The Happiness of Enjoying and Use of Christ, Part 1 · Chapter 1
CHAP. I. Shewing the tranſcendencie of Chriſts fulneſſe above all created fulneſſe, and opening the ſcope of the words.
OF all Fulneſſe, Divine and Heavenly fulneſſe is the choyceſt: The nearer any creature commeth unto God, and the more it doth participate of the fulneſſe of God; the greater is the perfection, the more excellent is the fulneſſe thereof. There is a fulneſſe of light in the Sunne, a fulneſſe of waters in the ſea, a fulneſſe of ſtrength in the rockes, a fulneſſe of riches in the earth.aPſa. 104.24. The earth (ſaith the Pſalmiſt) is full of thy riches, ſo is the great and wide ſea, wherein are things creeping innumerable, both ſmall and great beaſts: Yet of all this fulneſſe, in compariſon of their fulneſſe who are filled with the fulneſſe of Chriſt, may wee ſay, as Gideon ſometime ſaid of the vintage of Abiezer, bIudg. 8.2.The gleanings of Ephraim are better then the vintage of Abiezer; ſo the gleaning, the ſmalleſt gatherings of the fulneſſe of Chriſt, are better, more excellent, more ſatisfactory, more permanent, then the full and greateſt vintage of the world: this is a fulneſſe making like God, endearing to God, leading to heavenly and ſweet communion with God: the leaſt of Chriſt is better then the greateſt abundance of the earth: There is a fulneſſe of wiſedome and puritie, a fulneſſe of ſtrength and ſagacity in the Angels: there is a fulneſſe of holineſſe and righteouſneſſe in the Lords faithfull ſervants; yet is their fulneſſe in reſpect of Chriſts fulneſſe, as no fulneſſe; as the fulneſſe of the Starre is as no fulneſs in reſpect of the fulneſſe of the Sunne; and the fulneſſe of the veſſell as no fulneſſe in compariſon of the fulneſſe of the fountaine: their fulneſſe is a derivative, a borrowed fulneſſe; it is in them by participation, as the Moone hath her light from the Sunne, rivers their waters from the fountaine, and the eye her ſight from the ſoule; but it is in Chriſt originally, naturally, and of himſelfe: their fulneſſe is in them by meaſure, according to the gift of God; in Chriſt it iscEph. 4.7. Job. 4.33. Ioh. 1.16. infinite and above meaſure. The Moone is full of light, but the Sunne is more full: the Rivers be full of waters, but the Sea is more full; their fulneſſe is not communicable to others, they cannot derive their graces to others; but Chriſt as a head and fountaine, imparts his fulneſſe to others; and therefore the Apoſtle ſaith here of him, In him dwelleth the fulneſſe of the God-head bodily, and yee are complete in him who is head of all Principality and power.
The Apoſtle having dehorted and diſſwaded from hearkning to, receiving,Chriſts fulneſs the ground of the Apoſtles dehortation from humane doctrine. and embracing the doctrines, traditions, devices and inventions of men, as from emptie Lamps, wherein is no light to diſcover ſin, to reveale God in Chriſt, to make man wiſe unto ſalvation; as from woodden ſwords fairly guilt and flouriſht over, but having no edge, no power to penetrate the heart, to hew downe ſinne, to caſt downe the holds of ungodlineſſe; as from broken Ciſternes, wherein is no pure and living water to refreſh the ſoule, to ſatisfie the thirſt thereof; as from Chaffe, wherein is no nouriſhment to ſtrengthen the inward man; and as from falſe Phyſicke, wherein is no vertue to heale the breaches of the ſoule, and to cure the wounds of the Conſcience: Having diſſwaded from this by an argument drawne from the vanitie, emptineſſe, idleneſſe, unprofitableneſſe, and deceitfulneſſe of ſuch doctrines and obſervations, hee here perſwades by another argument drawne from the perfection and fulneſſe of Chriſt: In Chriſt is the height of all perfection, ſuch perfection that no more can bee added to him; in him meets the fulneſſe of all perfections, as of beames in one Sunne, and lines in one Center, and rivers in one Ocean. Whatſoever fulneſſe or perfection can bee mentioned, deſired, imagined, it is to bee found in him. It is abſurd to runne to a rotten Ciſterne for water, having by us a full and living fountaine; to goe to a glow-worme for light, having the Sunne to guide us. It is a great folly to have recourſe to humane traditions, Philoſophicall doctrines, vaine and empty ceremonies, having Chriſt in whom dwelleth the fulneſſe of the God-head bodily, and in whom we are complete.
In the words wee have a double plenitude or fulneſſe; The firſt of Chriſt, A double Fulneſſe.verſ. 9. The ſecond of his members, verſ. 10. The firſt is originall, abſolute, independent: the ſecond, communicated, derivative, and borrowed. The firſt is the fountaine, the ſecond the ſtreame: the firſt the root, the ſecond the branch: the firſt is of the head, the ſecond is of the members: the firſt is like the fulneſſe of the Sunne, the ſecond is like the fulneſſe of the Starres: the firſt like the fulneſſe of a King, the ſecond like the fulneſſe of a Subject: the former like the fulneſſe of the Lord and Maſter of the houſe, the later like the fulneſſe of a Servant in the houſe: For in Chriſt dwelleth all the fulneſſe of the God-head bodily, and wee are complete in him who is head of all principality and power.
Firſt, of the former of theſe,An…lyſis. the plenitude and fulneſſe of Chriſt; For in him dwelleth the fulneſſe of the God-head bodily. In the words wee have,1. Terminus connexionis. Firſt a terme or note of coherence, For; which is a particle redditive, rendring the reaſon of the foregoing ſentence, Beware leſt any man ſpoyle you through Philoſophy and vaine deceit. Be not a ſcholler in their ſchoole, underſtand not, beleeve not, adore not after their doctrines, there is no need of having recourſe to them: you have all in Chriſt; For in him is the fulneſſe of the God head; all fulneſſe appertaining to life and happineſſe is to bee found in Chriſt Jeſus.2. Subjectum. Secondly, here is a ſubject, in him; in Chriſt in his perſon as he is the Sonne of God by eternall generation, as he is God and Man in one perſon, as hee is Mediatour, a middle perſon between God and Man by divine ordination, by his office of mediation. In Chriſt is ſuch perfection that there needs no addition.3. Actus. Thirdly, here is the act, dwelleth; an act of duration, Chriſts humane nature and his God-head are never ſeparated. Fourthly,4. Tantum. here is the matter which is in Chriſt, and that is a fulneſſe, a perfection, the higheſt perfection, the greateſt fulneſſe: the fulneſſe of any thing is the excellencie of the thing; fulneſſe of corne in the eare, fulneſſe of branches and fruit on the tree, fulneſſe of children in the houſe, as of arrowes in a quiver, fulneſſe of light in the Sunne, fulneſſe of pretious ſubſtance in a pearle is the excellencie of the eare, the tree, the houſe, the Sunne, the pearle; divine and incomprehenſible fulneſſe is the excellencie of Chriſt Jeſus above others. Such is Chriſts fulneſſe, that in compariſon thereof, the fulneſſe of all creatures is but emptineſſe. 5.5. Quale. Here is the qualitie or condition of Chriſts fulneſſe, The fulneſſe of the God-head; a fulneſſe communicable to no creature. In Saints and Angels there is a finite fulneſs of divine qualities, in Chriſt there is the infinite fulneſs of the divine eſsence, a fulneſse by whichdHeb. 1.4. hee hath obtained a more excellent name then the Angels. Hee that partakes of God above others, is more excellent then others; the Lord Jeſus is farre exalted above all creatures. Sixtly,6. Modus. here is the manner how this fulneſs dwelleth in Chriſt, Bodily; not ſeemingly, but really, truly, and in deed; not figuratively, and in ſhadow, as hee dwelt in the Temple, but completely; not by power and efficacie, as hee dwelleth in all creatures, nor by grace as in the Saints, nor by glory as in the bleſſed in heaven: but Eſſentially, Subſtantially, the humane nature being aſſumed into union with the perſon of the Word. Great is the difference between the dwelling of the God-head in Chriſt, and in his members. Such is the preſence of the fulneſſe of the God-head in Chriſt, that hee is abundantly able to fill all that come unto him.