to draw back the humour from the part distempered: even so Christ, the glorious and innocent head of a miserable and leprous body, suffered himself to be wounded and crucified; to wrestle with the wrath of his Father; to be one with a wretched people in the condition of their infirmities; as he was with his Father in the unity of divine holiness; so that, by his infirmity being joined unto us, the communion of his purity might join us unto God again. He alone", without any merit of his, suffered our punishment, that we, without any merit of ours, might obtain his grace. The pains of Christ's wounds were his, but the profit ours; the holes in his hands and side were his, but the balm which issued out, was ours; the thorns were his, but the crown was ours: in one word, the price which he paid, was his; but the inheritance which he purchased, was ours. All the ignominy and agony of his cross was infinitely unbeseeming so honourable a person as Christ, if it had not been necessary for so vile a sinner as man. Secondly, We have communion with him in his life and grace, by habitual and real infusion and inhabitation of his spirit unto sanctification. For we are sanctified in him ',' and except we abide in him", we cannot bring forth fruit.' Christ comes not only with a passion, but with an unction to consecrate us to himself: except thou be a partaker as well of this, as of that; be as willing to be ruled, as redeemed by Christ; in him indeed thou art, but it is as a withered branch in a fruitful vine: while thou art in him, it is to thy shame, that thou shouldst be dead, where there is such abundance of life; and the time will come, that thou shalt be cut off from him. "Every branch in me, that beareth not fruit, he taketh away." Lastly, We have communion with him in many privileges and dignities. But here we must distinguish of the privileges of Christ; some are personal and incommunicable; others, general and communicable. Of the former sort, are all such as belong unto him, either in regard of his divine u Solus pro nobis suscepit sine malis meritis pœnam, ut nos per illam sine bonis meritis consequeremur gratiam. Aug. contr. 1. 2. epistolas Pelag. 1. 4. c. 4. -Hugo de sacram. 1. 2. part 1. cap. 12. * Illa in corpore Christi vulnera non erunt Christi vulnera, sed latronis. Ambr. serm. de latrone. y 1 Cor. person, as to be the everlasting Son, the Word and Wisdom of his Father, the express image of his person, and brightness of his glory, the upholder of all things by the word of his power, and the like: or in regard of his office, as to be the redeemer of the church, the author and finisher of our faith, the prince of our salvation, the propitiation for the sins of the world, the second Adam, the mediator between God and man; in which thing she is alone, and there is none with him. Other privileges there are which are communicable; all which may be comprised under this general, of being 'fellowmembers with him' in the most glorious body and society of creatures in the world. The particulars I touched before. First, We have communion in some sort with him in his holy unction, whereby we are consecrated to be 'kings and priests",' to subdue our corruptions, to conquer spiritual wickedness, to offer up the sacrifices of prayer, praises, alms, and holy services; for we are by him a royal priesthood.b Secondly, We have communion in his victories; 'we are more than conquerors through him', because, in the midst of the enemy's insultations, and our own distresses, the victory is still ours. The enemy may kill us, but not overcome us, because our death is victorious. As Christ triumphed upon the cross, and had his government on his shoulders, -so we rejoice in afflictions, glory in tribulations; and, in all of them, in a confluence and conspiracy of them all, we are more than conquerors. Thirdly, We have communion with Christ in his sonship ; from whence it comes to pass, that Christ and his church do interchangeably take one another's names: sometimes he is not ashamed to call himself Jacob' and 'Israel.'"This is the generation of them that seek thy face, O Jacob ;" and "Thou art my servant, O Israel, in whom I will be glorified "," saith the Lord, speaking unto Christ. Yea, he giveth to the church his own name.i "As there are many members, and yet but one body; so is Christ;" that is, so is a Rev. i. 6. e Rom. v. 3. i 1 Cor. xii. 12. g Psal. xxiv. 6. f John xx. 17. d Col. ii. 15. h Isa. xlix. 3. k Aug. de Civ. Dei, 1. 17. c. 18. Tom. 7. de unitate EccleTotus Christus caput et corpus est; homines sancti et fideles fiunt cum homine Christo unus Christus. Id. de Peccat. Mer. et Remiss. 1. 1. c. 31. siæ, cap. 4. the Church of Christ.' And "What manner of love is this," saith the apostle, "that we should be called the sons of God?" From hence it comes, that we have fellowship with the Father, access and approach with confidence for all needful supplies, assurance of his care in all extremities, interest in the inheritance which here serveth for his children, confidence to be spared in all our failings, and to be accepted in all our sincere and willing services; secret debates, spiritual conferences of the heart with God, he speaking unto our spirit, by his Spirit in the word,-and we by the same Spirit, speaking unto him in prayers, complaints, supplications, thanksgivings, covenants, resolutions: he kissing us with kisses of love and comfort", and we kissing him again with kisses of reverence and worship." We see then, to conclude all, what an absolute necessity lies upon us of having Christ, because with him we have all things, and can do all things: without him, we are poor and can do nothing. And the more necessary the duty, the more sinful the neglect: especially considering that Christ withholds not himself, but is ready to meet, to prevent, to attend every heart that in truth desires him. If a man have a serious, simple, sincere will to come wholly to Christ, not to be held back from him by his dearest and closest corruptions, by the sweetest pleasures, or strongest temptations which can allure or assault him, he may draw near unto him with boldness, and assurance of acceptation; he hath a call; Christ inviteth, yea, entreateth him, and therefore he may come: he hath a command"; Christ requireth it of him, and therefore he must come. And now when we have Christ, how careful should we be to keep him; how tender and watchful over all our behaviours towards him, lest he be grieved and depart again! The Spirit of the Lord is a delicate spirit, most sensible of those injuries which his friends do him. Let us, therefore, take heed of violating, afflicting, discouraging, grieving this Ita est Christus. Non dixit, ita et Christus; sed ita est Christus; ostendens Christum rectè appellari etiam universum, hoc est, caput cum corpore suo, quod est, Ecclesia. Id. To. 4. lib. 83. qu. 69. n Psal. ii. 12. John xv. 5. • Rom. viii. 32. 11 John iii. 1. m Cant. i. 2. q Rev. iii. 17. u 1 John iii. 4. x Res delicata est Dei Spiritus. Tert. Spirit (which is the bond of all our union and interest with . Christ) in any of those his sacred breathings and operations upon the soul. But when he teacheth, let us submit and obey, receive the belief and the love of his truth: when he promiseth, let us neither distrust nor despise, but embrace as true, and admire as precious, all the offers which he makes to us: when he contends with our lusts in his word and secret suggestions, let him not always strive, but let us give up our fleshly affections to be crucified by him: when he woos and invites us, when he offers to lead and to draw us, let us not stop the ear, or pull away the shoulder; or draw backward, like froward children; or cast cold water in the face of grace, by thwarting the motions, and rebelling against the dictates thereof; but let us yield ourselves unto him, captivate all our lusts, and consecrate all our powers, and submit all our desires to his rule and government; and then, when he hath been a Spirit of union, to incorporate us into Christ's body, and a Spirit of unction to sanctify us with his grace, he will undoubtedly be a Spirit of comfort and assurance, to seal us unto the day of our full redemption. THE LIFE OF CHRIST. PHILIP. III. 10. That I may know Him, and the power of His Resurrection, and the fellowship of His Sufferings. THE purpose of the apostle, in this place, is to arm the church of the Philippians against those false Judaizing teachers, that confounded Christ and Moses, circumcision and the gospel, together. This he doth by arguments personal from men, and by arguments real from the matter itself. Arguments personal are first from the disposition, quality, end of those false teachers, whom he describes, verse 3: They are evil trees;' and therefore no great heed to be given to the fruits they bear, to the doctrines they obtrude. They are 'dogs, unclean beasts,' that bark only for their bellies; and do not only bark, but watch their time to bite too. They are evil-workers;' though they come like fellow-workers with Christ, pretending much strictness in the edification of the church, yet indeed their business is only to pull down and to pervert. They are the concision;' where the apostle, by an ironical paronomasia, shews the end of their doctrines; they preach indeed circumcision, but their business is schism and concision. In the law, it was circumcision, God's ordinance; but now being by Christ abolished, it is nothing at all but a bare concision or cutting of the flesh, and will, in the event, prove a rent and schism in the church. The second personal argument is taken from the apostle's own condition, who, neither by nature nor education, was an enemy to legal ceremonies; who, in all points, had as great reason to vindicate the law, and to boast in fleshly privileges as any of those false teachers, ver. 4. He was by nature an Israel : |