Exposition on John 5, Ephesians 5-6 · Verses 23-24 2
Epheſ. 5. part of the 23. and 24. verſes.
(Chriſt is the head of the Church, and the ſame is … Sau… … our of his body. The Church is in ſu…i…ctio… … all things.)
HAuing formerly handled the maine ſcope of theſe words, namely, as an argument to enforce the duty of the wife: …et vsus conſider them abſolutely, and ſeuerally by themſ…lues.
…n th…m we may obſerue two poynts.
1 The authority of Chriſt ſet downe, 1 VnderUnder a metaphor in this word Head. 2 By the benefit and end of it, in that he is a Sauiour.
2 The duty of the Church, 1 Wherein it conſiſts, namely, in ſubiection. 2 What is the extent of it. It is in all things.
Head.) This metaphor is applyed to Chriſt in diuers reſpects: but two eſp…cially.
1 In regard of that dignity and dominion Chriſt hath ouer the Church.
2 In reſpect of that ſpirituall vertue and efficacy that the Church receiueth of Chriſt.
For the firſt, ſee Col. 1.18. For the ſecond, ſee Epheſ. 4.15, 16. For both ioyntly, ſee Epheſ. 1.22, 23. Both of theſe are ſet downe in the Text. The former, by the inference, that as the husband hath authority of his wife, ſo Chriſt ouer the Church. The ſecond, by the benefit that comes of this authority, hee is the Sauiour of the body.
Inſtructions. In that Chriſt the Sonne of God, equall to …, &c. is the head of the Church to whom ſh…e is vnit…d: This ſhewes the exce…ding great glory of the Church, in which reſpect the glory of the Saints now is farre greater than was that of Adam in his innocenc…, yea, of the Angels in heauen.
Ne…ther are the infirmities of the Church ſuch, as that they can blemiſh this glory. Neuertheleſſe, we ſ…e how they are here deſpiſed and contemned, Eſa. 63.2. 1 … 4.13. The reaſon is, becauſe the world ſeeth not … of the Church, nor p…rceiu…th this glorious … wi…h Chriſt, 1 Ioh. 3.1, 2.
… This then muſt vp…old vsus againſt all the ſcoffes and reproaches of the world, againſt our owne wants and infirmities, that wee be not daunted by them: for Chriſt ſuffereth vsus to bee tryed by theſe, 1 That wee may ſee our owne vnworthineſſe. 2 To make vsus the more thankfull: for the more vnworthy wee are of a thing, the more thankfull we bee for it: As Abigail was of Dauids offer, 1 Sam. 25. and was Eſter a poore captiue more thankful for her aduancement then Vaſhti, which is report…d to hauehave beene Cyrus daughter.
2 This is a ground of great comfort vntounto vsus, in that we ar… ruled by ſo wiſe, glorious, and powerfull a gouernor; who wil and can deliuer vsus from all danger, &c. which thing wee muſt conſider when we are aſſaulted by the t…mp…ation of the deui…l and world. For Chriſt hath a feeling of all our wrongs and iniuries, euen as the head hath of all the hurts of the body: and for this reaſon hee ſaid vntounto Saul, Saul, Saul, why perſecuteſt thou mee?
3 This ſhewes, that this vnion of Chriſt with vsus, is as neere as poſſible can be. But of this more verſ. 30.
2 Doct. This further ſhewes the regiment of Chriſt ouer his Church, of what it is: That it is no Tyrannical, but ſuch as is for our good, hee hauing alwaies a ſence and fellow-feeling of our infirmities and wants. The world hee ruleth as a Iudge with a ſcepter of iron, Pſal. 2.9. & 110.1, &c. But the Saints he gouerneth gently and mildely as a father, not cruſhing them vnderunder his feete, but exalting them, Ioh. 14.3.
3 Doct. Hence wee ſee, from whence wee hauehave all graces, namely, from Chriſt: as the body hath all ſence, and life, and motion from the head. For this cauſe is Chriſt not onelyonly a liuing ſoule, but a quickning ſpirit, becauſe he giueth life vntounto vsus, 1 Cor. 15.45. Hence it is that he is called a Vine, Ioh. 15.1, 2. and that wee liue in him, Gal. 2.20.
This muſt make vsus depend vponupon Chriſt, to hauehave reco…rſ… vntounto him for all good things. Alſo this ſerues to ſtrengthen our faith, concerning our ful deliuerance not onelyonly from temporall euill, but from death and him that hath the pow…r of it, Heb. 2.14. For if the head be aboue water, there is no feare of drowning; and therefore if Chriſt our head be ſafe, if he be riſen & deliuered from the power of d…ath, we muſt be ſafe; if we periſh, he muſt periſh too, b…cauſe of this vnion. And this may make vsus bold to triumph againſt all our enemies.
Further obſerue who they bee that are vnited to Chriſt. They are the Church, viz. all the Elect of God who are called & ſanctified, whether militant on earth, or triumphant in heauen. Wee may alſo comprehend among them, thoſe that are not yet borne, if we reſpect that that ſhall bee, but not properly.
Doct. The gifts of Gods Spirit are proper to the Elect, being called and ſanctified, 1 Theſ. 1.3, 4. 1 Pet. 1.4. The moſt precious promiſes are giuen to them, Rom. 11, 29.
Which refutes the opinion of thoſe that ſay, that iuſtifying faith and ſome ſauing may bee in the wicked and reprobate, aſwell as in the Elect, and that there is no difference, but in the continuance.
2 It teacheth the more highly to prize the proper graces: for thoſe things that but a few hauehave, are wont to bee much eſteemed: Yet other and they will make ſo great account of common gifts.
3 This ſerues for triall to know whether wee bee in the Church or no, and ſo whether Chriſt bee our head. Doe wee feele in vsus ſpirituall life and motion, namely, the graces of Gods Spirit dwelling in our hearts? It is a ſigne wee are vnited to our head Chriſt: but if we bee ſtill dead in our ſinnes, dull in our vnderſtanding, &c. wee may iuſtly feare that wee are not in Chriſt. 2 If there be a mutation and change in our nature; if our conuerſation bee heauenly, and wee partakers of the diuin… quality, it is a token we are grafted into the true Oliue tree: which as they report, contrary to other ſtockes, changeth … into it owne.
Doct. Out … no ſaluation. Which is to be vnderſtood of … Church, that they who are not of the numb…r … who are vnited to Chriſt, can looke for no ſaluation, …nd not of particular Churches; as to ſay, that becauſe he is not of this or that congregation, therefore hee cannot bee ſaued: though in the meane while it be a dangerous thing to ſeparate himſelfe from a particular Church; where he ſees the plaine not…s of a true Church. Here are diſcouered two errors.
1 Of the Papiſts, that exclude all from ſaluation that are not of the Romiſh Church.
2 Of the Separatiſts, that doe wilfully abſtaine from all particular Churches.
Further, this ſhewes that this title of Head is proper to Chriſt alone; as 1 who hath it alotted to him of God, Epheſ. 1.22. 2 who is moſt eminent, high and powerfull. 3 who only hath receiued the ſpirit aboue meaſure.
Then it is a preſumptuous dealing of the Papiſts, who make the Pope to be the head of the Church. Their diſtinction of Imperiall and miniſteriall head is, but new found; for heretofore they vſed to ſay, that Chriſt took Saint Peter into the fellowſhip of the indiuiſible vnity, ſo making them both one. And as falſe it is, as neuer hauing ground in the Scripture; but is a m…ere inuention of their owne braines: for they ſay, Chriſt is the Imperiall head, that is, he quickens & giues grace. The Pope is the miniſteriall, that is, he gouerns: which is to ſeparate thoſe offices that are cōioined in Chriſt: & ſecondly, how doth the Pope gouern? is it by maintaining the peace of the Church▪ &c? No, but by making lawes binde to mens conſciences and the like,
Sauiour of his body) Conſider heere,
1 The kind… of the benefit,
2 The p…rſon that beſtowes it.
3 The obiect of it.
foreign, a Sauiour. A word in Greeke, which thoſe that are Grecians ſay, cannot bee fully expreſſed in Latin: ſignifying as much as a moſt abſolute deliuerer from all danger, and all euill whatſoeuer, Mat. 1.21.
foreign, He is) h…e alone of and by himſelfe, Act. 4.11. a body) all the Elect: implying two concluſions.
1 That all that are giuen to him of God, are ſaued: hee ſaues not a legge, or an arme only, but eueryevery part of the body. b
2 That none but thoſe, that are giuen to him, are ſaued by him. c
Vſe is, 1 To amplify the benefit of the head-ſhip, of Chriſt; in whom we hauehave true reſt and ſecur…ty, ſo that wee may truſt perfectly to the grace that is brought vntounto vsus.
2 It is for our comfort & ioy, and to ſtir vsus vp to praiſe God; as the Virgin Mary, and old Simeon did: and for this cauſe, the Angell ſaid, that it was gladſome tidings, that a Sauiour was borne vntounto the world a, Heb. 7.25. Ioh. 19.30. An euidence of which perfect ſaluation obtained by him, was his Reſurrection: for this cauſe, he is called Saluation, Luk. 2.30. Note here firſt the Blaſphemie of the Ieſuites, that deriue of that name of their ſociety, from that name of Chriſt, which is incommunicable. Indeede we may be well called Chriſtians of Chriſt, becauſe this name is communicable, for wee are partakers of the anointing: but no man is partaker with Chriſt▪ in the worke of ſaluation: as alſo, Linwood a Papiſt ſaith; and ſecondly, the dotings of the Papiſts, that ſeeke for other Sauiors beſid…s Chriſt, as the Saints, to whom may bee applyed that of Eſa. 30.1, &c. and Ier. 2 13. As alſo another conceit of the Treaſure of the Church, which what needs, if Chriſt alone hauehave purchaſed perfect ſaluation?
b Rom. 5.18. As Adam is a naturall root, and all comming from him; partake of his ſin, and curſe: ſo Chriſt being another roote, all that come from him, partake of his righteouſneſſ… to iuſtification, Ioh. 6.37. and verſe 39. A reaſon is a added, …cauſe the Elect are committed to his truſt, and fidelity; and therefore if they bee loſt, the loſſe redounds not only to the hurt of the members, bu… to his owne diſcredit.
Obiect. Ioh. 17.12. Iudas is expreſly ſayd to be loſt.
Anſw. Iu…as was n…uer of this company: which is plaine both by th… words in the place a…leadged, where he is called the ſonne of perdition, fore-ordained of old vntounto this condemnation, as Iude ſpea…es ver. 4. Then apply that, 1 Ioh. 2.19.
This ouerthrowes that groſſe errour of the Lutheranes, who ſay, that thoſe who are Elect, may not onelyonly wholy, but finally fall away; an opinion ſtrange, contradictory in it ſelfe, to be a choſ…n veſſell, and to bee damned, and contrary to the Scripture: it breakes in ſunder that golden chaine, Rom. 8.30. Math. 24.24. Yea, the Papiſts confeſſe the abſurdity of it, Bellar. de grat. & libero arbitrio, lib. 2. cap. 10.
The ground of this opinion is, that they hold, that election is conditionall: which Tenent is derogatory to glory, making his will and decree changeable, whereas he is immutable in both, and alſo depriues eueryevery faithfull ſoule of a ground of maine comfort: which otherwiſe doth reſt in an holy ſecurity (oppoſed to feare and diſtruſt) when once it perceiues in it ſelfe the certaine ſignes of Election.
Obiect. 1 Exod. 32.32. and Rom. 9.3.
Anſw. Theſe holy men rapt with louelove and zeale, did onelyonly ſhew what in their hearts they could wiſh to be done, not what could be done; it was Votum affectus, non Effectus.
Obiect. Pſalme 69.28.
Anſw. That is ſpoken according to the common opinion of men; now therefore Dauid deſireth God to make it manifeſt, that they did heerein deceiue themſelues, & others were deceiued in them, who becauſe of their profeſsion and outward carriage, accounted them to be written in the Booke of Life.
So in like manner, that which is ſpoken of Iudas, was ſpoken in regard of his office and Apoſtleſhip, not in regard of the eternall election of God: For in that former reſpect, hee might hauehave ſeemed to hauehave beene a choſen veſſell, Act. 1.17.
Vſe is for comfort vntounto vsus, that though wee be not the principall parts of the body of Chriſt; an eye, or an eare; that is, not inſtructed with ſo much knowledge as others, &c. yet if wee be of the body, wee ſhall be ſaued, Gal. 3.28.
c Becauſe that ſatisfaction of Chriſt was a ranſome and price: and none can be redeemed and bought, but thoſe for whom it was paid.
Againſt carnall Goſpellers that hope ſtill to be ſaued, when as yet they hauehave no euidence that they are of this body: for the body is guided by the head; but thoſe by the prince that ruleth in the Ayre, Epheſ. 2.2. The members of the body louelove one another: but theſe hate and perſecute the Saints. Briefely, this word body, imports two things, that is, 1 A myſticall vnion with Chriſt by faith. 2 And a ſpirituall vnion one with another by louelove, whereof they hauehave neither.
So much conc…rning the authority of Chriſt: The next point is the ſubiection of the Church, ver. 24.
Which ſubiection is due on the Churches part, in regard of the place of Chriſt, who is her head; but much more in regard that he is ſo wiſe, & ſo glorious a head, ſo prouident and powerfull to procure her good: and againe, in that ſhee is ſo farre inferiour vntounto him, and therefore meete it is that ſhe ſubiect her ſelfe; and vnworthy ſhe were of ſo great benefits, if ſhe ſhould not: as Vaſhty was in not obeying her husband the King.
Doct. Whoſoeuer is of the Catholike Church, is indeed ſubiect to Chriſt.