, who had God for his Father, a Virgin for his Mother, whose womb was sanctified by the Holy Ghost? He did, he knew no sin; why then must he as other infants undergo this pain?
There was no absolute necessity in it, that's certain; but yet very great convenience. Since it pleased him to be the Savior of the world, convenient it was to take those ways as he judged most fit to save.
1. It became him to be obedient who would be a Savior; for how should a disobedient person satisfy for our disobedience? How should he pay for the breach of the Law, that would not himself keep the Law? Now a Law there was, That every male which was eight days old, must be circumcised, or else be cut off from God's people. That then he might make it evident that he was now, as other, under the Law, and bound no less than any other to obey, content he was to bleed as other Males. We make light of all God's Commands, be they the greater matters of the Law, judgment, and mercy; or be they the less, Mint, Annice, Cumin, all's one with us, for we break all. And if we be scrupulous in any, it is about the Mint, and Annice; to disobey in judgment and justice we stick but little: Whereas our Savior would be subject even to a Ceremony; rather smart, than have one Title of the Law not fulfilled.
2. This first; the next might be to set us an example of great humility, that we be not spiritually proud, that we set not up our wheel with the Pharisee, and boast we are not like other men, not as the Publican, when perhaps we are far worse. This did not he, who made himself of no reputation, who was content to be numbered among sinners, and take upon him the mark and note of sinners, and to bear it about him all his life long: Though he had not so much as the least impurity of a wound, yet he was content to carry in his flesh the scars and Ligatures of a wounded man. Which of us, were he conscious to himself, I say not of so much glory, but so much innocence, would willingly be put to pain and shame, and receive into his body the brand of a Malefactour? We sin and blush not; nay, we sin, and take it ill to be esteemed sinners: But so great was his humility, though a Lamb without spot, yet non dedignatus, thought it no dishonor to be numbered among the transgressors.
3. Farther, the vain assertions of many Heretics are silenced by this one Act; and hence Epiphanius fetcheth Arguments to confute three grand Heresies. Manes held Christ had no true body; as if his being made flesh, had been only a mockery. Apollinaris, that his flesh was consubstantial with the Deity. Ualentinus, that it was celestial and spiritual.
But how fond these fancies are, the blood of this his Circumcision evinceth; for had he not been truly made flesh, he could not bleed; had the substance of his body naturally been, or else by conversion turned into his Deity, there had not been anything superfluous to cut off. That then he was true man, made of a woman, this one Act, were there no other, would demonstrate.
4. But to be made of a woman, as I hinted in the beginning, is not that we must trust to. This very Incarnation will not make him Jesus to us. How many are there who are borne of women, that yet cannot save? He that will save by justice, must come under the Law, submit himself to all such duties and penalties as the Law exacts of those he means to save, or else it is in choice of the Superior, whether they be the better for him.
By a strong hand or power he intended not to save; it was by payment, and making full satisfaction to justice; which that he might do, he was content to come under the Law; and to give assurance that it was so, he received the Seal of Circumcision in his flesh. Then instantly he became a Debtor of the whole Law; then bound to observe every 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , or tittle; then bound to answer for our enormities; and that it might be known, that he intended not to start or shrink from what he undertook, he received the seal in his flesh, and subscribed his Name Jesus in blood at his Circumcision. Then, even then he shed some few drops as a pawn, that he would, when time was, shed all the rest for us: as this in the stable, so that in the Hall and Garden; as this in the Cratch, so that on the Cross.
Look on Christ then as our Surety, as one that stood in our place, and then very just it is, that he go under the stone-knife. 'It is now no courtesy, but justice. Pity indeed it is to see a poor innocent put to pain, and lie weltering in his blood: but if this innocent person will put himself into the place of the guilty, bring himself under the Law, and subject himself to the penalty of the Law, no remedy, the Law must take its course, and justice proceed.
Oportet implere justitiam, It behooves us to fulfill all righteousness, was his own words at Jordan; He would be there baptized to satisfy justice; and he would be here Circumcis'd to satisfy justice. Justice that he fulfil the old Law; and Justice that he begin by the Seal and Engagement of a Sacrament.
To give you a little more light about this matter; in Christ there be two capacities. It was so in the first Adam; it may as easily be conceived in the second. The first Adam was a person of himself; and he was again the Author of a race, or Head of a Society. And so Christ the second Adam is a single and individual person existent of himself; or else a part of that visible body called the Church. A part I say, though the chief part, the Head, and all Christians besides; some more noble, some inferior parts of his body.
Take Christ then now by himself as a person existent without any relation ro us, so he is an innocent person, a Lamb without spot, Sanctified from the womb; no reason or justice at all that you circumcise him. For the Law was not given for a righteous man. But take him again as join'd with us, and part of us, and then there is all the justice in the world, that he do as we do, and suffer what we suffer, and bleed as we bleed. Since he took our Nature, nay more, our person, and put himself into the hand of Law, Law might take its course. In our bodies parts there be, that, as I may so say, undertake for the whole; as the arm very often is let blood for the whole body. Put then Christ in that very place and case that the Prophet doth, Posuit super eum, God hath laid upon him the iniquities of us all; put him as the Apostle sets him, Factus p ccatum, Made sin for us; put all our debts, all our sins, all our errors upon him, and then he will deserve to bleed for them. Then he will need that for me and thee, which for himself he needed not. Need though a child, to be circumcised the
2. Eighth day.
That was the time. You see how at unawares I am fallen upon it, and do not think but there be good reasons for this very circumstance, as for the Act. As he would be Circumcised, so also he would on the eighth Day.
First, In the prime institution of this Sacrament, the Law was, That every male which was eight days old should be circumcised, which Law is revived in Leviticus. Time is but a circumstance of action, and yet not in this our Savior would be deficient; as he was under the Law, so also he tied himself to the Circumstances of the Law, and would not so much as transgress this. This was the time set by God, revived by Moses, observed by the Jews, and was to continue till Christ by his death abolished the whole Law of Ceremonies. And this institution of God was without question the true reason why Christ would not be circumcised nor before nor after the Eighth Day.
But why, you'le say, was it defer'd so long, since the Law was so strict, that an uncircumcised man was to be cut off from his people? by the Sword, say some; but others, to be esteemed as one who was without the Covenant, and therefore to have no benefit at all by it, no more than a leg or an arm that is cut off from the body.
It is presumption to give a peremptory reason of God's Commands: So it pleased him, should conte • t a sober mind. But the curious will not be so satisfied. Ye shall hear therefore what the Jews said to it, and then the Christians. The Jews superstitiously conceived, that each creatures perfection depended upon the Sanctification of one Sabbath day at least; and therefore they tell us, that God enjoin'd the day, that one Sabbath might pass over each male, before he should be admitted into the Covenant.
But the Christians more probably conceive: First, That in this time of the Mosaical Paedagogy there was a legal uncleanness, in which the creatures were rhought to be as remaining in their blood. Secondly, To show that God in matters of salvation, neithe • was, nor is tied to Sacraments; for then there had been no less cruelty in forbidding Circumcision till the eighth day, than there was love in permitting it upon the eighth, when the Parents received comfort by the mature initiation of their children.
And now I shall tell you why I moved this Question. It was to comfort and inform some ignorant people, and to confute some Heretical, both which conceive that the Sacrament is absolutely necessary to salvation; so that if without that, even children depart this life, they are not saved.
But how vain and cruel this Assertion is, appears even by the delay of Circumcision. For can any conceive that God would have defer'd it for eight days (in which interval of time many millions died) had it been absolutely necessary to salvation? It is the contempt of the Sacrament, this same nolle circumcidi, and that which answers to it, Nolle Baptizari, to be against Infants Baptism, that God takes ill, to cast off the means, which he hath ordained, when it may be had: For when it cannot be, and yet is desired, he will not impute it. Though God hath tied us, yet he hath not tied himself; the grace of God may be imputed without the Sacraments; and I nothing doubt but it was extended to many Infants whose foreskin was not cut, and to some of those who died in the wilderness, when Circumcision was omitted for forty years.
2. But I return to these eight days. Music they say consists in numbers; and most true it is, that all voices or instruments tuned, by their parity or imparity, produce a Symphony; you shall hear then what Descant the gravest Divines have run upon this Diapason, this Eight. For some apply it Morally, some Mystically.
First, That this eight day falls out to be the first of the year, it teacheth what we are to have in mind all the year. viz. The blood of Christ this day shed as a pledge, that he would shed all the rest for us. For there was a double effusion of his blood; First at his Circumcision; the other at his Passion. Now an Infant, he shed a few drops, as it were the two mites, and cast them into the treasury of the Church; little they appear to be, but they are of infinite vallue and comfort; for they are a pawn, that by the stream to follow, all our debts shall be paid, we shall be enriched, we shall be saved, we shall live forever.
Secondly, That this Circumcision followed so quickly upon his Birth; it shows that mortification of our fleshly members, and the Cross of Christ is not to be deferred to our old age, but that the yoke of God is to be borne even from our youth. And these Morals Stella finds in it.
Bede, Jerome, Nazianzen, Augustine, find in the eighth day a great Mystery. They tell us first, that the number of eight is numerus salutis, a number of salvation, because that eight persons only were saved in the Ark from perishing in the water.
Secondly, That this is Novi Testamenti numerus, the number of the New Testament. For that our Lord rose out of the grave the next day after the Sabbath, which was the eighth day from the first of the Creation. The Jews kept holy the seventh, but we under the New Testament the eighth in memory of our Savior's resurrection on that day.
Thirdly, That it is numerus aeternitatis, a number that puts us in mind of eternity. In the six days whatsoever was made, must also perish; the seventh day itself was not to continue, no nor the service done in it. The day was but a shadow that must give way to our Lord's day, and the service mere Ceremony, that must yield to our worship in Spirit and Truth. The eighth day, the day we now keep must last, and the honor of it to continue to the worlds end. After which there remains Sabbatismus, a rest to the people of God, an eternal Sabbath in heaven. This must be after the resurrection, of which this Sabbath, this eighth day I mean kept to the honor of Christ rising from the grave, is but a Type; when all corruption of the flesh shall be cut off, and this mortal shall put on immortality, 1 Cor. 15.53.
Now how fitly doth this Salutis numerus, this number of salvation ag •• e to him, who was the Savior of all! How aptly the number of the New Testament to him, who abbrogated the Old, and made this New Will! The number of Eternity to the Father of Eternity, and of the future world!
What should I tell you that Bede finds a multiplied Ogdoas in the Name of Jesus. Thus he writes it, and out of the numeral letters put together, casts the product 888.
| Ι | η | σ | ο | υ | ς | Which being added together, make 888. |
| 10 | 8 | 200 | 70 | 400 | 200 |
The number of the Beast runs all upon sixes. So is his name 666. The number of all things which fade and fail, being created in the six days. About these fading vanities was the work of Antichrist; nor he, nor they must continue, for they shall be destroyed by the Spirit of Christ's mouth. But the Name of Jesus was founded upon eights, that number of Eternity, that number of Salvation, to teach us that his Gospel was to be an Eternal Gospel; his Redemption an Eternal Redemption, far beyond any work done upon the six days; that, and the fruit of it to remain forever.
3. His Name was called Jesus.
Salvation is the fruit, salvation is the end; for that end he was born, for that end circumcised. The Obligation he entered into at his Circumcision was to save, and therefore then, and not till then he had his Name given him, Jesus a Savior. A wonderful and strange thing, Circumciditur pure & vocatur Jesus, he is circumcised, and yet called Jesus. He is circumcised, and that makes him a Servant, for by this sign he was marked to be one of God's people under the Law, and bound to service. And yet this servant (for so Isaiah, so St. Paul calls him) is more then a servant, for he is Jesus, and must save, which alone belongs to God.
Abram at his Circumcision received a new name, that honorable name of Abraham, because he should be the Father of many Nations, who should believe and obey, as he did: So Christ at his Circumcision, who, as a man, became now one of the people of God, dedicated to his service and honor, took this wonderful Name of Jesus, because he was to be the Savior of all those Nations of which Abraham was to be the Father according to the Covenant of Grace.
In this one verse then, we have Law and Gospel; The Law observed by the sharp knife of Circumcision; the Gospel preached under the Name of Jesus. One of Abraham's Children in that he bled; more than Abraham's Child in that he was Jesus. Majesty and weakness, God and man, Heaven and earth are in this place met together. His Circumcision is an undeniable Argument of his Humanity; The Name given him above every Name, an evidence of his Majesty: what means this connection? what is the purpose of this great Savior to conjoin heights and depths, human things and Divine together? was it to give us a taste, that he could not be Jesus, a Savior, without shedding of blood? or was it not rather to inform us, that it is peculiar to God to exalt the obedient? To my understanding, the Prophet Isaiah insinuates some such thing, when he foretells, Thou shalt be called by a new name, which the mouth of the Lord shall name; or as Piscator reads it, prefixerit, and paraphraseth it, determinaverit, designarit, definierit; or according to the propriety of the Heb. perforabit, shall bore. After the same manner as we cut notes and letters which we desire to be lasting, in some soft matter, such as slaves and soldiers were wont to have burnt in their flesh or faces, which showed that they were no longer in their own power, but at the command of another. So was this Name of Jesus, perforatum, cut into his flesh, and by the edge of this shar • knife at his Circumcision impressed in him, to show that he became a servant for us, was no more at his own dispose, but wholly bent to do the will of him that sent him.
But it is worth your observation, that God never forgot his servant. For in his humility his judgment was exalted; when he was at the weakest, then to a diligent eye, he was at the strongest; when so low that he might give an offense, then was there some sign from heaven which might wipe away the scandal. Offend it might, that he should be conceived of menstruous blood; for nine months continue in the womb of a woman. But that this woman was a Virgin, that her concepion was from the Holy Ghost, that this was declared by an Angel, that her Son was 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , a holy thing, makes a full amends for that. Look on his Birth, therein lies the Lord of glory without all glory, his Palace a stable, his Cradle a cratch, his Pillow, God knows what, the hangings of that room, for ought we know, dust, and cobwebs, his attendants beasts, or shepherds at the best: Audistis vilia, audietis mirifica. Were these things base and mean? an offense, a scandal? you may turn then here and see what will make you wonder. That contemptible Cratch is honored with the report and music of Angels: The little Babe in his clouts is made known by a Star in the Clouds: For the poor shepherds you have great wise men, to fall down to him, to adore him even then, and offer their gifts.
Offend again it may, to see him like any other Jewish Male, to bleed under this sharp and shameful knife; but then call to mind his Name then given, and you have an ample amends made; a Name that is above every Name. A Name above to him, above to us. To us, For there is no other Name given by which we can be saved: And above to him, for that he would purchase it twice with his blood, now in his Cradle, after on his Cross, when also he would have this Name written in fair Characters over his head, in three known Lnaguages for all to read, as if then he intended to proclaim in Hebrew, Greek, and Latin, I am, and besides me there is no Jesus.
Names if rightly imposed, are Notamina, short definitions that express to us the nature of the thing; whence the Ancients taught, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , he that will teach aright, must first search out the reason of the Name. Now all other Names of God, as El the strong God, or Shadai the All-sufficient God, or Adonai my Lord, or Elohim Governors, or strong Princes, are all Appellatives, and may be communicated: This One is God's proper Name, literally as some contend, never communicated to any other person, but I am sure in the energy and sense of it, never, never.
Great Clerks inform us, that the names of those in Scripture we usually call Jesus, had not the same name secundum material, not in very letters and syllables. For their Names they say, was Jehoshua, Christ's Jesua: Now Jehoshua signifies God will save, save by them: But Jesua in the present tense, he saves, or is a Savior himself, which if true, then the Name literally is proper to him quarto modo. It belongs to him uni soli & semper, to him, to him only, and always to him. Isaiah's words are verified in him alone, I am, and besides me there is no Savior.
As for the sense of it, in others it was but Magni nominis umbra; for they were petty, particular, temporal Savior's, but shadows only, and Types of him. The Angel might well proclaim at his birth, To day is b • rn to you a Savior; for never was there an Universal, Spiritual Savior in the world till he was born.
Those might and did save the body: This Savior body and soul together; They could save but from man and carnal enemies; He from the enemies of mankind, and from spiritual. They someone Nation, as put case the Jews: He the whole world. They from temporal calamities, as it were the branches; he from sin, as it were the root. They from enemies and miseries for a time only, for they came again; he from them, and so that they shall not return. He wrought eternal salvation; Eternal, which never any Jesus or Jehoshua else did. Lastly, they all had need of a Savior themselves, without whom they had been lost; but he for himself needed none, yet imparts of his salvation to all others who are saved; and if you are desirous to know how this is done, it was by saving his people from their sin.
Yea but youle say, How are his people saved from their sins, when there is not one of his people who are not to this day sinners? Abraham a sinner, David a sinner, Peter a sinful man; And if any man say that he hath no sin, he deceives himself, and there is no truth in him. Can a man be said to be freed from that burden under which he yet suffers and groans?
But O happy sighs and groans! for these if constant and serious in any one of his people, show evidently that the man is saved. Saved not so far from sin, that it shall not dwell in him and with him, but that it doth not reign in him, nor shall condemn him. In sin there is a double power, the one dominandi, of domineering; the other damnandi, of condemning; and from both he hath saved his people. First from that of reigning or domineering, whereby it commands, and men obey, drudge and droyl in its service; and such a slave not one of his people can be; for they live not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. And then again from that power of condemning, because there is no condemnation to those that are in Christ Jesus. Who shall lay anything to the charge of God's Elect? It is God that justifieth: Who is it that condemneth? it is Christ that died, yea rather that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us.
This name then is an ointment poured forth; for at the imposition and manifestation it sends forth a most fragrant smell, as Mary's box of Spikenard when it was opened. For indeed it contains in it the virtue and power of all those other Names with which the Prophet Isaiah honors him: How well doth the name of Wonderful agree to him who did such wonders to save us? He must needs be the best Counselor, that directs a way to save a soul; no enemy can take us out of his hand, for he is the Mighty God; other fathers leave and forsake us; but he is the everlasting Father, and will not leave us Orphans. Without peace there can be no safety; Why he is the Prince of Peace. Let therefore Jesus be to thee wonderful, by whom thou mayest do wonders, conquer sin, Satan, death, hell; let Jesus be thy Mighty God to whom being united thou shalt always overcome. Take Jesus for thy Counselor, who will open unto thee the whole will of God; Choose Jesus for thy father, by and from whom thou shalt obtain an everlasting inheritance; acknowledge him to be the Prince of Peace, by whose aide thy enemies being conquered thou shalt enjoy eternal peace. O good Jesu, how truly is thy Name an ointment poured out, because from thee there was poured out upon us wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption, counsel, strength, hope of eternal life, and peace which passeth all understanding!
4. Which was so named of the Angel before he was conceived in the womb.
Now then since he was to be all this to us, no marvel if he had his Name from heaven; had he been to be named by his mother, from her he could not well have been called Jesus, because from her he was to have only his human nature, he must be born under the law, was capable of Circumcision and pain; whence she might well have called him, as Rachel her son, Benoni, the son of sorrow. But because no man knows the Son but the Father, and he to whom the father will reveal him, therefore he alone imposed the Name, and to that purpose sent his messenger the Angel Gabriel, at the same time when he brought the good news of his Conception; then, before he was conceived, enjoined it was to Mary, Thou shalt call his name Jesus; for this name was made known to Joseph by the same, or another Angel afterwards.
Mark here how strict the words of the injunction are, Thou shalt call him, not by any Name, not as you please, but as I from God command: This name then was not imposed as other names on children by the will of their parents, but in a singular way, because the child that was to be called by it, was far to exceed all other children; which the Angel expresseth fully in the same place, He shall be great and shall be called the Son of the Most High; And the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David, and he shall reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there shall be no end. In which words the Angel sets down three excellent prerogatives of this Name, or of the person who bears this Name.
1. Erit magnus, he shall be great, not with any limitation or restriction, as of John the Baptist, great before the Lord, that is, a great Prophet, or servant; or as Joshua, a great high Priest standing before the Angel of the Lord, but absolutely great, as being Dominus Dominantium, the Lord of Lord's, as making all other great; and in whose presence it is the greatest honor to be great, the very Angels themselves standing before his throne as Ministers.
2. He out of Humility calls himself the Son of man; and that he was so, were there no other reason, that cauterium peccatoris, and effusion of blood at his Circumcision would sufficiently prove it; but the Angel calls him the Son of the most High, not the Adopted, but Natural, whose power is so great, that by this grace of adoption, he is able to make others also sons and heirs; and this is his second prerogative.
3. And yet there is a third, This Jesus is a King to succeed David, to reign over the house of Jacob forever; which forever, least it should be stinted to a set time, as it is sometime in Scripture, the Angel adds, Of his kingdom there shall be no end; no end in time, nor no end for extent, for he is to reign in the house of Jacob, in the house of the faithful who are properly the seed of Jacob forever; over all he doth and will reign by his Scepter of power, but over them by his Scepter of Grace. This, this is the Title over his head, Jesus of Nazareth the King of the Jews.
And now, O thou happy Christian, who hopest for salvation by this name Jesus, let this name be to thee an ointment poured forth, and carry in thyself the three powers of this Name. Be thou therefore by his Spirit great before God: be thou his son by adoption; be a King and reign over thy unruly affections and passions, and so hereafter thou shalt reign with him forever. If thou shalt humble thyself with him as he did, thou shalt be exalted by him, Because everyone that humbleth himself shall be exalted.
The Application.
Thus have you the explication; I now descend to the Application of this text. Brethren, we have in the Circumcision of our Lord what to admire, what to imitate, and in his name what to reverence.
1. It must strike us into admiration to see God in our flesh, God suffering in our flesh, and bleeding in our nature; Was there ever the like heard, ever the like seem? When I look upon the person, I cannot comprehend the greatness of his Majesty; when I behold the blood, I am not able to express the greatness of his love. The Innocent would bleed for the sinful, the Judge for the Malefactor, the Physician for his patient, the Shepherd for the sheep, the Creator for his creature, in a word, God for man.
Obstupescite coeli, Be amazed O heavens! behold at what rate he esteemed man, and be not like horse and mule, creatures without understanding, but get you to Bethlehem, and behold there the Lord of Angels, not made only lower than Angels, but lower than an ordinary person, taking upon him not only the shape of man, but the form of a sinner, a wicked sinner, for he is marked in his flesh quasi quodam cauterio latronis, burnt as it were and stigmatized with the mark of an evil doer. Behold this first, and wonder at it, and wondering love him, and loving rejoice, and with greater joy be thankful to the head that would bleed for the members, to the head that would die for the parts, to Jesus qui totus pro nobis datus, totus in usus nostros expensus, to Jesus I say who was wholly given for us, wholly expended and laid out for our use.
2. But to wonder is not much; seldom is there any strange thing which men will not gaze at; or to love and be glad is no hard motion to persuade, for naturally men do love and will joy in that which shall make for their good and benefit. We have then here somewhat more to admire, somewhat to set us to work; the Circumcision is for our imitation; we, even we, yet though the letter be gone, have what in this Ceremony to follow.
There is a Circumcision of the heart, a cutting off of whatsoever is superfluous, whatsoever is sinful, and in this we must all be Jews. Cut off pride, that thou mayest be vested with Christ's humility; cut off thine own will, that thou mayest put on his obedience; cut off thine anger and fury, that thou mayest receive his patience. Cut off the love of thyself, that thou mayest be marked with the love of God. Coveteousness must go under the knife; wantonness under the knife, gluttony under the knife, sacrilege under the knife, blasphemy under the knife; in a word all the lusts of the flesh under the knife, they must be cut off and cast away from us if we mean to receive the seal of Christ. The Jew was circumcised in one part only, but the Christian is to be circumcised in the whole man; the Jew outwardly, the Christian within; the Jew in the flesh, the Christian in the heart; the Jew in the letter, the Christian in the Spirit; Ye are circumcised (saith the Apostle) not with circumcision made with hands, but with the circumcision made without hands, in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ.
Be it that this be grievous to flesh and blood, yet so God will have it; there could be no cutting without pain, nor bleeding without incision; 'tis contrary to the nature of Circumcision, that the circumcised smart not. When you are then to be circumcised with Christ and for Christ, you must be content to smart, to suffer, to abide pain, or else you can never be within the Covenant; think not that God hath strewed your way to heaven with roses; 'tis a sharp way that leads thither, the way of mortification; the rough way of repentance, the strait gate of abstinence and fasting, and the bloody path of affliction tends to happiness; in one word, death is the gate of life, and these as so many circumcisions must be undergone by us, before we can wear a Crown;