word Power for it rather signifieth as the Margents of your great Bibles have it Right or Priviledge or as the Geneva hath it The Prerogative What is this to the Point of the Power against Free-will Read it so and the colour for their pretence is taken off and so the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 often signifieth Right and Priviledge as in that 1 Cor. 9. 5 6. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Have we not power to eat and to drink and to lead about a sister a wife as well as other Apostles and have not we power to forbear working that is right and priviledge as well as the rest Thirdly Suppose we should read it Power to become the 3. Power and Priviledg signifie one and the same thing sons of God as our Translation hath it yet this Power will imply no more than the word Priviledge doth As if a man should say That the Pope had a speciall eye to those Bishops that wrought for him in the Councell of Trent and gave them all power to become Cardinalls that is he gave them this priviledge to be so What is this to Free-will Lastly read it Power and suppose it to imply some liberty 4. This Power is given to Believers not to them in the state of Nature of will yet it serveth not their turn neither For the power here spoken of is a power received by those that formerly believed in Christ What is this then to the power of of them that are yet in the state of nature To as many as believed in him to them gave he power It is not Free-will if not set free by Christ But to avoid all ambiguity we shall take it for a Right or Priviledge or Prerogative which indeed is the better reading And so I ground this Observation from hence That for the sons of men to become the sons of God is a very high priviledge To as many as received Observ him to them gave he this priviledge this right this prerogative to become the sons of God When God would set forth his favour towards David to the heighth in that goodwill which he would bear to his son Solomon mark 2 Sam. 7. 14. I will be his father and he shall be my son he could not promise him a greater prerogative than this When Saul would encourage some of his Army to undertake the Duell with great Goliah that defied the Host of the living God What is the motive I will give him my daughter to wife and he shall be the King's son in law When God will encourage men to fight it out against the world and to separate from the sins thereof he useth this motive I will make them sons and daughters if they do so and so He holdeth that forth as the great prerogative 2 Cor. 6. 17 18. Come out from amongst them and seperate your selves saith the Lord touch no impure thing then will I receive you and I will be unto you instead of a Father and ye shall be to me instead of sons and daughters saith the Lord that is Almighty This will appear to be a very high prerogative If we consider first The estate from which we are raised to become sons secondly The state to which we are raised by becoming sons First this Sonship will appear to be a great priviledge 1. The high priviledge of being the sons of God if we consider from what estate we are raised That we may become sons from a state of bondage and death misery and slavery from being sons of perdition Children of wrath as the Apostle calleth it Ephes 2 3. We are by nature the children of wrath even as others For God to take children of wrath and make them children of love Heirs of perdition and make them heirs of Heaven what a rise is here It was a great matter for Pharoah's daughter to cast an eye upon poor Moses when he lay in the Bull-rushes ready to be drowned in the water and to adopt him for her owne son The Scripture speaketh of it as a great priviledge and therefore raiseth the commendations of Moses By faith Moses refused to be called the son of Pharoah's Hebr. 11. 24. daughter yet this Adoption of hers would not have made him heir to the Kingdome Here is an higher priviledge men are taken not out of the water but out of Hell-fire that is our portion by nature and deputed to be heirs to the King of Heaven and so as that they are made heirs to a Crown of Glory for all deputed children are heirs of the Kingdome Matth. 13. 38. The good seed are the children of the Kingdome If sons then heirs heirs of God joynt-heirs with Christ Rom. 8. 2. It will appear to be a high priviledge if ye consider that estate to which we are raised by being sons It is a wealthy and honourable and free and sweet and safe estate All this raiseth the price of it in our esteem First It is a wealthy state God doth not adopt us to a 1. Our estate by Christ is a wealthy estate poor Inheritance but to a rich as the Apostle speaks Ephes 1. 18. That you may know what is the hope of his Calling and what the riches of the glory of his Inheritance in the Saints Here is riches in this Inheritance So many times riches when there is no honour Ignoble spirits scrape a great deal of Wealth together in which they place their happinesse 2. Here is honour but here is not onely wealth but Glory to and he Glory of a Kingdome There is not such an honourable incorporation in the World as this to have God the Father for his Father and Jesus Christ for his Head and Governour and all the Saints for his Members a body politique that â—ath the eternall spirit of God for the soul of it The society of Saints is an honorable Society Here is both wealth and honour which may sometimes be where there is no liberty It is but Splendida serviâ—us a glittering slavery for men to be rich and honourable and yet in slavery But here ye read of a glorious liberty of the Sons of God 3. Here is liberty not onely riches and honour but a glorious liberty Joh. 8. 31. If the Son hath made us free we shall then be free indeed from the service of sin and bondage of Satan free from Temporall afflictions and free from the danger of eternall wrath There may riches and honour and freedome meet in some one person who yet cannot have content nor doth he live a Comfortable life for all that Therefore this in the fourth place is a Sweet state as well as wealthy 4. Here iâ— a sweet estate and honourable and free There lieth a great deal of sweetnesse in the name of a Father when the soul can say howsoever things go in the World I can look up to Heaven and say doubtlesse Thou art our Father there is so much sweetnesse to be
in some wants but here is their comfort they have an inheritance laid up for them and that is a rich one They are now in their nonage when they come to heaven they shall have enough In all dangers let it be considered what care their Father taketh for them because they are his children Are they not all ministring spirits sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation An heir of a great family what shall he need to fear so long as he is conversing among his fathers servants All the creatures are such to God and thou being a child thou art amongst thy Father's servants and therefore needest to fear no danger from them Fourthly In case of spirituall faintings and fears and 4. In case of spirituall faintings fears and desertion desertions The soul of a believer sometimes fainteth away for fear David saith My heart and flesh fail me Here is now a swounding child consider what fathers are wont to do in such cases how they send out for help presently all the house is little enough to look after a child in such a condition God himself pittieth his swounding children and sendeth his Ministers yea his own Spirit to speak comfort to such and to administer some Aquavitae to them some water of life that he may fetch them again out of their faintings Sometimes fear possesseth a child of God perhaps of falling into desertion as it is possible such may befall the dearest of God's Saints as with Heman who thought himself free amongst the dead God sometimes doth this but sal 88. 5. still as a Father As a father that seeth his child ready to run into a river or into the mire he will take the child and make him believe he will throw him in but it is to make him fearfull of being thrown in So God makes his children believe that he will throw them into hell it self but it is for this very end and purpose that they may never come there for this fear will keep them from the waies of hell Yea sometimes God is pleased to desert his own children Sion saith My God hath forgotten me as it is in Isaiah but then it is no more but as when a father goeth behind a door and suffereth his child to cry after him and hideth himself on purpose to try the affections of the child to make him the more eager in the pursuit of his father which done then he discovereth himself Just so it is with God He withdraweth the light of his countenance not on purpose to keep it so for ever but to make it more endeared to his children As the Prophet speaketh In a little while I hid Isa 54. 8. my face from thee for a moment but with everlasting kindnesse will I have mercy on thee saith the Lord thy God and thy Redeemer Lastly Here is comfort in case of approaching death a 5. In case of approaching death time when men stand much in need of comfort when they are to leave all their outward comforts in this world therefore they had need of better Now if a man can say in assurance of faith as Christ did Father I commend my spirit Luk. 23. 46. into thy hands Here is an everlasting consolation a Fort that all the devills in hell cannot batter A man that in his life-time hath got acquaintance with God may with confidence commend his soul to God as to a Father when he dieth Other people may leave an estate behind them and men may look after that A man may commend his estate to his friend and his body to the grave and some may have so much charity as to interr that But whom shall he commend his soul to It is not for every man to think to commend his spirit to God with confidence Upon what acquaintance will God say can you do this Will we trust our Jewels to any but our best friends will we put them into the hands of those that we never saw in our lives No. But a man that hath known God for his Father he will with confidence say Father into thy hands I commend my spirit I do not onely lay my Jewell at thy feet but put it into thy hands that so it may be safe in thy custody I commend it into thy hands out of which all the devills in hell shall never be able to pull it With this confidence Paul believed Happy is that soul that is able to say as our Saviour did before his Ascension to his Disciples I go to my Father and to your Father and to my God and your God When a man is able to look his friends in the face though with a dying look and shall say Be of good comfort I shall be no loser I go to my Father and your Father Blessed are the people that are in Joh. 20. 17. such a case Blessed are the people whose God is the Lord. Blessed are the people that have received Jesus Christ aright and so are become sons of Adoption I have now done with that Point and shall go on Vers 13. Which were born not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man but of God This verse containeth a further description of them that received Christ They were described in the 12 Verse by their faith And in this 13 Verse they are described by their birth To them that believe in his Name which were born not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man but of God Their birth concerning which we are here told First what is not the efficient Cause of it Secondly what is First what is not the efficient Cause of it Three things are here removed 1. Blood 2. The will of the flesh 3. The will of man Secondly what is God and God onely I shall take the Clauses as they lye in order First I shall shew That Believers as such are not born of blood Secondly That they are born not of the will of the flesh Thirdly not of the will of man But Fourthly they are born of God First Believers as such They are not born of blood 1. Believers are not born of blood what is that Ye know in our ordinary manner of speech we are used to make mention of base blood Noble blood blood Royall and accordingly they are said to be born of blood to intimate that they have not grace from their Ancestors It doth not come to them by descent We say of many diseases that such and such come of a blood because they are derived from parents They are not born of blood to shew that the work of grace is not derived from one's Ancestors Therefore the word in the originall is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 we are not born of bloods We may think it on purpose to be put in to meet with that mistake of the bragging of the Jewes who still boast to be the sons of Abraham Joh.
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
this Tomb for nothing And so indeed the creature hath no satisfaction in it A man comes and thinks to find much and he hath there nothing but a sad lesson for himself to carry away with him Wherefore let us no longer play the Prodigall seeing there is bread in our Father's house let us not go to feed upon husks the creatures are no better All is vanity and worse they are not onely vanity but vexation of spirit which ariseth from the disappointment of a man's hopes when a man is vexed when he is frustrated looks for much and finds a little That is his case here a man looks for contentment and findeth trouble As our Saviour in the daies of his flesh it is said He went to the fig-tree expecting Mar. 11. 13. fruit and found none therefore he was provoked and cursed the tree Many a one leaves the creature with a curse which he sought after with expectation of satisfaction from it Oh! it is a cursed preferment and pleasure saith he even of that very thing which he thought would have fully satisfied his soul when he first enjoyed it But now this fulness of Christ is such as there is no vanity in it no vexation from it nay so far is it from vexation that it giveth satisfaction which nothing else can give Psal 36. 8. They shall be abundantly satisfied with the fatnesse of thy house and thou shalt make them to drink of the rivers of thy pleasure For vexation in the one here is satisfaction in the other and for those drops of pleasure which men find in the creature here is rivers of pleasure such are those everlasting joyes that are in Christ For the pleasures of the creature here are Rivers every man may have his fill If it were a Cistern an Army might come and empty that But here is enough therefore I need not to envy another's satisfaction there is enough for all that come to Christ I have now done with the first Observation of the first part of my Text. The Second hath diverse Branches The first that offers it self is the Partakers hereof and those are a great many We all saith the Apostle here We all have received even grace for grace A short Observation is to be taken from thence namely Observ That all the members of Christ are partakers of some spirituall endowments We all have received of his fulnesse Not one but Christ imparts something to in his measure Therefore it is clearly said by the Apostle Ephes 4. 7. Unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ Here is grace and grace to every one and grace from Christ to every one yet to every one in his measure not alike measure to all but some measure to each One star saith the Apostle differs from another in glory Not a Star but receiveth light from the Sun the 1 Cor. 15. 41. one receiveth more light than the other Therefore there is a different glory in the Stars The Lord Jesus shineth upon every believing soul but not upon every one in a like lustre You know there was a time when Esau question'd his father's store strongly Hast thou but one blessing my father Gen. 27 38 but no man needeth to question the store of this everlasting Father he hath more blessings than one he hath some blessings Christ hath blessings for every Member for every Member of his We have all received Therefore it is said Mal. 2. 15. And did not he make one yet had he the residue of the spirit Some read Abundance and some read Residue of spirit both well God hath given endowments of spirit to an hundred and he hath a residue of spirit for a thousand more and when he hath endowed a thousand thousands he hath a residue of spirit for ten thousand millions more Ephes 2. 5. Which is the head Even when we were dead in sins hath he quickned us together with Christ by grace ye are saved Here is one head but many members The Head is Christ the Believers are the members All the members of the body they are compact together saith this place The whole body is joyned together by the bones that meet in the joynts and let into one another Compact by that which every joynt supplieth So the souls of believers as they are all knit to Christ their Head so they are let into one another by a spirit of love And something every joynt supplieth therefore every joynt hath its particular work As there is a vegetative power in the soul that putteth forth it selfe to every member One member to the proportion of an arm another of an hand another of a finger So there is a working of the spirit of grace in the whole body of Christ that brings every member to its proportion one to this degree another to that which God hath predestin'd him to Therefore it is that the growth of every member upon the increase of the body helps to the edifying of it selfe in love Look then that as in the body every member shares with the soul that bringeth it to the perfection due to that member So doth every believer share with the spirit of Christ in some spirituall indowment fit for his station It may be of great use to us First It may serve as an Antidote against scornfulnesse and contempt Secondly As a spurre to improve First The consideration of this truth That all the members of Christ partake of some spirituall indowment We 1. Spirituall indowments are as Antidotes to keep us from scorning and contemning one another all have received serveth as an Antidote against scornfulnesse and contempt of one another If every man hath received his part Who art thou that despisest thy brother Prov. 17. 5. Who so mocketh the poor reproacheth his Maker And he that is glad at Calamity shall not be unpunished It pleaseth God to make him so therefore to mock him is to reproach God so to contemn the poor Saint for want of those parts to expresse himselfe by that thou hast thy reproach is to the Spirit of God God hath purposely dispenced his gifts and graces so that there is no believer but hath some and none that hath all indowments in an eminent way None hath all that he may not think to stand alone And none but hath some that every one may have use of another that the highest should not contemn the meanest The head should not say to the foot I have no need of thee As it is in Countries Non omnes fert omnia Tell us one Country produceth Wines another Sugars another Spices God hath purposely so done this that one Kingdome might have interest one with another In the like manner God hath ordered things in his mysticall body and given to all his members severall indowments that they might not contemn one another As it is in a materiall building where there is a sort of stones laid
even as the Angels It is said of them that they behold the face of God Matth. 18. 20. Christ saith there I say to you that in heaven their Angels do alwaies behold the face of my Father which is in heaven So when men come to be like Angels in a state of glory they shall also see the face of God But no man hath seen God at any time during this life God in his Essence For this we have more than one place of Scripture the same words in the Text are repeated in 1 Joh. 4. 12. No man hath seen God at any time And Paul hath a place to the same purpose 1 Tim. 6. 16. Who onely hath immortality dwelling in light which no man can approach unto whom no man hath seen nor can see There are but three waies that can be imagined by which man in a state of mortality can see God in his Essence either it must be by his Bodily eyes or by the eye of Reason or by the eye of Faith But a man cannot see God by any of these therefore no man can see God in that sense First No man can see God by his Bodily eye for the very 1. The eyes of our bodies cannot behold the Essence of God light wherein he dwelleth is inaccessible to the eye of sense we cannot so much as see our own souls or the Angels that are inferiour spirits How then shall we be able with our bodily eyes to see the Father of spirits the Lord of glory The Israelites could not so much as endure the shining of Moses his face How then can the eye of the body be imagined capable of that infinite glorious light that is in the essence of God And yet there is a place that speaks as if a man in the state of mortality by his bodily eyes had seen God Gen. 32. 30. Jacob called the name of the place Penuel for I have seen God face to face and my life is preserved Here is a man in the state of mortality that saw God face to face For this ye must know that Jacob did indeed see God but God in a representation not God in his essence He saw the Second Person in the Trinity in the shape of a man that wrestled with him This was all the sight of God that he had The Second Person in the Trinity before he took the nature of man took the shape of man such a shape had Christ taken here in which he wrestled with Jacob and this is that God which Jacob saw face to face not God in his essence but God in a representation And that very thing of God appearing in the Old Testament in a representation to the eyes of the body sheweth that he never appeared to them in his essence because his representations are many and his essence is one He appeared in a Bush to Moses and to Eliah in a still Voice to Jacob as a Wrestler to Joshua as a Captain of the Lord's hoast These were all representations that God was pleased to make of himself and thus men saw him But his essence all this while was invisible neither could it be diversified as his representations were being but one That is memorable which Isaiah saith Isa 6. 5. Mine eyes have seen the King the Lord of hosts The Jews took this advantage against him and said he was a false Prophet Why He said he had seen the King the Lord of hoasts whereas God saith to Moses Thou canst not see my face and live Therefore they put him to death No man can see God in his essence and live But Isaiah saw him and he said true but it was in a representation Secondly No man can see God in his essence no not by the eye of Reason Reason hath but three waies by which it 2. The eye of our Reason cannot behold him in his Essence Reason knoweth God three waies 1. By way of Causality comes to the knowledge of God and those are known to Schollars by these names Via causalitatis via Remotionis and via Eminentiae First By way of Causality and so reason comes to gather of God by all the creatures which it seeth lovely and looks at all these as effects of God as the cause of all and so comes to the knowledge of God as the first cause Thus Reason collects of God But how far is this from seeing the essence of God Reason discovers a God but not what God is in his Beeing onely that He is For no effect can shew the nature of its cause fully but either such as manifesteth the whole force of the cause or else such as is of the same kind with the cause as burning that sheweth the nature of the fire because the fire being a naturall agent burns to the utmost of its power Therefore burning sheweth what nature the fire is of as carrying the nature of the force in it As a child sheweth the nature of the father because of the same nature with the father But the creatures cannot shew God because they are of effects different from him These are parts of the way but how little proportion is readd of him The thunder of his power who can understand Neither are the creatures of the same rank and kind with God as the child is with the father they are all of them finite God is infinite So that all that Reason can do this way is to gather that there is a God but not what he is Secondly There is the way of Remotion by looking over 2. By way of Remotion all the creatures and by setting aside whatsoever savours of imperfection in them and ascribing the remainder to God Thus we say that God is Immortall Impassible Impeccable because we say that to die to suffer and to sin are the imperfections of the creature God cannot sin God cannot die God cannot lie God cannot suffer But this still comes short of seeing God in his essence for by this we see what God is not not what he is by this way of Remotion 3. The third way which is a way of Eminency Reason 3. By way of Eminency goeth over the creatures once again and looks whatsoever is good in them and savours of perfection in them and ascribes that to God as the Author of those perfections So when it seeth in Man wisdom and strength and goodnesse Reason can ascribe to God as the cause of them a more eminent goodness and wisdom and strength And this is the nearest and the farthest Reason can go And yet in all these it cometh short of the essence of God because in this way it findeth out what he is rather in regard of his qualities speaking after the manner of men then what he is in his essence Thus we cannot see God in his essence no not by the eye of Reason There is onely one more that is the eye of Faith which â— The eye of Faith cannot apprehend God in his
Divine A word too much scorned now a daies 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 why because he did set forth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He is called Divine because he held forth the Divinity of the Word namely of Christ Others did it as well as He. But not so much Ye shall find Luke calling Christ the Word in that place though not often yet worthy your noting Luke 1. 2. Even as they delivered them unto us which from the beginning were eye witnesses and Ministers of the Word What is that not Preachers of the Gospell but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 followers of Jesus Christ St. Luke had that relation from the Apostles themselves who were eye-witnesses of Christ and from the Seventy Disciples who were likewise servants of the Word And in all reason this must be the sense that by Word here Luke should mean the Lord Jesus Christ because it suiteth so well with what the other Apostles said As John begins his Epistle He telleth them he would speak to them of whom they had heard and seen of the Word of Life 1 John 1. 1. That which was from the beginning which we have heard and seen with our eyes and have look't upon and have handled of the Word of Life So Luke telleth them he spake what he received By Luke from the Ministers of the Word Which suiteth with that place 2 Pet. 1. 16. We have not followed cunningly devised fables when we made known to you the power and coming of Jesus Christ but we were eye-witnesses of his Majesty But if this be not the meaning then consider How much wanting doth Luke seem to be to his Readers He intendeth to write of Jesus Christ and to make a Preface of Christ and fully mentioneth him whom he intendeth to write upon Ye shall find Paul calling Christ the VVord in that fare-well-speech of his to the Church of Ephesus By Paul which is recommended Act. 20. 32. Now brethren I commend you to God and to the VVord of his grace which is able to build you up and to give you an inheritance among all them which are sanctified I know this place is commonly interpreted of the Gospell and that the Gospell is called the VVord of Grace in another place of the Acts of the Apostles but yet they question whether that be the meaning here or no and that upon this ground because that Word is here meant to which the Saints are commended Now the Gospell is commended to the Saints but the Saints are not commended to the Gospell But some other Word is here meant that is Christ I commend you to God namely to God the Father and to the VVord namely to Christ Indeed for the Gospell to be commended to the Saints is an usuall thing 2 Tim. 1. 13 14. Hold fast Usuall for the Gospel to be commended to the Saints not the Saints to the Gospel the form of sound words which thou hast heard of me in faith and love which is in Jesus Christ That good thing which was committed to thee keep by the holy Ghost which dwelleth in us And so in the second Chapter of that Epistle vers 2. The things that thou hast heard of me amongst many witnesses the same commit thou to faithfull men Here is the Gospell committed to the Saints But where do you find the Saints committed to the Gospell To God ye find them committed again and again Act. 4. 26. Having commended them to the grace of God Here are men commended to God And so in that sense I take it here I commend you to God and to the Word of his grace to Jesus Christ who is called The VVord of his Christ the Author of Grace and Reconciliation with God grace here because it is Christ that God is reconciled to us by He is the Author of all that grace and reconciliation and favour which we have with God So understand the VVord of grace as you understand the VVord of life that is Christ clearly VVhat we have heard and seen of the VVord of life that is Christ the Author of that Ye shall find Paul calling Christ by the name of the VVord in another place which is commonly otherwise interpreted Heb. 4. 12. The word of God is quick and powerfull and sharper than any two-edged sword piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit and of the joynts and marrow and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight but all things are naked and open to the eyes of him with whom we have to do The VVord clearly here is a Person I say a Person for the VVord of God is quick All things are manifest in His sight All things are naked and open in the eyes of Him He and Him and His these imply that the Apostle speaketh of a Person not of the Word revealed but of the Essentiall vord of God which is Christ Not but that something may agree to the revealed Word because it hath the stamp of Christ upon it but something cannot be given to it The Word is a Revealer of the thoughts of the heart when it is powerfully Preached But Who can properly say of the word that every creature is naked and open before the word of God Before Christ every creature is open Christ is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the searcher of all hearts in a proper sense Take the end of the thirteen Verse All things are naked and open to the eye of him the word namely with whom we have to do Our Translation readeth it thus which the Originall doth very well bear All things are open to the eye of him to whom we must give an account 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not With whom we have to do but To whom we must give an account 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 there signifieth Account compared to Rom. 14. 12. So then every one of us shall give an account of himself to God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the same word that is in Heb. 12. To whom must we give account to the revealed Word No but to the Word that is to Jesus Christ We must all stand before the judgment-seat of Christ Heb. 12. 13. The very word that is in this place speaks expresly of Christ Seeing then we have a great high Priest that is passed into the heavens for us let us do so and so The Word is the same with the High Priest The second Quere then is this Why is Christ rather Quaere 2 called by this tearm The Word than by the name of the Why Christ is called the VVord rather than the Son of God Son of God here in the beginning of this Gospell why doth not John rather say The Son of God was in the beginning and was God and was with God But In the beginning was the Word Why for this reason probably because he would not at first alienate the hearts of his Readers
to be the Doctrine of the Divinity of Christ This is one word to Ministers to confute the gainsayers but it is not the main I will not therefore stand upon it in this Auditory As it is with the Angels that are ministring Spirits for the good of the Church so it should be with the Ministers that are called the good Angels of the Church The Angels are fometimes put upon conflicts with the Devil they have many combats with the wicked Spirits as may be gathered out of Daniel But this is but in order to their ministring for the good of the Elect. They conflict with evill Spirits that they may be serviceable for the good of the Church So should Ministers conflict with evill Angels but in reference to the good of the Church Speak comfortably to Jerusalem saith the Lord to the Angel Therefore I shall passe to another Use of Consolation The Word was God Beloved If this be not true say Hereticks what they Vse 2 can if this be not true That Christ was God our Preaching is in vain and your Faith in vain ye are yet in your sins Who can forgive sins but God Ye expect forgivnesse The promises cannot be made good if Christ be not God of sins by Christ What soul can get to Heaven if Christ be not God He hath promised eternall life to all that love him and believe in him How shall a man have this Promise made good if He be not God If a man that hath never a foot of land in England shall make his Will and bequeath to thee such and such Houses and Land in such a Town and County whereas he was never the owner of any such Houses or Land Certainly this Deed is null thou art never a whit the nearer enriching thy selfe with such a Legacy If Heaven be not in Christ's dispose how can we have it as his gift If Christ be not God we cannot have Heaven If Christ be not God we are all still in our sins For the Justice of God expects satisfaction to be made for the sins of men we cannot make satisfaction but our Surety must Christ is our Surety If Christ be not God our Satisfaction is null for an infinite Justice offended must have an infinite Price paid A man may satisfie the Justice of man but what man can satisfie the Justice of God Will God accept the first-born of thy body for the sin of thy soul No he will not Yet he will accept His First-born for the sins of the world for in him he is well pleased There lyeth a great deal of strength upon that place it is a speciall foundation of faith Act. 20. 28. Over which the holy Ghost Christ is God hath made you over seers to feed the Church of God which he hath purchased with his own blood The Church of God which he hath purchased with his own blood This must needs relate to Christ And Christ is here called God and Christ's Blood is called the Blood of God Christ could never have gone through with the purchase of the Church if the Blood he shed had not been the Blood of God Whatsoever the Justice of God can exact that the Blood of God can discharge The blood of man would not have done it the blood of men or Angels would not have done it Man sinned and Man must satisfie Therefore the Human Nature must be assumed by a Surety for a man cannot do it If an Angel should have assumed Human Nature it would Humane nature assumed by none but God have polluted him Human Nature was so defiled by sin that it could not be assumed by any but God Now Christ being God the Divine Nature purified the Human Nature which he took and so it was a sufficient Sacrifice The person offered in sacrifice was God as well as Man This is a ground whereupon a Beleever may challenge Satan to say his worst and doe his worst Let him present God as terrible Let him present me as abhominable in the sight of God by reason of my sins Let him aggravate the heighth of God's displeasure and the heighth and depth and length and breadth of my sins I grant all And against all this I oppose this infinite Satisfaction of Christ Though the Justice of God cannot be bribed yet it may be satisfied Here is a proportionable Satisfaction here is God answering God The VVord was God This Word was He that laid down his life and shed his blood for us And now let Satan urge the Justice of God as much as he can The Justice of God maketh me sure of Salvation Salvation assured by Gods Justice Why Because his Justice obligeth him to accept of an adequate Satisfaction of his own appointing The Justice of God maketh me sure of mine own happinesse because if God be just that Satisfaction should be had when that Satisfaction is made Justice requireth that the person for whom it is made shall be received into favour I confesse that unlesse God had obliged himself by Promise there were no pressing his Justice thus far because Noxa sequitur caput There was mercy in the Promise of sending Christ out of mercy to undertake for us otherwise we cannot say that God was bound in Justice to accept of Satisfaction unlesse he had first in mercy been pleased to appoint the way of a Surety Justice indeed requireth Satisfaction but it requireth it of the person that sinneth Here commeth in Mercy that a Surety shall be accepted and what he doth is as if the person that offended should have done it himself Here is Mercy and Salvation surely bottomed upon both So much sweet comfort floweth from this consideration That Christ is God I come now to the second Verse Vers 2. The same was in the beginning with God What the Evangelist had affirmed in the former Verse The Word was with God he now confirmeth in this second Verse The same was in the beginning with God There is a Repetition but with some Illustration It may be thought that some or all of these three things may be aimed at First it may be thought to aime at shewing us that these words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In the beginning are to be referred to all the three Clauses and Propositions in the first Verse whereas they are there annexed but to one of them In the beginning was the Word saith he vers 1. Now the second Verse knitteth the same words to the second Proposition The same in the beginning was with God and the same was God So that ye must put both into that Proposition which concerneth the eternall Existency of Christ and to that which concerneth the Personall Coexistency The Word was with God and the divine Essentialnesse with God The same was God Though he were with God in the beginning may some say yet it is questioned whether he were God then This addition will prevent such mistakes to shew you the words In the beginning is
teacheth us to distinguish when he speaks of his being rapt up into the third Heaven Therefore there is a second and first as well as a third And these three Heavens were sweetly resembled by those three Courts in Solomons Temple There was the first Court the outward Court and the Court of the Gentiles which was common for all sorts of people to come into So is the first Heaven here below Men breathe in the aire birds and beasts they live and breathe in the aire which is the first Heaven The second Court was something more hidden In that the golden Candlesticks were which were the Lights that lighted the Temple So are the Sun Moon and Stars in the second Heaven The third Court was the Holy of Holies into which entred none but the high Priest And the third Heaven is the Heaven of Heavens into which Jesus Christ the high Priest is entred to prepare a place for all his Members All these Heavens were of Christ's making Hebr. 110. Thou Lord in the beginning hast laid the foundations of the World and the Heavens are the work of thy Hands The second head is the Earth the Circle of the World the pavement of this glorious Fabrick the foot-stool of the 2. Earth most high God Of his making it you have an excellent expression in Job Job 38. 4 5 6. Where wast thou when I laid the foundations of the Earth saith God there declare if thou hast understanding who hath laid the measure thereof if thou knowest or who hath stretched out the line thereof wherein are the foundations thereof fastned or who laid the Corner-stone thereof God hath so made it as to make it The admirablenesse of the fabrick of the Earth admirable to our understandings that such a vast body as the Earth is of a round figure and so fit for motion should be still immoveable a body so heavy should yet be able to hang as it doth in the midst of the air Why God hath fastned it by a Word of his own power Job 26. 7. He stretcheth out the North over the empty place and hangeth the Earth upon nothing Which of us can hang a ball in the aire without some support God He hangeth the Earth how upon nothing but upon the aire without side of it Then Thirdly the Sea Psal 95. 5. The sea is his and He made it so as to make all men rejoyce in the thoughts of it 3. Sea Psal 97. 1. The Lord reigneth let the Earth rejoyce let the multitude of the Isles be glad thereof It is with an Emphasis All sorts of men that dwell in Islands have much cause to rejoyce because God reigneth For if He did not Reign and Rule and bound the Seas with which they are compassed they would quickly be destroyed If God did God boundeth the Seas being above the Earth else the Islands would be destroyed not reign the naturall place of the Sea is above the Earth and how should we in this Island be overflowed in a moment if He bounded not the seas Ye shall see an elegant comparison in Job 38. 8 9 10. Who shutteth up the Sea with doors when it breaketh forth as if it had issued out of the Womb when I made the Clouds the garments thereof and thick darknesse a swadling band for it and brake up for it my decree'd place and set barres and doors Here he compareth the sea to a Child breaking out of the Womb of his Decree to a Child swadled as it were with a Cloud That is the expression Thick darknesse hath swadling bands for it And it is rock't as it were in a Cradle of Providence The fourth head is These All things as that place in Exodus telleth you are the things that are within this Heaven 4. All things and Earth and Sea And all things therein Which Paul reduceth to two heads Things Visible and Things Invisible Col. 1. 16. By Him were all things Created that are in Heaven and Earth visible and invisible Zanchius addeth a third branch to this distinction and maketh it more plain by saying That all things that were made are either visible or invisible or mixt Visible things as the Stars and Fouls and Clouds of Heaven the fish in the sea and beasts upon the earth Invisible things as the Angells they also were made They were not the Makers of the World as some Hereticks have thought Then there is a third sort of Creatures which are of a mixt nature partly visible in regard of their bodies and partly invisible in regard of their souls and those are Men. And so you have The all things Not to stand upon that I will passe to another head Secondly let us Consider In what order these things were made That so we may learn the more to magnifie the 2. In what Order Creatour This ye shall have under sundry Considerations No way more profitable First all things were made so in such an order as that 1. Heaven made before the Earth Heaven a place of blessednesse was made before the Earth the Stage of vanity In the beginning God created Heaven and Earth To teach us that we should begin our search and desires and love where God began his Work first at Heaven and then at Earth It is a Praeposterous course that is taken to begin with earth God did not so He first made the Heavens First seek the Kingdome of God Math. 6. 33. And yet through the Corruption of mens souls Curvae in terras animae Coelestium inanes The most are bowed down to the Earth and few look up towards Heaven There are in the Militant Church some dead and some living Children some true and some false Professors Suppose a Woman should have a dead and a living Child together in her Womb. The dead Child would make no way for his birth the living would so it is here such as are dead Professors in the Womb of the Church they do not make forward towards Heaven But every living soul that is born for Heaven and ordained for Heaven will to Heaven Every soul that is baptized with the Holy Ghost and with Fire hath a fire in it that will carry it up Heaven-ward Secondly as in order to the Creation Things of lesse perfection 2. Things lesse-perfect before more-perfect in the visible world were made before things that are more perfect as if ye come to the visible World especially not that otherwise the invisible Heavens are more perfect then any thing we see But I say the visible World God in the work of Creation went from things lesse perfect to those that had more perfection in them First he made the Elements then the mixt bodies compounded of them and amongst them such as had life before those that had sense and such as had sense before those that had reason A thing profitable to observe that so ye may look at Gods method both in Nature and Grace His method is
the Creatures as it were by these severall stages and let our affections goe on as God went on in working Fourthly But six dayes De Posse God might have done 4. To see how great things God can do in a short time it in a moment But defacto he did it in six dayes We see how great a thing God can do in a short time That which men and Angells could not have done though he had given them a thousand millions of years to have perfected it Thirteen years was Solomon a building the first Temple And forty yeares were the Jews a building the second Temple Here in six dayes Heaven and Earth and Sea and All things therein are made Therefore trust God be thou never so low in thy estate or name or body or Soul He that raised the World out of nothing in six dayes how soon is he able to raise thee to a Competencie of these things Lastly Six dayes and no more God cast it so as we may 5. To limit us a time of working think on purpose to limit us a time of working and a time of resting He himself wrought six dayes and rested the seaventh day from all his works To teach us That we should have six dayes to labour in and keep the seaventh as a Sabbath Levit. 23. 3. Six dayes shalt thou labour but the seaventh day is the Sabbath of rest an holy Convocation ye shall do no work therein It is the Sabbath of the Lord in all your dwellings That is the third thing Ye have heard what these All-things are In what order they were made And in what space of time they were created See now next In what manner they were created Fourthly In what manner were they made They were made by the sole word of God without instruments 4. In what manner without materialls meerly by the word of Command Psal 148. 5 6. Praise him ye Heaven of heavens and ye waters that be above the Heavens let them praise the name of the Lord for he commanded and they were created He hath established them for ever and ever he hath made a decree which shall not passe You read of no Instruments Solomon could not make a Temple but he must have a thousand of Tools God doth but speak the word and the earth was made You read of no materials out of which he made the world What can men make if you give them nothing to work upon Let a Smith have Iron and a Mason Stone and they can make some Work but here God maketh all out of Nothing saith the Apostle Heb. 11. 3. Through faith we Understand that the World was framed by the word of God so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear Briefly God made Something of Nothing and then out of that Something made All things as one well expresseth it That which Gen. 1. is called the earth and the water and the deep that first matter it was made out of meer nothing There is something out of nothing and then out of that first-Matter were all things framed There is all things out of something so as mediately or immediately all the Creatures come out of Nothing There is Non-ens negativum And so the first matter commeth out of nothing There is Non-ens privativum And so the other things they came out of that which is Non-ens tale a thing that had no naturall disposition to receive such a form And here is the omnipotency of God seen in both For it requires as much power to produce such and such formes as to produce that God Omnipotent in the Creation first matter out of Nothing and yet This God hath done And this should teach us both Obedience and Humility The consideration of the manner of making all things He made them all by his word Who are we that we should disobey the word of God which every Creature was framed by It is a shame for a man to be the worst thing in his house All the World is a house made for Man and man approveth himself the worst thing in the World if he disobey the Word of God Fire Haile Ice Snow fulfill thy Word saith the Psalmist He did but say Let there be light and the light presently shined How many words have we had Ten words of the Law as the Ten Commandements all comprized in two Words under the Gospell Repent and Believe and how many are unbelieving and disobedient still The Creatures cast shame upon us in this particular As they were made without Instruments by a sole word of Command so they were made of Nothing This should take down our Pride shall we be proud of the Creature That is to be proud of Nothing Proud of our parts or gifts Who art thou the Son of Adam vvho is Adam the Son of dust What is that dust The Son of nothing All resolveth it self into Nothing And certainly he that hath brought something out of nothing can quickly reduce our something to nothing again if we begin to be proud of it As he did the parts and power of Nebuchadnezzar when he took away his understanding and turned him to eat grasse with the beasts of the field Some thing ye have heard about the Things and the Order and the Manner and the Time Fiftly See now the End for which all things were made 5. To what end Solomon telleth you in one word That they were all made for the glory of God Prov. 16. 4. The Lord hath made all things for himself The Heavens declare the glory of God The firmaments shew his handy works Therefore this is the great improvement we should make of all the things that are made to read something of God in them And this is a duty that lyeth especially upon man Man as he is the most considerable part of the visible World so the only Creature that can consider the rest and it lyeth as a more strong engagement upon him to Glorifie God above all because no visible Creature can do it if man deny it And it lyeth as a more strong obligation upon Ministers to Preach the Word because Regularly none but they can Preach And also upon Kings to govern and Merchants to trade because none can govern none can trade in such things as they No none but Men can consider and praise God for what he hath done in the World Therefore every man should look at this great book of the Creature as that which is written all over with something of God Beloved There is many a man cast away for not reading when he is put to this book a Non legit here may destroy a man for not reading the book of the Creature Though some of us take it but for a morall fault Observe that Psal 28. 5. Because they regarded not the works of the Lord nor the operation of his hands he shall destroy them and not build them up Why Should God set before
but Give me understanding to keep thy commandments Fourthly seeing all things were made by Christ Learn Direct 4 from hence to consider the works of the Creation It is a To consider the works of the Creation with admiration dishonour to Christ to have the works of the Creation neglected and no man to look after them in a way of Admiration As it would be a dishonour to a curious Poet that hath framed an excellent Comedy and brought it upon the Stage to have no spectators God hath laid out a great deal of his Wisdom in the works of the world and calleth upon men to behold the works of his hands How ill will he take it if we consider them not If he hangeth out such a Master-piece as the world is and we go as swine and never behold it we do much neglect the Lord. See how ill the Lord taketh it and how ill men fare and from this very sin Psal 28. 5. Because they regard not the works of the Lord nor the operations of his hands he shall destroy them and not build them up He will destroy them for want of considering the works of his hands Lastly Seeing Christ is the Maker of all things Let all be improved in his service to his praise that is the end he Direct 5 To be improved in the service of Christ to his praise made them for Rev. 4. ult Thou art worthy O Lord to receive glory and honour and power for thou hast created all things He is worthy to receive honour and glory because he created all things Col. 1. 16. All things were created by him and for him Not onely by him as the Efficient but for him as the End Therefore we should employ our strength and parts and means whatsoever we have employ it to the service of Christ because from him we had it Take along with you this Rule That is a vain thing that misseth its end That is a cursed thing that crosseth its end That which misseth its end which it was made for is a vain thing For instance Christ hath given me a tongue to glorifie him withall I have my tongue in vain if I do not speak of Christ with it as David did who made his tongue as the Pen of a ready Writer But if I shall not onely speak of Christ but against him blaspheme him deny his Divinity and Satisfaction as the Socinians do here is a curse upon my tongue here it crosseth the end of its creation And so it is when a man employeth his wits to scoff against God and goodnesse with it when he groweth proud of his wealth or parts or apparell or any thing that God hath given him when he abuseth his strength to intemperance or luxury Here the end of his Making is crossed and here is a curse upon his parts and all other gifts his blessings are a curse to him I conclude with Col. 3. 17. Whatsoever ye do in word or deed do all things in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ giving thanks to God and the Father by him So I have done with the third Verse and proceed to the fourth Vers 4. In him was Life and the Life was the Light of Men. An Argument of Christ's Divinity taken from the Creation considered in generall in the making of all things He commeth now to speak more specially of things that have life and then more particularly of Himself and Man In him was life and the life was the light of men Three degrees of Communications there are from Christ as a Creator Esse Vivere Intelligere To some things he giveth a beeing as to Stones and Stars to other things he giveth life as well as beeing as to Plants and Birds and Fish and Beasts some whereof have the life of Vegetation others both of Vegetation and of Sense And then there is a third degree of Communication that is Intelligere Understanding that God giveth to men and Angels Of the first degree he had spoken before of all things that are made in generall now he speaketh in speciall manner of the second degree of communication which is giving of life to all the creatures that is in these words In Him was Life In Him namely in the Word For he had spoken that Life in Christ two manner of waies in Christ life was two waies Formaliter and Causaliter Life was Formally in Christ as in the Subject of it Life was Causally in Christ as in the Fountain of it Ye may give me leave to speak of both though the second haply be principally intended In him was life as in the Subject of it Take from hence an Observation That 1. As in the Subject 2. As in the Fountain Christ ever liveth and is the giver of all life He ever liveth life is in him as the Subject He is the giver of all life life is in him as the Fountain First He ever liveth that is He is the living God according to that Joh. 5. 26. As the Father hath life in himself so hath he given to the Son to have life in himself There was no time wherein Christ did not live he liveth from all eternity had life in himself even as the Father had If any question be it must be at that time wherein his Soul was parted from the Body when the Body lay in the grave Yet even then Christ lived One of his last words upon the Crosse was to the Thief To day shalt thou be with me in Paradise He had his Soul and Divinity in Paradise even while his Body lay and was housed in the Grave Christ lived in Heaven though his soul parted for a time from the Body neither was the Hypostaticall union dissolved So the life was not lost But the main thing intended is the Second In him was life Causally as in the Fountain of life When he created all things life was originally in him and from him derived to certain creatures which he then made Hence it is that Christ is called The Word of life The Prince of life The Life of life Because as he is the End so he communicates life to all things that partake of it He is called The Word of life 1 Joh. 1. 1. which we have lookt upon and our hands have handled of the Word of life He is called The Prince of life Act. 3. 15. They killed the Prince of life whom God raised from the dead whereof we are witnesses He calleth himself The Life Joh. 14. 6. I am the War the Truth and the Life And because his is not onely life in himself but life to us therefore he is called Our Life Col. 3. 4. When Christ who is Our Life shall appear then shall we also appear with him in glory All this is to shew that whatsoever life is communicated to the creature it commeth from Christ it is in him as in the Fountain With thee is the fountain of life Psal 36. 9. So as here now
knowledge was eminently in Man at his first creation Therefore the light of God is said to stand in knowledge Having put on the new man which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him And whereas there are three sorts of beams of light by which the understanding seeth Three sorts of Beams of Light Direct Reflect Refract things and these were all eminent in Adam at the first Creation There are Direct beams and Reflect beams and Refract beams so they are wont to call them Thus a man seeth another man whom he looketh upon face to face by a direct beam The same man when he seeth his own face in a glasse it is by a reflect beam Let him look into the water see a staff in the water that is by a refract beam because the species is broken by reason of the thicknesse of Adam's Knowledge in Perfection the water through which he seeth Now Adam saw by all these and by them in a way of perfection He lookt by a direct beam of light upon all the creatures he saw the inside and outside of them he knew all their Natures so plainly as that he was able to give them all names according to their severall kinds He lookt upon himself by a reflect beam of light he was able to apprehend all his own notions and apprehensions and all the duties God required at his hands and that without any oblivion which since the Fall we cannot do We have power to reflect indeed upon our selves but what we do one day we forget another But now with Adam in this state of light he could neither forget evill nor forget good He could forget no evill for there was no evill to forget and he could forget no good for it had been evill to have forgotten it for he was without all evill And then for a Refract beam of light he lookt upon God with such a beam because he saw God in them through a thick Medium He could not see God in his Essence but through the Medium of the creature and through those Revelations which he was pleased to make of himself before the Fall Herein stood that light of knowledge wherewith Adam was at first created Secondly Man was created in a state of Light that is in 2. Created in a state of Holinesse a state of Holinesse 1 Joh. 1. 6 7. If we walk in the light as he is in the light we have fellowship one with another that is in Holinesse Ye were sometimes darknesse but now are ye light in the Lord that is holy and sanctified persons Holinesse was stamped upon Adam there in an eminent measure it was a deep stamp and a clear one because the Image of God was not onely in knowledge as before but in righteousnesse and true holinesse Ephes 4. 24. insomuch as there was no irregularity in Adam's soul He was an Instrument new made by the finger of God himself well strung and well tun'd not a jarring string in the whole Instrument A Glasse filled with pure crystall-water no mudd at the bottom no defilement in the water stand it never so much His Body was subject to his Appetite his Appetite subject to his Will his Will subject to his Reason his Reason subject to God One Faculty sweetly subordinate to another and all to the Divine Majesty This I have found saith Solomon Eccles 11. ult that God made man upright and that he hath sought out many inventions If man would have contented himself with that happinesse that God made him in at first he might have been happy He was at first created in light of Holinesse Thirdly Man was created in a state of Light that is of 3. Man created in a state of Joy Joy which commeth under the notion of Light in Scripture Hest 8. 16. The Jews had light and gladnesse and joy and honour Light is sowen for the righteous and gladnesse for the upright in heart saith the Psalmist There was nothing wanting to make Adam's condition comfortable to him For his Body he had a Paradise all the delights and pleasures that are found in all the severall places of the world at this day put together they could not make such a Garden as Eden was nor such a pleasant place as Paradise For his Soul he enjoyed the chiefest good the more he knew God the more God loved him and the more he loved him the more he praised him and the more he praised him the more he delighted in him There was overflowings of joy in Adam's soul Then in reference to God and so the Creatures It could not but add exceedingly to the light of joy in Adam's heart that all the creatures were willingly subject to him God had made him Master of them all and not one of them that refused to be subject Indeed afterwards since the Fall the creatures became formidable to him Moses when his Rod was turned into a Serpent he fled from it and was afraid but so was not Eve when the Serpent came to her in Paradise The Image of God was so perfectly stampt upon Adam then that every creature bare him reverence and stood in awe of the face of Man And so they did to Jesus Christ in whom the Image of God was fully renewed That is a passage observable though haply not much heeded Mar. 1. 13. it is a clause brought in by St. Mark which the other Evangelists as I think have not spoken of Christ's being in the Wildernesse He was there forty daies tempted of Satan and was with the wild beasts of the field The other tell you of his being tempted but St. Mark onely putteth in these words And he was with the wild beasts which was as great a miracle as any of the other It was a miracle that Christ fasted forty daies and nights but it was as great a miracle that all the beasts did homage and gave reverence to him even as they had done to Adam in Paradise Thus ye have heard for Explication of this Truth That Man was created at first by Christ in a state of Light that is in a state of Knowledge of Holinesse and of Joy First The Use shall be generall to all the sons and 1 Generall Use To seek to Christ to be restored to the state of Light daughters of Adam that they would seek to Christ that they may be restored to this state of light He who himself is the Image of God the expresse Image of his Father's Person Heb. 1. who at first made man after that Image of God He onely it is that can restore him He from whom life was the light of men he it is that must give that light of life and he hath promised to give it to such as follow him Certainly this is worth the seeking after Joh. 8. 12. I am the light of the world he that followeth me shall not walk in darknesse but shall have the light of life That which
we lost in the first Adam we shall have restored in the Second there is no other way to come by it but this The Mint in which Knowledge Holinesse and Joy are coyned it goeth in Heaven and no where else Christ is the Master of that Mint That you may be encouraged to seek to Christ for this set me tell you Beloved That if the Lord Jesus Christ be 1. Sweeter Knowledge by Christ then that we lost in Adam pleased to renew this Image in you and restore you to this state of light you shall have a sweeter Knowledge ye shall have a surer Holinesse and a more lasting Joy than Adam himself had in Paradise The light that the second Adam giveth is better in some respect than the light which the first Adam lost Ye shall know that which Adam never knew the heighth and depth and breadth and length of the love of God in Christ That which did not come within the compasse of Adam's knowledge to know what belonged to a Redeemer but that is made known to the Saints in whom the Image of God is renewed Ephes 3. 17 18 19. That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith that ye being rooted and grounded in love may be able to comprehend with all Saints what is the breadth and length and depth and heighth and to know the love of God which passeth knowledge that ye might be filled with all the fulnesse of God Adam knew much of the love of God as a Creator but now we know the love of God as a Redeemer This must needs be a sweeter knowledge because this second is a greater love The misery of the person to whom love is shewed heightneth the love That which God in Christ Pitty in misery heightneth love sheweth to man fallen is love in mercy love joyned with mercy is greater love therefore the knowledge of this is sweeter knowledge And as ye shall have sweeter Knowledge so surer Holinesse 2. Surer Holinesse I do not say a purer Holinesse Adam was more pure in the state of Innocency than any man on this side Heaven he had no corruptions stirring in him But surer Holinesse That Holinesse which Adam had he was capable of losing it and did lose it That which Christ restoreth to them in whom this Image is renewed it is not left to their own keeping He himself keepeth it for them and no man shall take them out of his hand Joh. 10. 28. They shall never perish neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand As it fareth sometimes with a man that hath broke his leg or arm if he light upon a good Chirurgion that setteth it well again the arm or leg is stronger than before the breaking of it and we say He fell into the hands of a good Chirurgion So we were broken in Adam but we have by Christ a stronger Holinesse than we had at first And so you shall have a more lasting Joy than you could 3. More lasting Joy have in the first Adam It was a joyfull state as ye have heard but how long endured it The Psalmist saith Sorrow endureth for a night but joy commeth in the morning Here joy endured for the morning and sorrow came at evening Some think Adam did not stand in his integrity a whole night sure he did not stand long but lost his joy presently That joy which is given to whom this Image is renewed is such as no man or devill can take from them Joh. 16. 22. You all shall rejoyce and your joy shall no man tâ—â—e from you Bernard saith Gaudium â—â—it in fine sed Gaudium sine fine It shall be joy in the end but it shall be a joy without end which Adam's was not This is the Generall Use There is another more Particular that is to such as are Particular Use restored to this Image of God and a new state of life from which Adam sell that they might walk as children of the light How is that The Exhortation ye have Ephes 5. 8. Ye were sometimes darknesse but now are ye light in the Lord Walk as children of the light That is Walk knowingly walk piously walk cheerfully for light includeth all these three Hath Christ restored you to what ye fell from First then Walk knowingly have a care to see your way 1. Walk Knowingly before you whatsoever ye do it upon warrantable and good grounds take up no Opinion upon trust follow no Principles without a warrant from the Scripture He that walketh in darknesse faith Christ Joh 12. 35. knoweth not whither he goeth And so Prov. 4. 19. The way of the wicked is as darknesse they know not at what they stumble So long as a man is in the dark he knoweth not whither he goeth nor at what he stumbleth he reeleth sometimes this way and sometimes that way runneth his head against a post or falleth into a ditch into this error or that He stumbleth now upon a mad Principle and then upon a bad Principle because he knoweth not whither he goeth In the dark there is no discerning of colours all things are alike fair So it is with men in the state of unregeneracy there is no difference between civility and grace between formality and truth between faith and fancy He that will walk as a child of light must discern of things that differ for It is light that maketh manifest Secondly As he must walk knowingly so Piously Put on saith the Apostle the armour of light and let us walk 2. Walk Piously honestly as in the day Rom. 13. 13. Would you know how Cast your eyes upon Ephes 5. 8 9 10. Walk as children of light For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodnesse and righteousnesse and truth proving what is acceptable to the Lord. This place sheweth you that the light of holinesse which is in the souls of the Saints it is a Prolificall Light which bringeth sorth fruit Walk as children of the light For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodnesse and righteousnesse and truth It is the light of the Sun that begeteth creatures which the light of a Candle doth not Many Creatures have no other father but the Light as Philosophers say Putredo mater Sol pater Putridity is the mother and the heat of the Sun that is the father of them So it is with all inferiour Lights they are like the light of a Candle the naturall light of Reason and the utmost improvement of naturall abilities this light make the best of it till it come to be supernaturall and to have infusion from Christ it hath no quickning power in it it will not reform a man's life it begets no work truly good Whereas the light of Holinesse like the light of the Sun it ingenders and bringeth forth good works The fruit of the Spirit is in all goodnesse Then there will be a proving of what is acceptable to the will of God Men will not
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
it was the first so it is the most Excellent of the visible Creatures and putteth an excellency into other things What is it that maketh pretious stones and Jewells of so much value but because Christ the true light they are so light-some above other things The Sun Moon and Stars differ one from another in glory but all are glorious because all Lightsome Therefore light is fit to set forth Christ by who is Excellently super-Eminent He delighteth to compare himself to such things as to the Sun to the bright Morning-star to pretious stones and is often called the Light in scripture Only in this place there is an Epithite given to the Light That is The true Light 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The true Light in four respects First because Undeceiving Light Secondly because Reall Thirdly because Underived Fourthly because Supereminent First The true light because undeceiving in opposition 1. The undeceiving Light in opposition to false light to false and deceitfull In that sense ye find the word used by Joseph's brethren when they came into Egypt and were taken for spies Gen. 42. 11. Joseph had said ye are spies to see the nakednesse of the Land ye are come No say they we are all one Man's sons we are true men thy servants are no spies True in opposition to deceitfull So Christ is called the true light in opposition to all the false lights of the Gentiles They had their Idols and Balaams And so all naturall men to this day have their Lights but they be false ones The naturall man's light is the Ignis fatuus It is lightsome indeed but he that followeth the light of it is lead into ditches and boggs such is false light which the Creatures afford it leadeth to sorrow Man may hope for cheering but he shall lye down in sorrow for all that Isaiah 5. ult Behold all ye that kindle a fire and compasse your selves about with sparks walk in the light of your fire but ye shall lye down in sorrow because these are deceitfull lights But Christ is the true Light because whosoever followeth him is lead to everlasting happinesse Joh. 8. 12. I am the Light of the World he that followeth me shall not walk in darknesse but shall have the light of Life Secondly True light because a Reall light True in 2. Reall in opposition to Ceremoniall types and shadowes opposition to Ceremoniall types and shadowes As true that is undeceiving in opposition to the false light of the Gentiles So true that is reall in opposition to the Ceremonies of the Jews So it is opposed to Ceremonies 1 Joh. 17. The law came by Moses grace and truth by Jesus Christ Where it is commonly thought that Grace is opposed to the Morall Law and Truth to the Ceremoniall The Jews had their light much light shined in Ceremonies and Types of old But Christ was the true light because he was the Substance of all these Col. 2. 17. which are all shadows of things to come but the body is Christ Thirdly The true light because underived True is 3. Underived in opposition to borrowed c. sometimes opposed to Borrowed Communicated Participated from another Thus Christ is called The true God and so God The true God in opposition not onely to Idols that have no Deity in them but to Magistrates who are called gods by derivation of their Authority from another 1 Joh 5. 20. We know that the Son of God is come and hath given us understanding that we may know him that is true and we are in him that is true even in his Son Jesus Christ This is the true God but Magistrates they are gods but gods by derivation and so not true gods But Jesus Christ is the true light in this respect because he borroweth not his light Some of authority they say are light Ye are the light of the world Joh. 5. Ephes 5. Ye were darknesse but now are ye light How Light in the Lord. Christ hath light in him You are a borrowed light he is an underived light and so The true light Fourthly True because super-eminently true in opposition 4. Super-eminently true in opposition to Common and Ordinary to ordinary and common So he saith Joh. 6. 55. My flesh is meat indeed it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 truly meat and my blood is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 truly drink that is not ordinary not common but super-eminently meat and drink Joh. 15. 1. I am the true Vine not an ordinary common Vine but a super-eminent one because his Blood is more cherishing than Wine And so The true Light a super-eminent light more excellent than the naturall light in many respects If the naturall light be cheering why Christ is so much more light refresheth the eye Christ refresheth the soul more abundantly Doth the naturall light penetrate and search into the most secret corners Christ doth more search into the heart and spirits of men to discover what is hidden there The hidden things of darknesse are made manifest by light The hidden things of God are manifested by Christ even the great mysteries of the Gospel Is the light of the Sun able to shine upon dunghills and not receive defilement from them Christ doth so much more He searcheth into filthy hearts and receiveth no defilement from them Therefore the true Light because not ordinary What shall we learn from hence Why to make out after Christ and that upon this ground because he is the true light Who is there that is not desirous of light Truly saith Solomon Eccles 11. 17. the light is sweet and a pleasant thing it is for men to behold the Sun Christ is light true light Christ is sweet truly sweet A pleasant thing it is for men to lay hold upon the Sun of righteousness no true pleasure can be had any where else If we find a dark room in a house we say This is a melancholly room It is the saddest condition in the world for The saddest misery to lose our Communion with Christ Exod. 10. 21 22. Act. 27. 20. men to want this light nothing is worth the grieving for in comparison of this being out of Christ or having lost fellowship with Christ A sad condition it was for the Egyptians to be three daies in a palpable darkness and for Paul and his fellowes to be diverse daies and nights without the light of the Sun and Moon and Stars What is it for men and women to continue for many years without God and Christ in the World Suppose a room were never so full of the most curious Pictures if there be not windowes to let in light the Pictures lose their lustre So let men have beauty strength and never so good parts all these without the light of Christ in their souls are neither beautifull nor lovely nor of any worth at all Ye should therefore learn to thank God for this great Gift that he hath bestowed his Son upon us that
though I be a little large in it To help you in your search I shall endeavour to shew what it is to receive Jesus Christ aright because your sonship hangeth upon the having or not having Jesus Christ Give me leave therefore to tell you First What it Supposeth Secondly What it Includeth Thirdly What it Produceth That by laying all together ye may come to some estimate of your own condition First It Supposeth certain Acts of the Understanding Secondly It Includeth certain Acts of the Will Thirdly It produceth certain Effects to bear witnesse to the truth of the former Acts. First Receiving Christ supposeth certain Acts of men's 1. To receive Christ supposeth certain Acts of the Understanding understanding their Graces Father sanctifie them through thy truth thy Word is truth I say certain acts of the understanding namely certain due apprehensions concerning diverse particulars I shall name to you which in an ordinary course we come to have the knowledge of before we come to receive Christ I speak not what the work of God hath in the souls of Infants when he conveyeth Christ to them but in an ordinary course when men and women come to years there are certain precedent apprehensions of the understanding First Concerning the Person and Office of Jesus Christ 1. The Person and Office of Christ is to be understood No man receiveth he knoweth not what We receive not Christ till we desire him Ignoti nulla cupido and we desire him not till we know him The soul first cometh by the Spirit of Christ to have some apprehensions wrought concerning the Person of Christ to know him as God-Man the Word made flesh The Man-God onely Suffering as Man Satisfying as God There lyeth much in this in the right apprehension of Christ's Person which is the object of our faith as it justifyeth As they say of marriage-contracts If there be a mistake of the person the Contract is not valid as if by some way of deceit when the Contract cometh to be made up another woman be brought in the habit and room of that party to whom the man intendeth to contract himselfe here is an errour of person As it was with Laban that gave to Jacob Leah under colour of Rachell and that made void the marriage How can a soul be married to Christ and mistake the person and not know what Christ is nor acknowledge his Godhead Here is an errour of the person Christ is another kind of person than they take him for As there must be knowledge of the person of Christ so of his office too We must know him as the great Priest our sacrifice No other sacrifice would have served our turn and none could have offered that sacrifice but himselfe The Eternall spirit offered himselfe without spot to God The Priest sacrificing and The Priest interceding These are the two great parts of his Priestly office And so know him as our Prophet guiding us by the Word This is my beloved Son hear him guiding us by his spirit We shall be all taught of God And as King ruling us and subduing our Enemies under his feet Secondly It supposeth due apprehensions about the nature 2. It supposeth due apprehensions about the nature and danger of sin and danger of sin For till men have some consideration about this they do not use to look out for a Saviour Therefore the first thing the spirit of God doth when he cometh to convert is to convince He shall convince the World of sin because they believed not on me To let men see sin as for its nature extreamly odious That there are two great evils in it Aversion fron God and Conversion to Sin defined the Creature Jer. 2. 13. Ye have committed two great evils by forsaking Me the fountain of living waters and hewing to your selves Cisterns yea broken Cisterns that will hold no water And for the danger of it It is such as exposeth men to eternall death And till this be seen there will be no 3. It supposeth due apprehensions about rhe necessity of a Saviour looking out for Remedy where Justice is wages must be paid Now God is just therefore sin is dangerous Thirdly It supposeth due apprehensions about the necessity of a Saviour which followeth upon the sight of sin Acts 16. 30. The convinced Gaoler cryed out Sirs what shall I do to be saved Till men come to be sensible of their spirituall drought they never look out for the waters of life It is not every cut-finger that causeth a man to send to the Chirurgion nor every head-ache that maketh him to go to the Physitian but when he is wounded when he is sick to death then send for the Chirurgion for the Physitian when sin lieth heavy upon the soul then they make out for Christ Those that scoffed at Noah all the while he was building the Ark when the Deluge was come indeed when they saw no other shift then they cried out A World for an Ark. When we are ready to be turned over the Ladder pardon then is pardon indeed Fourthly It supposeth some due apprehensions about 4. It supposeth no salvation by any thing or person but by Christ the utter impossibility of obtaining salvation by any thing or by any person but by Christ alone That which Peter taught Acts 4. 12. Neither is there salvation in any other for there is no other Name under Heaven given amongst men by which we must be saved If there were another way open for salvation then there were no such necessity of receiving Christ but seeing this is not onely a way but the onely way of Gods appointment seeing as Naomi once said to her daughters in Law when they would needs follow her Why saith she Ruth 1. 11. Have I any more sons in my Womb that they may be your Husbands So Hath God any more sons in the Womb of his Eternall decree but Christ alone that they may be Mediators for us Seeing there is no Saviour but He therefore there is an utter impossibility of obtaining salvation by any other person or thing besides When the soul cometh to see this it maketh way for the receiving of Christ As for all the Creatures David saith No man can by any means redeem the soul of his brother from death he must let that alone for ever There is no man or means or ordinances but all say of salvation as Job bringeth them in speaking of wisdome Job 28. 13 14 15. Where shall wisdome be found where is the place of understanding Men know not the price thereof nor is it found in the Land of the living The deep saith It is not in me and the sea saith It is not with me It cannot be got for Gold neither shall Silver be weighed for the price thereof So may I say of Salvation Who knoweth the price thereof where shall salvation be found where is the place of happinesse The Law saith It is not
in me Duties say It is not in us Ordinances say We cannot give it Why It must come only from Jesus Christ Therefore the spirit of God usually letteth souls see an utter impossibility of salvation by any other than by Christ Fifthly It supposeth after all this a due apprehension 5. It supposeth pardon in and through Christ of a probability of obtaining pardon and grace in and through Christ And this setteth the soul a moving towards him and is an inducement as to the humble soul Lament 3. 29. To lay its mouth in the dust if so be there may be hope As to those Mourners in Joel Joel 2. 14. Who knoweth if God will return and repent and leave a blessing behind him Here is indeavour arising from probability So the Ninevites in the prophesie of Jonah Jonah 3. 9. Who can tell if God will turn and repent of his fierce wrath that we perish not Faith putteth it to the venture and putteth it selfe upon the free grace of God in Christ for Four grounds of probability to obtain pardon mercy as having a probability founded upon these four grounds of obtaining pardon First Upon the abundant goodnesse of God of which you 1. The aboundant goodness of God read Psal 130. 7. Let Israel hope in the Lord Why for with the Lord is mercy and with him is plenteous redemption There is abundant mercy and plenteous redemption with God therefore Israel may hope This appeareth to be the mercy of an Infinite God therefore he can pardon and take away the sins of a finite Creature here is one ground Secondly Probability of successe It is founded upon the 2. The powerfull Mediation of Jesus Christ powerfull Mediation of Jesus Christ Hebr. 7. 25. He is able to save to the uttermost those that come to God by Him seeing he ever liveth to make Intercession for them His blood like a mighty Ocean is able to overflow as it were the mighty Rocks as well as the lowest Sand. The Sun of Righteousnesse is able to scatter the thickest Clouds as well as the slenderest mists Thirdly Upon the free and gratious breathings of the 3. The free breatheings of the holy Ghost Holy Ghost Joh. 3. 8. The wind bloweth where it listeth thou hearest the sound thereof and knowest not whence it cometh nor whither it goeth So it is with the Spirit It hath breathed in others and may breathe in thee when it pleaseth him And therefore the soul resolveth hopefully to wait on God till the Spirit shall be pleased to breathe upon him and to that end it seeketh him in all the means wherein he is wont to breathe because the soul knoweth it is just that the Spirit of God should not breathe in any if he be not sought in all If they neglect some one means the influence of Grace may be with-held If any one of the Pipes be cut the water cometh not home to the Cistern And God is wont to convey grace to us by so many Ordinances as by so many Pipes if one Ordinance be neglected it is just with God to withdraw his grace If a soul will hear but not pray if he neglecteth any one Ordinance God may refuse to breathe Therefore the soul groundeth probability upon the free breathings of the Spirit Fourthly Upon the example of many that have been 4. Upon the example of many converted before converted before It seeth the example of the perishing of a multitude of sinners in the story of the Ninivites and of a multitude of sins in the story of Mary Magdalen and knoweth the story of mercy Such were some of you but ye are washed and cleansed and sanctified by the Lord Jesus Christ in the Spirit of God These are the apprehensions which our Saviour Christ supposeth All these more or lesse in an ordinary course taken with limitation Secondly There are certain acts of the Will which the 2. It supposeth severall Acts of the Will receiving of grace includeth which are specially these two First a present chusing of Christ upon Conjugall tearms Secondly a trusting on him for ever after First Receiving of Christ includeth in it a present chusing 1. Receiving Christ includeth our chusing him for our Husband of Christ for our Husband upon Conjugall tearms I take that Metaphor as most easie to expresse it by because he is received under many notions and under this amongst others As a Wife receiveth the Man in marriage so the Soul receiveth Christ It is a Choice and present Choice and a present Choice upon Conjugall tearms This is an act of the Will Chusing belongeth to the Will When the Will is enabled by the Spirit of Christ to choose him for his All in all and to make a present choice of him they are tearms not of the Future but of the Present Tense that make a Marriage It is not I promise to make thee my Wife in time to come that maketh a Contract but I do take thee to my Wife this is to make a Marriage It is not to take Christ when I am rich or older but it must be a present chusing of him that maketh the Match And it must be upon honourable tearms such as a woman taketh the husband upon so as to forsake father and mother and cleave to the husband Christ did so for us and we must do so for Christ Christ forsook his Father in some sense and came and emptied himself forsook Heaven and came down to us The Word was made flesh and dwelt amongst us that so he might be wedded to his Church upon earth There is something like that we have to do for Christ the Soul must forsake all for Christ As it is said of the Spouse Psal 45. 10. Hearken O daughter and consider and encline thine ear forget also thine own people and thy father's house So shall the King desire thy beauty There must be a forsaking of our former lusts and former waies and former carelesnesse a leaving of all to cleave to Christ That you may understand it better allude to that of Hos 14. 3. Ashur shall not save us we will not ride upon horses neither will we say any more to the works of our hands Ye are our gods For in thee the fatherlesse findeth mercy Ephraim shall say What have I to do any more with Idolls So when the Soul cometh to close with Jesus Christ The Law shall not save us we will not rest upon our own Duties our services shall not be our Saviours the means of grace shall not be our Mediators What have we to do any more with Idells and the lusts of our former ignorance and intemperancy and wantonnesse c Here a choosing of Christ supposeth a separation from all things else and a cleaving to him Being joyned to the Lord we are one spirit as the Apostle's phrase is cleaving to him so as to be subject to him that is on conjugall tearms on which Christ is to
be received Ephes 4. 24. Therefore as the Church is subject to Christ so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing We should choose his Yoke as well as his Crown his Spirit to guide us as well as his Blood to redeem us to be subject to him as well as to be protected by him This is the first thing included in the receiving of Christ namely a present choosing of Christ upon Conjugall tearms Secondly Trust in him for ever after as our God so saith 2. To trust in him for ever after as our God the Text 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to trust that is Continue to believe in his name because every one that hath received him continueth to believe continueth to trust and to rely upon him and stay himself upon his God and to lean upon his Beloved as the phrase is in the Canticles As a woman that hath got an husband hath one to trust to for provision and direction and protection If David's wives be taken away he will rescue them if Ahasuerus his wife be in danger of Haman's plots her husband will relieve her The Soul before marriage to Christ was liable to all old debts the Law had a saying to her the Devill had a plea against her but now she is married all is laid upon Christ No action lies against the wife Now the soul hath an husband and accordingly she trusts in Christ and sendeth the Devill to Christ her Husband for an answer Thus you see what it Supposeth and Includeth Thirdly See what it Produceth namely Certain Effects 3. It supposeth certain Effects to witnesse the truth of the former Acts. 1. Receiving Christ produceth Love that bear witnesse to the truth of the former Acts to make it appear there were true Apprehensions in the Understanding and true Acts in the Will and they are diverse First The true receiving of Christ wheresoever it is it produceth a Prizing Love in the first place It is impossible but that the soul which hath received Christ indeed should prize him and love him because of the beauty and excellency in him 1 Joh. 4. 16. compared with vers 19. We have known and believed the love that God hath given to us Then followeth We love him because he first loved us Where there is a knowing and believing of God's love to us there will be a reciprocall love from us to God To him that believeth in Christ Christ is pretious It is not onely a love but a prising love 1 Pet. 2. 7. To you therefore which believe he is pretious They that have received Christ indeed will set a price upon him howsoever others value him Judas though he did converse with him not having received him by faith What a price setteth he upon him the price of a Slave thirty pieces of silver the very price that was to be given by a man that had bought a slave to be his servant a goodly price The Jews that bought him and Judas that sold him make no more of Christ but thus Now take the Soul which hath indeed received him and knoweth what is in him such a soul will not set Christ to sale no not upon any tearms Offer her Preferments Estates and Kingdoms and Worlds A goodly price for Christ the soul will say No he is infinitely more worth then all these To you that believe Christ is pretious because ye have received him Secondly It produceth a watchfull Fear Whensoever 2. It produceth a watchfull fear the soul receiveth Christ it will be afraid to lose him Having received a Kingdom that cannot be moved saith the Apostle Heb. 12. ult let us have grace to serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear One would think all fear were now over No fear so much the more The Gospel that is the Kingdom of Heaven which is often so called in Scripture and it is a Kingdom that cannot be moved The Law that was taken away but the Gospell that cannot be moved no alteration of that We must never look for another Gospel than what is evidently laid down in Scripture A man that hath received this Gospel hath received Jesus Christ in it For this Manna commeth down in the dew of heaven Christ in the ministry of the Gospel And having received this Kingdom we shall not be moved Having received Jesus Christ let us serve him with reverence and god'y fear saith the Scripture There will be a fear where there hath been a receiving of Christ Kisse the Son Serve him with fear and rejoyce with trembling Psal 2. 11 12. I will allude to Act. 3. 11. ye read there in the foregoing Verse of a Creeple that was healed by Peter and John And immediately his feet and ankle bones received strength and he stood up and praised God What doth the man mean now to leave his leaping and skipping and come and clasp about Peter and John In all likelihood because he was afraid when they were gone his lamenesse would return again to him Such a disposition there is in every soul that receiveth Christ it is sensible of its having received health and strength and comfort from him Now lest his former lamenesse should return lest the lusts of his former ignorance should again prevail and those terrours of conscience under which it lay should come again the soul is desirous to hold Christ so as never to let him go Not that a soul that hath once received Christ can lose him for ever but because though it cannot wholly lose his presence yet it may lose a great deal of its comfortable communion which it had with Christ and God in him Therefore there will be a watchfull fear lest we should lose those sweet embracements which we have had from Christ Thirdly This receiving of Christ in truth produceth a 3. It produceth a spirituall life spirituall life He that hath the Son hath life he that hath not the Son hath not life 1 Joh. 5. 12. Men are now other kind of creatures than before they have motion from another principle then they had before As where there is life the soul setteth the body a working So when the soul hath Christ it receiveth life and motion and appetite and sense and grouth from him This true receiving of Christ produceth Fourthly As there is a prising Love a watchfull Fear and 4. I◠produceth fruit to God a Spirituall life so It produceth fruit to God Every soul that hath received Christ is more or lesse a fruitfull soul and doth not render fruit to it self as formerly but to God aiming at him and his glory in what it doth And this followeth upon the former I told you It was receiving of Christ upon Conjugall tearms as a woman receiveth an husband And this you must know that Christ hath alwaies issue by his wives The Lord Jesus hath no barren Spouse Every one that receiveth Christ for an husband he hath issue by her that soul bringeth forth fruit
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
who is meant by the Word and what is meant by Flesh I now proceed to shew you in what sense the Word is said to be made flesh First We must remove a false sense then assert the true The Word was made flesh Take it in the phrase of Athanasius The Word made flesh by taking the Manhood into God not by converting the Godhead into Man his Creed Not by conversion of the Godhead into Man but by the taking of the Manhood into God Quod erat permansit quod non erat assumpsit They were wont to sing so in an antient Liturgy Christ remaineth without any change in him as God I speak according to the meaning of that old Aenigmaticall Verse Sum quod eram quod eram non sum nunc dicor utrumque It is said in the Person of Christ I am what I was to wit God still I was not what I am to wit Man I am called both to wit God-Man To clear it by the application of the Text The Word was made flesh Christ is called the Word particularly in reference to that internall word and conceptions that are in a man's heart Now if a man manifest his own conceptions What doth he do He assumeth a voice as it were and by that voice makes men to hear what his conception is This Word was that that it was before yet it was manifested in the flesh without any change of what he was Here ye have the false sense removed Let the true sense now be asserted The Word was made flesh that is He assumed the Human Nature into By assuming the human nature into the union of his Person the union of his person He that was God before from everlasting doth now take man into the unity of his Person onely there is this difference in it The phrase seemeth to import something more because it is said The Word was made flesh And that some Hereticks catch at because they say One thing cannot be made another without some Object change As at the marriage in Canaan water was made wine and then it ceased to be water so say they If the Word be made flesh it must cease to be the Word for it is now made another thing For Answer to this first There is no necessity of translating Answ 1 it Made 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Word became flesh So 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Cor. 9. 20. Unto the Jews I became as a Jew saith Paul 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I became So the Word became flesh by a voluntary assumption of the Manhood So then the Objection is waved for it lyeth wholly in the Translation The Word was made flesh Secondly Let the Translation stand yet it will not overthrow Answ 2 what hath been said because every thing that is made another is not infallibly changed it self Let us therefore distinguish of a Naturall change and a Civill change a Physicall change and a Politicall change When one thing indeed is made another by a Physicall change then it ceaseth to be what it was before as when the water was made wine But one person may be made another in a way of Politicall change and yet continue what it was before As When one that is invested with Titles and Royalties of an higher nature is pleased out of condescention to assume some lower Title to himself as When a Soveraign Prince is pleased to be made or created Knight of the Garter when an English Earl is made a Gentleman of Venice Here is the King made a Knight and the Earl a Gentleman and yet continue what they were They have assumed a lower dignity without disparagement to what they were before And some of our Kings have been made free of this City of London in some Companies and it was an honour to the Company not a disparagement to the Prince So it is with Christ He honored that Nature he assumed and not lost that Nature which he had Thus you see the meaning of this Clause The Word was made flesh Let us now see what Use may be made of it First We shall apply the whole Clause and then draw Use 1 some instances from particulars The whole Clause may be of use for the confutation of For Confutation of Hereticks many Hereticks Our Evangelist here aimed at the confutation of Hereticks when he writ this Gospel and this one Clause knocketh many of them in the head It hath been the lot of the Church of Christ to be alwaies conflicting more or lesse with that kind of men For the first three hundred years after Christ the great thing then was by Persecution but after God had stirred up Constantine the Devil leaveth playing the Lion and turned to the Fox what he could not obtain by force he now seeks by fraud and instead of Persecution raiseth up Heresies And look as now adaies that which should unite all Christians together namely the Lord's Supper which we therefore call the Communion is made the greatest matter of Contention in the world The Lutherans and Caâ—vinists fall out about Consubstantiation Lutherans and Papists about Transubstantiation The Lord's Supper is made a meer matter of quarrell by the subtlety of Satan So of old this Personall Union of which I have spoken all this while the two Natures God and Man in one Person was the great matter of division in the Churches of Christ Many Hereticks struck at this and this Text meeteth with many of them I shall instance in four but not trouble you long about them but a little is fit to be said that we may know what was done in former ages Great use is of Evangelicall History There is the Heresie of The Arians All confuted by this Clause The Apollinarians The Nestorians The Eutychians The Arians held That Jesus Christ was not true God 1. The Arians opinion confuted This Text calleth him the Word and maketh him a Person in the Trinity It saith The Word was with God and the Word was God and that Word was made flesh The Apollinarians acknowledge him to be God yea and 2. The Apollinarians opinion confuted Man too but they held That he took onely the Body of a Man not the Soul of a Man but they say His Divinity supplied the room of a Soul We interpret the word Flesh rightly for the whole human nature Therefore the Apollinarians are confuted here too The Nestorians grant him to be both God and Man but 3. The Nestorians opinion confuted then they say The Godhead made one Person and the Manhood another Person We interpret the word Made rightly according as it holdeth forth an Hypostaticall Union and remember what was said of Christ's assuming not the person of man but the nature of man That Heresie is then confuted Here is God and Man two Natures but one Person 4. The Eutychians opinion confuted The Eutychians held but one Person in Christ then they confounded the Natures They say That the Godhead
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
to shine out of darknesse hath shined in our hears that we should give the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ Therefore in your attendance upon the Ministry of the Gospell let it be your aim still to see something of Christ's glory in it And do as the Disciples did We beheld his glory as in a Theater Let it be our care to view Christ and the things of Christ as they are represented to us in a Theater Ye know how greedy men are of such objects they cannot satisfie their eyes with seeing Pageants and such kind of showes besides things upon a Stage are seen with a great deal of delight Insomuch as Augustine when he would exphesse the joyes of Christians in the midst of their greatest sorrow hath this excellent expression of it Orantium dâ—lciores sunt lachrimae quà m omnium gaudia Theatrorum saith he The tears of praying Christians have morè sweetnesse in them than all the joyes of the Theaters or of the Stages Certainly there never came such a spectacle never such a thing to be viewed as the glory of Christ is never any thing so well worth the viewing Let it therefore be our care to do as the Apostle exhorts us to be looking up to Jesus That is very emphaticall Heb. 12. 2. Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith who for the joy that was set before him endured the crosse and despised the shame and is set down at the right hand of God The word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which hath a double force in it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 looking off first and then looking upon We must look off from the world which our hearts are too much glued to and then look up to Jesus otherwise if we busie our minds too much with carnall things our hearts will be so full of the relish of them as we cannot savour of the things of God Certainly brethren we have presidents for this take Paul a man that busied himself in this great work of beholding the glory of Christ throughout his whole course after his conversion therefore he desired no other learnlng but Christ crucified 1 Cor. 2. 2. I determined not to know any thing amongst you save Jesus Christ and him crucified He valued no other wealth The knowledge of Christ to be preferred before all things but the knowledge of Christ Phil. 3. 8. I count all things but losse and drosse for the excellency of the knowledge of Jesus Christ my Lord for whom I have suffered the losse of all things and do count them but dung that I may win Christ Where was his learning and wealth and joy and great delight It was in the beholding of Christ he gloried in nothing else Gal. 6. 14. God forbid that I should glory save in the crosse of our Lord Jesus Christ Beloved the Crosse of Christ shall be our Crown if we love to make the glory of Christ our study Thirdly take this third use into your meditations of 3. Meditation on Christ's excellency raiseth our apprehensions above all created glories the excellency of Christ raising your apprehensions above all created glories for his glory is the glory as of the onely begotten of the Father Ye wrong Christ if your apprehensions of him be not higher than those you have of any creature His hath a glory far above theirs above the glory of the Celestiall bodies and the glory of Men above the Angels and Cherubims Therefore the Apostle taketh a great deal of pains to prefer Christ above the Angels that our thoughts may go beyond in the excellency of Christ above any other creatures Whence it is that Joh. 5. 23. all men should honour the Son even as they honour the Father He that honoureth not the Son honoureth not the Father which hath sent him So I have done with that Clause 4. The fourth thing in my Text remaineth that is The singular Qualifications of Christ's Person Full of Grace and Truth Christ was full of grace and truth That is our Observation All sorts of grace in Christ It pleased the Father saith the Apostle Col. 1. 19. that in him should all fulnesse dwell all fulnesse of all sorts of grace whether ye look to the kinds or degrees of grace the fulnesse of both sorts There were all kinds of grace in Christ Those graces which were scattered amongst the Saints one excelling in this grace another in that Moses in meeknesse Job in patience David in thankfulnesse and Joseph in chastity and so in the rest they are all united in Christ So for the measure and degrees of grace as he hath of all kinds so the utmost degree of every kind To Ministers graces are given in a scant proportion and measured out according as God hath allotted to every one his proportion as the Apostle speaks Ephes 4. 7. Unto every one of us is grace given according to the measure of the gift of Christ But to Christ himself it is above measure Joh. 3. 34. God gave not the Spirit by measure to him he doth not stand meting it out but poureth it out upon him So that look whatsoever grace a human nature void of sin is capable of that was all poured out upon Christ Full of grace It pleased the Father that in him should all fulnesse dwell 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that it should be the mansion-house of all fulnesse so as there shall be no defect Adam was full of grace in his condition but fell from it and the Angels full but many of them turned Apostates but Christ hath no defect in his Nature it is a fulnesse and a dwelling fulnesse But this is too generall Full Of what Full of grace and full of truth First Of grace Grace is a word of various acceptation 1. Christ is ful of grace and admitteth of many distinctions I shall onely meddle with such as are applicable to this place Grace is twofold it is taken either Active or Passive There is Active-grace Gratia gratis dans Givinggrace Passive-grace Gratia gratis data Grace given Active grace is that good-will out of which God bestoweth his benefits upon the gratious Passive grace grace given is that which is bestowed either upon the body or upon the soul or upon the whole person First A grace bestowed upon the bodies of men and r. Grace bestowed upon the bodies of men that is Beauty which properly cometh under the notion of grace in that sense Favour is deceitfull and beauty is vain Prov. 31. 30. Gratia fallax est saith the Latine translation grace is deceitfull taking grace for beauty So the Heathens they called those goddesses of theirs Charites the Graces That is grace upon the body but that is the lowest Secondly There is grace bestowed upon the Soul and 2. Upon rhe Soul those are rather Gifts tending to Edification as gifts of Prophecy and the like or to Salvation as
Truth Thirdly Take Truth as it standeth in opposition to Lying 3. As opposed to Lying Lie not one to another saith Paul to the Ephesians but speak the truth every man to his neighbour So Christ was full of truth The Apostle Peter telleth you That he was a Lamb without spot or blemish he did no sin 1 Pet. 2. 22. He did no sin neither was guile found in his mouth It might be sought for but was not found The word importeth it was not found in his mouth for many lay at catch for Christ if they could have trap't him in his speeches There was a great deal of watching but no guile found in his Lips He did neither Meâ—tiri nor Mendacium dicere at any time which can hardly be said of any And yet one thing Jabrinus saith A good man will be sure not to lie that is to speak against his knowledge and Conscience A prudent man will be carefull not to tell a lie nor yet to speak what is untrue One that will not lie may yet possibly speak an untruth but Christ did never so much as speak an untruth He was so far from Lying Fourthly If ye take Truth as it standeth in opposition 4. As opposed to Shadowes to Shadowes Hebr. 9. 24. Christ is not entred into the Holy place made with hands which are the figures of the true c. Here is true opposed to figure to shadow In this sense Christ is full of Truth because he is the substance of all those shadowes which were under the old Law which some take to be the sense of what followeth Joh. 1. 17. The Law came by Moses but faith and truth by Jesus Christ Truth is here opposed to the Ceremoniall Law which containeth the shadow as grace to the Morall Let us learn something throughout every branch of this Explication First Seeing Christ is full of grace in an active sense Vse 1 that is full of giving grace full of good will to the sons To learn to have good thoughts of Christ of men Let us all learn to have good thoughts of Christ not to look at him in Satan's spectacles through the glasse of unbelief and melancholly-apprehensions as one that is inaccessible one that will not pardon nor entertain poor sinners So the Devill sometimes presenteth him in such a false glasse But look at him in the glasse of the Gospell that holdeth him forth full of grace The Holy Ghost that proceedeth from the Father and the Son telleth you what he is He came down in the shape of a Lamb to shew the meeknesse of Christ The Disciples they saw him as full of grace The friends of Lazarus saw him weep over Lazarus They said Behold how he loved him the same bowels Christ hath now in Heaven as he had upon the Earth And if it were possible that they were capable of inlargement there are none more large now all the provision is laid in and the meat bought and the Table spread and dishes provided What doth God expect but that the people should fall to and eate How can we doubt of his good will now that hath done and suffered and prepared so much for us It is not now to do it is done already therefore we may be surer of his good-will than they before the price was paid Secondly Seeing Christ is full of grace even in regard 2. To look at Beauty as a blessing of his body Look at Beauty as a blessing This kind of grace is one of the things that adorned Christ I say look at beauty as a blessing when it falleth upon a body joyned to such a soul as Christ's was otherwise it is to the soul as a rusty sword in a velver scabbard The beauty of a prophane person is but like the shining of a rotten stick like the gaynesse of those weeds in your corn-fields that make a fair shew yet if you touch them they are offensive not to be endured There can no expression equall the foulnesse of them in Scripture it is as Solomon said Prov. 11. 22. as a jewel of gold in a swine's snout so is a fair woman without discretion But now where there is a meeting of the inward graces of the soul and this outward gracefulnesse in the body there beauty is an ornament Pulchior est virtus veniens è corpâ—re pulcro Where beauty and godlinesse be there grace is more beautifull in such a body in such a person And the beauty is more gracefull where there is grace to set it out where the inside is adorned as well as the outside It is an high commendation that the Scripture giveth of Abigail and sheweth what beauty is most desirable a sweet conjunction was found in her A beautifull woman of a good understanding 1 Sam. 25. 3. The name of his wife was Abigail and she was a woman of a good understanding and of a beautifull countenance Such as God hath bestowed beauty upon should be carefull not to blemish it by any untoward conversation but to be looking to God both inside and outside When ye have good apparell on ye are loath to stain that When God hath apparelled your beauty with beauty take heed of staining that by any uncleannesse whatsoever And in the next place in that Christ was full of grace 3. To learn to have recourse to Christ when we stand in need of grace in regard of the soul We should learn from hence whom to have recourse to when we stand in need of grace even to this full Fountain for he received it that he might communicate it He was filled with an over-flowing fulnesse that of his fulnesse we might receive grace for grace Joh. 1. 17. Christ is full of grace as a woman's breast is full of milk that even aketh for want of being drawn Christ as he is full so he delighteth to communicate of his fulnesse therefore it is an ease to him to be drawn Of this we shall speak God-willing in its place Fourthly Christ is full of grace of grace that fell upon 4. To learn whence all our acceptation cometh his whole Person that is Full of acceptation with God a gratious receiving into favour with God the Father And this letteth us see whence we are to fetch all our acceptation How it commeth to passe that the Saints come to be so gratious with God Why in and through Christ who is full of grace and acceptance They are accepted as ye heard before in the beloved Christ is so gratious as to ingratiate all that believe in him He is God's Favourite and bringeth into favour all such as are allotted to him None of us can possibly get the blessing but in our Elder Brother's garment Gen. 27. 16. Jacob took that course so must we if we will have a blessing from God As Joseph told the Patriarks They should Gen. 43. 3. not see his face except they brought their younger brother Benjamin along with them so
the fulnesse of the Godhead In him dwelleth all the fullnesse of the Godhead bodily Not a parcell but all and bodily that is either really If ye take body as it standeth in opposition to shadowes and figures then the Godhead is said to dwell in Christ bodily in opposition to the shadowes Under the law the body dwelt figuratively in the Ark and thence the glory of the Lord filled the house But now it dwelleth in Christ as the substance of all those shadowes It dwells in him bodily Or if ye take body as it sometimes signifieth person The Hebrewes were wont to put the soul for the whole person so many souls went down with Jacob into Egypt The Greeks were Gen. 46. 27. wont to put body for the whole person I beseech you brethren by the mercies of God present your bodies as a living sacrifice so then to dwell bodily is to dwell personally Now the fulnesse of the Godhead dwells personally in Jesus Christ because he was the second Person in the Trinity The Son of God as full of the Divinity as the Father himselfe was The fulnesse of the Godhead dwelt as truly in the Son as in the Father Now Sonship implieth Identity of nature As if it will not be tedious to you Four things go to make up a perfect Sonship There Four things make up a perfect Sonship must be 1. Similitude 2. Procession and Production 3. Life and 4. Identity If any of these be wanting A person cannot be said to be the son of another I say Similitude Procession Life Identity There is a likenesse between the whitenesse of the wall and the whitenesse of the snow but no sonship between them because there is no production The whitenesse of the wall doth not produce the whitenesse of the snow Fire begets fire Here is a production But the fire is not the son of the fire because here wanteth Life The body of a living Man breeds worms Here is a production and life but yet the worm is not the son of Man because here is no Identity of nature The worm hath not the nature of man There must be a Coherence in all these four which you find in Christ in reference to God the Father There is a similitude He is the expresse Image 1. Similitude 2. Procession of his Fathers person There is a procession For the Son proceedeth from the Father and is begotten of the Father from all eternity There is Life For the Son hath Life 3. Life 4. Identity in himselfe as himselfe saith And there is Identity of nature The very same essence with that of the Father And a greater Identity then between any man and his son That take along with you too Take Abraham and Isaac Isaac hath the same nature with Abraham But how the same The same in species not in Individualls The same in kind not the same Individuall nature For it is possible that the father may be saved and the son damned or the son saved and the father damned But now the Lord Jesus Christ is the same Individuall nature with the Father because but one Deity and one Divinity and one Essence and the same Person pertakes of the same Individuall substance Here is the first fulnesse The fulnesse of Divinity Secondly There is in Jesus Christ A fulnesse of sufficiency Secondly a fulnesse of sufficiency for the work of the Mediator-ship which he undertook as God-man That which Divines call the grace of unction They speak of a double grace that dwelleth in Christ The grace of union namely that favour by which the human Nature was united Personally to the Godhead Secondly The grace of unction namely that anointing with the holy Ghost which Christ-Man had who is therefore said to be annointed with the oyle of gladness above his fellowes There is therefore this fulnesse of sufficiency because there was a fulnesse of Divinity there is therefore this grace of unction because by that grace of union Christ is therefore annoynted because the Manhood is so united to the Divinity The nearer any thing commeth to the Cause the more it taketh of the Effect Fire is the cause of heat therefore the nearer a man stands to the fire the hotter he is the farther off the lesse he partakes of the influence of the fire The Human Nature having a union with the Godhead must needs partake of all grace Write the letters of the Alphabet upon a seal and then put that upon the wax the wax will bear the image of all the letters Here is the Divinity The Godhead falls upon as it were and takes to it self the whole Manhood and therefore the Manhood bears the impression of the whole Godhead as far as the Manhood is capable Now indeeed it was necessary there should be a fulnesse of sufficiency in Christ because as Mediator he had three great Offices to discharge and every one of them requireth a fulnesse without which he could not have gone through with his work Accordingly ye shall find A three-fold fulnesse in Christ as to his Offices a fulnesse of power in Christ as King a fulnesse of wisdom in Christ as Prophet and a fulnesse of righteousnesse in Christ as he was the Priest of his Church which three make up the fulnesse of Sufficiency There is in Christ as King a fulnesse of power That is 1. As King the fulnesse of Power it which he speaks of Matth. 28. 18. Jesus came and spake to them saying All power is given to me in heaven and in earth Go ye therefore and teach all Nations and I will be with you to the end of the world Christ hath all power in Heaven and Earth yea and in Hell too Of the two former this place speaks All power is given to me in heaven He hath the Angels in heaven at his command and can send them out as an heavenly hoast to assist his people All power is given to him on earth over all the Princes in the world Therefore he is King of kings and Lord of lords And this he telleth his Apostles before he sent them to preach the Gospell to encourage them Preach to all Nations all Nations all Mankind All power in heaven and in earth is given to me Therefore go preach I am with you And as all power in heaven and earth is given to Christ as King of the Church so all power in Hell Ye have an expression that may haply bear this sense Rev. 1. 18. I am he that liveth and was dead and behold I am alive for evermore Amen And have the keys of hell and of death Christ hath the keyes of hell and can send whom he will thither and keep whom he will from thence The Keys argue Power It is a metaphor taken from Conquerors when they take a City they have the Keys thereof delivered into their hands in token the City is now at their command If Hell be here taken for the Grave
of the Father implieth 2. It teacheth us to set our affections upon Christ the dearnesse of affection between the Father and the Son And this teacheth us who are bound to be followers of God as dear children to set our affections upon Christ because God doth so He who is the Son of God's love should be the object of our love God hath a bosome for Christ we should have a bosome for Christ too It is said of Ignatius that after his death his body being opened the name Jesus was found written in his heart That is a fable yet hath a good morall every soul should have Jesus written in the heart because the love of the heart should be bestowed upon Christ as the noblest object and best deserving it Again ye have an expression that comes home to that in the Text Cant. 1. 13. ye shall see where the Church laid Christ A bundle of myrrhe is my well-beloved to me He shall lie all night between my breasts Here the Church maketh a room for Christ to lie in her bosome This is a most significant expression This comparing Christ to a bundle of myrrhe which is of a bitter tast but a sweet smell And so fitter to represent Christ Crucified in whose death there was a concurrence of these two bitternesse and sweetnesse Nothing so bitter in it self as the passion of Christ the token of which was the paschall Lamb which was to be eaten with bitter herbs He indured more then we can comprehend His owne soul onely could know that bitternesse As there was a great deal of bitternesse in it so a great deal of sweetnesse too as in myrrhe He offered himselfe to God a sacrifice of a sweet smelling savour Ephes 5. 2. saith the Apostle Myrrhe they say is of speciall use to keep from putrefaction to dry up moist humours therefore they took myrrhe to inbalm Christ's body withall And such drieth up the superfluous humours of the soul As Physitians say That in nature a bundle of myrrhe between the breasts is Cordiall surely we have no such Cordialls as Christ in the bosome Therefore A bundle of myrrhe my beloved is to me He shall lie all night between my breasts Nothing so bitter as my sins were but the crucifying of Christ and yet nothing so sweet as that Christ was crucified for my sins to take them away Therefore let us find a bosome to lay Christ in for the time to come If we will be glad of his bosome when we die He will be content to lie in ours now if we will but receive him Certainly it concerneth us to know what we do with our affections How we bestow our love Loe here is an object to be beloved more then the wife of the bosome more then the husband of the bosome Here is the Mediator in the bosome If any thing will draw-out love from us it is the consideration of that love which he hath shewed to us Love is the Load-stone of love See how he Amor magnes amoris hath opened his bosome to us how he hath exceeded all the patterns of love We find in Scripture Rebecca loved Jacob better then Esau Therefore she put him into a way of getting the blessing And when Jacob was afraid of the event lest his father should curse him The curse be Gen. 27. 13. upon me my son saith she The Lord putteth us into a way of getting an eternall blessing from God the Father and for the procuring of this he himselfe is become a curse for us He was made sin for us and a curse that we might be made the righteousnesse of God in him Jacob loved Rachel better then Leah therefore was content to serve so many years For us the Lord took upon him the form of a servant and in that form served for us three and thirty years and more here in the flesh Jonathan loved David and to manifest his love he put his owne garment upon him Christ so loved us as to cloath us with his owne righteousnesse David loved Mephibosheth and therefore set him at his owne Table to eate bread continually though he were lame Christ so loveth us notwithstanding all our lamenesse and imperfections as to provide a Table for us where we shall one day sit down with Isaac and Jacob in the Kingdome of Heaven Beloved do you provide a room for Christ in your bosomes and he will provide a room for you in Abrahams bosome yea in his owne Thirdly This being in the Fathers bosome implieth Communication 3. It teacheth us to go to Christ for illumination of secrets Let us learn from hence to go to Christ for Illumination that he who knowes the secrets of the Father would discover them to us so farre as they are necessary for our salvation or the edification of our brethren Whither should we go but to the great Counsellour for advice The Disciples took this course Luk. 11. 1. One of the Disciples said to him Lord teach us to pray So Lord teach us to hear Lord teach us to meditate and Lord teach us to conferre to go to Christ for all teaching If any man want wisdome let him aske it of God Jam. 1. 5. Who giveth to all men liberally and upbraideth not we cannot be wise to Salvation unlesse Christ be made wisdome to us otherwise the Devill will be too hard for us he is so cunning and subtile as to make fools of us As soon as a subtile man will cheat a Child of what he hath so soon will the Devill cheat us There are wiâ—es of the Devill depths of Satan mysteries of Iniquity How shall we be able to shun these to avoid the danger of them if we be not instructed by Him who knoweth the secrets of the Father As there are mysteries of Iniquity so of Godlinesse too The Gospell it selfe Paul calleth it wisdome in a Mystery And that even amongst the perfect 1 Cor. 2. 6. Howbeit we speak wisdom amongst them that are perfect ver 7. We speak the wisdome of God in a mystery Which mystery wisdome in a mystery such is the Gospell So mysterious that one mystery is wrap't in another wisdome in a Mystery and that hid and that amongst the perfect How shall we come to find out this wisdome if the Lord Jesus the wisdome of God be not made wisdome to us As there are mysteries in every point of Doctrine so there are secrets in every point of Practice which without the help of Christ we cannot come to be made masters of Psal 25. 14. The secrets of the Lord are with them that fear him In every duty we can put our hands to there is a secret It is a Common thing to pray but to pray in the Holy Ghost is a great secret It is a Common thing to come to the Lords Table but to discern the Lords body that is a secret It is a Common thing to hear the word but so as it may be mixt