quoted is 1 Cor. xv., and there it is express, that not only his enemies are said to be under his feet, but all things else whatsoever; for the Apostle plainly saith, ver. 27, 'When he saith all things are put under him, it is manifest that he is excepted that did put all things under him; and only he, only the Father. So that in one word, his church and angels, as well as enemies, are all under his feet. He hath put all things under his feet. And, my brethren, Psalm viii. is express for it. The Apostle doth not go beyond his commission in interpreting it thus; for what saith Psalm viii? Thou hast given him to have dominion over the works of thy hands; thou hast put all things under his feet;' that is, all the works of that kind; whatsoever the works are, they are all under his feet. So that by 'all' must necessarily be meant both his church, saints, and angels, as well as enemies.

And in that Psalm viii. there are two things that are the scope of it. The first is this to shew how that God used the man Christ Jesus to destroy enemies ; that you find ver. 2, 'Out of the mouths of babes and sucklings hast thou ordained strength because of thine enemies, that thou mightest still the enemy and the avenger.' He took up that babe and suckling Christ, and the apostles after him, who were once all but babes and sucklings, and by them did still the enemy and avenger. There are enemies under his feet. The second thing the Psalmist aimeth at is to set forth his dominion over all things else; Thou hast made him,' saith he, to have dominion over the works of thy hands; and then cometh in that general, Thou hast put all things under his feet.' So that all under his feet includeth both a subjection

of saints and angels, friends and subjects, and destroying of enemies too. But how will you answer the former reasons, and reconcile the difference? I shall first reconcile it, and then in a word or two answer the reasons that were given. First, to reconcile it

It is manifest that there is a twofold subjection noted out by being under Christ's feet. The phrase implieth a double kind of subjection, whereof both are being under his feet. The first is, being under him in a way of distance, as creatures; he being the Son of God and the Creator; a being under his feet to give honour unto him. Secondly, there is a being under his feet to be destroyed, to be ruined, to be trodden upon, to be trampled on. You know the very phrase, as I opened it before, noted out all subjection whatsoever, and it noted out also triumph over our enemies. Now then, the phrase here is largely taken, for it is taken both to express the sovereignty of Christ, his Church is wholly under his feet; there is a kind of subjection they have, and they are subject according to their kind: if they be friends and good subjects,- -as his Church is,-then they are under his feet as creatures, to worship him; if they be devils and enemies, they are under his feet according to their kind, to be destroyed, and to be ruined.

To confirm this, you shall observe, that it is a different phrase to say, they are made his footstool,' and to be 'under his feet.' In Ps. cx., when he speaks of enemies, then he saith, 'Sit thou on my right hand, till I make thine enemies thy footstool;' that is to tread upon, as a man doth upon his footstool; but it is one thing to be made a footstool to Christ, that is proper to enemies, and to be under his feet. They that are a footstool to him, and they that are under his feet, are all under him; but his enemies are so under him, as they are his footstool; but the rest are under his feet too, but it is in respect of subjection.

reason.

Now then, the reconciliation being made, for an answer to the former The reason lieth in this: say they, The Apostle's scope is to shew the dignity of the Church; that the Church is his body, therefore not under his

feet. Here lies one of the reasons. But, my brethren, although the Church may be under his feet in way of subjection to her sovereign Lord, yet she may be his body likewise. For, as a queen hath a double relation to her husband; one as he is a king, and so she is subject; if she ask anything at his hands she kneeleth down as well as the meanest subject, she is at his feet presently: yet for all that, she is flesh of his flesh, she is his queen, she is his wife notwithstanding, and her being his wife hindereth not her being a subject. You have it in Ps. xlv. applied to the Church, At his right hand,' saith he, 'is the queen; yet saith God to her, ' He is thy God; worship thou him. She is at his right hand, she is advanced as a queen; yet she is to know her distance, she is to be subject, for all that she sitteth together with him in the heavenly places; yet she must worship him, she must be at his feet.

If it be urged, that to shew the Church's dignity, she is said to be Christ's body, and therefore not at his feet, I say it followeth not; for as the one is put to shew forth her dignity, so the other is put to shew forth Christ's dignity. Her dignity is set forth by what she is advanced to, that she is his body; but her dignity must not impair his, she must know her distance, for all this she is under his feet. Even as Christ's satisfaction swalloweth not up free grace, so the dignity of the Church, sitting together with Christ, swalloweth not up that exaltation of Christ over her; she is under his feet notwithstanding.

Yea, my brethren, I may say, even as Abigail said unto David, 1 Sam. xxv. 41, when he sent to take her to him to wife: Tell him, saith she, I am his servant to wash his feet. So may the Church say. She is a queen indeed, and she is his body, but she is a servant, she is his subject, she is under his feet for all that.

Yea, it was necessary to express her subjection as well as her dignity; for whence is her dignity but from his free grace? Therefore, to exalt that free grace was her subjection to be intimated. She is laid thus low, she is under his feet; but then Christ takes her off the dust, setteth her at his own right hand, makes her his queen; this sets off the other, makes the grace of Christ the more glorious; therefore the Apostle, Eph. ii., when he saith, We are set together with Christ, addeth, 'by grace ye are saved;' for your place is under his feet, saith he, however you are called up to sit at his right hand.

So much for the answering that question. I had another, which I cannot now handle.

I will but make an observation or two, and so I will end.

Obs. 1.-The first is this: Are you all under his feet, my brethren? Then learn to worship him: He is the Lord thy God; worship thou him.' How is worship expressed? Fall down at his feet. In Rev. v., the elders are said to 'cast down their crowns,' and to 'fall at his feet; and, Ps. xcix. 5, which is a psalm of the kingdom of Christ, 'Exalt him,' saith he, 'worship at his footstool.'

Not only the excellency of his person calleth for this, 'Let all the angels of God worship him;' but consider with thyself, it is necessary for thee. Thou must either be under his feet as an enemy, to be trodden upon, to be destroyed; or under his feet in way of subjection, to worship him, and to worship him purely too, according to his law; therefore look to it that you do what you do according to law. Choose now, either to be subject to him as a friend, to worship him according to his law, or to be destroyed, to be trodden under his feet as enemies.

Obs. 2.-A second observation is this: All things are under his feet. He is your sovereign; you are in the lowest subjection that may be. Is there ever a poor soul a suitor to him for grace? Wilt thou know how to obtain it? Acknowledge his sovereignty, lay thyself at his feet, acknowledge as a creature thou art subject to him, he may do with thee what he will. And as thou art a sinner, say, Thou mayest tread upon my neck, thou mayest crush me to pieces as an enemy; acknowledge that he hath not power only to crush thee, but provocation to do it. If you will but lay yourselves thus at his feet, give up your souls to him, he will pardon you. You must do it; he hath all your lives in his hand, he hath the keys of hell and of death; there is no way but to submit. It is the expression used, Lam. iii. 29, 'Put thy mouth in the dust;' what is the meaning of that? It is plainly this,-as the Scripture useth to express it,-lick the dust of his feet; for it is a metaphor, taken from what they used to do when they came before their great kings; they licked the dust of their feet, and spake submissly, as out of the earth: so they do to the Great Turk at this day. Do so to God: put thy mouth in the dust; thou art at his feet.

Obs. 3.-Thirdly, consider here, and admire the grace of Jesus Christ to his Church, sinners and enemies unto him: they are not only at his feet as creatures, but they are at his feet as enemies too; he could crush them and tread upon them if he would. Christ himself said he was a worm, and no man; God might have trod upon him and quashed him presently. To be sure we are so Jesus Christ, with his brazen feet, might tread thee in the wine-press of the wrath of God; and thou art a poor worm, and canst make no resistance. Hath the Lord Jesus Christ taken thee up to be a member of him, to be part of his body? Consider what a grace this is, that that Church in the next words should be called his body which in the former is reckoned up among those that are under his feet; herein is the grace of Jesus Christ.

In that Heb. ii., where it is said all things are under his feet, and he himself is crowned with glory and honour, it followeth presently, 'He is not ashamed to call them brethren.' Oh, let us remember our original! Are we married to Jesus Christ? Remember whence thou art taken. As Hannah saith, 1 Sam. ii. 8, ' He raiseth up the poor out of the dust, he lifteth up the beggar from the dunghill, to set them among princes, and to make them inherit the throne of glory.' This Christ hath done for thee: thou wert in the dunghill, in hell; he hath raised thee up to be his body, to sit with him in the heavenly places.

I will give you the reason why Jesus Christ makes his wife and his spouse of those that are under his feet. It is the greatest reason in the world. What is the reason that kings will not marry so low,-they affect to marry kings' daughters,—but yet great, absolute monarchs will not do so. Go among the Turks and Persians, read the Book of Esther; they never affected to marry kings' daughters. Why? Because they would acknowledge none greater than themselves, therefore they would marry slaves, such as were under their feet: so Turks do at this day; it is to shew their greatness. It is all one to them to choose a king's daughter or a slave; for they acknowledge themselves so high that no king else could come up to them.

So it is with Jesus Christ: he is so high in dignity that no worth can commend any creature to him; therefore he takes those that are under his feet, poor sinners,-upon whom he can tread as upon those in hell, it is all one to do it, and he can love them as heartily and as familiarly, make them his queen, set them at his own right hand. Therefore, be not discouraged,

though you be laid never so low at his feet in the sense of your own vileness, for it is all one to Jesus Christ. The truth is, he hath none else to marry but those that are under his feet; he must have no wife, if he have not those that are perfect slaves: yea, if he will have the sons of men, he must have enemies upon whom he might tread, and trample under his feet.

So much for that third observation.

And

SERMON XXXV.

gave him to be the head (or, a head) over all things to the church, which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all.—VER. 22, 23.

For the coherence, sum, and scope of these words, which is the only part that remaineth now to be handled, it is this: it containeth the most excellent part of Christ's supremacy, who is the King of kings; it treateth of the supremacy which he hath over the Church, and over all churches whatsoever that are his body. And yet do but observe the condescending of Christ speaking by his Spirit, when he speaks of the height of his own dignity-he expresseth his own dignity with those terms of respect to his Church, as it is apparent he would shew forth withal her dignity also. As he would set out his own greatness, that he is a Head, so he would set forth her nearness to him, and her advancement with him. It is worth your observing, that he calleth him a 'head over all,' here is his dignity; but withal he addeth, to her, which is his body.' He is not a mere external Head to rule her, as a king is a head of his kingdom; but he is a Head to her as to a body, a natural body, a conjugal body, as a husband is to his wife, or as the head is to the natural body.

He had before expressed his dignity in other words: he saith, he hath all things under his feet; he had laid the Church itself as low as at his feet, as low as could be. Now, whereas he might have said he is a head over all the Church, he doth not say so; but he saith he is a 'head over all to the church;' over all, but to her. Still to express her dignity; if he be over all, it is for her, for her good, for her comfort.

He expresseth again his excellency in another phrase; he saith, he filleth all in all;' but withal still he expresseth it with terms of respect to her, he giveth her her due, and her utmost due; for all this, saith he, she is his fulHe involveth the Church's dignity together with his own. All which, my brethren, put together and opened, there is nothing can afford greater comfort unto us.

ness.

I divide the words into these three general parts:

Here is, first, The dignity of Christ and his relation to his Church; he is a 'head over all to his church,' and he 'filleth all in all.'

Here is, in the second place, likewise, The Church's relation to Christ, and her dignity: her relation, which is his body;' her dignity, she is his spouse. And then, thirdly, here is The founder of both, both of the Church and of Christ too, as a Head; it is the gift of the Father. And hath given him,' saith he, or 'gave him to be a head to the church, which is his fulness, even of him that filleth all in all.' Even both these are founded upon the Father's gift. And do but observe that too, when he saith, he 'gave him to be a head to the church,' he doth express it so ambiguously, as the question is whether he meaneth more favour to Christ in giving him to be her Head, or more favour to the Church in giving him to be a Head to her.