The Christians Apparelling, Part 3 · Section 65
Section. 65.
And as in theſe ſo alſo, (which followes vponupon theſe) in all his graces, both in regard of Illumination, Iuſtification, & Sanctification: they put on the whole new man, and all his members, bowels of merciemercy, Coloſ. 3.10.12.13.kindneſſe, humbleneſſe of mind, meekeneſſe, long ſuffering, forbearing one another, forgiuing one another, &c. for ſo did Chriſt. Herein doe they approue their ſincerity,1 Cor. 1.7. Iam. 1.4. that they are wanting and come behind in no gift, being in that ſenſe perfect, that is, entire wanting nothing, but hauing all and each ſanctifying and ſauing grace in ſome good and acceptable meaſure, (though none in the perfection of degrees, yet all eſſentiall graces, in the perfection of parts, as wee vſually diſtinguiſh) by which alſo they put on whole Chriſt,1 Cor. 1.5. Pſal. 119.6. being in eueryevery thing enriched by him, and hauing respect vntounto all Gods precepts, the whole Law in regard of the Iniunction in it being but one Copulatiue, Delinquens in parte, in totum reus eſt.not running diſiunctiuely, either doe this or that, but doe both this and that too, &c. So that the true triall of grace is from the concurrence and meeting af all together; ſingle graces are counterfeit graces, ſo that each true Chriſtian hath each ſanctifying grace,Vna ſine alijs nulla eſt. Greg. Mor. l. 21 ſeeing one grace in truth and ſinceritie is neuer without another, or if it bee, it is as good as none. And herein appeares the hypocriſie of many Chriſtians from their partiall cloathing themſelues with the graces of Chriſt: many hauehave great knowledge,2 Hypocrites diuide betweene the graces of Chriſt. but ſhew forth little obedience, much ſcience and as little conſcience: many pretend great ſtrength of faith, who yet being hot in faith towards God, (as they would ſeeme) are very cold in louelove towards both God and man. Their faith to God, being without righteouſneſſe and Iuſtice to man (in the duties of the Second Table) is meere preſumption; Iam. 1.27.for pure Religion, and vndefiled before God and the Father, is this, to viſite the fatherleſſe and widowes in their affliction, &c.
Others ſhew a kind of righteouſneſſe to man,, doing no man harme, yea, not wanting in good offices done to them: yet their regard of God is but little or none, ſo that their righteouſneſſe being without faith, is but hypocriſie. Many againe are zealous and forward in the profeſsion of religion, yet they want knowledge at leaſt, iudgement and diſcretion to moderate their zeale, and ſo runne themſelues out of breath yea ſtark dead, in regard of any true life of Chriſtianitie: or for the exerciſe of their graces, they with Herod and the Phariſies doe ſomethings, but they leaue many other things vndone; They pay tithe of mint, Mat. 23.23and anniſe, and cummin, but omit the weightier matters of the law, Iudgement, Mercy, and Faith; a right tricke of hypocrites, to practiſe themſelues leſſer matters and duties outwardly, and to vrge them fiercely vponupon others; yet themſelues to make little conſcience of weightier matters belonging to faith & a good conſcience: whereas, concerning ſuch ceremonious matters, I ſay, as our Sauiour, of the other, Theſe ought they to hauehave done, (becauſe of conſcience, of the ſuperiour power) but by no meanes to leaue the other vndone For ſo doe ſound Chriſtians: though there be that great and wide difference between matter of circumſtance and matter of ſubſtance, that, God forbid, we ſhould account them no ſound Chriſtians, whoſe conſcience will not ſuffer them to practiſe the former, (it not being out of obſtinacy and contempt of authoritie, but out of irreſolution of iudgement, which they labour to get rightly informed) as wee may not account them ſound, that practiſe the former without the later.
And thus we are come to ſhew that true Chriſtians,2 True Chriſtians put on Chriſt wholly. put on whole Chriſt and all his graces, wholly, in regard of their being clothed with him and them on all parts, in body and ſoule, and in all and eueryevery part & power of the ſame: euen as it is ſaid of good King Ioſiah, that hee turned to the Lord, with all his heart and with all his ſoule, 2 Kings. 23.25. In all parts.and with all his might, according to all the law of Moſes. Thus Gods children putting on Chriſt the new man, and therby becomming new men thē ſelues, are renewed, and made new men in all parts in ſome degree or other, and ſo in all things, Epheſ. 4.15.and parts, they grow vp, &c. Chriſt, Gal. 4.19.whom they put on, is fully in all parts formed in them, according to all his graces, and to their renuing in eueryevery part;Chriſt being formed in al parts in them. ſo that wheras they were wholly dead in ſins before, they by putting on Chriſt, and by application of him to them, are aliue in eueryevery part; euen as when the Prophet Eliſha raiſing to life the Shunamites child,2 Kin. 4.34. lay vponupon the childe, and put his mouth vponupon his mouth, & his eyes vponupon his eyes, and his hands vponupon his hands, & ſo ſtretched him vponupon the childe, and the fleſh of the child waxed warme, and hee reuiued in all theſe parts, & all ouer, yet he remained but a child, and by degrees in time came to his full and due ſtature and growth: euen ſo whole Chriſt, being truely put on, applies himſelfe wholly to his children, as it were mouth to mouth, eye to eye, &c. and ſo quickens them, and is ſpiritually formed in them, in eueryevery part, yet remaine they but children in this life,Yet ſo as that they growe by degrees to perfection. in compariſon of that perfection which they at length, partly here, chiefly hereafter, ſhal attaine vntounto.