The Happiness of Enjoying and Use of Christ, Part 1 · Chapter 13
CHAP. XIII. Declaring the perfection and fulneſſe of Chriſt above the fulneſſe of all Creatures.
THE fourth thing in theſe words, is the matter which dwelleth in Chriſt; and that is all fulneſſe: and the fifth is the condition or quality of this fulneſſe, the fulneſſe of the Godhead. In Saints and Angels dwels a fulneſſe of divine qualities, in Chriſt the fulneſſe of divine eſſence; and herein Chriſt, as man, is manifeſted to bee farre more excellent then others, to come nearer to God, and to participate more of the fulneſſe of God, then all creatures. And hence we learne, that
Doctr. Chriſts perfection and fulneſſe doth infinitely ſurpaſs the fulneſs of all creatures. As the fulneſſe of the ſea ſurpaſſeth the fulneſſe of ſmall veſſels; as Saul wasd1 Sam. 10.22. head and ſhoulders in ſtature above the people: ſo is Chriſt in heavenly ſtature and fulneſſe far above all men and Angels; therefore is he ſtiled theeEpheſ. 1.22. head of all principality & power, for his cōplete dominiō over all creatures;fRev. 1.5. the prince of the kings of the earth, to ſhew his power over all kings, tyrants, and whatſoever enemies;gHeb. 1.2 the heire of all things, having intereſt in, dominion over all creatures, in heaven and earth; the whole world is his inheritance. Such is Chriſts riches that all the fulneſſe of the world is but poverty, in compariſon of him; and all the ſtrength of the creature but weakneſſe, compared with the power that is in his arme: For God (ſaith the Apoſtle)hEpheſ. 1.20, 21, 22. raiſed him from the dead, and ſet him at his owne right hand in heavenly places, farre above all principality and power and might and dominion, and every name that is named, not onelyonly in this world, but alſo in that which is to come: above, the name of kings for his dominion, above the name of rich men for his wealth, above the name of Conquerours for his victory, above the name of Saints and Angels for his puritie, wiſedome, and moſt exquiſite and abſolute perfection.
And this appeares by the excellencie of Chriſts originall:3 Grounds of Chriſt above all creatures. 1. Excellency of Chriſts originall. As hee is the ſecond perſon in the Trinitie, he is begotten of his Father by an eternall generation, Very God of very God: As man, he is the ſonne of God by hypoſtaticall union, his humanity ſubſiſting in the perſon of the Son. Of Chriſt therefore the Apoſtle ſaith, that he isiHeb. 1.3. the brightneſſe of his Fathers glory, and the expreſſe image of his perſon, being made ſo much better than the Angels as hee hath, by inheritance, obtained a more excellent name then they. Hee is the brightneſſe of his Fathers glory, as the beames are the glory of the Sunne; and the expreſſe image of his perſon, as the print of the ſeale on the waxe is the expreſſe image of the ſeale it ſelfe; and is more excellent then the choyceſt creatures, being the expreſſe and lively image of his Father, the maker of all by his power, the heire of all by his birth, the ſupporter of all by his providence, the revealer of all miſteries by his wiſedome, the purgation of all ſins by the ſacrifice of himſelfe, head King and ruler of all by his ſeſſion at the right hand of God: and thus hee hath a more excellent name then the Angels, according to his divinitie by eternall generation of his Father, being the naturall Sonne of God, conſubſtantiall with the Father; according to his fleſh, by a temporall birth of the virgin, and operation of the holy Ghoſt, the fleſh being aſſumed of the Sonne into the unitie of his perſon; ſo that the ſame Sonne is both God and Man, not two Sonnes but one; and that not by adoption, but by union, not made a Sonne, but borne a Sonne, the fleſh being aſſumed into the unitie of the perſon of the naturall Sonne: As Chriſt hath being from, and union with the Father more naturally, intimately, and entirely, then any of the creatures; ſo hee excells all others. Hee that is moſt fully of God by regeneration, and commeth neereſt unto God by gracious union and communion, is the moſt excellent of many people.
This appeares by the proportion between his humiliation and his exaltation:Proportion betweene Chriſts humiliation & exaltation. he was abaſed and humbled below others, hee appeared in the kPhil. 2.7forme of a ſervant, he was of no reputation, rejected, reproched, perſecuted, accuſed, blaſphemed, ſpit upon, put to the ſhamefull death of the Croſſe, and his ſoule ſorrowfull to the death. And as hee was humbled and abaſed below others, ſo it is fit hee ſhould bee exalted above others; BeinglPhil. 2.8.9. found (ſaith the Apoſtle) in faſhion as a man, hee humbled himſelfe and became obedient to the death, even the death of the croſſe; wherefore God alſo hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name. God will honour ſuch people as men diſhonour, for their weldoing: The good mans future glory ſhall fully anſwer his preſent ignominy. David was ſet behind the Ewes, his brethren preferred above him: the Lord takes David from the Ewes, and makes him king over Iſrael. Ioſeph was brought lower then any of his brethren, caſt into priſon, fetters put upon him; yet from thence he came to the ſecond place, next the king in Aegypt: Chriſts humiliation was deepeſt, Chriſts glory is higheſt; let no man for any reproach decline the way of godlineſſe: the baſeſt croſſe ſhall turne to their moſt glorious crowne that ſuffer for weldoing.
2. Subjection of all under Chriſt.This appeares by the ſubjection of all things under him,mEpheſ. 1.22. all things are put under his feete: all things high and low, great and ſmall, viſible and inviſible, preſent and to come, are put under Chriſts feete; even as he is man, men and Angels are put under him as Subjects under their Soveraignes, as Nobles under their Prince; the Saints and faithfull ſervants of God are put under him as ſheepe under their ſhepheard, as the Bride under the Bridegroome, as the members under their head; all troubles and afflictions are put under him, asnMat. 8.8 Souldiers under the Centurion; all Divels are put under him as captives under their Conquerour: as Ioſhua trode upon the neckes of the kings of Canaan, ſo doth he trample downe and triumph over all the Princes of darkeneſſe; all ſinnes and tranſgreſſions are put under him, as the offences of a land under a king, Chriſt having authority to forgive them; as deſeaſes under a phyſician, Chriſt having ability to heale all the diſtempers of the ſoule; as the cloudes under the Sun, Chriſt being able to diſpell and blot them out, as the Sun the clouds; as debts under a rich man, Chriſt being able to make full ſatisfaction; death and hell are put under him, as theoRev. 1.18. opening and ſhutting of the houſe are under him that hath the keyes of the houſe. Abſolute, univerſall, irreſiſtible is Chriſts juriſdiction,pMat. 28.18. having all power both in heaven and earth given him.
Behold in this who are filled with the chiefeſt & choyceſt fulneſs: Uſe. this is the excellency of Chriſt,Who have choyceſt fulneſſe. that hee is filled with all the fulneſſe of the Godhead; and this is the excellency of the ſoule to bee filled with the fulneſſe of the Spirit: of all fulneſſe, heavenly fulneſſe is the choyceſt: Chriſt of all creatures commeth neareſt to God, and his fulneſſe is the fulneſſe of the divine eſſence: Among men ſuch as are moſt nigh and moſt deare to God, their fulneſſe is a fulneſſe of heavenly gifts and graces. God often fills his enemies withqPſal. 17.14. Job 12.6. earthly abilities, as Abraham filled the hands of Iſmael with the moveables, as men fill ſwine with huskes and Acornes; but his friends hee fills with ſpirituall gifts, as Abraham gave the inheritance unto Iſaac; and Elkana a worthy portion to Hanna. Spirituall fulneſſe is a portion of the higheſt price, of the ſweeteſt & choyceſt uſe; and with this fulneſſe wee muſt all ſtrive to bee filled. Bee not rEpheſ. 5.18.drunke (ſaith Saint Paul) with wine, wherein is exceſſe, but be ye filled with the Spirit; with the wiſedome of the Spirit, with the holineſſe of the Spirit, with the power of the Spirit, & with the joy and peace of the Spirit. Spirituall and heavenly fulneſſe is proper to the Lords ſervants; let the covetous, like the rich man in the parable, fill his barnes with corne; let the drunkard, like them in theſIſay 59.11. Prophet, fil themſelves with ſtrong drinke; let the ambitious, like Haman, fill himſelfe with worldly honours: but let the Chriſtian fill himſelfe with the graces of the Spirit; for this let us pray, heare, contend, and ſtrive to bee filledtEph. 21.3.19. with the fulneſſe of God, with the higheſt meaſure of ſpirituall perfection, whereunto wee can attaine. This fulneſſe is the moſt excellent, therefore ſtiled,1. Excellent. the fulneſſe of God: God is infinitely more excellent then the earth, and this fulneſſe farre excelleth all worldly fulneſſe. As Bathſheba ſaid of the vertuous woman, Many daughters have done excellently, but thou excelleſt them all: ſo may wee ſay of this fulneſſe, how excellently ſoever other fulneſſes may doe in their place and kind, yet this fulneſs of grace excelleth them all. This fulneſſe is the moſt permanent,2. Permanent. this abideth as the Sunne in the firmament, as the waters of the ſea, as the fire upon the altar, when other fulneſſe faileth like the waters of Tema, and vaniſheth like a vapour: this is a growing fulneſſe, like the waters comming out under the Temple, riſing higher and higher, ſhining like the light more and more to the perfect day. This is an honourable fulneſſe,3. Honourable. it is a Crowne and a Diadem to him that hath it, it makes man an excellent man indeed. To excell in vertue is mans choyceſt excellencie: It is a ſweet and comfortable,4. Sweet & ſatisfactory. a ſatisfactory and contenting fulneſſe, a Feaſt of marrow and fat things, and of wine refined upon the lees; a river that filleth and makes glad the ſoule: Oh then above all fulneſſe highly prize, diligently, ſeeke, earneſtly hunger after the fulneſſe of God; care not for the fulneſſe of gold, fulneſſe of lands, fulneſſe of honour, fulneſſe of carnall contentments, but for the fulneſſe of God: this will make thee ſtrong againſt temptations, patient in afflictions, joyfull in ſufferings, holy in thought, gracious in ſpeech, fruitfull in action, humble in proſperity, confident in adverſitie, fervent in prayer, profitable in hearing, godly in converſation, and graciouſly aſſured of future fulneſſe, of an eternitie of all bliſſe and happineſſe.