Father begotten yet eternall and the Holy Ghost is proceeding from them both yet eternally too for though they be one before another in order of nature yet not in order of time But now here is the Question seeing the Father is first the Sonne second and the Holy Spirit last in that naturall order why doth the Apostle in the fore-mentioned place set the Sonne first verily because he is next and immediate unto us being our Mediatour being the canalis or conduit pipe as I may say by which the love of God and the communion of the holy-Holy-Ghost is brought and conveyed to us as the meanes is ever before the end Now the Saints being convinced and perswaded of this Truth this is the thing that makes Christ so deare and precious unto them as he is if Isaac loved Esau for his venison for a carnall respect much more have wee cause to love the Lord Jesus and highly to esteeme of him having procured for us the love of the Father a love like Jonathan's love to David passing the love of women yea a love of infinite dimensions and measures if I may so speake the breadth of it is infinite because it is without respect of persons the length also infinite because it is from everlasting to everlasting the depth infinite because it redeemes and delivers from Hell and the height likewise infinite because it lifts us up to Heaven Certainly Christ having purchased such a wonderfull love as this he must needs be precious he must needs be amiable and lovely to a beleeving soule Secondly for the pardon of sinne there is likewise an absolute necessity of Christ The bloud of Christ onely and not of Buls and Goats is availeable to take away sinnes The soule being convicted of its sinfulnesse speakes as the Prophet doth Who among us shall dwell with devouring fire who among us shall dwell with everlasting burnings God is devouring fire and everlasting bumings in relation to sinners his wrath is the fewell of Hell as I may say the breath of his indignation is like a river of brimstone kindling and perpetually maintaining the flames of Tophet what shall the poore sinfull soule doe now here 's nothing but menaces and threatnings terrours and amazements death and destruction and where is the remedy verily no where but in Christ alone Israel passing through the wildernesse had a cloud to cover him and defend him from the scortching Sunne-beames now what was this cloud but a type and shadow of Christ as the Apostle makes it 1 Cor. 10. 1. hee makes there the cloud and the Sea and the Manna and the water of the Rocke to be all figures and Images of Christ Christ is a sea to wash Manna to feed water to refresh and a cloud to hide the soule from the hot and burning wrath of God the fiery beames of that wrath would surely suffocate it and stifle it were not the bloud of Christ interposed and set between to veile it the bloud of Christ obnubilates and covers the soule from the fierce anger of God it is Christ onely that reconcileth us to God it is he alone that is our Advocate to plead our cause with his Father when man had sinned Justice and Mercy strove one with another seemed to be at variance Christ redintigrates them and makes them friends againe he is our blessed Umpire to set there two together againe giving satisfaction to Justice and place to mercy so honouring and dignifying both making both to rejoyce both to kisse and embrace each other God smels a sweet savâ—ur of rest in Christ onely all the hilasticall and propitiatory sacrifices of the Law did â—â—oke to him as to their end and substance of themselves they could not puâ—ge away the guilt of the least sinne the repetition of them as the Apostle teacheth showes plainely how invalid they were to expiate the crimes and offences of the soule the strictest observance of them could not make the worshipper perfect as touching cleerenesse of Conscience Heb. 9. 9. When David cryes purge me with bysope and I shall be cleane wash me and I shall be whiter then snow he alludes indeed to the Leviticall Ceremony but he aimes at the bloud of Christ onely this alone was able to purge away his foule spot his hainous sinne of murder would not out by any other washing then this In one of the old sacrifices there were two Goates appointed one to be slaine and the other to be kept alive which was called the scape-Goate now both these have an eye to Christ the slaine or sacrificed Goate was a type of his dying for sinne and the surviving or scape-goate figures his rising againe and ever living to mainetaine the worth of that oblation the Apostle saith that he ever liveth to make intercession for us and how doth he make intercession but by continuall holding forth in the presence of his Father the merit of his sufferings so that still Christ both dying and living is the fountaine of our peace and attonement with God still Christ is he and the onely he that obtaineth remission of sinnes for us Now if wee consider the many and great benefits that redound to us by the pardon of sinne we must needs conclude that Christ is very precious by whom we enjoy such a mercy When sinne is pardoned there is an end of Gods heavie wrath and displeasure Satan's Kingdome goes downe the power of our corruptions daily decaying we have peace and joy within whereas before wee had nothing but raging stormes and tempests and a very hell in our Consciences our prayers finde acceptance at the throne of Grace all the creatures are in league with us and are become our faithfull servants that which comes from them is sweet and benigne healthfull and good our blessings are blessed yea our very curses if they may be so called are likewise blessed unto us Judgements are removed every bitternesse is taken away even the sting of death is puld our Christ as a tree of most excellent vertue is cut downe and throwne into our Marah Some things may worke adveâ—sly and crosly to us but the Apostle speakes of a cooperating or working together which makes amends for all all things worke together saith he for good unto them that love God Rom. 8. 28. and they be such that have their sinnes pardoned Though some things worke untowardly and against the haire as I may say yet take them altogether and there is a blessed harmony and complyance a sweet relishablenesse and savourinesse in them one thing doth recompence and make up another the mixture of sweet and sowre through the wisdome and mighty working of God is very demulcent and wholsome full of benediction and blessednesse that even the sinnes of the Godly are an advantage to them and turne to their melioration and betternment God makes use even of them to doe his children good he brings meate out of the very eater and converts the causes of damnation into
King he raignes in righteousnesse he speakes in righteousnesse he makes warre in righteousnesse he betroths his Church to him in righteousnesse he delivers her from her Enemies in righteousnesse he answers her prayers in righteousnesse he doth all in righteousnesse Neither is he personally righteous alone but efficiently also not onâ—ly righteous himselfe but he makes others so too just and a Justifier as the Apostles phrase is called therefore 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Lord our Righteousnesse Jer. 23. 6. He is our true Melchisedec King of Righteousnesse that King in Abrahams dayes bore the name that he might be a Type of our King Lastly Christ is a most mild and mercifull King meeke gentle long-suffering he is the true propitiatory or Mercy-seate that in the Tabernacle of old did but prefigure him hee keeps mercy for thousands his mercy is everlasting his mercy indureth for ever is the versus amoebaeus or the bearing of the song as we say in the 136. Psalme He delights in mercy yea it is so pleasing to him that even in wrath hee remembers it he beares long with his Enemies he forgives them he dies for them hee saves them eternally and crownes them with glory for ever Thus I have shewed you that Christ is a King a Spirituall King a univerversall King over all Nations rankes of men ages of the world and over all Creatures a King ruling alone without a mate or associate an everlasting King and eminent above all other Kings in all royall vertues and qualifications as wisdome fortitude peaceablenesse Righteousnesse Mercy and the like Where shall we finde such a King as this It is said of Solomon that there was no King like him and so of Josiah but it may more truly and properly be said so of the Lord Jesus Christ the heavenly King On Earth there be Kings that have rule and domination over other Kings but Christ hath them at his steps and under his girdle as we say and they for the most part have such command by usurpation and incroachment but Christ is so constituted of his Father I will make him my first-borne higher then the Kings of the Earth Psal 89. 27. and all this is for the good of the Saints certainly then Christ must needs be very precious unto Beleevers Having spoken of Christ as Mediatour I come now to commend him to you as God and here wee be come to the supreame and highest pitch of all glory Here are fathomlesse depths and bottomlesse bottomes if I may so speake here are stupendious and amazing Mysteries astonishing and confounding excellencies such as the holy Angels themselves cannot pierce into God is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 dwelling in inaccessible light 1 Tim. 6. 16. here are such beauties and perfections that had I as the Poet speakes a hundred tongues a hundred mouthes and a voyce of steele yet I could not sufficiently describe them but must be driven with the Philosopher to aske more dayes to thinke of it and at length resolve as he did that the matter is so intricate and perplexed so inscrutable and unsearchable that I cannot resolve Neverthelesse let me say something though I doe it but slenderly and weakely as children doe of mens matters Christ then is in the altitude â—nd summity of all glory one eternall God with the Father and with the Holy Ghost proved to be so by a cloud of witnesses we have the Authority of the sacred Scriptures both in the Old and New Testament for it most frequently where he is called God and Jehovah the onely begotten Sonne of God the Image of the Father his substantiall Image and not as the forme of a face in a glasse â—lso to him are attributed such things â—â— can agree to none but God he is said to be equall with the Father eternall the author of election a searcher of hearts one that must be beleev'd in sâ—orne by worshipped with Divine worship one that gives eternall rewards one that hath power to pardon sinne one that doth illuminate by the Spirit one that shall judge both quick and dead one that is omnipotent one that hath power to worke Miracles to create to send the Holy-Ghost one that hath power to raise himselfe and others one in whose name we must be baptised and the like Paraeus that Godly and learned Divine of Heidelburgh in his Commentary upon the Revelation pick 's out of the text of that booke no lesse then forty two Arguments of the Divinity of Christ By all which wee may see the blasphemy of those who have affirmed him to be no more then a particular God and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 patri but not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 like unto the Father but not of the same Essence and substance with him But we shall farther see the madnesse of these men if wee consider these particulars First of all Christ shines as a Sunne in the firmament of the world in all perfection and sufficiency of wisdome power goodnesse love Majesty and glory Secondly whatsoever measure the most excellent of the creatures have of these things they are beholding unto him for it he is the never failing spring and fountaine of all blessing and goodnesse Now the Logicall Rule is quod efficit tale illud magis est tale that which makes a thing to be so as it is is much more so it selfe if the creatures be full of beauty and excellency and yet all in a derivative way how unspeakeably excellent then and beautifull is he that is the Beginning of the creatures of God and made them all so as they are whatsoever energes or powers they have they are but relative and borrowed as the Light of the Moone from the Sunne and also subject to subordination but in Christ according to his God-head all is absolute and compleate and all without him is by him and for him of him and through him and to him are all things saith the Apostle Ro. 11 36. Great dispute hath been among the Philosophers about the Summum bonum the chiefe and soveraigne good now loe here it is Finis et bonum converâ—untur saith the Logician the end and good are coincident and come both to one Christ then being God and God the ultimate and farthest end of all things it followes necessarily that Christ is the Summum bonum and the top of all felicity and happinesse Thirdly whatsoever vertue or goodnesse is in the creature it is not of the essence and substance of the creature but onely an accident or an inherent quality as a man may be said to be wise mighty just mercifull but not wisdome strength Justice and mercy as God may who is all this and much more in the very abstract as we speake whatsoever then is properly attributed unto Christ as God we cannot divide it from his very essence It is proper to substances and materiall things to have accidents adhering and cleaving unto them but God is immateriall and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 without matter
that is he shall open your understandings he shall enlarge your capacities and shall make you able to comprehend those Divine and heavenly Mysteries of the Kingdome of God which shall be dispenced unto you Yee have an unction from the Holy one saith the Apostle and yee know all things 1 Joh. 2. 20. The Holy one here spoken of is the whole Trinity God the Father the Sonne and the Holy Ghost the unction is not the Spirit it selfe but a thing different from the essence and substance thereof viz. the grace of illumination and saving Knowledge wherewith the eyes of our minds being anointed as with an unction wee come to know all things not absolutely and omnisciently as God doth but to know all things that are needfull to be knowne unto salvation And hence in the 27. verse the same anoynting is said to teach us and that wee need no other teaching but that it is called eye-salve Revel 3. 18. Secondly the Spirit of Christ sanctifieth the hearts and natures of Beleevers whereby they are really changed from the filthinesse of sinne unto the purity of Gods Image that as Christ himselfe is holy so are they in some measure by an inherent holinesse their love and their hatred their joy and their sorrow all their passions and affections are not such as they were before but they are quite altred and changed new-moulded and fashioned made after Gods owne heart and conformed to his holy will This is the blessed worke of the Spirit We are sanctified through the Spirit and beleefe of the truth saith the Apostle 2 Thess 2. 13. The Spirit is principall in stamping the Image of God upon the soule the Spirit it is that doth convey the efficacie of Christs death and bloud unto us Hence it is called in Scripture wind fire water and the like First it is a winde Awake ô North and come thou South Cant. 4. 16. and that for these reasons As wind allayeth heate so the sanctifying Spirit of God asswageth hot and burning distempers in the soule it suppresses inordinate and lustfull desires moderating all our affections and keeping them in a good temper Againe as wind purges the aire and dries up superfluous moysture in the earth so the Spirit purgeth our corrupt natures and dries up the excrementious humours of sinne which are Enemies to spirituall health Also * Favâ—nius the West-wind dicâ—â—ur à savendo from cherishing of fruits and other things as the wind is a great fructifier causing the fruits of the earth to spring out so the Spirit of God makes that soule which naturally is as a barren and dry wildernesse no plants of grace growing in it but the weeds of sinne rankling every where to be a fruitfull and flourishing garden where Christ delights to walke and to take his repast beholding how his trees of Righteousnesse doe spread and blossome and beare most pleasant fruit When the wind of the Spirit doth blow upon the garden of the soule then the spices of grace flow out then Christ may come into his garden and eate his delicious fruits of union and Sanctification The soule is not now an emptie vine neither doth it beare wilde grapes it doth not beare grapes of gall and bitter clusters but fruites of Righteousnesse and holinesse most sweet and well relishing most pleasing and acceptable to Christ Againe the wind is a quickning and enlivening thing the breath of every living creature is a winde Come from the foure winds ô breath and breath upon these slaine that they may live saith the Prophet Ezek. 37. 9. Now such is the Spirit of God also it raiseth up the soule from the death of sinne and puts the life of grace into it it sets us upon our feet and makes us to walke before God in the Light and in the land of the living Lastly As the winde is not in the power of any man it bloweth where it listeth as our Saviour saith and it is impossible to hide it Prov. 27. 16. So the Spirit of regeneration is not at the arbitrement will and disposing of any creature but it is sui juris at its owne choice and disposing at its own pleasure when where and how it will breath and dispense grace Of his owne will begat he us with the word of truth saith the Apostle Jam. 1. 18. Secondly the Spirit of sanctification is also called fire in the Scriptures He shall baptize you with the Holy-Ghost and with fire Mat. 3. 11. It resembles fire in the purging property thereof as fire is a great purger attracting and drawing corrupt aires to it selfe segregating severing pure substances from drosse as wee see in the trying of gold and silver so doth the fire of the Spirit draw away from our soules all pestilent and infectious sents of sinne and by little and little purges away all the drosse of our corruptions Againe The Spirit resembles fire in the consuming property thereof fire purgeth onely when it meets with a substance that can endure it but when it lights upon combustible matter then it wasts and consumes so the fire of the Spirit doth no more then purge the hearts of the Elect yet it wasts and consumes their lusts because they be things to be wasted and abolished Lastly The Spirit of grace resembles fire in the assimilating property thereof fire turns other things that are approximate into its owne nature it makes things hot as it selfe is hot it propagates and spreads it selfe increasing its own flames by licking up and catching in other things to it selfe so the sanctifying Spirit of God doth fire our hearts and affections heating them with his own heate kindling them with his own sacred sparkes assimilating and making us like unto himselfe holy as he is holy pure as he is pure and perfect as he is perfect The soule being acted and wrought upon by the Spirit is changed into the same glory and becomes spirituall like it selfe Wee know that a paper will smell of the muske or civet that is put in it so a soule endued with the Spirit of grace cannot but become gracious it must have the same savour the same odoriserous and pleasing sent that the Spirit it selfe hath Thirdly The precious Spirit which Christ bestows upon his Saints is called water also because as water washeth away the filthinesse of the flesh so doth that Spirit the uncleannesses of the soule And againe as water hath a softning and suppling vertue with it so the gracious Spirit of Christ doth mollifie and soften hard hearts making them of impenetrable and insensible to become broken and contrite of stubborne and froward to be flexible and pliable unto Gods holy will so that though they were before like Leviathans heart as hard as a piece of the neither milstone yet now they can tremble at judgements submit to commands and be glad to close with the promises of Christ Thus you see that the Spirit which Christ bestows upon his Saints is a sanctifying a
happinesse that God hath treasured up in Christ and that to be joyned to him is the only way to obtaine these blessings viz. the Fathers love Pardon of sinne Manifestation of Gods face page 42. 1. The love of God is infinite like himselfe and cannot be conferred upon any creature for its owne sake ibid. Christ alone is a sutable object for the love of God ibid. The treasures of Gods love and riches are first in Christ and by him conveyed to us page 43. 2. There is an absolute necessitie of Christ for the pardon of sinne p. 45. Christ redintigrates mercy and justice when they seemed to be at variance ib. Christs bloud onely purges away sinne p. 48. When sinne is pardoned there is a confluence of all blessings comes along with it page 49 50 51. 3. It is Christ alone that doth as it were unmaske and unvaile the face of God and helps us to a manifestation of it page 52. Christ is the brightnesse of Gods glory p. 54. 3. Reason Christ is precious and excellent in all relations either as he is man or as he is Mediator or as he is God p. 55. 1. As man Christ was holy and harmelesse ibid. 2. Christ was lovely in his abasements p. 57. Christ was in the Essentiall forme of God page 58. Christ did evacuate and emptie himselfe of all his glory p. 59 60. 3. Christ was obedient unto the will of his Father p. 61. Repentance was hid from his eyes when he was under the pressures of Divine wrath page 62. He prayes the cup might passe from him with submission to his Fathers will page 63. 4. Christ as man was perfect in graces page 64 65 Christ was more perfect then Adam p. 66. Christs Excellencie shines forth in diverse respects as man p. 67 68. 2. Christ is excellent as God-man as he is Mediatour p. 69. In the Mediatorship of Christ wee are to consider three things viz. his Prophecie Priesthood Kingdome p. 70. Christ was the head of all Prophets in diverse respects ibid. 1. All other Prophets were but types and shadowes of Christ ibid. Moses was a type of Christ in diverse respects ibid. 71. Noah David Elisha Jonah John the Baptist were all types of Christ p. 72 73. 2. Other Prophets could speake onely to the eares of men but Christ speakes to the heart ibid. Other Prophets could preach wisdome unto men but Christ can preach men wise page 74. 3. Other Prophets were instrumentall to search out the mind of God and they did it by way of act onely but the mind of God was in Christ habitually and radically p. 75. How all fulnesse is said to dwell in Christ page 76. 4. Other Prophets could reveale but some part of the will of God and at some times onely but Christ doth it fully and altogether ibid. 77. 5. Other Prophets might not preach themselves but Christ might p. 78 79. 6. All Prophets had their Commission from Christ p. 80. Christ is the fountaine of all Prophecie page 81 82. 83. 2. Christ it a Priest wherein is the heart strength of his mediation p. 84 85. 86. The dignity and exceeding preciousnesse of the Priesthood of Christ is set forth by a collation and comparison between him and the Leviticall Priests those of Aron's order page 87. 1. In the Leviticall Priest-hood there were a plurality of Priests but Christ was Priest alone ibi 2. In the Leviticall Priest-hood there was a change and a succession of Priests but Christs Priest-hood was impassable page 88. Christ was not a Priest after Aron's order but after Melchisedec's ib. In what respect Melchisedec is said to be without Father and mother ib. 89. 3. The Leviticall Priests offred oftentimes but Christ offered but once p. 99. 91. 4. Other Priests and their Sacrifices were but types and shadowes Christ is the essence and substance of those things p. 92 5. Other Priests entred onely into that place which was typically holy but Christ into heaven it selfe p. 93. If men will Judaize and stick to Mosaicall rudiments they have no right to eat of the Christians Altar p. 94. 6. Other Priests offred first for themselves and afterward for the people but Christ was without sinne and needed no sacrifice for himselfe p. 95. 7. Christ was a mercifull Priest p. 96 97. 8. Christ was the Priest the Temple or Tabernacle the Altar and the Sacrifice all in one person page 98. 1. He was Priest in respect in respect of both natures p. 99. 2. he was the Tabernacle or Temple most properly according to his God-head page 100. 3. He was an Altar most properly according to his Divinity p. 101 102. 4. He is a sacrifice most properly according to his manhood p. 103 104. Christ as Mediatour is a King and in his Kingly Office he shines forth most excellently above all other Kings and that in diverse respects p. 105. 1. Christs Kingdome is spirirituall ibid. Christ onely rules over the Conscience ib. The soules of men are one of Babylons chiefe merchandize 106. Domination and Lordship over the soule and Conscience is that part of Christs glory which he will not give to another ib. Wee are not to mancipate and enflame our Consciences to any humane devise in matters meerely spirituall p. 107. Christ rules in the Kingdomes of men and meddles in their secular affaires in reference to his own spirituall Kingdome ib. page 108. 2. Christ Kingdome is universall p. 109. 1. In respect of all Nations ibid. 2. In respect of all sorts and conditions of men p. 110 111. 3. In respect of all ages and times of the world p. 112. 4. In respect of all creatures p. 113. 3. Christ rules as King alone without either colleague in the largenesse of his dominion or Regent in his minority or Vice-roy in his absence p. 114 115. 4. Christ is an eternall and everlasting King page 116. In what respect Christs Kingdome is ever lasting page 117. In what respect Christ shall give up that Kingdome to the Father at the last Day ibid. 118. Christs Kingdome is not subject to succession or to be devolved and rould downe to after comers page 119 120. 5. Christ is matchlesse and eminent above all other Kings in all royall vertues endowments and accomplishments p. 121. 1. He is a most sapient and wise King ib. 2. He is a most puissant warlik King ib. 3. He is as eminent in peace as be is in war page 122. 4. He is a most just and righteous King page 123. 5. He is a most mild and mercifull King page 124. Christ as King is eminent above all others p. 125. The third thing spoken of Christ as Mediatour is his God head ibid. There are fathomlesse depths and stupendious Mysteries and confounding excellencies to be found in God p. 126. In generall Christ is excellent in that he is the altitude and summity of all glory and one eternall God the same in essence and substance with the Father p. 127.
sweetnesse and efficacy of grace it is done by the secret operation and working of the Spirit inclining the heart and swaying the will I conclude then that if the will be so impassible and cannot be forced Christ must needs be a Load-stone as I may say very attractive and an object very tempting and alluring else certainly hee could never have such power over mens wills to incline them to draw them to bend them and bow them as he doth he could never make the Wolfe to dwell with the Lambe and the Leopard to lie downe wiâ—h the Kid as 't is in the Prophet he could never tame the fierce natures and the ravenous dispositions of persecutors he could never change mens mindes and alter the constitution of their soules so as he doth if there were not excellency in him super-humane and above all that which any creature can boast of doubtlesse it must argue the excelling dignity and preciousnesse of Christ when our wills which are subject to no enforcement are so kindly and so sweetly swayed and commanded by him Againe we must know that the object of the will according to the mind of the Philosopher is something that is good bonum est objecium voluntatis saith the Moralist whether it be bonumreale a reall and substantiall good or bonum apparens a shadowish and seeming good it is so both are the object of the will but Christ is altogether substance and no shadow no lye no falshood no fuke no varnished appearance of good but the most solid and absolute blessing that is in the world so revealed by the Spirit and so apprehended by the Saints and therefore it is that he is so choyce and precious to them That excellent glory that transcendent good that spirituall beauty that supereminent worthinesse that overflowing fountaine of Grace and the shining of Gods face in Christ these make him to be the best object these set a high rate and price upon him these incline the will attract the heart and draw the love of our soules to him Againe observe that the object of the will must be a thing sutable bonum sibi conveniâ—ns a good agreeable to it selfe Now such an object is Christ he is most sutable and agreeing too us in all his Offices in all his communications sutable in his bloud for pardon in his grace to adorne us yea in his very debasements to lift us up sutable in his love for lost sinners in his fulnesse for for empty and beggerly soules yea the summum bonum the chiefest good that wee can desire or be possest of this makes a child of God to love nothing so well as him there is none on earth that I desire besides thee saith the Psalmist If Christ were not very precious to beleevers dâ—ubtlesse they would not overlooke all the world to claspe and close with him as they doe A second thing illustrating the Doctrine is the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 how it is so there are foure things spoken of in the Scripture which make a thing to be preciâ—us viz. the Rarity The Esteeme The Price And the usefulnesse thereof First the rarity and scarcenesse of a Illustration I thing makes it to be precious for this cause is the word of God viz. the word of Prophesie called precious 1 Sam. 3. 1. It is said there that the word of God was precious that is it was rare in those days so is Christ rare in the world few and rare they be that find him one of a City and two of a Tribe as 't is in the Prophet Christ is a Pearle yea a Pearle of highest price as in Matth. 13. Pearles are rare in the world the Merchant onely that seekes farre obtaines them there are more wayes to misse then to hit the marke the stoney ground and the young man in the Gospel came neare the Kingdome of God but yet missed it 't is rare to see a soule embellished and adorned with such a Jewell as Christ is this then must needs make him to be precious If things excellent were common the plentinesse of them would take off the price of them it is said 1 Kings 10. 21. that all Solomons drinking vessels and all the vessels of the Forrest house in Lebanon were of pure gold none were of Silver it was nothing accounted of in the dayes of Solomon the King made it as common as stones in Jerusalem as we read in verse 27. The excessive and superabounding quantity of that mettall made it so cheape and so worthlesse as it was had it been rarer it would have been more precious this then confirmes the exceeding preciousnesse of Christ because they be thinne sowne and come up as thinly that have him for their portion the paucity and fewnes of such as are enriched with him argues his dignity and worth not a little Secondly the high esteeme that is cast upon a thing makes it also to be precious Illustration II so is Gold and Silver precious because men make great account of it Neither doth Christ come short of this Argument whatsoever worldlings account of him it skils not fooles and mad-men cannot judge of excellencies Let the foolish Gadarens esteeme more of their swine then of Christ we will not lay him in such a balance looke upon God the Father and see what reckoning he makes of him he calls him choyce and precious as we reade 1 Peter 2. 6. Behold I lay in Sion a chiefe corner stone elect and precious God hath honoured Christ committed all Judgement even the full administration of all things to him that all men might honour him Christ was in the bosome of the Father he was from all eternity privie to all his counsels and decrees as we finde Prov. 8. 22 23 24. c. The Lord possessed me in the beginning of his way before his workes of old the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is there used put for eternity à parte antè as we say as if Christ should have said even from all eternity before his workes made in the Creation of the world I was my fathers Darling when he made the Heavens girded the Sea and gave the unresistable decree that it should keep in its bounds I was as one brought up with him I was as a child with the Father I was dayly his delight the originall word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 delights in the plurall number intimating that the eternall Sonne was the greatest delight of his Father hee was variety of delights unto him while God was making of the world he tooke infinite pleasure in him in so much that he made all things by him every creature hath a beame of the Fathers wisdome in it and the wisdome of God is the Sunne This is a great mystery but God speaks of it in tearmes very quaint and familiar Christ speaking of the dayes of eternity and everlastingnesse saith that he was alwayes rejoycing before God the word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as much as
to say sporting greatly a metaphor or simile taken from little ones which sport and play before their Parents Christ must needs be precious being thus highly esteemed of the Father And to this head of Argumentation wee may adde the great and high account that the most excellent of all Gods Creation the holy Angels have of him they all worship him and adore him Hebr. 1. 6. yea they doe exceeding earnestly desire to stoope downe and pry into the great mystery of our Redemption by Christ as the words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Peter 1. 12. doe import where the Apostle alludes to the manner of the Cherubims looking downe into the Mercy-seate this is the study yea this is the delight and recreation of the elect Angels to looke into the severall scopes of our salvation by Jesus Christ to behold the whole frame and fabrick of it to observe all the parts of it from the beginning to the end and the glorious attributes of God his wisdome his power his Justice his Mercy all shining and glittering in it like bright Starres in the firmament this I say is their worke yea this is their festivity and past-time Then let the profane ones of the world thinke what they will of Christ let them slight him and scorne him and cast him at their heeles as they doe let them trample upon his bloud and passion as their wicked manner is making it a common and worthlesse thing let them despise those high and celestiall Mysteries of his Mediatorship wee need not care for their thoughts it is enough for us that God the Father hath honoured and exalted him that the holy Angels doe venerate and worship him yea and all the Saints doe magnifie him and count him very precious the opinion that one of the least of these hath of Christ is more to be regarded then the Judgement of the wisest and most judicious worldlings that are The Preacher saith that a wise mans heart is at his right hand but a fooles at his left Eccles 10. 2. what is the meaning of this Wee know that naturally every mans heart is placed on the left side therefore surely that sentence aimeth at something higher then Nature doubtlesse then Heavenly things are figured by the right hand and Earthly by the left The first is the choyce of the Saints they are therefore those wise ones whose heart is at their right hand the other is the delight of Heathenish and carnall people they then are the fooles whose heart is on their left hand and here is the true reason why the men of this world doe despise Christ their heart is a left-handed heart as I may say they favour and rellish nothing but earthly things and therefore Christ and the glorious things of the Gospel are lightly set by such wisedome is too high for fooles as Solomon saith they cannot attaine unto it Even the Heathen Philosophers as wise as they were could not reach it they were so farre from embracing it that they counted it very foolishnesse and be it so saith the Apostle for he doth after a sort gratifie them yet the foolishnesse of God is wiser then men and the weaknesse of God is stronger then men It skils not then what the men of the world doe thinke of Christ but what esteeme God and his holy Angels and the Saints illuminated and enlightned by the Spirit of God have of him if they count him precious this is an Argument irrefragable and a proofe beyond all exception that he is so indeed Thirdly the great and excessive price Illustration III that is given for a thing doth likewise render it very precious Precious things have their denomination from this Argument The oyle wherewith Mary anoynted Christ was called precious in this respect this oyntment might have been fold for much and given to the poore Thus also the life of a man is said to be precious Proverb 6. 26. because he will part with one thing after another till all begone to save it as wee see in the Egyptians who parted first with their mony after that with their cattell and last of all with their Lands and all to buy bread to save their precious lives Now this also doth set forth the preciousnesse of Christ but who shall value him Who shall set the price upon him not men of corrupt minds not people of depraved affections for they will set too low a rate upon him Judas sold him and the High-Priests bought him for 30. pieces of silver a goodly price saith Christ that I was prised at of them Zach. 11. 13. Magnificum pretium as Junius renders it a very worthy price I promise you ironically spoken meaning nothing lesse and yet he was no lesse then the eternall Jehovah that was so prised Jehovah said unto me cast it unto the potter a goodly price that I was prised at of them But they did thus to fulfill the good Counsell and purpose of God for others that would esteeme more highly of him There be them in the world that doe enhaunse the price of Christ and value him at the highest rate though some will not part with a beastly lust for him though like hogs they count the base wash and figge to be farre sweeter yet there be others that know well the worth of him there be others that are willing to forsake all for him we have forsaken all saith Peter and have followed thee Matth. 19. 27. The Merchant of whom you heard before sold all to buy the preclous pearle he valued it above all things in the world and was willing to leave all for it The holy Martyrs thought not their very lives and their heart-bloud too deare for Christ so it is said that they loved not their lives unto the death Revel 12. 11. that is they despised their lives in comparison of Christ they exposed their bodies to horrible and painfull deaths their temporall estates to the spoyle and their persons to all manner of shame and contempt for the cause of Christ they thought nothing too hot for him A soule that by Faith hath sense of the worth of Christ will willingly give all for him will goe away rejoycing and will thinke his pennie-worth to be very good Fourthly the usefulnesse and profitablenesse Illustration IV of a thing makes it also to be precious in this sense are the fruits of the Earth called precious as we reade Deut. 33. 14. there the precious fruits put forth by those heavenly luminaries the Sunne and Moone are a part of Josephs blessing and precious they were because very usefull and serviceable to the life of man and the influence of those heavenly bodies by a course which God had constituted and set in Nature made them the more usefull and therefore the more precious So also are the afflicted and persecuted Saints said to beare precious seed Psal 126. 6. because their sufferings shall profit them much in the end such seed shall
without any Light lying under shame and dishonour under the guilt of sinne and not able to deliver it selfe this cannot but make it looke out for it selfe and seeke with great importunity for a Saviour The Dove could find no rest for the soale of her foot till she returned into the Arke It is a perfect hyeroghyphick or resemblance of a wounded Spirit as Solomon calls it when it is as the blessed Redeemer was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 surrounded with sorrow and it is full of restlesse vexations fluctuating and tumbled up and downe in a whole Ocean of perplexities and feares and can see no shoare no Land no creek or haven of comfort then it must into the Arke then it uses the soliloquie of the Psalmist returne unto thy res◠ô my soule then it cries out with the blessed Martyr ô none but Christ none but Christ there 's my Arke ther 's my rest there 's my refuge there I shall find reliefe and refreshment or else no where Christ will be a calme to me after a storme he will dispell and drive away all these clouds he will hold my head above water and keep me from sinking he will be light and joy and unspeakable solace after all these distempers thus the poore afflâ—cted soule as a prisoner of hope as the Prophet speakes Zach. 9. 12. returnes unto Christ as to its strong hold The misâ—rable soule seeks for cure the whole need not the Physition saith Christ but the sick sin-sick sinners will enquire and seek after the Physition of soules The sense of misery is the primum mobile the first mover that sets us on seeking for Christ The more wee know our owne misery the more we know how to prise Christ and set a true value upon him Againe Beleevers are likewise convinced of the impotency and weaknesse of the creature in respect of any help or succour that it can afford None can by any meanes redeeme his brother nor givâ— to God a ransome for him Psal 49. 7. iâ— not redemption from temporall death much lesse from eternall Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of Rammes saith the Prophet or with ten thousand rivers of oyle shall I give my first borne for my transgression the fruit of my body for the sinne of my soule The truth is should all the Angels in Heaven and righteous men upon Earth joyne their goodnesse together and offer it up to God as a sacrifice it would not be sufficient to expiate so much as one sinne Now when the soule is sensible of this it crieth out as Peter in another case help Lord or else I perish Solomon saith that as good newes from a farre Country so is cold water to a thirsty soule Prov. 25. 25. So it is with a poore distressed soule when it seeth it selfe as it were in a farre Countrey farre from God farre from â—oy and farre from any deliverance in it selfe or in any other then if one bring him newes of a Saviour of a Redeemer this is welcome newes indeed this is as cold water to a thirsty soule An instance of this is seen in the Prodigall who when he came to himselfe that is when he saw what a wretched and helplesse creature he was he cast his thoughts upon his Fathers house he loathed any longer to feed upon the huskes and hogs meat of the world then he desires the bread of his Fathers hired servants Nothing but home will content him farewell feasting and revelling and all filthy pleasures that I have lived in I have gotten nothing by them but wounds and sorrowes and vexation of Spirit I will home to my Fathers house there is bread and durable cloathing there is whatsoever I can wish or desire here I starve and die there I shall live and sweetly enjoy my selfe here I want all things but there I shall lack nothing This is a lively pourtraiture of a thirsty and wearied soule flying unto Christ for ease and comfort This then is one reason why Christ is precious to Beleevers namely because they are in some measure convinced of their misery with him and of their owne impotency and utter inability to help themselves therefore Christ is precious unto them Secondly Beleevers are not onely Reas II convinced of their owne misery without Christ and of their impotency and inability to help themselves but also they see and apprehend an infinite treasure of good and happinesse that God hath treasured up in Christ and that to be joyned unto him is the onely way to obtaine these blessings Viz. the Fathers Love Pardon of sinne Manifestation of Gods face The love of God being infinite like himselfe cannot be conferred upon any creature for its owne sake the causa procuratrix or the procuring cause of this love must of necessity be infinitely meritorious now this is not found among the sonnes of men but onely in Christ the eternall Sonne of God onely in Christ who was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 God-man as I may say Immanuel God with us or God in our flesh God that he might be a fit object for the infinite love of his Father and man that he might derive and bring that love to us God first loves his Sonne and then Beleivers through him It is impossible that the infinite love of the infinite God should bee drawne out but by an infinite motive and where is this motive but in the second person coe-eternall co-essentiall and co-equall with the Father were it not for his Sonne God should have no object for his love in the world Love is as fire which must have fewell to maintaine it Now let all the Creatures men and Angels be set before God yet they all with all their excellencies and lovely parts cannot deserve the least minute or tittle of his Love God loves himselfe in his Sonne and his creatures for his beloved Sonnes sake God will supply saith the Apostle all your need according to his riches in Glory by Jesus Christ Philip. 4. 9. The treasures of Gods love and riches are first in Christ and by our union with him wee come to enjoy them So Ephes 1. 6. To the praise of the glory of his grace wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in which he hath ingratiated us through that Beloved Gods love and his favour is undeserved on our parts wee finde grace in his sight through Christ Notable to this purpose is the order of the three persons which the Apostle sets Cor. the last and the last The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the Communion of the Ho-Ghost be with you all Amen You must know now that this is not a right naturall order for by order of nature the Father whom the Apostle cal's God in a personall sense as John 1. the word was with God that is with the Father I say by order of nature the Father is first of himselfe not begotten the Son is from the
unwillingnesse to undergoe the taske that his Father had set him to but first of all we must know that his mind was so stricken with the infinite wrath of God with which he was then conflâ—cting so astonished and overwhelmed with that insupportable pressure that all the powers and faculties of his soule were for a while interrupted suspended confounded so that he knew not well what to say nor whether to turne himselfe this appeares by his words Job 12. 27. Now is my soule troubled and what shall I say Secondly when he prayed so wee must conceive that as a man subject to frailties like us yet without sinne he thought he had been utterly lost and undone if his Father should not deliver him from that houre and excuse him from drinking of the cup. His sense of dolour was so vehement and he so amazed with it that it wruâ—g from him a signification of Natures feares and reluctance yet all the while his holy his pure and unblemished mind was throughly bent and resolved to goe through stitch with the worke whatsoever came of it Thirdly we see that when he prayed Father save me from this houre he presently and immediately subjoynes but for this cause came I unto this houre Father glorifie thy name likewise when he prayed that the Cup might passe from him he desires it no otherwise then with condition of his Fathers will Also in that ruefull vociferation and crying out why hast thou forsaken me wee see that he did not let goe his hold but remembred to say my God my God so that here was no diffidence no sinne no disobedience all this while Lastly all this was so carried and punctually related by the Evangelists to shew us these things viz. 1. The exceeding atrocity and hainousnesse of sinne 2. A mirrour of Gods infinite mercy in Christ 3. Our Nature really and truly suffering in him 4. The fulnesse of his expiation and satisfaction 5. The certainty of his Fathers good-will towards us whereof wee are the lesse to doubt by how much the more we see that the eternall Sonne was humbled and made an abject for our sakes Fourthly Christ as a man likewise was perfect in all graces The Prophet tells that there should come a Rod out of the stemme of Jesse and a branch out of his rootes and the Spirit of the Lord was to rest upon him the spirit of wisdome and understanding the spirit of Counsell and of might the spirit of Knowledge and of the feare of the Lord Esa 11. 12. yea so eminent was the Lord Jesus this way that even at twelve yeares old be sate in the Sanadrim disputing with the Doctors and asking them questions It is said that God gave not the Spirit by measure unto him Joh. 3. 34. that is he did not bestow it upon him imperfectly and in part onely but fully and entirely for measure is not opposed to infinite as the Eutychians would have it to confirme their opinion of Ubiquity for they thought that if the Spirit were given unto the Manhood of Christ unmeasurably then even the Manhood would be capable of Divine properties and consequently the flesh of Christ would be no where circumscribed but every where present but I say that measure in the place before mentioned is not opposed to that which is infinite and unmeasurable but to that which is not whole entire and perfect Christ in the gifts of the Spirit was not lame and imperfect but omnibus suis numeris absoluâ—us full and compleate as Adam was before he fell and yet farre excelling Adam for Adam was set in a mutable condition but Christ is stedfast and abiding for ever confirmed in grace like the Holy Angels of God Yesterday and to day and the same for ever In respect of vertue and the Faith of Beleevers even his manhoode before it was in being was cloathed with perfection of grace and so continueth for ever Againe Adam was a meere man and alone by himselfe but in Christ the humane nature was hypostatically unâ—ted unto the Divine and hence it comes topasse that Christ even as man had a greater measure of knowledge and Revelations of grace and heavenly gifts then ever Adam had The Apostle saith that in Christ dwels all the fulnesse of the God-head 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 bodily Col. 2. 9. that is not by a naked and bare communicating of vertue as God is said to dwell in his Saints but by a substantiall union of the two Natures Divine and humane the eternall Word and the Man consisting of a soule and body whereby they become one 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 one Person or subsistence Now from this admirable and wonderfull union of the two Natures in Christ there flowes unto the Manhood a plenitude and fulnesse of all Spirituall wisdome and grace such as was never found in any meere man no not in Adam while he stood in his integrity and uprightnesse Now then to draw to a conclusion of this head If Christ even according to his humanity were perfectly innocent and holy if he were in his Divine celfitude and highnesse voluntarily debased if he were exactly obedient in all things to his Fathers commands and if he were compleate in all heavenly wisdome and graces then certainly even as he was man he was of all other most precious most lovely and desirable Adde hereunto that his flesh never saw corruption that it rose againe from the grave it being impossible for the bands of death to detaine it Also as man he came of the race of Kings As man he shall judge the world Acts 17. 31. As man he was wonderfully borne of a Virgin called therefore by a peculiar name Shiloh which signifieth a Secundine or after-birth Genes 49. 10. the word comes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifies tranquillum esse intimating that Christ is he who hath brought us peace and tranquility and that he might be our Peace-maker it was necessary that he should be Shiloh borne of the sanctified seed of a woman without the seed of a man The Apostle expounds the name Galat. 4. 4. where he saith of Christ that he was made of a woman not of a man and a woman both but of a woman alone without a man Againe Christ as man was foretold by the Prophets and by sundry types attended upon at his birth by holy Angels a peculiar Starre created for him Christ as man was in one hypostasis or person with God called therefore Ithiel Proverb 30. 1. a word as Junius writes compounded of three parts as if one should say the strong God with mee the name comes all to one with Immanuel and the Apostle expounds both 1 Tim. 3. 16. where he saith of Christ that he was God manifest in the flesh and this he affirmeth also to be without controversie a great Mystery and a Mystery of godlinesse In every Art and profession there is a Mystery but this holds forth a Mystery of Godlinesse for he that was Ithiel
God present in the flesh to every faithfull and beleeving soule was likewise Vcal Almighty able for all things so that by these two names the faithfull are assured of their Justification Sanctification and eternall Salvation through the presence and power of God and this doubtlesse is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a great Mystery Furthermore Christ as man was our Sacrifice and expiation he was our 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the price of our Redemption 1 Tim. 2. 6. though I confesse that this price had its worth from the union of the two natures Againe Christ as man was conceived of the Holy-Ghost Christ as man is ascended into Heaven Christ as man sits at the right hand of God Now all these things and much more that might be brought doe speake Christ a very precious and excellent person and that even according to his manhood Secondly consider Christ as Mediatour and there also he shines forth most gloriously and appeares to be the most peerelesse and precious thing in the world In the Mediatorship of Christ wee are to consider his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or his three-fold Holy Office of Prophecie Priesthood Kingdome Christ is a Prophet 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in way of eminency and excellency above all other Prophets he was the Head of them all and that in these respects First of all other Prophets were but Types and shadowes of this great Prophet even Moses himselfe was but a figure of him a Prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you of your Brethren like unto mee saith Moses Acts 7. 37. those words like unto me doe plainly shew that Moses was at the best but an Image and a shadow of Christ Moses fasted forty dayes before the giving of the Law on Mount Sinâ—i so did Christ before he began to preach the Gospel God did more clearly and perspicuously manifest himselfe unto Moses then unto other men it is said that he spake unto him face to face as a man speaketh to his friend Exod. 33. 11. so did the Eternall Father more openly reveale himselfe unto Christ then unto any creature no man knoweth the Father save the sonne and he to whomsoever the Sonne will reveale him Matth. 11. 27. Moses became a Shepheard in the Land of Midian so is Christ the Shepheard and overseer of our soules 1 Peter 2. 25. Moses was faithfull in all Gods house and so was Christ but yet in a farre more excellent manner then Moses as the Apostle declares Heb. 3. Moses was faithfull as a servant Christ as a sonne over his owne house Moses was himselfe a part of that house but Christ was the builder of it Moses under God did institute Sacraments 1 Cor. 10. 1 2. It is said that the Fathers pâ—ssed under the cloud and through the Sea and were all baptised unto Moses in the cloud and in the Sea marke that phrase unto Moses they were baptised unto him as unto the type or deputy of Christ for Baptisme is a Sacrament of the New Testament and properly of Christ's Institution Moses also instituted the Passeover so did Christ the Lords Supper As the Law was exhibited by Moses so was the Gospel which brings grace and truth free Redemption and the accomplishment of all types unto Beleevers exhibited by Christ Job 1. 17. Thus you see that Moses that egregious and eximious Prophet was no more then a shadow of Christ And the like may be said of all the rest of the Prophets it were no hard matter to shew how they did all of them in one thing or other resemble Christ just as the lively picture of a man doth his person as Enoch and Elijah in their Translations resembled the ascention of Christ Noah by his righteousnesse saving all the rest that went into the Arke with him shadowed Christ who by his perfect obedience saves all true Beleevers Concerning the Prophet David it is said that even those which sate at his Table rose up against him Psal 41. 9. so did Judas against Christ who dipt with him in the platter David also was a man after Gods owne heart so was Christ without the least flawe or failing and what an evident type of Christ was the Prophet Elisha when a dead body rose againe being cast into his grave and touching bis bones a Kings 13. 21. This was not done by any Native or inherent vertue of the Prophet but by that accident to foreinstruct the faithfull concerning the vertue of Christs flesh which rising from the dead should likewise raise up our perished bodies according to that Esa 26. 19. thy dead men shall live together with my dead body shall they arise awake and sing yee that dwell in the dust for thy dew is as the dew of herbes and the Earth shall cast out the dead Againe Jonah lying three dayes and three nights in the belly of a fish was a signe of Christ lying so long in the grave The Prophets were all of them types and resemblances of Christ even John the Baptist then whom there arose not a greater Prophet of all those that are borne of women even he I say was but Christs harbinger or fore-runner Now then as substances doe farre excell shadowes and Kings their Ante-ambulos or harbingers so doth Christ farre excell all Prophets they all of them were but shadowes and fore-runners to him Secondly other Prophets could speak only to the ears of men but Christ spake and still speaks to the heart he hath the Key of David he openeth and no man shutteth he shutteth and no manopeneth Rev. 3. 7. it is a similitude taken from them that keep the Keys of a City or Castle without which they can neither be opened nor shut no more can any open the heart or breake in upon the Spirit beside Christ he alone is able to open the eyes of the mind and to convince the Conscience by the secret kindly and powerfull working of his owne Spirit Other Prophets can preach wisdome unto men but Christ can preach them wise other Prophets can warne men by telling them of their sinnes and denouncing the Judgements of God but Christ can reclaime them and turne them from their sinnes the dead heare the voyce of the Sonne of God and live Joh. 5. 25. and hence it is said that he taught as one having Authority and not as the Scribes it came coldly and driely from them but full of paresie and boldnesse full of conviction and raeproofe full of the evident demonstration of the Spirit and of power as the Apostle speakes in this manner came the word from Christ Thirdly other Prophets were instrumentall to search out the mind of God and they did it by way of act onely the Divine will being revealed and discovered unto them but the mind of God was in Christ habitually and radically the fountaine and roote the source and principall cause of Christ's Prophecie was in himselfe Before all time Christ had the honour to sit in the seat of most
Apostle Galat. 3. 20. so did Christ indifferently partake of both natures Godhead and Manhood that so he might be fit to stand in the gap between his Father and us We must beleeve therefore that whole Christ offred up himselfe unto God even the Manhood as well as the Godhead did offer it selfe Christ is a Priest according to both natures And whereas it is said that hee offred himselfe through the eternall Spirit without spot unto God Heb. 9. 14. that doth not put the manhood from its share in priesthood but onely it shewes how the Sacrifice came to be without spot or blemish namely by the hypostaticall union of the two natures the eternall Spirit that is the Godhead of Christ assuming the flesh into one person with it selfe Secondly Christ was the Tabernacle or Temple most properly according to his God-head for he saith himselfe in the Gospel that the Gold of the Temple is sanctified by the Temple it selfe so is the manhood sanctified and made noble by the God-head Neverthelesse in some respects his humane body was the Temple also Destroy this Temple saith he and I will build it againe in three dayes he speakes it of his body which is called a Temple not onely because the holy Spirit dwelt in it after a singular and peculiar way conceiving it at the first and sanctifying it perfectly but also because in the offring of it up God found in it an acceptable sacrifice and smelt in it a sweet favour as in a Temple But yet further to this purpose the flesh of Christ is called a vaile Heb. 10. 20. in which the Apostle alludes to the opertory or vaile in the Tabernacle of old and in the Temple by which alone there was entrance into the holiest place of all so by the vaile of his flesh rent and torne upon the Crosse hath Christ opened a new and a living way for us to passe to God and to Heaven Thus is he the Tabernacle or Temple according to both natures too Thirdly Christ is the Altar most properly according to his Divinity for he saith himselfe that the Altar doth sanctifie the Gift Matth. 23. 19. And thus doth the God-head like an Altar sanctifie the Manhood as a gift or sacrifice making it of infinite merit and and worth with God the Father the Altar ought to be of greater dignity then the oblation But now although the God-head of Christ alone be the sanctifying and dignifying thing in respect of the offering of himselfe that is of his flesh unto God yet in respect of his presenting us blamelesse and a sacrifice as it were without spot and blemish unto his father so whole Christ God and man in one person is the sanctifying Altar that makes us accepted with God The Scripture it selfe speaketh thus Isaiah 56. 6 7. God promiseth that he will bring even the sonnes of the stranger that is the Gentiles to his holy Mountaine and make them joyfull in his house of Prayer and their burnt offrings and their sacrifices shall be accepted upon his Altar for saith he mine house shall be called an house of Prayer for all people in which place by the Altar we are to understand whole Christ God and man the blessed Mediatour upon whom as upon an Altar all Nations promiscuously both Jewes and Gentils were an offering acceptable to God And a like place there is in Isaiah 60. 7. All the flocks of Kedar shall be gathered together unto thee the Rammes of Nebaioth shall minister unto thee they shall come up with acceptance on mine Altar and I will glorifie the house of my glory Here also whole Christ is the Altar that makes the Gentiles to be as I may say a sacrifice of a sweet-smelling savour unto God To this also tends that in Isaiah 6. 7. where a coale from the Altar touching the Prophets lips his iniquity is taken away and his sinne purged now what is it that taketh away iniquity but the Lamb what is it that purgeth sinne but the bloud of Christ although I grant as before that if wee respect the offring of himselfe the body and bloud of Christ was most properly the sacrifice I will adde a few words more touching this matter out of Mr. Brightman upon Revel 6. 9. he saith that the soules under the Altar are most eminently the Martyrs whose salvation is placed onely in the death of Christ under which those holy Champions lying hid as under a Buckler they might safely and without terrour appeare before God now it is true that this death of Christ in respect of himselfe was the sacrifice but to the Martyrs and to all the Saints it is together with his God-head as an Altar under which and not under their own perpessions and suffrings as any whit meritorious they lie safe and secure Lastly Christ according to his manhood is most properly the sacrifice Heb. 10. 10. yet for as much as whole Christ presents himselfe now in the sight of God for us wee are to judge that whole Christ God and man was after a sort the oblation or offring and hence the bloud thereof is said to be the bloud of God Acts 20 28. Neverthelesse though in respect of us who are reconciled justifyed sanctifyed and eternally saved thereby whole Christ is offred up yet let us be wise unto sobriety Let us as I may say give unto Caesar the things that are Caesars and unto God the things that are Gods that is let us give unto each nature of Christ it s owne properties and offices both his Deity and his humanity did distinctly act their parts his humanity by suffring the punishment due to us and by fulfilling all righteousnesse and his Deity by conferring upon those suffering infinite and saving vertue The humane soule and flesh of Christ was the holocausto or whole burnt-offring rosted it the fire of his Fathers wrath his God head was the Temple in which and the Altar upon which this sacrifice was offred and lastly Christ both God and man was the Priest most willingly and cheerefully officiating in this service Thus I have shewed you that Chrisunlike unto all other Priests was himself both the Priest and the Sacrifice and the Temple and the Altar all in one person and in some respects also all according to both natures so that wel may he be called wonderfull as we read of him Isaiah 9. 6. and well also may the Apostle say that the Mystery of Godlinesse is without controversie a great Mistery Now then to conclude this discourse of Christs Priesthood if he were a Priest alone an everlasting Priest a Priest offering but once and yet sufficiently for ever the substance and verity of all those Priests which went before him gone into heaven which never any did as Priests but he onely not needing to offer for himselfe but onely for us a most mercifull and pitifull high Priest and lastly sacrifice Temple Altar and Priest all in one if Christ I say be such an high Priest then
their abused rule power and authority and quite abolished death the last Enemie so that then Christ shall cease to reigne any longer as Mediatour he shall then cease to reigne according to the present dispensation and administring of his Office but not as one God co-essentiall with the Father for his Kingdome according to his God-head shall then be compleate consummate and perfect yea and his humanity also shall reigne then not as by or of it selfe but as joyned in one person with his Godhead and as the common head of all those whom he hath redeemed and sanctified and brought toglory through taking their nature upon him and suffering in it So that the forementioned place in the Corinthians doth not speake of the abolishing of Christs Kingdome but of the perfection of it rather when God whose glory is now much obscured and darkned by Enemies shall be all in all among his Saints and the eternall Father shall triumph eternally in his Sonne as a finall Conquerour The like answer also must be given to the objection which may bee made from the words of the Apostle 1 Cor. 15. 28. where he saith that the Sonne also himselfe shall be subject unto him that did put all things under him These words are not so to be understood as if the Father were not for the present well pleased with the Sonne or as if the Sonne were not already subject to the Father as Mediatour but the meaning of them is this that when all things which doe now during the present forme of his administration make opposition and resistance against Christ shall bee subdued unto him and brought under his feet then Christ himselfe also as touching his Mediatorship shall be subject unto the Father and God shall be all in all neither doth this subjection imply a depressing or pulling downe lower but rather Christ and his Saints shall be at the height and top of their glory when they shall be so subject as on the other side whosoever shall not then be so subject they shall be at the bottome of all remedilesse misery and wretchednesse Before I passe away to another head I must needs touch againe upon a place of Scripture before cited 1 Tim. 1. 17. Now unto the King eternall immortall invisible c. Here be two words that doe expresse the perpetuity and everlasting duration of Christs Kingdome eternall and immortall and neither of them is idle or superfluous the Holy Ghost doth not use tautalogie or vaine repetition in them I have shewed you already what is meant by immortall namely that the Kingdome of Christ is not subject to succession it is not liable to be devolved and rould downe to after comers which Daniel expresseth thus his Kingdome shall not be left unto other people as the Monarchies of the Babylonians Medes Alexander and the Kingdomes of the Seleucidae which the Prophet had spoken of were they were translated from Nation to Nation and from man to man and at last quite dissolved But Christs Kingdome shall not be pluck't up for others beside himselfe but it shall hold on constantly through all ages and centuries of the world unto the end and when the end commeth it shall not expire and give up the Ghost but it shall attaine to its full beauty and perfection it shall come to its meridian or verticall point as I may say and shall never decline never decay it shall last beyond the world and beyond all time for ever therefore the Apostle calls Christ not onely an immortall King but also an eternall King Thus you see that the Spirit of God doth to good purpose use two words somewhat of kinne iâ— signification one to the other that thereby hee might set forth the excellency of Christs Kingdome above all other Kingdomes by the one word is shewed the course of his Kingdome through this world during the time of his Mediatourshipâ— and by the other word is declared the lasting of it unto all eternity after his Mediatorship is laid downe Lastly Christ is matchlesse and eminent above all other Kings in all Royall vertues endowments and accomplishments First he is a most sapient and wise King called therefore Counsellour by the Prophet and onely wise by the Apostle the wonderfull Numberer he that sealeth up the summe full of wisdome none essentially wise but he none but are depending and beholding for their wisedome but he his foolishnesse is wiser then men they be all doters to him Earthly Kings have their Counsellours but he needs none Solomon was the wisest among them but a greater then Solomon is here Secondly he is Rex armipotens bellicosus a most puissant and warlike King called therefore a man of Warre the Lord of Hosts the Captaine of our Salvation the armies in Heaven Angels and righteous men follow him he is the stone cut out of the Mountaine without hands sent from heaven and acting by no humane but meerely Divine Authority which smote the Image and brake in pieces the iron the brasse the clay the Silver and the Gold the great Monarchies and Kingdomes of the world to make way for his owne Kingdome he is terrible to all the Kings of the Earth that withstand him he is so mighty and so politick that he gets ground of his enemies by giving ground to them The world Hell Death sinne the Accuser of the brethren the enmity of the carnall mind all these are in the Trophes of his victories All his foes are and shall be made his footstoole he will make even the proudest of them to stoope and to hold his stirrup yea he will make them his very stirrup to get on horse-back by as once Sâ—por the Persian served Valerian the Romane Emperour Thirdly Christ is as eminent in peace also as he is in warre called therefore the Prince of Peace When hee was borne warres were husht every where and all the world was at peace Jacob beheld him as a ladder reaching from Earth to Heaven and what was this but the Image of a Peace-maker between God and man the Angels of God ascended and descended by that ladder signifying that by Christ wee have the benefit of the Ministry of Angels they ascend to receive new commission from God concerning the Saints and again descend to execute it by Christ also our prayers as Intelligencers and signifiers of our wants doe ascend into the presence of God and againe his blessings as Angels and Messengers of his good will towards us doe descend and light upon us Thus is Christ a ladder reaching from Earth to Heaven partaking of both God and man in one person our blessed Reconciler and Peace-maker he died to purchase peace for us when he went away he left his peace with us and he reignes for ever to maintaine our peace Melchisedec was King of Salem that is King of Peace nominally and in a figure onely but Christ is the very body and substance of that shadow Fourthly Christ is a most just and righteous
Jesus Christ the eternall Son of God The Elect are called the sâ—ede of Christ Esa 53. 10 and his children Heb. 2. 13. Now as wee were in Adams loyns when he transgressed so as touching the decree and counsaile of God we were as I may say in the loynes of Christ from all eternity and before the world began and so the promise was made to him for us or to us in him before all moments or measures of time But you will aske mee perhaps where we finde such a promise I answer that wee have such a promise Psal 2. 7 8. I will declare the decree the Lord hath said unto me Thou art my Sonne this day have I begotten thee Aske of me and I shall give thee the heathen for thine inheritance and the ends of the earth for thy possession In this Scripture marke two things First That God the Father saith of his Sonne this day have I begotten thee And this day signifies both time and eternity Time as touching the resurrection of Christ from the dead that was done in time as you know and the Apostle applyes the words of the Psalmist unto that very matter of Christs resurrection Acts 13. 33. And to the same purpose he is called elsewhere the first begotten of the dead Againe this day signifies eternity It is most certainly to be beleeved that God did beget his Sonne before all time even from everlasting There is a place to this purpose Heb. 1. 4 5. where the Apostle saith that Christ hath a more excellent Name then the Angells because God the Father said of him Thou art my Sonne this day have I begotten thee which he never did say unto any of the Angells And marke I pray the Apostle saith that Christ obtained this more excellent name by inheritance as being Gods naturall Sonne and therefore he had it from everlasting Secondly In this day of eternitie if I may so call it God makes unto his Sonne a promise of a Church to be gathered among the Heathen This promise was stipulated in the nature and manner of a decree and all Gods decrees are eternall and co-etaneous with himselfe most true is the theoreme of the Philosopher a voluntate antiqua non procedit actio nova from the ancient will he means from Gods will there doth not proceed any new act God doth not begin to will any thing he doth not will any thing afresh because whatsoever he wills from all eternitie he will'd it his will from everlasting to everlasting is one most pure and simple act it is sometimes called a decree but yet in respect of himselfe it is no such thing for a decree supposeth some intervall of time to be between the purpose and the execution and so there is I confesse in respect of us but to God it is not so for he is without all predicament of time one day is as a 1000 yeares and a thousand years as one day with him those things that are past and to come with us are eternally present with him But to come to the point Though the counsells of God be not properly decrâ—es in respect of himselfe fâ—r the reason before alledged yet they are from eternitie and that is the thing that we drive at The forementioned decree of gathering a Church from among the Heathen was made when the Sonne of God was begotten and he was begotten of old from everlasting as we have prooved And it was not onely a decree but a promise also it runnes plainly in the forme and tenor of a promise Aske of me and I will give thee the heathen for thine inheritance and the ends of the earth for thy possession Now then consider how precious is that promise that was made in a familiar parlie and conference between the Father and the Sonne from all eternity Christ was foreseene and ordained even of old to be our 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Mediator upon this ground God makes even then a gracious promise to him for us a promise of giving us to him and consequently of giving us eternall life through him So that here wee have plainly the reason why the Apostle saith that God promised eternall life before the world began Namely because Christ was even then in the counsell and purpose of God our Mediaâ—our And hence in another place he saith that the grace of God whereby wee are called with an holy calling and consequently everlastingly saved was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began 2 Tim. 1. 9. Christ Jesus was even then lookt upon as our Redeemer God stipulates and promises to him and he againe restipulates to undertake for us Certainly then the promise of eternall life must needs be exceeding precious being the substance of that Dialogue as I may say and communication which passed between the Father and the Sonne before the world was created And if that great promise be so ancient then questionlesse so are all promises because eternall life doth eminently containe in it all other blessings just as the heaven of heavens doth all inferiour parts of the world Now how should the consideration of this stirre up our hearts to love Jesus Christ who received promises for us not onely before wee our selves were but even before there was any time or creature made Thirdly Consider the precious things that are couched in the promises and they appertaine either to temporall life or to spirituall grace or to eternall glory First Great and precious are the promises which doe appertaine unto this life Godlinesse saith the Apostle hath the promise of this life as well as of that which is to come And even in this respect God hath promised never to leave us nor forsake us Heb. 13. 5. There are in this place no lesse then five negatives to strengthen and confirme our faith in the truth of the promise 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as if he should have said I will in no wise whatsoever come of it at any time forsake thee mine eye shall be still upon thee and I will watch over thee for good continually And marke I pray what the Prophet saith Esa 63. 9. In all their afflictions he was afflicted and the Angel of his presence saved them in his love and in his pitie hee redeemed them and carried them all the dayes of old The place may be read interrogatively thus Was he not afflicted c. That is did he not take to heart the wrongs done to his people in Aegypt Was not Christ the Angel of Gods presence their Conductor and Saviour Did hee not beare them as a tender Mother or Nurse doth her young childe Did he not carry them as the Eagle doth her broode with such care that shee her selfe may not hurt them and at such a height as others may not reach them In such manner doth Christ for ever protect his people In Zech. 2. 5. he promises to be a wall of fire round about them where the Holy-Ghost alludeth to the practice of