be justified by the Law of Moses and all its sacrifices yea so as to justifie all from that first Sentence of Condemnation so as they shall none of them perish therein but be all raised up again there-from The Free gift herethrough abounding to all men to the justification of life Rom. 3.22 23 24. 5.18 1 Tim. 2.6 1 Cor. 15.21 22. This honour God put upon none else Man or Angel to call them forth to that Judgment to satifie for and redeem any man from death and destruction But he hath so magnified his Son as to look upon him as sufficient to be the propitiation for the sins of the whole World If it be a magnifying a man as Job saith to take pains with him in visiting him every morning and trying him every moment that he might purifie and purge him from sin and render him fit for fellowship with him Job 7.17 18. Surely then it was much more a magnifying the Son of Man and a greater account made of him to take him as an offering and oblation a ransome and expiation for the sins of the whole World so as upon that account to uphold and spare the whole World during the day of his grace and patience and to justifie and save for ever all that come to God and abide with him in and through him 3. In his raising him up from the Dead which was an eminent Act of the exaltation and lifting up of his Person A lifting him up from the gates of Death that he might shew forth his praises in the gates of the Daughters of Sion As is said Psal 9.13 And of this raising him up from the Dead may that be understood prophetically that is written in Psal 30.1 2. Where this Phrase is used of lifting up I will extol thee O Lord for thou hast lifted me up and hast not made my foes to rejoyce over me Comparing it with ver 3. Where he saith O Lord thou hast brought up my Soul from the Grave Thou hast kept me alive that I should not go down to the pit Or rather as the Hebrew Word more properly signifies and as Symmachus reads it thou hast quickned me or made me alive again from my going down into the pit Or as some read it from them that go down into the pit in which he also was mightily declared to be the Son of God with power Rom. 1.3 4. 4. Most fully in his exalting him at his right hand in his Ascention and taking him up into his own Glory that 's called an exalting or lifting him up Act. 5.31 For it 's the same Word that is here Translated lifted up Him hath God exalted or lifted up with his right hand a Prince and Saviour to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins This was most evidently and fully a glorifying of him according to what himself also said John 13.31 32. Now is the Son of Man glorified and God is glorified in him If God be glorified in him God shall also glorifie him in himself and shall straight way glorifie him Of this it 's said God raised him from the dead and gave him glory that your faith and hope might be in God 1 Pet. 1.21 A lifting him up indeed For herein he was lifted up 1. As to place both out of Grave and Hell and also out of and above the Earth into the heavenly places as in Ephes 1.20 21. He raised him from the dead and set him at his own right hand in the heavenlies or heavenly places for he is not entred into the holy places made with hands into which the High Priests under the Law used once a year to enter but into Heaven it self Heb. 9.24 To which agrees 1 Pet. 3.22 He is gone up into Heaven Yea far above all Heavens All these visible and perceptible heavens or what are known to us Ephes 4.10 Into Heaven it self and far above all Heavens As opposed to the Earth from which he Ascended and went and where other high Priests used to Minister Heb. 8.4 Unto which Earth he shall descend again from Heaven when he comes again to Judge the World in righteousness Act. 1.11 1 Thes 4.15 16. As he was not in the Grave when he was risen So being now in Heaven he is not upon the Earth in respect of that body and personal Being in which he Ascended and went up to Heaven He was taken up into Heaven So as he truly said I am no more in the World but I come to thee John 17.11 And I leave the World and go to the Father John 16.28 And me ye have not always Namely present with you in body in such a manner as he said The poor ye have always with you Matt. 26.11 2. In respect of state He is lifted up and exalted to dignity and honour into a more excellent and glorious condition then either he himself was in here among men or then other either Man or Angel is in A State 1. Of greater felicity then ever any other man or Angel was or is in his Body which was here subject to many infirmities and weaknesses in the similitude of sinfull flesh capable of being put to pain and smart and sensible of troubles and injuries yea actually abased dishonoured and made vile is now glorified and become glorious A body of glory as it s called in the Greek Phil. 3.20 And such is its Glory that in its appearance from Heaven to St Paul the glory shining from it was in brightness far surpassing the glory of the Sun at mid-day Act. 9.3 22.6 26.13 Compared with ver 16. And Chap. 22.14 With 1 Cor. 9.1 15.8 Yea the glory of its shining to him struck him blind so as that he could not see so as the glory of the Sun in its greatest brightness will not at least on such a sodain at any time do Act. 22.11 And as for his person he is so in the presence of God and so immediately beholds his face and is filled with his favour and glory that he is in that fullness of joy that is therein and of the pleasures that are there for evermore The hope and assurance of which exceedingly animated and incouraged him in his sufferings and unto them so as to endure the Cross and despise the Shame as appears comparing Heb. 12.2 With Psal 16.8 9 10 11. Which the Apostle Peter applies to Christ as Prophetically fore-seen and spoken of him Act. 2.25 This excellent and most happy State was the Son of Man to be lifted up into and accordingly into it he is lifted up and exalted Being glorified with Gods own self with the glory he had with him before the World was John 17.5 The Son of Man or Christ in the Nature of Man being taken or received up into glory 1 Tim. 3.16 So owned of God as no other either Man or Angel So favoured as to have it said to him so as to none of the Angels Thou art my Son this day have
affliction we must enter into Gods Kingdom Acts 14.22 No partaking of this life but through death and that 1. Through a Spiritual Death or death in and of our Spirits to false life as to the life of or in sin life to the world and to the Law as thinking to have life thereby as in our own righteousness according thereunto No living to righteousness and to God but in dying to sin and to the world so as to cease to be slaves or servants to them Rom. 6.10 11. Gal. 6.14 1 Pet. 2.24 nor is there any living to Christ and so to God but through dying to the Law as to our hopes and rejoycings in our own righteousness according thereunto Gal. 2.19 And in these kinds of deaths there are pains in self-denials taking up our cross for Christs sake Mat. 16.24 2. Through the bodily Death for neither is there any entring into the joys and glories of Heaven and of the life to come so as to the actual full fruition of them but through bodily Death and Grave except of such as shall be found alive at his appearing 1 Thes 4.15 16. that so we may be made conformable to the death of Christ and be planted therethrough into the likeness of his Resurrection in our body also For the way to this life is also 2. Through the Resurrection from the dead otherwise if we should dye in our selves to false lives and never rise up in a true and divine life we could not have eternal life The life of Christ is a life from the dead whence he is called the first begotten or first-born from the dead Col. 1.18 Rev. 1.5 and so all that share with him therein are raised up to a life from the dead too First raised up in their spirits with him through the faith of the operation of God Col. 2.12 3.1 crucified with Christ to self and flesh and sin and all false life but yet so as they live yet not they but Christ liveth in them Gal. 2.20 And then also at the great day of Christs glorious appearing their dead bodies shall be raised up by him and be made like his Thence the Resurrection said to be to those that have done good a Resurrection to Life Joh. 5.28 29. and Christ in telling us that they who believe on him shall have everlasting life once and again adds And I will raise him up at the last day Joh. 6.40.44 as implying that they must pass through death and be raised up again thereunto 2. In respect of the manner of their having it they have it as they have Christ himself who is their life the ground foundation authour and the fountain of it Col. 3.3 4. and so only in receiving abiding in and enjoyment of him and so 1. They have it here in a sense not in the fulness and perfection of the fruition of it for we are not capable of having it so now and here while we have not Christ in Person with us but they have it now 1. In Christ the Heir of it and the root and spring of it that eternal life that was with the Father and was manifested to us 1 Joh. 1.2 5.11 12 13. as they have him theirs and have union with and interest in him through whom also they have it 2. In a first fruits of the Spirit and of the Life that is in and by it and so in a begun life or happy state of forgiveness acceptance spiritual quickning c as before said 3. In the promise of the whole even of the full fruition of it to be had hereafter God and Christ have given it them in his Will and Testament so as in believing on the Son of Man they are made Heirs of it Tit 1.2 3.7 1 Joh. 2.25 This is the promise that he hath promised us even eternal life 1 Joh. 2.25 See also Gal. 3.29 And so they have it 4. In the hope of it Tit. 1.2 1 Pet. 1 3 4. 2. In the state to come they shall have it 1. Upon their dissolution and going to Christ in their spirits more fully resting in and with Christ and being blessed Phil. 1.21.23 Rev. 14.13 2. Upon their Resurrection in the full perfect and perpetual possession and fruition of it for ever Mark 10.30 A portion infinitely desirable and worthy the looking after and yet this is the portion of every one that believeth on the Son of Man without exception No respect of persons no difference of stronger or weaker believer as to the future enjoyment or present right to and interest in it by and through Jesus Christ There is neither Male nor Female Jew nor Greek Circumcision nor Uncircumcision bond or free but all are one in Christ Jesus and if Christs then Abrahams Seed and Heirs according to promise Gal. 3.28 29. And yet in the rewards to be received in the Davidical Kingdom or the thousand years reign at the coming of Christ and before he deliver up the Kingdom to God the Father and God be all in all there will doubtless be different degrees of Glory and Honour conferred according to mens different works services faithfulness and fruitfulness in their services and greatness of their sufferings for him as is hinted in those parabolical passages Be thou Ruler over ten Cities be thou Ruler over five Luc. 19.17 19. otherwise it would be all one to serve Christ little or much here to be abundant or sparing in the work of the Lord contrary to that of the Apostle He that soweth liberally shall reap liberally and he that soweth sparingly shall reap sparingly 2 Cor. 9.6 Though yet a shorter work more singly done may have equal reward with a larger not so singly done as the Parable of the Labourers in the Vineyard Mat. 20. may seem to import Wherefore Let us be always stedfast unmoveable always abounding in the works of the Lord knowing that our labour shall not be in vain in the Lord Rev. 20.6 with 5.10 1 Cor. 6.2 3. with 15 24 28.58 CHAP. XV. The application of the two former viz. the fourth and fifth Observations in part in exhortation to believe reproof for not believing incouragements to continue in believing on the Son of Man and some directions thereto THE consideration of the two last mentioned observations shewing the necessity and advantage of believing on the Son of Man as also the nature of this believing is and may be very useful upon diverse accounts As to Use 1. Exhort and press all men to believe on the Son of Man the Lord Jesus Christ as declared and set forth unto them in and by the discoveries teaching and operation of God and his Spirit vouchsafed to them And that they may believe on him to listen to mind and embrace and hold fast the Faith or Doctrine of him in which is the power spirit and hand of the Lord moving and enabling to believe yea begetting in the heart this faith that is so necessary and profitable for men For
to us to lead us into his truth Joh. 16.7 14 16 17. Heb. 9.24 25 26. Act. 2.33 And so as the great Lord and King command deliverances honours and blessings to us we could not have him as an Object to look to to forgive us our sins to give us the holy spirit to support our spirits renew our natures guide us to death raise us up from death and give us the Kingdom if he were not impowered to do all these things and all things else for us our faith in him for all these things would be otherwise in vain But now being in all things before-mentioned lifted up made the Son of God in the nature of man delivered up to death for our sins as a ransom and attonement for us and therein supported and accepted and therefrom raised and revived exalted to Gods right hand and there glorified He is a compleat Object of faith to be believed on being every way able to help and save us One who in his death and Resurrection hath delivered us from perishing in the first death or judgment for the first offence and as exalted at Gods right hand able to save us also from the wrath to come and so from the second Death and so he will all that come to God by him through his exercise of his glorious Office of High Priest with God for us and of his Prophetical and Kingly Offices towards all men and especially those that believe and of his Lordly authority over all Creatures in Heaven Earth and Hell for our behoof and benefit and to give Eternal Life to all of us that believe on him being a person also both willing and faithful as his ready undertakings and sufferings of such things for us evince and as his glorious Offices to such purposes put upon him and received by him in a sense enjoyne or require of him I might add hereto that as all this exaltation and lifting up of the Son of Man was necessary to render him an Object to be believed on So was it also necessary for the discovering him to be such an Object which is necessary also to the begetting belief on him for God being true and one that could not lie could not nor would not have discovered that as an Object to be believed on that were not such his making peace was the ground as well as the matter of his preaching in preaching Peace Nor could there therefore have been any sending forth of the Spirit with such a discovery to inable and move to believe it His personal lifting up in those ways and particular being the foundation of all the rest nothing of the rest could have been without that but I only hint it and pass to the second Branch Branch 2. That his being so lifted up and exalted in those real Acts done to himself as is before mentioned was necessary for his saving us from perishing and for his giving us Eternal Life in believing on him and this is evidenced both in what is said before in the fifth Observation about the way of his saving us from perishing and our having Eternal Life and also in what is said on the former Branch And indeed this evinces it in general and as to all the particulars included therein that that being Gods grand design in giving him as the next Verses shew God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have Everlasting Life for God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world but that the world through him mtght be saved yea and of his lifting him up as this Verse saith That whosoever believeth on him should not perish but have Eternal Life it follows that either these things before mentioned were necessary to be ordered and done to him to those ends or else those ends might have been otherwise brought about and so they were ordered and done to him needlesly and in vain which would impose upon the infinite wisdom or goodness of God and imply that which neither may be conceived nor conceded or granted For if there had saith he been a Law and by consequence any other way that could have given life doubtless Righteousness should have been by it Gal. 3.21 But besides that all these things were necessary to be ordered and done to him for his saving us from perishing and giving us Eternal Life may be seen also by induction For his being taken into unity of person in the Divine nature that was necessary to his saving us from perishing in the first Death for otherwise his power and ability his worth and excellency would have been too small to have done and suffered what was needful for our Redemption therefrom and for Gods acceptance as sufficient thereunto It was the work of an Infinite and boundless strength such as the finiteness of a Creature or meer man could not reach unto to stand under and bear upon himself the weight of mans Sin and Death and by bearing to overcome them and to satisfie Gods justice for the sin and abolish the death required a Sacrifice of an infinite merit and worth no meer man had either strength or worth enough for such a thing not strength to endure and overcome such agonies and death nor worth to be taken for a sufficient ransom or price of Redemption for all men no nor for any one man for no man that is but a man can give to God a ransom for his Brother a price to God sufficient for him that he may not see death Psal 49.6 7 8. But the Lord Jehovah He that is God also will Redeem my Soul saith David from the hand or power of Hell or of the Grave for he will receive me Verse 15. Nor can any meer man or Creature be able either to raise up the body out of the first death and Grave or to deliver or preserve us from the second death that we should not perish in that for he that would preserve from that must have virtue in his Sacrifice to take away by obtaining for us and dispensing to us the pardon of our following sins committed by us in our own proper persons against the light and truth of God and prevail with God for Grace and Spirit to be given to us and give it to us too to inlighten inliven and raise from Spiritual death discover the evil of sin and the deceits of Sathan so as to enable the Soul to see and avoid them and obtain and give grace for repenting of any such sins and forgiveness of them thereupon and for renewing the Heart yea he must be able to deliver from the power of Sathan and his policy or else he cannot deliver from perishing either from the way to life or in the second death in the end as the issue of perishing from the way Much less can any meer Man or Creature be able to give to us or possess us of Eternal Life because to that it 's
in due time of all Men and be very high exceeding high and glorious As many were astonished at thee speaking to him his visage was so marred c. so he shall sprinkle many Nations The Kings shall shut their mouths at him for that which hath not been told them shall they see and that which they had not heard shall they consider Whatsoever the Father giveth him shall come to him nothing shall keep it back or any part of it who or whatever opposes it And then He that person Man or Woman that cometh to him He will in no wise cast them out which is a great incouragement also to any man to come to him Yea here is a double incouragement 1. That He shall have the heigth and greatness that God gives him He shall and must be lifted up and be made high 2. That He being so high and by consequent able to help succour satisfy and save all that come to Him He also is so good and merciful that whosoever cometh to him for help salvation or satisfaction he will in no wise refuse or cast him out which may both comfort us in his behalf and incourage us in our own to look to him who-ever they be that look away from or neglect and slight him For He came not down from Heaven to do his own will but the will of him that sent him and this is the will of him that sent him that of all that which the Father hath given him he should loose nothing nothing of all that honour glory Kingdom c. but should raise it up again at the last day And this is the will of him that sent him that every one that seeth the Son and believeth on him should have everlasting life and he will raise him up at the last day Joh. 6.37 38 39 40. And these two Branches of his will answer to those two Branches of his assertion in vers 37. and that given him is distinct from him that seeth and believeth on him and the raising up of the one distinct from the raising up of the other as those words And this is the will of him that sent me in the beginning of vers 40. implies it being spoken of as a distinct business and so we may say As God gave him in the nature of man the Throne of Majesty in the Heavens and a great and glorious Name here on Earth among men notwithstanding all the folly and negligence of the Jews that see and believed not yea and against all the oppositions both of Jewes and Gentiles opposing Him his Doctrine and Servants and persecuting Him and them to Death so God lifted Him up to Heaven both in his Personal Body and as brought forth by his Church in the knowledge and faith of Him wherein he was taken up to the Throne of God Rev. 12.5 As also among men he was exalted extolled and made very high But now by the Anti-christian Beast and false Prophet arisen and grown great in the World He is darkned and diminished again as it were The Beast hath the great Company of followers and worshippers and is wondred after and magnified by them saying Who is able to make War with the Beast and Who is like the Beast even that which appertains to the Lamb the Lord Jesus is attributed to him see Psal 89.6 8. And we may take up that complaint which follows in that Psalm vers 38. Thou hast cast off and abhorred thou wast wrath with thy Anointed or Messiah not as to his Person but as to the appearance of his Name and Glory in the World and as to his Members here as his Name and Glory is upon them and they by his permission and providence are rendred as if they were objects of his wrath and abhorrency Thou hast made void the Covenant of thy Servants the Gospel-covenant at the present takes little place in the World thou hast prophaned by casting down his Crown to the ground c. But now saith our Saviour This is the will of Him that sent me that how-ever low my Crown Glory or Repute seem to lye I should not loose it but raise it up again at the last day and so He will When He arises and lifts up Himself to judge the World and to take to Himself his Great Power and Reign His Enemies shall be scattered Antichrist the Beast and false Prophet shall be discomfited and taken The Lamb shall overcome them and then when they are overcome by him He will thereby raise up his Name Covenant Throne and Kingdom again in the eyes views and hearts of the World as it were or into a more high and glorious form and appearance then before they fell down then before there was such an Apostacy and departure from him even as the Persons and Bodies also of those who see and believe on Him shall be raised into a better state and form then they were in before they fell into the earth by death then God will give him the Throne of his Father David and he shall raise up the Tabernacle of David that is fallen down and he shall build it up and shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever then shall that be fulfilled which is spoken of by the Prophet Isaiah chap. 2.11 22. That the lofty looks of man shall be humbled and the haughtiness of men shall be bowed down and the Lord alone even the Lord Jesus and God in him shall be exalted in that day for the day of the Lord of Hosts shall be upon every one that is proud and lofty and upon every one that is lifted up and he shall be brought low and upon all the Cedars of Lebanon that are high and lifted up and so upon all that 's high or pleasant to men that now eclipses or darkens his glory and robs him of his honour and they shall all be cast down and the Idols shall be utterly abolished and the Lord even Jesus alone shall be exalted and then great shall be his glory in Gods salvation visibly and apparently in the World also For at that last day he shall appear in glory and all his Saints shall appear in glory with him and then he shall be exalted and extolled and be very high indeed not only in himself but in his appearance in the World also and in the eyes and hearts of all men For then all the Kings of the earth shall praise him even such as now despise and persecute him when they shall hear the words of his mouth yea they shall sing in the ways of the Lord for great shall be his glory Psal 138.4 5. Yea and then all the ends of the World shall remember and turn to the Lord and all the Kindreds of the Nations shall worship before him for the Kingdom shall be and is the Lords and He the Governour then most gloriously among the Nations all they that be fat upon the earth shall eat and worship and all they that go down to
THE BRAZEN SERPENT OR GOD'S Grand Design VIZ. CHRIST'S Exaltation for MAN'S Salvation in his believing on Him OR The Right Way to Regeneration and therethrough to the Heavenly and Eternal Kingdom Discovered by the Lord Jesus Christ Himself for our sure Direction therein Considered Opened and Applyed with a double Excursion touching the Glory and Excellency 1. Of the Gospel of Christ 2. Of Christ Himself By J. HORN an Unworthy Servant of God in the Gospel of his Son Jesus Christ and sometimes Minister of Lin Allhallows in Norfolk Isa 52.13 Behold my Servant shall deal prudently or shall prosper He shall be exalted extolled and be very high As many were astonied at thee his visage was so marred more than any Man and his form more than the Sons of Men so shall He sprinkle many Nations the Kings shall shut their mouths at Him c. Isa 55.5 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 Psal 99.10 Exalt the Lord our God and worship at his Foot-stool for He is holy Psal 21.13 Be thou exalted O Lord in thine own strength so will we sing and praise thy power Respiciamus nos in faciem serpentis aenci elevati Christi si volumus à pravorum Daemonum suggestionibus serpentinis liberari respicere autem est fide in ipsum tendere Bern. de pass Dominica LONDON Printed for Benjamin Southwood at the Star near to Serjeants Inn in Chancery-Lane 1673. THE EPISTLE TO THE READER Gentle Reader LO Here I present thee with what as to the matter treated of is a most needful and excellent Subject worthy thy most serious consideration the Grand Design of the God of Glory the Devise that He in his Infinite wisdome and goodness devised for our recovery from sin and misery and for reducing and bringing us back to life and safety the product and birth of his eternal purposes and most deep counsels for our welfare and happiness A Subject never sufficiently looked upon never throughly enough seen into while we can see but with mortal eyes and imperfect understandings the great Mystery of Godliness God manifested in the Flesh justified in the Spirit seen yea very intensively pryed into 1 Pet. 1.12 of Angels preached to us Gentiles believed on in the World received up into Glory 1 Tim. 3.16 The great Catholicon the Soveraign and Vniversal Remedy for all our spiritual distempers and diseases the supply of all our wants the support of us in all our weaknesses temptations and troubles the instructer and helper of us in and unto all our services the stay of us in this life in and under all its various vicissitudes and changes the joy and comfort of our hearts in Death the Raiser and Resurrection both of our Souls to lively hope and comfort when oppressed with griefs and cast down with sadness and also of our Bodies to immortality and Eternal happiness in a word the spring original and fountain of all our felicity the great subject of the Doctrine both of the holy Prophets and of the holy Apostles the substance and body of all the types and shadows in the Law of Moses the accomplishment and fulfilling of Predictions and Prophecies and the ground and end of all our future hopes and expectations Such I say not is this Treatise but the subject treated of and directed to herein for it is no other than Christ himself and Him crucified and through sufferings and death raised up again and glorified Glorified of God for thee in his own glorious actings in and upon Him and glorified of God to thee by the spirit of God in his word and testimony glorified both ways to save and deliver thee from the stings of the old Serpent and to bring thee to glory A Subject which who can sufficiently treat of for who can shew forth all his marvailous acts who can set forth all his praises Psal 106.2 A Subject much too great for my imbecillity and stupidity too deep and high and large and long for my narrow head and heart to reach its dimensions so as to handle it and set it forth worthily A Subject in my reception of it into and conception of this Discourse about it in my mind and earnestness of my heart to draw it out and incorporate it in this body and give it these lines and lineaments so pleasing to me or perhaps rather my exercise therein that it drew me on with so eager an intention and rapid a motion as indangered my miscarrying of it before its perfection for I received in my self in a manner the sentence of Death before I had finished it till God renewing my strength beyond my expectation and confidence it attained to this Period God therein both shewing me my weakness and perhaps also chastening my unworthiness and unmeetness for such an undertaking and my darkning wisdome so much by words without knowledge and so slenderly and slovenly handling so excellent a subject both therein and since in its sticking so long and coming out at length with so many Errata's in its impression and yet also shewing his great power and goodness in what I received of him for my reviving I confess I had some eye in it upon a good and gracious Woman who had met with some exercise in the death of her only Son and intended she should have had one of the first rights of it as for comforting her also I put in some expressions respecting that her tryal in some part of its application but the Lord pleased to put an end to her days also before it could arrive at her and be perused by her He designing to comfort and satisfy her spirit I trust with another and far perfecter sight of the glory of this blessed Son of man here treated of then this so weak a discourse could have given her of him I trust its conception was not altogether without the Holy Ghost though as it was imbodyed in and by me I cannot but see and acknowledge its too great likeness to me in imperfection It is a rule in Philosophy that Quicquid recipitur recipitur ad modum recipientis Whatsoever is received of another is received after the manner or measure of the receiver We cannot expect that a Bucket can contain the Ocean and the purest Wine received in a fusty Cask will somewhat tast of it The Eternal Word as conceived in the Virgins Womb was made partaker of her Flesh and as therein brought forth by her appeared a weak and little one not according to the Immensity and Infinity of the Word but in such small and finite dimensions as agreed to the humane nature and the narrowness of her Womb in which it was formed and therefore He was capable of being wrapt in swadling cloths and laid in a Manger and afterward of being taken up in old Simeon's armes and of growing in stature in wisdome and in favour both with God
Power and Virtue to life Everlasting in his heavenly Kingdom But this excellent matter worthy to have been conceived in a more pure Womb or Mind and laid in a far better Dress then I have here wrapt it in as conceived and Discoursed of by me partakes of and evidences my great weakeness and as here Imprinted the Printers and Stationers too great Carelessness or Vnfaithfulness both which may gain it disrespect to many and is as here represented far short of that Excellency and Glory that Properly and Originally is its own and appertains to it and may perhaps meet with course Respect Censurings and Sufferings if it fall into some mens hands especially from the Scribes and Pharisees men Learned and of great Zeal for Gods Ordinances and Worship to appearance but yet such as have their Faith and Fear towards God taught them by the Traditions and Traditional Glosses of some Elders of their Party According to which also they Teach it to others and generally from Proud and Malevolent persons But yet if the Superfluity and Fleshliness of its Expressions in any thing being cut off by the judicious Judgment and charitable candid Constructions of the understanding Reader and it being Animated by the holy Spirit and his Presence and Blessing it be duly considered listened to and imbraced it will appear to have something in it of Virtue and Divine force So as that attending to the Truth and Spirit of it in singleness and simplicity of Heart it may be useful for Instructing Helping and Healing thy Soul but if Rejected or Abused it will rise up another day as a Witness and Judg against thee Take heed therefore good Reader to what thou Readest and take heed how thou Readest Hearest and Receivest it not judging of its Truth and Goodness according to the weakness in Phrase and Expression or the too many Mis-spellings and Mis-pointings in its Printing but according to its agreement in Matter and Desiâ—u with the Doctrine and Writings of the holy Apostles and Prophets That so thou mayst not fail of the Grace of God tendered in Christ to thee in and by it Heartily minding and obeying the Truth herein propounded thou shalt find I hope here-with and here-through Gods Blessing with thee and upon thee praying for which upon thee and upon all that hear it and to the same purpose committing thee to God with my self and weak Labours and Indeavours and desiring thy Charitable and Candid construction and kind Acceptance thereof and thy Prayers for me for further Grace and Mercy I leave thee and rest Thy Well-wishing Friend and Servant in and for Christ Jesus J. Horn. Lyn Febr. 6. 1673. REader there is a Passage in page 36. wherein I say the Apostles and Evangelists never call Christ the Son of man in their speaking of him which I should have restrained to the Writings of the Evangelists or also to the Epistles of the Apostles otherwise I must desire a Grain of Allowance because St. Stephen though indeed neither Evangelist nor Apostle yet a Holy man and Inspired by the Holy Ghost called him the Son of man in Acts 7.56 when he said I see Heaven open and the Son of man standing at the right hand of God And the Apostle John imitating or using the phrase of the Prophet Daniel saith of him I saw one like the Son of man Rev. 1.13 with Dan. 7.13 The BRAZEN SERPENT Or GOD'S Grand DESIGN Which is Christ's Exaltation for Man's Salvation in believing on him John 3.14 15. And as Moses lifted up the Serpent in the Wilderness so must the Son of Man be lifted up that whosoever believeth on him might not perish but have everlasting life CHAP. I. Brief Observations upon Nicodemus and our Saviours Discourse with him OUr Lord Jesus at Ierusalem wrought many Miracles at the Feast of Passover by means whereof many believed on him but he that knew what was in Man and needed not that any should testifie of Man knowing all men did not commit himself to them saith the Evangelist Iohn 2.24 25. But above all the rest who are left unnamed the Evangelist gives us an account in this Chapter of one man by profession a Pharisee the strictest sect of Religion among the Jews by name Nicodemus and by place a Ruler of the Iews and tells us what passed between our Lord and him as that he came to Jesus bâ— night He came to him as bâ—ing moved and drawn by the excellency of the Power of God that appeared in him and attested the truth and divinity of his Doctrine and so much he also tells him in his address to him making this Confession Rabbi or Master We know that thou art a Teacher come from God for no man can do those Miracles which thou dost except God be with him And yet he came by Night either being letted by his other business to come by Day or rather as being not yet so strong in his affection to him as for his sake to be willing to undergo the reproches and rebukes that an open Day-light resort to him and owning of him might have occasioned to him He loved yet it 's likely to retain his honour with his Brethren and to avoid the speech of People about him and yet so much he loved him as come to him he would and acquaint himself with him and therefore chuses to come to him by Night rather then not to come at all Nor doth our Saviour upbraid him with his weakness or brand him as guilty of Cowardliness for so close and hidden an acknowledgment of him but bears therewith till better knowledge of him and more acquaintance with him might put more Courage into him as afterward we find it did for he durst and did plead for him among and against his Enemies Ioh. 7.50 51. Yea and when he was in his lowest abasement Crucified and put to death as a Malefactor and was hanged upon the Cross or Tree in a most shameful and reprochful manner he durst and did own him so far as to joyn with Ioseph of Arimathea in bestowing an honourable burying upon his then dead Body Joh. 19.38 39 40. honouring him when dead whom all the Authority and chiefest of the Priests and Rulers had dishonourably persecuted while alive and ceased not until they had put him to Death yea and then also reputed and blasphemously spake off as a Deceiver yea he then owned him when the rest of the Disciples yea even the Apostles had forsaken and left him Surely our Lord herein set us a good Example verifying the Prophecy that went before of him viz. that he should not cry nor lift up nor cause his voice to be heard in the Streets that he should not break a bruised Reed nor quench the smoking Flax till he bring forth judgment into victory Isa 42.2 3. And also by shewing himself meek and lowly in this case Condemned that Pride and rashness of Spirit too ready to shew it self in others that are too apt to
night Visions were seen to be brought nigh to the ancient of days to whom the Dominion Glory and Kingdom was given And that phrase because he is the Son of Man in this view of it implies also because of his equity reasonableness sound judgment wisdom and discretion with freedom from all bruitish ignorance self-will unrighteousness cruelty unreasonableness partiality and such other passions and dis-affections as too commonly blind other Governours or persons that exercise Authority Such may be the reasons of Christs being stiled or stiling himself the Son of Man Every of them worthy to be duly considered by us and rightly improved for moving us to love and thankfulness to God High-prizings and ready receit of closing and complying with the Lord Jesus Christ in his addresses to us his gracious calls to and counsels of us turning at his reproofs obeying his commands and submitting to his rule and Government in all things Having hope and confidence in his graciousness who hath shewed such love and respect to us and is so nearly related to yea become one with us But I shall pass on to the remaining particulars now to be considered from this Scripture in hand by us CHAP. V. A twofold sence of the Phrase of lifting up and what is imployed in it in the latter sense especially THE next thing then to be considered by us is That this Son of Man the Lord Jesus Christ must be lifted up Concerning which Phrase it is to be minded that it signifies two ways as used in the Scriptures 1. To lift up Is sometimes to take away or so to lift up as to take away by lifting up from the place or station one is set in by putting him to death and so the phrase of lifting up is used in the interpretation of the Dream of Pharoahs chief Baker Where it is said Gen. 40.19 Yet within three days shall Pharoah lift up thine head from off thee and hang thee on a Tree And in ver 20. It is said of Pharoah That he lifted up the head of the chief Baker hanging the chief Baker as Joseph had interpreted ver 22. And in this sense to lift up is to take away more properly by such a death as in which the body is lifted up from the Earth as to be hanged on a Tree And so it s applyed also to our Saviour with respect to his death and the manner of it as the Jews also understood him John 12. For having said And I if I be lifted up will draw all men to me It is added this spake he as signifying what manner of death he should dye As implying That the Phrase of lifting up had respect to his Death and that the Jews understood it of a way of dying is apparent in the next verse where it follows The people answered him we have heard out of the Law that Christ abideth for ever how sayst thou then the Son of Man must be lifted up who is this Son of Man Plainly implying that they understood his words after an use of it in the Syriack Language then frequently or usually spoken by them to import a taking him away by death And then the Evangelistâ— noteâ— in the verse before that this he spake signifying what or what manner of death he should dye may plainly include in it his being hanged on a Tree as Pharoahs chief Butler was in a sort And as Christ is said to have been in his being Crucified Act. 5.30 The God of our Fathers raised up Jesus whom ye slew and hanged on a tree And the same expression is used by the same Apostle Peter Act. 10.39 And by the Apostle Paul it 's implyed in Acts. 13.29 in saying They took him down from the tree And more plainly in Gal. 3.13 In saying Christ hath Redeemed us from the curse of the Law being made a curse for us As it is written Cursed is every one that is hanged on a tree Where the same way of punishing that is called by Moses a hanging on the tree is applied to Christs being Crucified Though yet possibly there may be more in that expression signifying what manner of death he should dye Viz. That he should dye as a Sacrifice as a publick propitiatory Sacrifice for us a ransome for all 1 Tim. 2.6 And in this sense Christ was lifted up by men they lifted him up from the Earth so as to take away his life from off the Earth or to cut him off from the Land of the living As the phrase is Isa 53 8. And so it was fore-said by our Saviour John 8.28 When ye have lifted up the Son of Man then shall ye know that I am he and that I do nothing of my self c. Where it is evident that he was to be lifted up in this sense by the Jews For it was the Jews The hands of wicked men that slew him and hanged him on the tree that lifted him up in this sense And in that sense it behoved him to be lifted up even by men that all things written of him might be fulfilled As it is said When they had fulfilled all things written of him they took him down from the Tree That is When they had put him to death the death of the Cross slain him and hanged him on the tree with all the spite and violence against him they used in reviling him giving him Vineger to drink parting his Garments and casting lots on his Vesture piercing him with a Spear in his side c. for all these things were fore-prophesied of him They took him down c. Implying that their so slaying him and putting him to death their hanging him on a tree was written of before and therefore was to be fulfilled for the Scripture cannot be broken as is said by himself John 10.35 That is They must be fulfilled as he also implyed in his saying to Peter Thinkest thou not that I could pray the Father and he would send me more then twelve Legions of Angels But how then shall the Scriptures be fulfilled that thus it must be Mat. 26.54 ver 56. All this was done that the Scriptures of the Prophets might be fulfilled See also Act. 3.18 Mat. 27.35 With Psal 22.16 69.21 Zech. 12.10 With John 19.34.37 As also he must and ought thus to have been lifted up that the purpose of God might be accomplished For they did herein whatsoever his hand and his counsel had before determined to be done As is said Acts 2.23 4.27.28 That so we might be redeemed from the curse of the Law by his being made a Curse for us as is said Gal. 3.13 Now seeing he was thus lifted up and there was such a necessity for it too this sense of his being lifted up must necessarily if not most directly be here included And to the use of the word lifting up in this sense might be referred the lifting up of the Talent of Lead with the Epha into which it was cast signifying
said He that abideth in him sinneth not He that sinneth wandreth from the way hath neither seen him nor known him 1 Joh. 3.6 Thus the believing on him preserves from perishing from the way whereas they that believe not are apt to perish So 1. Either by running out of the Doctrine and way of truth into false Doctrines and Heresies of Damnation being with specious pretences and appearances presented to them as through want of stable rootedness in Christ and dependance on him the Galatians were in the way to have done and as God oft hath left them to do who believed not the truth but have had pleasure in unrighteousness 2 Thes 2.10 11 12. Either fear of men or desire of their favour or will to be rich or the appearing probability of falshood cause those that believe not in Christ to erre from the faith into by-ways of Judgment 1. Tim. 6.10 2. Or else by running into ways of worldiness uncleanness covetousness discontents and unrighteous practices as the Israelites into lusting after evil things Idolatries Fornication and as Demas that forsook Paul having loved this present World 2 Tim. 4 10. And of both these ways of perishing out of the way the Apostle John warnes the believers in 1 John 2.15 16 17 18 19 c. First of perishing from the way by loving the world or the things of the world the lust of the eyes the lust of the flesh or the pride of life ver 15.16 And then of the Deceivers 〈◊〉 and Antichrists when he saith ver 18. Little Children it is the last times and as ye have heard that Antichrist should come even now there are many Antichrists c. Of whom also he warnes 2 Joh. 8. Look to your selves that we loose not the things that we have wrought And as a preservative against both prescribes the faith of Christ or the believing on him 1 Joh. 2.24 25 28. Let that therefore which ye have heard from the beginning abide in you if that which ye have heard from the beginning abide in you ye also shall continue in the Father and in the Son namely so as neither by the love of the world nor by the Antichrists to be drawn out from them and this is the promise which he hath promised eternal life And in 1 John 5.13 These things have I written to you that believe that ye may know that ye have everlasting life and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God 2. There is also a perishing in the end and that 's a sad perishing indeed its sad to perish from the way for that also leads to perishing in the end and will end in it unless rich and marvellous grace and mercy prevent but yet by mercy it may be prevented the lost may be found again as is implied and signified in the parables of the lost Sheep and the lost Groat and the lost child found Luk. 15. The last of which though he lay and perisht with hunger yet came to himself again and being made sensible of it and remembring his Fathers house arose and returned to it So as it 's said of him This my Son was dead but is alive again was lost but is found Namely he was perisht out of the way to happiness but is now brought back into it and found in it again But they that perish in the end are lost for ever as it is said of Amalek His latter end is that he shall perish forever Num. 24.20 There is indeed a perishing in the end in a sence which may be of less mischief yea for mercy Viz. When men perish in the end of their designs and undertakings for that may be in order to their being led to Repentance of such a perishing diverse passages may be understood in which the holy Ghost led his people to pray against their enemies as Let the wicked perish at the presence of God Psal 68.2 Let them be put to shame and perish Psal 83.17 And diverse the like which may possibly be taken in such a charitable as well as in some cases in a harsher sense but to perish in a proper sense as to mens persons in the end is horrible and inconceivably miserable Whether it be 1. At the end of their lives so as their hopes become as the giving up of the Ghost and when they part with their breath their hopes utterly fail them and they go from this life to the dreadful prison to be there reserved against the day of Wrath and then to be brought forth to a worser state of misery and destruction As it is said The Hypocrites hope shall perish whose hope shall be cut off and whose trust shall be as a Spiders web Job 8.13 14. As it was with the rich man who fâ—red deliciously every day but at his death was carried into Hell there to be tormented till Death and Hell give up their Dead to be judged at the great day as it is said Rev. 20.13 14. Luk. 16.21 26. Or whether it be at the end of the World at the great Judgment when Christ shall sit upon his Throne or Tribunal seat and pass that dreadful Sentence upon the unbelieving Depart from me ye cursed into everlasting fire prepared for the Devil and his Angels Whereupon they shall go into everlasting punishment and perish with an everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his Power Mat. 25.41 46. 2 Thes 1.7 8 9. To either of which those sentences of the Psalmes about the wickeds perishing may be also applied especially those perishings from their hopes and designes here not awakning them to timely Repentance Indeed it may seem that some that shall perish in that great end of the World the Day of the Lord may not be quite perished from all hope till then by that saying of our Saviour That many shall say at that day Lord Lord have we not prophesied in thy name and in thy name cast out Devils and done many wonderful works to whom he shall say Depart from me c. As if they should plead at that day with some hope of finding mercy but plain it is that they who believe not on Christ but live and dye in their unbelief shall dye in their sins John 8.24 Their sins unpardoned and fast bound upon them and they bound over to suffer the punishment of them and that in the final Judgment in Soul and Body reunited The fearful and unbelieving shall be cast into the Lake that burneth with fire and brimstone which is the second Death An horrible end decreed to the workers of iniquity and such as cannot be expressed and therefore the Apostle Peter saith What shall their end be that obey not the Gospel As implying it to be unutterably miserable 1 Pet. 4.17 But in none of these senses shall the believer on the Son of Man perish Neither in that which is his hope and design as a believer which is the glorifying of God
with-hold no good thing c. Psal 84.11 4 Nor shall this happy state be ever taken from him but though through workings of the flesh a man may not be always sensible of these things nor have always actual rejoycing while here yet his state is always such and shall hereafter appear and be most sensibly and perfectly such for this life here begun by Christ and by his Spirit never shall terminate or end but increase and be more full as to the injoyment and perception of it in the abiding believer on the Son of Man till it be most immutably perfect They that seek God shall Praise him their hearts shall live for ever Psal 22.26 Death shall not put an end to this life when the body dies the man even then shall be in a living state of the Spirit or inner man in a truly happy and joyful condition though it appear not upon the body of man or to the view of the natural man much less shall it terminate after death to the Spirit made perfect for it being with Christ shall be in a better state then while here Phil. 2.21 23. To be dissolvd and to be with Christ is far better then to be here much less shall this life cease fail or terminate in the state of the resurrection for that state is most properly and fully called Eternal Life Mark 10.30 In the world to come Eternal life because then neither Soul nor Body shall die any more but then 1. The body shall be in an eternally unchangeably happy and blessed state of life a glorious body like the glorious body of Christ. Phil. 3.20 Raised up in honour incorruptibility power and glory so as it shall never feel or be capable of feeling hunger thirst pain weariness weakness decay sickness old age or any other trouble any more forever For there shall be no more death nei-neither sorrow nor crying c. for the former things are passed away Rev. 21.3 with 7.16 1 Cor. 15.42 43 44. 2 The Soul and inward man shall be perfect in its knowledge of conformity to and joy in God and in Jesus Christ our Lord For then we shall see as we are seen know as we are known Then that which is perfect being come that which is in part shall be done away 1 Cor. 13.10 12. Then we shall have fulness of joy in Gods presence and pleasures at Gods right hand for evermore Psal 16.12 1 Joh. 3.2 There shall then be no more ignorance or envy nor sorrow nor care nor whatever may render the Soul in the least defective in its happiness but the favour of God and of the Lamb as a clear River of pure waters pure and immixed and never failing shall fill it perpetually with all Heavenly and Spiritual fruitfulness in every good thing Rev. 21.4 11. and 22.1 Isa 11.9.13 Deut. 33.23 Yea 3. The whole state of the man both in Body and Soul and with respect both to God and Men a state of perfect freedom from all evil Nothing in themselves to treuble or disquiet and nothing from without themselves either of wrath and curse from God he shall neither inflict any evil upon or with-hold any good from them but as one perfectly well pleased with them perpetually fill and satisfie them with his favour and blessing afford them his fellowship and the fellowship of the Lamb and whatsoever so happy a Spring may pour forth to them and therefore neither shall any evil befall them either positively from any man or from any other Creature Angel Devil or any other thing to molest or annoy them the Devil and all his Instruments their Enemies and all evil things being for ever removed from out the Creation or what of it the Saints shall have to do with except so as they may look upon and behold their miseries Isa 66.24 And as the happiness of the Saints may be seen by their Enemies for aggravating their miseries Luke 13.28 16.23 and all other things and persons filled with good for and towards them and not with any thing that may in the least be evil and troublesom to them nor privatively for they shall be in no danger to loose any thing of the good they have or shall have none of those deprivations and losses that here afflict and exercise them shall they then be capable of being exercised and tried with no more Widdowhood or loss of Children or of Fathers Mothers Friends no loss of Riches Honours Pleasures Habitations Ornaments or any thing but what they here lost or were deprived of shall in a better manner and more to their comfort be restored if they were such as appertain to the Kingdom their Relations Husbands Parents Wives Children c. shall be restored then with Christ though not as such Relations or as having such dependance then on them as here but in a far more perfect satisfying and glorious manner Nor shall any one thing or person in the world with-hold from them or any of them any one thing that they may have any need of or good by so that their state then shall be a state of perfect life and that everlasting a spiritual and spiritually sensible and intelligent life an holy life an happy and Eternal life wherein the shall have full knowledge of God and his favour blessing righteousness in the full perfect and perpetual performance of all his blessed promises a full and perfect injoyment of the Lamb and of all the virtues and products of his Cross and sufferings and fellowship of his joys and glory and of and with one another even all the whole company of them in the most perfectly united peaceable satisfying way and manner for ever the fulness of the Spirit filling them all and every one with all Spiritual excellencies and satisfactions for ever and in that their fellowship with Christ and one another they shall have an everlasting full and perfect glory glorious Kingdom and Inheritance such as from the beginning of the world men have not heard of or perceived by the Ear or the Eye seen besides God himself being the glorious things which God hath prepared for them that wait for him Isa 64.5 A life worthy our most constant and earnest seeking after laying hold of and embracing But now Quest 4. How shall they that believe on Christ the Son of man have this Eternal Life Answ I may answer to this diversly with respect to 1. The way to their having it 2. The maner of their having it 1. In respect of their way they have and shall have it 1. Through sufferings and death even as our Lord Christ himself that way entred into his glory It is a faithful saying or the word is faithful for if we be dead with him we shall also live with him And if we suffer with him we shall also Reign with him If we even we who at present believe in him deny him he will also deny us 2 Tim. 2.11 12 13. Through much
and upon his account for all things which he knows needful for us in this life also and not uncertain riches 1 Tim. 6.17 19. Whether food raiment counsel courage health friends or what else he may see good for us with submission to his wisdom and will and so 5. For outward defence and safety in our ways and services not coveting after or trusting in mans friendship and defence Psal 146.3 4 5 6. So Ezra was ashamed to ask a Guard of the King to secure him in his way to Jerusalem but sought it of God having said to the King That the hand of the Lord is for good to and with them that seek him but his power and wrath against them that forsake htuâ— Ezra 8.22 And Christ sending out his Apostles incouraged them to believe on him for safety in his work telling them All power in Heaven and Earth is given unto me and lo I am always with you to the end of the world Mat. 28.18 20. Let our conversation therefore be without covetousness and be we content with such things such things for defence and protection also as we have for he hath said I will never leave thee nor forsake thee so that we may boldly say The Lord is my helper I will not fear c. Heb. 13.5.6 6. For Eternal Life the receiving our Spirits in death Acts 7.59 Psal 31.4 5. The resurrection of our bodies from the death when he appears in glory John 11.25 26 5.28 29. 1 Cor. 6.14 15.21 22. The glory then to be revealed and enjoyed Col. 3.4 1 Thes 4.15 16. Rom. 5.2 Thence he is in the believers the hope the ground of their hope of Glory Col. 1.27 And where he is so looked to and depended on for all these things and in a word for all grace and glory that in the looking to and depending on him the heart and life is yielded up to him to be ordered directed and framed by him according to his Word and Will through the grace brought to us by him there the believing is right and such as hath the promise and shall have the performance of Gods salvation from perishing and of Eternal Life And great care is to be taken herein that we be not deceived with a pretence of Religion wherein yet the heart is going after and relying on or hoping in other Objects instead of Christ and God in him or upon other accounts then of the grace in him or the heart and life is not yielded up to be ordered by him And surely if in worldly things men are careful not to be paid with Copper instead of Silver and Gold or to have their Bags filled with Counters instead of currant money and that they have not false and counterfeit Deeds and Conveyances instead of what is good and valid in the Law for their Estates How much more should we be careful in the matters of our Souls that we content not our selves with a faith or believing that is not aright a believing in vain instead of a reall unfeigned believing on Jesus Christ the Son of man and the Son of God Now that we may believe on the Son of man as the Scriptures have said and as they approve and so be preserved from perishing and obtain eternal life the son of man must be lifted up And so we come to CHAP. XVII The Sixth and last Observation proposed and spoken to in certain Conclusions the first of which in two branches shews the necessity of Gods lifting up Christ in himself both as to mens believing on him and as to their being saved and living for ever by him Obser 6 THe Sixth and last Observation is That it is needful and behoveful to the end that men may both believe in Christ and also therein be preserved from perishing and have eternal life therefore also its Gods good will that Christ the Son of man be lifted up as Moses lifted up the Serpent in the Wilderness How that was we have in some measure seen by whom He is and is to be so lifted up that which remains here to be considered is that it 's necessary and behoveful that he be so lifted up both with reference to mens believing on him as the next end of it and with reference to their not perishing but having eternal life who believe on him and in their believing on him which is the last and Ultimate end and to demonstrate this I shall briefly lay down and prove two or three conclusions Conclusion 1. That the lifting him up both by men upon the cross as ordered of God and by God himself in his uniting the nature of man in him to the eternal word and his calling him forth to upholding him in raising him out of and rewarding and glorifying him at his right hand after his sufferings was of absolute necessity both as to mens believing on him and as to their being saved from perishing and having life eternal in believing on him In which conclusion be two branches Branch 1. That this lifting him up was necessary to mens believing on him and that is clear because otherwise he could not have been an Object to be believed on for any of those things which we need in order to our salvation and ever-living For 1. Had he not been made one with the Word the seed of David made the Son of God he had been but a Creature and so not meet to be believed on with a divine faith or dependance on him either for procuring for us or conferring on us the things pertaining to salvation and eternal life no meer creature being so to be believed on by us or able to save us nor had he been such a one as had answered the prophesies foregoing concerning the person in whom we are directed to have our trust For he in the prophesies is described to be the Son of God I wil declaree the decree the Lord hath said unto me thou art my Son this day have begotten thee Psal 2.6 And this Son is he of whom its is said Kiss the son lest he be angry and blessed are all they that put their trust in him vers 11 12. The Son given is He that is the mighty God Isai 9.6 and if he were not so he should be looked upon but as a meer creature and so as a meer medium by whom and by which God extends his mercy and goodness and not as the extender and procurer of it we are counselled and sometimes people have been commended for believing the Prophets of the Lord who were but men indued with the spirit or gifts of the spirit of the Lord. As it is said Believe his Prophets so shall ye prosper 2 Chron. 20.20 And they believed God and his servant Moses Exod. 14.31 But not any where to believe on any man that 's a meer man but always in or on the Lord Jehovah As in the same 2 Chron. 20.20 Where he saith Believe his Prophets He saith Believe in or on
hand yea or but tasted and spit out again it heals not the Distemper If it fail not to heal when ever duly applied it s an approved Medicine and may have a Probatum est written upon it The waters of Jordan were manifested to be an apt proper and sufficient remedy for Naamans Leprosie in that it healed him perfectly upon his seven times washing in it though had he either gone away in his rage and not washed at all or washed but four or five or six times in it and not seven times as he commanded his Leprosie had not been cleansed The like we might say of the Brazen Serpent that healed in being looked upon though its bare setting up or being felt on would not have done it Now that to such as give up and attend to the Gospel it s a means of begetting preserving and increasing Faith it may be thus evidenced 1. In that its the way that God hath appointed and it s to be certainly believed that what God orders is and must be proper and sufficient for the end whereto he orders it his work being perfect and all his Ways judgment Deut. 32.4 We may not so injure the infinite Wisdom and Goodness of the only wise God who is Love and Goodness it self as to think that he would direct his Creatures to improper or insufficient means for their attaining the most excellent and necessary end as if he either could mistake himself or would impose upon and delude us Now that this is the means of his appointing is evident in this that the Gospel was ordered by him to be Preached For the obedience of Faith in all Nations Rom. 1.5 and 16.26 And that it Pleased God by the foolishness of Preaching to save them that believe To whom also it is the Power of God for that purpose Rom. 1.16 1 Cor. 1.21 Even to save them from unbelief and disobedience Yea it s called the Word of Faith Rom. 10.8 both as its the Word that is to be believed and as it begets and nourishes Faith where entertained As also the Preaching of the Cross is said to be the Power and Wisdom of God to the called to such as obey the call both to lead and strengthen them to and direct and uphold them in believing on Christ and God by him 1 Cor. 1 22r 24. As also it is that Faith where-through the Believer is kept by the Power of God to the Salvation ready to be revealed in the last days 1 Pet. 1.5 2. In that in and by it all things are given us of God pertaining to Life and Godliness both to quicken to and in believing and preserve in it and lead out to the right worshipping of God in the exercise of it 2 Pet. 1.3 as to say 1. A discovery of all such things or Objects as may move the heart to imbrace Christ and preserve it with him taking it off from all other things For therein is declared as was also noted before 2. The excellency of his Person that there is none like him for us to believe on he being the Son the only begotten Son of God one with God yea God over all blessed for ever Amen John 1.1 2 14. and 3.16 Rom. 9.5 One by whom and for whom all things in Heaven and Earth were Created and made and are by the word of his Power upheld Col. 1.16 Heb. 1.2 3. One that was in the Form and hath the Riches and Fulness of God Phil. 2.6 7. 2 Cor. 8.9 And therefore one mighty in Power Wisdom and Fulness for performing his undertakings for us to save us Isa 9.6 2. The greatness of his Love and Grace toward us in coming forth from his Father in the fulness of time to seek and save us to that purpose emptying himself of all his Riches and Glory and taking on him the form of a Servant the fashion of Men yea bearing our Iniquities on his Body on the Tree becoming poor a man of Sorrows and acquainted with Griefs yea made sin and a Curse for us to redeem us from sin and Curse and to inrich bless and make us Righteous to that purpose Dying the accursed and shameful Death of the Cross for us Gal. 4.4 and 3.13 Phil. 2.7 8 9. 1 Pet. 2.24 2 Cor. 8.9 Isa 53.4 5 6. 2 Cor. 5.21 Which may perswade us of his willingness to save and bless us 3. That all this was done to him and suffered by him for the World the whole World for all and every one and not only for some few out of love to the world and Grace to every one God being not willing that any should perish but that all should come to Repentance and so to the knowledg and acknowledgment of the Truth and to be saved John 3.16 17. and 12.47 Rom. 5.18 2 Cor. 5.14 15 19 20 21. 1 Tim. 2.4 5 6. Heb. 2.9 and 4.9 10 14. Ezek. 33.11 2 Pet. 3.9.15 And so reaches to and includes every of us 4. That all this he did by the Will and Appointment of God his Father in Obedience to and in Union of mind and will with him and therefore with his Likement and Acceptance who sent him gave him made him of a Woman and under the Law yea made him Sin and a Curse for us laid upon him the Iniquities of us all pleased to bruise him and put him to Griefs and made his Soul an offering for sin upheld him in all and was well-pleased with him and therefore also bare witness to him in both Life and Death but especially in Raising and Exalting him as was formerly shewed For He raised him from the Dead it being indeed impossible that he should be held of Death Acts 2.24 and gave him Glory that our Faith and Hope might be in God He delivered him for our Offences and raised him again for our Justification and did all things needful and abundant to him in Glorifying him that he might be our Saviour the Author of eternal Salvation to all that obey him John 3 16 17. Gal. 4.4 2 Cor. 5.19 21. Gal. 3.13 Isa 53.5 6 10 11. and 42.1 Rom. 4.25 1 Pet. 1.21 Heb. 5.9 For as 5. It is also declared in this Doctrine He being such a Person in himself who did and suffered such things and doing and suffering them for us all by the will and appointment of his Father and in Union of will with him his said Abasement Sufferings and Death were accepted and owned of God as and so are a sufficient Ransome or Price of Redemption for all Both for freeing all from perishing in and under that Death and Condemnation which came upon all in the first Adam and for his Transgression out of which therefore all shall at last be Raised up by him and also for Freeing Discharging and Delivering from Curse and Death eternal upon the account of their personal sinnings against the Law Goodness and Grace of God in and through him all or any that upon Convincement thereof in the day of
Gentiles Act. 13.47 and 28.28 Surely it 's every way a heavy judgment and to be much cryed and prayed against as Psal 12.1 2. Well might the Prophet Amos from the mouth of the Lord signifie that the Famine of hearing the Word of the Lord is a worse Famine then that of bread and water Amos 8.11 12. For this is but of sustenance for the body and bodily life and that 's but a momentany and uncertain life which must however dye and depart that is indangered thereby in a bodily death out of which there will be a Resurrection again and in the state of which the Soul mean time may be blessed Rev. 14.13 but the other is of the sustenance and salvation of the Soul and the removal thereof lays open to the loss of Eternal Life and indangers the inevitably falling into everlasting destruction out of which is no recovery or redemption Oh how greatly behoves it us then to pray and pray earnestly for our selves and for our Nation that however God may please to correct and chasten us yet he would be pleased to continue with us his glorious Gospel and not take that from us and that he would vouchsafe to give or restore it to the Places or Nations that are without it or have it not so clearly with them as we have it blessed be God for it And let this suffice for the first Use the Discovery of the Excellency of the Gospel-Doctrine and the Inferences therefrom CHAP. XXI A Second Vse The Excellencies of Christ hence inferred and that is viewed First As the Excellencies of the choice Creatures are ascribed unto Him and so He the first-born of every Creature Use 2 THe Second Thing I shall note is for further Information of us from all said upon God's Grand Design of exalting and lifting up Christ the Son of Man and of the necessity and fulness of Him and his Exaltation both as exalted in Himself and as glorified by the Spirit in the Gospel for effecting Faith in us and there-through preserving us from perishing and giving us Eternal Life to inform us of the exceeding preciousness excellency and glory of the Lord Jesus this Son of Man himself from whom and whose excellency all the Glory of the Gospel and its beneficialness and advantagiousness floweth Surely He that renders the Gospel so glorious must needs excell in glory and excellency himself it s nothing but He in it that makes it rich and full and efficacious Let Men speak as gallant words as they can imagine and use all the skill that Art and Industry can suggest yea that the most wise and subtle spirit can teach them Speak with the Tongue of Men and Angels use the most powerful demonstrations Logick can make and the most perswasive arguments Oratory can invent and make use of yet if there be nothing of the Son of Man in it nothing of Christ and him crucified it avails nothing to our Salvation and enjoyment of Eternal Life But He alone discovered and the better the more nakedly and with the less artifice and use of those Sciences is able to effect all in us for God hath made void the wisdom of this world the wise the Scribe and the Disputer of this World are with him mere ciphers 1 Cor. 1.18 19 20. Deceive men they may and therefore the Apostle cautions us to beware least any man spoil us through Philosophy and vain deceit Coll. 2.8 but save men from perishing they cannot much less advance them to Eternal Life No it s this Object held forth in the Gospel that is the life and vertue of it which is the Son of man Christ Jesus Rom. 1.3 and 16.25 and therefore seeing the Gospel is so excellent by his being the matter of it how excellent is He himself who is its matter He must needs be more precious than the Gold of Ophir more glorious and excellent than the Mountains of prey Isa 13.12 Psal 76.4 That hath in him not only the excellencies of all the Creatures but all the excellencies of God also Gods great glory and mans utmost happiness all meeting in him If when Ahasuerus proposed the Question What shall be done to the man whom the King will honour Haman reasonably thought it would be no small matter which would be done to him How much more may it be thought and believed that He whom God not only will honour but honour above all must needs excell in all things that may commend him Yea He honours him with his own with all his own honour and glory which he will not give to any other besides him either thing or person Surely he must needs be infinitely and inexpressibly honourable and glorious seeing God is infinitely honourable and glorious himself and honours him not according to the dictates of the wisest and highest Creatures with whom he takes no counsel in this or any other matter but according to his own wisdom understanding and goodness which are all infinite and boundless unless then we could by searching find out God yea and find him out too to perfection whose Excellency is higher then the Heavens so that What can we do Deeper then Hell and therefore What can we know Longer then the Earth and Broader then the Sea and so altogether Incomprehensible we cannot find out and fathom all the Glory and Excellency of this Man the Son of man the Lord Jesus Well may it therefore be said of him that He hath a Name above every Name and that none knows but himself Rev. 19.12 And as himself saith None knoweth him but his Father Mat. 11.27 Yet many and great and glorious things are said of him by his holy Spirit That searcheth out all things even the deep things of God 1 Cor. 2.10 And Takes the things of Christ and shews them to us John 16.13 14 15. Things that commend him highly to us though yet his Name which is only Excellent Psal 148.13 Is Exalted above all Blessing and Praise Neh. 9.5 So that when we have searched and said all we can in and from what is Recorded of him by his holy Spirit yet we may conclude as in Psal 106.2 Who can declare his mighty Acts Who can set forth all his Praises God hath so poured out Himself and his Fulness and the Fulness of all things therein as it were into him that he is All and in all in the new Creature or Creation Col. 3.10 It hath pleased the Father that in him all Fulness should dwell and it hath pleased all Fulness to dwell in him yea All the Fulness of the Godhead dwells in him bodily and in him we are compleat Col. 1.19 and 2.9 10. All things in Heaven and Earth hath God pleased to gather together in one even in Christ Jesus Ephes 1.10 That if any thing in either or all things in both of them may like us and satisfie us we may have them fully and transcendently in him Let us essay to View something of his Infinite
what He hath done for us and to us that He is the Son of God whom we neglect and trample under foot therein that He is the Lord that bought us whom we therein deny that it 's his precious blood the blood of the Covenant by which He procured a gracious Covenant of great and precious promises to be made for us and confirmed and ratified it and the blood wherewith we are sanctified and rendred meet to have liberty and access to and acceptance with God that is therein prophaned by us that its the spirit that discovers his grace and is of his great grace sent forth to call and cleanse us that is despited by us Heb. 10.29 2 Pet. 2.1 That they are his Members who is the Christ and his Temple who hath bought us with a great price for himself that are defiled by us 1 Cor. 6.18 19 20. Case 8. Would we see the emptiness of all our own righteousness that we do or could do for our selves for making our peace with God and obtaining his favour and acceptance Behold Christ crucified as set forth in the Gospel and that declares it and that it will not profit us Isa 57.12 for if righteousness be or could have been that way obtained then Christ died in vain but that may not be supposed therefore no other righteousness could avail us but He to be our righteousness through his Death and Sacrifice no Law could give life to us none but Christ crucified for us upon which account it was that the Apostle cryed out so of the folly and bewitchedness of the Galathians who having had Jesus Christ evidently set forth among them as crucified for them yet would turn to beggerly observations to seek to be justified by them Gal. 3.1 21. with 2.21 Case 9. Would we see our duties either to God or men what 's meet to be performed by us and how short we are in answering his engagements upon us Behold the Son of man and mind the teachings of his grace bringing salvation to us obtaining by his death and sufferings all the freedome from misery and curse and all the enjoyment of the good things vouchsafed to us and what is also for the future set in hope before us yea for ever and then we shall see our selves bound to live to him that dyed for us and rose again and to offer up to God our bodies a living Sacrifice holy and acceptable and that that 's a reasonable service to him that it behoves us to enquire and take notice of his will as our lawful Lord by vertue of his Death Resurrection and Reviving again for us and that we ought to glorify him both in body and spirit as being his purchase and so to use all freedomes mercies and enjoyments with all sobriety righteousness and godliness that we may in nothing dishonour or disserve him but glorify him in all things looking after and waiting for giving diligence that we may be found worthy of the blessed hope set before us and to be revealed at his appearance Tit. 2.11 12 13. 2 Cor. 5.14 15. Rom. 12.1 2. and 14.9 1 Cor. 6.18 19 20. and the looking upon and discerning the Lords body as crucified for us and given to be the Bread of Life to us is the best way to examine our selves and discern our defects and evils and to judge our selves accordingly for them that we may not be judged by Him 1 Cor. 11.28 29 30. Case 10. Would we be quickned up in our duties and way of seeking for and serving the Lord and not faint therein or be slothful or tired out through discouragements The way is to behold and look upon the Son of man lifted up for and before us that we may cast away every weight and the sin that so easily besets us and run with patience the race set before us look to Jesus the Author and Finisher of the Faith There we may see his Example and Pattern and also both Ingagement from his Love to us as the Author and hope of both success and of an infinite recompence of reward as the Finisher of the Faith set down on the Right-hand of Majesty that may make us gird up the loyns of our minds and run with Patience and Courage hoping perfectly for the Grace to be brought in at his appearance as obedient Children c. 1 Pet. 1.3 4 10 11 12 13 14. Heb. 12.1 2. Case 11. Would we be recovered from any Relapses and Decays to our former Strength and be helped to go forward in Christ Jesus Our way is to look upon the Son of man and therein to look to him for healing Virtue Thus the Apostles sets Christ Crucified and the Grace in him before the Galatians when he was in fear of them to recover them Gal. 3.13 14 16. and 4.4 5 6. and 5.1 And so Christ sets himself before the declining Angel of the Church of Ephesus wishing him to remember call to mind look back upon what he was fallen from Remember whence thou art fallen and repent Rev. 2.4 5. And so to the Angel of the Church of Sardis Dead while he had a Name to Live he presents himself as he that hath the seven Spirits of God and so Power to Revive him and as one that holds the seven Stars in his Right-hand signifying his love to and care of his Servants and yet power to do his pleasure with them and wishes him to remember or look back upon how he had received and heard and to hold fast Rev. 3.1 2 3. And to the Angel of the Church of Laodicea grown Luke-warm and in danger to be spewed out of his mouth he presents himself as the Amen the faithful and true Witness to quicken up his zeal in minding the firmness of his Promises and truth of his Reproofs and that he is the beginning of the Creation of God to mind him of his Power and Ability to stablish him or give being as he pleases to him and after declaration of his misery sets before him and directs his Eye to behold his Riches Fulness and Freeness and to buy of him what he wanted and his Love and Patience in Rebuking Correcting and standing with patience at the door knocking and waiting for admission and his readiness to come in and Feast with men upon their hearing and opening to him And to him as to all the rest he presents his Love Power and Faithfulness to Reward them that overcome and the greatness of the Rewards he will give them to Cure or Incourage them Rev. 3.14 18 19 20 21. Case 12. Would we be directed to and quickened up in the Love of God and of one another or Charity to the World of Mankind yea or to our Enemies Our way is to behold the Son of man as lifted up for and to us for there we may see his love to God his Father laying down his Life on the Cross in obedience to him as a perfect pattern for our imitation Phil. 2.8 9. John
shall pluck my feet out of the Net Psal 25.15 And when he had in vain looked for refuge to other things and they failed him then he looked to the Lord for refuge who never fails them that seeks him Psal 142.4 5. and 9.10 For indeed in vain is Salvation either in Grace unto Glory or from Enemies as Sin Satan and their Instruments or Designs looked for from any thing else and therefore it 's good to look to the Lord in whom alone is our Salvation and to wait for him the God of Salvation as in Jer. 3.23 Mich. 7.7 Yea in a word 8. Look to him for all Grace and Blessing the Promises of this Life and of the Life to come For in him all the Promises of God are Yea and Amen to the Glory of God 2 Cor. 1.20 And he is the God of all Grace all the fulness of the Godhead dwelling bodily in him the Fountain of Living Waters who gives freely and liberally and upbraids no man Look therefore for the Mercy of this our Lord Jesus Christ even for the blessed hope and his glorious appearance unto Eternal life Jude 21. Tit. 2.13 And look we to him for all this Secondly In all means As to say 1. In minding his Word and looking into that perfect Law of Liberty as it is called James 1.26 There he is exercising his Spiritual power and affording his help that being Spirit and Life Rom. 1.16 John 6.63 A Ministration of Spirit that quickens and gives Life Strength and Grace 2 Cor. 3.6.8 Ephes 3.16 Heb. 10.29 And gives Wisdom and makes wise the simple Psal 19.9 and 119 130. Yea as it is written The holy Scriptures are able to make a man wise to Salvation through Faith in Jesus Christ 2 Tim. 3.15 And he that hath the Doctrine of Christ in his heart so as to Believe Mind Love and Obey it hath Christ nay both Father and Son 2 John â— There he is Discovered Pourtraied or set forth so as there-through we may see what an One he is and behold his Grace and Glory with open face as in a Glass through the help of his Spirit as is signified Isa 52.15 Gal. 3.1 2 Cor. 3.18 Look upon him there therefore and there wait on and for him And with this 2. In meditating on him as there set forth musing on and pondering his words and on him as declared therein So it 's said Kings shall shut their mouths at him for what they had not been told shall they see and what they had not heard shall they consider Isa 52.15 They shall understand or mind with themselves namely as looking herein and considering them as Preached in the Gospel for unto that the Apostle applies it Rom. 15.21 Spiritual meditation being as it were an inward Contemplation and wister looking into the Law of Liberty and upon him as set forth therein My meditations of thee shall be sweet saith David Psal 104.34 3. In Praying to him and to God in and through him Then we lift up our faces to him Job 22.26 And therein a man may see his Face oft-times with joy lifting up pure hearts and hands to him Job 33.26 In Prayer we both look up to him and upon him fixing the eyes of our mind upon him we lift up our eyes unto and our eyes are upon the Lord our God till he have mercy on us Psal 123.1 2. There we are to take notice of and know his Name in calling upon it Psal 91.14 15. Exercising Faith which is the exercise of the eyes of the mind also to behold as well as of the hand to lay hold of him in him and his Name otherwise it 's not a Prayer of Faith as it should be and as it 's called Jam. 5.15 4. In his Sacraments or Ordinances of Communion together with him In Baptism we may behold the Lamb of God that takes away the sins of the world John 1.29 And in the Supper we have to do with his Body and Blood and his Death shewed forth therein it being a Communion of his Body and Blood held forth there to be taken notice of by us and received of us 1 Cor. 10.16 and 11.26 And for and in all these it 's good to look to him 5. In the Unity of the Spirit with his people and in Fellowship with them in his House his Church his Temple those that have his Name upon them and with them Many people shall say Come ye and let us go up to the Mountain of the House of the Lord to the House of the God of Jacob and he will teach us of his Ways c. Isa 2.3 And Oh how good is it for Brethren to dwell together in unity for there the Lord commandeth the Blessing even life for evermore Psal 133.1.4 Thirdly Look we to him and upon him at all times Hear in season and out of season for that 's implied in that the Word is to be Preached in season and out of season 2 Tim. 4.2 for there is no Preaching but to some hearers meditate on him as set forth in it night and day Psal 1.2 whether literally understood for so David Seven times a day will I praise thee Psal 119.164 Consider my meditation in the morning will I direct it unto thee and will look Psal 5.1 3. And Mine eyes prevented the night watches that I might meditate in thy Word Psal 119.148 Or Metaphorically for times of Prosperity and Adversity when we are merry beholding his Goodness set forth in his Word or proved in his Works The Word of Christ dwelling in us will lead us to sing Psalms and when sad and heavy then considering in the day of Adversity him that is able to help us Pray Col 3.16 with James 5.13 Eccles 7.14 Yea that we may Bless him at all times and his praise be continually in our mouth it 's needful that the thought of Him and his Name and so the Consideration and Contemplation of him be always habitually in our hearts That out of the abundance of the heart the mouth may speak and we may out of the good treasure there bring forth good things Psal 34.1 2. and 145.1 2. Mat. 12.34 35. 4. With all earnestness and serious diligence even with the whole heart as Psal 119 10. Jer. 29.13 for this is not a matter of sport and divertisement only from some weightier matters but the main and chief thing of all our whole lives Matth. 6.33 The one thing needful or necessary Luc. 10.42 to be looking up to and upon the Lord Jesus therefore the one thing desired by David to dwell in his House that he might behold the fair beauty of the Lord as was noted before Psal 27.4 The things of greatest moment depending hereupon as to say 1. The deliverance of our Souls from the stings and venome of the old Serpent even from sin and death spiritual death and guilt and filth now and everlasting curse and misery hereafter And is this a thing to be trifled