The anatomie of a Christian man VVherein is plainelie shewed out of the VVord of God, what manner of man a true Christian is in all his conuersation, both inward, and outward. ... By M. William Covvper, minister of Gods Word.

THE OBSERVATIONS.

THE Christian yee see hath foure suites of* 1.1 Apparrell; three whereof hee puts on ordi∣narily in this life, the fourth is his holy dayes garment: for when the weeke of his warre∣fare is ended, and the Sabboth comes, which is the day of the consummation of his mar∣riage with Christ, after which shall neuer come a night; then shall his Father cause his best robe to be brought out, and shall couer him with it.

His first garment is the garment of Christs* 1.2 righteousnesse, which on the part of God be∣ing imputed to him, that is, by the free gift of God, giuen to be his owne; and on his part, receiued by faith, and couered therewith, de∣fends him against the stormy and consuming wrath of God.

By this righteousnesse of Christ is not vnder∣stood that holinesse of his diuine nature, which

is incommunicable, neyther that righteousnes* 1.3 of his humane Nature, consisting in a perfect obseruance of the Law Morall, which hee neuer transgressed in thought, word, nor deed, and by vertue whereof Christ the man was sufficiently able to inherit life by the condi∣tion of the couenant of worke: Doe this and liue.

But that righteousnesse which hee as our* 1.4 Mediator, by fulfilling that singular Law of a Redeemer, hath acquired and purchased, that hee might communicate it to his brethren, for their saluation, who had none of their owne by which they could be saued.

For this singular law of a Redeemer, which* 1.5 was neuer imposed to man, nor Angell, but onely to Iesus Christ, required that he should loue God and his brethren in such sort, as to beare in his owne body the punishment of their sinnes, and satisfie the iustice of God to the vttermost for them, that so the praise both of Iustice and Mercy might be reserued vnto God.

If all Adams posteritie had perished in sin,* 1.6 where should haue beene the praise of Gods mercy? and if their sinne had not beene pu∣nished, where should haue beene the praise of his iustice? but the Lord Iesus hath vindicated the glory of both.

For this law of a Redeemer, found out by the* 1.7 meruailous wisedome of God, as the Lord Ie∣sus did willingly accept it for the loue hee bare to the glory of his Father, and saluati∣on of his brethren, so hath hee perfectly ful∣filled it. In his blessed body hee bare our sinnes on the cursed tree; the chastisement of our peace was laid vpon him, hee hath satisfied the Iustice of his Father, and so hath purchased a righteousnesse, not for himselfe, hee needed it not, but that as I said, hee might communi∣cate it to his brethren.

And this garment of righteousnesse, is so per∣fect* 1.8 that it couers all our nakednesse from head to foot, both of the Soule and Body, for in both he suffered. His blessed head was crowned with thornes, that hee might satisfie for the proud imaginations of our braine: His hands and feete, which neuer offended, were pierced with Nayles, that hee might satisfie for the vnrigh∣teous deedes wee haue done with our hands and feet, and so of the rest of his sufferings.

As Iacoh couered with the garment of his* 1.9 elder brother got the blessing, so wee couered with the sweet smelling garment of our elder Brother the Lord Iesus, are acceptable to God, for in him the Father is well pleased.

The second garment which vnder this the Christian puts on, is the garment of sanctifi∣cation,

compact as wee said of many vertues,* 1.10 both these at one instant are giuen to the Chri∣stian, the one defends him from the wrath of God, the other sanctifieth and reformeth cor∣rupted Nature.

Other garments may couer the nakednesse,* 1.11 and filthie sores of the bodie, but cannot cure them. This garment both couers and cures our filthy nakednes: it turnes our sicknes into health: our darknesse into light: for whosoeuer puts on the Lord Iesus for his righteousnesse to iustifica∣tion, puts him on also for holinesse to sanctifi∣cation; so full of Grace and Vertue is the Lord Iesus, that not onely by the merit of his suffe∣rings doth hee pacifie the wrath of God towards all them in whom hee is, but also by his vertue sanctifieth them, by creating a new minde and a new heart in them, hee maketh them new creatures.

The third is, a suite of complete armour, most* 1.12 necessarie for the Christian, for Sathan enuying this new happinesse of man, endeuours continu∣ally to defile, or rent in pieces our garment of holinesse: sometime hee assaults our Patience: sometime our Temperance, &c. so that it is not possible for the Christian to keepe vnviolated the seuerall pieces of his holy garment, vnlesse hee put on the whole complete armour of God.

The seuerall pieces of armour, requisite to* 1.13 preserue the seuerall graces of the Spirit, are set downe, Ephes. 6. called there the armour of God, both because it is that God furnisheth vs with them, and also because no other then these can serue vs in the spirituall warre-fare.

For in the bodily war-fare, men common∣ly* 1.14 doe resist their aduersaries by such weapons as their enemies doe impugne them with all: but in the spirituall, if wee sight against Sa∣than in his Instruments, with such weapons as they vse in sighting against vs, the aduersarie shall easily ouercome vs.

And therefore as Dauid cast from him the* 1.15 armour of Saul, and tooke him to weapons farre vnlike those that Goliah brought against him: so must wee, when wee goe out in the name of God against that vncleane vncircum∣cised Philistim, cast from vs carnall weapons, and take vs to the armour of God, if we would be sure of victory.

That is, wee must not render euill for euill,* 1.16 nor rebuke for rebuke; but if our enemies curse vs, let vs blesse them; if they persecute vs, let vs pray for them, that so we may ouercome euill with good.

The last garment is his Sabboth dayes* 1.17 garment, which in this life is not put vpon him, but is kept in his Fathers Treasure till

his warre-fare be ended, then shall he be dec∣ked with all those excellent ornaments, where∣of we haue spoken.

The Censure.

But the want of these garments proueth that all are not Christians indeed, who now vsurpe the Christian name.

Notes

• * 1.1

  1 The Christians foure suites of apparrell seueral∣ly considered.
• * 1.2

  2 The garment of imputed righteous∣nesse defends him from Gods wrath.
• * 1.3

  3 By this righteous∣nesse is neither vn∣derstood the ho∣linesse of his di∣uine nor humane nature.
• * 1.4

  4 But that acquired righteousnes which he purchased by▪ suffering.
• * 1.5

  5 Of the singular law of a Redeemer im∣posed vpon Christ.
• * 1.6

  6 How the praise both of Gods mercy▪ and iustice is preserued by Christ.
• * 1.7

  7 How Christ hath fulfilled that sin∣gular Law of a Re∣deemer, to purchase vs a righteousnesse by which we might be saued.
• * 1.8

  8 This righteousnes is perfect, and co∣uers all our filthy nakednesse.
• * 1.9

  9 How by it, wee are not onely pardo∣ned of euill, but al∣so blessed with all good.
• * 1.10

  10 Of the garment of inherent righte∣ousnesse, wrought in vs by Christ.
• * 1.11

  11 For Christ as hee couers our naked∣nesse, so hee cures our diseases.
• * 1.12

  12 This garment of holinesse cannot be kept without the whole complete armour.
• * 1.13

  13 Why this armour is called the ar∣mour of God.
• * 1.14

  14 Wee must not sight with our enemies by such armour as they vse against vs.
• * 1.15

  15 As Dauid fought with Goliah with armour far vnlike to his.
• * 1.16

  16 So must we ouer∣come euill in the wicked by good.
• * 1.17

  17 Of his garment in the life to come.