have power to send the Spirit, thus to beget them, but the Father and the Son from whom he proceeded? the same blessed Spirit, who framed the natural body of our Lord in the womb of the virgin, being to new mould and fashion every member of his mystical body unto his similitude and likeness. For the further opening of which mystery, which went beyond the apprehension of Nicodemus', though a master of Israel, we are to consider, that in every perfect generation, the creature produced receiveth two things from him that doth beget it, life and likeness. A curious limner draweth his own son's portraiture to the life, as we say yet because there is no true life in it but a likeness only; he cannot be said to be the begetter of his picture, as he is of his son. And some creatures there be that are bred out of mud or other putrid matter: which although they have life, yet because they have no correspondence in likeness unto the principle from whence they were derived, are therefore accounted to have but an improper and equivocal generation. Whereas in the right and proper course of generation (others being esteemed but monstrous births that swerve from that rule) every creature begetteth his like: nec imbellem feroces Progenerant aquila columbam. Now touching our spiritual death and life, these sayings of the apostle would be thought upon; "We thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead: and that he died for all, that they which live, should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them and rose again." "God who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, even when we were dead in our sins, hath quickened us together with Christ." "And" you being dead in your sins, and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together John, chap. 3. ver. 4, 9, 10. 1 Eph. chap. 2. ver. 4, 5. * 2 Cor. chap. 5. ver. 14, 15. "I am with him, having forgiven you all trespasses." crucified with Christ. Nevertheless I live, yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh, I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me." From all which we may easily gather, that if by the obedience and sufferings of a bare man, though never so perfect, the most sovereign medicine that could be thought upon should have been prepared for the curing of our wounds: yet all would be to no purpose, we being found dead, when the medicine did come to be applied. Our physician therefore must not only be able to restore us unto health, but unto life itself: which none can do, but the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost; one God, blessed for ever. To which purpose, these passages of our Saviour are also to be considered: "As the Father hath life in himself: so hath he given to the Son to have life in himself." "ASP the living Father hath sent me, and I live by the Father: so he that eateth me, even he shall live by me." "I am the living bread which came down from heaven; if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world." The substance whereof is briefly comprehended in this saying of the apostle: "The last Adam was made a quickening spirit." An Adam therefore and perfect man must he have been; that his flesh, given for us upon the cross, might be made the conduit to convey life unto the world: and a quickening spirit he could not have been, unless he were God, able to make that flesh an effectual instrument of life by the operation of his blessed spirit. For, as himself hath declared, "It' is the spirit that quickeneth; without it, the flesh would profit nothing." As for the point of similitude and likeness, we read of Adam, after his fall, that he "begat a son in his own. : likeness after his image." And generally, as well touching the carnal as the spiritual generation, our Saviour hath taught us this lesson, "That" which is born of the flesh, is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit, is Spirit." Whereupon the apostle maketh this comparison betwixt those who are born of that first man, who is of the earth earthy, and of the second man, who is the Lord from heaven. "As is the earthy, such are they that are earthy; and as is the heavenly, such are they also that are heavenly and as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly." We shall indeed hereafter bear it in full perfection: when "The* Lord Jesus Christ shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body; according to the working, whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself." Yet in the mean time also, such a conformity is required in us unto that heavenly man, that "our" conversation must be in heaven, whence we look for this Saviour:" and that we must 66 put off, concerning the former conversation, that old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, and be renewed in the spirit of our mind; and put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness." For as in one particular point of domestical authority, "the man is said to be the image and glory of God," and the "Woman the glory of the man:" so in a more universal manner is Christ said to be "the image of God," even "the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person;" and we "tod be conformed to his image, that he might be the first born among those many brethren," who in that respect are accounted "the glory of Christ." We read in the holy story, that God "took' of the spirit which was upon Moses, and gave it unto the seventy elders;" that they might bear the burden of the people with him, and that he might not bear it, as before he had done, himself alone. It may be, his burden being thus lightened, the abilities that were left him for government were not altogether so great, as the necessity of his former employment required them to have been: and in that regard, what was given to his assistants might perhaps be said to be taken from him. But we are sure the case was otherwise in him of whom now we speak: unto whom "Gods did not thus give the spirit by measure." And therefore although so many millions of believers do continually receive this "supplyh of the Spirit of Jesus Christ;" yet neither is that fountain any way exhausted, nor the plenitude of that well-spring of grace any whit impaired or diminished: it being God's pleasure "That' in him should all fulness dwell;" and that "of his fulness all we should receive grace for grace." That as in the natural generation there is such a correspondence in all parts betwixt the begetter and the infant begotten, that there is no member to be seen in the Father, but there is the like answerably to be found in the child, although in a far less proportion: so it falleth out in this spiritual, that for every grace which in a most eminent manner is found in Christ, a like grace will appear in God's child, although in a far inferior degree; similitudes and likeness being defined by the logicians to be comparisons made in quality, and not in quantity. We are yet further to take it into our consideration, that by thus enlivening and fashioning us according to his own image, Christ's purpose was not to raise a seed unto himself dispersedly and distractedly, but to "gather1 together in one, the children of God that were scattered abroad;" yea and to "bring all unto one head by himself, both them which are in heaven and them which are on the earth;" that as in the tabernacle, "the" vail di John, chap. 3. ver. 34. i Col. chap. 1. ver. 19. 1 John, chap. 11. ver. 52. n Exod. chap. 26. ver. 33. h Philipp. chap. 1. ver. 19. k John, chap. 1. ver. 16. m Eph. chap. 1. ver. 10. vided between the holy place and the most Holy," but the curtains which covered them both were so coupled together with the taches, that it might still "be° one tabernacle:" so the Church militant and triumphant, typified thereby, though distant as far the one from the other as heaven is from earth, yet is made but one tabernacle in Jesus Christ; "in whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord, and in whom all of us are builded together for an habitation of God through the spirit." The bond of this mystical union betwixt Christ and us (as elsewhere hath more fully been declared) is on his part that quickening spirit, which being in him as the head, is from thence diffused to the spiritual animation of all his members: and on our part faiths, which is the prime act of life wrought in those who are capable of understanding by that same spirit. Both whereof must be acknowledged to be of so high a nature, that none could possibly by such ligatures knit up so admirable a body, but he that was God Almighty. And therefore although we did suppose such a man might be found who should perform the law for us, suffer the death that was due to our offence and overcome it; yea and whose obedience and sufferings should be of such value, that it were sufficient for the redemption of the whole world: yet could it not be efficient to make us live by faith, unless that man had been able to send God's spirit to apply the same unto us. Which as no bare man or any other creature whatsoever can do, so for faith we are taught by St. Paul' that it is the operation of God, and a work of his power, even of that same power wherewith Christ himself was raised from the dead. Which is the ground of that prayer • Exod. chap. 26. ver. 6, 11. P Eph. chap. 2. ver. 21, 22. Sermon to the Commons house of Parliament, anno 1620. vol. 2. pag. 415. John, chap. 6. ver. 63. 1 Cor. chap. 6. ver. 17. and chap. 15. ver. 45. Philipp. chap. 2. ver. 1. Rom. chap. 8. ver. 9. 1 John, chap. 3. ver. 24. and chap. 4. ver. 13. Gal. chap. 2. ver. 20. and chap. 5. ver. 5. and chap. 3. ver. 11. Eph. chap. 3. ver. 17. Col. chap. 2. ver. 12. 2 Thess. chap. 1. ver. 11. |