V E R.23. Epheßanl,C}18P.t. that meafure wherein it is capable; fo Chrift, the Swine of righteouf- neffe, he hath fulneffe without meafure ; butthe Church, withall her members are filled from him, according to the capacitie ofthem, as members under him. Wemutt knowby what meanes we receive our fulneffefrom Chrift : Towhich theanfwer is,by beingpartakersofChrift himfelfe, we come to be filled with the fulneffeofgrace andglory in him, asby eatingand taking the fubflance of earthly nourifhments, we come to have the vertue in them, even to befilled with fpirits and bloud ingendred from them ; fo in Chrift is life, bygetting him we come to partake in this life which floweth fromhim. More particularly, themeanes by which we come to be made partakers ofChrift and fo be filled, they be Inch meanes,as conveigh Chrift tous, or makeus receive him. The firft are the wordand Sacraments, for as Perlons by their words, andby a ring doe contract and give them (elves fully the one to the other: So doth Chrift by his word offering us himfelfe, and by his Sacraments as pledges and tokens conveigh himfelfeandbeflow himfelfe on us. Now we receivehim partly by Humilitie, whichdoth emptieus ofour felves, and makeroome for him, for povertyandhunger areevery wheremade the fóterunnersof being filled : partly by beleefe which Both feedon him and apply him : partly by walking in Chrift, and exercifing our (elves fpiritually ; Befilledwith the f iris f,beaking toyour f lees iu Pfalmes, &c. Ourwalking in Chrift maketh him fettle and roote more and more in us : Now the further he dwelleth inus, the more he fillethus; Befide that, thenature of fire is to burne out further when it is bloomed and moved. The laft thing tobe marked is theorder and degreeswhereinwe come to filled ; now Chrift doth fill us, firft in regard ofparts at our firft Converfion, in as much as hedoth give us fuch graceas dothoppofe all finne, and incline us to all obedience, that thoughwe can accomplifh nothing as we deliire, yet inthe innerMan as we are new creatures, we delight in the Law of God : As the frame of an Infant is full for the members, though iris fmall for quantity ; fo is the frame ofour Grace. Secondly,'we are filled with fulneffe after a fort for the prefent age of Child -hood, in which we now live : thus the Romans arePaid to bee full of goodneffe and all knowledge ; full after a fort for this (tare of Childhood in which we here live, full in comparifon ofmore imper. felt beginnings.Thirdly, and laftly,we are abfolutely filled with all that fulneffewhich doth belong tous asmembersofChrift, and that is to be done in heaven hereafter : Looke as the firft ldam communicateth and filleth his Children withthis naturali life, fo as they are firft infants, then ripe for children, then men : So Chrift doth gradually impart un- (tous his members this fulneffe, which dwelleth in him. We fee then that all fulneffe is fromChrift : How doe they then for- get themfelves who feeke righteoufneffe out ofhim r That befalleth them, they leave the well-headof all grace and glory, and digge Ci- (terns whichwill not hold water. This 399
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