THE WEDDING Garment. ROM. 13. 14. Put ye on the Lord jesus Christ. LONDON. Printed for W. Wright. 1590. To the Reader. TO control those false copies of this Sermon, which were printed without my knowledge (patched as it seemeth) out of some borrowed notes, and to stop the Printing of it again without my corrections, as it was intented, because they had got it licenced before, although utterly unwilling for some respects to have it published, which made me withstand their importunity so long, yet seeing more inconvenience than I thought of, I suffered that which I could not hinder. And now hoping that it is Gods will to profit some by it, as jaakob parted from Gen. 43. 11. Benjamin, so that which must be let he, and the Lord give thee a blessing with it. The Wedding Garment. Rom. 13. 14. Put ye on the Lord jesus Christ. I Have chosen a Text which is the sum of the Bible. For all Scripture runneth upon Christ like the title of a book, Reu. 1. 8. because Christ is the Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end of man's salvation, therefore he is figured in the law, foretold in the Prophets, and fulfilled in the Gospel. Some places point to his Divinity, some to his humanity, some to his kingdom, some to his Priesthood, some to his Prophecy, some to his Conception, some to his birth, some to his life, some to his miracles, some to his passion, some to his resurrection; some to his Ascension, some to his glorification, all point unto the Saviour like john baptist, joh. 1. 29. when he said, This is the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sins of the world. Therefore learn Christ, and learn all. Now to teach us how we should hear, and how we should love, and how we should fear, & how we should believe, & how we should follow Christ, that we may know when we have learned him. The Apostle saith, Put ye on the Lord jesus Christ: as though this word did contain all our duties unto Christ, To put him on, (which seems to be the level of this phrase, if you mark how it cometh in, for before Paul saith, Cast away the works vers. 12. of darkness, and put on the Armour of light. Then he nameth the works of darkness, which we should cast off: viz. gluttony, drunkenness, strife, envy, chambering, vers. 13. wantonness, after he nameth the armour of light, vers. 14. which we should put on, and calleth it by the name of the giver, The Lord jesus Christ. In stead of gluttony, and drunkenness, and strife, and envy, and chambering, and wantonness, and other patches of the devil, wherewith man clotheth himself Psal. 109. 18. as with a garment. The Apostle giveth him another garment, which he calleth jesus Christ. He doth not oppose virtue to vice, as one would think when he had said, Cast off gluttony, he should have said, Put on sobriety, when he had said, Cast off wantonness, he should have said, Put on continency, when he had said, Cast off envy, he should have said, Put on love, but in stead of all virtues, he commendeth the example of Christ for every virtue, and opposeth it to every vice, as if he should say, He which thinketh only to follow Christ, needeth not be lead by the hand from virtue to virtue, but his example will teach him what he shall follow, and what he shall flee better than all precepts in the world. Therefore this is the best thought in every action for a man to think, what Christ would do, which was made not only redemption and salvation to save us, but wisdom and 1. Cor. 1. 30. Mat. 11. 29. Mar. 10. 21. example to guide us. Therefore he saith, Learn of me, and follow me, as though we should think before we speak, whether he would speak so, and consider before we do whether he would do so, and do all by his example as the scholar writeth by his copy, or else we do not learn of him, but of ourselves, and then we go awry, like a child which scribleth without a rule. If thou resolvest to speak & do no otherwise than Christ would speak and do himself, thou shalt be sure to do all things well, because thou followest a strait pattern. Therefore study what this meaneth. To put on Christ. It is a strange speech, joh. 3. 4. and a strange Garment, they which cannot tell like Nichodemus, what Christ meaneth when he saith, that we must be borne again, cannot tell what Paul meaneth, when he saith, Put on Christ: as if one man should put on another. I think many here may go to the Apostle, as the Apostles went to Christ, and ask, What is the Luk. 1. 9 Gal. 3. 27. parable? This phrase is read in none but Paul, which hath written most of justification by Christ: & therefore he useth all phrases to express how we should apply Christ unto us, and in no terms he hath showed it more lively then in this phrase, Put on Christ. For it signifieth that Christ doth cover us like a Garment, and defend us like an armour. He hideth our unrighteousness Rom. 4. 7. with his righteousness, he covereth our disobedience with his obedience, he shadoweth our death with his death, that the wrath of God cannot find us, judgement cannot spy us, the curse cannot see us, for the garment which covereth & hideth us. But as jaakob got Gen. 37. 29. the blessing in the name and apparel of Esau his elder brother: so in the name and apparel of Christ our elder brother, we receive the blessing, and are received into favour like Christ himself. For God saith not, This is my beloved Son which pleaseth me, but In whom I am pleased: meaning Mar. 3. 17. that not only Christ pleaseth God, but we please God in Christ, For Christ is our head. Therefore as one looking in the face of a man, doth like 1. Cor. 11. 3. Ephe. 5. 23. him strait, if he like his face: so God beholding us in the face of Christ, doth love us strait, because the face doth please him: But Christ is not our head, unless we be his members: Christ is not out Garment, unless we put him on: as Christ did put on our garment, when he clothed himself with our flesh, & took our infirmities, & bore our curse: So we must put on his garment, that is, his righteousness, his merits, and his death, which is as strange a vesture to us, as our flesh was to him, & much ado we have to reve. 3. 4. put it on, & when it is on, there is great cunning to wear it cleanly & comely, from soiling and renting that such a precious garment be not taken from Mat. 22. 11. Mat. 7. 23. us again. Therefore many seem to wear this Garment which shall be thrust from the banquet, because they wear it not: as those which will say when the Lord shall come to judgement. We have seen thee in our streets, Luk. 13. 26. we have heard thee in our synagogues, we have prophesied, we have cast out devils, we have wrought miracles by thy name: As though if any had put him on, or borne his marks, they were the men which were marked like his servants, therefore who but they shall enter into heaven? Yet Christ saith, I know ●uk. 13. 27. you not, there is their reward, I know you not,, as if he should answer, you wear not my livery, you wear not my cognisance for all your shows, therefore depart from me: so he put them off because they had not put him on: for though they had seen his person, and heard of his virtues, yet they had not faith to apply his mercies, his merits, his death and his righteousness unto them, without which no man can put on Christ nor wear him. Faith is the hand which putteth him on. Faith taketh first his righteousness & covereth her unrighteousness, than she taketh his obedience, and covereth her disobedience, than she taketh his patience, & covereth her impatiency, than she taketh his temperance, and covereth her intemperancy, than she taketh his continency, and covereth her incontinency, than she taketh his constancy, and covereth her inconstancy, than she taketh his faith, & covereth her diffidence, than she taketh his humility, and covereth her pride, than she taketh his love, and covereth her rancour. And so taketh one robe after another, and tricketh herself until she have put on jesus Christ, that is, until she appear in the sight of God, like jesus Christ, clothed with his merits & graces: that God hath no power to be angry with her, because she cometh so like his Son. This is to put on jesus Christ, as you shall see more lively, when you have taken a view of the garment, for we are to speak of Christ the Garment, & of our putting it on. There be many fashions of apparel, but they are too light, or too heavy, or too sad, or too course, or too stolen, and all wear out. At last the Apostle found a fashion, that surpasseth them all: it is never out of fashion, meet for all seasons, fit for all persons, and such a profitable weed, that the more it is worn, the fresher it is. What fashion have you seen comparable to this? Is it not like the clothes of David's ambassadors, which 2. Sam. 10. 4. covered their upper parts, but not their lower parts: nor like saul's armour, which tired David 1. Sam. 17. 29. when he should fight with it: Nor like the counterfeit of 2. King. 14. 2. jeroboams wife, which disguised herself to go unknown, joh. 9 4. 5. nor like the old rags of the Gibeonites, which deceived josua, nor like the paltry suit of Michah which he gave once a year to his Levite, nor like the gluttons flaunt which jetted in purple every day, nor like the light clothes which Christ said are in kings jud. 17. 10. Mat. 11. 8. Courts, and make them lighter that were them. But it is like the garment of the high priest, which had all the names Luk. 16. 19 Exod. 28. 21, of the Tribes of Israel written upon his breast: so all the names of the faithful are written in the breast of Christ, and registered in the book of his merits. It is like Elias mantel which divided Mal. 3. 16. 2. Kin. 2. 8. the waters: So he divideth our sins & punishments that they which are clothed with Christ, are armed both against sin and death. It is like the Garments Deut. 29. 5. of the Israelites in the wilderness, which did not wear: forty years together they wandered in the desert, and yet saith Moses, their shoes were not worn, but their apparel was as when they came out of Egypt: Psal. 136. 1. so the righteousness of Christ doth last for ever, and his mercies are never worn out. As Mardochai shined in the king's robes before the people: Hest. 6. 11. So and more glorious are the faithful in the robes of Christ before God. When Christ was transfigured upon the mount. Mat. 17. 2. Mat. saith, that his face shined like the Sun, & his clothes were as white as the light: So when we are transfigured into the image of Christ, we shall shine before other men like lights: & therefore Christ's disciples are called Lights, because they were Mat. 5. 14. clothed with light, and shined to the world. Solomon was Mat. 6. 29. not so glorious in all his royalty, nor the lilies which are braver than Solomon, as he which is clothed with Christ, because the apparel upon him is better than all the world about 2. Sam. 1. 14. him. Therefore if David said, Weep ye daughters of Israel for Saul which clothed you in purple. I may say, rejoice ye daughters of Israel, for Christ which hath clothed you with righteousness, as it were with a vesture, before you come to the banquet. This is the wedding garment Math. 22. 12. without which no man can feast with the Lord. This garment is called an Armour, because Ephe. 6. 11. it defendeth us from all the assaults of the devil, the flesh the world, the heat of persecution, and the cold of defection. This Garment is called Light, because it is the beauty & glory of them which wear Rom. 13. 12. it. This Garment is called a Kingdom, because none but Kings do wear it, that is, Mat. 6. 33. they are enthroned in the kingdom of Christ, and made kings over the world, the flesh and sathan: which wear this Garment, like the hair Samson, jud. 16. 6. which while he wore, he was like a King, and all his enemies had no power to hurt him. This Garment Paul hath sent unto you, to go before the king of heaven & earth, a holy Garment, a royal Garment, an immaculate Garment, an everlasting Garment: a Garment Rom. 5. 1. whereof every hem is peace of conscience, every pleat is joy in the holy Ghost, every stitch Rom. 14. 17. is the remission of some sin, and saveth him which weareth it. Mat. 9 20. If she which touched the hem of Christ's garment was healed, he which weareth the garment nay, he which weareth Christ himself, shall not he be healed of all his sores, though he were wounded from head to foot? You need not clothe him now which saith, When I was naked Maih. 25. 43. ye did not clothe me, nor cast your garments in his way, as Math. 21. 8. they did, when he came to jerusalem, but take his garments & suffer yourselves to be clothed, Gen. 9 23. Luk. 10. 34. This Sama ritane doth not signify Christ, but yet may be resembled to Christ. as Noah did, to cover your nakedness. As the good Samaritane put him upon his own beast, which was spoiled with thieves, and bound up his sores when he was wounded: So Christ JESUS mounteth the faithful upon his righteousness, and healeth their sins, as though he should cover them with his garments, whom the world, the flesh, and the devil have rob of their Gen. 3. 1 garments, that is, the righteousness which they had in Paradise before the serpent came: so if we put on Christ, we are clothed with his obedience, whereby our wickedness is covered: we are clothed with his merits, whereby our sins are forgiven: we are clothed with his death, whereby our punishment is released: we are clothed with his spirit, whereby our hearts are mollified and sanctified, and renewed till we resemble Christ himself. This is the Apostles meaning, to put on Christ, as it is unfolded in Col. 3. 12. Where he brigns Col. 3. 12. forth all the robes of Christ, and sorts them, & saith, put on mercy, put on meekness, put on vers. 30. humility, put on patience, put on love, all which before he called the new man. So that to put on Christ, is to put on the new man with all his virtues, until we be renewed to the image of Christ, which is like a new man amongst men. They which labour to be righteous, and yet believe that Christ's righteousness shall save them, have put on Christ as Paul would have them. We are not taught to put on Angels, nor Saints, nor the virgin Mary, nor Paul himself to cover our sins with their righteousness, as the Papists do, but we are commanded to put on Christ, & cover our sins with his riygteousnesse. The body hath many Garments, but the soul hath one Garment. Every clout will cover our sores, but the finest silk will not cover our sins. Therefore when we seem brave to others, we seem foul to God, because his eye is upon our sins, which lie naked, when all the rest is covered, until we put on Christ, and then we hear that voice, Thy sins are covered. And then Math. 9 2. Psal. 32. 1. we have that blessing: Blessed is the man whose sin is covered. So we are clothed and blessed together. Yet this Garment is out of request, too rough for some, too grave for others, too base for others. And therefore in stead of putting on Christ, they put him off, in stead of welcoming him, they discharge him, like the Gadarens, that Luk. 8. 37: Math. 8. 34. they may keep their swine, that is, their beastly pleasures, which he would cast into the Math. 27. 35. sea: These are like the foolish soldiers which should have made Christ their Garment, and they cast lots upon his garments, and divided them, and so spoiled them. So do the Papists deal with this Garment, they say it is not fit for them, & therefore they break it & mangle it, and piece it with rags of their own inventions: they say it is too light, and not able to bear off the storms of death, and heat of hell, and therefore choose rather to make themselves Garments of their merits, and their masses, and their penance, and their pardons, and their pilgrimages: like Adam and Eve, which made themselves coats of fig-leaves, Gen. 3. 7. and 21. which God destroyed again, to show that when men have patched all their leaves of masses, of pardons, of pilgrimages, and satisfactions together, yet they will not cover their nakedness, nor keep of the heat of God's wrath, but are like the curtal skitrs of David's 2. Sam. 10. 4. Ambassadors, which hide not their shame. Therefore when we may go in our masters attire, shall we scrub like beggars patched in our rags? Mine own Garments defile me, saith job: Our own Garments, job. 9 31. our own righteousness defileth us, for what garment, what righteousness have we of our own, but that Isa. 64. 6. which like a monstrous cloth, which had more need to be washed itself, then to wipe that which is foul. Therefore Christ must make us garments, or else when our backs flaunt it like courtiers, our souls shall strip like beggars. And the Devils will sport themselves Gen. 9 22. like Cham, to see our nakedness. First, the Father made us Gen, 3. 21. Garments in paradise, now the Son makes us garments in the wilderness: nay, the Son is made our Garment, as Paul saith, Christ is made unto 1. Cor. 1. 3● us righteousness: that is, Christ's righteousness, must be our Garment, or else we shall be ashamed when our righteousness doth not reach to cover our nakedness, but still some part will peep bare until he cast his righteousness upon it, and then all is covered. Sam. 17. 40. As David needed no other armour against the Giant, than a sling: so we need no other garment against sin then Christ. There wanteth nothing but this to put it on. Now let us see how to put this Garment on. Many sumble about it, like children which had need of one to put on their clothes. Some put on Christ as a cloak, which hangeth upon their shoulders, and covereth them when they go abroad to be seen of men: they can cast on the cloak of holiness & seem for a while as holy as the best, but so soon as they come home, the cloak goeth of, and the man is as he was, whose vizard was better than his face. Thus hypocrites put on Christ, as many retain unto noble men, not to do them any service, but to have their countenance. Many put on Christ like a hat, which goeth off to every one which meets them: so every temptation which meets them, makes them forget what they heard, what they promised, what they resolved, & change their way, as though they had not repent at all. So the common people like yourselves, put on Christ, they are zealous so long as they are in the Church, and beat their breasts, and cast up Luke. 18. 11. their eyes, like the Publican, when they hear a sentence which moves them, as though they would do no more against that saying while they live. But the next business putteth all out of mind, till they come to the Church again. Some put on Christ as a glove, which coveteth but the hand, so they put on the face of Christ, or the tongue of Christ, but their hands work, and their feet walk as they did before. So many professors of Religion put on Christ, which call but for discipline and reformation, that they might get a name of zeal and sincerity, to cover some fault, which they would not be suspected of. Thus every man would cover himself with Christ, but they have not the skill, or they have not the will to put him on. What will you do then? Though the Garment be never so good yet it is not good to them that do not wear it. For what profit have we of the garments which we never wear, they neither keep us from heat nor cold. Therefore Paul doth not bring you a Garment to lay by you for the moths, but he bids you put it on. Hear is the cunning now in putting it on. If Paul had taught us this, than you would hearken unto him. Well, you shall hear what Paul saith to the putting of it on. First (saith Paul) you must cast away the works of darkness, und then put on the Armour of light. First you must vers. 12. put off, and then put on: As the eagle's feathers will not lie with any other feathers, but consume them, which lie with them: So the Wedding Garment will not wear with filthy garments, but scorns like the Ark, that Dagon should stand by it. If any man may 1. Sam. 5. 8. not wear women's apparel for lightness, may he wear the Deut. 22. 5. devils apparel, and clothe himself with pride, with covetousness, with envy, with hypocrisy, with uncleanness, and when he is like the devil sit at God's table? No man saith Mat. 2. 21. Christ, patcheth a new piece to an old garment, & wilt thou patch an old piece to a new Levit. 19 19 garment? God forbade his people to wear linsey wolsey, because it was a sign of inconstancy, but this is inconstancy itself. He doth not put on Reu: 3. 15. joh. 19 23. Christ, but putteth off Christ, and putteth on Belial, which fashions himself to God and the world too. As Christ's coat was without seam, so they must be without stain, that wear it. For when a man putteth on fair clothes, he maketh himself fair too, and avoideth every foul thing, lest it should foul his clothes: So must he which putteth on Christ, for the finest garment is soon stained. Therefore when thou hast put on this Garment, thou must wash thyself, and pick thy way, and choose thy works, and handle nothing that is foul for marring thy clothes, that is, thou must not think as thou didst, nor speak as thou didst, nor live as thou didst, but remember that thou hast changed thy master, and serve him with whom thou art bound. For if God & the devil could not agree jud. 9 upon Moses body, for one to have one part, and the other another part, but God would have all. Much less will God agree that the devil should have part of the soul, which would not yield him part of the body. Thus have you heard what you must put off: now hear how Christ must be put on. As the Angel taught john to Reu. 10. 9 read the book when he bade him eat it: So we must put on Christ, as if we did eat him, not as the Papists do in their Mass, but as the meat is turned into the substance of the body, and goeth through every part of man: So Christ & his word should go from part to part, from ear to heart, from heart to mouth, from mouth to hand, till we be of one nature with them, that they be the very substance of our thoughts & speeches, and actions, as the meat is of our bodies. This is to eat Christ and his word, or else we do not eat them, but chew them, and when our taste is satisfied, spew them out again. Thus we must put on Christ, for the word signifieth so to put him on, as if thou wouldst put him in, that he Ephe. 3. 30. may be one with thee, and thou with him, as it were in a body toherher. As he hath put on all our infirmities, so we must put on all his graces, not half on, but all on, and clasp him to us, and gird him about us, and wear him even as we wear our skin, which is always about us. Then there shall be no need of wires, nor curls, nor periwigs, the husbands shall not force to rack their rents nor enhance their fines, nor sell their lands, to deck 2. King. 2. 13. their wives. But as the poor mantle of Eliah seemed better to Elisha then all the robes of Solomon, so the wedding Garment shall seem better than all the flants of vanity, and put every fashion out of fashion, which is not modest and comely like itself. If you will know farther how to put on Christ, you shall see how your text will catechize you (in three names of God) Lord, jesus, Christ. The Apostle seemeth to spell out the way unto us, how we should wear this garment. First we must put him on as Lord, than we must put him on as jesus: Lastly, we must put him on as Christ. Thou must put him on as Lord, that is, thy ruler to command thee, and thy Tutor to govern thee, thy master to direct thee, thou must be no man's servant but his, take no Act. 4. 19 man's part against him, but say with the Apostle, Whether is it meet to obey God or you? Thou must put him on as jesus, that is, thy Saviour, in whom thou trustest, thy protector on whom thou dependest, thy redeemer in whom thou believest. Thou must not look for thy salvation josua hath the likê name, but not from God nor to that end. from Angel, nor Saint, nor any thing beside him. For the name of jesus signifieth a Saviour, and is given to none but him, and he is not only called the Saviour, but the salvation, in the song of Simeon, to show Luke. 1. 69. that he is the only Saviour, for there may be many saviours, jud. 3. 9 but there can be but one salvation: as there may be many tortures, and yet but one death. Therefore when he is called the salvation, it implieth that there is no Saviour beside him. Thou must put him on as Christ, that is, a King to rule, a Prophet to Luke. 3. 33 teach, a Priest to pray, and sacrifice, and pacify the wrath of Act. 3. 22. God for thee. For this name Heb. 8. 3, Christ doth signify that he Mat. 1. 16. was anointed a King, a Priest and a Prophet: for man, a king Heb. 1. 8. to rule him, a Priest to offer sacrifice for him, a Prophet to teach him, so that he putteth on Christ as Lord, which worshippeth none but him. He putteth on Christ as jesus which believeth in none but him, and he putteth on Christ as Christ which worshippeth none but Cal. 3. 27. him, believeth in none but him and heareth none but him. You put on Christ first, when you are baptized: than you were sealed and consecrated to his service: so soon as you came into the world, you vowed to renounce the world, and follow God: how many have put on Christ so, and since have put him off again, which have broken the first promise that ever they made, & were never Rom. 6. 3. faithful to God since. You put on Christ again, when you are called and sanctified, that is, Ephe. 4. 22. when you cast off the old man, which is corrupt with the lusts of the flesh, the pride of life, & the cares of this world, and put on the new man, which is regenerate in righteousness & holiness to the image of Christ, or likeness of Adam in his innocency, for to put on the new man, is to become a new man, as if thou were borne again and conceived of the holy Ghost. Rom. 12. 2. job. 29. 14. Of this job speaketh when he saith, I put on justice, and it covereth me. You put on Christ again, when you receive his holy 1. Cor. 10. 16. Sacrament, & are partakers of his body and blood, that is, the merits of his obedience & passion by faith, which heareth him, as if he did see him, and seethe him, as if she did feel him, and feeleth him, as if she did taste him, and tasteth him as if she did digest him, then Christ is become yours, and dwelleth in you, and feedeth you with his grace to eternal life, as the bread and wine sustaineth the life present, Lastly, when you have put on Christ in these three sorts, which is your garment for this world, after you Phil. 3. 21. 1. Cor. 15. 49. shall put on Christ in heaven, and be clothed with his glory, and that shall be your last vesture, which shall never wear out. Thus have you heard what is meant by putting on Christ, first to cloth ourselves with righteousness and holiness like Christ, and then because our own righteousness is too short to cover our arms, and legs, and thighs of sin, but still some bare place will peer out and shame us in the sight of God: therefore we must borrow Christ's garments, as jacob Gen. 27. 15. did his brothers, and cover ourselves with his righteousness, that is, believe that his righteousness shall supply our unrighteousness, and his sufferings shall stand for our sufferings, because he came to fulfil the law, and bear the curse, & satisfy his Father for us, that all which believe in him might not die, but have life everlasting. joh. 3. 16. Now I have showed you this goodly Garment, you must go to another to help you to put it on, and none can put this Garment upon you, but he which is the Garment, the Lord jesus Christ. Therefore to him let us pray. FINIS.