1.7 8. 2 Tim. 4.1 Secondly For expressions about the Text. In the verse before the Son of Man is said to be He that Descended and came down from Heaven and Ascended up into Heaven and is in Heaven But none hath done so and is so but Jesus Christ Yea and in the very next verse it appears that He who is here called the Son of Man is there called The only begotten Son of God For whereas it is here said That the Son of Man must be lifted up that whosoever believeth on him might not perish but have eternal life It follows in the next verse as the reason hereof For God so loved the World that he gave his only begotten Son that whosoever believeth on him should not perish but have everlasting life Now certain it is That God hath not designed two distinct objects of Faith or two distinct Saviours to be believed on and to be the givers of Eternal life but only one and that is his Son our Lord Jesus Christ there being Salvation in no other nor any other name given under Heaven whereby we must be saved Act. 4.11 12. They are then the same the Son of Man And the only begotten Son of God The only begotten Son of God therefore is the Son of Man that 's the Person here meant of and called so 2. But then the reason why he is called or rather calls himself so is worthy to be inquired into and considered For we do not find the Evangelists or Apostles any where so to call him when they speak of him but they usually call him Jesus or Jesus of Nazareth Mark 10.47 16.6 Luk. 24.19 Act. 2.22 Or the Lord Jesus Luk. 24.3 Act. 1.21 4.33 Or simply the Lord. Luk. 7.31 11.39 Or Jesus Christ Mat. 1.18 Mark 1.1 John 1.17 Or Jesus which is called the Christ Mat. 1.16 Or Christ the Son of the living God Mat. 16.16 Or The Lord Jesus Christ Acts 15.11 26. But he often and usually speaking of himself calls himself the Son of Man as is easie to observe in reading the Evangelists Now the reason of this may be manifold as Reason 1. That he calls himself the Son of Man might be to shew us and set us an example of his Humility and to instruct us how to withstand and be kept free from temptations to pride and high-mindedness to which Sathan is ready to tempt us from the consideration of any priviledges or more excellent endowments bestowed upon us It is an evident thing that we are very prone to lift up our selves in the view or conceit of any thing almost either inward or outward wherein we differ from so as to appear better therein then others If it be but a better suite of Apparel or Hair or Stature or Beauty or Strength or Estate or Birth we are apt to know our selves by them and to think so much the goodlier of our selves and carry our selves above or loftily towards others that are or appear inferiour to us in such things how much more if we be more honoured or honourable be in greater office or place among men have better gifts or parts Yea the very works of righteousness wrought by us or the Revelations of Mysteries and great things to us reflected on by us are apt to puff us up as is implyed both in the pride of the Pharisees trusting in themselves that they were righteous and despising others Luk. 18.9 And that admonition given to the believing Gentiles Not to be high-minded but fear When they consider Gods goodness to them and their better state then that of the unbelieving and in part rejected Jews Rom. 11.21 22. and by what the Apostle saith of himself viz. Least through the abundance of Revelations given him he should be exalted above measure there was given him a thorn in the Flesh c. 2 Cor. 12.3 Now as God out of faithfulness to and care of the Prophet Ezekiel to prevent his being lifted up when he had seen the Visions of the glory of God the God of Israel Chap. 1. 3. 8. 10. c And the Visions of the re-edification of the Church and Temple of God and of the New Jerusalem alwaies I think in his speaking to him calls him Son of Man as is to be seen in Chap. 2.1 3 6 8 3 1 3 4 10 17 25. c. Yea it s used in that Prophecy in Gods speaking to that Prophet at least ninety times whereas its never used to any of the Prophets else except once to Daniel who also had diverse great Visions of things to come shewed to him Dan. 8.17 Even as for the like cause or reason namely to prevent his being exalted above measure through the abundance of the Revelations given him he gave the Apostle Paul a thorn in the flesh a messenger of Satan to buffet him 2 Cor. 12. â— 8. That title the Son of Man having in it a signification of an earthy and low extract and used often by way of abasing and diminishing persons to whom it is applied As Job 25.6 Man that is a Worm and the Son of Man that is a Worm And in Isa 51.12 The Son of Man that shall be made as grass So also our Lord Jesus who was in the nature of Man taken up into and priviledged with the highest honour and excellency of State that ever man was far above all the Prophets Priests and Princes of the Earth being as none of them were taken into unity of Person with the Eternal Word and therein made the Son of God the only begotten Son the chosen and appointed one of God to be the Saviour of the World the Saviour of sinners from Sin and from the power of Death and Devil as none ever else was or could be Yea and being indued with such power and authority to do great Miracles and Wonders and doing them also such as never any before him did Yea both so speaking and speaking such things Joh. 7.46 15.22 and doing such works and therein being of that wonderful benefit and advantage to the World as never any beside mighty occasions for Sathan to find matter for tempting to pride and high-mindedness and to carry himself loftily above all others He to shew his humility and lowliness of mind and heart in the greatness of his honour and these manifold occasions of temptation to high-mindedness stiles himself as God stiled that Prophet to keep him low and humble as the greatness of Christs humility was also shewed in his being so the Son of Man Not that Christ had as man that corruption of Nature in him as Ezekiel Daniel and other holy men had that he should need to use such expressions to keep down that corruption from working in him as they and we need to have it kept down and mortified For he knew no sin though he was made in the likeness of sinful flesh 2 Cor. 5.21 Rom. 8.3 He was the spotless Lamb in whom there was no blemish 1
all the goodliness of man is like the Flower of the Grass the Grass withereth and the Flower fadeth but the Word of the Lord even that word that in the Gospel is Preached to us the Word made Flesh abideth for ever That we might only look to and believe on him Isa 41.29 with 42.1 2 3 4 8. and 40.6 7. Acts 4.10 11 12 1 Pet. 1.24 25. 11. With this Doctrine and Exaltation of the Son of man therein is also the Presence and Power of the Holy Spirit whose Word it is and whose work and business it is to Lift up this Standard in and by all Means and Mediums for Working and Begetting Confirming and Strengthening Increasing and Giving growth to this Faith or Belief on the Son of man He I say is present in and with it to make it Powerful and Effectual to in and upon the Heart of the Hearer that in hearing he might believe and live That he in hearing opening the Mouth to take in this Word of Faith he might strengthen and cause the Soul to Eat and feed upon Christ held forth therein EZek. 3.1 2. Whence it is called The Ministration of the Spirit and the Words of Christ said to be Spirit and Life because of the Spirit Ministred therein and there-with which Spirit quickneth and giveth Life whence also it is a Ministration of Righteousness and Life 2 Cor. 3.6 8 9. John 6.63 The Spirit is Ministred not in the works of the Law but by the hearing of Faith Gal. 3.2 In the lifting up of the Son of man or report given in the Gospel of and concerning him is the Arm of the Lord revealed Isa 53.1 And this Spirit being the Arm of the Lord must needs be powerful for all that it is given or put forth to either for begetting preserving strengthening or increasing this Faith or believing on the Son of man Whence it is also called the Spirit of Faith We having the same spirit of Faith we also believe and therefore we speak knowing that he that raised up the Lord Jesus will also raise us up by him 2 Cor. 4.13 14. And God hath not given us the spirit of Fear but of Power and Love and of a sound mind 2 Tim. 1.7 As implying that it is the Effect and Fruit of the holy Spirit working in and received by men that they believe and stand strongly and stedfastly in the Faith though under Temptations and Oppositions to the contrary Whence it also follows as a further Conclusion Conclusion 4. That the lifting up of the Son of man in the sense aforesaid viz. the Magnifying and Exalting him in the view of men is the proper and effectual means though not for putting any thing into Christ for us more then God hath put into him and upon him in his real Exalting and Lifting him up in his Person for in that respect he is compleat and perfect before the Preaching and Testifying of him The preparation for the poor was perfect before God gave the word and raised up the multitude of Preachers Psal 68.10 11. Even as the Serpent was perfect in it self as to what Moses was to make it before he set it up on the Pole Yet for the conveying Grace and Blessing to men and putting his Salvation and Life Eternal into them This in part was spoken to and its truth shewed in what was said above to the way of Christs saving the Believer from perishing from the way And in what we said of the Believers receiving and having Eternal life yet something we shall further here note And so I say this way of Exalting though it puts nothing into Christ but only ascribes and attributes to him what is in him yet it brings something into men even of Gods salvation to preserve them from perishing from the way of Life and Righteousness and so from the second Death in the Conclusion and of the Eternal life that is given us in him And this may be further Evidenced and Confirmed from the Titles given to the Gospel as that it s called the Word of Reconciliation 2 Cor. 5.19 The Gospel of Peace Ephes 6.15 The Gospel of our Salvation Ephes 1.13 The Word of Life Phil. 2.16 The Word of Righteousness Heb. 5.13 Yea The Words of Eternal life John 6.68 Which Names are given to it not only because it declares what God hath done in Christ for Reconciling us to himself and making Peace Or what Peace and Peaceableness is in the Heart of God towards us or what salvation righteousness and life are given us in him but also because it is it self the way Medium or power of God for reconciling the hearts of men to himself and creating peace in them Isa 57.17 and of saving quickning and giving life Num. 1.16 James 1.21 1 Cor. 15.2 Psal 119.93 Isa 55.3 c. Let us view the effects and fruits produced thereby in Men. 1. Therein and thereby Christ gives forth his voice and divine light to declare and discover to Men where and what they are what case and state they are in and where their safety lies and which way they may attain it Yea what not that may be useful for Men to see and know for saving them from the powers of darkness and what ignorance and error expose them to Thus as Christ is called the Light of the World so his word that declares and lifts him up is a light too a light to our feet and a lanthorn to our steps Psal 119.105 Whatsoever makes manifest is light Eph. 5.13 and this word manifests God and Christ Sin and Righteousness Life and Death and all things and therein also is the voice of God and Christ calling to us to awaken and stand up from the dead that Christ may give us light that so our feet may be directed into the ways of peace Ephes 5.13 14. yea this makes the Preachers of and walkers in it Lights too to Men as the Baptist who bare witness to Christ as the Lamb of God that takes away the sins of the World and lifted him up as the true light the Christ preferring him before him as one who was before him was therein a burning and a shining light Joh. 1.6 7 8 9 28 29. 5.32 33. And the Apostles whose work it was to witness to and preach forth Christ and his excellencies were called the light of the World and were sent forth to open mens eyes by their word and turn them from darkness to light Matth. 5.16 Act. 26.18 For with this voice and light in the exalting of Christ is given forth 2. A certain divine force power and operation of and by the spirit to inliven quicken and so indue the hearer and receiver thereof with a capacity 1. Of seeing and discerning the light and hearing the voice of the Lord discovering and directing into the way of peace and safety and so saving from the way of errour and deceit that leades to destruction thence the light of Christ which he gives
and man Luc. 2.7 28 52. Yea and though through the operation of the Holy Ghost He was conceived and brought forth without any stain of sin in his Flesh yet He was born with a fore-skin thereon so as He was capable of receiving Circumcision as well in afterward He passed through Baptisme and that too not only of Water but also of fire or afflictions in manifold sorrows sufferings and Death not otherwise agreeable to the Divine and Almighty Word which yet was so made and manifest in that Flesh as to render those sufferings and that Death a full and all-sufficient Sacrifice and expiation for the sins of the World Yea that Heavenly Word in and through the Flesh so spake and so wrought as to procure and to produce the good of men not only in the instructing and healing them as there was need and He judged them meet or worthy thereof and they worthily complyed therewith but also so as to the Eternal salvation of all that duly entertain'd Him And me thinks there is a great analogy and resemblance between the conception and incarnation of that blessed Word and its manifestation in the Flesh and the Conception of Divine truth in the mind of man and its manifestation in word or writing though there is and may be much disagreement also therein Verily the truth of God cannot be comprehended in its fulness in and by the narrow finite mind of mortal man as well the truth of God as the peace of God doubtless passeth all understanding at least while mortal and till if that may be though a perfect union with it it 's advanced to its Divine and Inconceiveable largeness nor can what is there conceived and thence emitted or brought forth but he bounded by the model of the mind that receives and emits it and pertake in its expression of somewhat of its infirmities Yea oft-times it receives some mixtures of Sinfulness Ignorance and Mistakes or other Distempers from it in its being conceived worded or writ at least such coverings and superfluities as render a Circumcision by the Spirit of understanding or an understanding Spirit or a Baptism or Cleansing from the defilements mixed with it and a Remission of the sinfulness therein at the hands of God needful for it in which it differs from the word Incarnate of the Virgin for from her he received nothing of sin and therefore neither needed Circumcision nor Baptism for Remission of sins to admit him into Covenant and Acceptance with God Though both Circumcision and Baptism he received that he might fulfil all Righteousness But the Divine Testimony received into the sanctified Minds and expressed in the Preachings and Writings of the Holy Men of God the Apostles and Prophets bare and beareth a far fuller Analogy thereto then as in any other men it contracted nothing of sinfulness or uncleanness to it self as received and given forth by them from their receit of it or giving it forth And therefore in all the Prophecyings of other men though not to be despised we are to try all things and hold fast that that is good To try them not by comparing them with or bringing them to the Sayings Traditions reputedly Orthodox Doctrines Frames Systimes or Composure of other men of what ever party no though of the straitest Sect of Religion among a professed people of God but even their Sayings Traditions Doctrines Frames Systimes or Composures are all and every of them to be tried and judged of by the words and sayings of the holy Apostles and Prophets and wherein soever any of theirs or any mans Doctrine or Sayings disagree there-with they may and ought to be rejected of us But their Sayings are in all things to be Reverenced and Received without doubt or suspition as the Sayings of God as indeed they are though uttered and given forth by men And even as Christ though as Born of a Woman and as to his Flesh partaking of mans Infirmity yet had in him for all that even in that state the Power and Force of the Eternal Word so as that to them that received him he give heavenly Light Life Vnderstanding Strength and Freedom yea the Power and Priviledg to be the Sons of God even to them who believed on his Name And though his Flesh and Body might suffer Pain and be Abused and Crucified as indeed it was Yet his Deity or the blessed Word was not thereby impaired even so the Truth of God received and conceived in a pure Mind and good Conscience as in the holy Apostles and Prophets it most certainly and clearly was and thence brought forth to Light by Word or Writing with which it 's Clothed and as it were Imbodied though its form appearing according to the Model of the mind that conceives it and the Letter or Speech in which it is expressed may seem rude and plain as the Apostle Pauls Speech was by some said to be contemptible 2 Cor. 10.10 yea and may be exposed to diverse injuries or abuses Yet the Divine and Heavenly truth though in that Dress retains its Divine Nature and Worth True it is that its force towards others may by such Injuries be less apparent and they may therefore more slight and disregard it as Christ also by reason of his suffering Reproaches and Abuses was more slighted by many But yet where indeed minded and Imbraced it produceth singular and Divine effects in their Hearts and Lives by virtue of that Divine Nature and Spirit that is in and with it So as to Inlighten Instruct Reprove Convert Comfort Cleanse Sanctifie and Save them yea make them the Sons of God and in some measure like to God and in the end Blessed and Happy as on the other hand to those that Reject or Abuse it it occasions the greater Judgment and heavier Condemnation and so doth Christ also to them that stumble at and reject Him and his Government Wherefore the Heavenly Truth is not to be Judged by or Valued according to its outward Dress and Clothing nor according to the Man and his Meanness through whom it comes and in and by whom it is as it were Imbodied But it is to be received according to its Divine Original and to be made much of according to its excellent Virtues and Effects though no mans Saying or Writing is further the Truth of God and Divine then it is of God and is purely emitted from a pure Mind Thou must apply this Analogy fully and properly as is said to the Word and Preaching of the holy Apostles and Prophets and to other Mens only so far as one with and agreeable thereto and so far thou mayst apply it to this Discourse presented here to thee Christ lifted up as the Brazen Serpent was by Moses in the Wilderness is of only and unspeakable Vsefulness and Virtue for the saving the Souls of those that View and Believe on him from Sin and Destruction And for fitting them by Regeneration for and Advancing them by his Divine
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
he pleaseth to be Apostles Prophets or otherwise useful for perfecting the Saints for the work of the Ministry and for the edifying the body of Christ till we all come in the unity of the faith and of the acknowledgment of the Son of God unto a perfect man to the measure of the stature of the age of Christ Eph. 4.8 11 12 13. Col. 2.3.9 That it is He that hath prevailed to open the book in the right hand of God and unâ—rose the seals and discover and declare the hidden Wisdom and secret Mysteries contained therein Rev. 5.1 6. The great Apostle faiâ—hful in all things to him that appointed him as Moses in all his house accounted worthy of more honor then Moses to be more acquainted and intimate with God even as his Son in his bosome and so fullier furnished for declaring his Glory and glorious grace and good-will and more faithful even as a son in his own house built by himself Whereas Moses was faithful but as a servant therein Wherefore as the Holy Ghost also saith to day if ye will hear his voice even his that is Gods own Son the heir of all things by whom also he made the worlds his who is the express character of his Fathers person and the brightness of his glory giving forth the fullest and brightest discovery of God and of his holy mind and will and speaking to us from heaven harden not your hearts c. Heb. 3.1 2 3 4 7. with 1.3 12.25 Secondly As the Priest in and High Priest over the house of God the most authorized and consecrated person consecrated with the Word of Gods Oath and after the power of an endless life by a sacrifice once offered for ever and that never needs to be iterated made a Priest for ever after the order of Melchisedeck an everlasting Priest in the vertues of his once endured Death for us and therefore able to save to the utmost all that come to God by him seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them Heb. 7.25 A Priest upon the throne and so both a King and Priest the true Melchisedeck being both King of Righteousness and after that King of Peace working performing and commanding righteousnes and so commanding and prevailingly making and giving Peace far greater then Aaron Levi or Abraham Such a Priest as we needed and it behoved us to have being holy harmless undefiled and separated from sinners and made higher then the heavens Heb. 7.1.26 â—7 A great High Priest entred into the heavens even into Heaven it self by a greater and more perfect Tabernacle and by vertue not of the bloud of others as Aaron did into the figure of the heavens onely but of his own precious bloud and sacrifice Where he now appears in the presence of God for us having obtained eternal redemption Heb. 4.14 9.11 12 24. A faithful High Priest and therefore made like is brethren in all things that he might be so to make atonement and reconciliation for the people and to succour and help the tempted Heb. 2.17 18. To which end also he is both perfectly furnished with knowledge of our cases and conditions by reason both of his exceeding quickness and powerfulness as the VVord of God for searching into all things and piercing even to the dividing asunder the soul and spirit and of the joynts and marrow being a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart So as there is not any creature that is not manifested in his sight but all things are naked and opened as things anatomized and laid perfectly before his view Heb. 4.12 13. The Spirit that rests upon him making him quick of understanding Isa 11.2 3 4. And also as having had an experimental feeling of our infirmities and temptations as man in himself having himself suffered and been tempted yea tempted in all points like to us yet without sin and so the more acceptable and prevalent in his mediating and interceding with God for us And also perfectly merciful and compassionate towards us ready to plead for us and help us Heb. 2.17 18. with 4.15 5.1 2. So as we have great ground of encouragement from this consideration of his Priesthood and its perfection and his fitness by the vertues of his Sacrifice to make the worshippers of and comers to him and to God by him perfect to draw nigh and come with boldness to the throne of grace with true hearts and full assurance of faith to ask and receive grace and mercy to help us seasonably in all our trials and temptations Heb. 4.14 16. 9.14 10.19 22. Thirdly As a King he is set forth as furnished with the most sovereign Authority over all creatures in heaven earth and under the earth all things being put under him and the Throne and power of God given him in the manhood So as also to be every way accomplished to be the Law-giver Saviour and Judge He being indued also with all the fulness of the Spirit of counsel and might which resting upon him renders him both infinitely quick in understanding in the fear of the Lord and perfect in Righteousness in all his Government and the exercise of it Girded up in his loyns with righteousness and in his reins even in all his thoughts purposes and desires from whence issue all his words and motions for action with faithfulness Isa 11.2 3 4 5. Having a white horse under him as supported by his own Righteousness or as riding on the Heavens and having them at his command for the help of his subjects and riding swiftly and prosperously in all his Government Deut. 33.26 27. being called faithful and true and in righteousness judging and making war His eyes as a flame of fire discovering and trying all things And on his head are many Crowns Either as denoting his superlative Power or Jurisdiction over the many Countreys brought into an acknowledgment of him yea Kings and Kingdoms Or the many great Victories gotten by him over his enemies whether evil spirits or evil men engaging themselves against him and gotten by his truth against errour and impiety Or also the many praises ascribed to him And he hath a name Dignity Title Power which none knoweth but himself as signifying that he is exalted above all blessing and praise Neh. 9.5 and that none can set forth all his praises Ps 106.2 And he is clothed in a vesture dipt in bloud either because all his appearance in his Government to the spiritual eye is such as in which is manifested the vertue of his most precious Bloud Sufferings and Sacrifice for us Or because it represents the overthrow of his and our enemies And his name is called the Word of God as being the great speaker forth and Interpreter of the knowledge of God to us And he hath a sword that goeth out of his mouth A sharp cutting word full of killing convincing efficacy to all that stands cross to him which is therefore said to go out
also the glory of God even of the Father the God and Father of glory is gloriously and brightly displayed both as to his glorious power in supporting Christ under all his sufferings and in raising him from the dead and setting him at his right hand and in treading down in and by him the power and strength of the adversary and triumphing gloriously over him His glorious and most excellent wisdome in devising and bringing about this glorious work to the bafling of the wit and policy of Sathan yea the Gospel is the revelation oâ— the mystery of God wherein are hid all the treasures of wisdome and knowledg and whereinto the wisest and most intelligent Angels desire to pry manifesting God to be the only wise God Rom. 16.25 27.1 Pâ—t 1.12 Col. 2.2 3. Yea and his glorious Holiness too is discovered in his condemning our sin in the flesh of hâ—s Son so as not sparing him as being made a Sacrifice and Ransome for us though his only begotten and through him revealing his wrath from Heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men that withhold the truth in unrighteousness a most dreadful punishment and endless destruction being herein declared as appointed for the refusers of his blessed Son the glory also of his truth and righteousness in not failing to perform the promises made to the Fathers of his raising up such a Saviour for us and bringing in by him grace and blessing to us which rather than he would fail to make good He made his only Son to be flesh and blood yea sin and a curse for us The glory of his greatness that could not accept any sacrifice as satisfactory to his Justice though of all the Bullocks upon a thousand Mountains or whatever else might be proposed or offered less then the Sacrifice of his only begotten Son as able to make Peace and Atonement with Him for us as also in that such great and glorious things are there-through prepared of Him for us and preached to us even his glorious and everlasting Kingdom with all its glorious contents and enjoyments in all which his work appears wonderfully great honourable and glorious and in all this the wonderful glory of his grace mercy and love is manifested to us both the grace of the Father in his exceeding love and charity towards us in the gift of his Son for us when we were become so sinful and such enemies to him and so unworthy of love and mercy from him as cannot be expressed and of our Lord Jesus Christ in condescending to such a low abasement and such unspeakable sufferings for our sakes to keep us from perishing in our sins and miseries and that he might prepare us for and bring us to everlasting life and happiness whereof also a very great discovery is made to us in the Gospel though no words can express all that is therein comprehended and to be enjoyed by us A glorious Doctrine indeed that hath such glorious contents or discovers such glorious things and that too to such a glorious end as the bringing us back to God and so to his Eternal glory to which he herein calls us by Jesus Christ 1 Pet. 5.10 2 Thes 2.14 and for the preparing us for and bringing us to which it is filled with such excellent vertue and gracious efficacy as renders it worthy to be called also the Gospel of the grace of God forasmuch as therewith the grace and spirit of God is ministred also as is shewed in the foregoing Conclusions and as is said in 2 Cor. 3.6 7 8. where the Apostle also asserts it to be far more glorious as well as far more gracious than the Law of Moses being such as by representing the great grace of God gives great liberty and boldness to all that entertain it yea and represents therein the glory of God after such a wonderful attractive manner as is able to change the beholders thereof into its likeness from glory to glory as by the spirit of his Majesty ver 16 17 18. Yea in a word as is foreshewed its gloriously powerful to draw the Soul to and keep it with Jesus Christ to believe on and love and cleave to him to the delivering it from sin and death and giving to it Eternal Life yea all things pertaining to life and godliness are administred to us through this knowledge 2 Pet. 1.3 4. as hath been already more largely evidenced and therefore we may further infer from hence divers things with reference to the excellency of this glorious Gospel as Infer 1. That its a great and wonderful mercy of God to any Person or People to bring this blessed Doctrine in the openness and plainness thereof to them and to lift up the Son of Man therein to and before them and to continue it with them a mercy to be received with all acceptation and thankfulness and with all diligence and care to be improved so as to render to God for it fruits suitable and answerable to it in all sobriety and humbleness of mind in our selves as being in and for all things infinitely indebted to his grace without which we are nothing nor could have done any thing to preserve us from perishing and in all righteousness toward men and holiness and godliness towards the Lord who hath shewed such light and mercy to us this is that mercy of which the Apostle speaks when He saith That the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy as it is written for this cause will I give thanks to thee among the Gentiles and sing unto thy Name Rom. 15.9 For when this Gospel comes and is given to a Person Family or People God is therein granting them repentance even of all former sins and disobediences against all former means and mercies unto life as St. Peter said to the Brethren of the Circumcision Act. 11.18 discovering good ground and reason for it and affording power and motive to it in the name of Christ yea and a door of Faith too is therein opened for their coming in to and actually and distinctly believing on Christ Acts 14.27 That thereby they may come and be made of the same Fold with other distinct Believers fellow Citizens with the Saints and of the Houshold of God A People no more at a remote distance from him but near to him even of the same Body with other Forebelievers and partakers of the promises in Christ even of the choicest Favours and Priviledges of the Saints promised to and covenanted with Abraham Isaac and Jacob and all the holy Ones Yea to be Built upon the Foundation of the Apostles and Prophets and to be joyned to the Saints by the same precious Corner Stone Jesus Christ and so to become in the Unity of the Spirit with them an holy Temple and an habitation for God by his Spirit Ephes 2.13 14 19 20 21 22. and 3.5 6. And so to be of the Royal Priesthood the Chosen or elect Generation the holy Nation the peculiar People
1 Pet. 2.9 I do not say that all that hear the Gospel are made so but I say they have the Door opened to them that in Hearing and Believing they might be made so Yea when this Gospel is brought to a Person Family or People Salvation it self comes therein to them and life even Eternal life As it was said to Zaccheus Luke 19.9 This day is salvation come to thy house For the Gospel is the Power of God to salvation to every one that believeth for which believing also God therein opens the Door and Ministers Grace as is before shewed Rom. 1.16 And therefore also it is sometime called as the Word of salvation Acts 13.26 So also the Salvation of God Acts 28.28 Be it known unto you that the salvation of God is sent unto the Gentiles and they will hear it And How shall we escape if we neglect so great salvation which began to be published by the Lord himself c. Heb. 2.3 For as God is discovering and setting before us to move to Repentance and quicken to Life the great Salvation Redemption and Deliverance from under the first Death and Judgment so as that none shall perish therein and upon that account mearly Rom. 5.10 That none might keep themselves out from hoping in and coming to God because their first Fathers sinned and they inherit their guilt and filth without remedy And also that Power and Readiness in God and Christ upon the account of his perfect Obedience Sacrifice and Righteousness to save or deliver the Believers from the Guilt of new sins fore contracted in and by our personal disobediences during the time past of Gods forbearance though committed against former and other lesser manifestations of God and of his Power and Goodness Will and Commandment as in the Works of Creation continued and his Providences mercifully ordered and especially in the Dispensation of the Law and Prophets that none might Pine away in the conscience of such sins and be kept out thereby from believing and hoping in God and in that hope Worshipping him and to accept them graciously and justifie them freely from all things from which they might not otherwise no not by the Law of Moses be justified and so to save and preserve them from the Wrath to come and from the snares of Sin and Satan which lead thereto So also in the Preaching and making known this great Grace he is saving the Receiver of it who closeth not his Eye nor stops his Ears against but obeys its discoveries from the power of Satan and Darkness and Translates him into the Kingdom of his dear Son and preserves him unto everlasting Life as is before shewed This is the Medium and Instrument whereby he effects this Salvation in and upon men yea even those who by former and lower Dispensations of the knowledg of God are wrought upon so as they do there-through Fear God and work Righteousness as they that by Nature or without outward verbal Instruction do the things contained in the Law their Vncircumcision shall be counted Circumcision That is they shall through Christ though not distinctly known be accepted of God Rom. 2.26 Yet they by the coming of the greater Means the more open revelation of the Gospel of Christ in its distinct and clear sound may be and are in receiving it saved by it that is they are delivered from former Ignorances Mistakes Fears Griefs and Dangers which the lesser means of Light sufficed not to remove So we find that Cornelius though an Angel of God testified to him that his Prayers and Alms were accepted of God and by the Spirit in the Scriptures he is recorded to have been a Godly or as we render it a Devout man one that feared God and gave much Alms to the People and Prayed to God continually Yet was directed to send for Peter that he and the other Gentiles with him might hear the word of the Gospel by him and believe and be saved for so it is said He shall speak words to thee by which thou shalt be saved and all thine house Acts 11.14 with 10.1 2 3 4. and 15.7 So that Salvation both to those who never before rightly understood closed with or obeyed any other means of knowledg and of the Fear of God vouchsafed to them as appears not that any other of Cornelius Kindred did however its evident of the Jaylor Acts 16.28 29. and of some of the Corinthians being Fornicators Idolaters c. 1 Cor. 6.9 10 11. And to those also who under and by former and lesser means are wrought upon and in complying with God in them are accepted of him is the effect of the Gospel And they have a great and wonderful mercy afforded them who have the clear lifting up of the Son of man vouchsafed them that is to say the Word of the Gospel of Christ It being a fuller saving Manifestation and a more quickning Word and Discovery as now in the fulness of it come forth since the Resurrection and Ascension of Christ then by any other way of Gods bearing Witness to himself as he left not himself without Witness to the Gentiles in times past when he suffered them to walk in their own ways and they had not the Scriptures or plain Gospel-preaching Acts 14.17 Yea or then in the Prophets or Johns Ministration which Ministration of John Cornelius is said to have known though he was not thereby made a Circumcised Proselite Acts 10.36 37 was afforded For this Doctrine is also called the Word of Life not only as most plainly discovering Life given us from the Dead through the Death and Resurrection of Christ but also as infusing a spiritual Life into the receiver thereof begetting him to a lively hope as is said 1 Pet. 1.3 And to be a kind of first-fruits of his Creatures as Jam. 1.18 Whence that Exhortation ver 19. Let every man be swift to hear Yea and the Wisdom of God thence exhorts Lay fast hold of Instruction and let it not go keep her for she is thy life Prov. 4.13 And the Words of Christ are said to be Spirit and Life John 6.63 Yea Eternal Life For so Christ himself said I know that his Commandment namely which I speak is everlasting Life John 12.49 50. So Christ knew it whether others know so or believe that his Knowledg was right or not Thence also the Jews putting away this Word of God are said to have judged themselves unworthy of Eternal life Acts 13.46 And must it not needs be so when the Holy Ghost tells us that Christ himself is herein offered or given to men to be Gods salvation to them as in the very next Verse the Apostle implies when having told the Jews that they would turn to the Gentiles he adds For so hath the Lord commanded us saying I have given thee for a Light to the Gentiles that thou mightest be for salvation or as in Isa 49.6 My salvation to the ends of the Earth vers 47.
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
Palaces wherewith they have made him glad Psal 45.8 And we find his Spouse clothed and adorned by him and for him too in Ezek. 10 11 12 13. and in Rev. 19.7 8. But of these things I shall not speak more largely III. We have seen the perfections of man Let us a little as we may view also those of the Angels He is also called the Angel of the Covenant Angel is in English a Messenger and therefore so translated in our later Editions of the Bible in Mal. 3.1 The Angel of Gods presence that saved Israel Isa 63.9 And that redeemed Jacob out of all evil and had power of blessing Gen. 48.16 And surely He is the highest and best Messenger or Angel that was ever sent of God being his only Son Nor can we find any excellency in the Angels in which he doth not out-strip them They are said to excel in strength doing Gods commandments Psal 107.20 but they excel not nor equalize him in either They cannot uphold all things by the Word of their Power as He doth Heb. 1.3 Nor could they stand under the weight of our sins as He did 1 Pet. 2.24 Therefore they give him the preheminence and judge him only Worthy to receive the Power Riches Wisdom and Strength Honour Glory and Blessing Rev. 5.12 Nor do they Gods Commandments like or equally to him who obeyed to the death the Death of the Cross laying down his life at his Fathers commandement and delighting to do his will therein so as to bear and take away our sins by the sacrifice of himself Philip. 2.8 Joh. 10.18 Heb. 9.26 and 10.5 6. Psal 40.48 Joh. 14.31 They are also intelligent and understanding spirits great in knowledge and excellent in speech 1 Cor. 13.1 yet far short of him for God hath found folly in them saith Job 4.18 but Christ is the wisdom of God 1 Cor. 1.24 knowing his Father whom none else so knows Matth. 11.27 and grace is poured into his lips so as God hath blessed him for ever Psal 45.2 They are also great in power especially such of them as are called Principalities and Powers Eph. 1.20 21. but not equal with Christ to whom all of them are commanded to give worship He hath obtained a far more excellent name by inheritance then they as may be seen Heb. 1.5 6. to the end They are indeed Spirits but ministring Spirits to him He is the Lord that Spirit the quickning Spirit so as none of them are 2 Cor. 3.16 17. 1 Cor. 15.45 So that in him are all the perfections and more then all the perfections of Creatures Yea CHAP. XXII Secondly That in Christ are all things Answering the Needs of Fallen man all things that pertain both to Life and Godliness AGain he is and in him are all things answering the Needs of his fallen Creatures of Mankind All things pertaining to Life and Godliness and they are given us in the knowledg of him 2 Pet. 1.3 Let us view that in either Branch First All things pertaining to Life he is and are in him for us And that both as 1. Necessary to the Being and Upholding of it not only as by his Death and Sacrifice we are and this Old World for us is upholden so as that we may subsist and Live as it were from Death or the state thereof which we were Obnoxious to under a comfortable Injoyment of a natural Life and Being and have therein opportunities of seeking the Lord Psal 73.3 Acts 17.26 27. But also in reference to a Spiritual life and happy being in and from him And so whereas First It 's necessary to our so Living that we be Begotten from the Dead to live to God he is the Begetter of men thereto the everlasting Father Isa 9.6 Who Begets in his own likenes as Adam did in his but far better Children because Adam Begat none till he was fallen into Sin and Misery whereas Christ Begets as one acquit of sin and raised from Death in and unto Righteousness and Life an holy Seed a blessed off-spring Children of Light and heirs of Life everlasting Yea he is the very Seed of Regeneration as held forth in his Testimony by the holy Spirit the Immortal Seed whereof the Sons of God are Begotten the Word preached in the Gospel 1 Pet. 1.23 24 25. And as he himself is the first Begotten from the Dead so by his Resurrection from the Dead he Begets from Death and quickens to a Lively hope 1 Pet. 1.3 with Ephes 2.1 Col. 2.12 John 5.21 25. And this as to the Soul here as he will also by his powerful Voice quicken the Dead in Body to Life again at his Coming being the quickning Spirit John 5.28 29. 1 Cor. 15.45 And in both respects the Resurrection and the Life John 11.25 Yea and he gives Power to others and makes them Instruments to Beget Children to God and to bring them forth for him too as in 1 Cor. 4.15 The Apostle tells the Corinthians he was their Father for in the Gospel he had Begot them yet so as in Christ Jesus there is none can Beget Children to God but in him and his Virtue And as they are the Fruit of the travail of his Soul Isa 53.10 So in and from him others are instrumental Mothers to Travail in Birth with them also Gal. 4.19 2. The Children Born must be Nursed up and he is the prime in Nursing what he Begets and brings forth for he can no more forget them then no nor so much as a Mother her sucking Child Isa 49.14 15. He nourishes them principally though he makes his Servants Instruments of Nursing them up too with the sincere Milk of his Word which he also primarily is as more understandibly discovered to the weak in his heavenly Doctrin 1 Pet. 2.2 Isa 55.13 Heb. 5.13 Yea and he comforts his Children as one whom his Mother comforts Isa 66.13 And surely its by manifesting himself to them that he gives them comfort John 14.16 17 21. And in this Nursing up and causing to live as the living Child must have So 1. He is the Bread and Water of Life John 6.35 and 4.10.14 his Flesh meat indeed and his Blood drink indeed And as the living Child needs clothing So 2. He is the Clothing and Apparrel For he as our Righteousness put on by us in believing on him and his Virtues as adorning us is our Raiment and Ornament too Whence that So many of us as have been Baptised into Christ have put on Christ Gal. 3.27 And Put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ Rom. 13.14 And he bids us Buy of him white Raiment that our Nakedness may be covered and that our shame may not appear Rev. 3.18 3. It must have harbour and Lodging And he is the Dwelling-place for his Children in all Generations Psal 90.1 Where is sweet Peace Rest and Safety Psal 4.8 and 91.1 He being a house of Stone a strong habitation to defend and save us from our Enemies Psal 31.4
believe on the Lord Jesus And to that end preached and held forth to him the Word of the Lord The Doctrine concerning him which contains according to his own expressions to the Corinthians 1 Cor. 15.3 4 the Doctrine of his Death Burial and Resurrection and so of those great Points of the Gospel wherein the Grace of God in Christ is set forth to us in minding and believing of which he was healed Act. 16.27 29 30 31 32. with 20.24 Gal. 1.6 Yea in looking to and minding this we shall be armed against all accusations of Sin Law or Sathan as in Rom. 8.32 33 34. Case 2. In case of a benummedness of our spirits through senslesness of our vileness in our selves or aptness to be puffed up with conceits of our wholeness or betterness then others and thence a carelesness to seek for health to our Souls the way to be convinced of our vileness and emptiness and so to be humbled and abased in our selves is to look to and upon Christ crucified and behold his Cross and Sufferings for us as set forth in the Gospel to us that that 's the best way to take down our pride and bring us to a sense of our wretchedness is implyed in that the Apostle tells us they judged all dead from ones having dyed for all The sight of our deadness and helplesness in our selves is best seen in that Glass that represents that Christ dyed for all and so for us 2 Cor. 5.14 Where also the sight of his grace in dying for us will cure our deadness quicken and put life into us so as to make us live so that that sight both kills and makes alive wounds and heals casteth us down in our selves and raiseth us up in Christ Crucifies us with Christ and yet makes us live in him and brings him in to live in us 1 Sam. 2.6 7. Gal. 2 20. and so the Exalting Preaching and witnessing to Christ both throws down the mountains and fills up the Vallies Isa 40.4 which was the work of the Baptist bearing witness to the Light and the effect wrought in them who beheld and looked to the Light witnessed to by him Luc. 3.4 5 6 16. with Joh. 1.6 7 8 15 23 c. Many that cannot by the law be convinced of their lostness in themselves and their need of Christ by reason that they are strict and zealous Observers and Performers of the Law in their apprehensions so as that upon that account they judg themselves righteous may and must be seen to be naturally wretched sinners and to have need of Christ in this that He dyed for them if they look upon and discern what is set before them therein yea therein they may see the utter undonness of their state upon any other account then only by his Death where together with the convincement of their being dead in themselves there is hope also presented to them that they may be saved by him Case 3. In case of temptations from our inabilities and insufficiencies to help our selves by freeing our selves from the defilement of our sins or getting victory over them or saving our selves out of the snares of sin and Sathan or working in our selves holiness and conformity to Christ so as may fit us for his Kingdom and glory our way is to look off from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and above our selves unto Jesus and consider him as the High-Priest and Apostle of our profession the Author and Finisher of the Faith what He hath undertaken with the Father for us How he is appointed and hath engaged to sanctify and wash his Church that is such as cleave to believe on and obey him and to bring forth Judgment into Victory subduing their Enemies and treading Sathan under their Feet And how faithful and powerful He is for performing his engagements This is the way I say to be helped against such temptations Heb. 2.17 18. and 3.1 2. And the like we may say for temptations from the consideration of his appearing slowness in performing his promises our finding no more deliverance from any sinful distempers and temptations to sin and from the oppressions of other enemies as Abraham was helped and Sarah also against temptations from Gods not making more hast to perform his promises by considering God's Power and Faithfulness Rom. 4.17 18 19. Heb. 11.11 12. Yea Case 4. Would we be delivered from the power of corruption and sin occasioning barrenness and temptation or otherwise prevailing over and polluting us This is our way to get freedom from and victory over them even the eying of Jesus the Son of Man for its the knowledge of the truth as it is in Jesus and which He himself is that makes free from the service of Sin Joh. 8.32 34 35 36. Eph. 4 20 21 22 23. and it 's the beholding his glory with open face as in a Glass in which we may be transformed into his Image and likeness from glory to glory as by his Spirit 2 Cor. 3.18 His Word and Faith it is that sanctifies Joh. 17.17 Act. 26.18 Case 5. In case of Persecutions or Chastisements from God or any troubles and afflictions here befalling us Look to Jesus the Author and Finisher of the Faith who for the Joy set before Him endured the Cross despised the shame and is now set down on the right hand of the Throne of God And this will preserve us from being weary of Gods chastisements or fainting under the contradiction of sinners partly while we there see how Christ suffered the like or greater for us and hath thereby taken away the evil and destructiveness of them from us and partly while we see how He is impowered and is faithful and compassionate to help us under them and bring us out of them He being as well the Finisher as the Author of the Faith and set down on the Throne of Majesty as one invested with the fulness of the power of God to help us and also appearing there to make Intercession for us Heb. 12.1 2 6. and 7 24 25. Rom. 8.34 Case 6. Would we see the odiousness of sin that we might abhor and beware of it Behold the Son of man suffering for it on our behalf see the Agonies Perplexities Shame Reproaches Death and Curse it brought upon Him There we may see Sin condemned in the Flesh Rom. 8.3 and 6.3 4. Having dyed to it there how should we again live in it should we not cease from that for which in Christ we have suffered in the flesh and must have suffered for it in our flesh even in our souls and bodies for our selves had not he suffered for it yea and must yet suffer for ever if through the sight of his Grace we turn not from it 1 Pet. 1.24 and 4.1 2. Case 7. Would we see the hainousness of neglecting Christ and the grace of God in him or of sinning against him after the knowledge of him received The way for it is to behold and mind
designs to do it hateth the light neither cometh to the light least his deeds should be reproved Joh. 3.19 20. and so we find the Scriptures every where assert that the cause of Mens destruction is their voluntary rejections of the remedy as in Psal 81.10 11 12 c. When God offered himself to Israel to be their God bidding them open their mouth wide and he would fill it their refusing him his advise and counsel not hearing his voice nor accepting him to be their helper but preferring others before him procured his leaving them to themselves and their Idols and then what but misery and destruction could befall them the like we see in Prov. 1.20 24 25. Wisdom addresses her self to all within and without the City or Church of God reproving their love of their simplicity scornfulness and folly and tendring her grace and spirit to them but they generally will not answer her calls and hear her counsels nor regard the stretching forth of her hands to relieve help or draw them in to her self but put away all her counsels and will none of her reproofs and therefore destruction comes upon them the like may be seen in Isa 66.3 4. Jer. 7.24 25 26. And the like we find our Saviour and his Apostles say of the cause and reason of mens perishing not to be any want of goodness or graciousness in God or want of provision in Christ or readiness in him to help them but mens own wilfulness in refusing and putting from them the grace and truth discovered of God in and by Christ to them for their salvation that they receive not the love of the truth that they may be saved believe not the truth but have pleasure in unrighteousness 2 Thes 2.10 11 12. That they stop the ear close or wink with the eye least they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears and understand with their hearts and be converted and he should heal them Matth. 13.14 15. Acts 28.20 27. Yea the very Heathens who had the least discoveries of God and his goodness and grace that through Christ he exerciseth towards and among men yet perish upon this account that they with-hold the truth in unrighteousness that when they know God they glorified him not as God nor were thankful but became vain in their imaginations and their foolish hearts were darkned that they liked not to have God in their knowledge and the like Rom. 1.18 21 28. 2. As to the equitableness and justness hereof what more just and equitable then that men who will not be saved should perish that they who refuse the most excellent remedy and compleat Medicine and way of healing which the most wise and gracious God in his most perfect understanding and heighth of love and affection hath devised and prepared for them dye of their wounds which through their own default and wickedness they have brought upon themselves Yea when God hath been at a great cost and charge to provide man a Saviour and prepare them help and shewed forth his great goodness therein for their happiness when He hath not spared his own Son but delivered him as made man the Son of man for our offences and raised him again for our Justification and therein and thereby hath saved men from perishing in the first Death into which they were fallen in and through Adam and therein cured that deadly wound given them at first by the Serpent and hath glorified him and filled him with his own infinite fulness of power spirit and all spiritual grace and blessing therein both impowering him and appointing him to raise all men out of the first death which he also will not fail to do and also providing in him all things by which he is furnished for calling and drawing them in to believe and in believing on him to preserve them from the second Death and to make them to live for ever being furnished with authority and fitness to cure all such stings of the old Serpent as might and would otherwise sting them to that second Death and all this without their knowledge motion or desire Yea and through him also and by him making known to us what he hath done and calling and counselling us to come to him and accept of his grace and salvation in and through him through whom also we live and move and have our beings and are made capable of hearing and coming at his call to him in whom we are so compleatly provided for that there is no defect or want of any thing needful for our salvation and everlasting well-being yea and that we might have both the greatest ground of assurance of finding help in him and the greatest ingagements upon all accounts to hearken to and comply with his counsels and yield our selves subject to his will and commandements he hath set before men both his alsufficiency as being the Son of God and God and his having in him all the fulness of God and also the greatness of the love both of the Father in not sparing him but giving him forth and preparing him through so great sufferings to be our Saviour and of the Son in sustaining them for our sakes that there-through he might be so perfected for us how should he not be provoked to great displeasure and so to leave us to dye and perish of our wounds if they or any of us after and notwithstanding all this refuse his calls and will not submit to him to be saved and be made happy for ever by him What man of us and especially what Prince or Nobleman if he be at great cost and labour to prepare either a feast to entertain or a Medicine to heal his poor neighbours likely otherwise to perish through want or diseases could take it well if after that they scorn his love and make light of his provision and yet such is the case of Mankind towards God as the parables in Matth. 22.1 14. and Luc. 14.17 24. shew And surely the offence is so much the greater and the more inexcusable and unpardonable in us men and lays open to the greater and deserves the more severe punishment then any can be deserved from or inflicted by the greatest or mightiest man by how much God is greater than man and more uningaged to us than man and by how much his provision and love therein and the tenders and proffers thereof to men exceed all that can be found in or from men So that God will certainly be just in his proceedings against men in his condemning them and will be justified in the eyes and sight of all his Creatures both Angels and men yea the condemned ones themselves when he is judged as is said Rom. 3.4 And there will be nothing found by men to plead for themselves or condemn him when he enters into Judgment with them not so much for that his power and greatness will bear them down as because of the exceeding great equity and righteousness that will
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
in and dallied with Is there any thing of so great danger to us as to dye of those wounds and to fall into everlasting misery and perdition and therefore is there any thing more seriously to be looked after then that we may escape it Would not men with the whole heart fly from the biting of Serpents or the devouring teeth of Lyons or Fire and Brimstone from Heaven as Lot did or the Earths opening its mouth as the People of Israel did when it swallowed up Dathan and Abiram Oh how should these worse destructions of the Soul be much more heartily fled from Would we be in earnest or dally and trifle when labouring of the Gout or Stone or Strangury we look out for deliverance from them And shall we not much more seriously look for deliverance from Hell and destruction eternal wrath and everlasting burnings which are infinitely worse and not to be avoided but by looking diligently that we fail not of Gods grace Heb. 12.15 2. The fitting us for any or all acceptable service to God and profit to men we cannot serve him acceptably please him and profit others till looking to Jesus we receive grace and fitness And is it nothing to please God Seeing thence also flows 3. The attaining to that perfectly healthy state of Soul and Body too in the Resurrection in which we shall have the greatest and fullest happiness and that for ever Fulness of joy in Gods presence and pleasures at his right hand for evermore Psal 16.11 Will men trifle in seeking health and life much more in offers made of Crowns and Kingdomes with all the confluence of riches honours and delights therein I trow not and if they that strive for Masteries that they might get corruptible Crowns wreaths of honour much more Crowns of Gold and Kingdomes would be temperate in all things and endure all kind of hardships and labours for them how much more ought we to be diligent and do and endure all things for an incorruptible Crown of such infinite worth and value 1 Cor. 9.25 26 27. I read of Socrates Aul. Gell. Noct. Attic. lib. 2. cap. 1. a Heathen Philosopher that he would endure to stand a whole Day and Night together in a fixed posture looking up to Heaven without so much as moving his foot or winking with his eye though yet he had no such sight before him as the Gospel discovers to us Oh that we may not be so effeminate and impatient of trouble and labour as to let every or any thing divert or turn us away from looking unto and upon Christ crucified for us which leads to the last particular viz. Let us look to him 5. With patient continuance and perseverance for it s He that continueth looking into the perfect Law of Liberty and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work that is and shall be blessed in his doing Jam. 1.25 26. The backslider in heart shall be filled with his own ways but the good man that continues so shall be satisfied from himself with what he drinks in namely from Christ Prov. 14.14 Joh. 4.14 They that draw back Gods Soul shall have no pleasure in them and so they draw back to Perdition but it s He that believes so as not to draw back that believes to the saving of the soul Heb. 10.38 39. Motive 4. I shall add to all this one other Motive to perswade to it viz. the reasonableness and smalness of the thing required to so great advantages it s but look up and be healed Numb 21.8 Look to me and be ye saved Isa 45.22 Hear and your Souls shall live Isa 55.3 Open thine eyes and thou shalt be satisfied with bread Prov. 20.3 May not that man be justly left to starve or pine for want of provisions that for opening his eyes and looking about him diligently might have enough to maintain him and will not and that man justly perish that in looking to Christ may be saved and refuses it We may apply to such as stick at this and turn from it what was said to Naaman by his Servants If the Prophet had bid thee do some great thing wouldst thou not have done it how much more when he saith wash and be clean 2 King 5.13 When he saith look up and live look to Christ and be saved CHAP. XXV Exhortation to lift up the Son of man with some Motives to it and Demonstration of the usefulness of it in several Cases and Directions in it Exhort 2 ANd seeing the Son of man must be lift up as Moses lifted up the Serpent in the Wilderness that whosoever believeth on him may not perish but have Eternal Life and this lifting up is required of men as Instruments in Gods and his Spirits hands as to the lifting him up by way of commending him and setting forth his vertues as hath been more largely opened let us considering diligently what hath been said in Explication hereof both in love to and compliance with God in his blessed appointment herein and in love to Jesus Christ this most precious one as being most worthy of all possible love and testimonies of it from us being in the Name of God the Author and Procurer of all good for us and Dispenser of it to us and in love to the Souls and Persons of our Neighbours and Brethren to whom our love is pleasing in the sight of God and Christ if duly testified by us Let us I say eyeing and looking stedfastly upon him and unto him for help and guidance strength and blessing herein make it our business to lift up and extol this Son of man with all our skill and power Knowing that Motive 1. Herein we shall do the will of God and therein also not darken and obscure but greatly commend and lift up God himself for this being his device and design the issue off-spring and product of his infinite Wisdom Holiness Grace and Goodness and He his only begotten Son in whom is all his delight and well pleasedness in lifting him up we extol his wisdom and holiness grace and goodness and in neglecting or dishonouring him or calling him Anathema we abrogate the grace and reject the wisdom and counsel of God give him the lye and most horribly dishonour him as if a God of no judgment or understanding He that honoureth not the Son honoureth not the Father that hath sent him Joh. 5.23 Who judgeth no man himself immediately but hath committed all judgment to the Son that all should honour him as they do the Father that sent him And surely if we shew our selves so unkind to God and Christ if we be so opposite to his Grand Design and undertaking we must needs fall under the heat and weight of his indignation and there will be no escaping it But in lifting him up and honouring him if we do it in deed and in truth with our hearts as well us with our lips we please God and have fellowship with him as