Background Image
Table of Contents Table of Contents
Previous Page  211 / 808 Next Page
Basic version Information
Show Menu
Previous Page 211 / 808 Next Page
Page Background

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