accidentally so for such Accidents have their degrees for they say Christ during his whole Life was not a perfect God or a perfect Lord and by these means Christ's Excellency was greater for being Man than for being God for to be a Man is to be a Substance but to be a God is after that rate to be an Accident but every Substance is more excellent than its Accident Nay they grow worse and worse for as they would not have him to have been a God from the beginning so at last they will have him to cease from being a God for if Christ be called true God only by virtue of that Power he hath over Believers and in that respect only to be worshipped as true God then after the last day he will be God no longer for then he shall be deprived of that Power when he shall have deliver'd up the Kingdom unto God even the Father which Text I shall elsewhere have occasion to explain so that he shall be reduced to the common condition of other Believers and have no Advantage over any of them O take notice what a God they make Christ to be for every Believer could be such a God No Man of sound mind can't but see such an Absurdity Impiety and Blasphemy Here farther we could shew that as Socinians own not Christ to be true God so they deny him to be true Man because they say the Body he had of the blessed Virgin is gone under the notion That Flesh and Blood cannot inherit the Kingdom of God They also teach the Soul of Man doth not subsist by it self as Socinus * pag. 79. taught against Puccius So according to them Christ such as he was is gone and perished both in Body and Soul this I take notice of only by the way to come to other things The Name God is spoke substantively and subjectively not only predicatively of Christ for if it be not necessary it should substantively be taken of him then neither adjectively for the Name God is also predicatively taken of the true God as †1 Kings 18.21 if the Lord be God follow him and so in other places When in Scripture the Name of God is given Christ we do not mind so much the Word as the Person signifi'd by the Word who is God blessed for ever to be adored whereby is meaned the true God though it be spoken by way of Attribute What Socinus saith is false how when the word God is spoken subjectively it never signifieth Christ as it appears out of several Texts First The Lord of Hosts is sent by the Lord of hosts the words of the Lord of Hosts are related thus by the Angel * Zech. 2.8 10 11. after the glory hath he sent me to the nations after his Glorification and he that says so adds for lo I come and will dwell in the midst of thee saith the Lord which is the proper Character of the Messiah who to that purpose is call'd †Hagg. 2.7 the desire of all nations and only in the time of the Messiah after his Resurrection all * Nations were by the Apostles call'd to believe Here out of that place of Haggai one thing I must observe which is the Comparison made by the Prophet between the first Temple and the second wherein the Preference is given to the last for therein 't is said not only and I will fill this house with glory saith the Lord of hosts but also in the next Verse but one the glory of this latter house shall be greater than of the former I ask wherein could this greater Glory consist Not in the Stateliness and Magnificence of the Building wherein the last was much inferiour to the first as God by the Mouth of the same Prophet declareth it when he saith Who is left among you that saw this house in her first glory And how do you see it now Is it not in your eyes in comparison of it as nothing v. 3. in so much that many of the priests and Levites and chief of the Fathers who were antient men that had seen the first house Ezra 3.12 when the foundation of the last was laid before their eyes wept with a loud voice As indeed what a proportion could there be between a Temple built by a poor remnant of a long Captivity who for Means to do 't were beholding to Heathenish Princes and who met with so much Opposition in the carrying on their design from open and secret Enemies I say what a Proportion could such a House hold with the Temple of Solomon towards the building whereof David had for several years before made so rich and great Provisions which his Son the most glorious King that ever sate upon the Throne of Israel did so much increase and erected a Temple which for Magnificence and Riches was a Wonder of the World So then the Glory of the second Temple could not upon any such account be greater than that of the first nor in reference to the Manifestation of God's Presence in the Ark at the Mercy-Seat between the Cherubims and of the Cloud which fill'd the whole House more conspicuous in the first than in the second Temple wherein then could this Glory consist Our Prophet declares it And I will shake all nations and the desire of all nations shall come and I will fill this house with glory saith the Lord of Hosts I take it to be beyond all Dispute that by the desire of all Nations the Messiah the Lord Jesus is understood who came whilst the second Temple was yet standing Christ the Messiah is called the desire of all Nations he whom all Nations were to desire because according to the Promise unto Abraham in him all the Nations of the Earth should be blessed Blessedness is certainly a thing most desireable It was then his Presence that made its Glory greater than the former's for things in the first Temple did but represent him and were the Shadow and Figures whereof he was the Body and the Truth Solomon thô never so glorious was by no means to be compared with him as he plainly declared it to the Scribes Mat. 12.22 Behold a greater than Solomon is here According to all human appearances Solomon being every way compassed about with Glory was beyond expression greater than Christ a Person persecuted and derided by most Men chiefly by the great ones of the World and if we must speak of Gifts Solomon was glorious not only in Riches and Honour but also great in Wisdom for his wisdom excelled the wisdom of all the children of the East country 1 Kings 4.30 31. and all the wisdom of Egypt for he was wiser than all men yet for all this Christ saith in Wisdom he was greater than he Matt. 12.42 which could never have been if he had been a meer Man in that respect every thing was against him therefore that preference can have no human ground it must
sake I do but point at now when this Name is absolutely spoken or reduplicatively as †Matth. 7.21 not every one that saith unto me Lord Lord or with an Emphasis as Lord of Lords in the fore-quoted place of Timothy or with an Idiom and Property as ‖ Psalm 135.5 great Lord or with an Energy as * Rev. 4.11 Thou art worthy O Lord to receive glory and honor and power whereby the Worship due to him is expressed it properly belongs to God alone in the New Testament it is mostly appropriated to our blessed Saviour which he owns as the fore-quoted Text not every one that saith unto me Lord Lord and when he speaks of the Day of Judgment when the Son of Man shall come in his Glory †Matth. 25.44 they will say Lord when saw we thee an hungered and about the time of his washing of his Disciples Feet he said ‖ Joh. 13.13 ye call me Master and Lord and ye say well for so I am when after his Resurrection he appeared John said to Peter it is the Lord John 21.7 that 's the usual Name which the Apostles in their Writings do call him by 'T is observable how after his Ascension there are two Things peculiarly called by the Lord's Name that is the * 1 Cor. 10.21 Lord's-Table and the †Rev. 1.10 Lord's-Day Now we must come to another Thing and shew how the Word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or God is in Scripture in a true and proper Sense given to Jesus Christ Fourth GOD. but something must be premised before we come to the point in the question what God is we must distinguish either absolutely or relatively that is considered either 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Essentially or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Personally the one relates to the Nature and essential Attributes the other to the Persons of the most Holy Trinity and to their Attributes Here we assert two Things against Socinians First the Name of God with Attributes is not a Name of Office as Emperor King Consul Judge c. but of Essence and Nature as are the Names Spirit Man Lyon c. Secondly The Name God in its first and proper signification is not appellative but proper for it signifieth an Essence of a most singular Nature though we know it to be also improperly used and abused as the Idols of the Ammonites and of several other Nations are called their Gods but there are with it such Circumstances as make us easily know the difference Commonly there are such Epithets when the True God is mentioned alone with it as the God of Abraham Isaac Jacob Israel One God True God Eternal Life God blessed for ever which leave no doubt that the True God by Nature is spoken of The Word God in the New Testament doth properly first and chiefly signify the True God and such by Nature but secondarily and improperly those that are in high Places of Office and Power which Sense Socinians would restrain it to when 't is spoken of our blessed Saviour but 't is spoken of him not only attributively but subjectively as 't is in that place When * â—al 4.8 ye knew not God ye did service unto them which by nature are not Gods for if there that Name had been of Office and Dignity the Galatians might have excused themselves that they did serve those that were Gods by Dignity and Place though not by Nature but the Apostle reproves them for it so tho' they be called Gods yet if they are not such by Nature they are no Gods according to what the Lord saith by the Prophet †Jerem. 2.11 Hath a nation changed their Gods which yet are no Gods The reason is by the same given elsewhere because ‖ Chap. 16.20 man makes them Gods unto himself the proper Character which another Prophet gives of the True God is he * Isa 43.10 before whom there was no God formed neither shall there be after him for being of himself he hath no beginning and shall have no end such is the Son of God the Saviour of the World before whom there was no God formed upon which account he is by the Prophet called the antient of days Dan. 7.22 neither shall there be after him thus he must needs be such by Nature and every one knows that neither Angels nor Magistrates are Gods because not such by Nature as is the Son of God which by God's Grace we shall demonstrate and neither the Galatians nor none of the Gentiles could well know God and as he ought to be till God was manifest in the Flesh when this Second Person of the Godhead took Human Nature in the Virgin 's Womb. The Word God is either first and properly spoken of the True Eternal God or of the Creature if of the Creature then the Creature shall properly be called and properly be God which is Blasphemy but if it be spoken of the High True and Eternal God then it must signify his Essence and Nature seeing God is such from all Eternity through the perfection of his Nature not upon the account of any Dignity or Power different from his Nature the Name of God if absolute denoteth his Nature and not any Office but if it be relative and signifieth only an Office then from Eternity God was not God They would have the Word God without an Article as we observed of the Word Lord to signify those that are Secondarily such but with an Article only the True God both which Notions are false for first the True God is sometimes denoted without an Article as Joh. 1.6.12.13.18 so is the Inscription of the * Rom. 1.7 Epistle to the Romans and in other places so is the other Notion false for the Word God attributed to false Gods is sometimes with the Article as Act. 7.43 and 2 Chron. 4.4 both which Examples are joyned together in the fore-quoted place to the Galatians so then the signification depends not upon the Article but the Nature of the Subject but to leave off such Criticisms of the Schools and not to bestow our time upon Words more than upon Things I say the Word God is Jesus Christ's proper Name for God and Christ are so unseparably united that †Ephes 2.12 they that were without Christ were also without God in the world So then the Name God signifies the Essence or Nature not barely the Office and Dignity for otherwise it would follow it should belong to God only in relation to Creatures but 't is most true it absolutely belongs to him for he was God before there were any Creature now our God by Nature is opposed to those that are only called so the Apostle saith ‖ 1. Cor. â— 5 6. Though there be that are called Gods many c. to us there is but one God and by the Epithet True God is distinguished from them therefore when the Word God is spoken of the True God
him they Worship This very Name of Michael is given to the Messiah ‖ Dan. 12.1 and at that time shall Michael stand up the great Prince which standeth for the children of thy people which is a Prophecy of Christ's coming wherein he is called El Michael and the Great Prince to this Emmanuel relates what the Evangelist says of the Word that is Christ how being made Flesh he dwelt among us is not this the same as God with us And this not obscurely for he adds * Joh. 1.14 and we beheld his glory the glory as of the only begotten of the father he not only had Glory but is called Lord of Glory before his Ascension into and Glorification in Heaven and for certain the Name of Lord or King of Glory is proper to the true essential God if David †Psal 24.10 speaks Truth now this dwelling of God is not said to be in but with Men which doth import a Person living and conversing with Men fully expressed in the following Text ‖ Rev. 21 3. Behold the tabernacle of God is with men and he will dwell with them and they shall be his people and God himself shall be with them and be their God all this done not by proxy but in Person 't is said God himself so that great and infinite God whom the Heavens of Heavens cannot contain chose our Human Nature to dwell in as in a Tabernacle whereof the Tabernacle in the Wilderness was a Type as the Temple was afterwards we know there was a Vail this the Apostle alludeth to when he saith * Heb. 10.20 thorough the vail that is to say the flesh so that his Body and Human Nature is the place he chose to dwell in and that same Nature is as a Vail to qualify that Glory which no Man could behold for as the People could not behold Moses his Face when he came from God so that it was necessary he should put on a Vail How then could Man have beholden the Glory and Brightness of the Son of God and how could he have dwelt amonst and conversed with them except he had put on the Vail of his Flesh We must then necessarily conclude he was El the Mighty God before he was Immanuel God with us As to that great incomprehensible and adorable Mystery of the Incarnation of the Second Person of the most Holy Trinity whereby the Divine and Human Natures were mediatly and the Person immediatly united to the Nature 't is to be observed that 't is not by a Consubstantial Union such as the Three Persons of the most Holy Trinity are united one with another neither is it a Substantial Union only by Essence and Vertue as the Essence of Christ is present with every thing not by a presence of Grace only not Physical as Form and Matter are united not as one Friend is united to one another as the Soul of Jouathan was knit with the Soul of * 1 Sam. 18.1 David not mystical only or in the same manner as Christ dwelleth in Believers not Sacramental as Christ is in the Bread and Wine of the Lord's Supper but 't is a Personal Union and that without any Change of or in the Divine Person without a renting of the Natures against the Nestorians or Confusion of the same against the Eutychians also without any Change and Separation Now I am upon this high Mystery of the Incarnation by the Evangelist expressed in these words the word was made flesh I shall take notice of some few things doth not the expression which is parallel with this †1 Joh. 4.2 that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh mean that Christ the Word was in being before he was made Flesh or came in the Flesh and that this Being was according to the Spirit which in Scripture is opposed to the Flesh and that he had a spiritual Existence before he took our human Nature signified by the word Flesh for according to Scripture Flesh signifies human Nature so to be made Flesh to assume human Nature let one place serve instead of many ‖ Gal. 2.16 by the works of the law shall no flesh that is no Man be justified The Son of God was first afterwards he was manifested as to make use of a Comparison in a thing which admits none in matters of God's Decrees the Decree is before the Declaration of it for the Decree is from all Eternity but the Declaration only in time what is said of Christ * Gal. 4.4 that he was made of a woman is considerable for it implies that he was made Man and took upon him our Nature not out of the Substance of any Man but only of a Woman his Body was formed in the blessed Virgin 's Womb without any help of Man so he became Man only by the Woman's side but he was Son of God before he was made of a Woman and he must need have had a Being before he was sent forth he was with God before God sent him which is opposed to his appearing and being manifested to the World * 1 Joh. 1 2. we shew unto you that eternal life which was with the Father and was manifested unto us he was with the Father existed and had a Being before he was manifested unto us dwelt and pitched his Tabernacle among us it is observable out of that place where it is said of our blessed Saviour †Heb. 2.16 he took on him the seed of Abraham the word took in the Original signifies also to take and lay hold or caught hold as he did of sinking Peter to save him from drowning so he caught hold of Mankind when it was ready to sink Against this they say there can be no such Union of Divine and Human Nature in one Person but that such an Union is not unpossible it may be illustrated out of the Union of our Soul with our Body which are of two different Natures spiritual and material invisible and visible immortal and mortal and tho' we cannot conceive the Reason it ought to be no Prejudice neither can we conceive the manner of their Union which yet is true and certain we most certainly believe some things to be tho' we do not at all comprehend the manner of it and altho' there be an infinite disproportion between God and Man yet that is no just Prejudice against the Union of Divinity with Humanity with harbouring such Notions Men do too much measure God by themselves who because they are evil are not capable of so much Goodness and out of Pride are apt to say so much Condescention becomes not God but God knows better than we what becomes him and what we cannot comprehend of him we ought to admire and adore God's Ways are not like our Ways nor his Thoughts like our Thoughts and tho' he condescends never so low yet is ever sure of his Greatness which nothing can take away from him This Humiliation or
and wrestled with him when coming from Lanban he had passed over the Ford Jabbock that same I say was God the Angel and the Lord of Hosts This happened when Jacob and his Family were going into Canaan whereof the possession had been promised him and his Posterity upon the very borders he is met by his Adversary his Brother Esau who had a pretence to that Inheritance and therefore came against him with a power which of himself he was not able to resist which made him afraid as we read v. 11 wherefore upon such a tryal to strengthen his Faith and make him lay hold the faster on the Promise 2 Cor. 1.20 he in whom all the promises are yea and Amen the Son of God Jesus Christ appeared unto him in the shape of a man because in his Seed were the Promises made but this man in appearance was God in effect and nature therefore Jacob did solemnly pray to him for his Blessing in the time of the wrestling and would not rest till he had blessed him which he obtained v. 29 and in remembrance of this Jacob called the name of the place Peniel because he had seen God face to face This solemn meeting with much Comfort and Thankfulness Jacob remembred when he blessed Joseph and his two Sons in these most remarkable words God before whom my Fathers Abraham and Isaac did walk the God which fed me all my life long unto this day the Angel which redeemed me from all evil bless the Lads The God of his Fathers the God that sed him all his life-time and the Angel which redeemed him from all evil is but one and the same And the Name Redeemer is proper to Christ the second Person of the holy Trinity All these are irrefragable Truths which Socinians can effectually say nothing against tho' out of the Rabbis or Jewish Doctors Writings they have been screwing up whatsoever they thought might serve their turn thus they were not ashamed to borrow Weapons from Christs sworn Enemies But before I leave off this Point about Angels whether the Creator or created ones for the glory of the Son of God I must say how tho' these be called Sons of God mighty in Power and excellent in created Glory yet when compared with God Job 15.15 4.18 Isa 6.3 John 12.40 't is said they are not pure in his sight and he chargeth them with folly and they cover their faces at the brightness of his glory as not being able nor worthy to look upon t. And that place about Divine Glory as I already observed we know to belong to our Saviour who is called Lord and King of Glory because all Glory is in and from him as its true Spring and proper Center Psal 24 compared with 1 Cor. 2.8 Hence it is that at his coming into the World all Angels were commanded to worship him which was performed in their attendance on his Birth proclamation of his Nativity and celebrating the Glory of God on that account and afterwards declaring his Resurrection and confirming his Ascension even ministring unto him after the Temptation and when he was in his Agony And whilst Angels are called God's Ministers who ought to worship Christ the Son as their Maker Vnto the Son he saith Thy throne O God is for ever and ever to shew that there is as much and as great a difference between the Son and Angels as there is between God and Angels between the Creator and the Creature for indeed in that same place the Heavens are said to be the work of his hands so no comparison to be made between the Son and Angels the noblest of all Creatures The Name Elohim absolutely used is never in Scripture given to any singular Angel or Man which is the same as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with the Article by the Apostle given the Son so he is denoted by that Name as the true God by Nature And this same hath a Kingdom signified by the Royal Marks of a Scepter and a Throne whereunto Eternity is annexed for 't is for ever and ever whereby its duration or lasting is expressed so is his manner of administration with righteousness His scepter is a scepter of righteousness and to shew his preparation for that administration of his 't is said He loved righteousness and hated iniquity Now the Throne is not for the Servants but for the Son because the Kingdom thereby denoted is not theirs but his who indeed is graciously pleased to promise his Apostles that at the last day they shall sit on twelve thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel that is they shall participate only at the last day with him in his Kingly Power Mat. 19.28 and in some degree be made partakers of his Glory with an Interest in his Kingdom which he is pleased to give them in the mean time the Throne is not theirs but his Here I must take notice how for preventing many Errors rash and false Opinions 't is to be wished men would follow the Apostles Practise in this place who abounding in quotations gives us a Rule and an Example to do so for with comparing Scriptures one with another we come to be acquainted with God's Mind and Will in them for by what is spoken of Angels in one place and of the Son in another we are taught what to believe of him and of them They who follow not this Rule are apt to frame in their Heads hasty wrong and false notions about God's Mind especially in the matters we are now upon And what is it that gives the Throne of the Lord Jesus Unchangeableness and Eternity but his divine Nature The words of the Psalmist whence the Apostle draws his Argument do not belong to Solomon for the words O God do not relate to him nor these Thy throne is for ever and ever for he reigned but forty years nor to his Successors who went off the Stage at or about the time of the Babylonian Captivity We know how in some things Solomon was a Type of Christ but it doth not follow that every thing relating to the Antitype should belong unto the Type for 't is enough for the Type so to represent and shadow out the Lord Jesus that what the Prophet would teach concerning him should be spoken of the Type whereby he was represented for the Antitype is what the Spirit of God ever chiefly aimed at So tho the Type and Antitype agreed in some things in others there was a vast difference between them But that in this place the Apostle doth interpret those words of the Son of God Jesus Christ it appears out of v. 8 but unto the Son he saith Thy throne O God c. And 't is in that Party but vain and idle words to go about to perswade us that the Apostle did not say what he said and which is written for our instruction And with us they should take notice how it is said When he bringeth in his