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,
with
all
her
members
are filled
from him,
according
to the
capacitie
of
them,
as
members under
him.
We
mutt know
by what
meanes we receive our
fulneffe
from Chrift
:
To
which theanfwer is,by being
partakers
of
Chrift
himfelfe, we come
to
be filled with the
fulneffe
of
grace and
glory
in
him,
as
by eatingand
taking
the
fubflance
of
earthly
nourifhments, we come to have
the
vertue
in
them,
even
to be
filled
with
fpirits and
bloud ingendred from
them
;
fo
in
Chrift
is
life,
by
getting him we come
to
partake
in
this
life
which floweth fromhim. More particularly, the
meanes
by which
we come to
be made partakers
of
Chrift
and fo
be filled, they be Inch
meanes,as
conveigh
Chrift to
us,
or
make
us
receive him.
The
firft are
the word
and
Sacraments, for
as
Perlons by their words,
and
by
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 himfelfe
andbeflow
himfelfe on
us.
Now
we receive
him partly by Humilitie, which
doth
emptie
us
of
our felves,
and
make
roome
for
him,
for
poverty
and
hunger areevery wheremade
the fóterunners
of
being filled
:
partly by beleefe which
Both feed
on
him and apply him
:
partly by walking
in
Chrift,
and exercifing
our
(elves
fpiritually
;
Be
filled
with
the
f
iris
f,beaking to
your
f
lees iu
Pfalmes,
&c. Our
walking
in
Chrift
maketh him fettle and roote more and more
in us
:
Now
the further
he
dwelleth
in
us,
the more he
filleth
us;
Befide
that, the
nature
of
fire is
to
burne
out further when
it
is
bloomed
and
moved.
The
laft
thing to
be marked
is
the
order
and degrees
wherein
we
come
to
filled
;
now Chrift doth
fill
us, firft
in
regard
of
parts
at
our
firft
Converfion,
in
as
much
as
he
doth
give
us
fuch grace
as
doth
oppofe
all
finne, and incline
us
to
all
obedience,
that though
we can accomplifh
nothing
as
we
deliire,
yet
in
the
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
of
our
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
are
Paid
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
of
more imper.
felt beginnings.Thirdly,
and
laftly,we
are
abfolutely
filled
with
all
that
fulneffe
which doth belong to
us as
members
of
Chrift,
and
that
is
to be
done
in
heaven hereafter
:
Looke
as
the
firft
ldam
communicateth
and filleth his
Children
with
this 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
from
Chrift
:
How
doe they then for
-
get themfelves
who
feeke
righteoufneffe out
of
him r
That
befalleth
them, they
leave
the well-head
of
all grace and
glory,
and digge
Ci-
(terns
whichwill not hold water.
This
399