The Christians Apparelling, Part 3 · Section 64
Section 64.
Now thirdly, good Chriſtians, not onelyonly put on Chriſt as Chriſt, 3 True Chriſtians put on Chriſt whole according to theſe two title Lord and Ieſus. Rom. 13.14.(as in my text) in all his Offices, which yet is the chiefe; but alſo according to theſe other titles, according to which they are exhorted to put him on, by the Apoſtle, ſaying, But put ye on the Lord Ieſus Chriſt. They diuide him not as others doe: Firſt they put him on, not onelyonly as Ieſus, a Sauiour, but a Lord & Maſter, vntounto whom they owe all obedience.Others diuide betweene theſe two As they looke to bee ſaued by him as their Ieſus: ſo are they carefull to obey him according to all his commandements, as Lord. They looke as wel to his commands as promiſes; whereas others ſhew their vnſoundneſſe by their ſolitary faith, with out good workes and obedience, hoping to be ſaued by Chriſt as Ieſus, 1 Acknowledging him Ieſus but not Lord.yet vnfruitful, and barren in go…d workes and fruits, which they ſhould bring to him as Lord of the Vineyard: yea, many in their praiers to God fo ſuch good things as Chriſt hath purchaſed for them as their Ieſus, As 1 ſuch as expect from him good things but vſe no meanes, to obtaine them.can vſe his Name, and hope well to receiue what they aske in his Name, (and theſe ſomtime not the worſt Chriſtians) yet are not ſo careful to vſe thoſe meanes, which hee as Lord hath appointed and commaunded them to vſe, without which they may not expect to receiue what is promiſed For God bids vsus not pray for any thing, but hee elſewhere bids vsus doe and practiſe the ſame thing, and vſe ſuch meanes, as by which hee ordinarily giueth his bleſſings; as may be partly obſerued by comparing the Lords Prayer and the Commandements together. But this is vſually practiſed by the wicked, who look to the end, & expect it without euer vſing the meanes conſcionably, which lead and bring vntounto that end, whereas God promiſing the one in Chriſt as Ieſus, commands the other, (and ſo doth his Sonne Chriſt) as our Lord.
But of all others the hypocriſie of the Ieſuites may hence be diſcouered;2 Eſpecially the Ieſuites. who glorying in that name more then any, as if Chriſt were onelyonly their Ieſus, yet in their practiſes goe, more then any, quite contrary to his cōmands, as Lord, whileſt they (not onelyonly with other Papiſts turne many of his commands into counſells onelyonly, as if they could doe any thing to his honour, which hee commands not, and is not their dutie to doe, but alſo) kill, and practiſe againſt the Lords annoynted, of whom hee ſaith, Touch not mine annointed; lie, diſſemble, and equiuocate, againſt his expreſſe word,Coloſ. 3.9. Lye not one to another; which dutie is part of our putting off the old man, which they doe not, neither put on the New man, though they put vponupon them more eſpecially the name of Ieſus: and ſo by much other diſobedience.
The godly in their ſeruice of Chriſt firſt looke to him as Lord then as Ieſus.Now it would bee alſo noted, that good Chriſtians put on Chriſt more & more (being once in him) firſt, as Lord, and then as Ieſus, according to the order of the Apoſtles words, euer looking in the firſt place to his glory by doing his will, before they looke to their owne ſaluation and eternal good. For howſoeuer Chriſt is firſt their Ieſus, by ſauing them from their enemies, and by paying the price of their redemption, and ſo becomes their Lord; yet, they in their indeauours eſpecially hauehave an eye to him as Lord, to do his will, to do him ſeruice, moſt of all greiuing for the diſhonours they daily doe him, and that more then for any euill they ſuffer from him for their miſdoings; they can more willingly and patiently vndergoe and ſuffer the one, then they can thinke and call to mind their doing of the other: ſo that in their prayers, they are euer as earneſt (if not more earneſt) in begging further grace and ſtrength from him, that they may not offend him, as they are for crauing pardon to themſelues for their offences.Not ſo many others. But with many it is not ſo; whoſe care is not chiefely to ſeeke the honour and glory of him their Lord, but the good, whether Temporal, or Spirituall, of themſelues; ſo that, ſo they may at length be ſaued by him as Ieſus, they much care not what ſinnes and diſobedience they liue in againſt him as Lord; which they euidently ſhew, whiles, as is often ſaid, they, expecting ſaluation from him as Ieſus, yet liue in all vngodlineſſe and diſobedience to his word. Thus they diuide the Lord from Ieſus, and put not on the whole Lord Ieſus Chriſt, as doe the godly.
Againe, godly Chriſtians not only put Chriſt on as Lord, 2 Others acknowledg Chriſt as Lord but not as Ieſus. as, 1 Such as aſcribe merit to their workes, & by their obedience deſtroy faith.but alſo as Ieſus, they put on the Lord Ieſus. But ſo doe not many others. 1. Our Papiſts, and the ſtricter ſort of them, take thēſelues bound to obey Chriſt, and keepe Gods Commandements, and that according to the ſtricteſt rules that any founder of Orders amongſt them can deuiſe: loe, how they (would ſeeme to) put him on as a Lord and Maſter. Yea, but they attribute ſo much to their obedience, that they either neglect faith, or, by the mixture of workes in the matter of Iuſtification, ouerthrow it, and ſo expect ſaluation, in part at leaſt, euen for the merit of their obedience and workes: whereas ſaluation properly muſt be wholly looked for in Ieſus, and for his merits, not our workes. Chriſt as Jeſus hath aboliſhed the Law for matter of Iuſtification, freeing vsus from the rigorous exaction of it; though as Lord and Law-giuer he hath left it (ſoundly interpreted by himſelfe) as a rule of life, and of obedience,Mat, 5. whereby his redeemed, by their indeauours to anſwer their duty thereby inioyned, might by obeying him as Lord, ſhew themſelues thankefull to him as Ieſus, for their redemption and ſaluation by him. Papiſts then diuide, in the worke of ſaluation, Ieſus from Lord, and ſo put him not on whole.
And ſo ſecondly,2 Such as ſpecially apply not Chriſt to themſelues. doe many other Hypocrites in the Church, who make faire ſhewes of holineſſe in outward obedience, doing alſo great works in his Name, calling him, yea, and by many prayers, calling on him, ſaying, and ingeminating, Lord, Lord: yet are ſuch, as, (for want of true faith in him as Ieſus) cannot eſpecially in their trouble, from the heart, and truly, call him Ieſus, by ſaying without hypocriſie, with Thomas, my Lord, and my God; my Sauiour, and my redeemer. No, no: not eueryevery one that ſaith vntounto me, Lord,Ioh. 20.28. Mat. 7.21.22. Lord, ſhall enter into the kingdome of Heauen.
3 Such as hauing ſined againſt him as Lord do yet deſpaire of his mercy as he is Ieſus.Laſtly, ſome alſo there are, who in the conſideration of their great and many ſinnes againſt Chriſt as their Lord, doe not, cannot, (ſhall I ſay, or) will not, looke withall to him, as Ieſus and a Sauiour, & herevpon, vtterly despayring of his mercy, caſt away their hope, and themſelues alſo often both in ſoule and body, as did Cain and Iudas. True, Iudas ſinned treacherouſly againſt his Lord and Maſter Chriſt; yet hauing ſinned, he ſhould not ſo hauehave looked vponupon him, as a Lord, againſt whom hee ſinned, as not to looke vponupon him alſo as Ieſus and a Sauiour who came to die for ſinne, that ſo his blood might hauehave waſhed and ſaued euen him the Traytor,Act. 2.23. with 37.38.39. as well as it did others, who with him had their hands in that Treaſon, vponupon their repentance. This is a ſtrange deuiſion of Chriſt, when men by diuiding Ieſus from Lord, ſhall diuide themſelues from mercy and ſaluation.True Chriſtians hold a middle courſe. True Chriſtians hold a middle courſe, not diuiding but coupling theſe two together, neither preſuming too much on him becauſe he is Ieſus, a Sauiour, nor deſpayring of his mercy, becauſe hee is Lord; but they ſerue the Lord with feare (becauſe he is their Lord) and reioyce with trembling: they tremble, Pſa. 2.11.12but yet reioyce becauſe he is alſo their Ieſus and Sauiour. When he is angry, they kiſſe the ſonne, leaſt hee bee further angry and they periſh in the way: bleſſed are they becauſe (as they feare ſo alſo) they truſt in him. Philip. 2.12They worke out and finiſh their ſaluation with feare & trembling: they tremble and feare, to offend him as Lord; yet though they doe offend him, they deſpaire not but for all their ſinnes, by faith in him as Ieſus, they attaine to ſaluation, they doubtleſſe as much as any feele their imperfections, and poſſeſſe often the ſins of their youth,Par. 3. §. 65 fearing his wrath as their Lord and Law-giuer, yet they wraſtle at length through their doubts, and make their appeale from Chriſt as Lord, to Chriſt as Ieſus, and ſo being humbled for offending their Lord, they find mercy and comfort by faith in him their Ieſus. And thus alſo do they, as their duty is, put on whole Chriſt,4 True Chriſtians put on Chriſt according to all his graces. both God and man, in all his Offices, and according to theſe his titles.