The Merchant Real, Sermon · Lesson 9
The ninth leſſon.
Firſt of Chriſt that he is One. Secondly that he is the only pearle peareles, pricles. And then of charity. Of Chriſt his Oneneſſe this is the learning. CHRIST Ieſus is moſt one in the vnity of deuine eſſence, truly one in the vnity with his electe, yea wholy, & only One in the mediation for his electe.
The light of this appeares thus, He is one vvith the father in eſſence I & the father are one.Iob. 10.30. One in ſubſtance coeſſentiall vvith the father. One in nature by eternall generation, one in name, For he hath a name aboue all names, & one in number of exiſtence, as one in the vnity of the eſſence. Where vponupon the Orthodoxe faith is in Athanaſius Creed, The diety is all one, The glory equall, the majeſtie coeternall.
1. Tim 2.5.Secondly he is one in vnion vvith his electe by one ſpirit, and he alone doth mediate, for his elect. For there is one god, & one Mediator betvveene god, & mā vvhichwhich is them a Ieſus Chriſt,Eph. 2.13. And novve in Ieſus Chriſt, yee vvhichwhich once vvere farre off, are made neere by the bloud of Chriſt. He is one in eſſence, but in the ſubſiſtence differing, yet in actiō the ſame. The father doth things AUTHORITATIVE the sōne SUBAUTHORITATIVE to whom the father hath deligated all the iudgment. But Chriſt is vvholy his elects,Ioh. 5.22. ſo that vvhether it be Paul,1. Cor. 3.22.23. or Apollos, or Cephas, or the vvorld, or life, or death: vvhether they be things preſent, or things to come, euen all are yours, & ye are Chriſts, & Chriſt is gods.
The right of this appeares that he is one in the deuine eſſence.
Firſt from the ſinglenes of his nature, vvhichwhich is not communicable vntounto many, noe not to any, nor yet diuiſible for theſe vvould impart imperfection.
Secondly from his infinitnes of perfection, vvhichwhich doth comprehend the vvhole perfection of being, and therefore the learned among the heathen vvere compelled to conclude that there vvas one begining.
Thirdly from the onenes of the vvorld for there is but one vvorld, of neceſſity therefore, that that vvhichwhich reduceth all things to one,Dan. 6.4. is one. Therefore vve hauehave the ſame god vvhichwhich the Iſraelits had. For our god is one ſaith Moſes. Secondly that he is one in vnion vvith his choſen it muſt alſo follovve of neceſſity.
Firſt to confirme their faith. Truth the ſonne of god tooke our nature vppon him that he might be one vvith vsus, to perfect our faith.
Secondly that vve might take the right vvay to heauen, For man vvas not ſafely to be follovved, & god vvhom vve might follovve vvithout ſtaggering vvas not viſible. Therefore god became man, that man might follovve him.
Thirdly it vvas to shevve the dignity of our nature, that none should hereafter ſoe farre forgett himſelfe, as to defile his bleſſed nature vvith beaſtly impurities.
Fourthly it vvas to deliuer man from the slauery of ſinne vvherein the iuſtice of god vvas to be ſatisfied, & the breach betvveene god, & man to be made vp, but neither this, nor that vvas in mans ability to doe, & therefore god & man became one that he might doe both.
In a vvord he is one in the office of mediation for the electe, & there is reaſon for it, For they had all one beginning euen the father,Ioh. 6.44. Noe man commeth to me ſayth Chriſt except the father dravve him.Matth. 20. Eph. 4.24. 1. Cor. 12.4. They hauehave one end the revvard of merciemercy. They hauehave all one meanes One god, one faith, one baptiſme. One ſpirit vvhereby they are animated, or quickned, one head Chriſt allbeit the giuds vnderunder him be many yet all lead to one head. Laſtly one connextion of Members,Rom. 12. vvherin thy ſubſiſt in the communion of ſaincts here, & shall by his vvholy, & only mediation be poſſeſſed of the full & perfitt fruition thereof in the church triumphant hereafter.
Practice. 1 The vſe of this is manifold. Firſt of thankfullnes to god vvhichwhich hath brought vsus out of darknes into this glorious light.2. Reg. 17.30. Firſt from the multiplicity of heathen gods to this only. For the men of Babell had Succoth Benoth vvhichwhich vvas a hen, & chickins. The men of Cu… had Nergall vvhichwhich vvas a continued fire, the men of Hamah had Ashima vvhichwhich vvas a goate, the Auites had Nibhaz, & Tartack vvhichwhich vvas an aſſe, & a doge, & the Sepharuites, had Adrammelech & Anammelech that vvas a mule, & a horſe; To theſe did the heathen conſecrate deuine vvorshipe, but god hath deliuered vsus from them, yea, & from hereticall pravity. From Ebion, Cerinthus, Photinus, the Marcioni…, the Arrians, the Apollinarians the Eutichians, Neſtorians, & the like all vvhichwhich endeuored to impeach this doctrine, But the ſacred counſells of Nice, Chalcedon, Epheſus, & Conſtantinople hath concluded againſt that damnable doctrine of theirs, & hath concluded in ſound doctrine thus. That Chriſt Ieſus our lord, vvas truly god, perfictly man, of both one, & continuing in that one both. What should I cite vntounto you The Sydonians Ashteroth, or the Moabites Chemosh, or the Ammonites Milchom or Chiun,Act. 7. & Remphan that Stephen mentioneth vvith that abhomination of Moloch wherein as vntounto diuels they offered their sonnes, & daughters as the Pſalmiſt ſpeaketh. Which abhomination as Paulus Fagius obſerueth vponupon the Caldaean paraphraſe had ſeauen receptacles, & vvas ſet vp in the vale of the children of Hinnon nere Ieruſalem. In the firſt receptable, they offered their meale, in the ſecond turtle doues, in the third a sheepe, in the fourth a ramme, in the fift a calfe, in the ſixt an oxe, in the ſeauenth vvhichwhich vvas his armes folden together, & made fire hott, in the hollovvnes thereof they offered their ſonnes, & daughers naked, & there they ſpravled, & cryed vntill they died. In the meane vvhile the parents playing on timbrells that they might not heare the cry of their children. So vvith this confuſion of noiſe of the skreiching of the children, & the parents playing on trimbrelles our Sauiour in the nevve teſtament calleth hell gehenna, alluding vntounto this confuſiō in the vale of the children of Hinnon.
Practice. 2 The ſecond is of Demonſtration for from this vnion as from a fountaine it proceeds that vve are Chriſtians, that vve are the members of Chriſt,1. Cor. 1.30 Eph. 5 30. that the vvhole trinity doth aſſiſt vsus, for one man cannot liue by the ſoule of another, but all of vsus liue by the ſpirit of Chriſt. Hence it is alſo that vve die to ſinne, & liue to righteouſnes, that as flies, & vvormes die in the winter, but reviue in the ſummer, ſo vve die in our ſelues, but liue in Chriſt.
And laſtly hence it is that angells attend, vsus for they attend Chriſt,Heb. 1.14. & ſoe conſequently vsus by reaſon of this myſticall vnion Are not they all (ſayth the apoſtle) miniſtring ſpirits (meaning the angels) ſent forth to miniſter for their ſakes vvhichwhich shalbe heires of ſaluation.
Practice. 3 The third paſſage is of Direction that as vve hauehave this ſacred vnion vvith him ſoe vve should purge our ſelues from all impurities,1. Joh. ….3. eueryevery man that hath this hope in him purgeth himſelfe, euen as he is pure. For vve muſt be conformable to him, & partake of his devine nature. For thoſe vvhichwhich he knevve before,Rom. 8.29 he alſo predeſtinate to be conformable to the image of his ſonne that he might be the firſt borne amonge many brethren.Ioh. 15.4. We muſt be full of good vvorkes I am the vine, & you are the branches, he that abideth in me & I in him, the ſame bringeth forth much fruit, for vvith out me ye can doe nothing. Wee muſt be comforted in our miſeries.Iob. 19.25. For I am ſure (ſaith Job) that my redeemer liueth,Ioh. 17.3. & he shall ſtand the laſt on the earth. We muſt meditate on heauenly things And this is eternall life that they knovve thee & vvhom thou haſt ſent Jeſus Chriſt. And aboue all things vve muſt hauehave vnity amongſt our ſelues keeping the vnity of the ſpirit in the bond of peace.
Practice. 4 The fourth paſſage is of Expoſtulation. Tell me o ye deu…e, & deuine ſoules, o you my maſters, & mortalls, tell me vvhat comfort can it be vntounto you if you cōſider god eſſentially as he is a iudge euē a conſuming fire caſting vponupon vsus fire & brimſtone, as he is the lord of hoſts breaking the rockes, as he is a maſter comming before vve are prepared,Pſal. 11. as he is a king cōming to deſtroy his emmies, & to render vengance to them that hate him vvhat comfort hauehave you I ſay in theſe things. But if vve conſider him perſonally as he is One vvith vsus.Pſal. 31.5. Act. 7.56. 1. Pet. 4.19. Then vvith Dauid vve recommend our our ſoules into his hands. Then vvith Stephen vve ſee heauen open. Then vvith Peter vve committ our ſoules vntounto him as vntounto a faithfull creator.Apoc. 21. And vvith the ſpouſe vve louelove, vve looke, vve long for him, & crie out come lord Ieſus come quickly.
Practice. 5 The fift practice is is of Mediation vvhere in I become an humble ſutor to eueryevery deuoute ſoule as Moſes did to the Iſraelites I ſtād betvveene the lord and you to shevve you the vvord of the lord,1. Cor. 5.20 ſaith he, and as Paule to the Corinthians For ſaith he vve are ambaſſadours of Chriſt: as though god did beſeech you through vsus, vve pray you in Chriſts ſtead, that ye vvould be reconciled to god. As they, ſo I caſt myſelf dovvne at eueryevery mans foote beſeeching him to remember thatMat. 5.18. as Chriſt is one ſoe not one iote of his word shall perish That it is an impoſſibility to ſerue tvvo maſters.Mat. 6.24. It is a hard matter, maſters,Mat. 26.46 & mortalls If vve cannot to find this One pearle ſpare One hovver ſeing he reioyceth more ouer One ſinner that repenteth then ouer ninty,Luc. 15.7. & nine that neede noe repentance. Let therefore all of vsus caſt our ſelues dovvne, as the prodigall ſonne did, & cry to our heauenly father make vsus as one of thy houshould ſeruants, and it ſufficeth for vve are not vvorthy to be called thy ſonnes.
Practice. 6 The laſt is of Motion. Let it never be ſayd of any here I beſeech you as Chriſt ſayd to Iudas one of you shall betray me; & one of you is a diuell,Mat. 26.21. but remember the tyme vvill come that tvvo shalbe in one bed together, & one shalbe receaued, & the other left alone.Iam. 2.19. If you ſay that you beleeue that there is one god, the diuell doth ſoe, & trembleth Hovve farre are you from the faith of deuils? but vnleſſe you beleeue as the doctrine is that god is one vvith you in the vniō of the ſpirit, & moſt one in himſelf in deuine eſſence vvith the father, & ſoly,Apo. 18.10 & vvholy one in his mediation to god for you It vvilbe ſayd of you as of Babell alas their iudgment is come in one houre.1. Cor. 15.51▪ But behold I shevve you a myſtery vve shall not all dye, but vve shalbe changed in a moment for vve liue not in certainty one day, one houre, one minuit. If therefore this one houre be granted vntounto you ſeeke this one in this one houre that you may be one vvith god in him for euer.