to the E P H E SI AN S. 1 have nothing now remaining, but only .this la!l: point, Whichi s hisf utnrfs, ~ He beareth the relation of Head, She of Body; he performeth the office of l\J. Sfrmo11 ling her, She performeth this to him, She is his fulcefs. .. . XXXVI~ Thefe words [Hisj rillltfs J are either taken athvely .or l.'aili~ely: If youtake ~ them actively, they refer to Chrifl, and then the meamng IS tlus, that ht fiUeth her. If you take them pailively,jhe;, hisful~ufs. I c.annot fland to lhew you how the "ord IS taken tn both fenfes, etther for that wtuch filleth; or that Wh1ch is filled. t pitch r~ther upon tha.t whith this TrariOation holdeth forth, viz. ihat this Body IS fa1d to be Chnfl sfulnefs. Why doth .the Holy Ghofl add this l He doth not content himfelf to fay, that Chrij/H the Head of the Church, which is his llody , but he mufl needs bring iti ihis, that Shi! is h~sf ullufs• . . . , .· . . Hementtoneth 1t, my Brethren, as an honour to h1s Church, that lhe Is fuch a ilody to him, as that though he be a Head that filleth her, yet he is not compleat without her. He would fhew; that Chrifl needs her not, therefore he faith he tilleth her 1 He (iPeth a!J in a!J; and yet becaufe he is in fome fenfe imperfe& without her, lhe is as an Ornament to him, therefore he addeth lhe is his fulnefs; Theji1111t(s of him that fillrth a!J in all. ·Now lhe is called thejt~!nt(s of Chrif/ in the fame {enfe thatit is faid i Cor.ri.9. My f1rmgth is made f"fel1 i1l w.aktufs; What; is not God's power perfetl: \virhout our weilknefs ? Yes, it is perfeCl: in it felf; but it is faid to be made per" feet, becaufe it is declared to be perfect in weaknefs. So when the Churcil is faid to be Chrifi'< fulnefs, what is rtot he full without her ? Yes, for hefiOeth all in all ; yet his fulnefs fl1e is, and lhe fet!eth off his fulnefs, becaufe lhe ferveth as ari empty velfel for him to fill, and to lhew his fulnefs in; that he is not full on" ly in himfelf Perfonally; but that he bath enough overflowing to fill all his body* tojiUaft in aft. · Now tilen to open this, jefus Chrifl hath a Threefold Fuliiefs. . He bath Firfl, aPerjonat ft•liufs ; the Ft•tnefs of the Godhead dwttleth Ptl'> fonatly i11 him, fo Coto[.2._9. . . He hath Secondly, a'Difpmfato~yfll!nefs, mentioned here ,irt the Text; H~ fillrth att m at!. Of hujutnefs we at!rtc.e.ve Grau for Grace. Then Thirdly; he bath aRelativefutnefs; which arifeth from a relation to his Church, He 1s the H.ad; and the Church is his Body. And, as if ybuwould make a Man, you mufl not only have a Head,but you mu!t have a Body too,or it is not a perfect ntan r fo if you would make up Chri!t (take Chrifl myflically) you mull: not only have the Perfon of Chri!l: 1 b~t there rnufl be a Botly too, ,and fo t hete arifeth a perfect full ftature· of Chrijl, as the Apoflle ~allerh it; 1 Cor; 12. 1'2. Now, my Brethten, When, arid how <loth the Church become the Fu!11efs of Chrif1l It becometh his Fultujs by thefe Three things. , , . F1rfi, When Jefus Chri!l: hath every Saint brought to him, and gathered about htm, un!ted to him; and all joyhed in cne with him, every Saint that God hath g1ven h1m. lf there were one Saint wahting; Jefus Chtifl lhould not be full; M?rk what I fay to you, If there were this Joynt of the little Finger cut off, tl:1s Body of mme would be 1m~erfect: fo if Jefus Chrifl iliould want,but ope of h1s Membets, the Toym of the l.tttle Toe, as I may fo exprefs it, the leall: Saint; ( comfort thy fcl() Jefus Clih!l: lhould not be full 1 thdu makefl up Chrifl's fulnefs . Secondly, The Church is theh faid to be 'his Fui11ffj, when 111e lhall have all varietyof all gifts and grac~s difperfl among!l: them. As now, take the Mem', bers of a man's Body, there 1s not a Member but bath its ufc, there are variety of ufes for the feveral Membets; put thein all together, and there is a compleatilcfs for all fort of ufes the Body needeth. So it is here, Take all the Saints together at th': latterda,~j and there will be nothing wanting of Grace,orof any mea:fure of G1fts, that 1s needful for glory, and excellency, am:! ornament. Tlurdly, to make up this [11/nejs of his Bodj yet more compleat, As there mull: b~ all the Members, not one.wanting; as there mufl be all variety of ufes R. t t tlui£
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