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A56791
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Jesus is God, or, The deity of Jesus Christ vindicated being an abstract of some sermons preach'd in the parish-church of St. James, Clerkenwell / by D. Pead.
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Pead, Deuel, d. 1727.
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1694
(1694)
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Wing P961; ESTC R1660
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45,552
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144
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John James and Philip. Capernaum also was Highly Exalted by his Miracles for there the Centurion's Servant and the Nobleman's Son were healed there the Paralytick and the Woman with the Bloody-Issue were Cured and the Ruler of the Synagogue's onely Daughter were Raised to Life yet in the mean time Tyre and Sidon two Ancient and Renowned Cities not far distant from Jerusalem were not alike Honoured as appears * Matt. 11.21 and we hear them of Nazareth importuning him to Parallel among them the Miracles he had done at Capernaum and elsewhere but were not Answered in that they Prayed for This is so plain to all that Converse with Scripture that the labour of farther Quotations may be spared I pass therefore to the First Enquiry 1. What a Miracle is We Read in Scripture of Signs Wonders and Miracles in either of which is a great difference A Sign is some outward sensible thing by which some other thing is brought to Mind to this purpose †Matt. 16.1 2.3 the Pharisees and Sadduces requested of our Saviour a Sign that is the doing some notable thing whereby they might be convinc'd that he was the Messiah That this was their meaning is evident from the Reply for they were told that they could from the Face and Appearance of the Sky and from the Colour of the Clouds Collect what Weather was coming and therefore he admir'd they could not as well discern the Sign of the Times for had they been as observant of Scripture as they were of the Heavens they could not but have known by the Signs there foretold and now full fill'd that this must be the exact time of the Messiah's coming and had they judiciously scann'd his Doctrine and Doings these were so correspondent to the Types that they must have concluded them infallible Signs of his being the Messiah A Wonder is nature greatly improv'd and is called a Wonder either that it is worthy of Admiration for its rareness or greatness I cannot foresee any cause of reproof should I say that Signs and Wonders Deo permittente are in the power of Devils to effect for if the Art of Man can heighten natural things to the wonder and admiration of others the subtilty of Satan may be allowed to be capable of heightening them much more and easier Under the Notion of Wonders we may comprehend the Great and Glorious Works of God the making of the Heavens the founding of the Earth upon no other Basis than his Providence the making those great Lights the Sun Moon and Stars and all his Works of Providence and our Eyes may daily see one of the Wonders of his Power to wit that a single and dead grain of Corn should sometimes multiply into Thirty Sixty or an Hundred Fold A Miracle is a work of God for though Man may be the instrumental cause whereby yet is he not the Original cause which effects a Miracle but every Miracle is effected and brought to pass by Divine Power only a Miracle is of two sorts fometimes the Operation transcends the Power of all second Causes as Sight given to such as were born Blind or raising the Dead to life sometimes it lies within the Power of second Causes yet they are not employed as when Diseases and Infirmities are cured without means which it was possible due application of means in time might have effected A Miracle is a work of God and in Hebrew takes its Name from a Root 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifying to Separate for such works are separated or removed from Man First In respect of his Reason being not acquainted with their proper and positive Causes humane reason is too short to Fathom such an Abyss Secondly In respect of our Senses my meaning is that though the thing wrought be discernible as in the forecited instance She now walketh upright that could not before yet the power that brought this work about and the manner of bringing it about are imperceptible to our Senses which well considered the Romanists have not so fair pretences for their Miracle of Transubstantiation for not only is the power and ways of effecting it Mysterious and Indiscernible but the Work as they say Wrought surpasses our sensitive Understanding we can neither see it feel it or taste it and therefore should be but Block-heads to believe it an invisible Miracle Thirdly In respect of our imitation there can be so little probability of parallelling that of whose cause and way of doing it we profess our selves wholly ignorant 2. The next enquiry was how we may distinguish between a true Miracle and a pretended one The Devil by his great Subtilty and Agility may sometimes for the promotion of his own ends assist evil men in the doing some great and strange things resembling Miracles which if really examined come far short this evil Spirit can pry into the fertile Womb of Nature and there find out the Seeds or Beginnings of things and understanding the different Qualities and Operations their Sympathies and Antipathies he can so temper and apply them as to counterfeit a Miracle but a real one he cannot produce it requiring a Divine Power to act beyond above or contrary to Nature there is no doubt by his aid the Magicians of AEgypt did many curious things yet not real Miracles In this case that we may make a right Judgment we have some necessary Rules First The first thing that ought to be considered in order of trying or judging of a Miracle is the power whereby it is wrought in whatsoe'er is real Digitus Dei discernitur we may discover the Finger or Power of God Other Operations though Peradventure wonderful are brought about by natural means such as Slight Wit Skill and the like or else by the help of Satan Secondly The Agents or Persons Those concern'd in the Operation of Miracles are ordinarily Holy and Vertuous while about the counterfeit Magicians Sorcerers Conjurers Witches and other evil Persons are generally the chief Thirdly The manner of Working Between the true and pretended Miracles is very great difference as to their ways of bringing about The real are not under the power of any other means but what are Lawfull Good and Holy such as Faith Fasting Prayer and Invocation of the Name of Jesus whereas about the pretended Charms Inchantments and Superstitious Methods are observed Fourthly The end also must be well weighed The pretended are ever done to deceive and mislead or in hopes of worldly applause and profit but the end and purpose of real Miracles is to advance the Glory of God to honour the Name and Power of Jesus Christ to confirm the Faith To defend and relieve the Church of Christ in General or some of its distressed Members as also to awaken the stupid to Repentance and newness of Life 3. The next Enquiry is What is the use or end of Miracles how far they are necessary and where not When God was pleased to send some extraordinary Messengers into the
Head of the Church But for fear any should stumble at that Expression The First-born of every Creature it will be convenient we understand this to be a Figurative Speech and beareth reference to the Privileges of the First-born as being Lord and to exercise Dominion over his Brethren so that the Phrase First-born hath been customarily used to signifie Precedency as †Ps 89.27 David is there called The First-born higher than the Kings of the Earth not that his Kingdom was the Ancientest or himself the Oldest King then Reigning but as the clause of the Verse explains it higher than the rest so that it would be most absurd from this Expression to Argue Christ to be a Creature whenas the Apostle therefore uses it to shew that he was higher than all Creatures and consequently God To conclude this Point We being by God's Word Instructed That Christ made all things We must Believe and acknowledge him to be God for what saith the Scripture ‖ Heb. 3.4 He that Built all things is God That the Word in the First of St. John's Gospel was understood to be the Creator we may conclude from Amelius a Heathen who Reading those Words In the Beginning was the Word Cry'd out Iste Barbarus cum nostro Platone sentit Verbum Dei in ordine Principii esse i. e. John is of our Plato's Opinion That the Word of God is in Order of Principles i. e. The Beginning of things II. The Work of Redemption is ascrib'd to Jesus Christ the Son of the Virgin Mary The Word Redemption does naturally suppose Loss and Misery and that brings to Mind a Sad and Dismal Story as old as Adam In the Beginning of Time the Great and Mighty God Created Heaven and Earth who when he had richly deckt the Firmament with Glorious Lights and furnished the Elements with Variety of Creatures the Emblems of his Wisdom and Goodness did then make Man to whom he intended to commit the Government of the Lower World That therefore so Great Authority might be Beneficial to and Indisputable by the rest of the Creation he stamps upon him his own Image Man is Created in Holiness his Mind was Ennobled with choice Faculties and Graces he had a Rational Soul placed in a Body well built and every way fitted for the Service of God and Himself This Glorious Creature had a Plantation of God's own Planting allotted him for his Court a place richly provided and freedom of enjoying every thing one Onely Tree Excepted Abstinence from this was the Chief Standard of his Obedience and the Trial of his Love and Duty to the Great Creator Thus Gloriously Made and Plentifully Provided for God left him together with the Partner of all this Happiness to their Own Free-Wills A Blessed State sure wherein besides the Holiness of their Nature they had the Advantage of Intelligent and Rational Souls The Lively Sense of Divine Favour to Restrain every Illegal Motion and the Hopes of Future Beneficence to preserve them in their Native Integrity But over and above all these lest Forgetfulness or Inconsiderateness might on one hand betray or any Subtile Temptation on the other over-power or surprize them the Forbidden Tree was committed to the Guard of the King of Terrors DEATH †Gen. 2.17 In the day thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die Grim Ghastly DEATH Death that Implacable Tyrant who with his Iron-Mace doth Break the Vessels of the Almighty Potter to Dust One would have thought a bare Glimpse of him would have made a Lump of Clay to Quake and if Love could not yet Fear of him would have kept Them within their Conceded Liberty but Death as yet had no Sting The Arch-Fiend Lucifer well-vers'd in all the Black-Arts of Rebellion resolves if possible to draw this Happy Couple to Revolt from their Creator and being full of all Subtilty he Attacks this New Exalted Prince in his Weakest and most Defenceless Part his Wife 't was true he had not Rays enough left of his former Glory under which he might shroud this Dreadful Guard yet knew he how to instill into Eve's Too Listening Ears a Prejudice hinting That the Reason of God's Strict Prohibition was no other than his Averseness to Their Happiness being extreamly unwilling that their Eyes should be Opened by means of which Prejudice he Bolts up Her Heart too fast for any Thoughts of God's Favour or Her Duty to Re-enter he then fills Her Fancy with Great and Glorious Appearances of a God-like Being or Knowledge * Gen. 3.5 In the day ye eat thereof ye shall be as Gods knowing Good and Evil These Goodly Appearances beget in Her Mind Passionate Desires and Eager Wishes so Vast that the Supposed Joy and Delight thereof soon Inclin'd and Bow'd Her Will and straight the Fascinated Eyes look up and behold the Deadly Fruit with Pleasure the Mouth Waters the Feet Hasten the Hands Pluck the Lips Receive the Teeth Grind and the Throat Swallows the Bitter Morsel her Tongue besides the help it contributed to Chewing does straight engage the Ears of Her as yet Innocent Partner and with the Powerful Charms of Pleasure and Wisdom †Gen. 3.6 It was Fruit good for Food pleasant to the Eyes and Expedient to make one Wise She soon Overcame and Captivated his Understanding and so drew him into the Conspiracy hereupon a Deluge of Miseries Broke in upon them and their Posterity for the Law of God was Violated his Honour Blasphem'd his Anger Incens'd Guilt Contracted the Favour of Heaven Lost and God's Justice Provok'd to that degree that Mankind had inevitably Perish'd under the Weight thereof had not the Son of God stood in the Gap and made such Proposals for our Redemption as were every way Satisfactory Offering himself in Person to Satisfie the Wrath that Man had so justly Incurr'd by the Humiliation of Himself to Repair the Honour Man had Injur'd by his Obedience to Recover the Favour Man had lost by His Blood to Purge away the Guilt Man had Contracted by His Grace to break the Chains of Blindness and Perverseness the Seeds of all Sin which Man was so Fast Ty'd and bound with and by the Merits of His Life and Passion to Re-open the Kingdom of Heaven which Man by his Transgression had Shut against himself Now he that could bear the Wrath of an infinite God could give Divine Justice a compleat satisfaction he that could repair God's wronged Honour that could reconcile God to Sinners that could cure Ignorance and renew Man's depraved Will and Affections and he that could set open the Kingdom of Heaven could be no other nor less than God for humane Nature could not stand under the Wrath of God Infinite Justice required Divine Merits he that could give unto God the full Honour due unto his Name must perform Obedience beyond the Impotency of Lapsed Creatures he that undertakes to Satisfie for the Sins of others must Himself be without Sin and also Offer