nature is not of God 1 Thes 4. 3. This particle as is not alwaies a meer note of similitude but sometimes is used to set forth the truth of a thing as Joh. 1. 14. The Word was made flesh and dwelt among us and we beheld his glory as the glory of the only begotten Son of God c. That as the glory c. imports that the glory of Christ which S. John speaks of was indeed the very glory of the only begotten Son of God So Philem. v. 9. being such a one as Paul the aged saies Paul of himself it is therefore as much as if he had said being Paul the aged So likewise Mat. 14. 5. They counted him as a Prophet it is spoken concerning John Baptist and the meaning is they counted him indeed a Prophet as his Father Zacharias prophecied of him when he was newly born saying And thou child shalt be called the Prophet of the highest c. Luk. 1. 76. So here it being said that Christ was found in fashion as a man the meaning is that he was very man indeed like other men sin only excepted Heb. 4. 15. The scope of the Apostle is to shew how low Christ did humble himselfe 1. Unto death 2. Such a kind of death even the death of the Crosse First therefore observe from hence That Christ Doct. was obedient unto death where three things are to be shewed viz. 1. That Christ did suffer death And 2. That it was the will of God that Christ should suffer death And 3. That Christ in obedience to the will of God did suffer death 1. Christ did suffer death So all the Evangelists record and so S. Paul preached 1 Cor. 15. 3. So the Prophets fore-shewed Saying none other things then those which the Prophers and Moses did say should come that Christ should suffer viz. death as appears by the words following and that he should be the first that should rise from the dead Acts 26. 22 23. Daniel fore-told Christs death saying After threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off Dan. 9. 26. So Isaiah prophecied of him saying He was cut off out of the Land of the living Esa 53. 8. And v. 12. He hath powred out his soul unto death Christs death also was prefigured in the Law which was given by the Ministery of Moses all the sacrifices were figures of Christs death therefore he is called the Lamb of God that taketh away the sin of the world Joh. 1. 29. All the Lambs and so other beasts that were sacrificed in the time of the Law did typifie and prefigure Christ who as a Lamb was to be slaine and sacrificed for us The Author of the Epistle to the Hebrewes shews Christ in this among other things to have differed from the Priests that vvere in the Law that whereas they offered often Christ offered but once and that because he offered himself his offering was his suffering so that if he should have offered often he must also have died often whereas men use to die but once and so was Christ to die but not oft'ner See Heb. 9. 25 26 27 28. Ob. But it may be objected that some places of the Old Testament speaking of Christ seem to import that he should not die Thou art a Priest for ever c. Psal 110. 4. His dominion is an everlasting dominion c. Dan. 7. 14. Ans Indeed some from those and the like places did inferre that Christ should not die For when they heard Christ speak of his death they objected against it saying We have heard out of the Law that Christ abideth for ever Joh. 12. 34. As if because he should abide for ever as was signified in the * The Law is sometimes put for any part of the Old Testament as Joh. 15. 25. and 1 Cor. 14. 21. Law that is in the writings of the Old Testament therfore he should not die but they erred not rightly understanding the Scriptures which speak of Christs abiding for ever For the meaning of them is not that Christ should not die but that although he did die yet he should soon rise again and so abide for ever Christ being risen from the dead dieth no more death hath no more dominion over him Rom. 6. 9. 2. It was the will of God that Christ should suffer death There is nothing whatsoever comes to passe but by the will of God Who hath said Nihil fit nisi omnipotens fieri velit vel ipse faciendo vel permittendo ut fiat ab aliis Aug. and it cometh to passe and the Lord commandeth it not Lam. 3. 37. otherwise then by the will and pleasure of God not so much as a sparrow doth fall to the ground Mat. 10. 29. much lesse could so great a thing as Christs death have been had it not been the will and pleasure of God that it should be Pilate condemned Christ to die and others did execute the sentence which Pilate had pronounced but neither Pilate nor others did any thing to Christ but as God had before determined to be done Acts 4. 27 28. 3. It being the will of God that Christ should suffer death Christ in obedience to the will of God did suffer it This Commandement have I received of my Father said Christ Joh. 10. 18. viz. that he should lay down his life and therefore he would and did lay it down And Joh. 18. 11. The cup which my Father hath given me to drinke shall I not drink it As if he should say Shall I not suffer death seeing he will have me suffer it True it is Christ considering death in it self would have avoided it but considering it as that which his Father would have him to suffer so he was willing to suffer it Mat. 26. 39 42. Q. But why would God have Christ to suffer death A. 1. For the satisfying of his Justice God had determined declared death to be the punishment that should be inflicted for sin Gen. 2. 17. 3. 19. Rō 6. 33. Christ was to satisfie for sin and therefore he was to suffer death His soul was made an offering for sin Esa 53. 10. Without shedding of blood is no remission Heb. 9. 22. And v. 26. He appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself Thus Christ died for our sins 1 Cor. 15. 3. 2. God would have Christ to suffer death for the magnifying of his mercy God commendeth his love towards us sets it out in this that whiles we were yet sinners Christ died for us Ro. 5. 8. By Christs death first we are reconciled unto God When we were enemies we were reconciled unto God by the death of his Son Rom. 5. 10. In whom we have redemption thorough his blood even the forgiveness of our sins Col. 1. 14. And v. 21 22. And you that were sometimes alienated and enemies in your mind thorough wicked works yet now hath he reconciled in the body of his flesh through death 2. VVe
corruption remains in him The Apostle having said ye are dead Col. 3. 3. Yet addes v. 3. Mortifie therefore your members which are upon the earth fornication uncleannesse c. But let us consider this we professe our selves Christians Disciples and followers of Christ and so consequently dead and buried with him If then we walk in sin we make our selves prodigious for is it not a prodigious thing for one that is dead and buried yet to walk as if he were alive O then as we have put on Christ by profession and so at least all that are baptized into Christ have put on Christ Gal. 3. 27. Let us also put on Christ by imitation conforming our selves unto him and walking as he walked Of this putting on of Christ the Apostle speaks and to it he exhorts saying Let us walk honestly as in the day not in rioting and in drunkennesse not in chaâ—bering and wantonnesse not in strife and envy but put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ and make no provision for the flesh to fulfill the lusts thereof Rom. 13. 13 14. Vse 4. In the last place the doctrine of Christs burying may serve for our information As 1. That it is a Christian course to bury the dead Nature it self doth teach so much and much more Christianity that the dead ought to be buried The Saints have shewed a speciall care to perform their duty in this respect Sarah being dead Abraham was very carefull to have her buried I am a stranger and a sojourner with you said he to the Hittites give me a possession of a burying place with you that I may bury my dead out of my sight Gen. 23. 4. And it is observable that he purchased nothing in the Land of Canaan but only the place there spoken of to bury in So Stephen being stoned to death devout men carried him to be buried Act. 8. 2. It 's recorded of Isaac and Ismael that when Abraham their Father was dead they buried him Gen. 25. 9. And so of Iacob and Esau that they did the same for Isaac Gen. 35. 29. Though Ismael and Esau were prophane persons Gal. 4. 29. Heb. 12. 16. yet they joyned with Isaac and Jacob who were godly in the burying of their Father that therefore which we read in the Gospell that when Christ called one to follow him and he desired first to go and bury his Father Christ said Let the dead bury the dead That I say is not so to be taken as if Christ did condemn or vilifie the office of burying the dead as if this care did not become the godly For as the Apostle saith in another 1 Tim. 5. â— case He that neglects this hath denied the faith and is worse then an infidell because he omits that which even infidells will be carefull to perform But it was only the intent and meaning of Christ to teach that all carnall affections must be laid aside and nothing must hinder us from following Christ when he doth call nor from doing that which he doth enjoyn How far Christ was from intending to disparage the office of burying the dead may appear by that which he spake in defence of Mary whom some excepted against because of the precious ointment that she had powred upon him saying that it might better have been sold and the money given to the poor Let her alone said Christ for against the day of my burying hath she done this Joh. 12. 7. They are therefore inhumane who not content with the death of those whom they hate and persecute wil not suffer them to be buried or not to rest when they are buried This indeed is a punishment denounced against and inflicted upon some for the example of others He shall be buried with the buriall of an asse drawn and cast forth beyond the gates of Jerusalem Jer. 22. 19. Their dead bodies shal be for meat to the fowls of the heaven and to the beasts of the earth Jer. 32. 20. And as Josiah turned himself he espied the Sepulchers that were there in the mount and he sent and took the bones out of the Sepulchers and burnt them upon the Altar c. 2 King 23. 16. God had long before declared that Josiah should thus deal with the dead bones of Idolaters 1 Kings 13. 2. But what doth this make for them who deal thus even with the Saints whose death is precious in the sight of the Lord This the Psalmist complains sore of The dead bodies of thy servants have they given to be meat to the fowls of the heavens the flesh of thy Saints unto the beasts of the earth Their blood have they shed like water round about Ierusalem and there was none to bury them Psal 79. 2 3. Thus barbarously did they of the Romish Church here in the time of Q. Mary deal with those worthy men Bucer and Fagius they digged up their dead bodies out of their graves and consumed them in the fire and this inhumanity have some used towards the dead out of a desire to revenge themselves on them to the uttermost as it is said of Sylla that he caused the dead body of Marius his adversary to be digged up And so Pope Sergius the third is reported to have dealt in like manner with his Predecessour Formosus whom he hated because he had gotten the Papal dignity before him 2. From Christs burying we may learn that the custome of the Country having nothing superstitious nor uncomely in it is in this respect to be observed It is said that for the manner of Christs burying it was as the manner of the Iews was to bury Joh. 19. 40. Whence Austin observes that in those offices In hujusmodi officiis quae mortuis exhibentur mos â—ujuslibet regionis est servandus Aug. that are performed to the dead the custome of each Countrey is to be observed Caution But concerning buriall this caution is requisite not to think any therefore more aliens from Christ if they be not buried at all or but meanly buried nor therefore to think any the nearer unto Christ if they have a sumptuous and stately buriall The Papists are very superstitious in this thinking it to concern the welfare of the soul to be buried rather in one place then in another Purgatory is the ground of this conceit but Purgatory it self hath no ground in Scripture for it The Scripture tels us that when Eccl. 12. 7. a man dies as the body goeth to the earth so the soul goes to God viz. to be judged by him neither shal the soul fare better or worse whether the body be buried or not or buried after this or another manner We read of the rich mans burying Luk. 16. yet his soul went to hell We read not of any buriall that Lazarus had yet his soul was carried into Abrahams bosome True it is the Patriarks of old were very solicitous about their burying in the Land of Canaan though they died out of it Gen. 47.
are delivered from Satan Now shall the Prince of this world be cast out said Christ when the time of his death was at hand Joh. 12. 31. For asmuch as the children are partakers of flesh and blood he also himselfe took part of the same that thorough death he might destroy him that had the power of death that is the devill Heb. 2. 14. The devill is there said to have the power of death though that properly belong unto God for it is he that killeth and he that maketh alive 1 Sam. 26. Deut. 32. 39. because by the malice of the devill man became guilty of sin and so liable unto death Christ by his death hath vanquished Satan and freed those that belong unto him from Satans power Therefore they that believe in Christ are said to be brought from the power of Satan unto God Act. 26. 18. and to be delivered from the power of darknesse Col. 1. 13. 3. We have right unto eternall life Had not Christ died we had been uncapable of life that life which is to come This was signified by that Gen. 3. 24. where it is said that Adam having sinned God drove him out viz. of Paradise and he placed at the East of the garden of Eden Cherubins and a flaming sword which turned every way to keep the way of the tree of life By reason of sin the life to come eternall life which was shadowed by that tree of life was inaccessible unto us we could have no accesse unto it but Christ by his blood hath made a new and living way for us Heb. 10. 20. And for this cause he is the mediator of the new Testament that by means of death for the redemption of the transgressions that were the first Testament they which are called might receive the promise of eternall inheritance Heb. 9. 15. And in the two verses following is shewed why the new Covenant that God hath made with his people is called a Testament because it is of force by Christs death For where a Testament is there must also of necessity be the death of the testator For a Testament is of force after men are dead otherwise it is of no strength at all whiles the testator liveth Neither doth this make for the Popish opinion of Limbus Patrum as if before Christs death none did go to heaven and enjoy the happinesse of the life to come For Jesus Christ yesterday and to day and the same for ever Heb. 13. 8. The death of Christ was of force as well before as since Christs coming they that did believe in Christ to come did enjoy the benefit of his death as well as they that now since his coming do believe in him Ob. But may some say notwithstanding Christs death yet still all die Answ True but not so as otherwise had it not been for Christs death they should have died For 1. By the death of Christ all that believe are altogether freed from the second death over such the second death hath no power Revel 20. 6. 2. The first death to believers is as no death but an entrance into life even life eternall Blessed are the dead which die in our Lord from henceforth yea saith the Spirit that they may rest from their labours c. Revel 14. 13. The souls of the faithfull being separated from their bodies do immediately enter into happinesse which made the Apostle say that to die was gain unto him Phil. 1. 21. And v. 23. that he desired to be dissolved and to be with Christ which was far better And the bodies of believers shall also in due time be raised up and together with their souls be made partakers of eternall blisse Christ by his death hath overcome death so that they that believe in him shall not be overcome by it not so as for ever to remain under the power and dominion of it I will ransome them from the power of the grave saith Christ I wil redeem them from death O death I will by thy plagues O grave I will be thy destruction Hos 13. 14. To which place the Apostle alludeth saying O death where is thy sting O grave where is thy victory And he addes the sting of death is sin and the strength of sin is the Law But 〈…〉 ks be unto God who giveth us victory thorough Jesus Christ our Lord 1 Cor. 15. 55 56 57. Vse 1. Here then is consolation for us in respect of the guilt of sin and the fear of wrath as due for sin Do our consciences accuse us doth Satan throw his fiery darts at us The meditation and application of Christs death is sufficient to quiet our consciences and to repell Satan and all his assaults Who shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods Elect it is God that justifieth Who is he that Turbatur conscientia sed non perturbabitur qui◠vulnerum Domini recordabor condemneth it is Christ that died Rom. 8. 33 34. My conscience saies one is troubled but it shall not be orewhelmed for I will remember the wounds of the Lord Jesus Vse 3. But as Christ died for sin so must we die unto sin thus must we be conformed to his death or els we can expect no benefit by it We thus judge saith the Apostle that if one died for all then were all dead And that he died for all that they that live should not henceforth live unto themselves but unto him that died for them and rose again 2 Cor. 5. 15. They are therefore most foolish and absurd who think that because Christ died for them therefore they may live as they list As if Christ by his death had purchased not freedome from sin but freedom to sin this is to turn the grace of God into lasciviousnesse and to deny the only Lord God and our Lord Jesus Christ Jude v. 4. But we have not so learned Christ Ephes 4. 20. our very Baptism doth teach us another lesson The Apostle having said Where sin abounded there grace hath abounded much more Rom. 5. 20. To prevent the abuse of this doctrine he addes presently after What shall we say then shall we continue in sin that grace may abound God forbid How shall we that are dead unto sin live any longer therein Know ye not that so many of us as were baptized into Christ were baptized into his death Therefore we are buried with him by baptisme into death c. Rom. 6. 1. 2 3 4. So Col. 3. 2 3. Set your affections on things above not on things on the earth for ye are dead viz. unto sin and v. 5. Mortifie therefore your members that are upon the earth fornication uncleannesse inordinate affection evill concupiscence and covetousnesse which is idolatry This mortifying of sin and dying unto sin imports 1. A serious and setled purpose to eschew sin I said that is I purposed I resolved I will take heed unto my waies that I offend not with my tongue Psal 39. 1. I am purposed
said Blessed be the Lord God of Israle who hath visited and redeemed his people And hath raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David where observe that Christ is described still more particularly as being not only the seed of Abraham but of David and so called the son of David Mat. 1. 1. immediately he addes As he spake by the mouth of his holy Prophets which have been since the world began Luk. 1. 68 69 70. So Stephen speaking to the Jewes Which of the Prophets said he have not your Fathers persecuted And they have slaine them which have shewed before of the coming of the just One of whom now ye have been the betrayers and murtherers Acts 7. 52. Peter also in his Sermon to Cornelius and the rest that were with him speaking of Christ saith To him give all the Prophets witnesse that thorow his Name whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sinnes Acts 10. 43. And as Moses and the Prophets did in words testifie that Christ is the only Saviour so from the time of Moses untill the coming of Christ there were many types and figures whereby this was signified Some of these types and figures were extraordinary and transient some were ordinary and permanent Of the former sort was the brazen Serpent which by Gods appointment Moses made and set upon a pole that the people being stung with fiery Serpents looking upon it might be healed as we read in Numb 21. * This was a figure of Christ lift up on the Crosse on whom whosoever being stung by that old Seâ—pent the Devil looketh with the eye of faith he shall be healed Our Saviour himself shewes this to have prefigured him and the benefit that cometh by him As Moses saith he lift up the Serpent in the wildernesse so must the Son of Man be lift up that whosoever believeth in him might not perish but have everlasting life Joh. 3. 14 15. So the cloud which went before the Israelites in the wildernesse when they journeyed and was a guide unto them and when they rested abode over their heads and kept off the scorching heat of the Sun from them this cloud I say of which see Exod. 13. 21 22. was likewise a type of Christ by whom alone we are protected from the fire of Gods wrath and are directed to the heavenly Canaan The Apostle saith that the Israelites were baptized unto Moses in the cloud It was a kind of Baptisme unto them it was to them as baptisme is to us a Sacramentall sign pointing at Christ and shadowing forth salvation by him and him only And so also the Sea as the Apostle sheweth in the same place viz. 1 Cor. 10. 2. the Sea thorough which the Israelites passed when Pharoah and the Egyptians pursued them and were ready to destroy them wherein also their adversaries were drowned as the story is recorded in Exod. 14. Of this nature also was Manna wherewith God did feed the Israelites Exod. 16. The Apostle calls it Spirituall meat 1 Cor. 10. 3. because it had a spirituall signification it signified Christ and the body of Christ even as now the bread in the Sacrament of the Lords Supper doth that true bread which doth feed the soul unto eternall life as Christ sheweth at large in Joh. 6. So also was the rock out of which God gave drink to the Israelites in the wildernesse Exod. 17. That Rock was Christ saith the Apostle 1 Cor. 10. 4. That is it did represent and signifie Christ like as Christ called the bread in the Sacrament his body and the wine his blood which blood of his was also represented and signified by that water out of the Rock which therefore the Apostle there calls Spirituall drink in respect of the spirituall signification of it These types and figures of Christ I call extraordinary and transient because they were only appointed upon occasion and to continue but for a short time But there were other types and figures of him which were of a more solemn institution and of a more durable nature which therefore I call ordinary and permanent Of this kind was the Passeover or the Paschall Lamb the blood whereof being sprinkled on the doors of the Israelites they were preserved when the first-born of the Egyptians were destroyed Exod. 12. That Lamb was a figure of Christ the Lamb of God Joh. 1. 29. by whose blood we are saved whenas all that are not sprinkled with it shall be destroyed what is spoken of that Lamb Exod. 12. 46. is applied unto Christ and alledged as meant principally of him Joh. 19. 36. So all the sacrifices and other rites and ceremonies of the Law had reference unto Christ and did typifie him as the only Redeemer and Saviour Which are a shadow of things to come saith the Apostle speaking of some of them but the body is of Christ Col. 2. 17. The Law was given by Moses but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ Joh. 1. 17. Grace in opposition to the Morall Law and truth in opposition to the ceremoniall Law which was but a shadow of those things the truth whereof is in Christ For the Law having a shadow of good things to come and not the very image of the things c. Heb. 10. 1. For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and goats should take away sin v. 4. No it 's only the blood of Christ which was typified by the blood of those creatures that can do it See there what follows in the same Chapter And indeed the scope of the whole Epistle is to shew that the ceremoniall Law did but shadow out Christ and therefore is now abolished Christ being come and having accomplished that which it shadowed Thus in the Scriptures of the Old Testament is Christ set forth as he in whom alone salvation is to be found But much more clearly and fully is this revealed in the Scriptures of the New Testament We use great plainnesse of speech And not as Moses that put a vail over his face c. saith the Apostle 2 Cor. 3. 12 13. The Text in hand doth plainly tell us that there is not salvation in any other c. So Mat. 1. 21. it 's said that therefore he is called Jesus because he doth save his people from their sins And S. John saith God hath given unto us eternall life and this life is in his Son He that hath the Son hath life but he that hath not the Son hath not life 1 Joh. 5. 11 12. Every where in the New Testament such sentences and sayings are obvious But for the fuller manifestation of the truth of this Doctrine let us further consider that all the links of the golden chain of salvation viz. Election Redemption Adoption Justification Sanctification and Glorification all have reference unto Christ and dependance upon him 1. Election God hath elected such as shall be saved God hath chosen you unto salvation 2 Thes 2.
said v. 39. Therefore they sought againe to take him but he escaped out of their hands And this may suffice for the clearing and vindicating of the words and so I may justly inferre from them this doctrinall conclusion That Christ is God truly and properly so called Doct. even one and the same God with the Father For further proof hereof we have many testimonies Esa 9. 6. Christ is called the mighty God though the faithlesse Iewes seek to wrest that Scripture another way See before Serm. 7. of Scripture as that Joh. 1. 1. In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God By the Word is here meant Christ as is clear by v. 14. and by Revel 19. 13. Christ I say is so called in respect of his divine nature for the Word here denotes the Son the second Person of the Trinity as is evident by 1 Joh. 5. 7. Here therefore it is expresly affirmed that Christ as the Son of God was before his Incarnation before he was Man and that he was God The same also is confirmed by that confession that Thomas made of him My Lord and my God Joh. 20. 28. Thomas did not mean to flatter Christ as the Poet did Augustus calling him his Namque erit ille mihi Deus c. Virgil. God although he knew him to be but a man no he believed what he spake and he knew what he believed Christ approved him for believing as he did only blamed him for being so slow to believe as he was v. 29. Whereas it had been no lesse then Idolatry in Thomas to have called Christ his God if Christ had not been God indeed The Prophet Isaiah taxeth Idolaters for saying to an Idol Deliver me for thou art my God Esa 44. 17. Again the Godhead of Christ is likewise manifest by that Acts 20. 28. Take heed to your selves c. to feed the Church of God which he hath purchased with his own blood It is Christ who with his blood did purchase the Church yet here it is said that God did it therefore it necessarily followes that Christ is God and so is he plainly called Rom. 9. 5. of whom viz. the Jewes as concerning concerning the flesh Christ came who is over all God blessed for ever Amen Some would not have this clause referred unto Christ and therefore not to be read thus who is over all c. but to be added as a Doxologie or praising of God and to be read thus God who is over all be blessed for ever Amen But neither will the words so easily bear this sense neither were this so fit a place for such a Doxologie And besides those words as concerning the flesh being spoken by way of limitation and restriction to shew how Christ came of the Jewes viz. not simply and absolutely but only in some respect in respect of the flesh his humane nature as man those words I say sufficiently evince that Christ hath another nature a divine nature and is God and to make that more clear in reference unto him it followes who is over all God blessed for ever Amen And yet further consider that the Apostle is speaking of the Prerogatives of the Jewes and mentions this in the last place as the greatest that of them â—ame Christ and to shew what an honor this was unto them he shewes what an honourable Person Christ is even over all God blessed for ever Amen So Col. 2. 9. it is said of Christ that in him doth dwell all the fulnesse of the Godhead bodily that is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Oecumen ad loc really and substantially And 1 Tim. 3. 16. God was manifested in the flesh that is Christ being God and as God invisible assumed flesh was made man and so in the flesh as man was made visible and manifest See Joh. 1. 14. So Heb. 1. 8. Vnto the Son he saith Thy Throne O God is for ever and ever What can be more plain then this that Christ the Son of God is here stiled God even that God whose Throne is for ever and ever And thus also 1 Joh. 5. 20. of Christ is it said This is the true God and eternall life immediately before these words is Jesus Christ mentioned neither can they without violent perverting of them be referred to any other Thus are there many places of Scripture where Christ is expresly termed God the name of God even the only true God is given unto him There are also many other arguments which the Scripture affords whereby to prove Christs Godhead 1. This is proved by those places where Christ is called the Son of God his begotten his only begotten Son The unbelieving Iewes did acknowledge the validity of this consequence that if Christ be the Son of God viz. properly so called as begotten of God then also he is God onely they denied the antecedent that Christ is thus the Son of God They sought to kill him because he had said that God was his Father making himself equall with God Ioh. 5. 18. They well perceived that Christ did so call God his Father as to make himself God even the same God with the Father For otherwise they themselves did call God their Father Joh. 8. 41. And so Christ hath taught all believers to call God saying Our Father but they knew that Christ did call God his Father in another sense and so he did For God is our Father and we his children onely by adoption God hath predestinated us to the adoption of children c. Eph. 1. 5. But God is the Father of Christ and Christ is the Son of God by generation To him God speaks saying Thou art my Son this day have I begotten thee Psal 2. 5. To be thus the Son of God is peculiar unto Christ neither Man nor Angell is capable of this honor To which of the Angels said God at any time Thou art my Son this day have I begotten thee Heb. 1. 5. Therefore is Christ in Scripture called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the only begotten Son of God Ioh. 3. 16. 1 Ioh. 4. 9 10. because none but he is the Son of God in that manner Indeed in some sense believers are said to be begotten of God Of his owne will begate he us c. Iam. 1. 18. But this is onely in respect of that renovation which God doth worke in us by his Spirit in which respect we are said also to be partakers of the divine nature 2 Pet. 1. 4. But Christ is so begotten of God as to have the same essence nature and substance with God even as he that is begotten of man is man so Christ being properly Intelligentiae istud humanae sensus excludit ut aliquid à naturâ originis suae nascendo diversum sit Quis rogo furor est nativitatem unigeniti Dei ad degenerem ex Deo referre naturam cum nativitas non nisi ex proprietate naturae sit
sins 1 John 2. 1 2. He is with the Father for he is ascended up to the Father and therefore we may be sure that the Father will be propitious to us for his sake Seeing then we have a great High Priest that is passed into the heavens Iesus the Son of God let us hold fast our profession Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need Heb. 4. 14. 16. So Heb. 10. 19 20 21 22. Having therefore brethren boldnesse to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus by a new and living way which he hath consecrated for us thorough the vail that is to say his flesh And having an High Priest over the house of God let us draw neare with a true heart in full assurance of faith 2. It also affords unto us a ground of assurance that we belonging unto Christ and being his shall ascend into heaven For the Head being ascended the members must in due time ascend also the head and the members must be together Where I am there shall also my servant be saith Christ Joh. 12. 26. And Joh. 17. 24. Father I will that they whom thou hast given me be where I am And Joh. 14. ◠3. I go to prepare a place for you And if I go and prepare a place for you I will come again and receive you unto my self that where I am there ye may be also The Apostle speaks of our ascension as a thing already effected and wrought by Christs ascension God he saith hath made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Iesus Eph. 2. 6. Thus Christs Ascension serves to comfort us in all adversity and to take away the fear of death yea to make death desirable seeing it will but convey us thither whither Christ is gone before to prepare a place for us Therefore we are alwaies confident saith the Apostle knowing that while we are present in the body we are absent from the Lord. For we walk by faith and not by sight We are confident I say willing rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord 2 Cor. 5. 6 7 8. And so Phil. 1. 23. Desiring to be dissolved and to be with Christ which is far better Vse Lastly the ascension of Christ serves to admonish us to ascend thither spiritually whither Christ is ascended corporally to have our hearts and affections in heaven where Christ is Why seek ye the living among the dead He is not here but is risen said the Angells to those that came to seek Christ in the Sepulchre Luk. 24. 5 6. So Why seek we Christ among the things of the earth He is not here but is ascended Therefore if we seek Christ let us seek those things that are above where Christ is let us set our affections on things above and not on things that are upon the earth Col. 3. 1 2. As Christ is in heaven so our conversation also must be in heaven Phil. 3. 20. The two and twentieth SERMON HEB. 12. 2. And is set downe at the right hand of the Throne of God THe Apostle v. 1. exhorts to patience and perseverance in the way of holinesse Let us run with patience or patient continuance as the word there used is rendred Rom. 2. 7. the race 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is set before us And this exhortation he inferreth from the examples of the Saints mentioned in the 11. Chapter Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with such a cloud of witnesses let us lay aside every weight and sin which doth so easily beset us and let us run c. Then he further inforceth the exhortation from the example of Christ who above all is to be followed v. 2. Looking unto Iesus the Author and finisher of our faith who for the joy that was set before him indured the Crosse despising the shame that is for the blessed and happy estate that he was to enter into after his passion he was well content to suffer as he did And then he goes on shewing that Christs expectation was not in vain but that he obtained the glory and happinesse which he looked for And is set down at the right hand of the Throne of God that is of God sitting in his Throne He speaks of God as a King in his Throne and so Christ sitting at the right hand of God is said to sit at the right hand of the Throne of God Hence then let us observe this point That Doct. Christ after his Passion and humiliation not only rose from the dead and ascended into heaven but also sate down at the right hand of God Christs resurrection was the beginning of his exaltation his ascension was a higher degree of it and his sitting at the right hand of God yet higher then both and the highest that may be This degree of exaltation is peculiar unto Christ whereas the other are common to him with his members They shall all rise from the dead and ascend up to heaven David is not ascended into the heavens saith Peter Act. 2. 34. As yet David is not ascended in respect of the body to which ascension properly belongs but he shall ascend and so all the Saints likewise they shall be caught up together in the clouds to meet the Lord in the ayre and so shall be ever with the Lord 1 Thes 4. 17. But besides Christ none ever did or shall sit at the right hand of God this honour is not communicable to any other whether man or Angell For to which of the Angels said God at any time sit on my right hand Heb. 1. 13. Now that Christ doth sit at the right hand of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 God it is most clear as by the Text in hand so by many other places of Scripture As Heb. 1. 3. When he had by himself purged our sins he sate down on the right hand of the Majesty on high And Heb. 8. 1. We have such an High Priest who is set on the right hand of the Throne of the Majesty in the Heavens And Heb. 10. 12. But this man after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever sate down on the right hand of God So S. Mark testifies of Christ that he was received up into heaven and sate on the right hand of of God Mar. 16. 19. And this Christ himselfe did fore-tell Luke 22. 69. Hereafter shall the Son of Man sit on the right hand of the power of God And David did prophecy of it long before saying The LORD said unto my Lord Sit thou at my right Hand untill I make thine Enemies thy footstool Psal 110. 1. which words were spoken concerning Christ as Christ himselfe hath shewed Mat. 22. 41 42 43 44 45. And so S. Peter Acts 2. 34 35. And the Author of the Epistle to the Hebrewes c. 1. v. 13. But now let us see what is meant by Christs