Fou7'thly, To maintain and defend his people in the exercise of these things, to preserve the verity of doctrine and purity of worship. Alas ! many times, where neither worship nor government is corrupted, yet the church may be in danger to be dissipated by the violence of persecutions. Now, therefore, it is a part of Christ's office, as head of the church, to maintain verity of doctrine, purity of worship, and a lawful order of government, for all which he hath plenty of spirit. The papists think this cannot be without some universal visible head to supply Christ's office in his absence ; and so are like the Israelites : Exod. xxxi. 1 , ' Make us gods that shall go before us.' They would have a visible head that should supply Christ's room in his absence — an external, infallible head. But that is a vain conceit ; for since the pope hath his residence in Eome, and cannot perform these functions but by the intervention of ordaining pastors, why should it be more
4G0 CHRIST THE HEAD OF THE CHURCH. [SeR. V
difficult for Christ in heaven to govern the church than for the pope in Eome — when he sitteth at the right hand of God till he hath made his foes his footstool ? Is he less powerful to govern the church, and to preserve and defend his people against the violence of those that would root out the memorial of religion in the world ? Who is more powerful than Jesus Christ, who hath all judgment put into his hands ? John V. 22.
(2d.) In regard of influence : So Christ is an head to the church as he giveth us his Spirit. That Spirit which gives life to believers is often called Christ's Spirit : Gal. iv. 6, ' God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into j^our hearts.' It is purchased by liis merit, Titus iii. 6 ; conveyed to us by his power : John xv. 26, ' I will send the Com- forter from the Father.' The communication is by his ordinances. The word : 2 Cor. iii. 18, ' Beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, we are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.' Sacraments : 1 Cor. xii. 13, ' For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free : and have all been made to drink into one Spirit.' To promote the religion which he hath established : John xvi. 13, 14, ' When the Spirit of truth is come, he will guide you into all truth : for he shall not speak of himself, but whatsoever he shall hear that he shall speak : and he will show you things to come. He shall glorify me : for he shall receive of mine, and shall show it unto you.' He comes to us as his members, and by influence from him, as in the natural body the animal spirits are from the head, are by the members conveyed to all the parts of the body. So Christ in this spiritual union worketh in us a quickening Spirit : Eph. iv. 15, 16, ' We grow up to him in all things, which is the head, even Christ : from whom the whole body joined together maketh increase,' &c. The Spirit is not given to any one believer, but derivatively from Christ to us. First, it is given to Christ, a,s mediator, and to us only by virtue of our union with him. He is in Christ as radically inherent, but in us operatively, to accomplish certain effects ; or he dwelleth in our head by way of radiation, in us by way of influence and operation,
[2.] According to what nature doth this office belong to Christ — divine or human ?
I answer — Both ; for it belongeth to him as God incarnate.
(1.) He must be man, that there may be a conformity of nature between the head and the rest of the members ; therefore Christ and the church have one common nature between them : he was man as we are men — ' bone of our bone, and flesh of our flesh,' Eph. v, 30. We read of a monstrous image that was represented to Nebuchad- nezzar in a dream, where the head was gold, the breast and arms of silver, the belly and thighs of brass, and the legs and feet part of iron and part of clay, Dan. ii. ; all the parts of a different nature. In every regular body there is a proportion and conformity. So it is in the mystical body of Christ — ' because the brethren took part of flesh and blood, he also took part of the same.' The Godhead, whicli was at such a distance from us, is brought down in the person of Clirist in our nature, that it might be nearer at hand, and within the
Col. I. 18.] christ the head of the church. 461
reach of our commerce ; and we might have more encouragement to expect pity and relief from him.
(2.) God he also must be. None was fit to be head of the church but God, whether you respect government or influence.