understood here because no man partaketh of that till he be gone out of the world and here is light spoken of given to them which come into the world But the other four sorts of light that remain they are all taken in the light of Reason the light of Conscience the light of the Word and the light of Grace These are the severall Lights that come from Christ But I must shew you That these are not divided amongst mankind nor communicated in a like measure to all that so I may answer the first Quaery It is true That all do partake of the light of Reason and Resp the light of Conscience but yet there is a difference and That all partake of the light of reason and Conscience though not alike inequality even in that light because Reason and Conscience are more vigorous in some then in others What shall we say of Infants and of Ideots we must say Even these have some light from Christ but not like to other men Infants have the gift of Reason though not the use of reason that gift they have from Christ Ideots have the use of reason in some lower degrees I and of Conscience too in some lower acts though neither Reason nor Conscience be so vigorous in them as in other men To go on The light of the Word that is not equally dispenced to all as appeareth Psal 147. two last verses He shewed his word to Jacob his statutes and judgments Inequality in dispensing the light of the word to Israell he hath not dealt so with any Nation as for his judgments the Heathens have not known them Israell had the word when the Heathens had none He that causeth it to rain upon one City and not upon another sendeth the word to one City and Nation and not unto another He causeth the Word plentifully in some places to dwell as in this * London City at this day but in other places there is a famine of the word So as the light of the word is not equally dispenced now amongst them that do injoy the light of the word The light of grace is dispenced but not in a way of equality Many injoy the light of the word that never injoyed the light of grace both before and since the So of the light of grace Incarnation Before the Incarnation The Hebrews in the wildernesse had the light of the word yea and confirmed to them by many miracles and yet the light of grace withheld from them Therefore it is said Deut. 29. 3 4. The great temptations which thine eyes have seen the signes and those great miracles yet the Lord hath not given you an heart to perceive and eyes to see and ears to hear unto this day Here were means but no grace to improve them They had not an heart to perceive nor eyes to see nor ears to hear And since the Incarnation ye have Christ testifying Matth. 3. 11. He answered and said unto them namely to his Disciples It is given to you to know the Mysteries of the Kingdome of Heaven but to them it is not given given to some not given to others So have you the resolution of the first Quaery The second Quaery is Whether sufficient light be given Quary 2 to every one yea or no Here we are to distinguish both of Sufficient and of Light Sufficient is Considerable two wayes First in reference to Inexcusable Secondly in reference to Salvation Light is two-fold Convincing Light Converting Light Now the Resolution of the Quaery will lye in these two Respons Propositions First That Christ doth dispence convincing light sufficient to leave every one without excuse Secondly Christ doth not dispence converting light to every one sufficient to bring him to salvation First Christ doth dispence Convincing light to every one 1. All have light convincing sufficient to leave them without excuse sufficient to leave him without excuse So much the Apostle saith Among the heathen which had no other light but that of nature no other knowledge of God but that which flowed from the works of Creation and Providence Rom. 1. 20. The Invisible things of him from the Creation of the World are clearly seen being understood by the things that are made even the eternall power and Godhead So that they are without excuse If the very Gentiles had enough to leave them without excuse then much more such as live under the dispensation of the Gospell because there goeth a Clearer light with the word then doth accompany the works of darknesse As the Sun-beams discover a great deal more then the Moon shine because it is a stronger light so the light of the Gospell and Word being stronger then the light of nature are more convincing then the other so as every one be he Jew or Gentile be he Heathen without the Word or a Professor of Christianity under the word hath light enough to convince him and to clear God in his proceedings against him I say not onely to convince him but to clear the Justice of God because there is no man that walketh up to the utmost of his Life No man may go to God saying I have done all I was able to do and therefore I challenge a reward at thy hands This to be sure He hath enough to convince him and to leave him without excuse Secondly Christ doth not dispence to every one Converting 2. All have not converting light sufficient to bring them to salvation light sufficient to bring him to Salvation There is no light sufficient to bring to salvation but that which Christ calleth the light of Life John 8. 12. I am the Light of the World he that followeth me shall not walk in darknesse but shall have the light of Life Every man by nature is not onely blind but dead dead in sins and trespasses and therefore must not onely have life but such a life as may quicken him The light of life Indeed if light alone will serve the turn any kind of Illumination then acceptation of the will and illumination of the understanding and morall perswasion might prevaile to bring a man to God Hîc opus est medela suadela non sufficit Here is need of quickning therefore light will not serve the turn It must be a quickning light that sufficeth to Conversion This Christ doth not dispence to every one for if He did every one would come home to Christ No man can have possession of Christ that is not over-powered to believe Sufficient grace and over-powering grace is all one Till a man be over-powered he can never close with Christ for salvation Now because this over-powering grace is not bestowed upon every one therefore it is clear that sufficient grace the Life of light is not dispenced to every one that cometh into the World Without Christ no salvation without faith no closing with Christ All have faith saith the Apostle That is all might have faith if they would say some
hath said is True and whatsoever he hath done is Just whether we can believe the truth of the one and consent to the Justice of the other yea or no. Therefore it is good to take the counsell of Augustine Vis tu disputare mecum Potiùs admirare mecum Wilt thou be disputing with me rather wonder with me and cry Oh Profunditas Oh the depth Let us both thou and I agree in fearing and trembling at the Counsels of God lest we both perish for our Curiosity in searching too farre into them And of all Disputers none more guilty in this kind than the Arminians therefore I name them Men that take upon them to state the Decrees of God as if they had been of his Councill when he made them men that seem to wade where Paul was past his depth which made him cry O the depth They make it clear to you to give you a reason of all God's Decrees if you take for granted what they say If you ask them Why Peter was elected and Judas not they say Because God foresaw Peter would believe and Judas not Why Peter was saved and Judas not Because Judas willed to persevere in sin and Peter did not Are not here men of God's Council that leave nothing unsearched Saith Paul when he was discoursing of these high points Rom. 9. 13 14. It is written Jacob have I loved and Esau have I hated What shall we say then Is there unrighteousness with God God forbid He speaketh as a man puzl'd and non-plussed at the thoughts of this how God should come to chuse Jacob and hate Esau He saw no unrighteousnesse with God God hath done it and therefore Just And yet these people speak as if they could have fetched Paul out of his non-plus which is but to say That God foresaw that Jacob would believe and Esau would not therefore he loved the one and hated the other So as a man according to this reckoning may learn more in Arminius his School in a few daies then Paul had learned in the third heavens Let us take this for a conclusion As God cannâ—◠〈◊〉 seen in his Essence so not known in his Counsels to any man on this side Heaven 2. The second Use is this No man hath seen God at any time Why then let us all from hence be set to long for Use 2 heaven where we shall enjoy that which is not attainable by any man here below a sight of God a beatificall sight a scientificall sight ye shall have them both there in one place 1 Cor. 13. 12 13. Now we see through a glasse darkly but then face to face there is the beatificall Now I know in part but then shall I know even as also I am known there is the scientificall St. John tells you in another place a speech that might set the hearts of the people of God a leaping within them for joy to think of that day 1 Joh. 3. 2. Beloved now are we the sons of God and it doth Excellent things are spoken of the City of God not yet appear what we shall be but we know that when he shall appear we shall be like him for we shall see him as he is Who would not long for this day and for this appearance When he shall appear we shall see him as he is No day so joyfull as this to the people of God The Sabbath that is a joyfull day therefore the Saints have learned to call the Sabbath a delight as it is in Isaiah Behold here a rest for the people of God an eternall Sabbath a Sabbath that hath no working-day after it a Sabbath which whosoever hath once arrived at shall rest from his labours for evermore It was a joyfull day that when the people of Israel passed over Jordan and got into the land of Canaan which they had been so long looking for Think of that spirituall Canaan of which the other was but a type flowing with better milk and hony in likeness to God and vision of God We shall be like him and see him as he is If Moses longed for that think what cause the people of God have to long for the other because there they shall have the sight of God The year of Jubilee was a joyfull time before the appearing of Christ When we shall be restored to that we fell from in Adam we shall partake of the glorious liberty of the sons of God as the Apostle speaketh But that which is so joyfull is the sight of God which cannot be attained till then The very sight of Ghrist in the flesh afforded much joy Simeon got him in his arms and desired to die Now let thy servant depart in peace for mine eyes have seen thy salvation The Greeks Joh. 12. they came to Philip and said Sir we would see Jesus It was a joyfull sight to see Christ even in the flesh What is it then to see Christ in his glory and God in his Essence as far as a finite creature can be capable of such a sight If the Disciples upon the Mount were so over-joyed with the sight of Christ and two glorified creatures with him Moses and Elias so as Peter forgot himself there What joy will there be in the souls of men that come to see Christ attended with thousand thousand times ten thousand Saints and Angells not Christ transfigured but Christ in his utmost glory Wonder not if I speak but Balbusantèr of these things for all words come short let us make it up in affections Learn to long for this sight and for that place where it is attainable But then take this with you before I leave the Point Caution how to walk that we may see God Be carefull as you desire to have that which you cannot attain here a beatificall and scientificall sight of God be carefull to walk in Purity and in Peace for the sight of God is promised upon these conditions First In Purity Matth. 5. 8. Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God It is not for every eye to see 1. In Purity God the pure in heart they shall see him Sore eyes cannot endure to see the light impure souls shall never be honoured with the sight of God The Jews whom Christ was speaking to here were men that stood much upon legall purifications He putteth them off from them and saith Blessed are the pure in heart A man that was not legally pure might not come to see God in the Sanctuary so will morall uncleanness much more keep us from the sight of God in Heaven Walk in Purity I and in Peace too so saith the Apostle Heb. 12. 14. 2. In Peace Follow peace with all men and holiness without which no man shall see the Lord. As not without holiness so not without peace He that hopeth to see the Prince of peace in another world to his comfort must carry the Son of peace here That of Augustine is an
of that term The Word which ye have twice in this Verse Let us now Apply it before we come to any of the Predicates First In that Christ is here called the Word in reference Vse 1 to the word conceived as being the expresse Image of his Father's Person as our thoughts are the image of the mind Let us learn from hence First to be helped here to understand something of that Eternall Generation What the Son of God is who of himself is inexpressible Who can declare his generation Isa 3. This may help us to conceive better of it than any expression in the world When we compare Christ with the conception of our own hearts there is nothing commeth so near the nature of that eternall generation of the Son of God The understanding that conceiveth a notion without difficulty without passion without agitation and stirring There is no conception no procession of any thing so purely inconcrete and simple and unmixt as the proceeding of the thoughts of our Understanding Such is the generation of the Son from the Father at least this of all things we can take into our imagination is the fittest to expresse Him And indeed if it were possible for a man to contract all his notions into one mark it if it were possible for him to conceive at once whatsoever he apprehendeth then that Conceit that he conceiveth in his understanding it would be that man's wisdom and that man's truth because it containeth whatsoever he hath in his heart Such a word is Christ in reference to his Father Whatsoever there is in the Father of wisdom it is expressed there whatsoever excellency is in God it is in the Son Thence it is that Christ is Christ both Wisdom and Truth so frequently called Wisdom and set forth by that name Prov. 8. And he is called Truth I am the way and the truth and the life And there would be the whole of a man's wisdom in that notion which will contain all his apprehension at once So it is in Christ which is the wisdom of his Father That is one thing It may help us something in conceiving the unconceivable and unexpressible Generation of the Son from the Father Secondly It may help us to conceive of the Father according to what we read of the Son and to conceive of the Son according to what we read of the Father because the Son is the expresse Image of the Father's Person Therefore it is of great use for poor penitent sinners that with the Publican stand afar off and dare not lift up their eyes to Heaven For howsoever they conceive some hope in regard of Christ yet they are affraid God the Father will never pardon them They look at Christ as a Saviour all of Bowells Many poor souls have strange apprehensions of God the Father as if he were altogether a consuming fire therefore no pardon to be expected from him But here is for thy comfort Christ Comfort to penitent sinners whatsoever he is is the expresse Image of the Father's Person therefore what thou findest in Christ thou maist find in the Father Was Christ so full and free-hearted as to be ready to help every poor soul in the daies of his flesh He is but the Father's Image and thou maist find the same disposition in the Father Thou maist go to God as to Christ if he were here in the flesh On the other side If any man Terrour to stubborn sinners be a stubborn and presumptuous sinner that dareth go on to walk in the lust of his eyes and pride of his heart and flatter himself with these thoughts Lord have mercy upon me will save him on his death-bed Howsoever there may be some rigour expected from the Father why Christ will have mercy upon him Christ dyed for him and will save him And he needeth make no question of the love of Christ of his affection and readinesse to help him though he walketh in the stubbornnesse of his wicked heart Let such a one know That God as he will by no means clear the guilty so nor will Christ too Mark that place for this Exod. 23. 20. Behold saith God there I send an Angel before thee to keep thee in the way and to bring thee into the place which I have prepared That Angel was Christ for it is said that they provoked Christ in the Wildernesse Therefore it was Christ Now mark Beware of him and obey his voyce provoke him not for he will not pardon your transgressions Why for my name is in him Christ is just as I am saith God the Father here and as severe to sinners as I am Therefore provoke him not he will not pardon Kisse the Son lest he be angry The Son can be angry as well as the Father Though he be the Lamb of God yet that Lamb will turn Lion against them that disobey him and refuse to obey the Gospell of Christ The Lamb will be so angry as to make the great ones of the earth to cry Who shall deliver them from the wrath of the Lamb Rev. 6. Secondly In that Christ is called the Word in reference Vse 2 to the word uttering because he is the Interpreter of his Father's will and declareth the Father's mind to the sons of men Let us learn from hence to blesse Christ for all the knowledge we have of God and the things of God it is from him we have it he is the Word that hath declared it The onely begotten Son in the bosome of the Father he hath declared him Joh. 1. 18. If men think themselves so much beholding to their Tutors and School-masters that discover to them the hidden things of Arts and Sciences If Alexander was so much bound to his Master his School-master Aristotle his Instructor that he made a question Whether he were more bound to him for his teaching of him than to Philip his father for begetting of him Then what do we owe to Jesus Christ the great Tutor to whom we owe all our Learning Tutors and Fathers too for all Relations meet in him and all Duty is due to him And if He be the word uttering let none be ashamed of that work of the Ministry Some Gentlemen think it scorn to make their sons Ministers God the Father made his Son a Minister ye see and setteth the Lord Jesus Christ his onely Son to be a revealer of his will to the sons of men And if so something else may be learned from it Let us all take heed to what we hear It is Christ that is the word uttering What we find in Scripture and hear delivered according to the Scripture it is the word of Christ Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom The power of the Word Preached Col. 3. 16. Ye must give me leave to tell you when men speak Scripture to you rightly interpreted and ye refuse to hear ye do not refuse men that speak from the
Pulpit but him that speaketh from Heaven which is Christ himself according to what we read Heb. 12. 25. See that ye refuse not him that speaketh For if they escaped not who refused him that spake on earth much more shall not we escape if we turn away from him that speaketh from heaven Christ speaketh from Heaven in every Sermon wherein truth is delivered unto you He saith to the drunkard from Heaven Become sober and to the wanton he saith from Heaven Become chaste to the unbeliever Lay hold on Christ It is said from Heaven when it is said from the Pulpit If men will go on in sin in spight of Heaven God will confound them in spight of the world they must to Hell in spight of the world Though hand joyn in hand they shall not go unpunished If men will not hear him speak on earth they must not expect to have him to hear when they would have Heaven That is the third thing Christ is called the word in reference to the word uttering because he is the substance of all his Father's Revelations and Promises Let us therefore learn from hence to grow in the knowledge of what we read and whatsoever we hear from the word of God because he is the substance of all Thus take any Scripture gage it and you will find Christ in the bottom of it If it be a Precept it leadeth you to Christ for strength to perform it If it be a Threat it leadeth you to Christ for grace to escape it If it be a Promise it clearly conveyeth Christ In him all the promises are Yea and Amen and therefore called Pretious promises not that they have any more price in them of themselves than any other Truths have but pretious promises That is a pretious Box that hath a rich Jewell in it Every Promise is pretious that hath Christ in more latitude than other places of Scripture have Therefore let us labour to find Christ in every one The old World had but one Promise for a great many years together from Adam to Abraham we read but of one Promise which God made to Adam in Paradise and yet Adam a holy man and Enoch a holy man and yet but one Promise Now we that have so many Promises cannot we find Christ in some of them to rely upon Having therefore these promises dearly Beloved let us cleanse our selves Let us seek for Christ and Cleansing in the Promises I have done now with the Subject of these three Propositions The Word The first thing that is predicated of the Word is that Propositi ∣ on 1 which we meet with in the first Proposition namely His eternall Existency In the beginning was the word The other Evangelists especially Matthew and Luke they have spoken fully of the temporall Generation of Christ So Matthew beginneth The book of the generation of Jesus Christ the son of David the son of Abraham Now John whose aim was to insist upon those things that concern the Divinity of Christ he beginneth with his Eternall Generation In the Beginning was the Word Beginning and was saith Basil these two terms are like two Anchors which the ship of a man's soul may safely ride at come what storms will come None of those Heresies that deny the Divinity of Christ shall be able to shame that man that layeth hold upon these In the beginning and Was. There was a Beginning when other things received their Beeing I but Christ was in that Beginning and so before the things had received their Beeing Much ado there is amongst Interpreters to little purpose to find out severall senses of this word Beginning I will not trouble you with them That of Mark will clearly give you the meaning of it In the beginning of the Creation of God Mar. 13. 19. Such as was not from the beginning of the Creation which God created Here is the thing clear The beginning of the Creation that God created is the same that Moses meaneth Gen. 1. 1. In the beginning God created heaven and earth It is something remarkable that Moses with whom God spake face to face and John the Evangelist who lay in Christ's bosome should both of them have one Exordium In the beginning saith Moses and In the beginning saith John It is thought that John doth allude to Moses onely with this clear difference Moses speaking of the Creation of the World saith In the beginning God made heaven and earth He speaks of a World that was made John speaking of a Word that was not made saith In the beginning was the word He doth not say He was made as if Christ were a creature but when all other creatures were made Christ was Christ had a Beeing when they did but begin to be therefore he was before them That which was in the beginning must needs be eternall Why Why because before the creatures began to be there was nothing but God What was before the Beginning Let that be the question Quest It will lead you into the Abysse of Eternity what may Answ be before the Creation Here Faith may enter into the darknesse of Eternity where it may lose it self and can see nothing but God before all and God after all and God in all Before the Creation nothing but God Christ was before the Creation when they began to be he was Therefore Christ was Eternall there was no beginning before that Indeed there was God before the Creation but God hath no beginning Though there be principium ordinis there is not principium temporis as the Father first and The Father Son and holy Ghost Eternall Son secondly and the holy Ghost the third Here is principium ordinis Order but no Time wherein the Father Son or holy Ghost began to be So Christ was in the beginning had a beeing then There was no beginning till the Creation Therefore Christ was from all Eternity This may be confirmed with more strength because the holy Ghost throughout the Scripture when he would expresse Eternity useth to do it thus Such a thing was before the world that is it was Eternall Psal 90. 1 2. Lord thou hast been our dwelling place in all generations Before the mountains were brought forth or ever thou hadst formed the earth or the world from everlasting to everlasting thou art God How proveth he that Because he was before the Mountains or Earth was made Christ was before the world therefore God from everlasting to everlasting Joh. 17. 5. Now O Father glorifie thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was That is from Eternity Take a clear place for those that clearly apprehend Christ to be meant by Wisdom as undoubtedly He is Prov. 8. 22. and so forward to the 30 verse a place to which our Evangelist is thought to have alluded here and it is fully parallel where Wisdom saith The Lord possessed me in the beginning of his waies Just as in the
lusts before the embracing of and yielding obedience to our blessed Saviour We are ready to defie the Jewes for crying Not him but Barabbas and yet our actions cry as loud Not Him but the world not Him but the flesh Rather imitate good Tremelius who was himself a Jew born and after when he turned Christian in reference to what his Country-men the Jews had once said Not him but Barabbas he made this his Motto Non Barabbam sed Christum Not Barabbas Tremelius his Motto after his Conversion but Christ to intimate his having renounced all for the Lord Jesus Christ Let it be thine Not the world but Christ not the creature but Christ not the flesh but Christ He was before all and shall be before all in my esteem Whom have I in heaven but thee Psal 73. 25. That is one Duty we are to learn from hence Secondly Seeing Christ is Eternall trust him for Eternall things expect such from him that is an everlasting Father Isa 9. 6. Do you think an everlasting Father will lay up none but temporall blessings for his children He that was from the beginning hath provided something that shall be after the end for everlasting for you if ye will seek after him Remember what the Apostle saith 2 Cor. 4. ult While we look not at the things which are seen but at the things which are not seen for the things which are seen are temporall but the things which are not seen are eternall Oh! look at those eternall things trust in an eternall Saviour who hath purchased them first and since provided them for you He is gone before to provide heavenly things for you Grace is a thing which hath something of eternity in it The way of holinesse the Scripture calleth it the everlasting way Psal 139. ult Lead me in the way everlasting Seek to Christ for that For your everlasting Saviour will give you that which Grace begets Glory hath an influence into eternity so Grace hath It is an immortall seed that begets its glory and that is everlasting too Ye have a Promise Isa 45. 17. Israel shall be saved in the Lord with an everlasting salvation He that was before the world hath happinesse world without end for all that believe in him So much for the first Proposition namely In the beginning was the word The second is that that concerneth the Personall Coexistency Propositi ∣ on 2d of the Word with the Father and it lyeth in these words The word was with God By the Word we still understand the same Person Jesus Christ By God in this Proposition ye are to understand the Father For you must know this tearm God is taken two manner of waies in this Verse Sometimes the term God is taken essentially and so it is appliable to all the Persons in the Trinity as when it is said God is a Spirit God there is taken so as to signifie the Nature of God and the Essence of God which is common to all the three Persons And so it is taken in the last clause of this Verse The word was God But otherwhile it is taken Personally and so it signifieth not the whole Essence but some one Person in the Trinity As when it is said God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself The Father in the Son When it is said Joh. 3. 16. God so loved the world that he gave his onely begotten Son Here is God loving the world and giving Christ So in the second Proposition The word was with God that is with God the first Person This implyeth at once a Nearnesse and a Distinction A Nearnesse to God The word was God and yet a Distinction from him for it was but with him Now that which is with another doth imply a person distinct We do not say a man is with himself but Peter is with Paul or Paul with Peter So here The word was with God Take two or three places to help you to understand this Joh. 1. 18. No man hath seen God at any time the onely begotten Son which is in the bosome of the Father c. Here is the Son in the bosom of the Father that is the Word with God Here is a nearnesse and yet a Personall Christ near to and yet distinct from the Father distinction Nearnesse for it is in the bosom and yet a Personall distinction it is the Son in the Father's bosom One more clear that is fully parallel with the Text that is 1 Joh. 1. 2. The life was manifested and we have seen it and bear witnesse and shew to you that eternall life which was with the Father Eternall life is a Person here By Eternall life ye must understand the very self-same Person who is called the word of life in the first verse Eternall life is something that was seen and born witnesse to namely the Lord Jesus Christ of whom saith he vers 1. they have seen him and lookt upon him and have handled the word of life So that it is no new thing for John to call Christ the Eternall life He saith This is the true God and eternall life What doth he say of this Eternal life Why that we have seen it and bear witnesse That is of that Eternall life which is with the Father Take another which is parallel to the Text Prov. 8. 29 30. where by Wisdom is understood Christ which saith of it self Then I was by him as one brought up with him and was daily his delight Rejoycing alwaies before him rejoycing in the habitable part of his earth and my delights were with the sons of men Where Christ is spoken of as a son in the presence of the Father He is said to be with him as here in the Text. Take notice of two Praepositions there used in reference to Christ In and With 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 It is said Joh. 14. 10. Believest thou not saith Christ to Philip He that hath seen me hath seen the Father And then he saith I am in the Father and he in me Here Christ is said to be in the Father and in my Text with the Father with this difference in that noteth Unity with that importeth Distinction in that falls upon the Essence with that falleth upon the Person So as in plain tearms Christ is in the Father in regard of the Unity of the Essence which is the same with that of the Father Christ is with the Father in regard of the Distinction of his Person So as between the Son and the Father there is alius alius but not aliud aliud as Divines say That is The Son is another Person from the Father but not another thing from the Father The Father and the Son are Unum but not Unus the Father and the Son are one Thing but not one Person Ye may truly say The Son is with the Father as my Text hath it but ye cannot say The Son is
the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ Who is it that shall appear at the last Day in the Clouds but Christ who is called the great God and our Saviour God blessed for ever saith Paul to the Romans The great God saith Paul to Titus And lest any Heretick should hope to shift it off as they are as full of shifts as the Serpent is of turnings and windings and should say Why Angels are called gods and Magistrates are called gods To stop their mouths St. John telleth you He is the true God I and God properly so called The true God You know what they use to object against this as if the Object Father were onely called the true God And the place seemeth to have some colour in it Joh. 17. 13. This is life eternall that they know thee the only true God and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent Jesus Christ seemeth to be made a different Person from the true God I answer There is no necessity of limiting this phrase Answ The onely true God to the Person of the Father the First Person in the Trinity It is true indeed that the word Thee in the third Verse referreth to the word Father in the first Verse These words spake Jesus and lifted up his eyes to heaven and said Father glorifie thy Son c. And this is eternall life that we know thee the onely true God Ye must know the word Father is taken two manner of waies in Scripture First Sometimes it is taken for the First-Person in the Trinity And Father is taken for the Divine Essence or rather for an Attribute that is common to all the Persons in the Trinity Every one is Father in this sense So Christ is Father as well as the First Person He is called The everlasting Father and The Prince of peace Isa 9. 6. Father in that sense is no more than God in his Essence Mal. 2. 10. Have we not all one Father hath not one God created us There is a concurrence of all the Persons in this great work of Creation and so in this Relation of Father That Jam. 1. 27. True religion and undefiled before God and the Father Father here belongeth to all the Persons 1 Pet. 1. 17. We know that all judgement is committed to Christ So that Father is taken here essentially and belongeth to all the Trinity If ye understand it so here then the Objection is of no force But Christ is conceived here as Mediator and as Man praying to the whole Trinity under the name of Father and saying This is eternall life to know thee onely true God and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent So that 1 Tim. 2. 5. is parallel There is one God and one Mediator between God and man the man Christ Jesus Nothing is so familiar in Scripture as to distinguish Christ as Mediator from God taking the word essentially for all the Persons in the Trinity Secondly Suppose the word Father Joh. 17. be taken Personally for the First Person in the Trinity yet the word Onely is not here to be limited to the First Person I pray you observe that This is eternall life that they know thee the onely true God It is not Thee onely the true God as if the Father onely were the true God Indeed the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is not to be tyed to the saying Thee onely but Thee God is to be tyed to the word Onely To know thee the onely true God So as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the word Onely is not exclusive from the other two Persons the Son and God distinguished from Creatures and Idols not from the other Persons the holy Ghost but onely exclusive from the Creatures who are improperly called gods as sometimes Angels and sometimes Magistrates are called so and Idols so called falsly The onely true God excluding Idolls but not the Son and the holy Ghost You may as well argue from that place 1 Cor. 8. 5 6. that God the Father is not Lord as argue from this that Christ is not the true God for it is said there Though there be that are called gods both in heaven and in earth as there be gods many and lords many But to us there is but one God the Father of whom are all things and we in him and one Lord Jesus Christ by whom are all things and we by him But one Lord Jesus Christ May men from hence argue and say The Father is not the Lord Jesus Christ But many argue and say That Christ is not God because he saith There is but one God the Father of whom are all things I will not hold you long upon this because I hope there are not many here that need solution in this point though the errour be spreading Consider that place Matth. 11. 27. All things are delivered to me of my Father saith Christ And None knoweth the Son but the Father neither knoweth any the Father save the Son and he to whom the Son will reveal him None knoweth the Son but the Father Why doth not the Son know himself doth not the holy Ghost know the Son Yes It is said The Spirit searcheth the deep things of God Neither knoweth any the Father save the Son Doth not the Father know himself and the holy Ghost both the Persons Yes But this none excludeth Creatures from the other Persons So the true God is distinguished from Creatures and Idolls not from the other Persons in the Trinity I will make Use of this to meet with such Hereticks as Vse 1 deny this Would to God I could say there were none in this City but mine ears have heard a man stifly to deny the Divinity of Christ and dispute against it and blaspheme that great truth without which I think a man may safely say there is no possibility of salvation I wonder that of all the old Errors swept down into this latter Age as into a sink of time this of the Socinians and Arians Beware of Heresies should be held forth amongst the rest Let us beware of their doctrines shun their meetings and persons that come to us with the denyall of the Divinity of Christ in their mouths This was John's doctrine and his practise Irenaeus tells us that after he was returned from his Banishment and came to Ephesus he came to bathe himself and in the Bath he found Cerinthus that said Christ had no beeing till he received it from the Virgin Mary Upon the sight of whom John skipped out of the Bath and called his companions from thence saying Let us go from this place lest the Bath should fall down upon us because Cerinthus is in it that is so great an enemy to God Ye see his Doctrine see his words too 2 Joh. 10 11. If any come to you having not this doctrine receive him not into your house neither bid him God-speed for he that biddeth him God-speed is partaker of his evill deed What the Doctrine was ye may see
teacheth us to distinguish when he speaks of his being rapt up into the third Heaven Therefore there is a second and first as well as a third And these three Heavens were sweetly resembled by those three Courts in Solomons Temple There was the first Court the outward Court and the Court of the Gentiles which was common for all sorts of people to come into So is the first Heaven here below Men breathe in the aire birds and beasts they live and breathe in the aire which is the first Heaven The second Court was something more hidden In that the golden Candlesticks were which were the Lights that lighted the Temple So are the Sun Moon and Stars in the second Heaven The third Court was the Holy of Holies into which entred none but the high Priest And the third Heaven is the Heaven of Heavens into which Jesus Christ the high Priest is entred to prepare a place for all his Members All these Heavens were of Christ's making Hebr. 110. Thou Lord in the beginning hast laid the foundations of the World and the Heavens are the work of thy Hands The second head is the Earth the Circle of the World the pavement of this glorious Fabrick the foot-stool of the 2. Earth most high God Of his making it you have an excellent expression in Job Job 38. 4 5 6. Where wast thou when I laid the foundations of the Earth saith God there declare if thou hast understanding who hath laid the measure thereof if thou knowest or who hath stretched out the line thereof wherein are the foundations thereof fastned or who laid the Corner-stone thereof God hath so made it as to make it The admirablenesse of the fabrick of the Earth admirable to our understandings that such a vast body as the Earth is of a round figure and so fit for motion should be still immoveable a body so heavy should yet be able to hang as it doth in the midst of the air Why God hath fastned it by a Word of his own power Job 26. 7. He stretcheth out the North over the empty place and hangeth the Earth upon nothing Which of us can hang a ball in the aire without some support God He hangeth the Earth how upon nothing but upon the aire without side of it Then Thirdly the Sea Psal 95. 5. The sea is his and He made it so as to make all men rejoyce in the thoughts of it 3. Sea Psal 97. 1. The Lord reigneth let the Earth rejoyce let the multitude of the Isles be glad thereof It is with an Emphasis All sorts of men that dwell in Islands have much cause to rejoyce because God reigneth For if He did not Reign and Rule and bound the Seas with which they are compassed they would quickly be destroyed If God did God boundeth the Seas being above the Earth else the Islands would be destroyed not reign the naturall place of the Sea is above the Earth and how should we in this Island be overflowed in a moment if He bounded not the seas Ye shall see an elegant comparison in Job 38. 8 9 10. Who shutteth up the Sea with doors when it breaketh forth as if it had issued out of the Womb when I made the Clouds the garments thereof and thick darknesse a swadling band for it and brake up for it my decree'd place and set barres and doors Here he compareth the sea to a Child breaking out of the Womb of his Decree to a Child swadled as it were with a Cloud That is the expression Thick darknesse hath swadling bands for it And it is rock't as it were in a Cradle of Providence The fourth head is These All things as that place in Exodus telleth you are the things that are within this Heaven 4. All things and Earth and Sea And all things therein Which Paul reduceth to two heads Things Visible and Things Invisible Col. 1. 16. By Him were all things Created that are in Heaven and Earth visible and invisible Zanchius addeth a third branch to this distinction and maketh it more plain by saying That all things that were made are either visible or invisible or mixt Visible things as the Stars and Fouls and Clouds of Heaven the fish in the sea and beasts upon the earth Invisible things as the Angells they also were made They were not the Makers of the World as some Hereticks have thought Then there is a third sort of Creatures which are of a mixt nature partly visible in regard of their bodies and partly invisible in regard of their souls and those are Men. And so you have The all things Not to stand upon that I will passe to another head Secondly let us Consider In what order these things were made That so we may learn the more to magnifie the 2. In what Order Creatour This ye shall have under sundry Considerations No way more profitable First all things were made so in such an order as that 1. Heaven made before the Earth Heaven a place of blessednesse was made before the Earth the Stage of vanity In the beginning God created Heaven and Earth To teach us that we should begin our search and desires and love where God began his Work first at Heaven and then at Earth It is a Praeposterous course that is taken to begin with earth God did not so He first made the Heavens First seek the Kingdome of God Math. 6. 33. And yet through the Corruption of mens souls Curvae in terras animae Coelestium inanes The most are bowed down to the Earth and few look up towards Heaven There are in the Militant Church some dead and some living Children some true and some false Professors Suppose a Woman should have a dead and a living Child together in her Womb. The dead Child would make no way for his birth the living would so it is here such as are dead Professors in the Womb of the Church they do not make forward towards Heaven But every living soul that is born for Heaven and ordained for Heaven will to Heaven Every soul that is baptized with the Holy Ghost and with Fire hath a fire in it that will carry it up Heaven-ward Secondly as in order to the Creation Things of lesse perfection 2. Things lesse-perfect before more-perfect in the visible world were made before things that are more perfect as if ye come to the visible World especially not that otherwise the invisible Heavens are more perfect then any thing we see But I say the visible World God in the work of Creation went from things lesse perfect to those that had more perfection in them First he made the Elements then the mixt bodies compounded of them and amongst them such as had life before those that had sense and such as had sense before those that had reason A thing profitable to observe that so ye may look at Gods method both in Nature and Grace His method is
When creatures fail and men are wanting Happy is he that trusteth in God saith the Psalmist Beloved God himself is All-sufficient and needeth not the help of any creature therefore he never made all these things for Himself that is clear For if he had need How could he have endured to be without them till within these 5672 years I say If God had needed them himself he would not have been without them till then Therefore certainly he made them for some other end Not for his enemies his friends have an interest in them If Christ made all these things he made them with a speciall reference to them that have the greatest interest in his favour Therefore dispair not For God hath promised to with-hold no good thing from them that walk uprightly I speak now of temporall blessings It is much more true of spiritualls That which is good and good for me at this time I shall have it God will not with-hold it He may indeed with-hold something that is good but it may be it is not good at this time or in this estate I am in Water is good one of the most usefull Elements but not for a man in the heighth of a Feavour though good for him at another time None of those things that God hath made will he withhold from his servants when they are fitted to receive them Ye have a great experience of this how God provided for his Apostles in this case in the want of the creatures Luk. 22. 35. Christ saith to the Disciples When I sent you without purse or scrip and shoos lacked ye any thing And they said Nothing Here were men as poorly provided for as one could imagine sent to travell without any shoos upon their feet Here is want of apparell without No meat Believers want nothing that is necessary for their support they could carry along with them When I sent you without scrip and without any mony to buy any food or rayment with I sent you without purse as well as without food or shoos And yet lacked ye any thing And they said Nothing The Maker of all things so disposed that though they carried nothing with them they had some that bestowed all things upon them that were necessary As that reverend Divine Vrfine whose Catechism you have amongst you at this day was frequently heard to use this expression being a poor youth I had many and many a time lyen in the streets if the Providence of God had not been mine Hoste taken me in and given me a lodging Well But are they spirituall blessings that thou wantest All wants of spirituall blessings are supplied by Christ All these thou maist have from the Creator of all things if thou believest Dost thou want Grace Fetch it from him Create in me a clean heart O Lord and renew a right spirit within me Psal 51. 10. Dost thou want Peace peace of Conscience Have ye that Whence commeth it Christ who is the Creator of all things is the Creator of that I create the fruit of the lips peace peace to him that is afar off and to him that is near saith the Lord. Go then to Christ as the Centurion did when his servant was sick and say Speak the word and my servant shall be whole Lord speak the word and my soul shall be whole It is but as at the Creation He said Let there be light and there was light Lord let there be light in my understanding and there shall be light Let there be peace in my conscience and there shall be peace there It is as easie for him to make thee righteous as to make thee at first Therefore trust Him Secondly Here is comfort in case of Scruple about right to the Creature which is a very usuall case and that many 2. In case of Scruple times with the dearest servants of God They think they have no right to the least bit of bread they put into their mouths and therefore some have starved themselves out of scruple Who is the maker of all these things Is not Christ and art not thou his All are yours if you be Christ's and Christ is God's The Apostle resolveth that case clearly 1 Cor. 3. latter end Whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas or principalityes or powers or things present or They that have Christ have all things to come all are yours and ye are Christ's If ye be Christ's all are yours Whatsoever question may be made of what right unregenerate men out of Christ have to the creature yet it is out of all question thou that art a Believer hast a right The ungodly have the right of a servant but thou hast the right of a son Take this comparison A Simile maid-servant while she liveth in a family hath a right to the good things of that house but now put case as it often happeneth that the Master of the family marry that Maid and make her his wife she hath a farther right now to the same things an higher right and a more comfortable right than before So when a soul commeth once to be married to Jesus Christ to have a sanctified use of all the creatures as part of her Joynture All is yours and ye are Christ's Thirdly Here is Comfort in case of fearing harm from the Creature Are they not all of thy Saviour's making 3. In case of fearing harm from the creature are they not all thy Father's servants Shall a son and heir be afraid to converse in his Father 's own family and fearfull of those that serve him whom he calleth Father The creatures are more they are not onely servants to Christ but they owe their beeing to Christ Ye see great men when they raise men they are wont to call such a one their Creature What are the servants of the family have they been raised up from nothing by the Master of the family and shall the son fear to be amongst them I will lift up mine eyes to the hills from whence commeth my help My help standeth in the name of the Lord who made heaven and earth He speaketh nothing of help from the creatures because he trusted in the Lord that made them Ye have it Isa 54. 16 17. God himself suggesteth this consolation to his people Behold I have created the smith that bloweth the coals in the fire and that bringeth forth an instrument for his work And I have created the destroyer to destroy No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper Therefore fear not He that made all these things hath them at his command and if he speaks the word they shall do thee no harm Without him was nothing made and without him can nothing hurt If God speaketh a word in a dream to Laban and saith concerning Jacob Hurt him not Laban shall have no power to do him mischief when God rebuketh him If God say to the creatures even when they are armed against us as David
the world If one 1. Of the world's unthankfulnesse should build an house for a man then furnish it and afterwards put the poor man that was harbourlesse before into it and put a stock into his hands to trade withall and keep his house in repair for him and require no other Rent but some small acknowledgment Would not all the world cry shame of this man if he should not be thankfull It is our case God hath made a world for man and furnished it before he brought man into it Jesus Christ he hath been in the world ever since the Creation upholding all things by the word of his power And yet such is the unthankfulnesse of men that they know not Christ He was in the world the world was made by him and the world knew him not therefore did not acknowledge him as their Creator and Preserver Such is the madnesse of men that they are over-apt to bestow divine honour upon those it belongeth not to and to deny it to Christ to whom it appertaineth When Paul and Barnabas had cured the Creeple Act. 14. 11. they had much ado to stave off the people from making gods of them Now when the people saw what Paul had done they lifted up their voices saying in the speech of Lycaonia The gods are come down to us in the likenesse of men And they called Barnabas Jupiter and Paul Mercurius The Priests of Jupiter offered sacrifice to them Christ doth a great deal more than this commeth to and yet men own him not Do ye thus requite the Lord as Moses said O foolish people and unwise Secondly It helpeth to clear God and to magnifie the 2. Of the patience of Christ patience of Christ He made the world the world knowes him not and yet he letteth the world stand for all this He hath let the world continue almost six thousand years notwithstanding all this ingratitude of the world We may well upon this occasion call to mind that which the Prophet Hosea recordeth Hos 11. 8 9. How shall I give thee up Ephraim how shall I deliver thee Israel how shall I make thee as Admah how shall I set thee as Zeboim My heart is turned within me my repentings are kindled together I will not execute the fiercenesse of mine anger I will not return to destroy Ephraim For I am God and not man the holy One in the midst of thee and I will not enter into the City For I am God and not man Here is a great evidence that Christ is God and not man otherwise the world had been made as Admah and Zeboim long ere this Suppose Moses himself the meekest man upon earth to be indowed with that power that Christ had in his hands from the beginning of the world and suppose him to have hated sin as Christ doth It would have been impossible even for Moses to have held his hands He that cryed out at the Rock Ye rebells shall I bring water out of this Rock to you would certainly have cryed out Ye rebells I will send down fire Exod. 17. 2. upon you from heaven to consume you What an high provocation is this when Christ hath done so much to have all sleighted Men take it ill when there is any competency of worth in them to be neglected Not to speak of the worth of Christ as Redeemer look to his works of Creation see what glorious Attributes shine in them do but compare them with the works of men If a workman doth many things surely they are not great for one great thing will take up a great deal of time If he produceth a great piece he doth not make many such if many and great commonly they are but great Torrasses things of no worth or both botchingly and bunglingly done Now here in the work of Creation is both Mercy and Greatnesse here is Comelinesse and Usefulnesse kissing each other And yet all this sleighted by the sons of men and that for so many years together and yet the earth standeth Oh! the Patience of God notwithstanding all this provocation Thirdly Ye may see the happiness of Christians Though the 3. See the happinesse of Christians world knoweth not God there is a certain sort of Men in the world that do 1 Tim. 3. 16. God manifested in the Flesh justified of the Spirit seen of Angels preached to the Gentiles believed on in the world Believed on in the world This is the great priviledge of us Christians The poor Gentiles knew there was a God and might come to the knowledge of some of his Attributes but when their consciences flew in their faces they were then at a great stand They had learned that God was and was mercifull and that he would pardon sin but they had not the knowledge of a Mediator nor how to make a friend to God This God hath made known to them that live under the means of grace and hold the Ministry of the Gospell He hath let them see what wayes they have to make to God The Lord Jesus Christ hath held forth the wayes of Truth and Life Truth and life by Jesus Christ No man goeth to the Father but by Him Therefore if that Philosopher of whom we read thought he had so much cause to blesse God that had made him not a Barbarian but a Grecian and amongst Grecians an Athenian amongst Athenians a Philosopher Certainly we have cause to magnifie the grace of God that we are born not Pagans but Christians in regard of an outward Covenant and not Papists but Protestants and amongst Protestants English men Because this Island of ours hath by the grace of God been the Goshen wherein this light of the Gospell hath shined more than in any Kingdome of Christendome I have done with that verse and proceed to the Eleventh which concerneth the Jewes especially Vers 11. He came to his owne and his owne received The Jewes refuse to receive Christ him not He came two wayes There are many sorts of Christ's coming which will be needlesse to repeat to you He came First In his Ordinances Secondly In the Flesh First Christ is said to come amongst a people whom 1. Christ cometh to a people in his Ordinances He blesseth with his Ordinances according to that Exodus 20. 24. In all places where I record my Name I will come to thee and blesse thee The Gospell never cometh to a place but Christ cometh with it Secondly He came in the flesh This is a faithfull saying 2. Christ came in the flesh and worthy of all men to be received saith Paul 1 Tim. 1. 15. That Jesus Christ came into the World to save sinners Thus he came He came to his owne 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the word is and may be rendred thus He came to his owne home So the word is rendred Acts 21. 6. When we had taken leave of one another we took ship and they returned home again 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉
though I be a little large in it To help you in your search I shall endeavour to shew what it is to receive Jesus Christ aright because your sonship hangeth upon the having or not having Jesus Christ Give me leave therefore to tell you First What it Supposeth Secondly What it Includeth Thirdly What it Produceth That by laying all together ye may come to some estimate of your own condition First It Supposeth certain Acts of the Understanding Secondly It Includeth certain Acts of the Will Thirdly It produceth certain Effects to bear witnesse to the truth of the former Acts. First Receiving Christ supposeth certain Acts of men's 1. To receive Christ supposeth certain Acts of the Understanding understanding their Graces Father sanctifie them through thy truth thy Word is truth I say certain acts of the understanding namely certain due apprehensions concerning diverse particulars I shall name to you which in an ordinary course we come to have the knowledge of before we come to receive Christ I speak not what the work of God hath in the souls of Infants when he conveyeth Christ to them but in an ordinary course when men and women come to years there are certain precedent apprehensions of the understanding First Concerning the Person and Office of Jesus Christ 1. The Person and Office of Christ is to be understood No man receiveth he knoweth not what We receive not Christ till we desire him Ignoti nulla cupido and we desire him not till we know him The soul first cometh by the Spirit of Christ to have some apprehensions wrought concerning the Person of Christ to know him as God-Man the Word made flesh The Man-God onely Suffering as Man Satisfying as God There lyeth much in this in the right apprehension of Christ's Person which is the object of our faith as it justifyeth As they say of marriage-contracts If there be a mistake of the person the Contract is not valid as if by some way of deceit when the Contract cometh to be made up another woman be brought in the habit and room of that party to whom the man intendeth to contract himselfe here is an errour of person As it was with Laban that gave to Jacob Leah under colour of Rachell and that made void the marriage How can a soul be married to Christ and mistake the person and not know what Christ is nor acknowledge his Godhead Here is an errour of the person Christ is another kind of person than they take him for As there must be knowledge of the person of Christ so of his office too We must know him as the great Priest our sacrifice No other sacrifice would have served our turn and none could have offered that sacrifice but himselfe The Eternall spirit offered himselfe without spot to God The Priest sacrificing and The Priest interceding These are the two great parts of his Priestly office And so know him as our Prophet guiding us by the Word This is my beloved Son hear him guiding us by his spirit We shall be all taught of God And as King ruling us and subduing our Enemies under his feet Secondly It supposeth due apprehensions about the nature 2. It supposeth due apprehensions about the nature and danger of sin and danger of sin For till men have some consideration about this they do not use to look out for a Saviour Therefore the first thing the spirit of God doth when he cometh to convert is to convince He shall convince the World of sin because they believed not on me To let men see sin as for its nature extreamly odious That there are two great evils in it Aversion fron God and Conversion to Sin defined the Creature Jer. 2. 13. Ye have committed two great evils by forsaking Me the fountain of living waters and hewing to your selves Cisterns yea broken Cisterns that will hold no water And for the danger of it It is such as exposeth men to eternall death And till this be seen there will be no 3. It supposeth due apprehensions about rhe necessity of a Saviour looking out for Remedy where Justice is wages must be paid Now God is just therefore sin is dangerous Thirdly It supposeth due apprehensions about the necessity of a Saviour which followeth upon the sight of sin Acts 16. 30. The convinced Gaoler cryed out Sirs what shall I do to be saved Till men come to be sensible of their spirituall drought they never look out for the waters of life It is not every cut-finger that causeth a man to send to the Chirurgion nor every head-ache that maketh him to go to the Physitian but when he is wounded when he is sick to death then send for the Chirurgion for the Physitian when sin lieth heavy upon the soul then they make out for Christ Those that scoffed at Noah all the while he was building the Ark when the Deluge was come indeed when they saw no other shift then they cried out A World for an Ark. When we are ready to be turned over the Ladder pardon then is pardon indeed Fourthly It supposeth some due apprehensions about 4. It supposeth no salvation by any thing or person but by Christ the utter impossibility of obtaining salvation by any thing or by any person but by Christ alone That which Peter taught Acts 4. 12. Neither is there salvation in any other for there is no other Name under Heaven given amongst men by which we must be saved If there were another way open for salvation then there were no such necessity of receiving Christ but seeing this is not onely a way but the onely way of Gods appointment seeing as Naomi once said to her daughters in Law when they would needs follow her Why saith she Ruth 1. 11. Have I any more sons in my Womb that they may be your Husbands So Hath God any more sons in the Womb of his Eternall decree but Christ alone that they may be Mediators for us Seeing there is no Saviour but He therefore there is an utter impossibility of obtaining salvation by any other person or thing besides When the soul cometh to see this it maketh way for the receiving of Christ As for all the Creatures David saith No man can by any means redeem the soul of his brother from death he must let that alone for ever There is no man or means or ordinances but all say of salvation as Job bringeth them in speaking of wisdome Job 28. 13 14 15. Where shall wisdome be found where is the place of understanding Men know not the price thereof nor is it found in the Land of the living The deep saith It is not in me and the sea saith It is not with me It cannot be got for Gold neither shall Silver be weighed for the price thereof So may I say of Salvation Who knoweth the price thereof where shall salvation be found where is the place of happinesse The Law saith It is not
yet there be other places that shew that Christ hath power over the Devills of hell That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow of things in Phil. 2. 20. earth and things under the earth Christ could not have run through his Kingly Office if he had not had this power over devills because he could not have been able to have bound the strong man if he himself had not been stronger There is in Christ as he is the Prophet of his Church 2. The fulness of Wisdom the fulnesse of wisdom Col. 2. 3. In whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge Though that wisdom the creatures have is but a poor small moiety we may have our pounds perhaps or not so much What we have is but as shillings and pence and farthings All the treasures of wisdom and knowledge are hid in Christ and that too from the very first moment of his Incarnation though he did not begin to exercise his Propheticall gifts till afterwards But when God onely wise was pleased to joyn himself to a Creature that Creature was made partaker of the wisdom of God There is a place that may seem to stumble some Luk. 2. ult where it is said that Christ encreased in wisdom Object and stature and in favour with God and man If he encreased in wisdom then all the treasures of wisdom were not hid in him from the beginning For this you must know there is in Christ a two-fold Answ wisdom An Uncreated wisdom and A Created wisdom An uncreated wisdom which belongeth to him as the Second Person in the Trinity that is alwaies one and the same Secondly There was a created wisdom that did belong to Christ as Man and of that it may be said in some sense that Christ encreased in wisdom Haply all the habits of wisdom were not at once infused into the Human Nature and there might be no encrease of them yet as to act there might be a grouth And as to particular application of wisdom to this and that object there might be a grouth in experimentall wisdom though not in habituall wisdom There was no time wherein God did not favour Christ This is my Matth. 3. 17. beloved Son in whom I am well pleased But yet the favour of God was not manifested to Christ at all times alike it was manifested more at his Transfiguration than when he was in the Garden when he sweat water and blood and more when the voice came from heaven and gave that testimony of him This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased then when he hung upon the Crosse and cryed out My God my God Why hast thou forsaken me In experimentall Mar. 15. 34. favour Christ grew and so he might grow in experimentall knowledge too What if a man might say The habits of this created knowledge were enlarged in Christ because as Christ grew in years the Human Nature grew in a capacity of more and more knowledge and accordingly there might be an enlargement in that sense If a man cut his name in small letters in the bark of a tree they are but small at the first as the tree growes the letters grow and when the tree commeth to the full grouth the letters stand at a stay too Thus the Human Nature of Christ was extended as he grew in Nature But this we are sure of In him are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge as he was a Prophet Thirdly To this fulnesse of sufficiency is a third remaining 3. The fulness of righteousnesse ing that is A fulness of Righteousnesse as he was Priest of which ye read Joh. 16. 10. He will convince the world of sin and righteousness and judgment Of righteousness because I go to the Father and ye see me no more Here is a clear argument that there was a fulnesse of righteousnesse in Jesus Christ because he rose from the dead and went to the Father notwithstanding he had undertaken as our Surety to pay our debts He is now gone to the Father up to Heaven Heaven had been too hot for him if he had left any thing to pay But He convinced the world of righteousnesse because I go to the Father and ye shall see me no more which he could not have done if all had not been discharged which argueth he did fulfill whatsoever he undertook Therefore he is called Jesus the righteous 1 Joh. 2. 1. If any man sin we have an Advocate with the Father even Jesus Christ the righteous he is the propitiation for our sins and not for ours onely but also for the sins of the whole world Had he not been Jesus the righteous he could not have been Jesus our propitiation For we have broken the Law if he had not fulfilled it for us he could not have been a propitiation for our sins therein lyeth his righteousnesse Now there is a fulnesse of righteousnesse in Jesus Christ because he fully answered whatsoever the Law could challenge The Law requires a three-fold righteousnesse of us it The Law requires a three-fold righteousnesse of us requires An Habituall righteousness A Practicall righteousness A Passive righteousnesse Habituall righteousness that is a conformity of our 1. Habituall righteousnesse natures to the horridnesse of the Law Originall sin is against that Practicall righteousnesse is a conformity of our lives to 2. Practicall righteousnesse the precepts of the Law and every act seems to be a violation of that Passive righteousness is a conformity of our sufferings 3. Passive righteousnesse to the threatnings and curse of the Law which is Cursed be every one that continueth not in every thing of the Law to do it Now all these are to be found in Christ as our Surety All these in Christ and great high Priest There is in him an Habituall righteousnesse a conformity 1. Habituall righteousnesse of his Nature to the holinesse of the Law for He is a Lamb without spot and blemish The Law could never have required so much righteousnesse as is found in Him For Practicall righteousnesse there was never any aberration 2. Practicall righteousnesse Joh. 14. 30. in his thoughts words or deeds The prince of this world cometh and hath nothing in me And for Passive righteousnesse there is a conformity of 3. Passive righteousnesse his sufferings to the threats and curse of the Law What doth the Law threaten Why a privation of comfort which answereth to our omission of good and an infliction of torment which answereth to our commission of evill Both these are to be found in Christ Time was when he was deprived of the comforts and influence which at other times he had from the Divinity so far as to cry out that he was forsaken And time was when he lay under torment and sense of wrath which made him to sweat water and blood So here is a Law exactly answered which is the fulnesse
even as the Angels It is said of them that they behold the face of God Matth. 18. 20. Christ saith there I say to you that in heaven their Angels do alwaies behold the face of my Father which is in heaven So when men come to be like Angels in a state of glory they shall also see the face of God But no man hath seen God at any time during this life God in his Essence For this we have more than one place of Scripture the same words in the Text are repeated in 1 Joh. 4. 12. No man hath seen God at any time And Paul hath a place to the same purpose 1 Tim. 6. 16. Who onely hath immortality dwelling in light which no man can approach unto whom no man hath seen nor can see There are but three waies that can be imagined by which man in a state of mortality can see God in his Essence either it must be by his Bodily eyes or by the eye of Reason or by the eye of Faith But a man cannot see God by any of these therefore no man can see God in that sense First No man can see God by his Bodily eye for the very 1. The eyes of our bodies cannot behold the Essence of God light wherein he dwelleth is inaccessible to the eye of sense we cannot so much as see our own souls or the Angels that are inferiour spirits How then shall we be able with our bodily eyes to see the Father of spirits the Lord of glory The Israelites could not so much as endure the shining of Moses his face How then can the eye of the body be imagined capable of that infinite glorious light that is in the essence of God And yet there is a place that speaks as if a man in the state of mortality by his bodily eyes had seen God Gen. 32. 30. Jacob called the name of the place Penuel for I have seen God face to face and my life is preserved Here is a man in the state of mortality that saw God face to face For this ye must know that Jacob did indeed see God but God in a representation not God in his essence He saw the Second Person in the Trinity in the shape of a man that wrestled with him This was all the sight of God that he had The Second Person in the Trinity before he took the nature of man took the shape of man such a shape had Christ taken here in which he wrestled with Jacob and this is that God which Jacob saw face to face not God in his essence but God in a representation And that very thing of God appearing in the Old Testament in a representation to the eyes of the body sheweth that he never appeared to them in his essence because his representations are many and his essence is one He appeared in a Bush to Moses and to Eliah in a still Voice to Jacob as a Wrestler to Joshua as a Captain of the Lord's hoast These were all representations that God was pleased to make of himself and thus men saw him But his essence all this while was invisible neither could it be diversified as his representations were being but one That is memorable which Isaiah saith Isa 6. 5. Mine eyes have seen the King the Lord of hosts The Jews took this advantage against him and said he was a false Prophet Why He said he had seen the King the Lord of hoasts whereas God saith to Moses Thou canst not see my face and live Therefore they put him to death No man can see God in his essence and live But Isaiah saw him and he said true but it was in a representation Secondly No man can see God in his essence no not by the eye of Reason Reason hath but three waies by which it 2. The eye of our Reason cannot behold him in his Essence Reason knoweth God three waies 1. By way of Causality comes to the knowledge of God and those are known to Schollars by these names Via causalitatis via Remotionis and via Eminentiae First By way of Causality and so reason comes to gather of God by all the creatures which it seeth lovely and looks at all these as effects of God as the cause of all and so comes to the knowledge of God as the first cause Thus Reason collects of God But how far is this from seeing the essence of God Reason discovers a God but not what God is in his Beeing onely that He is For no effect can shew the nature of its cause fully but either such as manifesteth the whole force of the cause or else such as is of the same kind with the cause as burning that sheweth the nature of the fire because the fire being a naturall agent burns to the utmost of its power Therefore burning sheweth what nature the fire is of as carrying the nature of the force in it As a child sheweth the nature of the father because of the same nature with the father But the creatures cannot shew God because they are of effects different from him These are parts of the way but how little proportion is readd of him The thunder of his power who can understand Neither are the creatures of the same rank and kind with God as the child is with the father they are all of them finite God is infinite So that all that Reason can do this way is to gather that there is a God but not what he is Secondly There is the way of Remotion by looking over 2. By way of Remotion all the creatures and by setting aside whatsoever savours of imperfection in them and ascribing the remainder to God Thus we say that God is Immortall Impassible Impeccable because we say that to die to suffer and to sin are the imperfections of the creature God cannot sin God cannot die God cannot lie God cannot suffer But this still comes short of seeing God in his essence for by this we see what God is not not what he is by this way of Remotion 3. The third way which is a way of Eminency Reason 3. By way of Eminency goeth over the creatures once again and looks whatsoever is good in them and savours of perfection in them and ascribes that to God as the Author of those perfections So when it seeth in Man wisdom and strength and goodnesse Reason can ascribe to God as the cause of them a more eminent goodness and wisdom and strength And this is the nearest and the farthest Reason can go And yet in all these it cometh short of the essence of God because in this way it findeth out what he is rather in regard of his qualities speaking after the manner of men then what he is in his essence Thus we cannot see God in his essence no not by the eye of Reason There is onely one more that is the eye of Faith which â— The eye of Faith cannot apprehend God in his
to the Captains when they went out against Absolom See ye do the young man no harm Plague Fire Sword see ye do no hurt to him they shall not be able to do any Lastly here is comfort in case of parting with the Creatures as we must all do at death Consider how mean they 4. In case of parting with the Creatures are I do but go at Death if I am a Believer from inferiour beeings to the superiour Beeing leave the creature but go to the Creator of all things to Him that putteth all the goodnesse all the sweetnesse into the creatures which I find in them or can expect from them and hath infinitely more goodnesse and sweetnesse in himself Shall I then complain of a Losse by death No I shall be a Gainer I leave the Stream and Rivolets and go into the vast Ocean of all blisse and comfort Shall a man that hath wandred and travelled all night by Star-light which can hardly help him to see his way complain when the Sun ariseth that is a better guid All the creatures they are but Stars they cannot all make Our great advantage by dying in the Lord. a day put them altogether it is but a dimn light you have from thence Let no man complain that he is hardly dealt withall that dyeth in Christ then the Sun riseth and he shall go to a higher light from the fruition of the creature to Him that made him even to God himself Therefore he may comfortably commit his soul to God as to a faithfull Creator as Peter saith Because God will find his own Image upon that soul and accordingly will own it for his own He may comfortably commit his body to the grave in assurance of the Resurrection upon this ground because Christ made all things and he that made the body of man out of the dust can raise the body of man out of the dust Our remainders after death cannot be so little as our beeing was before the world Cannot that God who fetched all things out of nothing repair our bodies out of something out of ashes out of dust Therefore when a man most needeth comfort here is consolation from hence even in case of parting with the creatures at death Ye have had the Instructions and Consolations I come now to the Directions in point of Practise and of them briefly First Seeing Christ is the Creator of all things and not Direct 1 any one thing was made without him Learn we from To fear God the Creator of all things hence First to stand in awe of him upon this ground Psal 33. 6 7 8. By the word of the Lord were the heavens made and all the hostes of them by the breath of his mouth He gathereth the waters of the Sea together as an heap he layeth up the depths in a store-house Let all the inhabitants of the world fear him All must fear him because he made all If they were at his making then they must be disposed of by him As we carry our selves to Christ so shall the creatures carry themselves to us serviceably or if we walk contrary to him no wonder if we find the creatures walking contrary to us Amos. 3. 12 13. Thus saith he will I do to thee O Israel And because I will do this to thee prepare to meet thy God O Israel For lo he that formed the mountains and created the winds that dwelleth upon the high places of the earth the Lord of hosts is his name He created all therefore prepare to meet him in a way of fear and reverence because if the Creator of all things be offended at us he will arm all things against us it is but giving the creature a commission and how soon is man destroyed If Christ say Take him Plague and consume him take him Fire and burn him take him Water and drown him Earth open and swallow him Hell be inlarged and dispatch him it must be so Therefore stand in awe of him Secondly Learn we from hence to commit our souls Direct 2 to him in well-doing as to a faithfull Creator That ye To commit our souls to him as to a faithfull Creator have 1 Pet. 4. ult Let them that suffer according to the will of God commit the keeping of their souls to him in well-doing as to a faithfull Creator If a Watch had understanding doubtlesse it would commit the keeping of it self to none but to him that made it because when it is out of frame he best knoweth how to set it right again because it is his own workmanship therefore he will have more regard to it than any other man will have Christ hath been the Creator of our souls let him have the keeping of them Cast all your care upon him for he careth for you saith Peter Shall not he that made thee be able to keep thee Doth not the Artificer love the work of his own hands He that hath given so much power to many creatures as to the Angels hath he not reserved much more power to himself who is able to keep and to keep to salvation Ye are kept by the power of God through faith to salvation How secure do men think themselves if some excellent creatures do but take care of them Suppose a great Prince should say to any of us that have a great many children Take no care for such and such a child send him to me I will take care for him How would such a person think himself at rest concerning that child With what security may we build upon the love of God in Christ if we commit our souls to him in well-doing as to a faithfull Creator Thirdly Learn we to get an interest in him as a Redeemer otherwise we shall have no more shew for Salvation Direct 3 than the brute beasts have for he is their Creator as well as To get an interest in him as a Redeemer ours All things were made by him He gave life to other creatures as well as to man Believe it whosoever thou art an Ox or an Asse may be saved as well as a Man or a Woman if that Man or Woman will not believe in Christ Thou art the workmanship of his hands true so is the brute beast It is not enough to be Christ's creatures we must be Christ's Members before we can get to Heaven Do not say He that madens will save us What saith the Prophet Isa 27. 11. It is a people of no understanding therefore he that made them will not have mercy upon them and he that formed them will shew them no favour It is not our being framed creatures by Christ but his framing the new creature within us to help us in the way to Heaven Give up your selves to Prayer as David doth Psal 119. 73. Thine hands O Lord have made and fashioned me give me understanding that I may learn to keep thy commandments He resteth not in his being made by God
but Give me understanding to keep thy commandments Fourthly seeing all things were made by Christ Learn Direct 4 from hence to consider the works of the Creation It is a To consider the works of the Creation with admiration dishonour to Christ to have the works of the Creation neglected and no man to look after them in a way of Admiration As it would be a dishonour to a curious Poet that hath framed an excellent Comedy and brought it upon the Stage to have no spectators God hath laid out a great deal of his Wisdom in the works of the world and calleth upon men to behold the works of his hands How ill will he take it if we consider them not If he hangeth out such a Master-piece as the world is and we go as swine and never behold it we do much neglect the Lord. See how ill the Lord taketh it and how ill men fare and from this very sin Psal 28. 5. Because they regard not the works of the Lord nor the operations of his hands he shall destroy them and not build them up He will destroy them for want of considering the works of his hands Lastly Seeing Christ is the Maker of all things Let all be improved in his service to his praise that is the end he Direct 5 To be improved in the service of Christ to his praise made them for Rev. 4. ult Thou art worthy O Lord to receive glory and honour and power for thou hast created all things He is worthy to receive honour and glory because he created all things Col. 1. 16. All things were created by him and for him Not onely by him as the Efficient but for him as the End Therefore we should employ our strength and parts and means whatsoever we have employ it to the service of Christ because from him we had it Take along with you this Rule That is a vain thing that misseth its end That is a cursed thing that crosseth its end That which misseth its end which it was made for is a vain thing For instance Christ hath given me a tongue to glorifie him withall I have my tongue in vain if I do not speak of Christ with it as David did who made his tongue as the Pen of a ready Writer But if I shall not onely speak of Christ but against him blaspheme him deny his Divinity and Satisfaction as the Socinians do here is a curse upon my tongue here it crosseth the end of its creation And so it is when a man employeth his wits to scoff against God and goodnesse with it when he groweth proud of his wealth or parts or apparell or any thing that God hath given him when he abuseth his strength to intemperance or luxury Here the end of his Making is crossed and here is a curse upon his parts and all other gifts his blessings are a curse to him I conclude with Col. 3. 17. Whatsoever ye do in word or deed do all things in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ giving thanks to God and the Father by him So I have done with the third Verse and proceed to the fourth Vers 4. In him was Life and the Life was the Light of Men. An Argument of Christ's Divinity taken from the Creation considered in generall in the making of all things He commeth now to speak more specially of things that have life and then more particularly of Himself and Man In him was life and the life was the light of men Three degrees of Communications there are from Christ as a Creator Esse Vivere Intelligere To some things he giveth a beeing as to Stones and Stars to other things he giveth life as well as beeing as to Plants and Birds and Fish and Beasts some whereof have the life of Vegetation others both of Vegetation and of Sense And then there is a third degree of Communication that is Intelligere Understanding that God giveth to men and Angels Of the first degree he had spoken before of all things that are made in generall now he speaketh in speciall manner of the second degree of communication which is giving of life to all the creatures that is in these words In Him was Life In Him namely in the Word For he had spoken that Life in Christ two manner of waies in Christ life was two waies Formaliter and Causaliter Life was Formally in Christ as in the Subject of it Life was Causally in Christ as in the Fountain of it Ye may give me leave to speak of both though the second haply be principally intended In him was life as in the Subject of it Take from hence an Observation That 1. As in the Subject 2. As in the Fountain Christ ever liveth and is the giver of all life He ever liveth life is in him as the Subject He is the giver of all life life is in him as the Fountain First He ever liveth that is He is the living God according to that Joh. 5. 26. As the Father hath life in himself so hath he given to the Son to have life in himself There was no time wherein Christ did not live he liveth from all eternity had life in himself even as the Father had If any question be it must be at that time wherein his Soul was parted from the Body when the Body lay in the grave Yet even then Christ lived One of his last words upon the Crosse was to the Thief To day shalt thou be with me in Paradise He had his Soul and Divinity in Paradise even while his Body lay and was housed in the Grave Christ lived in Heaven though his soul parted for a time from the Body neither was the Hypostaticall union dissolved So the life was not lost But the main thing intended is the Second In him was life Causally as in the Fountain of life When he created all things life was originally in him and from him derived to certain creatures which he then made Hence it is that Christ is called The Word of life The Prince of life The Life of life Because as he is the End so he communicates life to all things that partake of it He is called The Word of life 1 Joh. 1. 1. which we have lookt upon and our hands have handled of the Word of life He is called The Prince of life Act. 3. 15. They killed the Prince of life whom God raised from the dead whereof we are witnesses He calleth himself The Life Joh. 14. 6. I am the War the Truth and the Life And because his is not onely life in himself but life to us therefore he is called Our Life Col. 3. 4. When Christ who is Our Life shall appear then shall we also appear with him in glory All this is to shew that whatsoever life is communicated to the creature it commeth from Christ it is in him as in the Fountain With thee is the fountain of life Psal 36. 9. So as here now