fervants are called the fufferings of Chrift. Colloff. 1. 24. and fill up that which is behinde of the afflictions of CHIST, they are the afflictions of Chrift, and every one must make account to fill them up; not the fatisfactory fufferings of Christ, but the fufferings of Chrift in his myftical body, in his members And fo every member is to fill up a share in his fufferings. And fo Ifa. 63. 9. In all their afflictions he was afflicted: The fufferings and troubles of Gods people are the fufferings and troubles of Christ, he is fenfible of them; and therefore in Acts 9.4. Chrift cryes out, Saul,Saul,why perfecuteft thou me? Further, compare two places together in one, Pfal.79. ver.4,12.at the 4.verfe, fays the Text,We are become areproach to our neighbors; a fcorn and derifion to thofe that are round about us: And at the twelfth verfe it is, Render unto our neighbors fevenfold into their bofom,their reproach wherewith they have reproached thee, O Lord: He goes on in the fame argument, and firft he calls them the reproach of the Church, and then the reproach of God.

But is it faid here the reproach of Chrift? It may be asked, Why not the reproach of God the Father, or the reproach of the Holy Ghoft?

The reproaches of Gods people are the reproaches of Chrift in a fpecial maner, because Chrift is the head of the Church, and it is from the fulness of Chrift, that they have that grace conveyed which is reproached; and the union they have with God, and with the Spirit, is by Chrift; and therefore it is the reproach of Chrift here named, according to the feveral workings of the Father, and Son, and Holy Ghost: fo the three perfons are reproached by Dd 3

mans

Cap.34.

Cap.33. mans fin: There is a reproach unto God as God, and unto Chrift as Chrift, and unto the Spirit as the Spirit.

There is a reproach unto God as he is Creator, the preferver of the world, and governor of all things: When the work of God, the first Perfon of the Trinity, is reproached, then he is reproached, Prov.14. 31. He that oppreffeth the poor, reproacheth his maker: It is a work of the Father to order things fo, as to make one poor, and one rich: And you take an advantage to mock at the poor upon this difference which God hath made in the world, when as you fhould honor the work of God in making any difference detween you and others: but in ftead of honoring of it, you caft an afperfion upon his work, and defpife others, because God hath put them in a low condition, you reproach your Creator in this. And when the work of Redemption is despised, when that is opposed, and when the profeffion of the Gospel hath dishonor put upon it, then Chrift is reproached: Heb.6.6. the Apostle fays, Those that fall off after they have tafted of the heavenly gift, and the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come, they put the Son of God to an open fhame. And when enlightning, and drawing,and the quickening and comforting work of the Spirit is reproached and vilified, then the Spirit is reproached, Heb. 10. 29. They defpite to the Spirit of grace: So that you fee both Father, Son and Holy Ghost, all three are reproached by mans fin; not that the fin of man is able to caft the leaft ftain upon the glory of the blessed God, or make God to be lefs glorious, no more then a little duft caft up into the air can darken the bright

nefs

nefs of the Sun fhining in its ftrength; but it Cap.33. keeps the glory of God from shining upon others, and upon himself, fo as he and others fhall not fee it, and admire it, and adore it as they ought.

If you ask why the reproaches of Gods people are object. called the reproaches of Chrift?

I answer, Firft, as Chryfoftome, because they do Anfw. fuffer the fame things that Chrift fuffers, you shall finde the reproaches of Gods people, and the reproaches of Chrift are just alike one another. In Pfal. 42.6,7,8. there are three things upon which Chrift feems to be reproached, and they are the three fpecial things upon which Chriftians are reproached: As first the outward means of Chrift in the world, I am a worm and no man, fo the outward, mean and low condition of Gods people fubjects them to reproach. Secondly, Chrift bore the world Why the in hand that he trufted in God, and depended upon pros God, and no outward help, and therefore they faid, people are Let us fee whether he will deliver him, being be truft-called the ed in him; fo the men of the world fcorn at Gods Reproaches people, because they speak fo much of God, and trufting in God. Thirdly, they reproached him, becaufe he faid, God delighted in him; fo because the Saints of God do profefs their relations to God, and do expect an efpecial love of God, therefore the world reproaches them.

Secondly, it is the reproach of Chrift, in regard of the near relation, and close union that is between Chrift and his people: As the reproach of the Wife is the reproach of the Husband, and the reproach of the Husband is the reproach of the Wife, Dd4

be

of Chrift.

2.

Cap.34. because of their union, and therefore in 1 Cor. II. the Apostle calls the woman, the glory of the man: Either in regard that the man may glory in her if the be godly and good, or elfe because the woman does. honor the man, the Wife is to honor her Husband, and to give glory to him; as the people of God are called The glory of God, partly becaufe God does glory in them, and partly because they do give glory to God: fo the woman fhould be fuch a one as the man may glory in her, and fuch a one as may give glory to her husband: Now the Church is the glory of Christ, as the wife is the glory of the man; and therefore it is faid in 2 Cor.8.23.fpeaking of Titus and others which were meffengers of the Church, he fays, they are the glory of Chrift, then certainly their reproaches muft be the reproaches of Chrift.

Nay,there is a nearer union then this,for this is onely by covenant, but there is a union between the head and the members, that is a nearer union; the Church is not onely flesh of Chrifts flesh, and bone of Chrifts bone, but it is the flesh of Chrift, and the bone of Chrift, it is the very fulness of the body of Christ, Eph. 1.23. it is a high expreffion: Yea, and befides this, the Church is called Chrift, mystical Christ: 1 Cor.12.12. For as the body is one, and hath many members,& all the members of that one body being many, are one body, fo alfo is Chrift; that is, The Church having many members, ought to be joyned in union as the body;yea,there is yet anearer union between Christ and his people, the in-being is mutual, Chrift is in them, and they are in Chrift, Fohn 14.20.You in me, and in you The arm is in the body, but the body is not in the arm; the branch is in the vine,

but

but the vine is not in the branch, but here as the Cap. 34. Saints are in Chrift, fo Christ is in them: and in regard of this near union between them, their reproaches may well be esteemed the reproaches of Chrift.

Thirdly, because they are reproached for the fake of Chrift: if a dog be abused for the fake of his mafter, it is the abuse of his master: much more when Gods own people are abused for the fake of Chrift; and therefore we finde that this hath been the plea of Gods people, for thy fake have we been killed all the day long; it was for Chrifts fake rather then any evil in themselves. And therefore though they be reproached for their fins, it may come to be the reproach of Chrift, namely thus, When as men hall take advantage the rather against them, because they are profeffors of Religion; and were it not for this reafon, they might juftly reproach them; yet when as they put in this reafon, They could bear well enough with the fin, were it not they were profelfors of Religion, then the reproaches that they juftly might fuffer for their fins, do come to be the reproaches of Chrift. And further, when in these they will take advantage to reproach the fhews of Religion, which in others they cannot bear well enough, as when one that is a Profeffor expreffes devotion in lifting up his eyes, or his hands to Heaven, they will reproach him for making thews of Religion, and prefently they are Hypocrites: and yet there are others can make mighty thews, and they are commended.

Again, they are the reproaches of Chrift, becaufe they are reproached in the work of Chrift:

As

3.

4.