Aphorisms of Christian Religion, Chapter 10 – Chapter 11
CHAP. X. Of the perſon and office of Chriſt.
I. APHORISME.
THe knowledge of Chriſt conſiſteth principally in two things, firſt to know what his perſon is, ſecondly what his offices are.
II.
Chriſt, as touching his perſon, in one & the ſelfe ſame, he is both aRom. 9.5. 1. Iohn. 5.20.God & man. For he is the bIohn. 1.14.only begotten ſon of God, which hath created of the ſeede cHeb. 2.16. Kuke. 1.35 42of the dLuk. 1.31.34.35.virgin Mary eHeb. 10.5. Ioh. 1.3.1.10.4.2. Luk. 1.35for him ſelfe, and ſo fHeb. 2.16.aſſumed or taken, and perſonally and vnchangeably knit vntounto himſelfe, the very body of man, gHeb. 10.5. & chap. 2.14.endued with a reaſonable hMat. 26 38 &c. 27 50.ſoule: and ſo without any change in his diuine nature, he was made very man in iHeb. 2.…7.al things like vntounto vsus, ſinne onelyonly kHeb. 4.15.excepted.
III.
This perſonall vnion of two natures in Chriſt, is well demōſtrated by that phraſe or manner of ſpeaking,foreign, which old writers hauehave called a communitie of proprieties. And this communitie is nothing elſe but a Synecdoche, whereby we attribute that which is proper to one nature of Chriſt, to the very perſon, hauing his denomination of the other nature. As where Paule ſaith, a1. Cor. 2.8.They crucified the Lord of glory, bAct. 20.28.and again, God hath purchaſed a Church with his own bloud: & ſo when Chriſt ſpeaketh, cIohn. 3.13.no man hath aſcēded vp to heauen but he which came downe from heauen, the ſonne of man which is in heauen.
IIII.
And ſomtimes we hauehave an expreſſe diſtinction of both natures, as where Chriſt is ſayd, aRom. 1.3. and 4.to be made of the ſeede of Dauid according to the flesh, and declared mightely to be the ſonne of God, touching the ſpirite of ſanctification, by the reſurrection from the dead, and where he is ſayd, to bRom. 9.5.come of the fathers as concerning the flesh. So alſo whē he is ſaid, to be, c1. Pet. 3.18put to death concerning the flesh, but to be quickned in the ſpirite. And ſometimes this diſtinction is left to be vnderſtood by conference of ſuch places.
V.
Againe, Chriſt muſt be ſuch a perſon as is fit to take vponupon him the office of a a1. Tim. 2.5 Heb. 8.6.mediator: And ſuch was none, but the ſonne of God incarnate: for that he is allied to both the parts which were to be reconciled, and therefore louing both, and beloued of both. Againe, he muſt ſo performe the office of a mediator betweene God & vsus, that by his bHeb. 9.15.death, he reconcile vsus vntounto God: and this death being God only he could not hauehave ſuffred, and being man only he could not hauehave ouercome. Againe, he muſt be very God, that the propitiatorie ſacrifice (which was his bloud ſhed for the elect) might be a ranſome & cAct. 20.28. 1. Iohn. 1.7.ſufficient price for our ſinnes: againe he muſt be very man to dRom. 5.12 &c.ſatisfie the iuſtice of God: againe a perſon ſanctified of God, that he might be a holy eHeb. 7.26.Prieſt, and a holy f1. Pet. 1.19ſacrificer. Againe he muſt be very God, that (after he had by the merite of his Prieſthood reconciled them vntounto God, and obtained the holy Ghoſt for them) he might alſo him ſelfe giuegive them the ſame holy ſpirite, to worke faith in them, to receiue him, and his merites.
VI.
The office of Chriſt is three fold: for he is ordained of God to be our Prophet, Prieſt and King.
VII.
He executed his Propheticall aDeut. 18.18 Act. 3.22. & chap 7.37.functiō, or office of a teacher when he was conuerſant on earth, in bMath 4.17 Eſa. 61.1. Luke 4.21.preaching the Goſpell, & reuealing cIohn. 1.18.vntounto vsus the ſecret coū ſell of God, concerning the great worke of our ſaluation by him.
VIII.
He exerciſed the office of his Prieſthood, partly whē he was on earth, & partly doth ſtill exerciſe the ſame in heauen. Whē he was on earth, he firſt offred prayers aIohn 17. Heb. 5.7.to his father for vsus, next his bHeb 7.27.owne body vponupon the croſſe, and did expiate our ſinnes cHeb. 9.25 &c. 10.14.with that his ſacrifice. In heauen dHeb. 9.24.he appeareth before the face of the heauenly father with his ſacrifice, once offred on earth, without eHeb. 10.12intermiſſion praying for vsus, that the reconciliation we hauehave obtained, may be as freſh in memory, and neuer be loſt.
IX.
The kingdom of Chriſt beginneth in this life, and is called the kingdome of grace, and it ſhalbe perfected in the life to come, which is called the kingdome of glorie. The kingdome of grace is that ſpirituall kingdome aIoh. 18.37.wherin Chriſt ruleth the harts of his elect by his word and ſpirite. And this kingdome he adminiſtred in the old Teſtament vntounto his elect, by Prieſtes and Prophets, & in the beginning of the new Teſtament by Iohn Baptiſt, and himſelfe with his Diſciples: But at the laſt he ſolemnely begā to erect the ſame in the day ofbAct. 2. Pentecoſt, whē he ſent the holy Ghoſt to his holy Apoſtles, that they might go preach the Goſpell to all nations. So then he hath euer continued his kingdome on earth, & ſhall continue it vntill he returne to iudgemēt, at which time he ſhalbe ruler in the cPſal. 110.2.middeſt of his enemies: whom he plagueth now and then, and deſtroieth, the laſt he caſt them downe, & make them his dIbid. 1.footeſtoole in his moſt glorious e2. Theſ. 2.8cō ming, at which he ſhall free all his faithfull members from all their afflictions, & cary them with him f1. Theſſ. 4.17.to heauen, and make them partakers for euer of his heauenly kingdome, which then ſhalbe the kingdome of glorie, when all the Saints ſhalbe tranſlated to heauen, beautified and adorned in their ſoules with wiſedome and holineſſe, in their bodies with great excellency and immortality, to be with Chriſt, in inſpeakable ioyes and glorie for euer and euer.
CHAP. XI. Of Faith.
I. APHORISME.
NOw for that we are made partakers of Chriſtes benefites, which we receiue by his death, as the remiſſion of ſins and life euerlaſting by aRom. 3 25 Act. 10.43.faith, it ſhalbe expedient alſo that we learne what this faith is, how it breedeth, who receiue this grace, and what proper markes it hath.
II.
This faith then, is a ſure & firme aIohn. 17.3. Rom. 8.38. 1. Iohn. 3.2.knowledge of the grace of God, purchaſed for vsus by the merites of Chriſts death, and teſtified by the word of promiſe: whereby eueryevery beleeuer doth apply that promiſe of grace vntounto himſelfe bGal. 2.particularly: aſſuring him ſelfe that the ſame doth no leſſe appertaine vntounto himſelfe then vntounto the reſt of the faithfull.
III.
The holy cMat. 16.17 Iohn. 3.5.6.8 Ephe. 2.8. Iohn. 6.45. Act. 16.14.Ghoſt aIohn. 3.3.5.6.7.8. 1. Cor. 4.15. Philem v. 10. 1. Pet. 1.23.worketh this faith in the harts of his bIohn. 6.37. & chap. 8 47. & chap. 10.26. Act. 13.48. Tit. 1.1. 2. Theſſ. 3.2.elect which are of yeares by the dRom. 1.16. & chap. 10.17. 1. Cor. 3.5. 1. Pet. 1. & 25.preaching of the Goſpell.
IIII.
From this faith ariſeth that holy aEphe. 3.12affiance and truſt in God whereby the beleeuer reſteth himſelfe comfortably in the fatherly bPſal. 32.fauour & grace of God purchaſed for him by the death of Chriſt, conſidering both the truth cHeb. 11.11.& dRom. 4.21 Heb. 11.19.power of God: from this affiance do ſtreame forth al our ſpirituall eIohn. 8.56. Rom. 14.17. Iohn. 5.25. &c. 6.57. & 63.ioyes and comforts, and all our ſpirituall life, according as by it we taſt of fPſal 30.6. item 31.17. item 36.10. itē 80.48.20.the great grace and fauour of God.
V.
Againe, from this faith ariſeth, and proceedeth the aſſured hope aRom. 5.5. Rom. 8.23.24 25.of euerlaſting life, or of the celeſtiall glorie, which we ſhall hauehave with our Lord Chriſt in his kingdome.
VI.
Againe, from this fountaine ſprings the holy aRo. 10.14. Rom. 8.15.inuocation of God, our moſt faithfull and bountifull Father, and our moſt mightie Lord and God.
VII.
Faith alſo cauſeth vsus to make a true aRom. 10.9 & 10. 2. Cot. 4.13.profeſſion: and confeſſe with the mouth to the glorie of God, that which we beleeue with the heart.
VIII.
To be ſhort, hence proceedeth the a1. Ioh. 3.3. Gal. 5.6.true louelove and reuerend feare of Gods children, which cauſeth them with all indeuour to pleaſe, and carefully to auoyde what may offend and diſpleaſe his holy ſpirit.
IX.
The grace of aRom 8.38. and 39. Iohn. 10.28. Rom. 11.28. Luc. 22.32. 1. Pet 15 & 23. 1. Ioh 2 19, 2. Tim. 2.19. Pſ. 1.3. Eſ 42. 3. Ier. 32 40. Oſ 2.19. & 20.perſeuerance is an inſeparable companion of faith: for faith neuer dieth, albeit ſometimes it be, as it were bMark 9.24. Pſalm 73.ouerturned, and as buried with the tempeſtes of temptation.