The Communion of Saints, Chapter 4 – Chapter 5
CHAPT. IIII.
VVho be the Saints of this Communion.
THat we may the better discern the Com̄uniō of Saints, wherof we treat; let vsus first consider who the persons be, that hav fellowship togither. The Head & highest in this holy societie is the Lord our God; who is not onelyonly Most holy in himself, but cōmunicateth his holynes wth vsus his creatures: & doth vouchsafe to hav fellowship with vsus even in this life & world, as it is written, †1 Iohn. 1. 6. 7If we say that we have communion with him, & walk in darknes, we lye & do not the truth: but if we walk in the light as he is in the light; we hav cōmunion one with an other, (that is God with vsus, and we with him:) and the blood of Iesus Christ his son, clenseth vsus from all syn. For this cause he is often called in the scripture, the ”Isa. 5. 19. 24 Psal. 71. 22. & 78. 41. & 89. 18.Sainct or Holy-one of Israel; and the †Rev. 15. 3.King of the Saincts. This is to be vnderstood of al three persons in the vnitie of the Godhead; the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, of whom it is writtē ‖The mysterie of the Holy trinity Ioshu. 24. 19. andHe (is) holy Gods; & accordingly his people ar named, the *Dan. 8. 24. in the Hebrue.people of the Holy ones.
2. Iesus Christ, as he is God manifested in the flesh, is the ‡Mark. 1. 24Sainct of God, the †Rev. 3. 7.Holy one and the True, even the ‖Isa. 54. 5.holy one of Israel; being himself ful of the *Luk. 4. 1.Holie ghost, and therwith ‡Mat. 3. 11. Act. 1. 5.baptiseth his church wherof he is the mediator. And was figured out by the High priest in the law, who in type of him was also caled the †Psal. 106. 16Sainct of the Lord, and caried this writing graven in gold vponupon his forehead, ‖Exod. 28. 36Holines to Iehovah. With this Iesus our redemer, we that beleev, hav a very neer communion; according to that which is written, *Heb. 2. 11.He that Sanctifieth (which is Christ) and they that are sanctified (which are his people) are al of one, for which cause he is not ashamed to call them brethren. And again, †1 Cor. 1. 9.God is faithful, by whom ye are caled vntounto the communion of his Son Iesus Christ our Lord.
3. The elect and blessed Angels, are also ‖Deut. 33. 2. …ith Act. 7. 53. Iude. ver. 14.Saincts; having sanctitie by creation, continewed and confirmed vntounto them for ever. These heavenly spirits have communion not onelyonly with God, in whose presence they stand; but also with vsus the children of God through fayth; by which we are come vntounto the *Heb. 12. 22.great assemblie of the many thowsands of them, have them for our ‡Psal. 34. 7. & 91. 11. 12.guardians, and acknowledging themselves to be our ”Rev. 22. 9.fellow servants.
4. Al men and women, caled to the faith of God, ar †Deut. 33. 3. 1 Cor. 1. 2.Saincts by caling; being sanctified by Christ Iesus, and one with an other are ‖Heb. 3. 1.holy brethren. Of these some are *Mat. 27. 52.Saincts departed this life, and sleeping in the Lord: othersome ar on earth, & whiles they here live (notwithstanding their many infirmities & afflictions) ar ‡Psal. 16. 3. Dan. 7. 18. 21. 22. 25. Rom. 1. 7.Saincts of the most High; a †1 Pet. 2. 9.holie nation
5. This happy societie. our fathers of old saw shadowed in the Tabernacle, wher God ‖Psal. 78. 60.dwelt among mē. His own gracious presence appeared, when his *Exo 40. 34.glorie filled the Tabernacle, & his voice was heard of Moses ‡Lev. 1. 1.out of the same; and the †Psal. 132. 8.Ark of his strength was a continuall signe of his residence and rest therin. His son Christ was represented by the ‖Exo. 25. 17.MercieMercy-seat or Propitiatorie covering the Ark, in whom and by whom God is reconciled with his people, who therfore is caled the *hilactério…. Rom. 3. 25.Propititiatory or Reconciliation; from that was the ‡Nom. 7. 89.voyce of God duplicate page duplicate page heard speaking, even as by Christ ”Heb. 1. 2.he speaketh to the end. The Angels were figured in the Cherubims vponupon the †Exod. 25. 18 & 26. 1. &c.merciemercy-seat, and in the courtaines of the tent round about, for so those blessed Spirits* Heb. 1. 6. 14. 'minister vntounto Christ and to his church the heyrs of his salvation. The multitude of beleevers were resembled in the ‡Lev. 24. 5. 6.twelve cakes (according to the number of the twelve tribes of Israel,) set vponupon the pure table before the Lord, with ”vers. 7.pure incense vponupon them, to be for a remembrance & offring by fyre to the Lord in steed of them. So we Christians are †1 Cor. 5. 7. foreignvnlevened cakes, standing before the Lord in his church, and being in Christ a sweet odour vntounto him, who still hath his spirituall †Rev. 21. 3.Tabernacle with men, and dwelleth with them.
CHAP. V.
HOlynes or Sanctitie vvhat it is.
THe Scripture caleth that thing or person holie, which is separated from profanenes & pollution, and is addicted or applied to divine vse or service of God. Thus the Sabbath day was hallowed, when God had severed it from commune labour and humane employments, to be spent in heavenly exercises and meditations, wherevpon it is named †Exod. 35. 2. & 16. 23.the holy Sabbath of rest to the Lord: The like is to minded for all ‖Levit 23. 2. 3. 4. 21. 24. 27. 35. 36. 37other feast dayes appoynted of God for holy convocations. The firstborn of man and beast *Exod. 13. 2. Deut. 15. 19. Num. 3. 13. 41. & 8. 17. 18.were sanctified to the Lord, by being exempted from mans vse; dedicated to God, and imployed in his service. Hence was it, that all strange or vnclean persons were forbidden to ‡Exod. 29. 33 Lev. 22. 3 4. 5. 6. 9. 10.eat, yea or to touch the holie things. And when the Israelites were sanctified ceremonially, it was ”Exod. 19. 14 15. 22by washing their garments, absteyning from their wives, thus preparing their bodies and minds to converse with God. And in the whole course of their life, this was their sanctification and signes thereof, to absteyn from all syn and vncleannes, as also from communion with the sinners and vnclean: and to give themselves to the service of God & keeping of his lawes.
2. This is to be seen in many particulars. As, the calling and †Lev. 20. 26.separating of Israel from other people that they might be holy vntounto God. The shadow herof; namely abstinence from eating vnclean meats (which figured ”Act. 10. 12. 13. 17. 20. 28 &c.their refreyning from the fellowship of wicked men,) for a signe and testimony of their *Lovit. 11. 44 45. Exod. 22. 31. Deut. 14. 21.sanctification & holines with the Lord. To Moloch they might not offer their childrē, for that was to ‡Lev. 20. 3.defile Gods sanctuarie and pollute his holy name; nor †vrs. 6. 7.turne after sooth-sayers, for the same cause. All moniments of idolatrie they were to destroy, ‖Deut. 7. 5. 6.because they were a holy people to the Lord their God. Idolatrous rites and customes they were to refreyn, *Deut. 14. 1. 2.for the same cause. Even their bodily excrements were to be covered, ‡Deut. 23. 13 14.that their host might be holy before the Lord. And being thus clensed from evill, they wer willed to remember, and do al his commandements, †Num. 15. 40and so be holy vntounto their God.
3. The new testament also teacheth this same, whiles it opposeth † 1. Cor. 6. 9. 10. 11. 1. Thes 4. 7.sanctitie vntounto all manner syn and vncleannes; and exhorteth vsus to *2. Cor. 7. 1.clense our selves from al filthines of the flesh and spirit, and so grow vp vntounto ful holines in the fear of God: that being sanctified †1 Thes. 5. 23throughout, we may by good works give all our members ‖Rom. 6. 19.servants vntounto righteousnes in holines.