Christ and the Church: or Parallels, in three books.: In the first ye have the harmony between Christ and the foregoing types, by which he was fore-shadowed in the Old Testament, both persons and things. In the second the agreement between Christ and other things, to which he is compared in the holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testament. In the third the agreement between the Church and the types, by which it was foreshadowed in the Old Testament; and other resemblances, by which it is set forth in the holy Scriptures. By Henry Vertue, M.A. rector of Alhallows Hony-lane.

CHAP. XIV. Christ and a Stone.

CHrist is thus frequently resembled in Scripture. Hear the Kingly Prophet thus speaking of him: The Stone which the Builders refused, is become the head stone of the corner. And we hear this by Saint Peter applied unto Christ: This is the Stone, which was set at nought by you Builders, and is become the head of the cor∣ner. Hear that Evangelical Prophet thus speaking of Christ: Thus says the Lord, Behold I lay in Sion for a foundation, a Stone, a tried Stone, a precious corner Stone, a sure foundation, &c. And hear Saint Peter applying

this to Christ: Wherefore (says he) it's contained in the Scripture, Behold, I lay in Sion a chief Corner-stone, elect, precious. Hear the same Prophet again: He shall be for a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offence, to both the Houses of Israel. And this also is applied by Saint Pe∣ter unto Christ: And a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offence, even to them that stumble at the Word. And so by Saint Paul; who, having said of the Jews, That they stumbled at that stumbling stone, adds, As it is writ∣ten, Behold I lay in Sion a stumbling stone, and a rock of offence. And we hear our Saviour applying to him∣self that Prophesie of David, Did ye never read in the Scripture, The Stone, which the Builders rejected, is be∣come the Head of the Corner? And afterwards he adds, And whosoever shall fall on this Stone, shall be broken; but on whomsoever it shall fall, it will grinde him to powder.

Yet Christ is not called a Stone, as being like a stone in all things, as neither is he in all things like to a Lion, or like a Lamb; but in some things he is like to them all: He is not like to a Lion for cruelty, but for courage; nor like a Lamb for weakness, but for meekness. And so, for the Particular in hand, he is called a Stone, yet he is not like a stone for all things.

1. He is not liveless, as stones are: He can say of himself, I am the Life, and I am the Resurrection and the Life. And, As the Father hath Life in himself, so he hath given to the Son to have Life in himself. And, I am he, that am alive, and was dead; and behold I am alive for evermore. And Saint Peter calls him a living Stone: yea, He is the Fountain of Life to all the Members of his Mystical Body, both of spiritual Life in this World, and of everlasting Life in Heaven: by him also we are made lively Stones.

2. He is not senselesse, as stones are: strike a stone, and it feeles not, it complaines not, much lesse is it sen∣sible of, or complains for the greatest strokes, that are or can be given to any other stones. Its not so, but far otherwise with our blessed Saviour: he was sensible of all the wrongs and indignities, that were offered to him in his Life, and in his Death, he could say, My soul is exceeding sorrowful even unto death: he could say, If I have spoken well, why dost thou smite me? yea, even now in his glorified condition, he is sensible of all the wrongs, that are offered to his Church and the members of it: he cries out to Saul, persecuting the Saints, Saul, Saul, why doest thou persecute me? The head in Heaven, out of the reach of his enemies, cries out for his members on earth, yet liable to the effects of their malice. And this is no small comfort to us, in the midst of all evils, to which we are subject, that we have an Head, and High Preist, so merciful and compassionate.

But yet he is called a stone because he is like a stone.

1. In general: for strength. This is eminent in stones: and therefore holy Job could say, Have I the strength of stones? much more is this eminent in our blessed Saviour, he is called by the Prophet, The Mighty God, and the Lord God Almighty; nothing could or can prevail against him to hinder him from doing his pleasure either for the preservation of his Church, or for the confounding of his enemies. Not in the time of his greatest weaknesse, could any the greatest enemies, that he had, have done ought against him without his leave: therefore he said, No man takes away my life from me.

2. In Particular. I. There is lapis angularis, the corner stone, and that is Christ: and besides the places

already alledged, the Apostle plainly affirms it. Jesus Christ, saies he, being the chief corner-stone. And this not without cause, if we consider the use of a corner-stone, which is, that it joynes together the two sides of a building: so in and by Christ there is a conjuncti∣on of divers things.

1. In Christ there is a conjunction of Heaven and Earth, God and Man, Creator and creature, finite and Infinite: these two so different are in Christ made one Person, as by means of the corner the two sides of a building become one building.

2. In the Church by means of Christ there is a conjunction of Jewes and Gentiles, both are made one and held together by Christ, as the Head of both, they are in and by him made one Body, one New Man, one City, one Temple, one Sheepfold under one Shepherd.

II. There is Lapis fundamenti, a stone for a Founda∣tion, as a Rock, upon which the House being built stands impregnable against all oposition of waves, winds, and rain. And so Christ is by the Prophet cal∣led a sure Foundation: and so Christ saies of himself, Ʋpon this Rock I will build my Church, and the gates of Hell shall not prevail against it: where our Saviour speakes of himself, the subject of Saint Peters confessi∣on: And Saint Paul acknowledges Christ the onely Foundation, and justly, for as the Foundation up∣holds the building, so Christ upholds the Church. And this is one of the reasons given by the Author of that imperfect work upon Saint Matthew, why Christ is called a stone, namely,

Because Christ is to his a strong Founda∣tion, and they that rest upon him are not removed from their sted∣fastnesse by any enticements, or by tempests of persecutions.

III. There is Lapis refugii, a stone of refuge: such is a Rock in the Sea, to a man, that is in danger of drowning: he hastes to it, and gets upon it, and so is safe against his danger: And such is Christ to all, that (being in danger to be over-born with any temptation of Satan, and so to be overwhelmed in the Sea of dis∣pair) do lay hold upon Christ by a true and lively faith: they finde that in Christ by which they are held up in hope of mercy, and so saved from the danger of despair.

IV. There is lapis offensionis, & petra scandali a stone of offence, and a Rock of scandal: as a Rock in the Sea, against which a ship dashes her self and so is broken to pieces: or a stone in the street or high way, at which a man, or horse, not seeing, or not minding it, stumbles and falls, and endangers himself, or the horse himself, and his rider: So is Christ as ye have heard, to all his e∣nemies, Jewes, Pagans, Hereticks, and all wicked livers among Christians: how have they found Christ to be such unto them? Look upon the Histories of the Church, and we shall finde plentiful examples of this in all kindes: And this is another reason (which the Au∣thour of that Imperfect work upon Saint Matthew gives) why Christ is called a stone, namely,

Because there is in Christ a great power to break to pieces all his wicked ene∣mies; for as every thing that strikes a stone, it hurts not the stone, but is it self broken to peeces: so the enemies of Christian Religion can∣not prevail so farre, as to hurt it, but they mainly hurt themselves.

Hence learn we divers things

1. See here the difference between the Church of the

old Testament, and the Church of the New: or as Saint Austin speaks, between the Synagogue and the Church. The former did consist of Jewes onely, the latter of Jewes and Gentiles together. of the former its said, In Jury is God known, his name is great in Israel: the Gentiles were then excluded by the Partition-wal of the Ceremonial Law, and then they were strangers from the Common-wealth of Israel, aliens from the Cove∣nants of Promise, without Christ, without hope, without God in the world: In respect of this it is, that God said to the Jewes, You onely have I known of all the Fami∣lies of the earth. But in the fulnesse of Time God sent his Son, who by his death broke the middle wall of Par∣tition down, and rising again, is made the corner-stone, making Jewes and Gentiles one body, one new man, &c. And, whereas God is onely worshiped in the Church, the Prophesy of Malachy is now fulfilled, That from the rising of the Sun to the going down of the same the Name of the Lord is great among the Gentiles, and in eve∣ry place incense is offered up, and a pure offering. So that now, as the Apostle sayes, There is no difference between Jew and Greek, for the same Lord over all, is rich unto all that call upon him.

2. See the sad estate of all the enemies of Christ: such as there have been, and are many in the world, Jewes, Pagans, Hereticks, ill-living Christians: they kick and spurn against Christ, rejecting him, oppo∣sing his Religion, persecuting his members, refusing to be ruled by his Lawes: thus they do, but what do they get by it? nothing but wo and ruine to them∣selves. So a ship dash't against a Rock is broken to peeces; so a man violently kicking against a stone∣wall gets nothing by it, but the wounding of his feet: Christ is a Rock, they that kick and spurn against him, what can follow upon it but their own ruine?

we may see this in the experience of all times: And if any feel it not here, but continue to prosper, while they continue to oppose Christ, most fearful is the ex∣pectation of such hereafter; A time shall come, and is coming, when (as they now say, we will not have this man to raign over us, so) they shall hear it said to them, As for those my enemies, that would not have me to rule over them, bring them hither and slay them before me.

3. See what comfort belongs unto all godly Chri∣stians. Christ is the stone for the Foundation, and a sure Foundation he is, to uphold the building: no cause therefore have they that are built upon this Rock, to fear the opposition of all the powers of hell, The gates of hell shall not prevail against them, they may shew their teeth, they may heave and shove against them, to cast down this building: but all in vain, it shall stand, and all that are built upon this sure Foun∣dation, shall stand, maugre their malice. Christ is a stone of Refuge: as a Rock in the Sea, saving a man from drowning, that gets upon it: Be of good cheer therefore, ye that by a true and lively faith lay hold upon him: the Devil seeks to drown you in the sea of despair, but he shall not prevail in this his design: ye may finde that in Christ, which may fence you against this danger. Satan will set before you your manifold violations of Gods righteous Law, and Gods infinite Justice, in respect of which he will suggest to you, that it is impossible for you to be saved: but in Christ ye shall finde your debts discharged, and Gods Justice infinitely satisfied: so that though look∣ing at your selves in your selves, ye can see nothing but a necessity of perishing, yet looking at Christ, ye may have a certainty of Salvation, ye casting your selves upon Christ by faith, and heartily repenting

of your sins, by which ye have offended God. Fi∣nally, Christ is the corner-stone, making Jewes and Gentiles one body and one sheepfold, this may well comfort us Gentiles against the insultations of the Jewes: they insult over us, as having no interest in God, because we are not of them: but let not this trouble us: though in former times we were as with∣out God, yet now Christ hath made room for us in the Church, and we believing, have as good an interest in God, as ever the Jewes had.

4. Let us learn hereafter not to oppose Christ, not in Himself, not in his Religion, not in his Ordinances, not in his Members: If we do, such opposition will cost us dear; no other then our ruine, can be the fruit of it: As we therefore, love our selves, let us desist.

5. Let us cast our selves upon Christ for Salvati∣on; so shall we be impregnable against all opposi∣tion.

6. Let us Gentiles praise God for his mercy, gi∣ving his Son to dye for us, by which he hath taken away the Law of Commandments contained in Or∣dinances, and so breaking down the middle wall of partition, and by his Resurrection making him the chief corner-stone, by whom it comes, that we Gentiles, who were once farre off, are now made neer, and become fellow-citizens of the Saints and of the houshold of God.

Notes

• Psalm 118.22
• Acts 4.11
• Isai. 28.16
• 1 Pet. 2.6
• Isai. 8.14
• 1 Pet. 2.8
• Rom. 9.32 33
• Mat. 21.42 44
• John 14.6 11.25 5.26.
• Rev. 1.18. 1 Pet. 2.4
• Verse 5
• Matth. 26.38 Joh. 18.14
• Act 9 4
• Heb. 2.18
• Job 6.12
• Isa. 9.6. Rev. 1.8
• Joh. 10.18
• Eph. 2.20
• Eph. 4.4: 2.15. Vers. 19.21. Joh. 10.16 Matth 7.75
• Isa. 28.16 Matth. 16.18
• 1 Cor. 3.11
• Quia suis fundamentum est forte, & nulla illecebrarum seductione solvuntur, qui super illum consistunt, nec persecuti∣onum tempestatibus moventur. hom. 40
• Isa. 8.15.16
• 1 Pet. 2.8
• Quia in Christo magna est iniquorum confractio: Sicut enim omnis res, quae percutit lapidem, ipsa quidem colli∣ditur, lapidem autem non lae∣dit: sic & omnis, qui Christia∣nitatem persequitur, se quidem corrumpit, Christianitati au∣tem non nocet. Ibid.
• Psal. 76.1
• Eph. 2.12
• Am. 3.2
• Gal. 4.4 Eph 2.14 Psal. 118.22
• Mal••. 11
• Rom, 10.12
• Luk. 19.
• Vers. 27.
• Matth. 16.18