is not a word in my tongue but lo O Lord thou knowest it altogether Now Christ is therefore called the Word because he resembleth all these He resembleth the word conceived as being the expresse Image of his Father's Person even as our conceptions are the image of our minds Again He resembleth the word uttered as being that Thing which is the very suhstance of all his Father's Revelations and Promises And again He resembleth the word uttering as being the Interpreter of his Father's will in all Ages In all these three respects Christ is called the word First in reference to a word conceived Look as the word conceived in the mind is the image of the mind or 1. Christ is the Word conceived in reference to his Father's Person conception or notion it representeth our understanding to the ful So the Lord Jesus Christ He is the Image the express Image of his Father's Person Heb. 1. 3. therefore his Father's word There is no such representation of a man as his conception No such representation of God as Christ the expresse image of his Father's Person Mark that I pray you There is a great deal of difference to be put between a Shadow a Picture and a Statue A Statue to which this expression seemeth to refer He is the engraven image of his Father's Person A Shadow that is a kind of a sleight representation of a body but not a clear one and such a representation of God is all the Creatures We see something of God even in the Grasse and Trees and Beasts of the field A Picture that representeth him a great deal more lively than a Shadow can it hath usually a man's feature and complexion which a Shadow hath not And there is a kind of Picture of God drawn upon the Souls of Men and Angels But there is a further representation than either of these that is in a Statue A Character that representeth further than a Picture a Picture may shew but half the face or half the body to the middle but a Statue that represents the whole man Cap à pe from top to toe Whereas a Picture though you may have one drawn more fully yet is for the most part so framed as to represent though the whole body yet not in its full proportion not the limbs so big as in a living man That also Statues have above Pictures they represent not onely the shape but the proportion of every limb Christ is the Character of his Father's Person Thus he doth not onely hold forth God but whole God altogether Christ is Omnipotent as the Father and Omni-present as the Father and Omniscient as the Father And thus be is fitly called the Word in reference to the word conceived as being the expresse Image of his Father's Person Secondly In reference to the word uttering to the 2. Christ the VVord uttering as the Interpreter of his Father's will verbum orale because Christ is the Interpreter of his Father's will Look as we expresse our selves one to another by our words so God in all Ages hath expressed himself to the world by his Son The great Interpreter of His will in all Ages hath been Christ Matth. 11. 27. All things are delivered to me of my Father saith Christ And no man knoweth the Son but the Father neither knoweth any man the Father save the Son and he to whomsoever the Son will reveal him God that dwelleth in the light inaccessible had been for ever hidden to the eye of the world and unknown to them if the Lord Jesus Christ had not been the word to reveal him Joh. 1. 18. No man hath seen God at any time but the onely begotten Son in the bosom of the Father he hath declared him All the knowledge we have of God in the world we may thank Christ for it He hath declared him We should never know one another's minds if we had not the use of speech to declare our selves Christ is the word by which God declareth himself to man He it was that was the word uttering The first Promise that ever was that which was made to Adam in Paradise The Gen. 3. 15. seed of the woman shall break the serpent's head He it was that delivered the Law to Moses and that spake by the Prophets and in them 1 Pet. 1. 10 11. Of which salvation the Prophets have enquired and searched diligently who prophesied of the grace that should come unto you searching what and what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signifie c. It was the Spirit of Christ in the Prophets that signified whatsoever they foretold And so in the Apostles after them Christ was the Speaker in them 2 Cor. 13. 3. Ye seek a proof of Christ speaking in me which to you-ward is not weak but is mighty Christ the Church's Oratour to God and God's Oratour to the Church in you This word in the Text as it is the Church's Orator to God so he is God's Orator to the Church He speaketh to God for the Church and to that end he sitteth in Heaven at the right hand of God interceding for us And he speaks from God to the Church and in all Ages hath made known the will of the Father And so resembleth the word uttering Christ is resembled by the word uttering the verbum orale as being the substance of all his Father's Revelations and Promises the sum of all that God hath uttered since the beginning of the world and the Product Christ himself to be the summa totalis of all God's Revelations What was the thing promised to Adam in Paradise The seed of the woman What to Abraham Christ who was the seed in whom all nations should be blessed All the Types of the Ceremonial Law What was the substance of them Christ Indeed the Ceremonial Law was the Jews Gospell Christ the Substance of all God's Revelations Every thing pointed to Christ the substance of all those Revelations of God To him give all the Prophets witnesse The Prophets and the Law both It is the speech of Nathaniel Joh. 1. 45. We have found him of whom Moses in the Law and the Prophets did write Jesus of Nazareth The sum of all Divinity is the Scripture the sum of the Scripture is the Gospell the sum of the Gospell is Christ He is the word uttering in all What is the world but God unfolded What is the Scriptures but Christ unfolded As the Prince of Antwerp one of that House a Prince and yet a Preacher by Profession It is said to be his expression Scripturae sunt faciae in quibus involutus est puer Jesus All the Scriptures are but swadling-clothes in which Christ the Child Jesus is wrapped up So he is likewise resembled by the word uttering as being the substance of all his Father's Revelations and Promises For in him Christ all the promises are Yea and Amen 2. Cor. 1. 20. This for Explication
Tent upon Earth as the word signifieth Joh. 1. 17. He dwelt amongst us 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is as in a Tent or Tabernacle Do but consider the difference of these two states that which Christ left and that which Christ took The former was a state of incomprehensible glory In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God What was the state of the Word See 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 I had with thee glory before the world was Here is the Word with God in the state of glory From this state of glory he is pleased to descend To what To take shame It is emphatically said for that is one half of Christ's sufferings Shame is Heb. 12. 2. Looking to Jesus the Author and Finisher of our faith who for the joy that was set before him endured the crosse and despised the shame He came to Isa 53. 3 Luk. 23. 36 39 Luk. 17. 34. Matth. 9. 11 34. Matth. 12. 24. 10. 25. be buffeted and spit upon and reviled and called a friend of publicans and sinners a wine-bibber yea the prince of devills They called Christ Beelzebub Before he came into the world he was in a state of Joy as well as of Glory The Text saith He was with God and wheresoever God is there is joy as the Psalmist saith In thy presence is fulnesse of joy and at thy right hand are pleasures for evermore What is that Christ took instead of joy He came to sorrow sorrow and deadly sorrow surrounded his soul on every side From that eternall joy he is pleased to descend to those intolerable sorrows to be a man of sorrows acquainted with grief Blessed Saviour may we well say Isa 53. 3. What a change hast thou made for thy love to us of being with God to be with Man from the Father's Bosom to the Virgin 's Womb from Heaven to Earth from Glory as ye have heard to Shame and from Joy to Grief And all this for our sakes Ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus 2 Cor. 8. 9. Christ saith the Apostle who though he were rich yet for your sakes he became poor that ye through his poverty might become rich How should this fir'e and inflame our hearts with love to Christ He who was the delight of his Father from all Eternity had his delight with the sons of men How should the sons of men have their delight in him Hath Christ left Heaven for me and shall not I leave the world for Christ Hath he thus emptyed himself for me of his Joy and Glory for a time and shall not I deny my self for him in my pleasures and profits and ease What a poor sorry joy is that which the world affordeth us to that which Christ hath first given us Let us love him who loved us so as that he was pleased to become Emmanuel God with us So The Word was with God This is that which concerneth the Personall Co-existency of Christ with God the Father In the Beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God There is hardly any place of Scripture more abused in a way of superstition than the beginning of this Gospell It was a common thing in times of Popery and I would to God it were abolished wholly at this day to write these words in certain Characters and to tye the paper or parchment about people's necks as a Charm against Agues or as a Spell to prevent some other mischief We shall I hope make better use of them by how much this Scripture hath been wronged by others These words are a Charm indeed but it is against Hereticall Opinions and carnall discouragements The Deniers of Christ's Divinity never had such a Charm as this is Joh. 11. We have made some of them to that end and hope to make more as we do proceed The Fifth Use from hence is that this very Proposition Vse 5 that the Word was with God holdeth forth Comfort to us For he that was with God in the beginning is with him still and will be with him for everlasting with God then and with God now and with God to all eternity And that under the notion of our Advocate 1 Joh. 2. 1 2. If any man Christ our Advocate sin we have an Advocate with the Father So the phrase is here With the Father Jesus Christ the righteous and he is the propitiation for our sins He is there as an Advocate to plead a cause And what cause His own as well as ours We know when a Counsellor is employed in a Cause that concerneth himself as well as his Clyent he is wont to be exceeding active in that businesse more than in other he will neglect no opportunity in such a Cause So Christ is such an Advocate as to be a Propitiation for our sins And Christ should lose the price of his own Blood if our Cause should miscarry before God the Father with him where he appeareth for us Heb. 9. 24. Christ is not entred into the holy places made with hands which are the figures of the true but into Heaven it self to appear in the presence of God for us Observe that With God and For us He appeareth there as an Advocate appeareth for his Clyent when such a Cause is called upon he pleadeth that Cause as an Advocate So Christ appeareth for us as our Proctor He is God with us and for us and therefore able to save to the uttermost all that come to God by him because he liveth to make intercession for them Heb. 7. 25. Never fear that any thing shall be wanting to thy salvation Christ will be sure to perfect it He will save to the uttermost because he liveth for ever Well may Satan's accusations trouble us on Earth they shall never trouble us in Heaven for Christ appeareth there for us He is ever with the Father I passe now to the third Clause of this first Verse which concerneth the Divine Essence of Christ The Word was God So with God a distinct Person from the Father as to be God of the same Essence with the Father The word God is taken essentially for the Father the First-Person in the Trinity This is a point of high concernment that Christ is God so high as whosoever buildeth not upon this buildeth upon the sands This is the Rock of our salvation The Word was God But there will be frequent occasion in this Gospell of meeting with it and therefore I shall speak now but briefly of it Take a few clear places such as our enemies know not how to evade that in Rom. 9. 5. Of whom as concerning the flesh Christ came who is over all God blessed for evermore Christ is here himself called God blessed for ever So Tit. 2. 13. Looking for that blessed hope and the glorious appearance of
Jewes refused him The Sun is ashamed to behold the Souldiers and the earth quaked as loath to bear the Souldiers Thus far of the Witnesse-bearer the Manner of his witnessing and the Time when 4. The fourth particular remaineth namely The Matter of the Testimony which John here giveth of Christ which 4. The matter of John's testimony of Christ lyeth in these words This was he of whom I spake He that cometh after me is preferred before me for he was before me Let us expound the words first This was He. There lyeth some matter of commendations even in that So that your great Oratour of Greece Demosthenes he accounted it matter of commendations when he went in the streets to have it said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 This is Demosthenes Res est magnoperè laudanda It is a matter much to be valued to have one pointed at with the finger and to have it said This is such a man of note The holy Ghost speaks it by way of commendations of Moses and Aaron Exod. 6. 26 27. ye have it twice there These are that Aaron and Moses to whom the Lord said Bring out the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt according to their armies These are they which spake to Pharaoh king of Egypt to bring out the children of Israel from Egypt These are that Moses and Aaron Here it is thrice So This was he saith John But the commendations he giveth lyeth more apparent in the following words He of whom I spake He that comes after me is preferred before me for he was before me He that comes after me Quest What is that How doth Christ come after John How is Christ said to come after John Answ In three respects which I frame as a ground from this First In regard of his Nativity Secondly In regard of his own Ministry Thirdly In regard of his attendance upon the Ministry of John First In regard of his Nativity Christ was born of the 1. In regard of his Nativity Virgin Mary some six months after John the Baptist came into the world so he came after him in that respect Luk. 1. 36. You may find that the mother of John the Baptist was gone with child some six months when the Virgin Mary had newly conceived Behold thy cousen Elizabeth hath conceived and shall bear a son and his name shall be called John So saith the Angel that came to Mary and brought the first tydings of Christ our Saviour Secondly Christ came after him In regard of his own 2. In regard of his own Ministry Ministry and the discharge of that Christ did not begin to exercise his Ministry till John had ended his Mar. 1. 14. After that John was put in prison where he lost his head Jesus came into Galilee preaching the Gospell of the Kingdom of God We use to say that seldom comes a better but let not that proverb occasion dispair in any for here Christ comes after John It may be the people may think themselves undone now they have lost such a Minister as John the Baptist After him comes Christ even as Elisha comes after Eliah with a double portion of the spirituall truths of God for all that have to do in the world Thirdly Christ is said to come after John In regard of 3. In regard of his attendance upon the Ministry of John his attendance upon the Ministry of John the Baptist 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That word is seldom or never to be found in Scripture as relating to time but alwaies to place and should not be used for post me but pone me as Beza renders it So it respects time After me in regard of his Nativity and exercise of his Ministry that ye may take in the other But now After me that is In regard of his attendancy upon my Ministry So it was with Christ who was a hearer of John the Baptist Joh. 1. 26. John answered them saying I baptize with water but there standeth one amongst you whom ye know not There standeth one amongst you Therefore Christ was one of John's followers he stood amongst John's Disciples here And in the Scripture-phrase the followers of any Teacher it is usually said of them that they go after such a one because the Teacher was wont to go before and the Disciples after which is the proper notion of the phrase in that place Matth. 16. 24. Then said Jesus to his disciples If any man will come after me let him deny himself and take up his crosse and follow me The Disciple is said to come after and to follow the Teacher Christ here to come after John because he was one of his Hearers Go we on to the next words He that comes after me is preferred before me Namely In regard of his worth and dignity The Prince Christ preferred before John in regard of his worth and dignity comes after the Harbinger and yet is preferred before him The Word comes after the Voice and yet is preferred before it for it was a voice during the time of articulation and not a word till it be articulated Christ was the Prince and John the Harbinger Christ the Sun of righteousnesse and John the Morning-star Christ the Word and John the Voice Though he comes after me he was before me And it is reason he should be preferred before him in dignity because he was before him in regard of his Essence as being God from everlasting to everlasting whose going forth is from all eternity He was not onely before John but before Abraham Joh. 8. 58. Before Abraham was I am Before Abraham was yea before the World was Prov. 8. 25 26. Before the mountains were setled or before the hills were brought forth while as yet he had not made the earth nor the fields nor the highest part of the dust of the world Ye have John the Baptist telling us in this Chapter vers 34. that he bears witnesse to the Divinity of Christ And I saw and bear record that this is the Son of God Now this he doth in this place He proveth and bears record that Christ is the Son of God because he was before all That is a testimony of his Divinity The sum of all then is this John's endeavour is to preferre Christ before him that is the thing I would have you to observe And it should be the care of every Believer to prefer and exalt and set up Christ above himself He that came after me is preferred before me for he was before me John was put upon this because the people had a conceit of him that he was the Messias and therefore he made it his businesse throughly to depresse himself to exalt his Saviour I must decrease but he must encrease I am the friend of the Bridegroom but he is the Bridegroom that hath the Bride I baptize with water but he with the holy Ghost I am the poorest sinner but he is the Lamb of God
John knew neither Jewes nor Gentiles would indure the tearm of the Son of God They could not indure to hear of a sonship in the Deity and Godhead but with this tearm Word applied to the Godhead they were well acquainted both Jewes and Gentiles But John had often met with it in the Old Testament in this sense for the second person in the Trinity I shall shew you a place or two Psal 33. 6. By the Word of the Lord were the Heavens made and all the hosts of them by the breath of his Mouth Here is JEHOVAH the Lord and the Word of the Lord for the Second Person and the Spirit of his Mouth for the Third The Creation is ascribed to the whole Trinity So here is Word In the same sense ye shall find Jesus Christ is called the Word 2 Sam. 7. 21. in that speech of David For thy VVord's sake and according to thine own Heart hast thou done all these great things What is that For thy VVord's sake 1 Chron. 17. 19. Compare these two places O Lord for thy Servant's sake and according to thine own Heart hast Thou done all these things Thou hast done them for thy VVord's sake saith Samuel Thou hast done them for thy Servants sake in the Chronicles And who is that Servant but Christ My servant whom I have Chosen and in whom I delight c. There is a place in Haggai that calleth Christ the VVord Haggai 2. 4 5. Yea now be strong Oh Zerobbabel saith the Lord and be strong Oh Joshua son of Josedeck the High Priest and be strong all ye people of the Land-saith the Lord and work for I am with you saith the Lord of Hosts according to the VVord that I Covenanted with you when ye came out of Egypt so my Spirit remaineth amongst you fear ye not Here is JEHOVAH and VVord and Spirit according to ye may see by the Character is not in the Originall it is in another Letter in our Translation of it Therefore thus according to the Originall or more neerly I am with you saith the Lord of Hosts with that VVord in whom I covenanted with you In quo vobiscum pepegi I am with you together with that VVord in whom I covenanted with you when ye came out of Egypt So that God promiseth the Church deliverance in the Name of God the Father the Son and the Holy Ghost Well then the Jewes you see were well acquainted with this tearm of VVord applied to the second Person in the Trinity They had it in the beginning and in the Chaldee Paraphrase which is applied to JEHOVAH it is rendred the VVord of God What JEHOVAH is said to do they translate it The Word of God did it applying the Word of God to Christ Yea the very Heathens whom John would likewise take and therefore baiteth his hook accordingly the Heathens had a strong notion of the Word They said There was an eternall Mind from which proceeded 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Word which was the Creator of all things Ye have it in Plato Trismegistus and divers of the Philosophers yea the very Oracle Pheuros the King of Egypt sendeth to the Oracle to know Who should be the greatest in the World hoping the Oracle would have named him But he received this answer 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 expressing the whole Trinity clearly and expresly First God saith the Oracle then the Word and together with them the Spirit So then this tearm Word being known and applied to God both by Jewes and Heathens and St. John knowing that Ebion and Cerinthus were better versed in this Philosophy than in the Scriptures of God he to win them baits his hook with this expression of the Word whereas the expression of the Son of God would have angred them In this sense John practiseth what St. Paul confesseth to become all things to all men He setteth forth Christ under the term of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Word which they would better receive Whence the third Quaerie doth arise which is the main How doth it appear that Christ is fitly called by this Quaerie 3 term The Word We must distinguish There is a two-fold Word There Respons is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A word conceived in the mind I pray you set you selves to understand it As when ye read The fool hath said in his heart There is no God Here is what the fool thought He said that is within himself When the mind speaketh to a man's self that is a word conceived Secondly there is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a word delivered that is two-fold either verbum quod or verbum quo The word delivered is either that word which is one's mind expressed that is the thing which he hath spoken Then it is said he keepeth his word when he hath done the thing uttered And then there is the verbum quo that is that thing by which a man's mind is expressed Yet more plainly take it thus There is a three-fold word Verbum mentale A word conceived Verbum reale A word uttered Verbum orale A word uttering The word conceived verbum mentale is the Apprehension that a man hath in himself which we call a Notion or a Conception The word uttered verbum reale is the thing that is spoken In the Originall see Luk. 1. 37. With God nothing can be impossible 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with God no word shall be impossible So in the Originall There is nothing that God hath spoken but it shall come to passe Ye have a very clear place for that Matth. 4. 4. Man doth not live by bread alone but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God As I take it the most proper meaning of that place is By every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God we understand every creature which God hath ordained for food And ye will be of that mind too if you see Deuter. 8. 3. He humbled thee and suffered thee to hunger and fed thee with Manna which thou knewest not nor thy fathers before thee that he might make thee know that man doth not live by bread onely but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God Whatsoever the word of God maketh food whatsoever God appointeth to be instrumentall as he did Manna here There is verbum reale Then verbum orale the word uttering is the expression by which that thing is delivered That is the end why God hath given us speech If we were to deal onely with God we should need no tongue or speech because God knoweth the thoughts of our hearts If we were to deal onely with our selves we should need no speech for every man knoweth Why the use of Speech is given to man what himself thinketh But because we are to deal one with another therefore God giveth us the use of speech that there might be a word uttering and declaring to one another what one another thinks Psal 139. 4. There
of that term The Word which ye have twice in this Verse Let us now Apply it before we come to any of the Predicates First In that Christ is here called the Word in reference Vse 1 to the word conceived as being the expresse Image of his Father's Person as our thoughts are the image of the mind Let us learn from hence First to be helped here to understand something of that Eternall Generation What the Son of God is who of himself is inexpressible Who can declare his generation Isa 3. This may help us to conceive better of it than any expression in the world When we compare Christ with the conception of our own hearts there is nothing commeth so near the nature of that eternall generation of the Son of God The understanding that conceiveth a notion without difficulty without passion without agitation and stirring There is no conception no procession of any thing so purely inconcrete and simple and unmixt as the proceeding of the thoughts of our Understanding Such is the generation of the Son from the Father at least this of all things we can take into our imagination is the fittest to expresse Him And indeed if it were possible for a man to contract all his notions into one mark it if it were possible for him to conceive at once whatsoever he apprehendeth then that Conceit that he conceiveth in his understanding it would be that man's wisdom and that man's truth because it containeth whatsoever he hath in his heart Such a word is Christ in reference to his Father Whatsoever there is in the Father of wisdom it is expressed there whatsoever excellency is in God it is in the Son Thence it is that Christ is Christ both Wisdom and Truth so frequently called Wisdom and set forth by that name Prov. 8. And he is called Truth I am the way and the truth and the life And there would be the whole of a man's wisdom in that notion which will contain all his apprehension at once So it is in Christ which is the wisdom of his Father That is one thing It may help us something in conceiving the unconceivable and unexpressible Generation of the Son from the Father Secondly It may help us to conceive of the Father according to what we read of the Son and to conceive of the Son according to what we read of the Father because the Son is the expresse Image of the Father's Person Therefore it is of great use for poor penitent sinners that with the Publican stand afar off and dare not lift up their eyes to Heaven For howsoever they conceive some hope in regard of Christ yet they are affraid God the Father will never pardon them They look at Christ as a Saviour all of Bowells Many poor souls have strange apprehensions of God the Father as if he were altogether a consuming fire therefore no pardon to be expected from him But here is for thy comfort Christ Comfort to penitent sinners whatsoever he is is the expresse Image of the Father's Person therefore what thou findest in Christ thou maist find in the Father Was Christ so full and free-hearted as to be ready to help every poor soul in the daies of his flesh He is but the Father's Image and thou maist find the same disposition in the Father Thou maist go to God as to Christ if he were here in the flesh On the other side If any man Terrour to stubborn sinners be a stubborn and presumptuous sinner that dareth go on to walk in the lust of his eyes and pride of his heart and flatter himself with these thoughts Lord have mercy upon me will save him on his death-bed Howsoever there may be some rigour expected from the Father why Christ will have mercy upon him Christ dyed for him and will save him And he needeth make no question of the love of Christ of his affection and readinesse to help him though he walketh in the stubbornnesse of his wicked heart Let such a one know That God as he will by no means clear the guilty so nor will Christ too Mark that place for this Exod. 23. 20. Behold saith God there I send an Angel before thee to keep thee in the way and to bring thee into the place which I have prepared That Angel was Christ for it is said that they provoked Christ in the Wildernesse Therefore it was Christ Now mark Beware of him and obey his voyce provoke him not for he will not pardon your transgressions Why for my name is in him Christ is just as I am saith God the Father here and as severe to sinners as I am Therefore provoke him not he will not pardon Kisse the Son lest he be angry The Son can be angry as well as the Father Though he be the Lamb of God yet that Lamb will turn Lion against them that disobey him and refuse to obey the Gospell of Christ The Lamb will be so angry as to make the great ones of the earth to cry Who shall deliver them from the wrath of the Lamb Rev. 6. Secondly In that Christ is called the Word in reference Vse 2 to the word uttering because he is the Interpreter of his Father's will and declareth the Father's mind to the sons of men Let us learn from hence to blesse Christ for all the knowledge we have of God and the things of God it is from him we have it he is the Word that hath declared it The onely begotten Son in the bosome of the Father he hath declared him Joh. 1. 18. If men think themselves so much beholding to their Tutors and School-masters that discover to them the hidden things of Arts and Sciences If Alexander was so much bound to his Master his School-master Aristotle his Instructor that he made a question Whether he were more bound to him for his teaching of him than to Philip his father for begetting of him Then what do we owe to Jesus Christ the great Tutor to whom we owe all our Learning Tutors and Fathers too for all Relations meet in him and all Duty is due to him And if He be the word uttering let none be ashamed of that work of the Ministry Some Gentlemen think it scorn to make their sons Ministers God the Father made his Son a Minister ye see and setteth the Lord Jesus Christ his onely Son to be a revealer of his will to the sons of men And if so something else may be learned from it Let us all take heed to what we hear It is Christ that is the word uttering What we find in Scripture and hear delivered according to the Scripture it is the word of Christ Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom The power of the Word Preached Col. 3. 16. Ye must give me leave to tell you when men speak Scripture to you rightly interpreted and ye refuse to hear ye do not refuse men that speak from the
Pulpit but him that speaketh from Heaven which is Christ himself according to what we read Heb. 12. 25. See that ye refuse not him that speaketh For if they escaped not who refused him that spake on earth much more shall not we escape if we turn away from him that speaketh from heaven Christ speaketh from Heaven in every Sermon wherein truth is delivered unto you He saith to the drunkard from Heaven Become sober and to the wanton he saith from Heaven Become chaste to the unbeliever Lay hold on Christ It is said from Heaven when it is said from the Pulpit If men will go on in sin in spight of Heaven God will confound them in spight of the world they must to Hell in spight of the world Though hand joyn in hand they shall not go unpunished If men will not hear him speak on earth they must not expect to have him to hear when they would have Heaven That is the third thing Christ is called the word in reference to the word uttering because he is the substance of all his Father's Revelations and Promises Let us therefore learn from hence to grow in the knowledge of what we read and whatsoever we hear from the word of God because he is the substance of all Thus take any Scripture gage it and you will find Christ in the bottom of it If it be a Precept it leadeth you to Christ for strength to perform it If it be a Threat it leadeth you to Christ for grace to escape it If it be a Promise it clearly conveyeth Christ In him all the promises are Yea and Amen and therefore called Pretious promises not that they have any more price in them of themselves than any other Truths have but pretious promises That is a pretious Box that hath a rich Jewell in it Every Promise is pretious that hath Christ in more latitude than other places of Scripture have Therefore let us labour to find Christ in every one The old World had but one Promise for a great many years together from Adam to Abraham we read but of one Promise which God made to Adam in Paradise and yet Adam a holy man and Enoch a holy man and yet but one Promise Now we that have so many Promises cannot we find Christ in some of them to rely upon Having therefore these promises dearly Beloved let us cleanse our selves Let us seek for Christ and Cleansing in the Promises I have done now with the Subject of these three Propositions The Word The first thing that is predicated of the Word is that Propositi ∣ on 1 which we meet with in the first Proposition namely His eternall Existency In the beginning was the word The other Evangelists especially Matthew and Luke they have spoken fully of the temporall Generation of Christ So Matthew beginneth The book of the generation of Jesus Christ the son of David the son of Abraham Now John whose aim was to insist upon those things that concern the Divinity of Christ he beginneth with his Eternall Generation In the Beginning was the Word Beginning and was saith Basil these two terms are like two Anchors which the ship of a man's soul may safely ride at come what storms will come None of those Heresies that deny the Divinity of Christ shall be able to shame that man that layeth hold upon these In the beginning and Was. There was a Beginning when other things received their Beeing I but Christ was in that Beginning and so before the things had received their Beeing Much ado there is amongst Interpreters to little purpose to find out severall senses of this word Beginning I will not trouble you with them That of Mark will clearly give you the meaning of it In the beginning of the Creation of God Mar. 13. 19. Such as was not from the beginning of the Creation which God created Here is the thing clear The beginning of the Creation that God created is the same that Moses meaneth Gen. 1. 1. In the beginning God created heaven and earth It is something remarkable that Moses with whom God spake face to face and John the Evangelist who lay in Christ's bosome should both of them have one Exordium In the beginning saith Moses and In the beginning saith John It is thought that John doth allude to Moses onely with this clear difference Moses speaking of the Creation of the World saith In the beginning God made heaven and earth He speaks of a World that was made John speaking of a Word that was not made saith In the beginning was the word He doth not say He was made as if Christ were a creature but when all other creatures were made Christ was Christ had a Beeing when they did but begin to be therefore he was before them That which was in the beginning must needs be eternall Why Why because before the creatures began to be there was nothing but God What was before the Beginning Let that be the question Quest It will lead you into the Abysse of Eternity what may Answ be before the Creation Here Faith may enter into the darknesse of Eternity where it may lose it self and can see nothing but God before all and God after all and God in all Before the Creation nothing but God Christ was before the Creation when they began to be he was Therefore Christ was Eternall there was no beginning before that Indeed there was God before the Creation but God hath no beginning Though there be principium ordinis there is not principium temporis as the Father first and The Father Son and holy Ghost Eternall Son secondly and the holy Ghost the third Here is principium ordinis Order but no Time wherein the Father Son or holy Ghost began to be So Christ was in the beginning had a beeing then There was no beginning till the Creation Therefore Christ was from all Eternity This may be confirmed with more strength because the holy Ghost throughout the Scripture when he would expresse Eternity useth to do it thus Such a thing was before the world that is it was Eternall Psal 90. 1 2. Lord thou hast been our dwelling place in all generations Before the mountains were brought forth or ever thou hadst formed the earth or the world from everlasting to everlasting thou art God How proveth he that Because he was before the Mountains or Earth was made Christ was before the world therefore God from everlasting to everlasting Joh. 17. 5. Now O Father glorifie thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was That is from Eternity Take a clear place for those that clearly apprehend Christ to be meant by Wisdom as undoubtedly He is Prov. 8. 22. and so forward to the 30 verse a place to which our Evangelist is thought to have alluded here and it is fully parallel where Wisdom saith The Lord possessed me in the beginning of his waies Just as in the
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
Wherefore my Brethren pray that ye may understand these things for indeed they are things that depend upon Revelation therefore they call for prayer Saith Bernard of the Mystery of the Trinity The best way of seeking it and the easiest way of finding it is not to enter upon Disputings but Prayer To Prayer add the use of the best Means reading the Word of God in which these Mysteries are revealed that concern the Eternity and Personality and Divinity of Jesus Christ Scripture will help you more then Reason here There are two sorts of things Some things there are which we do first understand and then believe Others which we first believe and then come to understand If ye Naturall things are first understood then believed Supernaturals not so go to naturall things first ye understand them apprehend the inside and outside of them and then believe them because ye understand them But now in these great supernaturall Mysteries that ye may understand them you must first believe them For this there are two rules If ye will first set Reason on work believe no more then ye can find out in these Mysteries That will hinder Faith But if after ye have believed them ye will set reason a work that may help faith The Arians of old that denied the Divinity of Christ they got a great deal of advantage especially over Women by putting questions for grounds of reason to them They were wont to come to Women and The Arians delusion and sophistry aske them Hast thou born a Child say they Yes And art thou not older then the Child thou hast born why yes say they And yet say they our Adversaries They tell us that God hath a Son and that the Son is Co-eternall with the Father Athanasius goeth to work to confute them thus I aske you a question Canst thou build a house without Timber and Stone and other Materialls no yet God made the World without any of these things If Gods building be not as an Artificer's God made the World without Materialls He hath his Son from Eternity but not as a naturall parent for who can declare his generation If ye will aske a question Ask the Sun if ever it were without its beams Aske the Sun if it did not shine as soon as it was Created And aske the Fountain if ever it was without its streams As the Sun was never without its beams nor the Fountain without its streams so God was never without his Son In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God both Co-existent and Eternall Vers 3. All things were made by Him and without Him was not any thing made that was made Who is here meant by Him the fore-going verses tell you namely the Word And who is meant by the Word ye have heard at large namely Christ Whose Divinity the Evangelist had affirmed vers 1. The Word was God confirmed in the second verse The same was in the beginning with God And here he proveth it by a new argument from the Creation of the World All things were made by Him and without Him was nothing made that was made Now the Apostle telleth you Hebr. 3. 4. He that built Syllogism all things is God Christ built all things saith my Text Therefore Christ is God The argument lieth fair and undeniable But whereas the Apostle Paul speaks of a new Creation we are hinted to think of a double Creation There is the old Creation and the new Creation Now some Hereticks make a question which of the two is here meant There is the old Creation spoken of by Moses in Genesis In the beginning God Created Heaven and Earth And there is the new Creation spoken of by Paul 2 Cor. 5. 17. If any man be in Christ he is a new Creature old things are past away behold all things are become New The question is which of these the Text is meant of All things were made by Him Socinus who denieth the Socinus his damnable heresie and opinion Divinity of Christ together with his Satisfaction maketh it to lay hold upon the latter of these and saith that in the Text ye must understand the new Creation As In the beginning was the Word He understandeth the beginning of the Gospell not of the World All things were made by Him that is all things were made new when Christ was born of the Virgin Mary These are the all things meant in the Text saith Socinus As this is not true so it will not serve his turn It is not true nor consonant to the Text which doth not say that all things were made new by Him but that all things were made by Him and undeniably spoken of the Creation of the World Neither will it serve his turn He hopeth by this evasion to avoid the dint of this argument taken from the Creation of the World to prove the Divinity of Christ but it faileth him for take that which he granteth By all things here we must mean the new things the new Creature If this be the thing we will prove Christ to be God in spight of Socinus For who can turn a heart of stone into an heart of flesh who can work faith and love faith in an unbelieving heart love in an hating heart and meeknesse in a passionate heart who but God! Do not these things declare an Almighty power This by his owne Confession proves him to be God But we are to understand it of the old Creation of the World which Moses telleth us of All things were made by Him that is the proposition An illustration of it in the following words without Him was nothing made that was made In the proposition observe two things First the Effect All things were made Secondly The Efficient By Him This is an excellent help and of great Concernment The making of all things is the first lesson that God Almighty teacheth us in the Bible In the beginning the Lord made Heaven and Earth Therefore worthy the dwelling a while upon and making inquiry into these five things for the clearing of these words First What are the things here meant Secondly In what Order Thirdly In what space of time Fourthly In what manner Fifthly To what end were they all made When these are done we shall come clearly to shew that the Lord Jesus Christ had an influence as the Efficient cause of all these All things were made by Him First What things are here meant All things These 1. All things are here meant are words of a vast Comprehension but you shall find them all reduced to four heads by God himselfe In the fourth Commandement Exod. 20. 11. In six dayes the Lord made Heaven and Earth the Sea and all things that are therein These are the heads of the All things First the Heaven Heaven is a fair building a glorious Fabrick of three Stories the first second and third Heaven 1. Heaven So Paul
Christ Here is one sort of spirituall life that Christ giveth and that in abundance I came that they might have life and have it more abundantly because where God is reconciled he beareth abundance of good-will to such a soul In thy favour is life and that favour aboundeth so much as that God loveth every reconciled soul with the same love wherewith he loveth Christ himself Joh. 17. 23. That the world may know that thou hast loved them as thou hast loved me faith Christ That sheweth abundant love All love falleth first upon Christ as the head Divine love doth and so descendeth to the skirts of his garments It falleth upon us from Christ and through Christ Secondly there is a life of Justification which standeth 2. A life of Justification in opposition to the guilt of sin and of this the Apostle speaketh Rom. 5. and telleth you what abundance of righteousnesse accompanyeth it Rom. 5. 15 17. If through the offence of one many be dead much more the grace of God and the gift by grace which is by one man Jesus Christ hath abounded unto many For if by one man's offence death reigned by one much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousnesse shall reign in life by one Jesus Christ It is called Justification of life there vers 18. Even so by the righteousnesse of one the free gift came upon all men to Justification of life Thirdly There is a life of Sanctification that standeth 3. A life of Sanctification in opposition to the power of sin as that of Justification did to the guilt of sin This is likewise from Christ and of it Paul speaketh Gal. 2. latter end I through the Law am dead to the Law that I might live to the Lord. I am crucified to the world notwithstanding I live yet not I but Christ that liveth in me This commeth in from Christ in great abundance Hence are those expressions 2 Cor. 8. 17. Therefore as ye abound in every thing in faith and utterance and knowledge and all diligence and your love towards us see that ye abound in this grace also Rom. 9. 8. God is able to make all grace abound towards you This is that that Christ saith That he giveth life and more aboundantly Fourthly There is a life of Consolation which standeth in opposition to the discouragements that arise both from 4. A life of Consolation the power of sin and the guilt of sin that strike the soul dead And therefore a soul that is glad is said to live Psal 69. 32. The humble shall see this and be glad and your heart shall live So you see that to be glad and to live is all one This is founded in Christ and there is abundance of this communicated to believers See that 1 Cor. 2. 15. As the sufferings of Christ abound in us so our consolation also aboundeth by Christ Here is consolation abundant consolation and both by Christ The last thing is a life of Glory which standeth in opposition 5. A life of Glory to that misery that ariseth from all the former from the wrath of God and the guilt and power of sin and the discouragements that arise from thence all these bring misery after the soul's death Now there is a life of Glory that freeth the soul from this that is hid in Christ You are dead but your life is hid with Christ in God When Christ who is our life shall appear then shall we also appear with him in glory There is a glorious life for believers but it is now hidden like the sap in the root in the winter-time It is hidden in Christ who is their glorifi'd Head already This they shall have and have it more abundantly because of that aboundant happinesse which accompanieth this life of Glory They shall be aboundantly satisfied with the fatnesse of thy house and made to drink of the rivers of thy pleasures For with thee is the fountain of life Psal 36. 8 9. When there is but a little small Brook and a whole Army commeth to drink at it they are ready to emulate one another because there is not enough to serve them all As he said Xerxes's Army drunk up whole Rivers But where there are Rivers of pleasure there is enough for all commers there needs be no emulation all shall be satisfied They shall be abundantly and Thou shalt cause them to drink of the Rivers of thy pleasures Thus ye see what strong Encouragement ariseth from hence that life is in Christ as in the Fountain So I have done with that Clause of the fourth Verse In him was life The next is And the Life was the Light of Men. Vers 5. And the Light shined in Darkness and the Darkness comprehended it not We proceed to that which concerneth the Creation of Light of Life Men in particular The life was the light of men That is as I take it The Life which was originally in the Eternall Word and conveyed to the creature according to their severall ranks and degrees was a life of Vegetation in Plants and a life of Sense in Brutes and a Life and Light of Men. It was so in the Angels as well as in Men. But the Evangelist because the Scripture was made for the use of Men and not of Angels contenteth himself onely to mention them The life was the light of men By Light I am soath to understand onely Knowledge as is Knowledge Grace and Joy some do or onely Grace as other some I rather take in both and add a third thing which is the result of both namely Joy For all these three come under the notion of Light Then make this our Observation That man was created by God at first in a state of light The life was the light of men Do but compare this place with that Joh. 8. 12. for the understanding of the phrase Then spake Jesus again to them saying I am the light of the world He that followeth me shall not walk in darknesse but shall have the light of life The light of life and the life of light is all one and both come from Christ without any great difficulty Next the life was the light of men And he shall have the life of light saith Christ here but that he speaketh of Conversion My Text confineth me to what was in the Creation Christ is presented to us as the Maker of all things So then Man was created by Christ at first in a state of light that is in a state of Knowledge of Holinesse and of Joy for these three things come under the notion of Light in the Scripture First Knowledge See in that 2 Cor. 4. 6. God who 1. Man created in the light of knowledge commanded the light to shine out of darknesse hath shined in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ This light of
that is in them because of the blindness of their hearts Some naturall men may have a deep reach in the things of the world but there is a darknesse upon the face of the deep a spirituall darknesse upon the deepest wits of naturall men something they know but nothing as they ought to know as the Apostle saith 1 Cor. 8. 2. If any man thinketh he knoweth any thing he knoweth nothing yet as he ought to know They may perhaps know that God is a Spirit but as long as they do not worship him in spirit they know him not as they ought to know him Secondly A darknesse of Sinfulness lyeth upon them 2. A darkness of Sinfulnesse 1 Joh. 1. 6. If we say that we have fellowship with him and walk in darkness that is in sin we lie and do not the truth He that hateth his brother is in darkness which is an expression in that Epistle How easily are men cheated in the dark having bad wares put into their hands They vent falsities instead of truths they vent formalities instead of holinesse they put off any thing to men in the dark So the deceitfulnesse of sin comes to rule over them because they are in a state of darknesse Thirdly Darknesse of Misery ye shall find that called 3. A darkness of Misery darknesse in Lament 3. 1 2. I am the man that have seen affliction by the rod of his wrath he hath put me into darknesse but not into light Darknesse there is misry Such is the condition of all naturall men though all be not alike sensible of it Adam no doubt was exceeding apprehensive after his Foelicem fuisse meminisse miserum est fall of the change of his condition but his posterity are not so It is in this case as it fareth with a Nobleman punished with banishment into a forrain country and there forced to live in a mean condition he himself will be exceeding sensible Simile of his alteration from the Court in which he lived before to the Cottage in which he liveth now But his children that were born in that condition would not be sensible of the misery they were in Adam found what it was to enjoy communion with God in Paradise and what it was to be in a state of life therefore his fall went to his heart But we that are born in a state of misery are not sensible of it because we know no better Enough hath been said to cause every one to make haste out of the state of Nature because it is a state of darkness How formidable is darknesse It is said of Abraham there fell upon him the horrour of a great darknesse Gen. 15. 12. Lo a horrour of great darkness fell upon him Darknesse useth to be accompanied with horrour And so it is with Nature and yet this darknesse of nature is not formidable How miserable would men be if they knew their condition how much more miserable because they do not know it That in Egypt was palpable darknesse which might be felt here is that which aggravateth this darknesse it keepeth it self from being felt men feel not their ignorance and sinfulness and misery Ye know the story of Jeremiah when he was in the dark dungeon and his feet stuck fast in the mire Ebedmeleck letteth down cords to draw him up Jer. 38. 11 12. What a mad-man had he been if he would not have fastned the cords under his arm-holes and suffered himself to be drawn up Yet so are the most in the world the Ministers of the Gospell find them dark and filthy in a darknesse of ignorance and mire of lust Now God by the Ministry of his Word letteth down cords of love to draw them up so senslesse are men as to refuse these offers and there to lie and die before they will come to Christ that they might be saved This being supposed I passe that and go to the second thing The Light shineth in Darkness Shineth in the Present Tense because there was no moment Observ 2 of time wherein this was not true The light shineth The Point then is this That light from Christ hath continued to shine in all ages since the Fall Look as there are for the body two great Luminaries which God hath made The Sun to rule by day and the Moon to rule by night so are these two Luminaries for the soul the Sun and the Moon the Works of God and the Word of God Christ by the light of these hath shined in all Ages since the fall of Adam First He shineth in the works of Creation and Providence 1. Christ shineth in the works of Creation and Providence and therefore these works are said to witnesse for God Act. 14. 17. Notwithstanding he left not himself without witness in that he did good and gave us rain from heaven and fruitfull seasons filling our hearts with food and gladness The heavens have declared the glory of God ever since they were made and the firmaments have shewed his handy-works The beauty and bignesse of those vast Bodies shew to the world that none but the hand of a God could make them Every creature is a kind of Professor that readeth man a Lecture concerning God of his Wisdom and Power and Goodnesse Man is the Master of all the creatures and yet man is become a Scholar to all the creatures the Serpent may Matth. 10. 16. teach him wisdom and the Dove innocency and the Ant industry Go to the Ant thou sluggard Prov. 6. There is a light besides this that shineth from Christ in 2. Christ shineth in his Word the Word that is called his Testimonie as the former is called his Witness 1 Cor 2. 1. I brethren when I came to you came not with excellency of speech and wisdom declaring to you the Testimonie of God that is the Word of God because that testifieth what God is and what he hath done and what he requireth It is true there was not alwaies a written Word since the Fall but a Word there was God revealed his Will by Visions and Dreams and other Intimations in a way of Revelation to Adam and so to Noah and to Abraham and to the rest of the Patriarks It was a Word unwritten till Moses his time And then as at The Word not written till Moses his time the Creation Light was the first thing that was made and yet ye read of no Sun till the third day But all the light which was scattered throughout all the great frame of the Universe upon the third day was gathered together and united in the body of the Sun So here Truths were scattered before now a little and then a little by Dreams and Revelations and Visions but in Moses his time all the Truths that had formerly been revealed this way God gathered together and united them in a written Word then began the Scripture and from that time forward it hath been enlarged After Moses
that publish the truth of the Gospel against the incroachments of Antichrist They are called two Witnesses two Olive-trees two Candlesticks But two Witnesses to import that Few witnesses to the truth in the daies of Antichrist those that bear witnesse to the light in the daies of Antichrist are but few if ye compare them with them that went the wrong way And yet two Witnesses that is a sufficient number in all ages to hold forth the truth because two witnesses would serve to give testimony under the Law In the mouth of two or three witnesses shall the truth of every thing be established Though but two yet two in the worst times And thus Two Olive-trees because God by them conveyeth the oyle of grace into the hearts of his people And two Candlesticks because they hold forth the light of the truth Now this may serve as a touch-stone to discern between The true Ministers of the Gospell true and false Churches and true and false Ministers They that are sent of God they bear witness to the light they set up Christ in their Ministry they are content themselves to stand in the croud and to lift up Christ upon their shoulders content not to be seen themselves so Christ be exalted They lift him up as the Serpent of old was lifted up upon the Pole in the Wilderness Men in this respect are like Trees that receive their influence from Heaven and raise up their tops towards heaven in a way of acknowledgment whence they had their grouth Men sent from God and having received all from Christ return all to Christ in their dispensations But now look into false Churches for instance that of The false ones of Rome Rome Popery is in effect nothing else but an under-hand close witnesse-bearing against Christ Antichrist opposeth Christ in all his Offices under shew of witnessing for him he doth indeed witnesse against him both as King and Priest and Prophet As King because the Pope maketh himself the Head of the Church which is proper onely to Christ One that sat 1 Rome against Christ as King in that Chair was not afraid to call himself Sponsum Ecclesiae the Husband of the Church As Priest In that Office to which belongeth Satisfaction 2. As Priest and Intercession see how they go against Christ who offered himself once for all their Priest must offer him up daily in the Mass and unbloody Sacrifice So in his Intercession they bear witness against him too because they joyne other witnesses with him as they acknowledge them Saints As Prophet In that Office they add Traditions to the 3. As Prophet Word and the Council of Trent saith they are to be received eâdem devotione with the same devotion that Scripture is to be received with This touch is but by the way to fill your hearts more and more with detestation against that way of Popery If it be a dangerous thing for a man to bear false witnesse against his Neighbour What is it then to bear false witness against his God Now the End why he was sent is That all men through The End why John was sent him might believe There is no more in the Originall but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That all might believe but men is put in into the Translation How should all men be saved by John's Ministry if it did not extend it self to all men His Ministry was confined to the Land of Judea he preached onely to the Jews Therefore Men not being in the Text certainly the universall tearm is to admit of some restraint I shall interpret it unto you in that of Matth. 21. 26. which is something parallel where the debate was concerning the Baptism of John Whether from heaven or of men If we shall say From heaven he will say to us say they Why did ye not then believe him But if we shall say Of men we fear the people for all hold John as a Prophet What All the world No there were millions and millions of millions that never heard of John But All that were acquainted with his Ministry they all held him as a Prophet That all through him might believe that is All his hearers All believe and through him not in him as the Object of their faith but through him as the Instrument of their faith That all The meaning is That all his hearers through him might believe in Christ Through him but In the other You have it clearly expressed Act. 19. 4. John verily baptized with the baptism of repentance saying to the people That they should believe on him which should come after him that is on Jesus Christ Here is through whom and on whom through John the Baptist and on Jesus Christ John Baptist's Office was to make a way for Christ As the custom is amongst great Princes when they are to go to any place they send before them their Harbingers to prepare the way to tell the people who it is that cometh to them and what is expected at their hands Gen. 45. Joseph when he was advanced and went in the streets a man went before him crying bow the knee And so Hester 6. There was a man went before Mordecay and proclaimed before him What shall be done to the man whom the King delighteth to honour So it was done to Christ by John And so shall it be done to him whom God delighteth to honour To the Mediator whom God delighteth to seal He came thus preaching Christ that all hearers might believe through him in their Stations which affords us this observation That the end of good Ministers witnesse-bearing to the light is that all the hearers through them might believe in Christ That was the end of the Prophets-Ministry in the place afore cited Acts 10. 43. To him give all the Prophets witnesse that through his Name whosoever believeth in Him should receive remission of sins That was the end of the Apostles both Preaching and Writing Joh. 20. ult These things are Written that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ the Son of God and that ye might have life through his Name That is the end of our Ministry to this day Me-thinks Our work is something like that of Abraham's Rebecca by Abrahams servant wooed for Isaac servant when he was sent to get a Wife for his Master's son He goeth on his errand and telleth them of the family he came to and where he found Rebecca that his Master was a great potent Prince that he had an onely son Isaac whom he made heir of all his Estate and that he was sent on purpose to perswade Rebecca to come over and be espoused to this son Such is our work we are sent to woo souls for Souls by the Ministers of Christ wooed to Christ Christ We tell you What God is and how glorious in himself and all his attributes and that he hath an only Son the Son of his Love the Lord Jesus
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The same word in the Text. He came to his owne home Though the earth be the Lords and the fulnesse thereof yet the Land of Judea was Christ's home in a speciall manner He dwelt there in a more remarkable way As it is said Psal 76. 1 2. In Judah is God known his Name is great in Israell in Salem also is his Tabernacle and his dwelling place in Sion where Christ's home was And accordingly it is said Isai 31. ult He shall passe over to his strong hold for fear and his Princes shall be afraid of the Ensigne saith the Lord whose fire is in Sion and his furnace in Jerusalem It is a Metaphor taken from them that keep fire in their dwelling houses It is a signe that the house standeth not empty where fire is kept Now saith he The Lords furnace is in Jerusalem He dwelleth there Therefore he is said to come to his owne when He came to them He came to his own that is the Jewes who are said to be his owne in a speciall manner Psal 33. 12. Blessed is the Nation whose God is the Lord and the people whom He hath chosen for his owne Inheritance Here it is spoken of the Nation of the Jewes And his owne received him not That is believed not in him So the word is interpreted in the very next verse To as many as received him that is believed in Not to receive Christ is not to believe in Him his name Received him not that is believed not in his name so as here that which we are to observe is briefly this Though Christ came to his owne he was not received no not by them First He came to them in his Ordinances They had the 1. How in his Ordinances Ministry of the word He hath not dealt so with every Nation Psal 147. ult Neither have the Heathen knowledge of his wayes but he sheweth his word to Jacob and his statutes and judgments to Israell Christ came in his word The Scripture is but the shell Christ is the kernell The Scripture is the Cabinet Christ is the Jewell Scripturae sunt fasciae in quibus involutus est puer Jesus This the Prince of Antwerpe was wont to say The Scriptures are the swadling Cloaths in which Christ is wrapt So Christ came in the word in a great many personall types that did fore-signifie him He came in Melchisedeck He himselfe Gen. 14. 18. being the true King of Righteousnesse the King of peace He came in Joshua he being the true Leader of men into the heavenly Canaan He came in Isaac he being the true Joshua 4. 19. Gen. 18. 12. Gen. 22. 6. Son of Laughter The cause of his peoples joy bearing his owne Crosse as Isaac bore the Wood. So in all other personall Types He came in the Sacrifices under the Law they all signified Him Therefore they offered the Morning and Evening Sacrifice The Evening sacrifice was offered at the same hour in which Christ was after nailed to the Crosse And he did so purposely to make it appear that He came to fulfill all those Sacrifice He came in the Sacrament the Lamb slain The passe-over was a Type of Christ Christ our passe-over was sacrificed for us Manna was a Type of him And so the water in the Rock that was Christ So he came in his Ordinances to the Jewes but they did not receive him Let two Prophets answer that Isa 8. 12. I have written to him speaking of Ephraim the great things of my Law but they were counted as a strange thing Christ came in the Word and they looked at the word as if it concerned not them they accompted it as a strange thing this for the Law And for the Gospell whereof Isaiah was a Preacher in that age the most Evangelicall of all the Prophets see what he saith Isa 53. 1. Who hath believed our report and to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed Here is Christ comes to his owne in his Ordinances and not received the report of him not believed his Law accompted a strange thing Secondly Christ in the flesh The word was made flesh 2. How in the flesh and dwelt amongst us He conversed in the land of Judea This was an act of speciall favour For one to receive a man into his house is a favour What was it for Christ to become man himselfe to assume the Manhood into one and the same Person into the Godhead yet this he did He came to his owne did they receive him Search the Sciptures some kind of reception there was when He was born But what Here is a King born where is his Pallace Matth. 2. 2◠Luk. 2. 7. Matth. 2. 14. The stable for beasts is his Court His Chamber of presence a Manger Before He can go He is forced to flye to Egypt in his Mothers armes and at his return what entertainment findeth he The Gadarenes prefer their swine Mar. 5. 17. 15. 13. before him the Jews cry out Crucifie him crucifie him Not him but Barabbas Which is excellently set forth in that Parable of the Master of the Vineyard wherein Christ Luk. 20. 9. telleth us How the Master of the Vineyard after other Messengers sent sendeth his own Son And the husbandmen said This is the heir let us slay him This was the entertainment Christ found when he came to his own This for the Explication of it In the first place it hinteth us to a considerable Parallel 1. Christ not received nor Antichrist avoided between Christ and Antichrist in regard of their Entertainment Christ came and was to be received Antichrist was to come and to be shunned The Scripture had foretold that Christ should come when the Scepter should depart from Judah Therefore about that time they began Gen. 49. 10. to look for the Consolation of Israel as Simeon and the rest Luk. 2. 25. did 2 Thess 2. 7. When that which withholds is taken out of the way then the man of perdition shall be revealed Accordingly Christ came at his time and Antichrist came at his time and yet neither was Christ received nor Antichrist shunned as he should have been and all upon a false surmise They looked not at Christ at that time but as a temporall Monarch therefore they received him not because he came in a mean condition Antichrist came in his time up-starts the Pope when the Emperour went down But they looked for Antichrist as a Tyrant that should with fire and sword over-run the world but he came in sheep's Antichrist's hypocriticall delusion cloathing as a Lamb therefore they shunn'd him not upon this mistake onely As some godly Jews when Christ came gave him entertainment as the Messias so when Antichrist came some believers were stirred up to cry out that the Pope was Antichrist and so to write against him from his first rise After Antichrist had been in the world a while people began to
6. Now because they did not so much bear themselves upon their immediate Progenitors as upon their Fore-fathers farre remote Therefore the Apostle saith not of blood of immediate parents nor of parents long before born It came from neither of these It is an usuall manner of speech As he speaketh of a man that bragged of his birth Longo sanguine sincere To fetch Commendations from the blood of our Progenitors of the blood of many genetations together So that the meaning of this phrase is That the new birth cometh not by propagation Grace cometh not by descent Not of blood If it had gone along with the Kindred Certainly so holy a Virgin as Mary was yea the holy One himself Christ Jesus would not have had any unholy people of his Kindred And yet such there Three demonstrations that believers are not born of blood 1. Because good parents have bad as well as good Children 2. Because bad parents have good Children and good parents bad Children in a line 2 Chron. 28. 27. 2 Chron. 32. 33. 2 Chron. 32. 25. 2 Chron. 36. 1. 3. Because the younger many times hath the greatest share in spirituall things Gen. 4. 4. Gen. 21. 14. Rom. 9. 13. were John 11. 10. Neither did his Brethren believe in Him I shall give you three Demonstrations to make it appear That believers as such are not born of blood First Because many good parents have bad Children as well as good ones Adam had Cain as well as Abel And Abraham Ismael as well as Isaac And Isaac Esau as well as Jacob. And Jacob had Simeon and Levi as well as Joseph and Benjamin Secondly It appeareth because sometimes good parents have bad Children and bad parents have good Children in a line Look into the Chronicles ye shall find that bad Ahaz had good Hezechiah good Hezechiah had wicked Manasses so he was for a great part of his life And wicked Manasses had good Josiah and good Josiah had wicked Jehoaz Good parents bad Children and bad Children good parents Thirdly It appeareth because the younger many times hath the greater share in spirituall things whereas if grace were a naturall priviledge the greatest share would go to them first The first-born in all naturall priviledges hath a double portion But the Scriptures and many times our own experiences will shew that the first-born hath the least share here therefore this is not a naturall priviledge God accepted Abel the younger and not Cain Isaac findeth more acceptation then Ismael God loved Jacob the younger and hated Esau the elder and so in many other instances Grace doth not come by propagation Believers are not born of blood Whereas it may be objected that Parents beget Children Object after their own Image It is said of Adam Gen. 5. 3. He begot a son in his own Likenesse after his own Image Therefore it should seem that godly Parents must needs have godly Children otherwise how do they beget them after their own Image The answer is easie They beget Children as men not Answ as Saints It is a certain Rule Personalia non propagantur Things that are personall are not propagated Now grace is a personall thing not a naturall thing A learned and a godly man begetteth a son that is a man but neither learned nor godly because learning is an acquired habit and godlinesse is infused And a man conveyeth what is naturall not what is acquired He that is begotten of him is not a Scholler much lesse a Saint because holinesse is supernaturall beyond him As it is with the Corn it is threshed and severed from the Chaffe before it is sown but then it bringeth forth the blade and husk and afterward the eare of Corn. The Circumcised parent begetteth a Child that is born uncircumcised because his Circumcision is not propagated So it is here a father that is free from the power of sin and guilt of sin by the work of grace upon his heart yet begetteth a Child that is contrary to both these How then is it said That if the Root be holy the branches Object are holy That is a further Objection that ye have Rom. 11. 16. If the first-fruits be holy the lump is also holy If the root be holy so also is the branches This is to be understood not of a personall holinesse Answ which is an inherent quality But of a federall holinesse which is of Relation for that the root was holy The Jewish parents were in the outward Covenant of God being members of the visible Church therefore their Branches were partakers of a faederall holinesse but it doth not follow as to personall holinesse A man may at once be a child of wrath in regard of the common condition of man in Adam and yet be holy in regard of the Covenant made in Abraham That God would be his God and the God of his seed Well then if it be thus that believers as such as are not born of blood Let it serve to take men off from their boasting of their Ancestors and Descent of comming of this or that Family and Blood It were worth the bragging of if Grace came by Propagation But seeing it doth not Non sanguine sed virtute nitamur Let us not rely upon Blood but upon Virtue saith the Heathen Let me say Upon Christ and in that sense upon Blood There is one Blood we may rely upon but it is the Blood of Christ the Blood of the everlasting Covenant otherwise there is no great difference in point of Blood between men and men Act. 17. 26. God hath made of one blood all nations of men that dwell on all the face of the earth All men out of one blood The poorest Beggar commeth from Adam who was Lord of all the world as well as the greatest Potentate upon earth so as No glorying in any blood but the Blood of Christ there is no glorying in any blood but in the Blood of Christ he that hath a conscience sprinkled with that he hath cause of glorying He that glorieth let him glory in this that he knoweth me Saith Prudentius Sanguis Christi facit hominem esse nobilem That which maketh a man noble is to have Christ's Blood in him it is to be one of Christ's followers It was that that ennobled the Beroeans Act. 17. 11. These speaking of the Beroeans were more noble than those in Thessalonica in that they received the word with all readinesse of mind and searched the Scriptures daily The word in the Greek is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 These were better born than those of Thessalonica He is well born that is new born Here is a Blood to confide in This is a Blood that cannot be tainted The best blood may be tainted Great men may become Traitors and so taint their blood Here is a Blood without possibility of tainture that washeth white wheresoever it commeth Secondly Believers They are not born of the will of the 2. They are
is there is a farther thing then restraining grace there is holinesse of life Ephes 4. 24. That ye put on that new man which after God is created in righteousnesse and true holinesse Now holinesse goeth farther than to the abstaining from some evill and doing of some good Holinesse reacheth to the mortification of lust where there is a new man created after holinesse lust will be pursued not onely to imprisonment but to death The Woolf is not onely tied up but turned into a Lamb the Sow is not onely put into a pasture but changed into a Sheep A woolf tyed up doth not so much mischief as before a Sow in a pasture is not so swinish and filthy as when it walloweth in the mire but their natures still remain So it is in restraining grace their natures are the same if not some change in their conversation Where the new-birth is there is a change of the heart and a new nature wrought therefore men do duties with delight and constantly Men look at lusts now not as David did at Absolom but as Joab did at Absolom that I may use that comparison Asolom he rebelled ye know David and Joab they both set themselves against him but so as David though he could not but be displeased with Absolom's rebellion yet he carrieth affection towards him and desireth that the young man may be dealt gently withall On the other side Joab when he getteth an opportunity throweth dart upon dart and never 2 Sam. 18. 14. leaveth till he hath slain him So ye have many a man that hath some work of grace upon his heart that yet hath a months mind and longing after sin he would have his sin supprest as David would have Absolom but yet Absolom must live though a rebellious son Many would have sin supprest that it may not expose them to hell and damnation but all this while their sins must live But the new creature is carried out with hatred against sin therefore it is not content without its destruction Mortifie your earthly members saith the Apostle Such a sin saith the regenerate soul will have my death therefore I will have its death I will not be content till it be crucified with the lusts and affections thereof I shall now proceed to the 14 Verse Vers 14. And the Word was made flesh and dwelt amongst us and we beheld the glory thereof as the glory of the onely begotten Son of the Father full of Grace and Truth Heretofore the Evangelist having proved the Divinity of Christ's manifestation in the flesh and the glory of his Person in both Natures Jesus Christ he commeth now to tell us of his manifestation in the flesh and of the glory of his Person consisting of both Natures So as this Verse calleth to us for attention because it holdeth forth the Object of our faith the Person of Christ in both his Natures And certainly every soul that is married to Christ will be affected with his Person and therefore desirous to hear of that The difference between a wife and a harlot is The wife desires and loveth the husband's person therefore careth not for his tokens unlesse his person be enjoyed The harlot loveth the token and careth not for the person It is the property of the Spouse not to be content with the Love-tokens of Christ but with the Person of Christ And concerning him ye have four things laid down here First The Incarnation of Jesus Christ The Word was made flesh Secondly His Conversation on earth And dwelt amongst us Thirdly Here is a speciall manifestation of his glory And we behold his glory as the glory of the onely begotten of the Father Fourthly The singular Qualifications of his Person Full of grace and truth First I shall begin with the Incarnation of Christ in these words And the Word was made flesh A Clause out of which Bees may suck hony and Spiders may gather poison These words have been a stumbling-block to many Hereticks and on the other side a sure and strong hold to many Saints Some think that when the children of Israel were in the land of Goshen and had some Egyptians mixed with them at the same time the Scriptures are light to Saints darknesse to unbelievers Hebrewes drew wholesome waters out of the fountains and the Egyptians bloody water at the same springs and that it was dark to the Egyptians in the same house and light to the Hebrewes If so me-thinks It affordeth that which may lead us into the Consideration of this and the like places of Scripture Hereticks have darknesse and Believers light The one draweth bloody waters and the other wholesome waters out of the same Text of Scripture as ye shall hear in the application what use may be made of this Clause Apollinarius saith That because the Word was made flesh Therefore Christ took upon his flesh the body but not the soul of a man Three things are here to be declared to you First Who is meant by the Word Secondly What is meant by the Flesh Thirdly In what sense the word was made Flesh First The divine nature of Christ is in the Word Secondly The human nature of Christ The Flesh Thirdly The personall union The Word made Flesh These are mysteries by some more spoken of and lesse understood Things that we cannot be ignorant of without danger nor discourse of without all Reverence Things that no Eloquence of man can reach no soul of man apprehend in the full latitude of them Yet some thing we shall speak hereof by God's assistance First Who is here meant by the Word I answer the 1. By the Word is meant the second Person in the Trinity second person in the Trinity so called in that known place There are three that bear witnesse in Heaven the Father and the Word and the Spirit and these three are one 1 Joh. 5. 8. The same person that is called the word in the beginning of this Chapter is said to be with God I shall not speak of that because heretofore I have been large in it but come to the second Secondly What is here meant by Flesh Flesh signifieth 2. By Flesh is meant the whole man the whole man in diverse places of Scripture Man ye know consisteth of two parts which are sometimes called flesh and spirit and sometimes called soul and body Now by a Synecdoche either of these parts may be put for the whole sometimes the soul is put for the whole man As when it is said there were so many souls in the Act. 27. 37. Gen. 46. 27. ship with Paul And seventy souls went down into Egypt with Jacob sometimes flesh or body is put for the whole man Rom. 12. 1. I beseech you brethren by the Mercies of God offer up your bodies a living sacrifice That is offer up your selves And sometimes flesh which is the word in the Text Rom. 3. 20. Therefore by the deeds of the Law shall
no flesh be justified in his sight Compare that with Psal 143. 2. where it is said In thy sight shall no man living be justified No flesh saith Paul No man saith David So flesh is the whole man To clear this some Quaeries would be resolved Quaeries First whether Christ assumed the nature of man or 1. Whether Christ assumed the nature or person of Man the person of a man the whole man He did assume the soul as well as the body both under the tearm flesh And indeed unlesse he had assumed the whole man the whole man could not have been saved saith Damazen That which was not taken could not be healed If Christ had not taken the whole man He could not have saved the soul To the first Quaery Whether the nature of man or the person of man I answer The nature of man and not a single person Respons It will be dangerous to mistake here If Christ had onely He assumed the nature and not a single person taken the person of a man then there must have been two persons in Christ a person assuming and a person assumed Yea then that onely person which Christ assumed should have been advanced and saved He should have saved that person and no other if he had assumed the person of a man With us the soul and body being united make a person But in Christ the soul and body were so united as to have their subsistence not of themselves as in us but in the Godhead No sooner was the soul united in the body but both soul and body had subsistence in the second person in the Trinity So not the assuming of a person but the nature of a man common to all the sons and daughters of Adam and Eve Therefore he took not the nature of the Angels but the seed of Abraham Hebr. 2. 16. Seed the first element of our nature before our persons come to have any subsistence Secondly Why did Christ take the nature of man Quaery 2 I answer That he might be a fit Mediator That lesson Why the nature of Man the Apostle giveth you Hebr. 2. 14. Because the Children were partakers of flesh and blood he also took part Resp 2 of the same that through death he might destroy him that That he might be a fit Mediator had the power of death that is the Devill His taking the nature of man conduced to his being a Priest For if he had not been man he could not have died And that he might be a fit Prophet A Prophet will God raise up to you like to me saith Moses It was fit and convenient for them to have a man Prophet because they were not able to hear Angels unlesse they died And that he might be a fit King The head of one nature and members of another make a Monster Hebr. 2. 11. Both he that sanctifyeth and they that are sanctified are all of one nature Christ is of the same nature with those that are sanctified and governed by Him Thirdly The third Quaery is whether did Christ take Quaery 3 our nature in its Integrity and perfection as it was before Whether he took our nature as before the fall or as after the fall or our nature cloathed with infirmities as after the fall I answer He took our nature cloathed with infirmities as after the fall which is implied in the word Flesh There Respons 3 is a Reason certainly why the Holy Ghost rather chose to He took our nature as after the fall say Why the Word was made flesh then why the Word was made man because it is according to the phrase of Scripture when it would speak contemptibly of man and shew him to be the lowest Creature to call him flesh when it would set forth the weaknesse that man is subject to To give you one or two Instances instead of many Psal 56. 4. I will not fear what flesh can do unto me that is weak and infirm frail man what Flesh can do unto me And again Psal 78. 39. He remembreth that we are but flesh a wind that passeth away and cometh not again So then the word was made flesh that is took not onely man's nature but man's infirmities which are expressed in that word flesh And that he did take our nature with the infirmities thereof appeareth by Isai 53. 4. Surely he hath born our griefs and carried our sorrows our infirmities 4. The fourth Querie is Whether Christ did take all the Quaer 4 infirmities of our flesh yea or no Whether Christ took all our Infirmities upon him I answer No. Our infirmities are of two sorts some penall and painfull infirmities others sinfull and culpable infirmities Those that are culpable and sinfull Christ did not take for the Prince of this world came and had nothing in Respons Ne ∣ gativè him But those that were penall infirmities those he took but not all of them neither for they are of two sorts either Sinfull infirmities Christ did not take nor Penall as Personall but Penall as Naturall Personall proper to some few men and women as to be inclined by birth to the Stone or Gout or Strangury or Leprosie or some other hereditary disease or Naturall common to all the sons and daughters of Adam as to be subject to pain and grief and sorrow and hunger and thirst and cold The former of these Christ did not take because they would have been impediments to him in his Function but the latter of these he did take 5. The fifth Querie is Why did Christ take these infirmities Quaer 5 implyed in the word flesh Why did Christ take these infirmities I answer For diverse ends which I will but name and have done He took these infirmities of our nature as well as the nature it self To shew the truth of his Humanity He Respons had a nature that could hunger and thirst even as other men 1. To shew the truth of his Humanity could He took them that he might sanctifie them to us Whatsoever Christ took that he sanctified Saith Luther Christ enriched poverty by becoming poor and glorified shame by enduring shame for us 2. He took our infirmities That he might set us an example of an holy life Had not 2. To give us an example of an holy life Christ been subject to passion he could never have set us an example of meeknesse or patience if he himself had not been liable to passion yet without sin Lastly He took 3. That we might have accesse to him with boldness these infirmities That we might confide the more in him and have accesse to him with boldnesse Consider him an High Priest that was subject to infirmities as well as our selves We have not an high Priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities but was in all points touched as we are yet without sin Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace Thus ye see
Faith and Love and Zeal The former are called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the latter Charites the former gifts the latter graces in a strict sense Thirdly There is grace bestowed upon the whole Person that is Acceptation Ye may call the first Gracefulnesse 3. Upon the whole Person in the body the second Grace in the soul and the third Gracefulnesse in the person As when we say Such a one is gratious at the Court when he partaketh of the grace and favour of the King Now Christ was full of grace in all these senses First If ye speak of active grace giving grace there 1. A fulness of active grace in Christ was a fulnesse of that in Christ a fulnesse of good-will out of which flowed so many accommodations to the sons of men both for soul and body Therefore at his birth the Angels sung Good-will towards men Whether ye look to his words or to his deeds ye shall find him full of grace in this sense If to his words ye know what the Evangelist saith Luk. 4. 42. They all bare witnesse and wondred at the gratious words which proceeded out of his mouth Gratious words It is prophecied of him and accordingly he made it good that he should not cry nor his voice be heard in the streets His cry should not be like that of Jonah in Niniveh Jon. 3. 4. a voice of destruction or of terrour but if he did cry it should be of mercy If any man thirst let him come and Isa 55. 1. drink If his voice be heard it is a voice of grace inviting sinners to come to him Ye that be heavy laden c. Grace Matth. 11. 24. in all his words And so grace in all his Actions He went about as the Scripture telleth us Act. 10. doing good And so ye know the Evangelicall History I do not think ye can give me an instance of any man that Christ sent away in the daies of his flesh that came to him for mercy without mercy He healed them all Luk. 9. 11. And the people when they knew it followed him and he received them and spake unto them of the kingdom of God and healed them that had need of healing So here is active grace in Christ Secondly If ye look to Passive grace to grace given 2. Fulnesse of Passive grace in Christ upon his Body first there was grace given that fell upon his body which certainly was of excellent frame full of beauty Therefore it is said Thou art fairer than the sons of men grace is poured upon thy lips Psal 45. 2. This is not spoken of the Divinity of Christ for in that respect he was fairer than the Angels but of his Humanity and so he was fairer than the children of men There was indeed a time wherein no beauty was to be seen in him but he speaketh of him then as upon the Crosse when the ploughers made long furrowes upon his back and digged deep holes in his sides as he was besmeared with blood so no beauty in him And secondly upon his Soul Secondly Passive grace upon his soul grace given to that Whatsoever Indowment was requisite to fit him for a Mediator that he had some understand by Grace all the perfections of the Will and by Truth all the perfections of the Understanding Surely nothing was wanting either in will or understandingâ— or affectionâ— that might render the soul of Christ fully gratious It is prophecied in Isaiah 11. 2. The spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him He spake before of a rod of Jesse and a branch growing out of his root So now What grace was upon his soul Why The spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him and the spirit of Wisdome and Understanding and of Counsell and Might and of Knowledge and of the Fear of the Lord. Thirdly Grace given such as filleth up the whole person 3. Grace given filleth up the whole person grace of Acceptation In that sense it is said Luk. 2. 40. speaking of Christ The Child grew and waxed strong in spirit filled with wisdome and the grace of God was upon him that is the favour of God So he interpreteth it in the last verse of that Chapter Jesus increased in wisdom and stature and favour with God and men We needs must grant it to be so because Quod efficit tale magis est tale That which maketh another so is much more so it selfe Christ is he that procureth acceptation both of our persons and our services and therefore he himselfe is much more acceptable with God Our persons have no acceptation but through him We are said to be accepted through the beloved Ephes 1. 6. Our services have no acceptation but through him In that place of Peter we are a spirituall priest-hood 1 Pet. 2. 5 6. Offer up spirituall sacrifices acceptable to God by Jesus Christ So as He himselfe is much more accepted Thus you see how he is full of grace Let us see now how Christ is likewise full of Truth Christ in the truth and the truth in Him The truth is said to be in Jesus and Jesus is said to be in the truth Truth is said to be in him Ephes 4. 21. If so be ye have heard him and been taught by him as the truth is in Jesus He is said to be The truth John 14. 6. I am the way the Truth and the Life More distinctly Take truth in what notion you will it will appear Christ was full of truth Truth is sometimes opposed to Hypocrisie sometimes to Error sometimes to Lying sometimes to Shadowes Christ was full of truth in all these senses First If ye take Truth as opposed to Hypocrisie and as 1. Christ is full of Truth as opposed to Hypocrisie equipollent with sincerity not with the levened bread of malice but with the unlevened bread of sincerity and truth saith the Apostle 1 Cor. 5. So Christ was full of Truth sincere in all When he lifted up his eyes he lifted up his heart to God When he bowed his knee he bowed his soul When he opened his mouth he opened his heart to his hearers Therefore he is said to be girt about the loins with faithfulnesse and truth Righteousnesse and truth shall be the girdle of his loins and faithfulnesse the girdle of his reins As the girdle girts a man in so sincerity and truth girt in all the actions and speeches of Jesus Christ Secondly If ye take Truth as it standeth in opposition 2. As opposed to Error to Error thus Christ was full of truth because all Treasures both of wisdome and knowledge being hid in him it was impossible for him to have any misapprehension He conceived rightly of all things and spake truly of all even his enemies being witnesses Hear what they say Matth. 20. 16. They sent out to him their Disciples with the Hâ—rodians saying Master we know thou art true and teachest the way of God in
was by him as one brought up with him I was daily his delight rejoycing alwaies before him rejoycing in the habitable parts of the world and my delights were with the sons of men To manifest this before he did actually come in the flesh he was often pleased to take a body for a time and to lay it down again to appear in human shape praeludere Incarnationi as they use to call it He acted the Prologue of his Incarnation before he came really He appeared to Abraham and to Joshua But after he did assume a reall body into personall union with himself which he did never till now he took it of the Virgin Mary Here is infinite condescention that he who lay in the Father's bosome should not abhor the Virgin 's womb If it were such a commendation of Moses his faith Heb. 11. though he were in great pomp at the Court yet by faith he chose rather to suffer afflictions with the people of God than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season Though he were a favourite at Court yet he would joyn himself with a sort of poor Brick-makers Then what a condescention is it of the love of God that he would send his Son to dwell amongst us poor dust and ashes Then from Christ's dwelling amongst us as in a tabernacle 1. As our Shepheard he protects us in our fallen condition as it referreth to his condition as a Shepheard Something we may learn from hence Whom to have recourse to and to be protected by in our fallen and relapsed condition We were all as sheep going astray 1 Pet. 1. ult but are now returned to the Shepheard of our souls Poor sheep going astray and must for ever go astray they cannot know the way to return home But now Lo Christ commeth dwelleth and pitcheth his tents amongst us that under him we may have protection I shall want nothing saith David for the Lord is my shepheard Psal 23. ult Seeing Christ came to pitch his tents we should hear his voice My sheep hear my voice Now Christ is in heaven no voice is to be heard but by the Ministry therefore all those Exhortations which the Minister giveth to the people they all come from this great Shepheard and are accordingly to be heeded Eccles 12. 11. The words of the wise are as goads and as nails fastned by the masters of assemblies which are given by one shepheard Those Officers which Christ hath fastned in the Church they are as nailes fastned to the Assemblies Therefore such as listen to the voice of inferiour shepheard according to the Word when this great Shepheard shall come they shall receive a Crown of life Secondly Christ pitched his tents amongst us as a Sojourner 2. Christ as a Sojourner teacheth us to reckon our selves strangers in the world This should teach us to be conformed to Christ even in this particular He did but pitch a tent he did not take up his aboad upon the face of the earth We must carry our selves as strangers and pilgrims in the world and not look at our selves as at home here Ye know what the Psalmist saith I am a stranger Psal 39. 12. Hear my prayers O Lord and give ear to my cry hold not thy peace at my tears for I am a stranger with thee and a sojourner as all my fathers were Ye know what is said of Abraham Isaac and Jacob and those Patriarks of old they dwelt in tents saith the Apostle Heb. 11. 8 9. By faith Abraham when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance obeyed and he went out not knowing whither he went By faith he sojourned in the land of promise as in a strange country dwelling in tabernacles with Isaac and Jacob the heirs with him of the same promise For he looked for a city which hath foundations whose builder and maker is God And so vers 16. Now they desired a better country that is an heavenly Beloved not to dwell hear Look about you and ye will find nothing but Tabernacles no Mansions till ye come to heaven While we live What are our bodies but as so many tabernacles to our souls It is a Scripture-expression 2 Pet. 1. 13 14. I think it meet as long as I am in this tabernacle to stir you up knowing that shortly I must put off this tabernacle While we live our bodies are but tabernacles to our souls and when we are dead the graves are but tabernaeles to our bodies Psal 16. 9. Therefore did my heart rejoyce and my tongue was glad moreover my body shall rest in hope Because neither must our souls remain long in our bodies nor our bodies in the grave If we will have Mansions we must look to Heaven In my Father's house are many mansions Therefore dream not of mansions here below Thirdly Christ pitched his tent amongst us as the Captain 3. Christ as a Souldier learneth us to be encouraged of our salvation Let this encourage us we have one that 's able to encounter with Satan if he bring all his forces into the field together Let him be a roaringlion here is a ruling Lion the Lion of the tribe of Judah that can encounter him that putteth upon us the whole armour of God They say that a very Army of Harts and Hares led by a Lion their Commander are able to do great matters because the Leader putteth courage into them by his valour Let Christ put courage into us As that great Commander said when the Scouts came and told him that so many thousands were comming against him more than they were Why saith he How many thousands do you reckon me for intimating that he was worth many thousands of his enemies So For how many thousands do you reckon Christ when you go out against the World and the Flesh and the Devill I passe to the next And we beheld his glory as the glory of the onely begotten Son of God Here is the speciall manifestation of Christ's glory The Disciples beheld the glory of Christ as the glory of the onely begotten Son of the Father Let us take the words as they lie Here the Spectators were the Disciples of Christ they were the men that beheld and in that respect they were the blessed men more blessed then the Fathers before them Matth. 3. 16 17. Blessed are your eyes for they see and your ears for they hear For verily I say unto you that many prophets and righteous men have desired to see those things which ye see and have not seen them and to hear those things which ye hear and have not heard them We beheld there is the View The word is emphaticall 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 we beheld as in a theater as men behold things presented to them on a Stage they behold them with a great deal of earnestnesse and delight That the word implieth Ye have heard what the Object is the glory of Christ
We beheld his glory which is the shining forth of excellency such appeared in Christ The specification of that Object What kind of glory Why the glory as of the onely-begotten of the Father Ye read in Scripture of severall sorts of glory There is the glory of the Celestiall bodies the Sun 1. Glory of Celestiall bodies Moon and Stars of which it is said 1 Cor. 15. 41. There is one glory of the Sun another glory of the Moon and another glory of the Stars for one Star differeth from another in glory We read of the glory of Man 1 Pet. 1. 24. All flesh is 2. Glory of Man grasse and all the glory of man as the flower of the grasse The glory of Man because as the Stars and Sun and Moon excell inferiour bodies so they excell the Beasts there is a shining forth in him beyond what is in the creatures that have no reason We read likewise of the glory of the Angels who are 3. Glory of Angeis therefore called the Cherubims of glory Heb. 9. 5. And over it the Cherubims of glory shadowing the Mercy-seat of which we cannot now speak particularly But there is beyond all these for all these are but created 4. The Glory of God Glories there is the glory of God of which he himself saith He will not give it to any other This is the Glory of which we read in the Text He will not give it to another Isa 42. 4. I am the Lord that is my name and my glory will I not give to another I but Christ was himself of the same Nature with himself therefore the glory they saw in Christ was the glory as of the onely-begotten of the Father Some difference is in these words First In that Christ is said to be the onely begotten Do Object 1st we not read in the thirteenth Verse of this Chapter of other children of God which were born not of blood nor of flesh nor of the will of man but of God How then is Christ the onely begotten seeing God hath other children and other begotten children too That will not serve the turn to say We are adopted Christs as his begotten Saith James Jam. 1. 18. Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth that we should be a kind of first-fruits of his creatures If God hath begotten us how then is Christ the onely begotten of the Father I answer Out of this place of St. James Of his own will Answ 1st begat he us There lyeth the differences Christ is the begotten of the Nature of the Father we are begotten of the Will of the Father Of his own will begar he us Christ is a Son of eternall generation we are sons by adoption He begotten of his Nature and we begotten of his Will And so in that sense Christ is the onely begotten because the onely Naturall Son of God Still here is a farther difference We beheld his glory as Object 2d the glory of the onely begotten of the Father In this Particle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that which is but as another thing is not the same thing simile non est idem Why now we hold out and that according to truth that the glory of Christ was the very self-same glory which God the Father had the self-same glory which is due to God is due to the Son of God Therefore it is here said It was the glory as of the onely begotten For that you must know that the Hebrew Caph and the Answ 2d Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is two-fold there is a two-fold As in Scripture one of Similitude the other of Identity There is as Similitudinis Veritatis an as of comparison As for example If one shall see a Noble-man richly attired and bravely attended to go through the streeets and say Such a Noble-man goeth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as a King here is an as of similitude If the King himself should be going to Parliament in great state we may truly say of him he goeth in state 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as a King Here is an as of Verity and Identity The former was but an as of similitude Aand there are many places of Scripture where as doth not note a likenesse but the self-samenesse as I may so speak an Identity It is said of John the Baptist that all the people looked at him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as a Prophet Matth. 14. 5. When * Herod he would have put him to death he feared the multitude because they counted him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as a prophet Do you think the multitude looked at John as if he had been something like a prophet No they took him for a Prophet indeed yea it is expressed they counted him for a prophet Phil. 2. 8. the Apostle speaking of Christ being found in fashion of a man he humbled himself What was not Christ really Man Yes But he being found 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in fashion as a man Here as is an as of Identity not an as of similitude As a man that is really so As a man that is the onely begotten Son of God that is really the onely begotten Son of God Ye have the words expounded Now for the proof of this The Disciples beheld the glory of Christ as the glory of the onely begotten Son of God you shall have their owne Testimony 1 Joh. 1. 1 2. That which was from the beginning which we have heard which we have seen with our eyes which we have look't upon and our hands have handled of the Word of Life for the life was manifested and we have seen and bear witnesse and shewed unto you that Eternall Life which was with the Father and was manifested to us Other men To see Christ and to see into Christ is not the same thing they saw Christ as well as the Disciples did but not so much into Christ as the Disciples did As the Temple of Solomon was all beautifull without of costly work fair and comely stones but within it was all over-laid with Gold The Passengers that went by they could see the out side of the Temple and could not but acknowledge a beautifull frame but the Priests that served within they saw it all over-laid with Gold and so saw a farther beauty All the Jewes amongst whom Christ conversed might behold his out side but the Disciples had a farther in sight into Christ We beheld him that is we beheld him as the word of Life and saw his glory that is as of the onely begotten Son of God Whereas others saw his glory that is as of a Man that did many glorious things but these saw the glory of God through the Manhood For the farther manifestation of this I shall shew you in what things and at what time the Disciples beheld the glory of Christ and then proceed to Application First In what things 1. The things wherein Christ's glory appeareth 1. The glory of