vve had in him and which way comes he to be ours again but by a new a second Covenant which he makes the former being broken and dissolved I entered into Covenant with thee and thou becamest mine saith the Lord to his people Ezech. 16.8 And is not Christ the Foundation of the Covenant Is it not made with him in Christ Is not the condition of the Covenant Faith in Christ Mark what the Apostle saith Gal. 3.16 The Covenant was not made to seeds as many but to seed as one that is to Christ in aggregato comprizing all his members with him It was not made immediately to us no it was made immediately to Christ our Head and in and through him to us his members So that the Lord is not in Covenant with us he is not ours vve have no Title to him but in Christ And hence the Interest of Christ in God is made the rise and ground of ours I ascend to my God and your God saith Jesus Christ to his Disciples John 20.17 First mine and then yours God is our Master but in Christ He is his first and chief servant and we are his servants in him God is our Father but in Christ he is his first begotten Son and we are his sons in him So that if we know Christ there is a possibility that vve may know the Lord as our God But if we know not Christ at all how can we know God in him We may know him as a God as Adam did between the fall and the renewing of the Covenant but such a one as we shall flie from and as we can by no means close withall because we look upon him now as none of ours as one in whom vve have no Interest at all And certainly Eternal life cannot consist in such a Knowledge of the Lord as this is Fourthly Knowledge of God is not enough to life Eternal unless we Reason 4 know Christ too because unless we know Christ as we know God without Interest so we know him without Faith I mean without saving faith if vve know God without Christ we may believe in God vvithout Christ vve may believe in him as he is Omnipotent and All-mighty and Eternal and the like But such a faith as this will never justifie us in the present Life nor save us in the life to come Even Turks and Jews and Arrians boast of faith in God you know and yet because they appehend not Jesus Christ they catch at nothing but a shadow and miserably lose their own souls He that denies and so by consequence believes not in the Son can never have the Father as you may see 1 John 2.28 But he that hath the Son hath the Father also Well then if we will so believe in God as to come to life Eternal vve must believe in him through Christ Such trust have we through Christ in God saith the Apostle 2 Cor. 3.4 And this we cannot do unless vve know not God only but Jesus Christ whom he hath sent For distinct explicite Knowledge is absolutely necessary to the being of Faith and perfect Ignorance in any point whatever it be destroyes all faith in that particular And hence is the Apostles question How shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard and consequently whom they have not known So that if we know not Christ we cannot believe in him vve cannot believe in God with a justifying faith And he that believes not is condemned already such a person is in a state of death and condemnation But if we know both God and Christ too and so as to believe in God through Christ Eternal life consists in this Knowledge This is life Eternal to know the only true God c. Vse 1 Now is it so my Brethren that the Knowledge which is life Eternal in which Eternal life consisteth is the Knowledge both of God and Christ too Then in the first place we may here behold the dangerous estate of Heathen Nations who know not Jesus Christ nor can they any vvay in the condition they are in attain to this Knowledge How should they come to life Eternal if this be life Eternal to know the only true God and Iesus Christ whom he hath sent It s true that even they have means to know God as the Apostle shews and proves Rom. 1.19 20. That which may be known conceive it that which may be naturally known of God is manifest in them that is the Heathen for God hath even shewed it to them For the Invisible things of him from the Creation of the world are cleerly seen being understood by the things which he hath made even his eternal power and God-head So that there is an Image and Resemblance of him stamped upon the Creatures there are apparent Characters and foot-steps and Impressions of the God-head of his Power and of his Wisdom set upon the things that he hath made which may be looked upon by every eye How doth his Glory shine and glister in the Rare and admirable structure of the World the glorious frame of Heaven and Earth And hence it is that David saith the Heavens declare the glory of God and the Firmament sheweth his handy-work Psalm 19.1 Indeed he tells us afterwards the Law of the Lord is perfect the Word of God and that alone is a perfect a compleat and perfect help to bring us to the knowledge of God but yet there is some declaration of him in the Creatures the Heavens declare the glory of God And the means the Heathens have the creatures Catechize them and instruct them in the Knowledge of God as Job shews Iob 12.7 Ask now the beasts and they shall teach thee the fowls of the heavens and they shall tell thee or speak to the earth and it shall teach thee and the fishes of the Sea shall declare to thee who knoweth not in all these that the hand of the Lord hath wrought this and therefore the Apostle tells us that even they the heathen know God as you may see Rom. 1.21 But now they have no means to know Christ and this is life Eternal to know both both God and Christ too So that in this respect they are cut off from life Eternal which is a very sad case This Knowledge is not written in the creature-Creature-book and they have not the scripture-Scripture-book and how then should they come to it It s true that God is written in the Creature-book as I shewed you even now but not a word of Christ there Not a word I mean as Man and Mediator of the Church as he is Christ whom God hath sent He did not make the World as man and so by Consequence as Man he is not represented in the Book of the Creation God is written in the heart but not a word of Christ there The Law is written in the heart by nature but there are no Impressions of the Gospel which is the Word of Christ as the Apostles phrase is
are bound to watch for as those for whom they are to give up an account when the day of reckoning comes And this appeareth evidently by the Apostles protestation to the Elders of Ephesus Act. 20.26 I take you to record this day that I am pure from the blood of all men How so For I have not shunned to declare unto you all the Counsel of God not some but all his Counsel They that hide any are not pure from blood no not from the blood of souls which is a formidable thing The blood of bodies hath a voyce and cryes aloud for wrath and vengeance upon them that shed it The blood of souls speaks worse things and cryeth louder then that of Abel 2. If they suppress c. they do in the desert deprive themselves of any share in the mercy of the Lord. It is a dreadful sentence against such which God himself doth not seem to speak so much as to thunder out against them Apoc. 22.19 If any man shall take away saith he from the words of this book Well if he do what then the Lord shall take away his part out of the Book of life and out of the holy City and from the things that are written in this Book If there be any happiness to be enjoyed in Heaven and in the new Jerusalem which is above if there be any mercy mentioned in the Book of God in all the pretious promises from the beginning of it to the end if there be any priviledge to have a part in the blessed Book of life the man that takes away one word out of the Book of God that so doth and so continues is utterly cut off from all these He that is able to diminish blessings and to bring them down so low that nothing of them shall remain will recompense them who diminish his word and pay them home in the same kind wherein they sin 3. If they suppress c. they expose themselves to ignominy and contempt with men They think perhaps to gratifie and please and to be loved and honoured and esteemed by this means viz. by hiding and concealing that which they imagine will not rellish with the people But God will meet with such in this preposterous way of theirs and cross them so that this shall make them despicable in the eyes of all men I have made you saith the Lord to the unfaithful Priests of Israel contemptible and base before all the people And why so because you have not kept my ways but have been partial in the Law Some of it you have delivered and some of it you have concealed according as your hearers and the times would bear you have dealt partially with it And thus you thought perhaps to get your selves esteem and love among the people But it is fallen out quite contrary clean against your expectation For all men look upon you now as self-seekers men-pleasers and time-servers and so you are become contemptible and base by this means And if you look on those at this day who are partial in the Law and who apply it only against one side who reprove and threaten none but those that are not of their own party you shall find them of no great esteem among the people 4. If they suppress c. as they expose themselves to shame so to wrong from men too They lay themselves by their unfaithfulness the more open to abuses and injuries and molestations from the people Whereas if they be faithful they are under Gods protection I have made thee saith the Lord encouraging the Prophet a defenced City and an Iron pillar and brazen walls against the whole Land against the Princes thereof against the Preists thereof and against the whole land and they shall fight against thee but they shall not prevail and what of this Therefore gird up thy loins and speak unto them all that I command thee Jer. 1.17 with-hold not any thing for fear that I would have thee to deliver be bold and confident in my protection Be not dismaid at their faces least I confound thee before them The Lord hath always taken special care of them who have been trusty in the delivery of his message And hence the Prophet David having said he suffered no man to do them wrong but reproved even Kings for their sakes discovers in the words immediately annexed who they were that had this special interest in Gods protection Touch not mine anointed and do my Prophets no harm Psal 105.15 And that Prophetical Petition of Moses in behalf of Levi is notable to this purpose Deut. 33.11 Strike through the loyns of them that rise against him and of them that hate him that they rise no more Now if you ask me how it comes to pass that notwithstanding th assurances in the Name of God himself ungodly men have risen and prâ—vailed against the faithful Messengers of Jesus Christ sometimes to their utter extirpation To this I answer in a word It was not that the Lord was careless of their peace and welfare but it was because they had dispatched the work which God had given them to do they had finished their testimony as the expression is Apoc. 11.7 Or else because the Lord fore-saw he should receive more honour by their suffering then their peace Phil. 1.12 And thus far of our Saviours faithfulness in the delivering of his Message from his Father to his people The issue and event of this fidelity of his comes now in order to be handled and that as I have shewed in two respects First with relation to the Message which he brought they have received them saith he that is the words that I delivered to them in thy Name Secondly then with relation to himself the Messenger they have known surely that I came from thee and have believed that thou didst send me So that here is their good reception of the Message and their good perswasion of the Messenger delivered in such plain expressions that they will need no Explication The only seeming difficulty lies in this how Christ as Man and Mediator may be said to have come out from God since in that Nature he was never with him in regard of his immediate presence in the heavens Truly my Brethren he came not from him locally but he came from him Ministerially he came not from him in respect of place but he came from him in respect of mission because he came of his Message and of his Errand and so our Saviour Christ explains himself by an Exegesis in the succeeding parcel of the verse They have known surely that I came out from thee that is they have believed that thou didst send me Now both of these particulars importing the good carriage and behaviour of the Apostles and Disciples of our Saviour both with relation to his message and to himself the Messenger may be considered two ways Either in a joynt dependance of both of them on that which goes before Or else in a
of this Chapter This shall suffice for clearing of the Observation That unbelievers and unsanctified persons know not God At least they know him not in such a manner and with such a kind of knowledge as they ought to do in that they know him not with an affective knowledge they know him not with an effective knowledge and they know him not in Christ But what may be the causes why the unbelieving world is so ignorant Reason 1 of God I shall lay them open to you both with relation to the unbelieving world Heathen and with relation to the unbelieving world Christian Christian I mean in name though not in truth First for the unbelieving world Heathen it is no wonder that they know not God for they have no means to know him in such a manner as is necessary to salvation It s true that even they have means to know him in a common way as the Apostle shews and proves Rom. 1.19 20. That which may be known conceive it naturally known of God is manifest to them that is the Heathen for God hath shewed it even to them There is an Image and resemblance of him stampt upon the Creatures There are apparent characters and footsteps and impressions of the Godhead of his power and wisdom set upon every thing which he hath made which may be looked upon by every eye How doth his glory shine my brethren in the rare and admirable structure of the world the glorious frame of Heaven and earth And hence it is that David saith The Heavens declare the glory of God c. Psal 19.1 Indeed he tells us afterwards the Law of the Lord is perfect The word of God and that alone is a compleat and perfect help to bring us to the knowledge of God But yet there is some declaration of him in the Creatures the Heavens declare the glory of God And this means the Heathens have The Creatures catechise them and instruct them in the knowledge of a God as Job shewes Chap. 12.7 Ask now the Beasts and they shall teach thee the Fowls and they shall tell thee speak to the Earth and it shall teach thee and Fishes of the Sea shall declare to thee Who knoweth not in all these that the hand of God hath wrought this And therefore the Apostle tells us that even they the Heathen knew God Rom. 1.21 But now they have no means to know him savingly in Christ And this is life eternal to know thee the only true God and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent This knowledge is not written in the Creature Book and they have not the Scripture Book and how then should they come to it It s true that God is written in the Creature Book but not a word of Christ there God is written in the Heart Book but not a word of Christ there neither The Law is written in the heart by nature but there are no impressions of the Gospel which is the word of Christ Col. 3.16 And hence it is that all the Nations of the world have groped after God and found him too as Acts 17.27 Let a man run from East to West let him ransake all Nations and where he findeth any men there he shall find some notice of God But now my Brethren among which of all these Nations who never had the book of Scriptures shall you find any notice of a Christ any incling of a Saviour or Redeemer No Christ is not so much as named among them They have no glimpse no crevice to give them any light of God in Christ So that it is no wonder though the unbelieving world Pagan know him not in this manner for they have no means to know him Reason 2 But now the unbelieving world Christian hath the means of this knowledge and why then do not they know God true they have the outward means but they want the inward means They have the outward revelation of the word but they have not the inward revelation of the spirit And without this it is impossible for any man to know God And therefore the Apostle prays for the Ephesians that God would give them the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him Chap. 1.17 By which he intimates that without spirit-revelation they could never come to know him Now this spirit-revelation or unveiling consists in the removal of a double Veil the Veil that lies upon the faculty and the Veil that lies upon the Object 1. In the spirit-revelation which is the only means of knowing God there must be the removal of the Veil that lies upon the faculty the understanding The sence must be unveiled you know or else we cannot see an object though it be before us For what can a blindfolded person see And so it is in this case for every unbelieving person is blindfolded as it were the God of this world hath blinded his eyes The Veil is on their heart that is their understanding 2 Cor. 3 15. And this Veil the Holy Ghost must take away as in the cited place or else though God be by a man as certainly he is not far from every one of us he will not see him But when once this is removed then revelata ac detecta facie as Beza reads it Then we with open and uncovered face behold the glory of the Lord. 2. In that spirit-revelation which is the only means of knowing God there must be the removal of the Veil that lies upon the Object as of the Veil that lies upon the understanding so of the Veil that lies upon the Gospel where God is represented to us in a saving way For you must know my brethren that the Gospel is a veiled and a covered thing it hath a Curtain drawn before it It is a mysterie a secret thing Nay it is not only secret in it self but it is also kept secret Nor 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for that is the term that the Apostle uses Col. 1.26 Not simply dark or mystical but hid on purpose de industria as Theophilacta observes Among the Jews it was covered with a veil of types and figures and dark expressions And to this day it is hid from natural and carnal men 2 Cor. 4.3 So that however God in Christ be cleerly manifested there let them do what they are able still there is something between them and God that hides him from them that they cannot see him And that is the first reason why unbelieving Christians know not God because they want the inward means of this knowledge viz. spirit-revelation And as they want the inward means of finding out this knowledge when it is closely hidden and covered from them so they want inward capability of receiving this knowledge when it is openly proposed and tendred to them They are so far from being able to go forth to fetch it from abroad that they cannot entertain it when it is brought home to them They have not of