208 / 808
Ephefians,Chap.r.
V
ER,23.
with the
fire
kindling;
fo
this fulneffe
of
grace
in
Chrift,
is
of
the
fame
nature with
that whichit doth
in
fome manner bring forth
in
us.
Laftly, every
faithful! foule
is
governed
by Chrift outwardly
and
in-
wardly,
as a
member
of
thebody
by the head
;
the
head
doth not
onely
Phew
the foote
whither to goe,
but imparts fpirits which (titre
up
the
fa-
cultic
of
moving,
and
fo caufe
it
to goe. Thus
we
are
outwardly
by
Chrifts words
diredted, inwardly
by
his
fpirit
;
So
many as are
Chrifls,
are
led
by
the
firit
of
Chrifl.
The
Ufe
is,firft for
further Confutation: For
if
the
faithful! have
none
for
a
head,but they
are
a
body tothat perfon, then
furely
they
have not
the
Pope for their head,
in
any
property offpeech, or
they
mutt
as pro-
perlybe faid the
body
of
the Pope
;
yet Papifts, who
make
no doubt
to
ufe
the other phrafe,
ftraine curtefie here, and will
not
fay
the
Church
is
the
body
of
the
Pope;
but they might
as
well confidently
fay,
this
man
is
father to this childe,
and
yet
be afraid
to
fay, this
childe
is
forne
to
fuch
a
man.
Seeing
we
are
his
body,
let
us
not doubt but
he
bath fellow-
feeling
with us, and
doth
fo
farre
as
may
ftand
with aglorified condition,
com-
miferate our
diftreffes
:
Saul,
Saul,
why perfeeutefl thou me ?
He
that
soacheth you, toucheth the apple
of
my
eye; Can
thefinger
ake,
but
the
bead
feelethi
?
This doth
(hew
us
our dutie,
that
we mutt endevour
to
fubjel
our
felves
wholly
to
Chrift.
If
the
head
would direst
one
way,
and
the
members take
another,
what
a
confufion were this in
the
naturali
body
C
Let
us
labour to deny our owne wits,
and lay them
downe
before Chrift
;
as
ever we will
with comfort
call upon him to beea
head
to
us, let
us
behave our
felves
as
obedient members tohim.
Some
bend the will
of
Chrift,
like
a
leaden rule,
to
their owne will,
and
fo
fame
they
will goe
in
religion
as (hall
humour
them,
and Rand
with
their pleaftue
:
But let us
know
that
true religion never
beginneth,
till
in
preparation of minde we
addreffe our felves
to
deny
and
fub-
jedt
our
roils
to that
whatfoever Chrift
(hall frgnifie
as
his
will, out
of
his
word.
Obferve
againe,
that
he faith
This
body
is
hisfulneffe,
that
Chrift
Both
not
count himfelfe
full and
compleate, without
all
his faithful)
members
;
Hence it is,
that
while
all
Chrifts
members are gathered,
weare
Paid
not
to be
growne
up
tothat
age
wherein Chrift
is
full,
or
to the
age
of
the fulneffe
of
Chrift, Eph. 4. 53.
For
as
it hath
pleafed
Chrift to
make
himfelfeahead to
us, we may fay
of
him,
as Saint
Paul
faith
of
the head,
I Car.
s
z.
Can
the head
fay to
the foote,
I
have
no
neede
of
thee?
For
as
the
head
is
not
in
full perfedtion,
till it
have
every
member,
and
that
in
the growth which
appertaineth
to
it;
fo Chrift
our
head
is
not compleate,
till
he
have
all his
members,
and
that
in
their
feverall perfedtions
belonging
to
them ;
even as
it
is
between
Kings,who
areheads politic
ke,and their people,though for their
perfons
they
are never
fo
compleate, yet
the
multitude
oftheir
fubjests
addeth
no fmall
glory to them;
So
it
is
twixt Chrift
our King,and
us
hispeople.
Which
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