An Expofition of the Epiple ~ that Members ferve for, none lame or imperfect: So likewifc there mu{\ be a ful– Sermo" .ncfs of growth to a !lature, to a proportion, or elfe the Body is not full. For Ex– XXXV(. ample, If this Hand of mine, or this little Finger were,writhen lhorter in its ~ proportion ; if it did not grow to the full meafure of the proportion of a little Finger, there would be an uncomlinefs and a difproportion, the Body would not be full. So it is in the Body of Chri!l, there~ore to make up this Fttf11eJs fo much the more, you read Ephef+ that the Apo!\lem the 1othVerfe having faid, that he (iUeth all Jn aU, he fa~th Verfe 1), that the Samts are to grow 11p into him iu aU thi11gs, which is the Head, evm Chrifl; and Verfe 'l· 11lt they a!t comtto a perfrR ma11, tmto the mefljttreof the f/atttrlof the fttltufs ~oj Chrifl. To open thcfe words a little, The Fulllejs of Chri(/lieth not only in having every Member, but every Mem• bcr growing up to a full fi••IIJre that God hath appointed him. You fee fome little Saints, and you fee fome great Saints; there are Saints great and fmall as they are called in the Revdatio11. You wonder at this diiproportion. Now m~rk, when you come at the latter day, and all the Samts a~e round about Jefus Chrilt, you will find a perfect Body; you W!IJ fay, 1f tlus Samt had grown any thing more, he had not !\ood well among Ius Fellows; 1f tlus Samt had been any thing lefs, there had not been a fulnefs. They are all togrow up to the fulur{s of the jlature of Chrifl. Why is it called, the [ttlnefs of the flattm of Chrij/, and not of the Body? Becaufe the fulnefs of the Body is in the fulnefs of the Head, therefore he rather calls it thefitlnefs of Chrifl, than of the Body. The Corollaries from thence are in a word thefe. Is theBody the fulnefs of Chrilt, and fo his fulnefs, that he will have every part, every member? Here is then a certainty of falvation. A man may lofe his Cloaths, and fuffer them to be taken from him; bui if he can help it he will never lofe his Members. My Brethren, Chri!\ will never lofe his Memb~os · My Fathtr (faith he) iJgreater thmJ I, atidnollejha/1 plttck them ottt of my Fa~ ther's hattd; but if his Sheep were his very hands themfelves, to be fure he would notfuffer them to be pulled off; they are not only his Sheep,but his Mem– bers; they are not only in his hands, but his Hands and his Feet ; they are the Members of his Body, yea, they are his fulnefs. . Secondly, Learn from hence this, Thou fhalt certainly have thy meafure in the growth of Grace, Thou art humbled in thy felf, becaufe thou growefi not according to the Means; that which God hath appointed thee to, thou fhalt either by Affiittions, or by the Word, attain to that !lature; for the Members of Jefus Chri!\ are all written in God's Book, and the !lature that they are all or– dained unto, that when they are all met the Body may be full. That Doctrine is not true, that telleth us, That Chri!t might have died and been in Heaven to want a Body; for you fee it is his fulnels, he cannot want fo much as one Mem– ber, but he had been imperfect. I will give you but fome Obfervations, and fo end. Firlt, See the Love of our Lord and Saviour Jefus Chri!l. He might have taken all the glory and honour tcrhimfel f here, the Holy Gho!\ might only have faid, He is the headof the Church, which is his Body, thatfilleth all i11 all; but he would needs put in that is his fulnefs, The jtt!tufs of him that jilleth att m all. He would not take all the honour to himfelf, he would give her her due; his Bo<)(faith he jw!-ich iJ hufulnefs. Certain it is, my Brethren, that our Lord and Saviour Jefus Chri!\ accounteth you his fulnefs. Doth he fee a Soul converted to God? lt is a part of myJtehufs (faith he) his Joy is full by it. Doth he fee you get a little Grace at a Sermon? Here is one fiep more to my jtil11efs, faith he. He needed not any body, he was perfectly glorious in himfclf; but he bath took upon him fuch a relation as he were imperfect without a Body,he !landeth in need of a Body. ' What faith the Apo!lle, • Cor.12. The headcmmot Jiry to tbe feet, I have 110 tued of thee. Jefus Chrilt, though a Head, cannot fay to the lea!l Saint, I have 110 netd of thee. It was his love to enter into this relation. And learn fr?m hence to give every thing his due praife; you fee here, though the Apoltle fa~th, that Chr 1 jl fitleth all m all, yet he gtveth the Church her due_ pra1fe, he mingleth that with his. Chrifi tilleth all, yet the Churcb fcrveth for !urn to empty himfelf irito. Secondly,
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