subsistence here withdrawing from oâ— not singly depending on Christ and God in him 1 Tim. 6.17 Ier. 9.23 24. Psal 62.9 10. and 146.3 4. Prov. 3.5 5. In a word by taking any relyance on God and Christ wherein the heart is not from the belief of Gods testimony carried up to Christ and God in Christ to depend on him and to be guided and governed by him to be that believing on him Such a relyance and staying upon God without that dependance on submission for guidance to him the Prophets sometimes tax Israel with as a false deceitful trust and confidence Isai 48.1 Mich. 3.10 11. Ier. 7.4 5 c. And all such relyance is false though it look back to what God hath done in and by Christ formerly or to any present testimony of his mercy and goodness which lead to love and submit to him as well as and not without them to expect help from him For this believing on the Son of man is a single hearty belief of Gods Testimony concerning Christ so as to like come and seek to rest and depend upon him as the sole full compleat and perfect Saviour in all things and in all cases and conditions in listening to and obeying him in his wholesome counsels and instructions and as the full ground and foundation of our expectation of Gods help and salvation in such a way of obeying him And so He and He only and upon his own account that is upon account of what He is hath done is doingâ— and is become with God for us and is made of God to us is to be believed on 1. For all forgiveness pardon of sin and justification therefrom as it 's said Through this man is preached to you the forgiveness of sins and by him all that believe are justified from all things from which they could not be justified by the law of Moses Act. 13 38 39. And he is set forth for a propitiatory through faith in his blood for the remission of sins that are past through the forbearance of God Rom. 3.25 and being justified through his blood much more shall we be saved from wrath Chap. 5.9 And in him we have redemption through his blood the forgiveness of our sins Eph. 1.7 Col. 1.14 2. For all acceptance with God in our access to and service of him as also all our liberty thereto we have through him He hath made us accepted in his beloved Eph. 1.6 And having liberty or boldness to the holy of holies by the blood of Jesus by a new living way which he hath consecrated through the vail his flesh and having an High Priest over the House of God Let us draw nigh with true hearts and full assurance of faith having our hearts sprinkled from an evill conscience and our bodies washed with pure water let us draw nigh as believing our welcome and with full assurance of faith as in respect of the truth of the faith believed so also in respect of confident expectation of acceptance coming with such truth of heart sprinkling of conscience and washing of our body as grace requireth and worketh Heb. 10.19 20 21 22. And so our Spiritual sacrifices are acceptable through Jesus Christ 1 Pet. 2.5 For Christ is made to us of God righteousness 1 Cor. 1.30 3. For all spiritual blessings in heavenly things for our comfortable and acceptable walking with God here in this life and usefulnesse towards men As for instance 1. For all light and knowledge of God and understanding in all things He being come a light into the World that whosoever believeth on him might not walk in darkness but see the light of life Joh. 8.12 and 12.46 Psal 34.5 He will teach us his ways Isa 2.3 2. For all wisdom for making a right and profitable construction and use of Gods truths and providences and for chusing the good and refusing the evil and ordering our conversations aright before him and towards others improving all providences mercies chastisements and occurrences to the right and best advantage and acting wisely in all things Jam. 1.5 Col. 4.3 and 2 3. Psal 144.1 He being made of God wisdome to us 1 Cor. 1.30 3. For all sanctification and holiness The subduing of corruptions renewing of our minds hearts and spirits and conforming us unto God Christ is made unto us of God holiness or sanctification 1 Cor. 1.30 Ye are sanctified in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ and by the spirit of our God 1 Cor. 6.11 Sanctified by the faith that is me said Christ Act. 26.18 4. For all strength to walk with God and in his ways against all discouragements and difficulties and to bear and indure all troubles and exercises that he orders to us I am able to do all things through Christ that strengthneth me Phil. 4.13 He shall strengthen them in the Lord and they shall walk up and down in his name Zach. 10.12 Be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus 2 Tim. 2.1 who is made unto us of God redemption 5. For all peace of conscience and quiet of mind and spirit He is our peace Eph. 2.24 and being justified by faith we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ Rom. 5.1 And these things have I spoken saith Christ that in me ye might have peace Joh. 16.33 6. For all joy and consolation in our hearts and spirits from and in God That ye may be filled with joy and peace in believing Rom. 15.13 By Christ we have accesse into the grace of God in which we stand and rejoyce in hope of the glory of God Yea we joy also in tribulations and not only so but we joy also in God through Jesus Christ by whom also we have received the atonement Rom. 5.2.3.11 And so 7. For all hope in and confidence toward God and for the performances of his gracious promises Thence he is called our hope 1 Tim. 1.1 Iesus Christ our hope and Christ in you the hope of Glory Col. 1.27 in believing ye may be filled with hope through the power of the Holy Ghost Rom. 15.13 8. For all useful gifts by which we may be fitted to be useful and profitable in our Generation in that place of the body of Christ in which he sets us For it is he who being ascended up on high gives gifts unto men distributing to every one according as he will Ephes 4.7 8 11. 4. For all supplies also of outward mercies necessary for our present subsistance here so as we may seek after wait upon and walk with God cheerfully and comfortably and be useful to and among men My God will supply all your needs according to the riches of his glory by Jesus Christ Philip 4.19 All the promises of God are in Christ yea and in him Amen to the glory of God 2 Cor. 1.20 And the promises of God are some of them for the life that now is 1 Tim. 4.8 Therefore the living God is to be trusted in through Jesus Christ
over us and for us his judgments also unsearchable and full of strength youth and beauty Psal 4.6 and 92.5 6. Rom. 11.33 His eyes or inspections like Doves eyes washed with milk undefiled pure and clean chast and single and fitly set nothing wrong or amiss in them he seasonably beholds our needs and wants and discovers either love or anger as is meet for us His cheeks the appearance of his face as beds of spices sweet flowers both lovely to the view and grateful to the tast and smell sweet fragrant precious refreshing the inward senses His lips like Lillies dropping sweet smelling myrrh his words pure and clean precious refreshing the heart and physical and full of purging healing virtue to the Soul and Conscience His Hands as Gold-rings set with the Beryll his powerful acts and works precious rich heavenly and his power without beginning or end His Belly as bright Ivory overlaid with sapphires his inward hearty affections and bowelly compassions manifest pure clean and chast and most preciously rich and inriching as opened and disclosed in the Holy Books or Scriptures of truth His Leggs as Pillars of Marble his goings strong and steddy set upon Sockets of fine gold having their Basis or Foundation in his Deity or also in his precious sufferings wherein he was as Gold tried in the Fire for us and all suitable to his Word and Wisdom more precious then the finest Gold Psal 19.10 and 119.72.127 Prov. 3.14 and 8.10 18 19. His 〈◊〉 like Liâ—â—â—â—â— excellent as the Cedars his stature and the growth of his glory and glorious Kingdom such as is beautiful and fragrant strong durable and such as over-passeth all others and his love and favour marveilous great strong and refreshing His mouth most sweet his gracious and heavenly Doctrin sweeter then the honey and the honey comb Psal 19.10 and 119.72 Yea he is altogether lovely or love and desires worthy to be admired and beloved of us Cant. 5.10 16. and though he hath not always one and the same appearance attributed to him yet it s always excellent and glorious In Dan. 10.6 his Body appeared like the Beryll of a sky-colour to signify his heavenliness and the heavenliness into which he brings his Church his face as the appearance of lightning terrible to his enemies and exceeding bright pure and glorious in its sudden transient manifestations His Eyes as Lamps of Fire his inspections such as discover things in the dark and burn up things combustible and such as are saving to his People Isa 62.1 Yea his eyes behold his eye-lids try the Children of men Psal 11.5 His armes wherewith he works and his feet wherewith he walks like in colour to polished brass strong bright glorious and pure for his work is perfect and all his ways are judgment a God of truth and without iniquity just and right is he Deut. 32.4 Or as Nebuchadnezar expressed it His works are truth and his ways judgment and such as walk in pride he is able to abase Dan. 4.37 The voice of his words like the voice of a multitude Such firmness in his sayings and testimonies that are as much or more to be believed then what is testified by a multitude of witnesses In Rev. 1.14 it s a little otherwise His head white like wooll white as snow to shew him to be from of old from everlasting Mic. 5.2 The everlasting Father Isa 9.6 and his Authority and Government to be perfectly pure and immixed with any thing of evil His eyes as flames of fire his views such as perfectly discerns what 's in the dark and makes it evident burning up the evil His feet like unto fine brass like as if they burned in a Furnace which may signify beside what we noted on them in Daniel the fiery trials that he orders in his ways and providences for purifying his members in their goings and yet the durableness of his ways and meanest and greatliest suffering members that are not thereby consumed but consume what opposeth his walkings His voice as the sound of many waters which signifies a multitude of witnesses as before In his right hand seven Stars to signify his holding and upholding by his power and favour his shining Ministers and disposing them as he pleaseth And out of his mouth went a sharp Sword his quick and piercing Word with its Instructions Reproofs and Judgments And his countenance as the Sun when it shineth in its strength his favour affording most excellent and full light of understanding warmth and chearing of heart and effecting fruitfulness in all good things when it shines forth such is He as he is represented in the similitude of a man yea as He took a body of flesh for us so He therein and therethrough is the body or substance of all things that typed him out Col. 2.16 But let us view him also in the Perfections of 2. Man's inside as made of God God breathed into Man the breath of life and Man became a living Soul Life is common to Man with other Creatures and is a great excellency of the Creatures indued with it making them therein to excel the inanimate Christ not only hath life in himself but is the life the life of the Soul the Resurrection and the Life Joh. 11.25 The Way the Truth and the Life Joh. 14.6 Yea all life he gives to the Soul as well as He hath it in himself Life of growth for as he himself grew in wisdom stature and favour both with God and man so he causeth the Soul to grow in grace as He in the knowledg of himself comes more and more into it The Thessalonians being in God and Christ their faith and love grew exceedingly 2 Thes 1.1 3. 2 Pet. 3.18 Life of sense and motion He hath that perfectly for he beholdeth all things and nothing is hid from his sight but all things are opened and naked before him Heb. 4.12 13. Though yet through charity none so blind as he not to see and observe against us our iniquities Isa 42.19 20. Psal 130.3 4. He heareth all things for he that planted the ear shall not he hear Psal 94.9 Though through charity he is oft as one deaf to what may make against men so as not to testify his hearing in punishing them Isa 42.19 20. But he hears the cry of the poor and helpless yea he hears from heaven Psal 102.20 compared with ver 25 26. and Heb. 1.10 11. He smells the savour of his Spouses Ointments above all Spices and her Garments as the smell of Lebanon Cant. 4.10 11. He tasts the sweetness of her love more then Wine and eats his honey-comb with his honey and drinks his Wine with his milk and findes sweetness and refreshing therein Cant. 4.10 and 5.1 Though he will not smell in the solemn Assemblies of evil doers tast their sacrifices nor regard their Songs or the melody of their Viols Amos 5.21 22 23. He feels also our infirmities and can be touched with his
from henceforth and for ever That he should be Gods first-born higher then the Kings of the Earth Having an everlasting Throne and Kingdom Preaching peace to the Heathen bringing forth Judgment to them and affording glorious rest and blessing to all that trust in him Psal 2.6 12. 89.3 4 19 20 25 26 27. 132.11 17 18. Isa 6.9 10. 11.1 10. 42.1 4. Zech. 9.9.10 That he should be a Priest for ever after the Order of Melchisedeck Psal 110.3 And many such excellent and high commendations as may be seen in what he fore-signified to and by the Prophets of his Sufferings and of the Glory that should follow in all the Scriptures 1 Pet. 1.10 11 12. With Luk. 24.27 And so the Apostle saith speaking of the perfection of the Sacrifice and Priesthood of Christ Whereof the holy Ghost is a Witness to us for after he had said before This is the Covenant that I will make with them After those days saith the Lord I will put my Laws into their hearts and in 〈◊〉 minds will I write them He adds And their sins and iniquities will I remember no more Heb. 10.15 16 17. As it is also said that in ordering the Sanctuary or holy place with the Ordinances of it The holy Ghost this signified that the way into the holy of holies was not yet made manifest while the first Tabernacle was standing Heb. 9.8 In a word Whatever things the holy men of God did foreshew of the coming of the Just One and the things to be found and effected by him they spake not of themselves but as they were moâ—ed thereto by the holy Ghost Whence they who resisted them in their Testimony resisted the holy Ghost 1 Pet. 1.10 11 12. 2 Pet. 1.19 20 21. Act. 7.51 52. 2. In preparing and Sanctifying that blessed Body taken by him in which he was made the Son of Man Luk. 1.35 And appearing visibly to Descend and rest upon him in it in the likeness of a Dove as a Sign and signification of his being the Christ Mat. 3.17 John 1.31 32 33. In his anointing filling and working in and by him in all his Doctrine and Miracles assisting and strengthening him in all his temptations sufferings and services Matt. 4.1 Luk. 4.1.14.18 21. Mark 3.29 30. And in his raising and carrying up his body into Heaven For in the Eternal Spirit he offered up himself without spot to God Heb. 9.14 Rom. 6.4 But these things were evident some of them but to few Therefore I add that he witnessed to him more openly 3. In his gifting and furnishing the Apostles and Prophets and Servants of God for their work and service in the Gospel and for that purpose miraculously descending upon and working in many of them strengthning and helping them yea doing great Miracles and Signs by them and through their Doctrine and Miracles working upon the World to convince them of sin for not believing on him c. As our Saviour said When the Comforter shall come even the holy Ghost he shall bear witness of me and he shall convince or reprove the World of Sin of Righteousness and of Judgment c. And in that he did Baptise or Wash and Sanctifie the Apostles so preparing and fitting them for their holy Work and Service lead them into all truth glorifie Christ taking of his things and shewing them John 15.26 27. 16.8 9 13 14 15. Act. 1.5 8. 2.2 3 4 17 18. 4.31 And that the holy Ghost that God gave to them that believed on or obeyed Christ was a witness to him and to his glory is said Act. 5 32. And this also was a Testimony from God the Father as it is said God bare them witness by Signs and Wonders and divers Miracles and gifts of the holy Ghost Heb. 2.4 As also the holy Ghost bears witness to the hearts and consciences of men concerning him Rom. 8.15 16. 2 Cor. 3.3 6 8 18. Causing the believing heart to see his glory as in a glass with open face to the changing it into his likeness from glory to glory But this he doth chiefly 4. In his Doctrine and teaching in and by the Gospel in his Revelation of him to and by the Apostles and to the World and Churches gathered out thereof As to them also the Spirit hath said Great and Glorious things as may be seen in those Epistles to the Seven Churches Rev. 2. 3. And thus the Three in Heaven the Father the Word and the holy Ghost bare witness of and to and therein lifted up the Son of Man and so is he lifted up of God and must be fully lifted up at his glorious coming and Kingdom when he shall appear in his own glory and in the glory of his Father and of his holy Angels Luk. 9.26 For the Great God the blessed and holy Potentate who only hath immortality dwelling in the Light which no man can approach unto and which no man hath seen nor can see to whom be honour and power for ever and ever Amen will in his time shew him When he shall come and appear sitting on the right hand of God with Power and great Glory and pâ—ssâ—ss the great and glorious Kingdom which God hath promised to possess him of and to Admâ—nister by him but â—â—sâ—e ms to be beyond what this Text speaks of which speaks of his being lifted up that men might in believing on him not perish but have eternal Life And so of that which is in order of Nature if not also of time before mens believing on him And these particulars chiefly of the Spirits witnessing to him and lifting him up were and are needful and such as must be 1. That he might receive the Glory promised For God said that he would glorifie him Isa 49.7 55.5 And God cannot lye Yea he hath sworn by his holiness that he will not lye unto David his Seed shall endure for ever and his Throne as the Sun which is all glorious bright and lightsome before him Psal 89.35 36. Yea and 2. That men might run unto him and believe on him As it is said Kings shall see and arise Princes shall also worship him because of the Lord that is faithful and he shall chuse thee Isa 49.7 And thou shalt call a Nation whom thou knewest not and Nations that knew not thee shall run unto thee because of the Lord thy God and for the holy one of Israel for he hath glorified thee Isa 55 5. But unto this it was and is needful also that he be lifted up 2. Subordinately by Creatures and here we might consider 1. The holy Angels they have lifted him up in their honourable Testimony of him as the Son of Man The Word made Flesh They having also seen this Mystery and peeped down curiously to pry into it 1. Tim. 3.16 1 Pet. 1.12 And they have brought down honourable messages and discoveries concerning him He being as the Son of Man the Ladder
Pet. 3.18 As it follows here That whosoever believes ◠him might not perish but have Eternal Life 3. As to his abundant Love Charity Goodness and Grace in all this such as passeth Knowledge Eph. 7.18 19. And therein the love of God the Father in appointing preparing sanctifying and furnishing him to all this great business and undertaking John 3.16 1 John 4.9 10 14. It was by the grace of God that He tasted Death for every one Heb. 2.9 And his own grace even The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ it was to abase himself And when rich to become poor for our sakes th◠we through his poverty might be made rich 2 Cor. 8.9 And so to lay down his life for us even when and though ungodly and enemies worthy of no love at all much less of such and so great love 1 John 3.16 17. Rom. 5.6 7 8. John 3.16 Love worthy admiration acceptation and imitation by us Eph. 5.1 2 3.18 19. Stronger then death such as many waters could not quench it nor the flouds drown it Cant. 8.6 7. Fourthly In the preciousness of his Abasement Obedience Bloud Death Sufferings and Sacrifice for us That however he was therein made low and despicable among men and became an offence to the worldly-wise and honourable yet He in and by them was a most acceptable Sacrifice to God an offering of a sweet smelling savour 1 Cor. 1.22 23. Eph. 5.2 That for which we all have great cause to love and admire him and flee for refuge and sanctuary to him He having therein made peace for us slain the enmity broken down the wull of partition between God and man and between Jew and Gentile wrought Reconciliation or that where-through we may be reconciled or made at one with God Col. 1.20 Eph. 2.14 15 16. 2 Cor. 5.19 20 21. having therein given himself a Ransome for all 1 Tim. 2.6 and being become there through the Propitiation for our sins yea for the sins of the whole world 1 John 2.1 2. and the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 propitiatory or Mercy-seat through faith in his bloud for remission of sins that are past through the forbearance of God and for the declaration of his righteousness therein that he is just and the justifier of those that believe in Jesus Rom. 3.25 26. There being therein Redemption and through that Redemption a free Justification 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to or for all and upon all that believe v. 22.24 There-through the hand-writing of Ordinances that was against us being blotted out and what was contrary to us taken out of the way and nailed to his Cross and Principalities and powers thereby spoiled and triumphed over by him Col. 2.14 15. So that great is the power and vertue of that his despised and reproched Cross So as that it 's accepted of God far before and above all the Sacrifices and Services ordained by him in the Law of Moses they being not able to take away sin But this one Sacrifice is so powerful and prevalent a purgation and expiation of it that Christ hath by that one Sacrifice once offered perfected for ever those that are sanctified So that the Consciences of the comers to God there-through are purged from dead works to serve the living God Heb. 1.3 9.14 10.2 3 4 5 10 14. So as that there-through we may have access to God in the holy of holies and may draw nigh to him and call upon him with full assurance of faith and confidence Heb. 10.19 22. His precious Bloud being the Bloud of sprinkling for sprinkling the heart from an evil conscience and speaking better things then the bloud of Abel Heb. 12.24 Therefore also the Cross of Christ the onely thing to be gloried in by us Gal. 6.14 Fifthly In the exceeding greatness of that Glory that God hath given him as a reward of his sufferings and hard service sustained against the World and Sathan for us Wherein also is further evidenced the exceeding preciousness of his Bloud and Sufferings the infinite value of them and the force and vertue they have in them with him They set forth his Glory to be far above all the glory of the world yea or the glory of Moses or any of the former glorious ones then the Glory of Solomon and the Glory of his Ministration Far transcending that of the Law as being more powerful in the discoveries of it for transforming the beholders of it into his likeness so as when we see him as he is we shall there-through be made like him 2 Corinthians 3.3 8 9 18. 1 John 3.2 Col. 3.4 For they declare that God hath glorified him with his own self filled him with all his fulness so as all the fulness of the Godhead dwelleth in him bodily and so as that in him we are compleat Col. 1.19 2.9 Oh let us go out and see this King Solomon this excellent Prince of Peace the Peace and Peace-maker of whom and of whose Glory Solomon of old was but a type and figure and the glory and lustre of his Kingdom but a type and figure of the the Glory of his which passeth all our conceptions and expressions let us go forth I say and behold him with the Crown wherewith his Mother the infinite Wisdom Love and Grace of God as also his Disciples who have heard and received the Word of God and kept it who are to him as his Mother Brethren and Sisters Matth. 12.49 50 have crowned him in the day of his espousals and of the gladness of his heart When being espoused to the nature of man he received the holy Spirit and poured it forth upon them Cant. 3.13 Matth. 22.1 Acts 2.33 But indeed it is not to be fully seen and known till the great day of his appearance the time of the appearing of the glory of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ Tit. 2.13 1 John 3.2 Sixthly In his perfect and compleat Furniture wherewith he is furnished for executing and performing the works of his glorious Offices and bringing about the end of them the salvation of man the eternal salvation of all that obey him in which they present us as compleatly provided for of all things pertaining to life and godliness as given to him and dwelling in him for us I shall here onely touch upon something thereof in some few Particulars As First They declare him to be the great Prophet and as such fully and perfectly accomplished with ability fitness and faithfulness for teaching us the knowledge of himself and of God and of all things As being filled to that purpose with the fulness of God the gift of the Holy Ghost being so immeasurably received by him that he hath the seven spirits that are before the Throne Rev. 1.4 3.1 The fulness of the Holy Ghost and of all spiritual gifts for both giving forth to men and enabling and moving men to receive the exact and perfect knowledge of God and for gifting whom
fast and not turning therefrom be sure not to fail of it and we have their prayers for us that we may therefore hold fast and go on to the end with manifold provocations by word writings and examples to it Yea and many of our enemies too though they hate us for the the thing it self as practised by us yet they preach and approve what they hate in their doctrines and declarations even as the Jews approve and magnifie those Scriptures which hold forth what the Christians belieâ—â— though they believe not what is in their own Scriptures Joh 5.45 46. and 10.34 Yea and we have all Gods providences therein working together for us all things working together for good to them that love God all the paths of the Lord mercy and truth to them that keep his Covenant and his Testimonies Psal 25.9 Rom. 8.28 Yea all things ours Whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas or the World or life or death or things present or things to come all are ours if we be Christs as Christ is Gods 1 Cor. 3.21 22 Gal. 3.29 and therefore great encouragement have we to hold fast faith and go on believing in the Son of man the Son of God Encour 3. The great profit and benefit proposed to be received and injoyed in beleiving on him both the avoiding and escaping so great misery as perishing and the greatness of the good things contained in the eternal life to be injoyed a great recompence of reward Therefore cast we not away our confidence it 's life a Kingdom yea Eternal life and an everlasting Kingdom the Kingdom and Glory of our Lord Jesus Christ an eternal weight of glory Heb. 10.36 2 Thess 2.14 1 Pet. 5.10 2 Cor. 4.17 18. Yea and Encour 4. All the assurances given us of the certain fulfilling of what is said herein certifying us that we shall not perish but have Eternal life in such believing are strong Encouragements to us worthy to be minded by us As to say 1. We have Gods promise for it God that cannot lye hath promised Eternal life to the believer Tit. 1.2 1 Joh. 2.24 25. And faithfull is he that hath promised and he will perform it Heb. 10.23 And if we would trust an honest man upon his word or promise may we not much more trust God 2. We have the oath of God That by two immutable things in which it is not possible that God should lye namely his promise and his oath we might have strong consolation that flee for refuge to lay hold on the hope set before us seeing therein appears the immutability of his counsel Heb. 6. 17 18. By my self have I sworn saith the Lord to Abraham and in him to his seed them that are Christs Gal. 3.29 that in blessing I will bless thee and in multiplying I will multiply thee Gen. 22.16 Heb. 6.13 And if we believe men upon their solemn oaths shall we not much more believe God when to confirm our faith he adds his oath to his promise ingaging himself thereby to the performance 3. We have manifold evidences of Gods truth and the truth of his Word in which these things are covenanted and promised all that evidences Gods truth and faithfulness in making good his words increases this assurance and that 's much as the casting off the Jews for their Idolatry and unbelief according to what or so far as Moses and the Prophets long since fore-signified Deut. 31.17 18. 32.21 22. 30.1 with Rom. 9 10 11.11 The calling and bringing in us Gentiles to be his people which was prophesied off long before while we were all worshippers of Idols and Devils Yet God hath made good this against all appearing probability even then when that one Nation that had the Oracles of God and boasted themselves to be his people and to have him for their God and he a greater God than all the gods of the Gentiles was for their sins rejected so as to have their City sackt and burnt their Land laid wast their people destroyed by famine pestilence sword and led captive into all lands and that by those who opposed the Lord his word and ways and were ready to attribute all their successes to the strength of their Gods or Idols and the ruine of their enemies to the weakness of their God Judg. 16.23 24. 2 King 18.33 and 19.22 Yet even then by the preaching of the Apostles a few despised persons he got himself the victory over them and brought in the Gentiles against all the malice of the Devils and thier worshippers to confesse him and his oracles the holy Scriptures Many other things might be noted to confirm the truth of the Scriptures as but I shall note it as another ground 4. The raising up Jesus and so sending us his own Son his only begotten according to the promises and prophecies that fore-went of him to be our Saviour the light to lighten us Gentiles and to be his salvation to the ends of the earth Act. 13.32 47. and 26.22 23. with Isai 42.1 6. 49.6 7 8. And he was discovered to be the Son of God by the testimony of the Scriptures of the Prophets by his own miracles and doctrine by the voyce of God and by the Spirit of holiness in the resurrection from the dead Joh. 5.36 37 39 and 20.31 Rom. 1.3 4. He as given of God for us and giving himself to be the ransome of our souls the propitiation for our sins the peace-maker and reconciler of us to God is an evident witness and assurance of the love and faithfulness of God to us and that in our believing on him he will be to us the Author of eternal salvation and everlasting life Isai 55.4 1 Tim. 2.6 Heb. 5.7.9 Having not spared his own Son but delivered him up to death for us all How shall not he with him freely give us all things Rom 8 32. 5. The holy Spirit given us as an earnest of the inheritance both as gifting the Apostles and believers at first with extraordinary and most usefull gifts inabling them to work miracles wonders and signs according to the fore-sayings of the holy Prophets Joel 2.28 29 in the name of Jesus witnessing therein to him and to the truth of his doctrine and also as inlighting the mind renewing the heart and assuring the conscience by his divine and heavenly operations in which we have included those three witnesses on earth mentioned in 1 Joh. 5.7 8. The Spirit inlightning and gifting the water washing and cleansing and the blood pâ—â—ging and pacifying and so the spirit by all assuring the conscience give assurance of Gods truth and faithfulnesse in making good his promises for saving the believer from perishing and giving him Eternall life Having therefore such motives and incouragements to believe and such assurances of welfare therein How should we not be strengthned to believe on him and to follow on to believe yet more and more strongly against all temptations and oppositions using
helpfulness of others what is the hope of his calling what the unsearchable riches of his grace to be believed and preached by us Eph. 1.18 19. 3.8 and to that purpose say as the Psalmist Be thou exalted O Lord in thine own strength so shall we sing and praise thy power Psal 21.13 Be thou exalted O Lord in thy own glory and excellencies so shall we see and sing of them CHAP. XXIV Some Usefulness of this Doctrine by way of Exhortation and first To look to Christ as lifted up for Vs in all Cases Use 3 ANd surely all that hath been hitherto said of the lifting up of this Son of man and of the end of it may provoke and lead us Exhort 1. To look diligently to him as so lifted up that in looking to him we may be inlightned and our faces may not be ashamed as is said Psal 34.5 He being set or lifted up of God both in himself first and then to us that we might behold him and that in seeing or looking to him we might be strengthned and framed to believe on him and seeing and believing on him we might be saved and have eternal life according to the good and holy will of God Joh. 6.40 Isa 45.22 To which 1. God himself directs and commands us saying Behold my servant whom I uphold mine Elect in whom my soul delighteth I have put my holy spirit upon him c. Isa 42.1 And 2. Christ himself also calls us saying Behold me behold me to a Nation that was not called by his Name Isa 65.1 And look to me and be ye saved all the ends of the earth Isa 45.22 And 3. The holy Spirit exhorts and commands us saying All ye Inhabitants of the World and Dwellers on the Earth when He lifteth up an Ensign on the Mountains see ye and when he bloweth a Trumpet hear ye Isa 18.3 And there is great Reason for it For Motive 1. If we refuse to look to and behold him how then shall we hereafter look upon him when He comes in his glory and calls us to an account and when we must make a reckoning to Him of our doings when He shall set before us that God for our good and welfare out of his abundant grace and mercy to us gave him his only begotten Son and He himself for us and how He through his great and heavy sorrows and sufferings was exalted and lifted up for us as an Object prepared to our hands and every way sufficient able and ready to save and heal us and we after all that would not turn away our eyes from beholding vanity to look upon and consider Him such a loving and lovely Object an Object so fair and beautiful so comely and glorious both for escape and for delight for safety and life Isa 4.2 Psal 45.2 as He was and is to us How shall we escape if we neglect so great salvation as was prepared before the face and answerable to the needs and wants of all People and published and lifted up to us If they that despised Moses law dyed without mercy as we noted before under two or three witnesses of how much sorer punishment shall he be counted worthy that hath trampled under foot the Son of God such and so excellent a one as we have seen before in part counted the blood of the Covenant wherewith he was sanctified a common or unholy thing and hath done despight to the spirit of grace c. Heb. 2.3 and 10.28 29. This would be now seriously considered by us As also that Motive 2. If we look to Him the benefit will be great for He will help and heal us at all turns He is of vertue and force to heal our hearts minds and consciences in all cases as it was with the Brazen Serpent what-ever were the stings and wounds received by the fiery Serpents in looking to the Serpent of Brass they were cured of them None of them were so slighty as that they had any promise of living with them without looking to that nor any so deep and dangerous but that in looking up to that they lived So is it here None so good so holy or so little sinful as that without looking to Christ they may expect to be saved and to have eternal life nor are any so bad or desperately wicked but in a hearty serious and timely looking to Christ they may be healed and live for ever Let that then move us to look to him as delivered up to Death for our offences and raised again from the Dead for our Justification glorified at the right hand of God and lifted up in the Gospel by the Holy Spirit and in the exercise of the spiritual gifts of God's Servants given them to that purpose yea in every case let us look to Him to be healed and saved by Him As for instance Case 1. Are we sensible of our sins and sinfulness and ready to despair because they are so great and manifold The way to be healed of such wounds upon our hearts and consciences the fears horrours and smarts of such stings is to turn the eye hither to the Son of man the Lord Jesus not to pore upon our selves our own unworthiness inability to satisfy Gods justice by any sorrows bewailings confessions or amendments of ours nor to set our selves as conceiting our selves able to help or heal our selves by any such courses or by any devises or contrivances of our own or others as Plaisters of our own making or others commending or giving but only to mind and look unto the perfect Law of Liberty continuing to look thereinto that we may see what He is and what He hath done and suffered for us what satisfaction He hath given to justice what Redemption He hath obtained what Peace he hath made what Pardon is Proclaimed in Him for whom He hath suffered according to the Spirits testimony in the Scriptures and to whom He proclaims and preaches Peace there-through the greatness of his love and freeness of his Grace to Man-kind c. Thus the Apostle Peter preached Christ to those who were prickt at their hearts at their hearing that they had been guilty of murthering Christ directing them to believe on Him upon that account that there was in Him remission of sins and the Holy Ghost to be given them by him and they looking to him and yielding up to what He so looked to wrought in them were comforted and healed Act. 2.37 38 41. So also in Act. 3.13 14 19 26. He proposed to others guilty of the same fault the consideration of the blessing in him the Seed of Abraham for all the Families of the Earth and that to them the Jews first God sent Jesus to bless every one of them in turning every one of them from their iniquities The like in Act. 5.30 31. And the Apostle Paul to the Jaylour ready to make away himself and inquiring in a great affrightment what he should do to be saved directed him to