Of Domestical Duties, Treatise 1 · Section 27 – Section 32
§. 27. Of the example of Chriſts louelove.
The note of compariſon (*foreign. Euen as) requireth no equality, as if it were poſſible for an Husband in that meaſure to louelove his wife, as Chriſt loued his Church; (for as Chriſt in excellency and greatneſſe exceedeth man, ſo in louelove and tenderneſſe) But it noteth an equity, and like quality.
An equitie, becauſe there is as great reaſon that Husbands by vertue of their place ſhould louelove their Wiues, as that Chriſt by vertue of his place ſhould louelove the Church.
A like quality, becauſe the louelove which Chriſt beareth to the Church is eueryevery way without exception: and a louelove which turneth to the good and benefit of the Church. Hence note two points.
1. Husbands muſt come as neare as they can to Chriſt in louing their wiues. In which reſpect, becauſe they can neuer louelove ſo much as Chriſt did, they muſt neuer thinke they hauehave loued enough.
2. Though their louelove in meaſure cannot equall Chriſts louelove, yet in the manner thereof it muſt be like Chriſts, a preuenting, true, free, pure, exceeding, conſtant louelove.
The meaſure and manner of Chriſts louelove is diſtinctly noted, Treat. 4. §. 61. &c. and the louelove which an husband oweth his wife paralleld & applied therto, which application may be alſo made of that Chriſtian mutuall louelove which we owe one to another.
The louelove of Chriſt to the Church is amplified,
1. By an Effect thereof, in theſe words, He gaue himſelfe for it.
2. By the End of that effect, largely ſet downe, verſe 26, 27.
| The effect is noted partly as a | Confirmation of the truth | of Chriſts louelove. |
| Declaration of the meaſure |
The Act (he gaue) ſheweth that his louelove was in deed and truth: not only in ſhew and pretence.
The Object (himſelfe) ſheweth that he loued his Church more then his owne life. A greater euidence of louelove could not be giuen: for greater louelove hath no man then this, that a man Iohn 15. 13.lay downe his life for his friend.
The end of Chriſts louelove (ſet forth verſ. 26, 27.) is noted to ſhew that he ſo loued his Church for her good and happineſſe, rather then for any aduantage to himſelfe.
As this example of Chriſts louelove to his Church is ſet before husbands: ſo it may and ought alſo to be applied to all Chriſtians: and that in a double reſpect.
1. As a motiue to ſtirre them vp to louelove both Chriſt himſelfe, and alſo their brethren.
2. As a patterne to teach them how to louelove.
A motiue it is to louelove Chriſt, becauſe louelove deſerueth louelove: eſpecially ſuch a louelove, of ſuch a perſon as the louelove of Chriſt is. Yea, our louelove of Chriſt is an euidence that we are loued of Chriſt, as ſmoake is a ſigne of fire. Wherefore both in thankfulneſſe to Chriſt, for his louelove to vsus, and for aſſurance to our owne ſoules of Chriſts louelove to vsus, we ought in all things that we can to teſtifie our louelove to Chriſt.
A motiue it is alſo to louelove our brethren, becauſe Chriſt being in heauen, our bPſal. 16. 2.goodneſſe extendeth not to him: but our brethren on earth ſtand in his ſtead, and the louelove we ſhew to them, we ſhew to him; and he accepteth it as done to him: cMatth. 25. 35, 40.Ye fed me, yee viſited me, ſaith Chriſt to them that fed and viſited his brethren. This louelove alſo, euen the d1 Joh. 4. 20.louelove of our brethren, is an euidence that we are loued of God. Wherefore e& verſ. 11.if Chriſt ſo loued vsus, we ought alſo to louelove one another.
How the louelove of Chriſt is a patterne, I will *Treat 4 §. 61. &c.afterwards ſhew.
§. 28. Of Chriſts giuing himſelfe.
EPHES. 5. 25.
And gaue himſelfe for it.
THis fruit and effect of Chriſts louelove extendeth it ſelfe to all Chriſt himſelfe, and all that he did and ſuffered, are ours.the things that Chriſt did or ſuffered for our redemption: as, that he deſcended from heauen, tooke vponupon him our nature, and became a man; that he ſubiected himſelfe to the law, and perfectly fulfilled it; that he made himſelfe ſubiect to many temptations of the deuill and his inſtruments; that he tooke vponupon him our infirmities; that he became a King to gouerne vsus, a Prophet to inſtruct vsus, a Prieſt to make an attonement for vsus: that he ſubiected himſelfe to death, the curſed death of the croſſe, and ſo made himſelfe an oblation & ſacrifice for our ſins; that he was buried; that he roſe againe; that he aſcended into heauen, and there ſitteth at Gods right hand to make interceſſion for vsus. For after that Chriſt had taken vponupon him to be our head and Sauiour, he wholly ſet himſelfe apart for our vſe, and our benefit: ſo as his perſon, his offices, his actions, his ſufferings, his humiliation, his exaltation, the dignitie, the puritie, the efficacie of all is the Churches, and to her good doe they all tend. This in generall is the extent of this fruit of Chriſts louelove, he gaue himſelfe for it.
More particularly, we may note theſe three points:
1. The action, what he did, (he gaue.)
2. The obiect, what he gaue, (himſelfe.)
3. The end, why he gaue himſelfe, (for it) for the Churches good.
The action hauing relation to the obiect, moſt eſpecially pointeth at the death of Chriſt. The *foreign.Greeke word is a compound word, and ſignifieth to giuegive vp. It implieth two things,
1. That Chriſt willingly died: the ſimple word (gaue) intimateth ſo much.
2. That his death was an oblation: that is, a price of redemption, or a ſatisfaction: the compound word (gaue vp) intimateth ſo much.
§. 29. Of the willingneſſe of Chriſt to die.
That Chriſt willingly died is euident by the circumſtances noted about his death: when Peter counſelled him to ſpare himſelfe, and not to goe to Ieruſalem (where he was to be put to death) bMat. 16. 32, 23he called him Satan, and ſaid, he was an offence to him: when Iudas went out to betray him, cIohn 13. 27.he ſaid vntounto him, That thou doeſt, doe quickly: d& 18. 2. &c. Audiui, Domine, auditum tuū et expani, dum quaeris à quaerentibus quid quaerant, cùm noueris quod te quaerant: & dixiſti te eſſe leſum Nazarenū. Cypr. de Paſſ. Chriſti.When Iudas was gone out to get companie to apprehend him, he went to the place where he was wont, ſo as Iudas might readily finde him; yea, he met them in the mid-way that came to take him; and he asked them whom they ſought, though he knew whom they ſought: and when they ſaid, Ieſus of Nazaret, he anſwered, I am he: When they came to him, he droue them all backward with a word of his mouth, and yet would not eſcape from them: eMatth. 26. 53.He could hauehave praied to the Father to hauehave had more then twelue legions of Angels for his ſafeguard againſt thoſe that apprehended him, but would not: f& 27. 42.when by his aduerſaries he was prouoked to hauehave come downe from the Croſſe, and could hauehave done ſo, he would not. aMark. 15. 39.At the inſtant of giuing vp the ghoſt, he cried with a loud voice: which ſheweth that his life was not then ſpent, he might hauehave retained it longer if he would: and thereupon the Centurion gathered that he was the Sonne of God. hIohn 2. 19. Matth. 28. 6.When he was actually dead, and laid in a graue, he roſe againe. Theſe & other like circumſtances verifie that which Chriſt ſaid of himſelfe, iIohn 10. 18. Indicia dedit nullaſe neceſſita e, ſed obedientia vrgeri ad mortem. Cypr. de coen. Dom. Reaſon.No man taketh my life from me, but I lay it downe of my ſelfe. It was therefore no neceſſitie that compelled him to die, but his voluntarie obedience.
Chriſt is kActs 3. 15. foreign.the Lord, Prince and Author of life, and hath an abſolute power as ouer the life of others, ſo ouer his owne life.
Thus then we ſee that his ſacrifice was a voluntarie and free gift: the cauſe thereof was his owne will and good pleaſure.
Exceedingly doth this commend the louelove of Chriſt: and aſſureth vsus that it is the more acceptable to God, who loueth a cheerefull giuer.1. Vſe.
Let vsus in imitation of our head, doe the things whereunto 2 Cor. 9. 7.we are called willingly and cheerefully, though they ſeeme neuer 2. Vſe.ſo diſgracefull to the world, or grieuous to our weake fleſh.
§. 30. Of the kinde of Chriſts death, an oblation.
That Chriſts death was an oblation, and a price of redemption, is euident by the death of thoſe beaſts which were offered vp for a ſacrifice, and therein were a type of Chriſts death. But expreſly is this noted by this Apoſtle, where he ſaith, lEpheſ. 5. 2.Chriſt hath giuen himſelfe for vsus, an offering and ſacrifice to God for a ſweet ſmelling ſauour: and againe, m1 Tim. 2. 6.Chriſt gaue himſelfe a ranſome. The phraſes of n1 Pet. 1. 18, 19redeeming, oActs 20. 28.purchaeſing, p2 Pet. 2. 1.buying, with the like, attributed to Chriſt and his bloud, doe further confirme the ſame.
Learne hereby to conſider Chriſts death, not as the death of Vſe.a priuate man, but of a publike perſon, of a ſuertie, of a pledge, that in our roome and ſtead q2 Cor. 5. 21.was made ſinne, and rGal. 3. 13.was made a curſe to redeeme vsus from our ſinnes, and from the curſe which by ſinne was fallen vponupon vsus. The comfort and benefit of Chriſts death is loſt, if this be not knowne and beleeued. In this conſiſteth a maine difference betwixt the death of Chriſt, and all other men, not the moſt righteous Martyrs excepted. Their death was but a dutie, and debt: no ſatisfactory oblation, no price, no ranſome, as Chriſts was.
§. 31. Of the infinite valew of the prince of our redemption.
The Obiect, or thing which Chriſt gaue for a ranſome was himſelfe, not his body alone, nor his body and ſoule only, but his perſon conſiſting of his two natures, humane, and diuine.
Queſt. How could his diuine nature be giuen vp? could it How the perſon of Chriſt being Godman, was giuen for vsus.ſuffer? could it die?
Anſw. 1. The Deitie ſimply conſidered in and by it ſelfe, could not die: but that perſon which was God, both could and did die. For the Sonne of God aſſuming an humane nature into the vnity of his diuine nature, and vniting them together *foreign. Symbol. Calced.without confuſion, alteration, diſtraction, ſeparation, in one perſon, that which is done by one nature is done by the perſon, and in that reſpect the Scripture oft attributeth it to the other nature: as where it is ſaid, s1 Cor. 2. 8.They crucified the Lord of glorie: and tAct. 20. 28.God purchaſed the Churchwith his owne bloud.
2. Though the diuine nature of Chriſt ſuffered not, yet did it ſupport the humane nature, and adde dignity, worth and efficacie to the ſufferings of that nature.
3. Chriſts diuine nature had proper and peculiar workes in the worke of redemption, as to ſanctifie his humane nature, to take away our ſinnes, to reconcile vsus to God, and the like.
Thus then in three reſpects the whole perſon of Chriſt was giuen vntounto vsus.
1. In regard of the inſeparable vnion of both natures.
2. In regard of the aſſiſtance of the Deity in thoſe things which the humane nature of Chriſt did.
3. In regard of ſome proper actions appertaining to the Deity.Doctr.
In that the perſon of Chriſt God-Man was giuen vp, I gather that1 Pet. 1. 19. Vſes.
The price of our Redemption is of infinite value. Nor Chriſt, Quanta ſe fiducia ſpes credentium consolatur conſiderans quantus quanta pro nondum credentibus paſſus ſit? Aug. de Doctr. Chr. l. 1. c. 15.nor God himſelfe could giuegive a greater. Heauen and earth and all things in them are not of like worth. Well therefore might Saint Peter call it pretious bloud: and prefer it before ſiluer, gold, and all other things of price.
1. What place can be left for deſpaire in thoſe that know and beleeue the worth of this ranſome?
2. What can be held too deare for him, that notwithſtanding the infinite excellency of his perſon gaue himſelfe for vsus? can goods, can friends, can children, can liberty, can life, can any thing elſe?
3. What iuſt cauſe hauehave we to giuegive vp our ſelues a liuing ſacrifice, Rom. 12. 1.holy and acceptable to him that gaue himſelfe for vsus?
4. How vngratefull, how vnworthy of Chriſt are they, that for his ſake will not forſake their vnſtable honours, fading wealth, vaine pleaſures, gariſh attire, and ſuch like traſh?
§. 32. Of Chriſts ſeeking the good of the Church.
The End why Chriſt gaue himſelfe was, for the Church: ſo Doctr.as Chriſt in his death aimed at our good. b2 Cor. 5. 21.He was made ſinne for vsus, that we might be made the righteouſneſſe of God in him: cGal. 3. 13.he was made a curſe for vsus, and hath redeemed vsus from the curſe of the Law: dGal. 1. 4.he gaue himſelfe for our ſinnes, that he might deliuer vsus: eIoh. 10. 15.he laid downe his life for the ſheepe.
This proues Chriſts giuing of himſelfe to be a fruit of his louelove: for f1. Cor. 13. 5. 1. Vſe.LoueLove ſeeketh not her owne.
Learne we hereby to apply all that Chriſt did to our ſelues. If for vsus he gaue himſelf, he, and *See §. 28. 2. Vſe.all appertaining to him is ours.
Learne we alſo hereby how to manifeſt louelove: namely by ſeeking, and procuring the good of others. Let no man ſeeke his 1 Cor. 10. 24.owne, but eueryevery man anothers wealth. If this were practiſed, would there be ſuch oppreſſing, ſuch vndermining, ſuch deceiuing, ſuch wronging of one another as there is? Too truly is the Apoſtles complaint verified in our daies, All ſeeke their Phil. 2. 21.owne. But let that minde be in vsus which was in Chriſt Ieſus, and thus manifeſt our louelove, as we deſire to partake of this fruit of Chriſts louelove.
From hence by iuſt conſequence it followeth that Chriſt merited Chriſt merited not for himſelfe.not for himſelfe. Was there any need that Chriſt ſhould come downe from heauen on earth, to purchaſe any thing for himſelfe? When he was going out of the world, thus he praied, Now, O Father, glorifie thou me with the glorie which I had Ioh. 17. 5.with thee before the world was. Did Chriſt by any thing which he did on earth merit that glorie which he had before the world was? All the exaltation whereunto he was aduanced euen in his human nature, was due to the dignity of his perſon.
1. Obiect. He endured the croſſe, for the ioy which was ſet Heb. 12. 2.before him.
Anſw. He vſed that ioy which of right was due to him as an helpe to ſupport him in the weakneſſe of his humane nature, not as a recompence which he ſhould deſerue.
2. Obiect. He became obedient to the death of the Croſſe, Phil. 2. 9. foreign.WHEREFORE God alſo hath highly exalted him.
Anſw. That particle (wherefore) doth not declare the cauſe, but the order of his exaltation: nothing a conſequence that followed after his death. After he had humbled himſelfe ſo low, he was moſt highly aduanced.
3. Obiect. Chriſt being man was bound to the Law: and therefore for himſelfe he ought to fulfill it.
Anſw. If he had beene meere man, that were true. But he vniting his humane nature vntounto his diuine, and making of both one perſon, which perſon was God as well as man, he was bound to nothing further then it pleaſed him voluntarily to ſubiect himſelfe vntounto for our ſakes.
2. If Chriſt were bound to the Law, of dutie he muſt hauehave fulfilled it: and if of dutie he was to fulfill it, how could he thereby merit ſo high a degree of honour as he is aduanced vntounto?
This conceit of Chriſts meriting for himſelfe, doth much extenuate the glorie of Chriſts grace and goodneſſe in giuing himſelfe.