The Great Mystery of Godliness, Discourse 2 – Discourse 3
The Myſtery of JESUS CHRIST, Emmanuel GOD with us.
The Myſtery of Incarnation.
God with us: receiving us into himſelf, uniting our nature with his into the perſon of his Son, Mat. 1. 23. Ioh. 1. 14. Heb. 2. 16. 1 Tim. 3. 16.
God with us.
The Myſtery of Reconciliation.
God with us: reconciling us unto himſelfe, accepting our perſons, not imputing our ſins by the blood of his Son, 2 Cor. 5. 18, 19.
God in Chriſt.
The Myſtery of Regeneration.
God with us: renewing our natures to bee like himſelfe, partakers of the divine nature, changing us into his owne Image by the Spirit of his Son, Col. 1. 27, 28. 2 Cor. 3. 18. 2 Pet. 1. 4.
Chriſt in us.
The Mystery of mysticall Ʋnion.
God with us: uniting our perſons to his Son by his Spirit and our faith, wherby we are members of Chriſts body, of his bone, and of his fleſh, which we feed on, finding life, grace, and ſpirituall ſtrength, conveyed through it by the Spirit from God the Father, Eph. 5. 30, 32. Ioh. 6. 56, 60.
We in Chriſt.
The Myſtery of the Goſpel.
God with us: who were without God, without Chriſt, without hope or mercy, no people, ſtrangers from the Common-weale of Iſrael, and covenant of promiſe, enemies of God, children of his wrath, in the power of the Devil, ſitting in darkneſſe and ſhadow of death, dead in ſins, and the damnation of hell, at that time we were thus, being Gentiles, till Chriſt came in the fleſh: and at this time we are thus, being as Gentiles, till our effectuall Calling by Chriſts Spirit, Eph. 2. 12. & 3. 3, 5.
We with Iſrael.
The Mystery of the firſt Reſurrection.
God with us: in calling home his old people Iſrael (who are now as wee were) into one Church with us to confeſſe, profeſſe and praiſe Chriſt Jeſus our Lord, together on earth, Rom. 11. 25. The Jewes reſtoring a reſurrection, Rom. 11. 15. (that is) the firſt reſurrection, Rev. 20. 5, 6.
Iſrael with us.
The Mystery of the ſecond Reſurrection.
God with us: In calling us all up by the ſound of a Trump, at the ſecond comming of Chriſt, changing our bodies and carrying us up both body and ſoule to meet the Lord Jeſus in the aire, where and when the whole Church militant and triumphant, the family in heaven and earth, both Jew and Gentile, and all the Iſrael of God ſhall meet at once, and ſo wee ſhall ever bee with the Lord, 1 Cor. 15. 51. 1 Theſſ. 4. 17.
All Iſrael, and we with God.
| The firſt Myſtery was God with us, The laſt Myſtery ſhall bee, we with God, | And God All in All. 1 Cor. 15. 28. |
| Though I underſtand all Myſteries, and have not love, | I am nothing, 1 Cor 13. |
A plaine tryall by the Word of God of Mans ſpirituall estate whether he be in Christ Jeſus, or no.
In The ſtate of Nature-Damnation—or In The ſtate of grace —Salvation.
| Fleſh. | Spirit. |
| 1 There is therefore now no condemnation to— | —them that are in Chriſt Jeſus. |
| Who walke not after the fleſh— | —but after the Spirit, Rom. 8. 1. |
| They that are after the fleſh do mind the things of fleſh.— | But they that are after the Spirit, mind the things of the Spirit, v. 5. |
| The carnall mind is enmity againſt God, for it is not ſubject unto the Law of God, neither in deed can be: ſo then they that are in the fleſh cannot pleaſe God, ver. 7, 8. | But to bee ſpiritually minded, is life and peace, v. 6. but ye are not in the fleſh, but the ſpirit, if ſo bee that the Spirit of God dwell in you; but if any have not the Spirit of Chriſt, he is none of his, v. 9. |
| Now then Brethren wee are debtors not to the fleſh, to live after the fleſh, but yet if ye live after the fleſh, yee ſhall die, ver. 12. | But if through the Spirit yee mortifie the deeds of the fleſh, yee ſhall live, v. 13. |
| Now the works of the fleſh are manifeſt, which are adultery, fornication, uncleanneſſe, laſciviouſneſſe, idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulation, wrath, ſtrife, ſeditions, hereſies, reſies, envyings, murthers, drunkenneſſe, revellings, and ſuch like; of which I tell you before, as I have told you in time paſt, that they which do ſuch ſhall not inherit the kingdome of God, Gal. 5. 19, 20, 21. | But the fruit of the ſpirit is love, joy, peace, long-ſuffering, gentleneſſe, goodneſſe, faith, meekneſſe, temperance, againſt ſuch there is no law; and they that are CHRISTS have crucified the fleſh, with the affections and luſts thereof. If we live in the Spirit, let us walke in the Spirit, Galat. 5. 22, 23, 24, 25. |
| 2 If any man be—in | Chriſt, he is a new creature— |
| Old things are paſſed away,— | —All things are become new, 2 Cor. 5. 17. |
| If wee ſay wee have fellowſhip with with him, and walke in darkneſſe, we lie, 1 Joh. 1. 6, 7. | He that ſaith he abideth in him, ought himſelfe alſo to walke, as he walked, 1 Ioh. 2. 7. |
| He that ſaith I know him, and keepeth not his Commandements, is a lyar 1 John 2. 4. | But who ſo keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him, 1 Ioh. 2. 5. |
| He that committeth ſin, is of the Devill, 1 Joh. 3. 8. | Whoſoever abideth in him, ſinneth not, 1 Ioh. 3. 6. |
| Ye are of your father the Devill, and the luſts of your father ye will do, he alſo is a lyar, Joh. 8. 44. | Whoſoever is borne of God, doth not commit ſin, for his ſeed remaineth in him, ſo that he cannot ſin, becauſe he is borne of God, 1 Ioh. 3. 9. |
| Caine was of the wicked one, and ſlew his brother; and wherefore ſlew hee him? becauſe his own works were evill, and his brothers good, 1 John 3. 12. | Marvaile not my brethren if the world hate you. We know we have paſſed from death to life, becauſe we love the brethren, 1 Ioh. 3. 13. |
| The wicked ſhall be turned into hell, and all the nations that forget God, upon the ſinners, he will raine ſnares, fire, and brimſtone, ſtorme and tempeſt; this ſhall bee their portion for ever, Pſal. 9. 17. and 11. 6. | Bleſſed are they that do his Commandements, that they may have right to the tree of life, (Chriſt Jeſus our Lord) and enter in through the gates of the City, Ioh. 20. 14. |
| The hypocrites hope ſhall periſh, and the eyes of the wicked ſhall faile, their hope ſhall be as the giving up of the Ghoſt, Iohn. 8. 13. and 11. 20. | But the righteous hath hope in his death; and he that hath the hope purifyeth himſelfe as he is pure, Pro. 24. 32. 1 Iohn 3. 3. |
| 3 Shall I take the members of Chriſt, and make— | —them the members of an Harlot? God forbid, 1 Cor. 6. 15. |
| Shall I take the tongue of Chriſt and make it— | —The tongue of a ſwearer? &c. Pſal. 12. 4. Mat. 5. 37. |
| Hee that yeelds any one of his members to— | —Sinne, is no member of Chriſt Jeſus, but— |
| — a limbe of the Devill, of the myſtery of iniquity,— | —and has no part in the Myſticall union of Chriſt and his Church, Rom. 6, 13. 14. |
FINIS.
End of the text · William Erbery, The Great Mystery of Godliness (1640)