The Wedding Garment

To the Reader.

T O control those false copies of this Sermon, which were printed without my knowledge (patched as it seemeth) out of some borrowed notes, and to stop the Printing of it again without my corrections, as it was intented, because they had got it licensed before, although utterly unwilling for some respects to have it published, which made me withstand their importunity so long, yet seeing more inconvenience then I thought of, I suffered that which I could not hinder. And now hoping that it is God's will to profit some by it, as Jacob parted from Benjamin, so that which must be let he, and the Lord give thee a blessing with it.

The Wedding Garment.

I Have chosen a Text which is the sum of the Bible. For all Scripture runneth upon Christ like the title of a book, because Christ is the Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end of man's salvation, therefore he is figured in the law, foretold in the Prophets, and fulfilled in the Gospel. Some places point to his Divinity, some to his humanity, some to his kingdom, some to his Priesthoode, some to his Prophecy, some to his Conception, some to his birth, some to his life, some to his miracles, some to his passion, some to his resurrection; some to his Ascension, some to his glorification, all point unto the Savior like John Baptist, when he said, This is the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sins of the world. Therefore learn Christ, and learn all. Now to teach us how we should hear, and how we should love, and how we should fear, & how we should believe, & how we should follow Christ, that we may know when we have learned him. The Apostle saith, Put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ: as though this word did contain all our duties unto Christ, To put him on, (which seems to be the level of this phrase, if you mark how it cometh in, for before Paul saith, Cast away the works of darkness, and put on the Armor of light. Then he nameth the works of darkness, which we should cast off: viz. gluttony, drunkenness, strife, envy, chambering, wantonness, after he nameth the armor of light, which we should put on, and calleth it by the name of the giver, The Lord Jesus Christ. In stead of gluttony, and drunkenness, and strife, and envy, and chambering, and wantonness, and other patches of the devil, wherewith man clotheth himself as with a garment. The Apostle giveth him another garment, which he calleth Jesus Christ. He doth not oppose virtue to vice, as one would think when he had said, Cast off gluttony, he should have said, Put on sobriety, when he had said, Cast off wantonness, he should have said, Put on continency, when he had said, Cast off envy, he should have said, Put on love, but in stead of all virtues, he commendeth the example of Christ for every virtue, and opposeth it to every vice, as if he should say, He which thinketh only to follow Christ, needeth not be lead by the hand from virtue to virtue, but his example will teach him what he shall follow, and what he shall flee better then all precepts in the world. Therefore this is the best thought in every action for a man to think, what Christ would do, which was made not only redemption and salvation to save us, but wisdom and example to guide us. Therefore he saith, Learn of me, and follow me, as though we should think before we speak, whether he would speak so, and consider before we do whether he would do so, and do all by his example as the scholar writeth by his copy, or else we do not learn of him, but of our selves, and then we go awry, like a child which scribleth without a rule. If thou resoluest to speak & do no otherwise then Christ would speak and do himself, thou shalt be sure to do all things well, because thou followest a straight pattern. Therefore study what this meaneth. To put on Christ. It is a strange speech, and a strange Garment, they which cannot tell like Nicodemus, what Christ meaneth when he saith, that we must be borne again, cannot tell what Paul meaneth, when he saith, Put on Christ: as if one man should put on another. I think many here may go to the Apostle, as the Apostles went to Christ, and ask, What is the parable? This phrase is read in none but Paul, which hath writ̄ most of Justification by Christ: & therefore he useth all phrases to express how we should apply Christ unto us, and in no terms he hath shown it more lively then in this phrase, Put on Christ. For it signifieth that Christ doeth cover us like a Garment, and defend us like an armoure. He hideth our unrighteousness with his righteousness, he covereth our disobedience with his obedience, he shadoweth our death with his death, that the wrath of God cannot find us, judgment cannot spy us, the curse cannot see us, for the garment which covereth & hideth us. But as Jacob got the blessing in the name and apparel of Esau his elder brother: so in the name and apparel of Christ our elder brother, we receive the blessing, and are receued into favor like Christ himself. For God saith not, This is my beloved Son which pleaseth me, but In whom I am pleased: meaning that not only Christ pleaseth God, but we please God in Christ, For Christ is our head. Therefore as one looking in the face of a man, doth like him straight, if he like his face: so God beholding us in the face of Christ, doeth love us straight, because the face doth please him: But Christ is not our head, unless we be his menbers: Christ is not out Garmēt, unless we put him on: as Christ did put on our garment, when he clothed himself with our flesh, & toke our infirmities, & bore our curse: So we must put on his garment, that is, his righteousness, his merits, and his death, which is as strange a vesture to us, as our flesh was to him, & much ado we have to put it on, & when it is on, there is great cunning to wear it cleanly & comely, from soyling and renting that such a precious garment be not taken from us again. Therefore many seem to wear this Garment which shall be thrust from the banket, because they wear it not: as those which will say when the Lord shall come to judgment. We have seen thee in our streets, we have heard thee in our sinagoges, we have prophesied, we have cast out devils, we have wrought miracles by thy name: As though if any had put him on, or borne his marks, they were the men which were marked like his servants, therefore who but they shall enter into heaven? Yet Christ saith, I know you not, there is their reward, I know you not,, as if he should answer, you wear not my livery, you wear not my cognizance for all your shows, therefore depart from me: so he put them off because they had not put him on: for though they had seen his person, and heard of his virtues, yet they had not faith to apply his mercies, his merits, his death and his righteousness unto them, without which no man can put on Christ nor wear him. Faith is the hand which putteth him on. Faith taketh first his righteousness & covereth hir unrighteousness, then she taketh his obedience, and covereth hir disobedience, then she taketh his patience, & covereth hir impatiency, then she taketh his temperance, and covereth hir intemperancy, then she taketh his continency, and covereth her incontinency, then she taketh his constancy, and covereth her inconstancy, then she taketh his faith, & covereth hir diffidence, then she taketh his humility, and covereth her pride, then she taketh his love, and covereth her rancor. And so taketh one roabe after another, and tricketh her self until she have put on Jesus Christ, that is, until she appear in the sight of God, like Jesus Christ, clothed with his merits & graces: that God hath no power to be angry with her, because she cometh so like his Son. This is to put on Jesus Christ, as you shall see more lively, whē you have taken a view of the garment, for we are to speak of Christ the Garment, & of our putting it on. There be many fashions of apparel, but they are too light, or too heavy, or too sad, or too course, or too stale, and all wear out. At last the Apostle found a fashion, that surpasseth them all: it is never out of fashion, meet for all seasons, fit for all persons, and such a profitable weed, that the more it is worn, the fresher it is. What fashion have you seen comparable to this? Is it not like the clothes of David's ambassadors, which covered their upper parts, but not their lower partes: nor like Saul's armor, which tired David when he should fight with it: Nor like the counterfeit of Jereboam's wife, which disguised her self to go unknown, nor like the old rags of the Gibeonites, which deceived Joshua, nor like the paltry suit of Michah which he gave once a year to his Levite, nor like the gluttons flaunte which ietted in purple every day, nor like the light clothes which Christ said are in kings Courts, and make them lighter that were them. But it is like the garment of the high priest, which had all the names of the Tribes of Israel written upon his breast: so all the names of the faithful are writ̄ in the breast of Christ, and registered in the boke of his merits. It is like Elias mantell which divided the waters: So he divideth our sins & punishments that they which are clothed with Christ, are armed both against sin and death. It is like the Garments of the Israelites in the wilderness, which did not wear: forty years together they wandered in the desert, and yet saith Moses, their shoes were not worn, but their apparel was as when they came out of Egypt: so the righteousness of Christ doth last forever, and his mercies are never worn out. As Mordecai shined in the kings robes before the people: So and more glorious are the faithful in the robes of Christ before God. When Christ was transfigured upon the mount. Mat. saith, that his face shined like the Sun, & his clothes were as white as the light: So when we are transfigured into the image of Christ, we shall shine before other men like lights: & therefore Christ's disciples are called Lights, because they were clothed with light, and shined to the world. Solomon was not so glorious in all his royalty, nor the lillyes which are brauer then Solomon, as he which is clothed with Christ, because the apparel upon him is better then all the world about him. Therefore if David said, Weep ye daughters of Israel for Saul which clothed you in purple. I may say, rejoice ye daughters of Israel, for Christ which hath clothed you with righteousness, as it were with a vesture, before you come to the banquet.

This is the wedding garment without which no man can feast with the Lord. This garment is called an Armor, because it defendeth us from all the assalts of the devil, the flesh the world, the heat of persecution, and the cold of defection. This Garment is called Light, because it is the beauty & glory of them which wear it. This Garment is called a Kingdom, because none but Kings do wear it, that is, they are inthroned in the kingdom of Christ, and made kings over the world, the flesh and Satan: which wear this Garment, like the hair Samson, which while he wore, he was like a King, and all his enemies had no power to hurt him.

This Garment Paul hath sent unto you, to go before the king of heaven & earth, a holy Garment, a royal Garment, an immaculate Garment, an everlasting Garment: a Garment whereof every hem is peace of conscience, every pleat is joy in the holy Ghost, every stitch is the remission of some sin, and saveth him which weareth it. If she which touched the hem of Christ's garment was healed, he which weareth the garment nay, he which weareth Christ himself, shall not he be healed of all his sores, though he were wounded from head to foot? You need not cloth him now which saith, When I was naked ye did not clothe me, nor cast your garments in his way, as they did, when he came to Jerusalem, but take his garments & suffer yourselves to be clothed, as Noah did, to cover your nakedness. As the good Samaritan put him upon his own beast, which was spoiled with thieves, and bound up his sores when he was wounded: So Christ JESUS mounteth the faithful upon his righteousness, and healeth their sins, as though he should cover them with his garments, whom the world, the flesh, and the devil have robbed of their garments, that is, the righteousness which they had in Paradise before the serpent came: so if we put on Christ, we are clothed with his obedience, whereby our wickedness is covered: we are clothed with his merits, whereby our sins are forgiven: we are clothed with his death, whereby our punishment is released: we are clothed with his spirit, whereby our hearts are mollified and sanctified, and renewed till we resemble Christ himself. This is the Apostles meaning, to put on Christ, as it is unfolded in Col. 3. 12. Where he brigns forth all the robes of Christ, and sortes them, & saith, put on mercy, put on meekness, put on humility, put on patience, put on love, all which before he called the new man. So that to put on Christ, is to put on the new man with all his virtues, until we be renewed to the image of Christ, which is like a new man amongst men. They which labor to be righteous, and yet believe that Christ's righteousness shall save them, have put on Christ as Paul would have them. We are not taught to put on Angels, nor Saints, nor the virgin Mary, nor Paul himself to cover our sins with their righteousness, as the Papists do, but we are commanded to put on Christ, & cover our sins with his riygteousnesse. The body hath many Garments, but the soul hath one Garment. Every cloute will cover our sores, but the finest silk will not cover our sins. Therefore when we seem brave to others, we seem foul to God, because his eye is upon our sins, which lie naked, when all the rest is covered, until we put on Christ, and then we hear that voice, Thy sins are covered. And then we have that blessing: Blessed is the man whose sin is covered. So we are clothed and blessed together. Yet this Garment is out of request, too roughe for some, too grave for others, too base for others. And therefore in stead of putting on Christ, they put him off, in stead of welcoming him, they discharge him, like the Gadarenes, that they may keep their swine, that is, their beastly pleasures, which he would cast into the sea: These are like the foolish soldiers which should have made Christ their Garment, and they cast lots upon his garments, and divided them, and so spoiled them. So do the Papists deal with this Garment, they say it is not fit for them, & therefore they break it & mangle it, and piece it with rags of their own inventions: they say it is too light, and not able to bear off the storms of death, and heat of hell, and therefore choose rather to make themselves Garmentes of their merits, and their masses, and their penance, and their pardons, and their pilgrimages: like Adam and Eve, which made them selves coats of figleaues, which God destroyed again, to show that when men have patched all their leaves of masses, of pardons, of pilgrimages, and satisfactions together, yet they will not cover their nakedness, nor keep of the heat of God's wrath, but are like the curtall skitrs of David's Ambassadors, which hid not their shame. Therefore when we may go in our masters attire, shall we scrubbe like beggars patched in our rags? Mine own Garmentes defile me, saith Job: Our own Garments, our own righteousness defileth us, for what garment, what righteousness have we of our own, but that which like a monstrous cloth, which had more need to be washed it self, then to wipe that which is foul. Therefore Christ must make us garments, or else when our backs flant it like courtiers, our souls shall strip like beggars. And the Devils will sport themselves like Cham, to see our nakedness.

First, the Father made us Garmentes in paradise, now the Son makes us garments in the wilderness: nay, the Son is made our Garment, as Paul saith, Christ is made unto us righteousness: that is, Christ's righreousnesse, must be our Garment, or else we shall be ashamed when our righteousness doth not reach to cover our nakedness, but still some part will peep bare until he cast his righteousness upon it, and then all is covered. As David needed no other armor against the Giant, then a sling: so we need no other garment against sin then Christ. There wāteth nothing but this to put it on.

Now let us see howe to put this Garment on. Many sumble about it, like children which had need of one to put on their clothes. Some put on Christ as a cloak, which hangeth upon their shoulders, and covereth them when they go abroad to be seen of men: they can cast on the cloke of holiness & seem for a while as holy as the best, but so soon as they come home, the cloak goeth of, and the man is as he was, whose vizarde was better then his face. Thus hypocrites put on Christ, as many retain unto noble men, not to do them any service, but to have their countenance. Many put on Christ like a hat, which goeth off to everyone which meets them: so every temptation which meets thē, makes them forget what they heard, what they promised, what they resolved, & change their way, as though they had not repented at all. So the common people like yourselves, put on Christ, they are zealous so long as they are in the Church, and beat their breasts, and cast up their eyes, like the Publican, when they hear a sentence which moves them, as though they would do no more against that saying while they live. But the next business putteth all out of mind, till they come to the Church again. Some put on Christ as a gloue, which coveteth but the hand, so they put on the face of Christ, or the tongue of Christ, but their hands work, and their feet walk as they did before. So many professors of Religion put on Christ, which call but for discipline and reformation, that they might get a name of zeal and sincerity, to cover some fault, which they would not be suspected of. Thus every man would cover himself with Christ, but they have not the skill, or they have not the will to put him on. What will you do then? Though the Garment be never so good yet it is not good to them that do not wear it. For what profit have we of the garments which we never wear, they neither keep us from heat nor cold. Therefore Paul doth not bring you a Garment to lay by you for the moths, but he bids you put it on. Here is the cunning now in putting it on. If Paul had taught us this, then you would hearken unto him. Well, you shall hear what Paul saith to the putting of it on. First (saith Paul) you must cast away the works of darkness, und then put on the Armor of light. First you must put off, and then put on: As the Eagles feathers will not lie with any other feathers, but consume them, which lie with them: So the Wedding Garment will not wear with filthy garments, but scorns like the Ark, that Dagon should stand by it. If any man may not wear women's apparel for lightness, may he wear the devils apparel, and clothe himself with pride, with covetousness, with envy, with hypocrisy, with uncleanness, and when he is like the devil sit at God's table? No man saith Christ, patcheth a new piece to an old garment, & wilt thou patch an old piece to a new garment? God forbad his people to wear linsey wolsey, because it was a sign of inconstancy, but this is inconstancy it self. He doeth not put on Christ, but putteth off Christ, and putteth on Belial, which fashions himself to God and the world too. As Christ's coat was without seam, so they must be without stain, that wear it. For when a man putteth on fair clothes, he maketh himself fair too, and auoideth every foul thing, least it should foul his clothes: So must he which putteth on Christ, for the finest garment is soonest stained. Therefore when thou hast put on this Garment, thou must wash thyself, and pick thy way, and choose thy works, and handle nothing that is foul for marring thy clothes, that is, thou must not think as thou didst, nor speak as thou diddest, nor live as thou didst, but remember that thou hast changed thy master, and serve him with whom thou art bound. For if God & the devil could not agree upon Moses body, for one to have one part, and the other another part, but God would have all. Much less will God agree that the devil should have part of the soul, which would not yield him part of the body. Thus have you heard what you must put off: now hear how Christ must be put on. As the Angel taught John to read the book when he bad him eat it: So we must put on Christ, as if we did eat him, not as the Papists do in their Mass, but as the meat is turned into the substance of the body, and goeth through every part of man: So Christ & his word should go from part to part, from ear to heart, from heart to mouth, from mouth to hand, till we be of one nature with them, that they be the very substance of our thoughts & speeches, and actions, as the meat is of our bodies. This is to eat Christ and his word, or else we do not eat them, but chew them, and when our taste is satisfied, spew them out again. Thus we must put on Christ, for the word signifieth so to put him on, as if thou wouldest put him in, that he may be one with thee, and thou with him, as it were in a body toherher. As he hath put on all our infirmities, so we must put on all his graces, not half on, but all on, and clasp him to us, and girde him about us, and wear him even as we wear our skin, which is always about us. Then there shall be no need of wiers, nor curls, nor periwigges, the husbands shall not force to rack their rentes nor inhance their fines, nor sell their lands, to decke their wives. But as the poor mantle of Elijah seemed better to Elisha then all the robes of Solomon, so the wedding Garment shall seem better then all the flants of vanity, and put every fashion out of fashion, which is not modest and comely like it self. If you will know farther howe to put on Christ, you shall see how your text will Catechize you (in three names of God) Lord, Jesus, Christ. The Apostle seemeth to spell out the way unto us, how we should wear this garment. First we must put him on as Lord, then we must put him on as Jesus: Lastly, we must put him on as Christ. Thou must put him on as Lord, that is, thy ruler to command thee, and thy Tutor to govern thee, thy master to direct thee, thou must be no man's servant but his, take no man's part against him, but say with the Apostle, Whether is it meet to obey God or you? Thou must put him on as Jesus, that is, thy Savior, in whom thou trustest, thy protector on whō thou dependest, thy redeemer in whom thou belieuest. Thou must not look for thy salvation from Angel, nor Saint, nor anything beside him. For the name of Jesus signifieth a Savior, and is given to none but him, and he is not only called the Savior, but the salvation, in the song of Simeon, to show that he is the only Savior, for there may be many Saviors, but there can be but one salvation: as there may be many tortures, and yet but one death. Therefore when he is called the salvation, it implieth that there is no Savior beside him. Thou must put him on as Christ, that is, a Kinge to rule, a Prophet to teach, a Priest to pray, and sacrifice, and pacify the wrath of God for thee. For this name Christ doth signify that he was anointed a King, a Priest and a Prophet: for man, a king to rule him, a Priest to offer sacrifice for him, a Prophet to teach him, so that he putteth on Christ as Lord, which worshippeth none but him. He putteth on Christ as Jesus which believeth in none but him, and he putteth on Christ as Christ which worshippeth none but him, believeth in none but him and heareth none but him. You put on Christ first, when you are baptized: then you were sealed and consecrated to his service: so soon as you came into the world, you vowed to renounce the world, and follow God: howe many have put on Christ so, and since have put him off again, which have broken the first promise that ever they made, & were never faithful to God since. You put on Christ again, when you are called and sanctified, that is, when you cast off the old man, which is corrupt with the lusts of the flesh, the pride of life, & the cares of this world, and put on the new man, which is regenerate in righteousness & holiness to the image of Christ, or likeness of Adam in his innocency, for to put on the new man, is to become a new man, as if thou were borne again and conceived of the holy Ghost. Of this Job speaketh when he saith, I put on justice, and it covereth me. You put on Christ again, when you receive his holy Sacrament, & are partakers of his body and blood, that is, the merits of his obedience & passion by faith, which heareth him, as if he did see him, and seeth him, as if she did feel him, and feeleth him, as if she did taste him, and tasteth him as if she did digest him, thē Christ is become yours, and dwelleth in you, and feedeth you with his grace to eternal life, as the bread and wine sustaineth the life present, Lastly, when you have put on Christ in these three sortes, which is your garment for this world, after you shall put on Christ in heaven, and be clothed with his glory, and that shall be your last vesture, which shall never wear out.

Thus have you heard what is meant by putting on Christ, first to cloth our selves with righteousness and holiness like Christ, and then because our own righteousness is too short to cover our arms, and legs, and thighs of sin, but still some bare place will peer out and shame us in the sight of God: therefore we must borrow Christ's garments, as Jacob did his brothers, and cover our selves with his righteousness, that is, believe that his righteousness shall supply our unrighteousness, and his sufferings shall stand for our sufferings, because he came to fulfill the law, and bear the curse, & satisfy his Father for us, that all which believe in him might not die, but have life everlasting.

Now I have shown you this goodly Garmēt, you must go to another to help you to put it on, and none can put this Garment upon you, but he which is the Garment, the Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore to him let us pray.