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
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
Word was made flesh and dwelt amongst us that is Conversed amongst men as a man And therefore that of Cajetan hath no validity in it for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doth sometimes signifie on as well as in Act. 18. 11. He continued there a year and six months teaching the Word of God amongst them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and so our Translators well have it here Dwelt not in but amongst us Well then The word made flesh pitched his Tent upon earth and dwelt amongst men If ye will have it in a way of Observation that must be so Ye have the Emphasis of the originall words For the explication of this Three sorts of men were wont to dwell in Tents And the allusion here may be to all three Shepherds Sojourners Souldiers Shepherds First Isaiah 38. 12. Mine age is departed and is removed from me as a shepherd's Tent. Sojourners Secondly as the Israelites in the wildernesse they dwelt in Tents and in memory of that they after kept the feast of Tabernacles Psal 120. 5. Wee is me that I sojourn in Mesheck that I dwell in the Tents of Kedar Souldiers Thirdly And David said to him Go home unto thine owne house But Vriah said to David Is the arke of Israel and Judah abiding in Tents And my Lord abiding in the open field And shall I go home to my house Now Christ was all these three a Shepherd a Sojourner and a Souldier and therefore is said to dwell in these three respects as in a Tabernacle First As the great and good Shepherd for both these 1. Christ the good Shepherd terms are given to him Joh 10. 11. I am the good shepherd saith he the good shepherd giveth his Life for his sheep That is a good shepherd indeed Other shepherds they provide food for their sheep but they cannot give them a fleece Christ provideth both food and fleece for his sheep And whereas other shepherds sell their sheep to the slaughter that they themselves may be maintained by them here is a shepherd slaughtered for his sheep I am the good shepherd the good shepherd giveth his Life for the sheep Some other good shepherds may venture their life for their sheep As David run a hazard to venture his Life to rescue the sheep from the Lion But Christ did more than run a hazard for He gave his Life Then Christ dwelt in Tents as a Sojourner Ye have a 2. Christ a Sojourner distinction of Viatores and Comp chenso es amongst Divines They say that all the people of God in their Pilgrimage towards Heaven are Viatores and the Saints above in the state of Glory are Comprehensores in that they are at home now the Lord Jesus Christ he is both There is that difference between a Saint in Heaven and a Saint on this side Heaven Christ in the dayes of his flesh was at once a Traveller and a Comprehensor For he alwayes had the fruition of God in that respect he was a Comprehensor and yet in the 33 years of his abode in the flesh he was a Viator and a Traveller in the way therefore he is said to have drunk of the brook in the way He speaks of a sojourner as one going to and fro Joh. 16. 8. I came forth from the Father and am come into the World and again I leave the World and go to the Father Here is his Jistes as it were severall journies that Christ took in the dayes of his Pilgrimage as a Sojourner Thirdly He pitcht his Tents here amongst men as a 3. Christ a Souldier Souldier for indeed so he is Ever since the fall the World hath been divided into two parts all shall be united then but now the Devill goeth away with the greatest part as the Prince of this World and the Lord Jesus appeared on the other side as the Captain of our salvation Ye have him under that notion Hebr. 2. 10. It became him from whom are all things and by whom are all things in bringing many sons unto glory to make the Captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings Accordingly he appeared to Josuah Jos 5. 13. with a sword in his hand as the Captain of the Lord's hosts Therefore it is that when a man is excommunicated the Apostle's phrase is That he may be delivered up to Satan because he is now cast our of the visible Church and so deduced again unto Satan's government In all these respects ye see both as a Shepherd a Sojourner and a Souldier Christ is properly said to pitch his Tents amongst us which is the importance of the Greek word in the Text. I shall not passe this over without some Application Vse 1 The consideration of Christ's dwelling amongst us may be of use to let us see the Faithfullnesse of God for our Incouragement and the Condescention of Christ for our Imitation First The faithfullnesse of God for our incouragement 1. Gods faithfulness for our incouragement Be pleased to look into Exodus and Leviticus you shall find an old promise that God would come and dwell amongst his people It is said in Exodus 12. 43. I will dwell amongst the Children of Israel and will be their God It is said Leviticus 26. 12. I will walk amongst you and will be your God and ye shall be my people Now this promise is of the nature of diverse in the Scripture that have their graduall accomplishments and are fulfilled by piece-meal by degrees I will dwell amongst you saith God He promised then when the people of Israel were in the wildernesse The first fulfilling of this promise was when the Tabernacle was made in the wildernesse that was a Testimony of the presence of God A further fulfilling of this promise was when Solomon built the Temple 2 Chron. 6. 2. I have built an house and habitation for thee and a place for thy dwelling for ever But when Christ came in the flesh here was a farther fulfilling of that promise Then came He of whose Body the Tabernacle and Temple were but types Destroy this Temple saith he and I will build it up in three daies speaking of his body now here is the promise fulfilled in a remarkable way and yet there is to be a farther fulfilling of the same promise still That ye may see that God maketh good the same promise many times diverse times over Revel 21. 3. Behold the Tabernacle of God is with men and he will dwell with them and they shall be his people and God himselfe shall be with them and be their God There is a farther state of happinesse yet to come wherein this promise is to be made good That God will dwell amongst men Secondly see the Condescension of Jesus Christ 2. Christ's Condescension to dwell amongst men though He was the delight of his Father from all Eternity Prov. 8. Yet to shew his delight to the sons of men he will come and dwell amongst them Prov. 8. 31. I
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
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
occasioned John as they say to write this Gospell wherein he asserteth the Godhead of Christ And so by the way occasionally yee see what use even Heriticks are made of to the Church of God We had lost this Gospell if Ebion and Cerinthus had not broached their heresies God suffereth desperate opinions to be vented for the purging of his owne Truth The Truth of God is compared to Silver The words of the Lord are pure yea as Silver tried in a furnace of Earth purified seven times Every corrupt opinion that cometh to be vented against any Truth of God that is a new furnace and the truth being cast into that furnace it cometh out the purer for it Purified seven times As it is with Passengers of quality and note were it not for some evill inveterate Currs in the street they might passe and never be observed the very barking of the Dogs maketh them to be noted So these evill inveterate Corrupt Hereticks by their barking have occasioned the taking notice of that truth of the Divinity of Christ Had not they barked John had not Written This was the occasion And this should incourage you to attention because the same Hereticks are with us now we have our owne Ebions and Cerinthusses to this day that deny the Divinity of Christ and say He had no being till he took it from the Virgin Mary Fourthly we come to the Scope of this Book which is to hold out the Divine nature of Christ as the object of our Faith to set forth Christ as the Sonne of God that we believe in Him so as to have Salvation by Him And This St. John telleth you to have been his aime Joh. 20. 31. These are written that you might believe that Jesus is the Christ the Sonne of God and that believing you might have Life through Him He desires to set forth Christ to us as our Redeemer and therefore laboureth so much both in the beginning of his Gospell and throughout to hold forth the Godhead and Divine nature of Christ That so it might appear that he is a sufficient Redeemer If He had not been God He could not have gon through with the purchase As the Eagle trieth her young ones by holding them against the beams of the Sun and if they be able to look upon them with a stedfast eye she owneth such So John bringeth his Readers to the Sun of the Divinity of Christ and such as will not acknowledge that are bastard-Christians and not Saints Fifthly One thing yet remaineth by way of preface which is the difference between this and the other Gospells which lieth especially in two things First whereas the three former Evangelists insist especially upon things done by Christ after John was cast into Prison and so principally relate the acts of Christ in the last year of his Ministry St. John taketh in here the acts of his two former years what Christ did and what Christ said before John was cast into Prison which the other touch but sparingly upon Secondly whereas the other Evangelists insist mainly upon what Christ did Saint John relateth especially what Christ said They are much more large in recording his Miracles John in recording his Sermons and Prayers as Chap. 15. Some Miracles indeed he relateth to us but they are such as wake may either for his Discourse with the Disciples or for his disputation with his Adversaries So still he seemed more to take notice of what Christ said then what he did I now prepare you to be attentive for I begin to close with the first Chapter and with these first words of the Chapter which are of so great importance That as I told you before they had a most extraordinary force upon Junius his spirit and besides upon one Numenius a Heathen Philosopher That falling upon this Gospell cried out in a kind of indignation This Barbarian saith he for so the Greeks call the Jews hath concluded more in a few lines than our great Philosophers have in all their Books He was so taken with the mystery of these words For they are words which the most quick-sighted Christian can be hardly able to see through And throughout I shall indeavour to make it as plain as God shall inable me Onely ye must not take it amisse if some things shall be left obscure Augustine saith I will not defraud those that are able to understand for fear of being irksome to them that are not able Do but think your selves at a feast When many guests are invited to a feast They are of severall Constitutions and like severall dishes But now Shall a man that seeth such a dish before him to which he hath no stomack presently rise from the Table No he will perhaps think with himselfe Other men may like this dish So it should be taken here Suppose something be too hard for thee it may perhaps be clear to another Paul is a debtor to the wise and to the unwise therefore let none arise and goe away but let every man expect his portion Do you hope that whatsoever difficult passages there are in the Scriptures yet there will be some full of Light and Comfort To close then with the first verse In the beginning was the Word and the Word was Text. with God and the Word was God YE have here the Subject and the Predicate which are laid down in three Propositions The subject in every proposition is the same the Word And there are in these three propositions three things predicated of this Word First an eternall existency and that in the first Proposition The Word was in the beginning Secondly a Personall Co-exsistency of Christ with the Father The Word was with God namely as a distinct person from God That is the second Proposition Thirdly a divine Essence The Word was God a distinct Person indeed therefore said to be with God but of the same Nature therefore said to be God Mysteries have more need of Adoration than Locution The first thing we are to understand is a discourse of the Subject of these three Propositions The Word And for the clearing of that three Quaeries we shall resolve First what Person is here meant by the Word Quarie 1 I answer clearly The second Person in the Trinity Of Respon whom ye shall find him called not onely by St. John Christ is called the Word by Iohn but by St. Luke and Paul too Jesus Christ is called by St. John The Word 1 John 5. 7. There are three that beare record in Heaven The Father the WORD the Holy Ghost Here the Word cometh in in the second place between the Father and the Holy Ghost to denote the second Person Revel 19. 13. He was cloathed in a vesture dipt in Blood and His Name is called the Word of God Neither is John the onely man that calleth Him so though by the way St. John himselfe above all the Apostles got the name of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 John the
Divine A word too much scorned now a daies 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 why because he did set forth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He is called Divine because he held forth the Divinity of the Word namely of Christ Others did it as well as He. But not so much Ye shall find Luke calling Christ the Word in that place though not often yet worthy your noting Luke 1. 2. Even as they delivered them unto us which from the beginning were eye witnesses and Ministers of the Word What is that not Preachers of the Gospell but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 followers of Jesus Christ St. Luke had that relation from the Apostles themselves who were eye-witnesses of Christ and from the Seventy Disciples who were likewise servants of the Word And in all reason this must be the sense that by Word here Luke should mean the Lord Jesus Christ because it suiteth so well with what the other Apostles said As John begins his Epistle He telleth them he would speak to them of whom they had heard and seen of the Word of Life 1 John 1. 1. That which was from the beginning which we have heard and seen with our eyes and have look't upon and have handled of the Word of Life So Luke telleth them he spake what he received By Luke from the Ministers of the Word Which suiteth with that place 2 Pet. 1. 16. We have not followed cunningly devised fables when we made known to you the power and coming of Jesus Christ but we were eye-witnesses of his Majesty But if this be not the meaning then consider How much wanting doth Luke seem to be to his Readers He intendeth to write of Jesus Christ and to make a Preface of Christ and fully mentioneth him whom he intendeth to write upon Ye shall find Paul calling Christ the VVord in that fare-well-speech of his to the Church of Ephesus By Paul which is recommended Act. 20. 32. Now brethren I commend you to God and to the VVord of his grace which is able to build you up and to give you an inheritance among all them which are sanctified I know this place is commonly interpreted of the Gospell and that the Gospell is called the VVord of Grace in another place of the Acts of the Apostles but yet they question whether that be the meaning here or no and that upon this ground because that Word is here meant to which the Saints are commended Now the Gospell is commended to the Saints but the Saints are not commended to the Gospell But some other Word is here meant that is Christ I commend you to God namely to God the Father and to the VVord namely to Christ Indeed for the Gospell to be commended to the Saints is an usuall thing 2 Tim. 1. 13 14. Hold fast Usuall for the Gospel to be commended to the Saints not the Saints to the Gospel the form of sound words which thou hast heard of me in faith and love which is in Jesus Christ That good thing which was committed to thee keep by the holy Ghost which dwelleth in us And so in the second Chapter of that Epistle vers 2. The things that thou hast heard of me amongst many witnesses the same commit thou to faithfull men Here is the Gospell committed to the Saints But where do you find the Saints committed to the Gospell To God ye find them committed again and again Act. 4. 26. Having commended them to the grace of God Here are men commended to God And so in that sense I take it here I commend you to God and to the Word of his grace to Jesus Christ who is called The VVord of his Christ the Author of Grace and Reconciliation with God grace here because it is Christ that God is reconciled to us by He is the Author of all that grace and reconciliation and favour which we have with God So understand the VVord of grace as you understand the VVord of life that is Christ clearly VVhat we have heard and seen of the VVord of life that is Christ the Author of that Ye shall find Paul calling Christ by the name of the VVord in another place which is commonly otherwise interpreted Heb. 4. 12. The word of God is quick and powerfull and sharper than any two-edged sword piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit and of the joynts and marrow and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight but all things are naked and open to the eyes of him with whom we have to do The VVord clearly here is a Person I say a Person for the VVord of God is quick All things are manifest in His sight All things are naked and open in the eyes of Him He and Him and His these imply that the Apostle speaketh of a Person not of the Word revealed but of the Essentiall vord of God which is Christ Not but that something may agree to the revealed Word because it hath the stamp of Christ upon it but something cannot be given to it The Word is a Revealer of the thoughts of the heart when it is powerfully Preached But Who can properly say of the word that every creature is naked and open before the word of God Before Christ every creature is open Christ is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the searcher of all hearts in a proper sense Take the end of the thirteen Verse All things are naked and open to the eye of him the word namely with whom we have to do Our Translation readeth it thus which the Originall doth very well bear All things are open to the eye of him to whom we must give an account 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not With whom we have to do but To whom we must give an account 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 there signifieth Account compared to Rom. 14. 12. So then every one of us shall give an account of himself to God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the same word that is in Heb. 12. To whom must we give account to the revealed Word No but to the Word that is to Jesus Christ We must all stand before the judgment-seat of Christ Heb. 12. 13. The very word that is in this place speaks expresly of Christ Seeing then we have a great high Priest that is passed into the heavens for us let us do so and so The Word is the same with the High Priest The second Quere then is this Why is Christ rather Quaere 2 called by this tearm The Word than by the name of the Why Christ is called the VVord rather than the Son of God Son of God here in the beginning of this Gospell why doth not John rather say The Son of God was in the beginning and was God and was with God But In the beginning was the Word Why for this reason probably because he would not at first alienate the hearts of his Readers
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
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
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
Christ who is the heir of all things The Father hath committed all judgment to the Son And our errand is to beseech you to go over and leave your own father's house and forsake all your lusts and worldly Correspondencies and be married to this Jesus This is the end of our Ministry to perswade men to believe in Christ because we know there is no other Name under Heaven by which we can be saved Acts 4. 12. Neither is there salvation in any other No there is no other Name given under Heaven by which men must be saved We might tell you as they do in the Church of Rome Popery a foppery of Pardons Indulgences and Pilgrimages but this is but to still Children with rattles We might tell you of your own works of praying and reading and giving of Alms but this is but to send you to Hopâ—er and Arpad the Rivers of Damascus for there is no salvation to be had but by Him Therefore the end of our Ministry is that all might believe in him because As there is no other Name but his by which we must be saved So no other way to lay hold upon him but by believing The just they live by faith The Righteousnesse of God is revealed from faith to faith Ye know how it was with the Woman in the Gospell that came to Christ in the crowd and got healing from him No question in such a crowd many touched Christ for He was in the midst of the throng as well as that Woman But none received healing but that woman because she believed that if she could but touch him she should be healed So it is here There is a crowd of Professors that seem to come to and follow after Christ but none receive healing but those that believe indeed and to them cometh a healing vertue Well then if this be the end of all Ministers witnesse-bearing that through them their hearers might believe in Christ First learn from hence to look at these Ministers as Ministers to be accompted publick blessings publick blessings here is one John the Baptist A man sent from God that all through him might believe All that were within the compasse and reach of his Ministry if they were not wanting to themselves might be the better for him That all through him might believe It is no small matter this whatsoever people may make of it the Apostle happily setteth a high price upon it All are yours who in the first place whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas He reckoneth up the Minister as a great part of their goods there Ephes 4. 11 12. speaking of the Ascension of Jesus Christ and setting Him forth as a great Prince he telleth you what gifts He gave Princes are wont in the dayes of their Coronation to give largely to their Subjects Christ was Ascended and Crowned with Glory He led Captivity Captive and was in his Triumph He ascended up on high and gave gifts to men what gifts He gave some Apostles some Prophets and some Evangelists these were gifts indeed They were men of infallible spirits But he gave Pastors and Teachers and Ministers for the edifying of the Body of Christ Secondly seeing this is the end of their witnesse-bearing learn to give heed to their Testimony because they are Their Testimony to be received sent by God on purpose that you through them might believe They are Instruments as of your faith so of your happinesse Faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the Word of God Rom. 10. 14. The Philosophers make hearing the sense of Discipline The Apostles make it the sense of faith Faith cometh by Hearing Those that cry out of too much preaching are as if they were afraid of too much faith Faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the Word of God It is the great ordinance that God hath appointed to beget faith in the hearts of men Unbelief came by hearing by Eve's harkening to the Serpent So God will have faith come by hearing that we might beat the Devil at his owne weapon Eve heard the serpent and was drawn aside from God We by hearing of the Ministry of the Gospell are brought home to God As Calvin saith sweetly That we who were deceived by the subtilty of the serpent might be saved by the foolishnesse of God so the Scripture calleth the preaching of the Gospel 1 Cor. 1. 21. It pleased God by the foolishnesse of preaching to save them that believe This is not an arbitrary businesse that ye may take or leave without danger or losse to them that teach you rightly It must cost you dear For out of the witnesses mouths cometh fire to devour their Enemies Revel 11. 5. If any man would hurt them fire proceedeth out of their mouths and devoureth them These Sermons which are so sleighted at present may be as fire in your consciences another day It was the manner under the Law for the Witnesses before a Malefactor was stoned to lay their hands upon his head they were the first men that stoned him Levit. 34. 34. Bring forth him that is to be stoned without the camp and let all that heard him lay their hands upon his head and then let all the congregation stone him This the Witnesses did to make it appear that they translated all the guilt from off themselves and laid it where it ought upon the head of the Malefactor So may Ministers do that come to be Witnesses to the Light they may say as Paul did I have declared to you the whole counsell of God I am free from the blood of all men They that have faithfully preached Christ in any place may safely say We have delivered our own souls and done what in us lyeth to deliver yours if you would believe We come to bear witness to the truth that all men through us might believe So I have done with his Office as it is directly laid down Secondly It is laid down in opposition to a false conceit The Jews falsly conceit John the Messias that the Jews had of John as if he had been the Messias To meet with this He was not that light saith the Evangelist here This conceit of theirs ye shall find Luk. 3. 15. As the people were in expectation and all men mused in their hearts of John whether he were the Christ or no. Now to meet with this and to clear it saith the Evangelist here He was not that light He was a light indeed but not that light He was as Christ himself saith a burning and a shining light he said so of John the Baptist Joh. 5. 35. He was a burning and a shining light and ye were willing for a season to rejoyce in his light There may be a Candle that is not lighted a Candle may be lighted and burn and yet give but a small light But here John was a burning light and a shining light too Therefore the greater wonder perhaps why it is said here He was not
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
be received Ephes 4. 24. Therefore as the Church is subject to Christ so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing We should choose his Yoke as well as his Crown his Spirit to guide us as well as his Blood to redeem us to be subject to him as well as to be protected by him This is the first thing included in the receiving of Christ namely a present choosing of Christ upon Conjugall tearms Secondly Trust in him for ever after as our God so saith 2. To trust in him for ever after as our God the Text 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to trust that is Continue to believe in his name because every one that hath received him continueth to believe continueth to trust and to rely upon him and stay himself upon his God and to lean upon his Beloved as the phrase is in the Canticles As a woman that hath got an husband hath one to trust to for provision and direction and protection If David's wives be taken away he will rescue them if Ahasuerus his wife be in danger of Haman's plots her husband will relieve her The Soul before marriage to Christ was liable to all old debts the Law had a saying to her the Devill had a plea against her but now she is married all is laid upon Christ No action lies against the wife Now the soul hath an husband and accordingly she trusts in Christ and sendeth the Devill to Christ her Husband for an answer Thus you see what it Supposeth and Includeth Thirdly See what it Produceth namely Certain Effects 3. It supposeth certain Effects to witnesse the truth of the former Acts. 1. Receiving Christ produceth Love that bear witnesse to the truth of the former Acts to make it appear there were true Apprehensions in the Understanding and true Acts in the Will and they are diverse First The true receiving of Christ wheresoever it is it produceth a Prizing Love in the first place It is impossible but that the soul which hath received Christ indeed should prize him and love him because of the beauty and excellency in him 1 Joh. 4. 16. compared with vers 19. We have known and believed the love that God hath given to us Then followeth We love him because he first loved us Where there is a knowing and believing of God's love to us there will be a reciprocall love from us to God To him that believeth in Christ Christ is pretious It is not onely a love but a prising love 1 Pet. 2. 7. To you therefore which believe he is pretious They that have received Christ indeed will set a price upon him howsoever others value him Judas though he did converse with him not having received him by faith What a price setteth he upon him the price of a Slave thirty pieces of silver the very price that was to be given by a man that had bought a slave to be his servant a goodly price The Jews that bought him and Judas that sold him make no more of Christ but thus Now take the Soul which hath indeed received him and knoweth what is in him such a soul will not set Christ to sale no not upon any tearms Offer her Preferments Estates and Kingdoms and Worlds A goodly price for Christ the soul will say No he is infinitely more worth then all these To you that believe Christ is pretious because ye have received him Secondly It produceth a watchfull Fear Whensoever 2. It produceth a watchfull fear the soul receiveth Christ it will be afraid to lose him Having received a Kingdom that cannot be moved saith the Apostle Heb. 12. ult let us have grace to serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear One would think all fear were now over No fear so much the more The Gospel that is the Kingdom of Heaven which is often so called in Scripture and it is a Kingdom that cannot be moved The Law that was taken away but the Gospell that cannot be moved no alteration of that We must never look for another Gospel than what is evidently laid down in Scripture A man that hath received this Gospel hath received Jesus Christ in it For this Manna commeth down in the dew of heaven Christ in the ministry of the Gospel And having received this Kingdom we shall not be moved Having received Jesus Christ let us serve him with reverence and god'y fear saith the Scripture There will be a fear where there hath been a receiving of Christ Kisse the Son Serve him with fear and rejoyce with trembling Psal 2. 11 12. I will allude to Act. 3. 11. ye read there in the foregoing Verse of a Creeple that was healed by Peter and John And immediately his feet and ankle bones received strength and he stood up and praised God What doth the man mean now to leave his leaping and skipping and come and clasp about Peter and John In all likelihood because he was afraid when they were gone his lamenesse would return again to him Such a disposition there is in every soul that receiveth Christ it is sensible of its having received health and strength and comfort from him Now lest his former lamenesse should return lest the lusts of his former ignorance should again prevail and those terrours of conscience under which it lay should come again the soul is desirous to hold Christ so as never to let him go Not that a soul that hath once received Christ can lose him for ever but because though it cannot wholly lose his presence yet it may lose a great deal of its comfortable communion which it had with Christ and God in him Therefore there will be a watchfull fear lest we should lose those sweet embracements which we have had from Christ Thirdly This receiving of Christ in truth produceth a 3. It produceth a spirituall life spirituall life He that hath the Son hath life he that hath not the Son hath not life 1 Joh. 5. 12. Men are now other kind of creatures than before they have motion from another principle then they had before As where there is life the soul setteth the body a working So when the soul hath Christ it receiveth life and motion and appetite and sense and grouth from him This true receiving of Christ produceth Fourthly As there is a prising Love a watchfull Fear and 4. I◠produceth fruit to God a Spirituall life so It produceth fruit to God Every soul that hath received Christ is more or lesse a fruitfull soul and doth not render fruit to it self as formerly but to God aiming at him and his glory in what it doth And this followeth upon the former I told you It was receiving of Christ upon Conjugall tearms as a woman receiveth an husband And this you must know that Christ hath alwaies issue by his wives The Lord Jesus hath no barren Spouse Every one that receiveth Christ for an husband he hath issue by her that soul bringeth forth fruit
and Manhood make such a mixture as to produce a Third thing Here they are confuted by the right understanding of the Hypostaticall Union I will not perplex your understandings with these things onely see the care of the Church of God of old It met with all these sorts of Hereticks in four Adverbs the old Councills brought in the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Truly to oppose the Arians that implyeth that Christ was true God The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Perfectly to oppose the Sine Naturarum convulsione Apollinarians to shew he was perfectly Man consisting of a Soul and of a Body The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Undividedly to oppose the Nestorians to shew that his Natures were not divided And then the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Unmixtly to Inconfusè oppose the Eutychians who so mingled the Natures as to make a third thing out of both We now come to what remaineth in the Particulars See what they will afford us First That which concerneth the Divinity of Christ the 1. The Wisdom and the Love of God to be admired Word what hath been said of that may serve to fill us all with admiration of the love and wisdom of our God in ordering so that his own Son the Second Person in the Trinity the Word should be made flesh for our salvation God so loved the world that he gave his onely begotten Son Here is love indeed Hardly will a man part with an onely son yet God doth He spared not his own Son but gave him to death for us all And yet haply a man may have such a son that he careth not for But what saith the voice from Heaven This is my beloved Son And yet he so loved the world as to part with his beloved Son One may have a son that he loveth and yet be displeased with him as David was with Absolom but this Son did please the Father and yet this Son is given to die O the admirable love of God shining in this that the Second Person in the Trinity is set on work to procure our Redemption Though Reason could never have found out such a way yet when God hath revealed it Reason though but shallow can see a fitnesse in it because there being a necessity that the Saviour of man should be Man and an impossibility that any but God should save him and one Person in the Trinity being to be Incarnate It suiteth to reason that the first Person in the Trinity should not be the Mediator For who should send him He is of none and therefore could not be sent There must be one sent to reconcile the Enmity and another to give gifts to friends two proceeding Persons the Son from the Father and the Holy Ghost from the Father and the Son accordingly the second Person which is the Son he is sent upon the first errand to reconcile man to God and the third Person the Holy Ghost he is sent to give gifts to men so reconciled So as to Reason it is a suitable and a very great congruity That God having made all things by his Word should now repair all things by his Word That as the word of the serpent deceived man and brought him to ruine so the Word of God should restore him and bring him to happinesse That he that was the middle person in the Trinity should become the Mediator between God and man That he that was the expresse Image of the Father's person should restore the Image of God defaced in man by his sins Men may be too curious in such Quaeries but where there is a bottom in the love of God we may safely lose our selves in the admiration of the wisdome of God in the Contrivance of the work of our Redemption That for the first Secondly From what hath been said of the word flesh 2. Here is both matter of Comfort and matter of Duty here as importing the human nature and the human nature cloathed with infirmities we may gather both matter of Comfort and matter of Duty First Matter of Comfort from each of the two branches from flesh as it importeth man-hood from flesh as it importeth infirmity of man-hood The Son of God hath taken our nature upon him that may Comfort men It is matter of Rejoycing to any man when he heareth his friend is preferred What is so neer to us as our owne nature Behold our nature is preferred by Jesus Christ to a union Our nature preferr'd by Christ to union in the Godhead in the Godhead Christ sitteth in Heaven with our nature and the same flesh that we have upon us onely glorified It is that which all the World cannot give a sufficient reason of why the same word in the Hebrew Rashar should signifie both flesh and good Tydings Divinity will give you a reason though Grammar cannot Christ's taking of flesh upon him was good Tydings to all the whole World therefore no wonder if one word signifie both Aboundance of comfort may be taken from hence to poor souls when they think God hath forgotten them To consider Is it likely that Christ that is man should forget Man now He is at the right hand of the Father cloathed in that nature that we have When we are troubled to think it is impossible God and man should ever be reconciled Let us consider that God and man did meet in Christ therefore it is possible we may meet What hath been may be again The two natures met in Christ therefore God may be reconciled to man yea they therefore met that God might be reconciled to man He was made Emanuell God with us that he might bring God and us together When a man is troubled to think of the Corruptions of his nature that is so full of defilement that it cannot be sanctified let him withall think that his nature is capable of sanctification to the full Christ received human nature which was not polluted his nature is the same Therefore that nature is capable of sanctification to the uttermost Many more comforts may be raised from this Consideration That he assumed flesh with the sorrows of it and the nature of it penall infirmities The consideration of that in generall may give some comfort to men because it letteth us see that Christ is able and willing to help us because he hath taken our infirmities Both these the Apostle holdeth out Hebr. 2. ult It is said In that he himself had suffered being tempted he is able to succour them that are tempted He is therefore able because himselfe hath been tempted As a Physitian that trieth the vertue of some soveraign Composition upon his owne body he is the better able to cure another with that Receit because he himselfe hath tried it Christ hath born our infirmities therefore he knoweth better how to support us under them I but is he willing yes His willingnesse may be collected from this That he hath taken our infirmities
the fulnesse of the Godhead In him dwelleth all the fullnesse of the Godhead bodily Not a parcell but all and bodily that is either really If ye take body as it standeth in opposition to shadowes and figures then the Godhead is said to dwell in Christ bodily in opposition to the shadowes Under the law the body dwelt figuratively in the Ark and thence the glory of the Lord filled the house But now it dwelleth in Christ as the substance of all those shadowes It dwells in him bodily Or if ye take body as it sometimes signifieth person The Hebrewes were wont to put the soul for the whole person so many souls went down with Jacob into Egypt The Greeks were Gen. 46. 27. wont to put body for the whole person I beseech you brethren by the mercies of God present your bodies as a living sacrifice so then to dwell bodily is to dwell personally Now the fulnesse of the Godhead dwells personally in Jesus Christ because he was the second Person in the Trinity The Son of God as full of the Divinity as the Father himselfe was The fulnesse of the Godhead dwelt as truly in the Son as in the Father Now Sonship implieth Identity of nature As if it will not be tedious to you Four things go to make up a perfect Sonship There Four things make up a perfect Sonship must be 1. Similitude 2. Procession and Production 3. Life and 4. Identity If any of these be wanting A person cannot be said to be the son of another I say Similitude Procession Life Identity There is a likenesse between the whitenesse of the wall and the whitenesse of the snow but no sonship between them because there is no production The whitenesse of the wall doth not produce the whitenesse of the snow Fire begets fire Here is a production But the fire is not the son of the fire because here wanteth Life The body of a living Man breeds worms Here is a production and life but yet the worm is not the son of Man because here is no Identity of nature The worm hath not the nature of man There must be a Coherence in all these four which you find in Christ in reference to God the Father There is a similitude He is the expresse Image 1. Similitude 2. Procession of his Fathers person There is a procession For the Son proceedeth from the Father and is begotten of the Father from all eternity There is Life For the Son hath Life 3. Life 4. Identity in himselfe as himselfe saith And there is Identity of nature The very same essence with that of the Father And a greater Identity then between any man and his son That take along with you too Take Abraham and Isaac Isaac hath the same nature with Abraham But how the same The same in species not in Individualls The same in kind not the same Individuall nature For it is possible that the father may be saved and the son damned or the son saved and the father damned But now the Lord Jesus Christ is the same Individuall nature with the Father because but one Deity and one Divinity and one Essence and the same Person pertakes of the same Individuall substance Here is the first fulnesse The fulnesse of Divinity Secondly There is in Jesus Christ A fulnesse of sufficiency Secondly a fulnesse of sufficiency for the work of the Mediator-ship which he undertook as God-man That which Divines call the grace of unction They speak of a double grace that dwelleth in Christ The grace of union namely that favour by which the human Nature was united Personally to the Godhead Secondly The grace of unction namely that anointing with the holy Ghost which Christ-Man had who is therefore said to be annointed with the oyle of gladness above his fellowes There is therefore this fulnesse of sufficiency because there was a fulnesse of Divinity there is therefore this grace of unction because by that grace of union Christ is therefore annoynted because the Manhood is so united to the Divinity The nearer any thing commeth to the Cause the more it taketh of the Effect Fire is the cause of heat therefore the nearer a man stands to the fire the hotter he is the farther off the lesse he partakes of the influence of the fire The Human Nature having a union with the Godhead must needs partake of all grace Write the letters of the Alphabet upon a seal and then put that upon the wax the wax will bear the image of all the letters Here is the Divinity The Godhead falls upon as it were and takes to it self the whole Manhood and therefore the Manhood bears the impression of the whole Godhead as far as the Manhood is capable Now indeeed it was necessary there should be a fulnesse of sufficiency in Christ because as Mediator he had three great Offices to discharge and every one of them requireth a fulnesse without which he could not have gone through with his work Accordingly ye shall find A three-fold fulnesse in Christ as to his Offices a fulnesse of power in Christ as King a fulnesse of wisdom in Christ as Prophet and a fulnesse of righteousnesse in Christ as he was the Priest of his Church which three make up the fulnesse of Sufficiency There is in Christ as King a fulnesse of power That is 1. As King the fulnesse of Power it which he speaks of Matth. 28. 18. Jesus came and spake to them saying All power is given to me in heaven and in earth Go ye therefore and teach all Nations and I will be with you to the end of the world Christ hath all power in Heaven and Earth yea and in Hell too Of the two former this place speaks All power is given to me in heaven He hath the Angels in heaven at his command and can send them out as an heavenly hoast to assist his people All power is given to him on earth over all the Princes in the world Therefore he is King of kings and Lord of lords And this he telleth his Apostles before he sent them to preach the Gospell to encourage them Preach to all Nations all Nations all Mankind All power in heaven and in earth is given to me Therefore go preach I am with you And as all power in heaven and earth is given to Christ as King of the Church so all power in Hell Ye have an expression that may haply bear this sense Rev. 1. 18. I am he that liveth and was dead and behold I am alive for evermore Amen And have the keys of hell and of death Christ hath the keyes of hell and can send whom he will thither and keep whom he will from thence The Keys argue Power It is a metaphor taken from Conquerors when they take a City they have the Keys thereof delivered into their hands in token the City is now at their command If Hell be here taken for the Grave
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
excellent speech which he writeth concerning this subject of seeing God in his hundred and twelfth Epistle where he had disputed largely about this thing he taketh himself off and saith Let us be wise â—o sobriety and not be too full of heat In the carrying on of this Argument let us dispute fairly lest while we seek in a way of contention and bitternesse how God may be seen we lose that peace without which God cannot be seen Follow peace and holiness without which it is impossible to see the Lord. I come now to the second thing the Intimacy of Christ The Intimacy of Christ with his Father with the Father which lyeth in these words The onely-begotten Son which lyeth in the bosome of the Father Christ is the onely begotten Son that is in the bosom of the Father that lyeth clearly in my Text. Of his being the onely begotten Son I shall need to say nothing now because I spake before to it upon the fourteenth Verse And the Word was made flesh and dwelt amongst us and we beheld his glory as of the onely begotten of the Father full of grace and truth This expression is to be opened here Which is in the bosome of the Father 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is not which was to be before the Incarnation or which was to be in the bosome of the Father after the Ascension but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is in the bosome of the Father When these words were uttered and in every moment of time yea from eternity Christ is in the bosom of the Father The phrase I take it implyeth these three things The unity of Natures The dearnesse of Affections The communication of Secrets First It implyeth unity of Natures and so there is something 1. To be in the bosome of the Father implyeth unity of Natures more in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 then 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 more in unity of Natures then distinction of Persons In the bosome of the Father The word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But for the unity of Natures they use 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Thus the bosome is the child's place Look to the Scripture-expressions Ye find Moses speaking of himself as a father carrying Israel as a child in his bosome Numb 11. 12. Have I conceived all this people have I begotten them that thou shouldest say unto me Carry them in thy bosom And so in Nathan's Parable 2 Sam. 12. 3. A poor man had nothing save onely a little ewe-lamb which he had brought and nourished up and it grew up together with him and with his children it did eat of his own meat and drank of his own cup and lay in his bosome and was unto him as a daughter A daughter in the bosome And so accordingly here The onely begotten Son that is in the bosome of the Father to shew the unity of Natures that is between the Father and the Son Christ being God co-equall with the Father Secondly As it implyeth unity of Natures so it implyeth 2. It implyeth dearnesse of Affection dearnesse of Affection Bosom as it is for children so for nearness of Relation The wife of thy bosome and The husband of thy bosome Deut. 28. 54. His eye shall be evill towards the wife of his bosome and verse 56. Her eye speaking of a wife shall be evill against the husband of her bosome Because of those dear affections which that nearnesse of Relation as that of Marriage calleth for between man and wife John the beloved of the Lord ye find him lying nearest Christ even in his bosome Joh. 13. 23. And there was leaning on Jesus his bosom one of his disciples whom Jesus loved The posture of leaning upon Christ's bosome was an argument that Christ loved him In this sense Jesus is the Son of the Father's bosome because the Son of the Father's love He shall translate us into the kingdom of the Son of his love This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased saith the Voice from heaven Matth. 3. 17. Thirdly Being in the bosome implyeth communication 3. It implyeth communication of Secrets of Secrets the bosome is a place for them It is a speech of Tully to a friend that had betrusted him with a secret Crede mihi c. Believe me saith he what thou hast committed to me it is in my bosome still I am not ungirt to let it slip out But Scripture addeth this hint too where it speaketh of the bosome as the place of Secrets Prov. 17. 23. A wicked man taketh a gift out of the bosome to pervert the waies of judgment speaking of a bribe Prov. 21. 14. A gift in secret pacifieth anger and a reward in the bosome expiateth wrath Here is secret and bosome all one as gift and reward are one So Christ lyeth in the Father's bosome this intimateth his being conscious to all the Father's secrets So have ye an opening of this phrase Much is to be learned from it 1. Give the same Worship to Christ as to the Father First Seeing Christ's being in the bosome of the Father implyeth unity of natures this should teach us to give the same worship to Christ as we give to the Father because there is the same nature in both It is that that Christ expecteth and calleth for Joh. 5. 23. The Father judgeth no man but hath committed all judgment to the Son that all men should honour the Son even as they honour the Father He that honoureth not the Son honoureth not the Father which hath sent him Jesus Christ requireth the same honour which we give to God the Father it is fit he should have it and it is fit this honour should be pleaded for now in this age wherein many plead against the Divinity of Christ We should give him the same honour that we give to the Father Heb. 1. 6. When he bringeth him in as the first-born of the world he saith Let all the Angels in heaven worship him If they then how ought all the world to worship him We should give him the honour of Invocation praying to him as Stephen did when they stoned him he called upon God and said Lord Jesus receive my spirit As with Worship and Invocation so with Faith It is said that Abraham gave glory to God by believing in him We should give honour to Christ by exercising the act of believing in him this he called for Let not your hearts be troubled ye Joh. 14. 1. Christ the proper object of Faith believe in God believe also in me He is the proper object of faith as he justifieth Circumferentia fidei est Verbum Dei sed Centrum est Deus The whole Word of God is the circumference of faith every thing learned in it is to be believed But the center of faith as the Word justifieth that is the Word God that is Jesus Christ blessed for evermore Secondly His being in the bosome
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