Sermon XXXIII (continued, part 3)
the dust ; thou art at his feet.
01s. 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 resist
ance. Hath the Lord Jesus Christ taken thee up to be a member of him, to
be part of his body 1 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
! Are we married to Jesus Christ 1 Remember whence thou art taken. As Hannah
.ashamed to call them brethren. Oh, let us remember our original
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
idngs daughters, but yet great, absolute monarch s will not do so. Go
among the Turks and Persians, read the Book of Esther; they never affected
to marry kings daughters. Why 1 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 acknow
ledge 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 i
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,
EPH. I. 21-23.] TO THE EPHESIANS. 533
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,
534 AN EXPOSITION OF THE EPISTLE [SEEMON XXXV.