leave impressions of an immortall nature on their spirits How can soules see Jesus Christ as the manifestation of God behold him as one received up into glory and sitting at the right hand of God and have it as truth within him and not be drawn out in strong desires of Communion with him and have the reflexions of his holiness and glory on the heart What is godliness but God shining in light and working in life in the soule Take thy picture of truth which thou thinkest thou hast in thy understanding and sit down and rejoyce in the high-flown notions of God and Christ thou knowing Professor while poore soules enjoy the life and power the beauty and substance of all truth within their hearts Obs 2. The second thing of worth is this How full Pauls heart is when he begins to speake of the things of the Gospell like a man that is full of griefe or joy longs to have vent and breakes off on a sudden from his former discourses so doth the Apostle he was to swim out into a great deep and his heart cannot hold he speaks as a man overmatched with matter that is faine to speake broken expressions without controversie c. High manifestations of God should be expressed with great affections as God let out himselfe so our hearts must be taken a little love and admiration will not serve when God manifests himselfe in a mystery the best frame of spirit a soule can be in when he is meditating or to speake of Gospell-mysteries is to be astonished at them as one that knows not where to begin or end you never have known the mysteries of God which have not admired them Use All the use I would make of this to you is to get affections sutable to manifestations to rise as God rises Oh let not your hearts be low when God is high in love and glory Souls which are wrapt up in the bosome of glorious enjoyments that apprehend God in his discoveries of himself cannot but be lost in the thoughts of them then are your soules in a spirituall frame when they worke in the sight of God in Christ and sutable to the openings of his heart the more your hearts are full of these apprehensions the more you will breake forth in admirations But now to the words themselves and in them first of the Preface without Controversie c. The Apostle speaks as one so confident that all did grant it to be truth that there need no farther debate but the laying down the very things themselves The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies an absolute and cleare confession of a thing without doubt or scruple and it is as much as if the Apostle had said by the confession of all it is so it is a confessed truth by all the Saints not one disputing or denying it that godlinesse is a great mystery in all these particulars I need give you no confirmation at all of it it is without question to deny it is to be wilfully blind and desperate Obs That there are principles and mysteries of godliness cleare and undeniable to all the Saints He doth not say I confess it is so and all that I have conversed withall but all that have had any light of the spirit confesse this to be true it is a thing generally received without any controversie at all In the opening this I shall shew 1. That there are principles of godliness as of other things 2. That they are confest by the Saints For the first As there are principles in every Art or Science which are as the foundations of other things so likewise in divinity such as the Apostle Heb. 6.1 cals 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the foundation and Heb. 5.12 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the first principles and now cals 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the mystery and to prove 1. Because divinity or godliness is the most demonstrative and certaine knowledge of things that can be now principles are the foundation of all demonstration if there were not principles there could be no certainty of knowledge No man could speake any thing no man could beleeve any thing if there were not common and generall foundations or principles to build upon therefore this must be granted that God hath left something in Religion which is without dispute 2. If there were not set and absolute principles there could be no common faith or common experience among the Saints none could know the condition of one another or be able to judge of one another neither of things themselves Now the Apostle speakes of a common faith and in another place there is but one faith one baptisme one hope among all the Saints 2 Pet. 1.2 That other Foundation no man can lay than what is laid which is Jesus Christ 1 Cor. 3.11 in Gal. 1. no preaching of anothor Gospell no though by an Angell from heaven But I need prove that no farther 2. These principles are confest by all the Saints this is that the Apostle aimes at that none of the Saints scrupled this That Godlinesse was a great mystery in every one of the particulars mentioned Consider 1. That which belongs to a Saint as a Saint to his very being he cannot be ignorant of as that Jesus Christ died and by his merits we are pardoned that from him is all life that God was manifested in him and accepts us by him that we come to him by faith and enjoy him by our union these things go to the constitution of a Saint faith towards our Lord Jesus and repentance towards God he is not a Saint which knows not this for they are the principles of his being indeed the largeness and extent of these principles The priviledge of his being he may be ignorant for they are successively manifested as the glory of his union and the fulnesse of grace and the rich assurance of it to his own soule these he may be doubtfull in but to question this whether Christ be the Son of God hath died and is risen againe these he cannot be ignorant of for his faith is vaine if these things be not true and granted by him he is no Saint if Christ be no Saviour but for the manner of making out this of what full efficacy Christs Death and Resurrection is and the like and the manner of applying this he may be exceeding darke in 2. The principles of godliness are laid down so positive and so plaine that the light that every Saint receives makes him beleeve them these things are exprest in absolute termes that Christ is the only Saviour and nothing to be joyned with him that justification is freely by grace that in Adam all have sinned that all which are in Christ are new Creatures with such like expressions so that the first and most common light of faith assents to them there be some things in the Word in which there lies a great deale of beauty and glory not so nakedly exprest nor so obvious
said in 1 Cor. 2. None knowes the things of God save the spirit he only searcheth these deep things of God none exclusively no not Angels Now the spirit is only promised to the Church and hath his offices on purpose in relation to the Church and herein lies the exceeding glory of God that he will discover such a mystery to his poor creature man which he will make his highest creatures admire Thus you see how Angels get their knowledge by the Church When Christ is preached and his glory laid forth and soules are taken into it as it were why Angels come down and listen hold their spirituall eares unto the whisperings of the Spirit in the Gospell to us and yet you must not understand it as if the knowledge they got by the Church were meerly a deduction of conclusions from principles but when they heare and see the Spirit speaking to the Churches and opening these eternall glories of God in Christ they see intuitively into it as we see when beames of the Sun on a sudden breake out on the world they are exceeding quick and take it as by revelation they catch up as it were the words that are spoken to us and before they come to our eare they are in their hearts for they being spirits know the meaning of the Spirit as soone as ever it is but revealed neither is it to be understood as if they had no knowledge of Christ without the Church for they knew Christ before the Church and preached Christ unto them but it is meant of the degrees and encrease of their knowledge in these mysteries the depth of them is laid out before them in the Church because the mystery of Christ concerned man it was first revealed to him after his fall though but very darkly and unto none else and so now in the discovery of it in the perfection of it there be some things that God reveales to none but those who are the subjects of it As we know not the nature of Angels nor their condition though we know Christ because it concernes us more peculiarly neither do Angels know all that Christ doth and will reveale to his Saints There is in the things of the Gospell the things themselves in the generall nature and use of them and the glory and depth the mystery and fulnesse of them the first Angels knew long since that God should come in our flesh and procure peace and that he was justified in the spirit and will save soules but the depth of this mystery the riches of the Glory of it the severall mysteries contained in it they doe not know but as it is opened to them and that by the Church for herein God shewes as his prerogative so his distinguishing love that some choice and blessed things of Christ shall never be manifested out of God's heart but to the Saints first and none shall know them but by him in converse with them As the mystery of Christ to the Saints is a peculiar design so they shall have the peculiar discoveries of it and others by them And the manner whereby they know things by the spirituall species wherein they are manifested and by the seeing of that glory which shines on them in their manifestation 3. This may well be put in as a mystery among the rest that God thus discovered is seen of Angels for it was a new design that was carried on in the most unvisiblest way that could be It being a mysterie so remote from their particular natures they having no need of such a discoverie and that God should act a thing unknown unto these high creatures not discover unto them but at second hand as it were that the greatest design of God should be hid from these creatures which lay in his owne bosome as it were for so long a time this is the mysterie which the expression seemes to imply Seene of Angels And then when God had acted it and laid out his glory in it he presents it as a sight of glory to the Angels that they might see and admire at what God had been doing all this while this comes nighest the meaning God hid it from them untill he had set up Jesus Christ in state and glory and then shewes him in a mysterie to his Angels that they might fall downe before him and see the unspeakable wisdome of God To this alludes that phrase Heb. 1.6 When he brings in the first borne into the world he saith let all the Angels worship him God shews the Angels this first begotten of his love and wisdome and they worship him As Nebuchadnezzar to shew his state and glory set up an image that all his Subjects must bow downe before So did the great God make an image of himselfe in Jesus Christ by whom he acted the greatest designes of his heart and set it before the Angels to adore but 4. Let us see what this mysterie containes that it should thus affect the Angels why if it were nothing else but the manner of its acting it were enough even to fill them with admiration that God himselfe should come and assume flesh and be one with it taking the forme of a servant emptying his glory as it were and making himselfe of no reputation This cannot but astonish the highest apprehensions meanes to do the very outside intimates that this is a depth that cannot be sounded It is a mystery of unsearchable riches Eph. 3. In this dispensation there are all the riches of the great God contained It is a way which God hath found out to bring the poore creature into the bosome of all his treasures It is a mystery in which all the decrees and purposes and thoughts of the heart of God himselfe are acted in which the manifold wisdome of God is most opened whatever he hath been acting in all the world hath been but in reference to this to set it forth the choisest love in the utmost act in the greatest variety at the extreamest disadvantages is manifested here and as it hath been a casting and contriving in God from eternity so it will be acting to eternity and there will be no end of it new wonders of glory will be brought forth through it the longer it is look'd into And for what concernes their particular they may well wonder at what God is about in this when he passeth by the most glorious of all the creation and acts out the brightest of his glory on poore sinners and takes them up to an onenesse with himselfe and advanceth them with Christ far above principalities and powers when they see such a designe towards those so far below them and which had never been so nigh God as themselves when flesh shall be set down at Gods right hand and exalted above all the Glory of the Creation and by that to let out eternall love to manifest infinite treasures of glory and all this over and above and besides what God hath to bestow on them
the world and leave the habitable parts of it that Christ should at last be preached in the fullest riches of his glory to those who had not a benigne aspect of his face in such a time Many generations of them went down to hell in multitudes in droves not knowing God or Christ never dreaming of a Saviour and now for the Lord Jesus to come and set up his throne among them open the most precious Cabinets of his love and riches to these poore creatures here is a mysterie indeed It was prophesied of Jesus Christ and put down as one of the blessedest ends of his comming wherein he should be most glorious He shall be a light to the Gentiles Esa 42.6 Herein lay the glory of Jesus Christ in the Gospell that he should be set up as a Sun to enlighten the darkest part of the world Nay yet further none ever thought that Christ should have been preached to them for when he first called his Disciples sent them abroad to preach and gave them a Commission to go into every City and preach peace Mat. 10.5 He makes a particular exception and gives a speciall charge Go not into the way of the Gentiles as if he had said Go any where but among them there is no peace to be spoken to them as they have been miserable so they shall be And yet at last for the richest discoveries of peace and love to be made to them Christ preached only to them this is the mysterie those which were no people to be made a people for God to be found of those which sought him not is a wonder This is that paradox by which the Apostle aggravates the Jewes condition Rom. 9.30 31. What shall we say then that the Gentiles which followed not after righteousnesse have attained unto righteousnesse yea even the best righteousnes that which is of faith But Israel which followed after the Law of righteousness hath not obtained it The Gentiles they never sought after righteousnesse they never minded such a thing yet obtained it Christ came to be a righteousnesse to them and left the Jewes who sought to be righteous by their owne workes and endeavours without righteousnesse The newnesse and strangenesse of this that Christ should be preached to the Gentiles equall with the Jewes and be brought into the same priviledges and of the same body was that which stumbled the Jewes even against Christ himselfe they thought it could not be possible that such a generation should ever be looked on by God or ever taken it to Covenant with him The Apostle when he doth but thinke of the greatnesse of this mysterie that Christ should be preached to the Gentiles and the Jewes cast off cries out Oh the depth of the riches both of the Wisdome and Counsell of God how unsearchable are his judgements c. Rom. 11.33 As if he had said here is a contrivance of wisdome and a depth of mercy and love indeed that God hath shak'd off his old friends and taken in strangers to be teachers of all his riches Thus you have the summe of what this sentence holds forth and the opening of a great mysterie the Gospell which opens the mysterie of God is in it selfe a mysterie in regard of the manner and object of its manifestation The former two expressions hold forth what the mystery is with the glory of it this is the way of the manifestation of it with the persons to whom it is by preaching and unto the Gentiles and this likewise goes to make up the greatnesse of the mysterie it selfe But I shall rather make use of it then open it further 1 Vse If this be so it may informe us first how open the heart of God is towards us he cannot containe his love and grace within himselfe it is so vast and ardent he cannot keep his own counsels that are for our good but must manifest it to us and that in the openest way preached and proclaimed all the mysteries of the Gospell though there be so much of the glory of God in them yet they are not hid Christ is laid out to open view God keeps nothing hid he will have it preached let every poor soule know this that though all the things in the Gospell be secrets in themselves yet he will have them opened he is not shie of speaking any thing which may be for your good Heaven is opened God's heart is proclaimed to sinners Thus light and immortality is brought to light by the Gospell God hath set all his glory out in the light that men may see how they like them what they are worth none shall be cosen'd with Christ they are brought to light Heaven is brought home to your owne doors you need not goe out to seek righteousnesse it is brought to you peace Preached to every house Christ will have nothing of his love kept backe he will have all known what he is and what he hath done goe preach the Gospell to every Nation except none and preach not only this and that but preach the Gospell what ever may bring joy and gladnesse to poor soules go to them Christ preached to the Gentiles what is it but this that he would have all his glorie laid out before them Oh Brethren how cheap are the mysteries of the Gospell you may have them for taking you may know them if you will lend an eare to them the word is nigh thee even in thy mouth Christ is proclaim'd in the streets Oh what love is in this that God should manifest Christ and his deepest mysteries to us by such a familiar and sweet way to tell his mind to us by such a course medium open his heart to us by our own mouths it doth manifestly demonstrate to us how willing he is that we should know all his heart Let me therefore exhort you to come and buy milke without money Christ is laid open for every mans good he is for every mans pennie Christ deales not underhand with you you shall see what you buy he is not shie nor close in his spirit but is preached to you What doth the Gospell say but here is Christ as wisdome righteousnesse c. Take him and doe what you will with him Preaching is but a declaring this that life and light is in Christ for you that eternal love waits for you that what ever may do you good is provided for you Oh will soules now refuse Christ when he is brought to their very eares they may heare him speak of his riches and glorie and love to them Oh neglect not so great salvation 2. It informes us what is the worke of Ministers to preach Christ to open the mysterie of the Gospell to sinners what ever men preach besides Christ is but by the bie the great duty is to lay out Christ Ministers must draw out Christs blood freely let the Gospell be preached as it is discovered without any limitation of mercie and love without any exception
high consideration that Saints may not only have from Christ but expect to be what he is looke whatever God acted on the person of Christ that he did as in our behalfe and meanes to act the same on us was Christ crucified so are we as he rose againe so are we raised together with him and if he be taken up into glory so are we Oh how should faith stand and gaze on Jesus Christ now he is in glory not an ordinary and meane act of faith will come up into this mystery such a faith only as sets the soule in heaven and puts it in a condition of glorious triumph becomes this expression heaven is not only opened but possessed by Jesus Christ for us Faith goes to Christ as dying and rising againe and so beleeves its remission of sins and justification but yet faith is low while it doth not go within the vaile and see glory Saints should not rejoyce in present acts but live on future glory as it was with the Jews at that time when the high Priest went into the holy of holies whcih was very seldome yet then they ought to have higher joy in beleeving because they saw the utmost of their happinesse represented then when meerly they saw the bullock killed for sin So now that Christ is gone into glory the holy place not made with hands we should not only have a faith of justification but of glorification you may anticipate the condition of heaven it selfe and your actuall possession of that by beleeving when faith lookes down and sees Christ on the Crosse and his bloud running out to satisfie wrath it cannot choose but thinke that righteousnesse is procured especially when we see him rise againe but now when we looke up higher and see Christ taken into glory what can we have lesse than a glorious faith Use 2. And now seeing I am falne on this I cannot choose but bewaile our stupidity and reprove our folly how miserable do beleevers live Where is the spirit of glory that should be on them When Stephen saw Jesus at the right hand of God though but for a moment his face did shine like glory Acts 8. How many are there that never came up yet to act faith in Christ as a glorified Christ We are yet still in the lower forme can take in no more of Christ than what was done on the Crosse what some naturall and common resemblances of him can hold forth we seldome follow Christ into heaven to see what he is doing there for us many professe to live immediately on God and to be in glory already but we cannot see their faces shine their outward man scarce as glorious as common professors It were well if we could see Christ in his glory such a sight would be transforming of soules indeed we should live not only as men borne for glory but as in glory as these that have not only one foot in the grave but one foot in heaven heaven is not only let down to you in the frame and picture of it but you are taken into it in the person of the Lord Jesus you may not only dreame of heaven but enjoy it and you thar live below glory live below Christ who is received up into glory Vse 3. This cannot but heighten the joyes and enlarge the comforts of the Saints when they do but consider that Christ is received up into glory In beleeving this what can they find lesse than joy unspeakable and full of glory For First Now Jesus Christ is accepted of the Father for them and hath declared gloriously that his heart is at rest in the workes of his hands and that he is well pleased with you for in this condition he could never else have received Christ into heaven if there were any frownes left in Gods face you might be sure Christ should have them first he comming so nigh him and if any flawes were in your pardon or any exception against his satisfaction he had heard of it and would have been turned out of heaven untill he had made full payment thou needest not doubt acceptance at the throne of grace and to find a blessed welcome to God when Jesus Christ is accepted for thee and thou commest in such a relation Secondly Now he is in a capacity of acting out all his love and the Fathers desire in the most glorious way to thee Christ is gone into heaven to do something more for thee still he had some glorious piece to frame for the Saints and therefore left this world and went to his Father that he might act it in glory and now he is invested with all the riches of heaven he hath all the keys of heaven and hell he hath all power to command he hath received all the promise to himselfe and all that he hath to do is to empty himselfe againe on you he hath not only got his fathers heart for you but got all his riches to bestow on you he cares not as it were for his own advancement but only as it is the advantage to glorifie you and now he can do what he will when he came to heaven the Father bid him sit down at his right hand and take what he would he would have no more to do with the world but he should bestow what he had among his Saints this should be the reward of his death all judgement is committed to the Son the Father judges no man Joh. 10. he hath given away all his prerogatives unto Jesus Christ Thirdly As Christ is received up into glory to act for you and to bring you to glory so he sits in heaven to represent you he is there as a publike person and God sees you all in him he doth but occupy your place and imploy your stock before you come to yeares all you must be gathered into his fulnesse and received up into the same glory he cannot be contented with that glory he hath untill you be with him then he still praies the Father so earnestly that you may be with him where he is Joh. 17. that they may see that is enjoy my glory if Christ intended to resigne up his place and all his glory when once his Saints were come about him he is but as Feoffee in trust with your estate and how will Christ improve it for you who hath such an opportunity And which is more what kind of glory must that needs be which is the honour and the happinesse of Jesus Christ which is his highest advancement as Mediatour Therefore every Saint should expect every sight of Christ as glorious to wait on the Lord Jesus for glorious manifestations of himselfe and in the next place expect to see himselfe in glory do not only remember that you have a head in glory who can supply your wants but remember that you are there with him and that his Crown is as it were a burthen on his own head untill it be set on yours live according to
but know their work what a glorious and great Dispensation is committed to them how would they labour to behave themselves in that great charge Here be many things observable in the words 1. The Preface or Porch 2. The Fabrick it selfe In the Preface is 1. The manner of his speech and that twofold first the affection he speakes it with he is so as a man in rapture that speakes in pure sentences without Controversie c. He breakes off as it were from all that he had formerly spoken and sits down and wonders at the greatnesse of that Mystery which the Gospell held forth 2. That he speakes of its Godlinesse 3. The description he gives it he cals it a Mystery and that with this Adjunct that it is a great Mystery 4. The confidence he speakes it in without Controversie 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 manifest è ex confesso without doubt or question it is so none that ever knew God or ever felt the power of it but said it was a great mystery Then secondly you have this Mystery unfolded and cleared up in these severall particulars of it which he deduceth to these sixe heads God manifested in the flesh Justified in the spirit Seene of Angels Preached unto the Gentiles Beleeved on in the World Received up into Glory So that here is Truth and that truth is Godlinesse and that godlinesse is a great Mystery and all that is laid out in various manifestations of God Here are many glorious things to be insisted on all Divinity comprehended in these few lines the very marrow and pith the foundation and fountaine of all that we need to know or to be acquainted with And before we come to Launch out in the Ocean we must cast an eye upon the Connexion of the words Obs First That which the Apostle cals Truth in the former verse he cals Godlinesse here Truth is not a fancy or notion but it is holinesse it selfe and none can know Truth in the nature and power of it but they must be godly First Truth is the patterne and platforme of Holiness it is the mould of Godlinesse that is godlinesse which is conformable to divine truth Truth is Gods mind and godliness is a soule conformable unto that mind or transformed into that truth therefore the Apostle when he would relate the godlinesse of the Romans Rom. 6.17 he saith they obeyed that doctrine or truth into the forme of which they were delivered 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he makes the truth of the Gospell as a type a mould into which they were cast Secondly godlinesse is truth because truth works godliness Christ praies the Father to sanctifie them with truth Joh. 17.17 It is the nature of truth to sanctifie and worke holinesse truth is light and life and doth as the Sun both enliven and enlighten all soules on whom its beames shines errour never makes holy though it may be in a holy person and shadowed with the holinesse in whom it is but all the truths of Christ they are as fire that convert soules to its own nature whatever holiness is in the soule is no more but truth digested turned into life and spirit Use So that first let not the world mistake themselves concerning truth It is not enough that men have abundance of notions concerning God or Christ except it be holy truth sanctifying truth this world is growing exceeding knowing men boast of many great and mysterious truths which they know but where is godliness Truth without godliness is as an Oracle without a voice a body without a soule as letters in brass without life Brethren what is it for a man to have found a peece of Gold when he is hungry and can find no meat It is cleare men know little of truth they are so unacquainted with godliness that is truth indeed which moulds the soule into the nature of God which draws a soule into pure fellowship with God which elevates the spirit into the glory of God which turnes all things into life and power in the soule other things are but notions to have truth written in thy Bible and not in thy heart what is it For thee to have a forme of truth in thy understanding the letters transcribed in thy fancy and not be turned spiritually into that forme godliness is nothing else but truth baptized in the soule truth with a new name that soule hath not a sparkle of truth which hath not a motion of life from it truth came out of Gods bosome and is the manifestation of his life and glory and it will turne the heart sutable to that life Vse 2. Would you know what it is to be godly not to have a forme of this and that way of Religion of our owne making but to be conformable to divine truth as good principles and notions without divine impressions of it on the soule are nothing so godliness without a principle of truth to lead it is superstition as truth works godliness so godliness lives answerable unto truth godliness consists not in any forme of worship set us by men though never so glorious but by being one with truth in serving God after his own mind and heart Vse 3. Againe know who are the knowing and the godly men what those who barely and nakedly confess the Articles of faith who beleeve in a cursory manner what is said of God and Christ in the Gospell no but those which are made godly by these truths It is impossible for any to know Jesus Christ and the mystery of the Gospell but they must have the life of it in them if men will judge as God doth of their knowledge by their hearts how few knowing men shall we have in the world God values mens knowledge by their affections by the value they set on truth all our knowledge and speculations of truth without godliness is but a humane knowledge of divine things you know much you see great mysteries of truth what life what spirit hath it put in you If you have seen Jesus Christ as the Center and substance of truth where are the transformations and the raisings of your soules after this Christ apprehended When principles are turned into practice and speculations into power and notions into spirit then your truth is godliness Will you know the reason why there is so much profession of truth and so little practice of godliness why the heads of men have so outgrown their hearts I think it be this either first that which men call truth is errour or the fancies of their own braine not the Vision on the mount Or else secondly they have but the bare and leane apprehensions do not see them in their own nature men place Religion in knowledge and godlinesse in a meere conceit doubtlesse it truth were seene in her naked glory without her hood or gowne only as she comes out of the bosome of Jesus Christ the beames of her glory would pierce the very hearts and soules of men and
two heads Gods manifestation in Christ and Christs manifestation in us God in Him and He in us and both these are laid out to the full in the Text. We may well admire the fullnesse and shortnesse of Divine expression in the Scripture that so much should be wrapt up in so little more then to have Homers Iliads compriz'd in a nut-shell Turn over all the Volumes of Nature all the large writings of Prophane or Divine Authors they containe not so much matter as one of these expressions will hold forth unto us That which I shall begin with is the generall description of Divinity which is laid down in these words Great is the Mystery of Godlinesse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Wherein you have first the thing described that is Godlinesse or else you have The subject Godlinesse The predicate Mystery The adjunct a Great Mystery 2. The description it selfe it is a Mystery 3. The adjunct our Title to expresse by it is a Great Mystery The Apostle cannot containe himselfe in ordinary expressions to say it was a mystery is an exceeding large expression beyond our apprehensions but in that he cals it a great mystery he raiseth our thoughts and loseth our understanding This observe by the way you can never speake too high of nor admire too much any thing of the Gospell when you have spoken to the utmost and have lost your selfe and your hearers yet then you are below what glory is conteined in them you may speake too much of any creature and presently transgresse in your commendations but it is impossible that ever any expressions should reach Gospell-mystery Hyperboles in the world are the excretion of our frothy wits and serve but only to indulge our corrupt affections but as one saith Deus Coelum non patitur hyperbolen all the height of expressions and wit strained through the narrowest and purest fancy can never be too high in expressing Gospell-glory Gods own spirit is as it were streightned and at a losse for expressions to set forth the deep mysteries of the Gospell and though what is spoken of them be proper yet they are far under the things themselves and no more than Pictures and Phantasmes to the reality of those things themselves What words can be given to set forth invisible and immortall and immense glory God hath help'd our senses and understandings by those expressions though in all that is written he hath spoken below himselfe if a man should paint the glory of the sun what colours could he use or how would he limb out the nature of a soule why spirituall mysteries are far more invisible and glorious 1. I shall begin in the first place with the subject of the proposition that it Godliness 2. Shew that it is mystery 3. That it is a Great mystery That every word as well single as compounded may have its weight For the first the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies the right worshipping of God in the generall signification of it and it is used by the heathens to expresse the worship of their Gods But in that notion it is not meant here besides what was said the last time of the nature of Godlinesse in regard of the communion of the two expressions truth and godlinesse I shall proceed more particularly to express the nature of it It is used three waies in Scripture 1. For the whole doctrine of the Gospell as a generall word which containes whatever is demonstrated concerning God so it is called the doctrine which is according to godlinesse 1 Tim. 6.3 thus godlinesse is truth 2. It is put for the inward worke of all these truths on the heart for the gracious qualifications of a soule sutable to the truths of the Gospell they are put both together by the Apostle Tit. 1.1 2. the acknowledgement of the truth which is after godliness it imports the inward frame of the soule in conformity to the truths which are godliness 3. It is put forth the holy walkings of a Saint in the world from the patterne of these spirituall truths 1 Tim. 4.7 exercise thy selfe in godlinesse that is in all the waies of holiness by godliness here is meant the whole sum of divinity the circumference of all Religion especially that which contains the great contrivance of Gods wisdome and love in the Gospel and the manifestation and working of it in us It is not meant barely of the truths themselves but of the workes of these truths in the Saints So that godliness consists in the light of truth and in the life of grace God manifesting himselfe in the light of truth and working in the life of love and grace in the heart There is a forme of godlinesse which the Apostle speaks of 2 Tim. 3.5 a meere externall profession and garbe of godlinesse there is no mystery in that men may take up a curious picture of holiness without much ado nature can reach that mystery but there is a power of godliness which consists in the life and spirit of truth in the soule that is a mystery Will you know then what godliness is It is the openings of Gods glory in its selfe and the workings of it gloriously in the soule Godlinesse lies not in the bare expression of words nor in the externall forme of profession of these words But it lies in the divine glory of God which is wrapt up in these words and the gracious dispositions and affections of the soule to these things What a great matter is it for a man to confess Jesus Christ to be the Son of God to pray and express outward words accordingly But to see the mystery of that glory which is in this that Christ is Gods Son and to have the powerfull influence of it in the soule this is godlinesse and that which is called a great mystery Thus then the whole manifestation of God in the Gospell all the actings of his glory in truth and all those truths wrought in the soule is this godlinesse which the Apostle well cals a great mystery though this must be added that the Apostle especially aimes here at the truths themselves and Gods manifestation of his glory in them Now secondly This he cals a mystery It is a high expression and worthy to be appropriated unto godlinesse and the Holy Ghost ever makes use of it when he would set forth the unexpressible nature of Gospell-truth therefore to open it 1. It signifies some secret and hidden thing that is above vulgar apprehension its word that comes from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifies to shut up and hide a thing that none may find it and know where it is as men hide jewels and precious things from common hands therefore Daniel saith It is God in heaven that reveales mysteries or secret things Dan. 2.28 Thus godlinesse is a mystery hidden from the eyes of thousands hidden in Gods own breast from everlasting and as the Apostle expresseth in Eph. 3. hidden from generations of men The
truth in its selfe is as a vaile before it as the glory of the Sun is as a vaile unto it that we cannot look stedfastly on it to behold its Nature Now God must remove all vailes from godlinesse and make its glory raking unto us and not only so But 2. The vaile must be taken off from our eyes though these things were never so lightsome yet if we are blind it is all one to us light and darkenesse is at one with a blind man The Apostle saith of the Jewes that when Moses was read there was a vaile on his face they could not see thorough these outward shadowes the living substance Jesus Christ but the reason was because the vaile was on their hearts But when the vaile is taken off then we behold with open face the glory of God as in a glasse 2 Cor. 3 ult Men strive to excell in knowledge in the world to dive into things that are not common which others understand nor Oh Brethren here is knowledge indeed to comprehend this mystery of godlinesse 1. In the knowing this a man comes to be privy to all God's eternall plots and designes of love and grace unto the world 2. Soules which behold this mystery they see their own persons and happiness wrapped up in it for it is a mystery for us and in us 3. In knowing this a soule is able to reconcile all contradictions both in himselfe and the world for they all have their reason here which in Nature are absurdities 4. There is no way to take thy heart or worke on thy soule by any truth but as thou seest in the hidden and mysterious excellency of it all outward apprehensions of divine things will goe no farther then the outward man SERMON II. 1 TIM 3.16 God manifested in the flesh c. I Am now come to these particulars wherein the Apostle layes down the greatnesse of the Mystery of godlinesse he might well elevate his voice and accent his words when he was to speak of such deep things to call it a great Mystery Godlinesse in generall is a mystery and every thing contained in it grace and the actings of so many mysteries But here indeed lyes the greatnesse of the mystery that is passing all knowledge that God is manifested in the flesh justified in the spirit So that the Apostle summes up all the mystery of godlinesse in these six particulars Before I come to handle each distinctly know in generall that all that is spoken of here in this mysterious enumeration of particulars it is spoken of in reference to Jesus Christ he is the summe and subject of it For God manifested in the flesh was no other then Christ who was also justified in the spirit and who is Preached unto the Gentiles and who is beleeved on in the World c. They all are so many severall openings of Christ according to the severall waies he may be apprehended Christ is the mystery wrapt up in all the mysteries of the Gospell he comprehends all the circumference of godlinesse he is the scope of all the Scriptures the Pearle hid in the large Field of God's word Every line is drawn to him as the centre all things and persons in the old world were types of him all the Prophets prophesied of him all the New Testament speaks of him all the Saints are joyn'd to him all Gods love runs thorough him all graces and gifts flow from him the whole eye of God is upon him his great designes in Heaven and Earth meet in him as man is an Epitome of the whole world so is Christ of all religion Eph. 1.10 There is an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a summing up of all things in Heaven and Earth in Jesus Christ If you look on the Creation the world was made by Christ Col. 1.15 16 17. on evidences all things subsist in Christ have their being and well being in him If you eye what is the end of all things why it is Christ all things made for him Look againe how all things are redeemed why God was in Christ reconciling the world 2 Cor. 6. Will you know where to finde God why he is in Christ Will you know what is Heaven it is to be with Christ Phil. 1. Whence comes the spirit but from Christ what doth the spirit do in the World He shall glorifie Christ for he shall take of mine Joh. 16. What is the subject of the Old New Testament but a Christ to come and come What is the end of preaching but to bring men to Christ What use of ordinances but to set forth Christ Christ is the great center between Heaven and Earth God Angels Men and all creatures meet in him and are all vertually in him What is in the Saints but Christ What doe the Saints love and beleeve in but Christ He is the fulnesse of him that fils all in all 1 Ephes ult Use Let all creatures stand and gaze and wonder and admire at Jesus Christ he is the great wonder of knowledge Oh how should all our hearts be contracted in the beholding Jesus Christ What delight should soules take in the studying of this Christ Saints turne your eyes on the Lord and see his glory Whatever you know in the world labour to know him He is the mystery of all the glory of God When thou hast sought over all the world all the Gospell thou shalt find God laying out nothing but Christ all relations are found in Christ all excellencies are gathered up in him as beames in the Sun Come poor soule whose eyes run two and fro the world to find comforts and happinesse cast thy eye back and see Heaven and Earth in one and look what ever thy vast thoughts can fancie not only to be in this world but in the world to come or if thou canst imagine more variety see that and infinitely more shining forth from the person of the Lord Jesus Ministers must cry up Christ Saints must adore him Angels must stand amazed at him all creatures must vaile all their glory to him Here is an object of love a compendium of all glories here is one for a heart to be taken with that is made of nothing but of severall mysteries of glory Well might the Apostle 1 Cor. 2.2 Phil. 3. desire to know nothing but Jesus Christ to account all things but dung for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ he knew all things in him Oh what mad men are sinners which reject this Christ they slight all at once nothing is ever to be had without Christ nothing but in Christ Why stand you gazing on the toyes of this world when such a Christ is offered you in the Gospell Can the world die for you can the world bring God to you can the world advance you to Heaven Oh let all cry out none but Christ studdy nothing but Christ goe to nothing but Christ admire nothing but Christ as he is the summe and substance of all
seen and discovered as his wisdome power But no man saw God at any time the only begotten Sonne revealed him and the fulnesse of the God-head dwelt in no Nature bodily but in our Nature which Christ had Thirdly God never manifested himselfe in such a straine of love as in our flesh it was the highest manifestation of Love that ever was that God loved our very Nature so as to be one with us herein was his love manifested and commended indeed that he would come down in our Nature to us And as one said well God did so love the very Nature of his Elect that though he had them not all with him in Heaven for the present yet he must have their picture of their own Nature in his Sonne to see them in and love them 1. Vse Then here is still ground of new admiration and wonder to soules God is come downe and hath left as it were his owne habitation to dwell amoâ—â— the sonnes of men This is the first and great mystery of the Gospell God out of infinite goodnesse would make a revelation of himselfe to the world to doe it in his pure glory would consume all flesh especially seeing it was to be a manifestation unto sinners but he cloths himselfe with flesh with our own Nature and so appears to us as in infinite love and sweetnesse there be many great designes in this one 1. By this he takes away the distance between his majesty and us for he is now become Immanuell God with us The thoughts of God would have been sufficient terror we could never have come nigh God for we were infinitely below him But now Gods taking up our Nature as one with himselfe and appearing as in our own form and likenesse hath broken down the wall of partition in Nature as that which takes away the dwelling nature of Gods glory yet reflects the reall sweetnesse of it to us 2. By this God would indeare and sweeten himselfe to his poor creature and fit a way of sweet converse with us if God had manifested himselfe in his own naked glory still while we are sinners we should not only be daz'led but shrunk up to nothing to see the Sun as it shines in its owne lustre would spoile the sight of the strongest eye But to look upon it as in an eclipse in water or thorough a glasse that is not offensive to consider God in himselfe is to have our soules swallowed up but to look on God in our nature brings down his glory to our eye and wooes us to behold it 3. By this God hath raised up a statue and visible monument of his own infinite love to his Elect for ever For rather then they shall want a sutable discovery of himselfe he will come and take up their owne nature and be called after their names as if he would be any thing to shew his love This is the fullest visible demonstration of God's love that ever was It was more for God to take our nature then simply to save us more then let a out bare mercy and grace in it selfe For a King to save a murtherer from the Gallowes by his owne prerogative and dispence with the Law is not such an act of love and mercy as to take the murtherers clothes and weare them as his richest livery and give as a mark of honour to his owne Sonne and to make an honourable order of the rags of that garment as that King did of a Garter God hath done more in taking our Nature what love was this that God will be no more God as it were simply but take up another Nature rather then the brightnesse of his owne glory shall undoe us 4. By this God would shew what he means to bring us unto he took our nature up to himselfe as a pattern or type of what he would bring all Saints unto God is come down in our likenesse to bring us up into his likenesse Nature was never so advanced it is the highest glory that is possible to be put upon nature it is more then to fill all our souls with a fulnesse of grace for our nature is united in a personall union with the second person then which there cannot be more glory What a faire step is now made for the bringing the person up to the injoyment of God Oh let none say now that God is not willing to save soules who is come down so low as live among us say not who shall goe up to Heaven to bring downe God or downe unto the deeps to fetch him up God is nigh you even in your owne flesh You may but turne about and see God manifested to your owne eyes we preach not fancy when we lay out the riches of Gods glory in love and mercy But as the Apostle saith what we have seen and what we have felt and tasted that we declare unto you 1 Joh. 1.1 2 3. Say not unbelieving soule how shall I come nigh God why God is come to thee he dwels in the Tabernacles of men In a word God is manifested in our flesh that our flesh may be taken up into his fulnesse SERMON IV. 1 TIM 3.16 God manifested in the flesh c. I Made an entrance on this the last day but there are new mysteries yet arising and no sooner doth one discovery passe but another comes on this bottomlesse depth of Gods glory in the Gospell can be sounded by none but God himselfe we have some manifestations of it and that in flesh or else we had never imagined what thoughts God had towards his poore Creatures besides what hath been spoken as to the opening of the words still this must be taken in That it is not God in flesh mystically but personally Or else thus It is not meant of God manifested in flesh that is in the whole mysticall body of Christ the Saints But only God assuming our nature into the union of Christs person and this had need to be observed because all these places where it is said that it pleased the Father that in him all fulnesse should dwell Col. 1.19 and that the fulnesse of the God-head dwelt in him bodily Col. 2. and this place is spoken of Christ mystically or in his body not personally intimating that God dwels in the flesh of the Saints as much as in the humane nature of Jesus Christ and that there is no other distinction than of head and members Now to cleare up this to you I shall not need to go farther than this verse 1. This is spoken of a thing that is already done God is or was manifested in flesh now if it were meant of the whole mystical body of Christ it must have been said God will manifest himself in flesh for all that body is not yet made up are not capable of any such manifestation thousands of them being yet unborne 2. God that is manifested in flesh is justified in spirit and seen of Angels and preached unto
now how doth grace superabound infinite wise laid down for satisfaction of the transitory and finite transgressions of the poor creature the Law-giver suffering for the offences done against the Law Doth not your hearts yet begin to leap within you and the blood to come againe in your faces and strength into your sinews In the apprehensions of this mystery of comfort surely that soule is shut up in the inmost dungeon of unbeliefe where never a beam of the glory of God shines But yet will you have more at least to leave you without excuse This manifestation is not only a discovery in flesh but to flesh And therefore as he come in our Nature to satisfie so he comes in the Gospell freely and fully to offer the tearmes of love in the richest and most alluring expressions And if God cannot satisfie your death what will VVhat ever was done in our Nature in order to redemption was none other then God acting out his owne love and grace and glory So the Apostle saith the blood of God was offered meaning that the efficacy and life of all that offering was from God in our Nature using that as an Organ or instrument to act by Let unbeliefe come forth and make its plea and let it dare to appear before this consideration is not God enough to satisfie thy conscience Oh come nigh poor soules see what an infinite ground of comfort is laid in for you let the rich and glorious openings of the heart of the almighty overcome your hearts had God spoke from Heaven by himselfe and called poor creatures that lye in the midst of sin crying out who shall deliver and had he said I will pardon you by my owne prerogative I made the Law I will dispence with it rather then you shall perish what soule would not have been raised but up even from the bottome of Hell and yet unbeliefe might scruple and say what shall become of infinite justice shall that be dishonored to save me But alas that were not as much as for God to come in our flesh and come as a price and pay himselfe before our eyes In the Rom. 9. The Apostle gives this as the great reason of all his actions he hath mercy on whom he will have mercy if there were nothing else but God's will in the salvation of poor soules who hath contradicted his will But God hath not only showne his willingnesse but hath really undertaken the effect of it by his God-head and ingaged his owne honour and all his glory in the transacting of it Oh then why shouldst thou feare to cast thy selfe into the infinite Ocean of God's owne glory notwithstanding all thy vilenesse God himselfe stands to lead thee by the hand and hath put a price sufficient in the hands of justice to stop the clamors against thee and if thou yet fearest to come to God yet come to thy owne flesh goe to Christ as having thy owne Nature and knowes how to pitty thee VVhat can be said more to draw on thy trembling heart if God himselfe and God so fitted and qualified as it were will not must not men dye and perish in unbeliefe and who can pitty them that when God's justice is satisfied our Conscience should be unsatisfied that when God is come downe so low to us we should stand questioning whether wee should come to him what is it but to say all that God is and doth is lesse or too little to comfort me 2. Vse reacheth to these poor beleevers who yet stand afarre off and though they have hopes yet have little Faith and cannot so fully close in with the Gospell nor draw nigh so boldly befor God thorough the fears of their owne hearts This point opens a door of rich entrance into the presence of God himselfe the blessed God hath made a Portall into Heaven not of Iron or Brasse but of thy owne flesh this is that new and living way which is consecrated from Heaven and now with what freenesse and boldnesse of heart mayest thou draw neer to God Unbeliefe is strangled after this consideration since God is come in the flesh we may believe any thing for this is the greatest impossibility that could be VVhy is God come downe so sutable so lowly if he would have thy poor soule be afraid to come to him if he had any other intention but to give strong consolation to the most sad soules he would have appeared in another forme made use of another way which should have bespoke such a design But what is the meaning of this at first sight God manifest in flesh but this as if God had said you will not come to me I will come to you and that you may see how reall and tender I am of your good I have taken up your owne flesh to make my great discoveries in put your hand into my heart and see how love beates and look into your owne hearts and see what you want I have taken the same Nature that I may more sensibly supply you and that nothing may disquiet your hearts or dazle your eyes I have set out my owne glory in love and sutablenesse to your capacities this and much more of the like expressions are the very naturall speakings of this blessed mystery Oh consider once againe what a heart of love was in this design and what a ground of eternall comfort and support is there to thy heart in this God is in thy owne Nature to take upon him all the miseries of thy Nature and to supply thy flesh with his fulnesse this is none other then God's heart leaping out into our bosomes and as much as if God should have said expressely poor soules I cannot keep from you I love your very Nature I will be nothing so you may be something my glory shall not hinder me but I will vaile it rather then it shall hurt you I will take as much delight in your flesh as in my owne Son so I may but shew my selfe kind and tender to you and so I may have communion with you and you with me I care not if I become one with you live in your very flesh Oh that ever there should be a heart of unbeliefe after these sensible demonstrations of divine glory and love wilt thou stand off now doubt now why what wilt thou have God to doe can he manifest himselfe in a more taking alluring sutable way to thy condition Is there any thing below flesh wherein the great God can humble himselfe for our good think of another and a better way or else for ever beleeve VVhat art thou shye of God who is so sweet to thee many soules thinke it a great part of their humility to see their owne unworthinesse so as to draw back from God Oh it is pride to the utmost when God hath made himselfe low and is come so nigh to us not to take notice of him to draw back from such a blessed one who drawes
so nigh unto us I beseech you gather up your spirits and annoint your hearts with the oyle of gladnesse for God himselfe is come to live among you and professeth he will have no other life but among you there he will manifest himself in all his sweetnesse and blessednesse to your soule Lay aside all coynesse and strangenesse of spirit seeing such a way of familiarity and entercourse is made between you and God It is very sad to see believers still so shye of approaching to God so doubtfull of their acceptance when God himselfe stoopes first and is so in love with our acquaintance as that he will be as wee are Let not such a Rocke of strength be slighted But every day entertaine sweet and pretious thoughts of this design and inure your hearts to a way of believing in this God so fully discovered Lastly Let men and Angels look about them what a mount of vision is raised up for the strongest and quickest eye to take the fairest prospect of glory from seeing God is manifest in flesh If God begins so gloriously how will he end If God be so full of love as to come down in flesh oh what matter of hope is laid before us of what he will be to us What doth God meane to bring poore soules unto If his heart and glory be let out so full at first beleeve and wait for the most glorious openings of all Gods glory seeing that he hath took the first rise of his manifestations so sutable to us he is now manifested in flesh and hath laid out a world of glory in that but he shall be manifest in himselfe SERMON V. 1 TIM 3.16 God manifested in the flesh c. ALl divine truths though they are but one in substance and nature yet they are various in their manifestatations and have their particular glory and lustre that sparkles from them Here is in this verse one and the same glory of God discovered in divers administrations and yet every one shining forth in a distinct excellency God was manifested in flesh made the object of shame and misery in the world humbled and abased in our flesh and that God is againe justified in the Spirit and set forth as an object for Angels to looke and admire and for the world to lay hold on and beleeve and then this God is taken up againe into glory that is advanced to that dignity which he seemed to leave and bid adieu unto for a while and all this but a delineation of the various conditions and considerations of one and the same person Jesus Christ and carrying on but one designe in severall representations for the good of poore sinners This is that which the Apostle cals a great mystery that is the most hidden and profound designe that ever God undertooke to act wherein all the depth of his counsels and heart was For here is nothing else but God appearing in manifold shapes and formes to make poore soules partakers of himselfe and raise up our conditions to a state of happinesse and glory Of the first of these particulars we have largely spoken it being the prime and great mystery in this great order of mysteries And yet there is so much in it as may againe take up our thoughts with new wonderment what can be more sweet and precious than a manifestation of God to poore Creatures but for God to be manifested in flesh so sutable to us herein lies the mystery that is 1. God manifesting himselfe in a way of humiliation as one that would lay aside his glory to come and live with us and undergoe the poorest and meanest condition for us 2. In flesh that God should make our owne nature which had sinned against him and was so infinitely below him to be our great ordinance of reconciling us to himselfe and the organ of union and communion with his own blessed nature for God to manifest himselfe unto flesh is not such a mystery it may soone be conceived God did manifest himselfe to Adams nature But that God should be manifest in flesh is the great mystery of godlinesse God himselfe taking flesh and dwelling in it with all his fulnesse and advancing that flesh into onenesse and making that flesh more glorious than Angels through that flesh opening all his Counsels dying and satisfying for the transgressions of flesh and making the richest discoveries of love and free grace unto the sons of men this may well be called a mystery and a great mystery an astonishing and amazing expression And all other mysteries are wrapt up in this this is that which Angels do so pry into Let us view it a little more in the contrivance and depth of it God had an eternall design to discover his infinite love to some besides himselfe he therefore creates a world of Creatures some rationall and only capable of love others irrationall and serviceable to that one Creature which he makes the top of the whole Creation set up one man Adam as a common person to represent the rest gives him abundance of glorious qualifications set him over the workes of his hands made all subject to him as if he were the darling of love Now one would thinke Gods love and glory had been centred here that he had taken up his abode for ever but behold this man was but for a day he fell from God and all that were in him even the whole world and all these beloved ones that were in Gods eye from eternity fell with him into the same gulph of sin and misery Gods face is hid not a sight of him but in flaming fire to condemne sinners and execute vengeance but God had a further reach of love and wisdome and out of this darke cloud let some glimpses of another discovery though so darkly that few could spell it or make any comfortable sence or application of it to their own soule But by degrees God hints it out more points out with the finger by types and shadows makes some models of it in outward Ceremonies yet all hid and darke that in three thousand yeares men were but guessing and hoping through promises for a manifestation of God And this is the meaning of that in Eph. 3. that it was hid from Ages and Generations of men that is hid in Gods brest from them they knew not what to make of this designe but at last God opens himselfe fully and what doth all this workings end in why in this that God is manifested in flesh the whole of all this mystery is summed up in this that God tooke the flesh of these poore sinners which he had so loved and joynes himselfe to it and cals it Christ a Saviour and Redeemer of these poore sinners that lay condemned by the Law and under condemnation with the whole world and God comes to lye in the wombe of a Virgin to be borne as we are to live in the world in the poorest and meanest estate as if he had
not wherewithall to lay his head he dies in that flesh and is glorified in it and joynes it so nigh as that there is a communion of properties between them that attributed to God which is proper to flesh as to be borne to suffer that to flesh which is only proper to God who can choose but wonder when he thinkes of this phrase that a peece of flesh should be called God and God who is immortall incomprehensible be made flesh and dwell among us flesh infinitely provoking God and God in the same Flesh infinitely pleased and satisfied God veiling himselfe with Flesh which was a way to darken his glory and yet unveiling at the same time the deepest and darkest of his designes in the most blessed and comfortablest way to soules this swallows up our thoughts and raiseth our faith to beleeve any thing after this when a soule can look on God as in his owne flesh and see him at one time as Saviour and his Father and his Friend and his Reconciler as his Justification and his Sanctification how can his heart containe within it selfe but leap out of it selfe as one lost in the admiration of it all the actings of Salvation turne upon this hinge when Christ was borne into the world the Apostle saith Joh. 1.14 We saw his glory as of the only begotten Son of God full of grace and truth noting out that at first sight of him so much glory sparkled from him as could appear from none but a God walking up down the world or at least his own naturall Son that came out of his bosome I will adde but two things by way of use to shut up this point Vse 1. Study this mystery above all things nothing so pleasant nothing more deep come but once to know the mystery of God in our flesh and thou wilt desire soone to be taken into fellowship with it the Apostle desired to know nothing but Christ and him crucified this is none other than the Lord Jesus whatever expression is given of godlinesse it is none other than God in Christ what delight should soules take in the looking on their own happinesse with what joy should we draw water out of this well of Salvation the great reason of the shallownesse of our comforts the shortnesse of our hopes the faintnesse of our spirits the lownesse of our graces is from the not knowing this mystery we looke on our selves on our present attainements at some scattered promises but not fully on God in Christ God in our own flesh a soule would see here a fountaine opened of grace and comfort that could never run dry 1. God hath set our own nature as a vast pipe to his Godhead that it may flow out in all manner of fulnesse upon our hearts our flesh stands not for a cypher but it is an Organ of life and grace to us If we saw such a fulnesse in our owne flesh laid in on purpose to inrich us would we be so poor want so much VVe eye this and that but know not that all the fulnesse of God lies in our own Flesh to be emptied upon us 2. God hath in our own flesh laid out the modell and draught of what he will doe unto all his Saints for ever for he made Christ the great Epitome of all his designe and thou maiest see thorough thy flesh at once what thou art design'd unto and how high and rich thou shalt be what a design God hath upon thee for look what was done to our Nature in Christ shall at length be done to all the persons of the Saints in Heaven If we knew this how high would our hopes be and how lofty our expectations after the utmost inrichings of the great God For to what end hath God made flesh so glorious but to shew what he will by that make us 3. What ever God is in himselfe thorough our flesh he is to us if he be good or mercifull or gracious or powerfull c. For this manifestation is a suiting of all that God is to us that when we eye this mystery we may see what ever God is acted out to the comfort and benefit of our owne poor soules God himselfe making all his attributes and glory serviceable to the good ends of his poor creature and that in and thorough their owne flesh Oh my Brethren let not such a strong hold be passed by not such a treasury be unlookt into In this mystery you have Heaven brought downe to Earth yea more then Heaven For God himselfe is come downe to open his heart to you Let nothing take off your eye from this set Faith on work immediately to eye this fulnesse one mite of Faith on God in Christ that is in our owne Nature brings in more grace and comfort then a thousand considerations of any thing else yea indeed it is the only spirituall way of conveighing all comfort to the soule there is no saving knowledge of God but as he is manifest in Christ and doe not thinke that God is gone out of flesh that is that Christ hath left his humane Nature behind him and is only gone up in his spirit to Heaven nor but this flesh of thine is received up into glory and stand as an eternall monument of love and is the great Ordinance unto the end of the world of life and salvation and God shall come againe in the same flesh though not as abased but glorified Oh Brethren what successive sweetnesse and without any intermission would flow out on your hearts if you did by Faith lay your heads at this pipe How canst thou want grace when thy own flesh hath it without measure and on purpose to fill thee why art thou sad when thy own Nature is made reconciler of thee to God Bretheren you live not like men under this design that know what such a mystery meanes you would see enough and to spare a redundancy of every thing you want in this Lord Jesus and the floods of immortality and glory would soone break over your unbeliefe and swell your hopes and joyes beyond all bounds God hath made our Nature a Myne of all sorts of rich and pretious graces that by digging into it we may see our estate Whatever the person of Christ hath in himselfe is all to convey unto us Oh that you were but insighted into these glories had but acquaintance with this discovery of God how blessed might you live What a happinesse must it needs be to see God in our own Nature and our Natures in him and to behold nothing else but love acting in a fulnesse of all grace and glory to a poor soule Let your whole spirits be carried out thus fully to Jesus Christ and with both hands even with heart and soule claspe about Jesus Christ and you will soon find depths of love and grace power and sweetnesse overflowing and swallowing up your heart A soule hath space enough to expatiate its selfe and hath a
sure Rock to rest on other things are narrow and circumscribe the thoughts all the promises of particular graces are gathered up in this one manifestation of God Thinke upon love in this or that communication either in outward or inward graces still we are shut up our thoughts can goe beyond all that but God manifested in Christ there is room enough for a soule to let out his utmost thoughts and to inlarge his affections and yet there is no taking in by one soule the vastnesse of this mystery or the compleatnesse of this fulnesse When a soule hath got out grace enough for this condition and yet still that fountaine runs and knowes no proportion if we would therefore study to know how to use this mystery we should find out comforts exceeding our doubts and our supplies our wants VVhen Saylers are out in the Ocean they feare not though storms arise and the Ship tosse But when they come nigh land then they feare Sand and Rocks then lye undiscovered So it is with a poor soule as long as he lancheth out by Faith into the fulnesse of Christ it is safe in the midst of the greatest stormes all the feares of unbeliefe are when we come nigh the shore of our own duties and performances and come to see the land of our weak workings then wee come into shallow water and stick fast in misprisions and are scattered by doubts and feares because there is not water enough not a stream deep enough to bear up the burthen of our sinking and dying soules That we may therefore know how to act our Faith to get strong consolation and full supplies 1. Faith must goe directly unto God as in our flesh that is unto Jesus Christ and take in nothing by the way which may divert its strength never stop untill it fasten on this fulnesse of God in Christ For when the eye of Faith roles here and there and takes in but partiall sights of Christ as in some particular promise only of this and that grace and doth not fully set on Jesus Christ as God in our Nature it loseth the efficacy of that influence which also would come and besides it divides the strength of its owne act which is most strong as it doth adaequately relye on Jesus Christ and singly closeth in with him for the truth is promises and actings or what ever way God lets out himselfe is but to allure and draw on the soule to an immediate close with the person of Jesus Christ 2. Know that though there be some things in Christ which are most proper for some acts of Faith as Christ dying and crucified for a recumbents Faith unto the satisfying of his soule in the pardon of sin yet the strongest and purest acts of Faith are these which take in Christ as such a person laid out in all his glory and all his offices as sutable to the condition of the soule And the more comprehensive acts of Faith are taken in Christ in his fulnesse the more are the injoyments of it and the more lively the influences As the more Iron is set at the advantage of the strongest point of the Loadstone and adaequately laid for an immediate close the stronger expression is left and the more powerfull it is attracted all such electricall bodies worke as all other according to the propinquity immediation and adaequatenesse of the approach of other things of a sutable Nature to them Therefore the Apostle saith Heb. 12. looking unto Jesus the Author and finisher of our Faith standing and beholding as with a stedfast eye what he is from first to last as the Author and finisher of our Faith So in another place 1 Pet. 2. To whom come as to a living stone we are built up c. These loose and transient glances on the actions and offices of Christ bring in but loose and ordinary communications but hearty and full out-goings to him as God is in him and as such a person thus and thus qualified from Heaven carries power and life with it And these vast and serious spirits who are not content only with flashie or secondary actings on Jesus Christ but are longing to be diving into the depths of Christs glory and excellency carry along with them impressions of an abiding and transforming Nature Oh therefore be ambitious only of apprehending what is the riches of this glorious mystery and let not course and common apprehensions of Christ content you Some think it a carnall apprehension of Jesus Christ to know him as in flesh it is true to apprehend him absolutely so as only having flesh and going up and down in weaknesse But to consider Christ as God manifested in flesh and that flesh acted by God and filled with God is a true and spirituall apprehension of Christ and that wherein lies one of the greatest mysteries of godlinesse for we are not to understand this as a mystery only for that time As if God came and once manifested himself in flesh to satisfie for the sins of his Elect and so to leave it down againe but very flesh remaines to this day and shall remaine and all the spirit and life which the Saints shall have unto the end of the world is to be conveyed through that person which hath our flesh yea the Spirit it selfe dwels in it and is conveyed through it therefore looke upon this as a standing manifestation of God to your soules and beleeve perfectly on it See but how God hath fitted an object for faith in this mystery This expression that God was manifest in Flesh is so laid out that it doth as it were create faith in every soule that looks in it 1. What is fitter for a poore soule who hath nothing than God himselfe who is the utmost object of faith the happinesse of the poore creature depending on his relying on God But 2. Because God himselfe is offended and the soule cannot find ground for faith in God himselfe you have God manifested in our own Flesh that is God takes up our nature and joynes it to himselfe as one person and laies out that before faith So that here is God and God suited to the particular state and condition of the sinner and not only barely acting towards us but manifested in the greatest love and fulnesse to us whatever may feed the humour of unbeliefe is destroyed in this For God hath laid in that in our own nature which doth not only suit but swallow up the wants and miseries of poore soules There be but three things can hinder faith 1. The infinite exactnesse of divine justice which must be satisfied 2. The exceeding unworthinesse of the soule 3. And in the sight of both these the want of a Mediatour or some sutable person which may stand between the sinner and God which the soule may go unto and first close withall before it deales with the infinite glory of God himselfe Now in this mystery faith is fully satisfied 1. God hath
but his inside blessed 2. Externally he was notwithstanding all the visible actings of him in the world and the misapprehensions of wicked men yet the spirit did still justify him and cleer him and declare him to be righteous Two things were laid on Christ which he had need to be justified from 1. The false aspersions which the world laid on him they lookt on him as a deceiver a friend of Publicans and Sinners one which blasphemed when he said he was the sonne of God one which had a Devill and wrought all his miracles by the Devill 2. The state he stood in under our sins have had the guilt and the punishment of them laid on him whereby he stood as a visible malefactor and under the visible sentence of condemnation For Christ was really charg'd with the satisfaction of our sins and was liable to all that the Law could say to us for them Now he had need to be justified from this by having an acquittance and absolution by the spirit of God Now in both these wayes may Christ be said to be justified 1. He was justified in the spirit from all those wicked imputations his enemies laid on him none were accounted of so vile as Jesus Christ all the reproaches that could be invented were laid on him they called him a Devill commonly Now see how he was justified in the spirit that is first how cleer he was within in his spirit no guile was found in his mouth 2. By his Godhead what bright sparklings of God was in the face of Jesus Christ to the conviction of his enemies many times when they came to catch him they were catch'd by the beauty of his glory and faine to confesse he was a righteous one and that never any spake or acted like him in all that ever he did in the acts of his humiliation he was justified in it God clearing it up that he was the true Messias and Saviour of the world when he was borne wise men came by the spirit to see him and worship him when he was baptized the spirit came downe visibly on him and proclaim'd from Heaven that he was the beloved Son of God with him he was infinitely well pleased Nay come to the uttermost degree of his humiliation when he hung on the Crosse between two thieves by his spirit he converted one of them and made them acknowledge he was the righteous man and they only the sinners In a word what ever he did or spoke the spirit did act it in him and justified him in it I speak not of myselfe but God testifyes of me Iohn 6. He was begotten in the wombe by the spirit led up and downe in the spirit offer'd up by the eternall spirit raised from the dead by the spirit That place in the Romans 1.3 cleers up this He was declared to be the Sonne of God with power by the spirit of holinesse in his Resurrection It is a place which answers this He was of the seed of David as concerning the flesh but declared to be the Sonne of God in the spirit when he did rise againe as much as to say he was God manifest in flesh that is in weakness and yet he was justified by the spirit of holinesse to be the sonne of God Christ would often call himselfe the son of God and for that he was called a blasphemer and for that they sought to put him to death as if they had said we will try that thou canst not dye if thou be the Son of God And so when he was put to death they were confirmed that he was a deceiver But now when he rose againe of himselfe then he was declared with power to be the son of God that is justifyed by the spirit of holinesse or the holy spirit that spirit did declare that he was full of holinesse But this was the least part of Christ's justification 2. Christ stood under the charge of all the sins of the Elect as a common person and so was by God himselfe condemned he bore our sins on the Tree in his owne body that is was really charged with the guilt and the punishment of it and though he was not guilty of any sinne yet was punished as the greatest malefactor standing as our surety Christ may seem to be condemned even by God himselfe and he must come off cleer or else lye under the punishment of it for ever for once the charge was laid on Christ the law looks to him Now Christ that was thus visibly condemned he is justified in the spirit not only that he was appointed to satisfie but that he had satisfied and took away these sins and it was reason that if God did charge him with the debt of our sins that after he had paid it he should be acquitted and declared just and the Justifyer of these for whom we undertook Now this is the great meaning of this phrase that whereas Christ was manifest as God in our flesh and so stood under the guilt of our sins he was justified in his spirit and cleered by God that he had fully satisfied him That whereas God was manifested in flesh that is as the Apostle saith Rom. 8. To condeme sin in the flesh that same God-man was also justified in the spirit that is freely and fully acquitted by his God-head from all these sins and so taken up into glory And Christ himselfe in a Prophesie when he was to dye and be judged as a condemned man he comforts himselfe with the thoughts of this He is neer that justifies me who shall condemne Esa 50.8 9. So likewise the Apostle speaking of Christs Resurrection he was put to death in the flesh but quickned in or by the spirit 1 Pet. 3.18 a place fully paralell unto this Paul saith he was justified in the spirit and Peter that he was quickned in the spirit both meane one and the same thing viz. that new life which Christ had from the dead when he left all our sins behind him and rose againe and by spirit is meant his God-head or divine nature whereby he was both raised from the grave and the guilt of sin together he was quickned and justified as a Malefactor by an absolution receives a new life after the sentence of death and this worke of justifying Christ is especially laid on Christs resurrection who when he dyed was as a condemned man but when he rose againe appeares as a righteous man which had finished his worke For justification implies and supposeth a former guilt laid to ones charge of which he is acquitted There was reason that if Christ bore our sins and stood as one condemned having done away sin should likewise be justified from the guilt of what was laid on him and be pronounced righteous Christ was under the greatest attainder that ever man was he stood publikely charged with the guilt of a world of sins and if he had not been justified by the spirit he had still laine under the
themselves every where God's heart is full of mysteries of love and salvation and he cannot keep it in but first he must shew it to the Angels see how they would be taken with it and must have it even preached to the Gentiles also that they might be taken up into it and this is also a part of the mysterie that God should let Angels see it and preach it abroad to Gentiles Yet observe the difference it was but seen of Angels they had but a glimpse of it it was discovered to them to raise their admiration but not as a mystery properly for them but it was preached to the Gentiles proclaimed to them as if God meant to open his whole mind only to them Preaching being a set way of disco-of very of a mans mind the great and set way its manifestation was not to be unto any but the Gentiles This did swell up the glory of it in the former expression that it was a sight that the Angels were taken with worthy to be presented to them yea and as that which was beyond all their attainments what wise men and great men are taken up with the study of and stand gazing on we judge to be some strange and prodigious sight they use not to say out their thoughts on common things or cast their eyes slightlie on everie thing see what the Angels these glorified and metaphysicall spirits shall look on with astonishment and long to see must needs be some supercaelestiall glory a mysterie of the greatest depth and fulnesse But this is farther that this mysterie should be preached unto the Nations of the world that God should make the great declaration of it to such creatures as a mysterie for them This the Apostle may well call a great mysterie the summe of it is this That the Lord Jesus Christ as God manifest in the flesh and justified in the spirit and admired by Angels should be preached to sinfull creatures and open himselfe unto them in the working of his love and righteousnesse this is one of the great mysteries of Godlinesse Here be two things in this one sentence that make it a mysterie indeed 1. That Christ should be preached that Christ should take such a way for the manifesting of the mysteries of his glorie which is so un apt and weak to doe it 2. To whom he is to be preached not to Angels not to pure and spirituall souls but to the Gentiles that is either first sinners in generall the Gentiles being the great sinners of the world but especially to the Gentiles in distinction from the Jewes the Gentiles being the out-cast of the world this is the proper meaning of the word here though the other is comprehended in it both these have a great emphasis the Gospell hath but few words in it but vastne of matter and fulnesse of emphasis in the expression I shall open them both and set out the mysterie in them First That Christ should be preached 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 manifest this mystery in a greater mystery discover invisible glory by outward expressions the riches of his love life should come out of the mouths of sinfull creatures as it was to be manifested to sinners so even by these that were sinners themselves to have this treasure in earthen vessels the way it selfe is a mystery So the Apostle 1 Cor. 1.21 after that the world by wisdome knew not God that is by all their parts and learning which they accounted the greatest wisdome yet all could not bring them to know God It pleased God by the foolishnesse of preaching to save them which believe It was a foolish way and that not only because the world accounts it so but because in it selfe it was a weak and unsuitable way to save soules by that by the breath of a mortall man he would break hearts and breathe in life make soules believe and build them up to heaven by earth to convey heaven for one by the outward expression of words to set forth inward glorie is but as if one would write in Characters for plainnesse speak a mans mind in Hieroglyphicks Now that all the things of Heaven should be opened in such a dark and weak way ads to the mysterie God might only have shin'd out the glory and opened the nature of Christ purely and silently by his spirit and then it would bee no mysterie to conceive how things are manifested but that he will have the spirit reveale them in outward expressions thorough the mouths of the sinners to whom it must be revealed this is a mystery of it selfe if a man speak a plaine sentence in an unknown tongue he speaks a mysterie so saith the Apostle 1 Cor. 14. he that speaks in an unknown tongue is as a Barbarian to me and I to him just so it is here for Christ a Heavenly man to be exprest in words and writings and God who is not to be seen by any creature seen in such and such words it may well be put in the ranck of these great mysteries if God had made use of Angels as he did at Christs birth to preach these things it had not been so much they might have come in state and proclaimed Salvation to the sonnes of men have brought downe the glory of Christ unto our eyes and if Christ himselfe had come in his glorified body accompanied with Angels as he shall at the last day such a way would not have been mysterious but for Christ to be preached by poor men to make that an instrument of the richest discoverie and to make words to convey life and our tongues to speak Christ into mens hearts is a mysterie indeed Againe That Christ should be preached that is first an open way it is the proclamation of a thing what is preached is known of all Christ would not have his mind hid but preached to all the world he would have every soule take notice of his love and of his glory he proclaimes it as on the house top he would have the great mystery of the Gospell preached to all let all the world know he hath a designe of salvation on them so Christ gave in commission to his Apostles Mat. 28. when he sent them abroad to preach go preach the Gospel to every creature except none I will have them all to know that life and immortality is brought to light Christ is a generall good and therefore is preached to all he would not have the things of heaven be whispered in the eare of some select soules but preached as on the house top that if all the world will they may heare with their owne eares the voice of the Lord Jesus as from heaven speaking mysteries 2. It is a solemne way as it is publique so it is serious that Christ is to be preached It is to be the great work of Ministers to lay him out the things of the Gospel are to be preached with the greatest solemnity that can be Preaching
suffer no contrary objections to believing as the riches and righteousnesse of God are laid out before you and demonstrated to your very senses so give faithfull witnesse to all by beleeving the more you beleeve the more you get the sweetnesse of call this fulnesse and you act in the mystery your selfe for not only Christ but your Faith on him is part of the great mystery of godlinesse SERMON X. 1 TIM 3.16 Received up into Glory WEE are now come to the last step of this long ascent at the top of which you have the full sight of all divine workings God seems to begin low takes flesh upon him and is condemned but then riseth higher and is justified in the spirit and admired by Angels preached in power to the Gentiles yea and beleeved on in the world and now received up into Glory This notes the highest advancement of our Nature in the Person of Jesus Christ The great subject of this mystery is Jesus Christ he is the centre in which all these lines end the great and common representative of all the Elect and he is set forth here as under diverse formes and conditions he past through and the severall wayes of his manifestation to the creature as condemned and justified as admired and preached and beleeved on in the world and now at last as received up into glory And it is no more then to set forth the 3 great acts which Christ did as Mediatour for us in transacting our salvation he was manifest in flesh to dye for our sins he rose againe for our justification he ascended up into Heaven to sit at Gods right hand for us This is put in opposition unto his lowest extremity of humiliation for us He that descended also ascended farre above the Heavens So that now we must view this mystery as in another world and follow it up to Heaven where it is acted in glory The greatest part is yet behind it seems now to be gone out of sight as the sun when it is gone from our Horison begins a new day in another part of the world So God having acted that part of the mystery which was for this world takes him up into Glory there to act the rest in a new and blessed way By glory is meant Heaven where Gods sets forth his glory most For the cleerer opening of this I shall propound these things 1. Who or what it is that is taken up into glory 2. What it doth import comprehend 3. The mystery which is in it For the first It is no other but Jesus Christ who was God manifest in flesh who after he had suffered entred into his glory having done his worke as the Apostle saith he entred into his rest Heb. 4. He came out of the lap of his Fathers love into a wide and miserable world to lead a contemptible and mean life in the form of a servant and having finished his course is againe taken up into that glory and high dignity from whence he came This was the prayer of Christ that when he had ended his worke in the world that God would restore him to that glory he had with him from the beginning of the world John 17. He left his place for a while seemed to be turned out of it as one not worthy of it untill he should purchase it by his owne blood He was let fall out of glory into a forme of misery and lost his station for a while and againe is restor'd to it with an addition of highest honour That this is meant properly of the person of Christ is cleer for the same is receiv'd up to glory who was God manifest in flesh and justified in spirit who died and rose againe that none of the Saints did neither can any other be said to be seen of Angels nor preached to poor sinners nor is any the object of Faith but Jesus Christ but yet this must be granted that mystically and representatively the Saints likewise are received up into glory with him as I shall shew anon and if you will that Jesus Christ that in the names of all the Elect was condemned and made a sacrifice for sin and justified in the Spirit in their stead that Christ is also received up into glory as in their stead But secondly what doth this hold forth that Christ is received up into glory You must look on this as containing a glorious designe and a great part in the salvation of soules 1. It implies a compleat finishing of that worke he had to do for us here that there was no more to be done in this world for us that the satisfactory worke to justice was finished and he and his sacrifice accepted before God Heb. 10. having by one offering perfected those which are sanctified he entred into the holiest place viz. heaven and there sate down at the right hand of God having no more to do justice being satisfied justification for sinners procured this was evident when he rose againe For if he had not paid the debt he had never come out of prison but much more evident seeing he is received up into heaven taken into the Fathers bosome many break prison and walke up and down securely as if all were paid but they dare not come in the face of the Court and behold the Judge or come nigh any of their Creditors this is the greatest ground of security that can be possible that sin is done away and that redemption is purchased because that Christ is received up into glory God would never have let Christ come so nigh him if he had any of the smell of his grave-cloaths on him had left any one sin unsatisfied for 2. It imports not only a bare satisfaction of justice but clearly demonstrateth how infinitely God is pleased with Jesus Christ and what he hath done that his heart is contented and he hath over and over pleased him many a broken debt may be paid by a third penny and composition and the Creditor pronounce satisfaction in Law But Christ did not agree so with God by way of composition but Christ paid the utmost farthing that justice could command and in such a way that God is infinitely taken with him and his Oblation and so delighted in him as that he thinkes him not fit to stay any longer in this world but takes him up to glory cannot be without him in heaven gives him a name above every name that he may aske what he will he hath the command of all Gods treasuries of all his riches When Christ went up and down the world and was but about the work he could not hold but must send the Spirit to proclaime to all the world This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased as if he had said Whatever he shall do I will accept But now how much more when he hath so faithfully acted out his will and is received up into his glory and is received up into his glory is God
pleased with him It is said that Christ entred into heaven there to appeare before God for us As a confident Debtor who hath paid the Creditor comes into the Court and askes who hath any thing to say to him he owed no man a farthing all is paid let the Law take its course So did Christ he entred into heaven as one asking justice what will you have more for poore sinners here I am if the Law hath any thing to say to these soules which I have dyed for have not I given satisfaction to the utmost I here appeare to answer in their behalfe who cannot speake for themselves Justice is silent gives the acquittance and God sets Christ down at his right hand no place no honour and advancement is too good for him who hath purchased so much So that now a poore soule by faith may see a discharge indeed of all sin do but thinke that Christ is taken up into glory and there cannot remaine a thought that any sin is unsatisfied for God is pleased so as that nothing but glory is to be expected 3. This imports a new designe to be acted in heaven for us he is taken up into glory that he may act gloriously the second part of our happinesse he acted one part in flesh in the habit of a begger cloathed with rags He is now gone to act the person of a Prince in robes of glory and all this to mannage our salvation in the richest way that can be he is now gone to follow his bloud and to get all into his own hands that he may make ready mansions of glory for us Two great things Christ acts for us now in glory which is of exceeding consequence to the salvation of our soules First He is in place of an Advocate for us Heb. 7.25 he lives to intercede for us he is alwaies begging of favour and love for us he lies there to stop whatever plea may be brought in against us by the Devill or the Law So that no sin can come in to make plea there but Christ answers it with his old satisfaction he is there to get out fresh pardons for new sins Secondly He is the great provider and caterer for us against we come there he is laying up a store and stock of glory for us he went before to take up Gods heart for us and now is drawing out the riches of love from him and laying it in banke for us therefore the Apostle saith My God shall supply your wants according to his riches in glory now he is in glory he intimating that Christs riches lye in glory now he hath the possession of them all And this is that which thirdly is here so great a part of the Mystery of Godlinesse that God who was manifested in flesh should be received up into glory he who dwelt in glory and was nothing but glory should yet be represented as at a distance from glory and said to be received into it but especially the mystery lies in this That Christ went not up as a single person but taken up as a common person carrying all the Elect with him whatever was to be done on us was done representatively and vertually on Christ as in our nature he dyed as a common person and was justified as a common person and so now he is received up into glory he went not up alone but though it is meant properly of his person yet vertually and mystically it is meant of all the Saints they were all taken up with Jesus Christ into glory not that they are so actually but mystically as in Christ their head And this is the designe God comming downe to us to bring us up to himselfe letting aside his glory from whence we were departed and then taking it up againe and us with him It is no mystery for Christ as God to be in glory so he cannot be said to be received into it for he never was without it but it is meant of his humane nature Neither was Christs humane nature received up for it selfe but as it was a figure of us Christs person was the great modell and first draught of all that shall be done to his body the Saints therefore he is said to be the Captaine of our salvation that leads us all on and our forerunner into heaven he breakes the clouds first appeares first before God and is glorified then we follow Christ wears the Crown in heaven as our King and he is united and married to God as our Proxy This is the mystery poore sinners taken into glory with Jesus Christ God himselfe in our owne nature is gone into glory for us Christ is not only gone to heaven to prepare a place for us Joh. 14. but sits in heaven in our roome and God looks on him as the great Picture of all that body and delights himselfe in seeing them all glorified as in him And even the Saints now are said to sit downe with Christ already Eph. 2. in supercoelestibus in heavenly places in supercoelestiall places And as though now we be the Sons of God we know not what we shall be when we come to glory but that we shall be like Christ so though we know Christ is gone up to glory yet what new mystery he acts there and how he acts out our salvation as in glory we know not untill we be actually taken up into the same glory we have but hints of that transaction Vse 1. What a stately Tower have we erected for to see heaven on What a faire prospect have we of the heavenly state of blessed soules Faith may stand on this mount and see it selfe in glory it is like some optique glasses which bring in all which is done without in the streets into one roome this expression opens heaven to every beleever and so fully that he cannot but see glory Is Christ received up into glory What is this but the investing all Saints with the same priviledge your faith is led up very high to take in glory it selfe Faith stands very lofty when it may both see earth and heaven at once all that God hath acted for it here and all that he will act in heaven Faith should eye Christ as far as he goes if he be ascended so should faith if he go into glory so should you also by beleeving Jesus Christ is lifted up thus that we might be drawn after him it is a great encouragement to us to think that Christ was dead for our sins and is risen againe as our justification But much more that Christ is gone into glory and hath carried all our names with him into the Fathers bosome beleevers should look on Christ under a twofold notion 1. As one from whom all their happinesse comes as a head ordained on purpose to convey life and influence unto the soule one who is filled with all fulnesse to fill them 2. As the plat-forme and idea of what they shall be and this is a
the rate of such a mystery aske of Christ communications according to his riches in glory let all your actings be glorious all your walkings joyes breathings let them all be as in glory view Christ and see him as in that relation and condition and you will soone have the sparkles of the same glory on your hearts bound not your faith and expectations within this poore world and the enjoyments of in it but ever and anon cast glances into glory and if you will be in such an estate you must get Christ that is received up into glory in you as the hope of glory Col. 1.27 It is only as Christ breakes forth in your hearts by faith that you come to have such sights of glory that glorified person that is now in heaven must be in you by his spirit of glory or else you can have no hope of glory beleevers you see your object you know his person never be quiet untill you come into his condition as you must go through all ordinances and creatures untill you come to Christ so through all the conditions of Christ untill you come to glory Let us now view it in the whole as it were as it concernes Christ and the Saints together and this is the end of that it is received up into glory As God in Christ was condemned in flesh so are the Saints and justified in the spirit so are they and at last they with Christ are received up into glory Quest Now the great question is How Christ and the Saints are received up into glory Sol. As for Christ it is cleare that he was taken up in his humane nature as he was God-man in the world so he is now in heaven Jesus Christ hath a reall body now in glory as he had in the world But it is taken into glory and so a glorious body Phil. 3. ult In any other respect Christ could not be taken up into glory for nothing wanted it but his humane nature And so must all the Saints be received into glory in the same way not only in their soules but bodies for the Saints have not phantasmes in heaven they are not annihilated in their being and made in another essentiall forme but are taken into glory in regard of the whole man as it consists of body and soule For that place in 1 Cor. 15. where it is said flesh and bloud cannot inherit the kingdome of heaven therefore no reall bodies shall be there It is answered that the meaning is flesh and bloud without a change as it is mortall and weake not simply the being of flesh and bloud but it is expounded in the same verse neither can corruption inherit incorruption that is no flesh and bloud as subject to corruption as it is weake and sinfull shall not enter in For it shall be made a spirituall body still a body but spirituall and free from corruption having a being of immortality put to it And this is so cleare as it cannot be denied except we will imagine a chimaera of a man without soule or body let this be considered whether the man that sinned shall not be saved the same individuall man if the man then certainlie both in his soule and body without which he is no man the being of him as a man lying in the compositum And besides the same that is redeemed must be saved now we are redeemed in soule and body but yet this body shall be a glorious body so changed as that whatever may denote weakenesse and corruption shall be done away it shall put on incorruption And how strange is this that the same man which is justified and sanctified shall not be glorified But I leave that as the excrescency of the pride of this wanton age who would frame a glory to themselves out of their own fancie Let all us know that Christ and his body shall be taken up in their soules and bodies to one and the same glorie and though now we dwell in houses of clay and walke in raggs of dust and ashes we shall one day be taken into glorie This should comfort us in all conditions that this is not our place and draw out our spirits to scorne this world and to breath and long after another fulnesse which is to be revealed the more high and aspiring our spirits are from the world and all enjoyments to that glorie into which we are to be taken the more we expresse our assurance of it And this glorie is so great that there is no taking it in but we are received up into it Oh what a blessed time will that bee when the whole man shall be cast into glorie lost as it were in glorie as in an infinite Ocean Thus I have presented in a short view to your eyes that which hath been acted from eternitie and will be yet acted to eternitie It is little hath been said to what might have and to what shall be really done I have only shewed you the things in a rude lumpe let you see the outside of inward and unexpressible glory I have glanced at that which will be the prospect of the strongest eyes for ever but alas who is able for these things God must act it in us that we may know it in it selfe it is a worke for the spirit of the living God who searcheth the deep things of him I shall only in conclusion sum up all and set before your eye a small map of the whole continent of this mystery that you may see what God is adoing for poore sinners the Apostle comprehends all in this expression of a mystery and a great mystery and then laies it out in these particulars which are enumerated in this verse God manifested in flesh c. Here is a chaine of mysteries the first end of it is tyed to Gods heart and the other end 's in glory in the whole you may take notice of these things 1. The plot and designe 2. The contrivance of it 3. The way of acting it 4. The effecting and issue of it The plot was to save so many poore sinners who lay in the bottome of hell and had so offended God as that nothing but eternall wrath was their portion the spring of this and invisible wheeles from whence it was acted was Gods eternall love and goodnesse that he might discover it freely to his creatures because this designe might go on glorious It was contrived that the same nature which sinned should save and that the manifestation of God should not be untill the time of the sin and misery of the poore creature and that the riches of love might be showne wisdome contrived that God himselfe in another forme should act out all our salvation Thus God comes to be manifested in flesh and cals himselfe Christ takes up our nature and joynes it to his Godhead to be one person and in that person dies and suffers and satisfies himselfe and is justified as in our stead he himselfe is made
that to us which we were to be made he makes that person for the glory of the transaction a head to Angels and men and presents him to the view of these blessed creatures that they might admire him and then as a way to manifest it to us makes a Gospell which shall containe the sum of all this designe and causeth it to be preached and proclaimed to all the world and because there was nothing in the creatures at all to move him it is to be preached freely and that to the Gentiles to the worst of sinners without exception and then these poore sinners which have been thus loved they beleeve on it entertaine it joyfully are made one with this person thus set forth have all applied to themselves and then this person and all these soules are taken up unto glory together and enjoy the fulnesse of God himselfe this is the Epitome of the mystery but every particular as well as the whole is a great mystery and past the apprehension of men and Angels to fathome The whole work of Salvation is acted by none other than God himselfe severall manifestations first in the person of Christ and that in severall habits and then in us and that in severall conditionâ— but still it is God acting towards us and acting us towards him God comes down from heaven and acts out his love to us in five various formes and under divers considerations and as he goes along gathers us into it and then at last goes up againe into glory and carries all us with him he lets down Christ as a platforme of his own love and makes him act before our eyes all his glory and then according to the severall out-goings of his love discovers him to us and at last wraps us up with Jesus Christ into his own fulnesse glory was the end that was the condition which we were designed unto but God lets out this glory first in severall sparkles and then contracts them all in himselfe againe and receives us up into it herein lie mysteries like mountaines one upon another and they reach up to the heavens not a manifestation of God but hath been in a mystery beyond all the apprehensions of the whole world love breaks out in a direct line but as it goes along winds up it selfe in such a variety of contrary and unthought of discoveries as that it amazeth men and Angels So that this is the totall God acting in Christ and he in us and both received up into his infinite fulnesse which is here called glory Oh therefore to conclude all let all your spirits be taken up in the admiration of these mysteries what we cannot expresse do you labour to enjoy take not up your heads and hearts with trifles ordinary and low things when you have such depths of love and wisdome to study and enjoy the sweetnesse of thinke nothing worthy of a glance of your eye or a thought of your heart but this Great mystery of Godlinesse And in all your apprehensions of the Gospell wonder not if you see not at first the glory and beauty of them you must consider there is a mystery in every one of them thinke not in a slight and ordinary glance to understand divine mysteries they will take up the most serious and most sublime thoughts and swallow them up at the very entrance on them Get the key of divine mysteries if you will open them exactly that is the Spirit of the Lord sence and reason will never unlock the depths of such mysteries he which will know the mind of God must have his own Spirit to reveale it Foure things are required to all knowledge An Eye an Object a Medium and Light the Object is supposed 1. There must be an organ or capacity to see though things be never so cleare no man can see without an Eye therefore the naturall man cannot see the things of God because he wants an Eye you must get a spirituall eye a divine judgement for whatsoever is received in is per medium recipientis your old understandings will not serve to judge of Gospell-mysteries 2. You must have a divine light to shine on this Object before you can see it Christ is in himselfe out of sight and the mysteries of the Gospell are too far above all the light of nature and reason too and therefore the light of the Spirit must be waited on 3. You must have a fit medium to convey this light to your eye and that is the Word of God in the Scriptures through that word the Spirit shines and opens the light and beauty of these truths to us Study the Scriptures wait on the Spirit in them and you shall know the deep things of God and I may adde this as the last get the power and life of truth in your hearts and then you will soone know the mystery get your hearts wrapt up in the life and beauty of truth and you will soone know the meaning of it FINIS
things so let him be the full and compleat subject of your Faith and Love and Joyes and Delights the more you see him the more your hearts will be lost in love to him you may see every day new mysteries of Love and Beauty in Jesus Christ new depths of wisdome and fulnesse Oh how could the Apostle choose when he thought of Christ but break out as he did Let them be Anathema Maranatha that love not the Lord Jesus Cursed for ever be those soules that cannot love such a Christ there can be no curse too dreadfull But so much only in the generall which yet is worth your observation The particulars in themselves are so glorious as they dazle my eyes something might be said of them but the depth and glory of them can never be exprest To begin with the first God manifest in flesh This is the bottome of all the mysteries in the Gospell every word speaks Paradoxes God manifested is wonderfull for no man ever saw God at any time But God manifested in flesh that is a contradiction it is more absurd to nature then to say a spirit is flesh God hath gone beyond us exceedingly in the work of our own salvation yet because that the thing is made known we must pry into the mystery of it and of all the mysteries in the Gospell this is the first and greatest the foundation of all the rest In the opening of it we must observe 1. What is meant by God 2. What by God manifested 3. What by flesh and the manifestation in flesh 4. How God hath manifested himselfe in flesh 5. The eminency of this manifestation above all other 6. The mystery of all this For the first By God is not meant God essentially the very God-head indefinitely but God personally in such a person though the whole god-head be included yet it is manifested but in one Person to wit the second Person Jesus Christ because all actions are done by Persons not by Natures Therefore this is a manifestation of God in his owne Son God's essence was never manifested no man ever saw God only the onely begotten Son He that came out of his bosome to reveale him And this is none other but an exact description of Christ which is God manifest in the flesh Now secondly by God is not barely meant an apparition of God in flesh which he meant to lay downe againe upon an occasion but as the word signifies passively conspicuus factus est in carne is made known and cleer to us in flesh This manifestation notes not a transcient shew of God to us but a cleer and constant demonstration of God and the only great and glorious first way of the manifesting God unto us as the word signifies a making of a thing to shine as the Sun to our eyes that convinceth every man of what he seeth And this not only as a glimpse of God which was very glorious and so away but as the cleerest and richest way of discovery that ever was or should be in this world But thirdly VVhat this flesh should be is a mystery Flesh is taken severall ways in Scripture First For sinne and its sinfull Nature we have See the lusts of the flesh that cannot be here meant God hath made no appearance of himselfe in sin Secondly Flesh taken for our humane Nature All flesh have corrupted their waies Gen. 6. That is all men their Natures are defiled So Rom. 7. in my flesh dwels no good thing that is in my Nature either in soule or body or both Thirdly Flesh is commonly taken for the weaknesse and infirmities of that Nature All flesh is grasse and the glory of it as the flower 1 Pet. 1. And the Holy Ghost speaking of the Aegyptian Horses tels you that they are flesh and not spirit it is weak and not strong So that Fourthly How hath God manifested himselfe in flesh not in the first sence but the two latter in appearing in our Nature in taking our infirmities and weaknesse sutable unto that Nature sin still excepted And what is here called the manifestation of God in flesh is in other Scriptures parallell explain'd As he is said to be Immanuell God with us Mat. 2. How can that be but only because of being in the same common Nature with us It is said the word was made flesh and dwelt among us 1 John 14. it is the same phrase with this for the word was God v. 1. And yet it was made flesh not that there was any transmutation of God into flesh that was blasphemy but only by reason of the union of flesh to him who was God This is farther exprest in the Apostle to the Hebrews Heb. 2.16 He took not on him the Nature of Angels but the seed of Abraham 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He assumed not to himselfe that is God did manifest himselfe or appeared in any Angelicall Nature but in the Nature of men And was made in all things like unto us sin only excepted There is another cleer place Phil. 2.6 7 8. Which the Apostle urgeth about the manner of this discovery that Christ though he were in the forme of God and thought it no robbery that is did God no wrong to say he was equall with him yet assumed or took on him or appeared in the forme or the likenesse of a servant it is our Nature which was in subjection and servitude unto God So that now this manifestation of God in flesh is no other then God in the second person assuming to himselfe the humane Nature and so revealing himselfe to men sutably to their condition and this is Christ This manifestation is an effect of Gods assumption of our Nature so that this expression literally imports 1. The assuming of our Nature and the union with God God taking up us to himselfe as one in our common Nature 2. The full discovery of God to us in our owne Nature God acting forth his glory in our owne flesh And al this is stil but to denote out Christ who is the person set forth in the Gospell who was with God and was God and dwelt among us as the Apostle saith that is took up his Tabernacle of flesh in our Nature thereby to converse with us Yet many would faine wrest this Scripture from the person of Christ for some of the old Interpreters as Beza observes leave out 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and put in only 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quod manifestè est omit God and put in which mystery manifested in flesh thereby to take off the glory of Christs as God Erasm by flesh here he understands the whole world and by manifestation the Gospell intimating that this is the mystery that God should be manifested to the world but that is contrary unto this place for he afterwards speaks of the Preaching of it to the Gentiles that is to the whole world It is doubtlesse meant of God as in our Nature making up the person of Jesus
Christ and this will yet appeare if you consider the 4 Thing that this was the greatest manifestation of God that ever was God was manifested in nothing like this for look first over the manifestation of God in the first creation there was but only some outside of God's glory discovered nothing of Gods Nature The whole world never saw what God was truly by that Indeed the Apostle saith Rom 1. That the invisible things of God were knowne by the things that are made even God's eternall power and wisdome but these were manifested in an ordinary and common way as a Picture shewes the art of the Painter but yet you may not know his person But in this God himselfe is manifested for first here is not only so much of God manifested as humane nature it selfe could demonstrate for then it had been a poor manifestation of God who can see God in seeing all the men in the world or in all the Saints in the world in their flesh but it sets out a speciall way of assumption of our Nature unto the person of Christ who was God making these two natures but one person 2. This manifestation was in union of flesh in the neerest way to God himselfe not as a lanthorne to hold the light only of God's glory but as one intire person to represent what God is in himselfe all the whole world was never united to God before though God did manifest some thing to our Nature as to Adam yet God did never unite any creature to himselfe before and though God was manifest to flesh yet never in flesh before that is the great mystery God is manifest to his Saints but he is not manifested in the flesh or in the Nature of any but Jesus Christ This is so great a manifestation as that God is become man as it were by reason of the union of their Natures the word was made flesh and dwelt among us as if God had relinquished his own Name and Nature and lost himselfe in our Nature he was found in the forme of a servant Now let us but thinke what a manifestation of God this must be which is God not only letting forth himselfe in a way of communication but God in union with the same Nature which we are in Therefore Christ is called the expresse image of the person of the Father not an image as he was the second person meerly for so he was not the image but God himselfe but an image because in that union of our Nature with God there was the exactest discovery of God himselfe as possible could be to the creature 2 Cor. 3 ult Therefore Christ is called a glasse wherein a man may with open face behold the bright glory of God But 6. How great must this mystery needes be God manifested in flesh how is that possible flesh hides God he is of a spirituall Nature it is as much as to say the Sun manifested in a cloud or light manifest in darknesse I confesse my heart could rather stand and admire then speak any thing more What ever is a medium of conveyance of any thing in Nature must be proportion'd unto the thing it discovers as the aire not a mud wall conveys the light of the Sun to us flesh and God what proportion is there between them let flesh be but thought God must needs be forgotten for they are at an infinite distance yea contrary yet this is the mystery 1. God not only setting our himselfe thorough flesh in a transient way shining thorough it but being made flesh being one with flesh 2. Not in innocent Nature but in the likenesse of sinfull Nature Rom. 8.3 To manifest himselfe in the flesh of Rebels and Traytours and honour that flesh which had so sinned and was so polluted this is a mystery 3. To act in this Nature in the world to dye and be despised and suffer the utmost contradiction of sinners who is able to fathom the depth of this mystery As one saith of the Trinity they were like three sisters which spun one piece of a garment and only one weares it so had all these three an hand in the making of this Nature but only Christ the second Person weares it and all their glory is laid out in it how one Person could be God and man how God should be put to death in our Nature to reconcile us to himselfe flesh filled with the fulnesse of God is beyond the apprehension of men and Angels to declare But we may tell that it is so and admire it as we speake Blessednesse to be made a curse Heaven let downe into Hell the God of the world shutting himselfe up as it were in a body the invisible God made visible to sense he which hath all things in Heaven and Earth at his command not have a house in the world glory it selfe of no comelinesse What shall I say all things become nothing making it selfe of no reputation And a thousand more such paradoxes are wrapt up in this one expression Oh how great a depth is in this glorious design of God he was manifested to Adam to Moses and many others but here was his utmost manifestation in our flesh For the nature of this manifestation know 1. It is not a bare manifestation of some attributes of God but it is a manifestation of God in his own nature the fulnesse of the God-head dwelt in Christ bodily or really Col. 2. Not that God is circumscribed in our Nature but that the God-head it selfe is united to Christs body and dwels in it fils it and abides upon him 2. Neither is it a manifestation of God absolutely as in himselfe but as in order to reconciliation and salvation of soule For God might have been manifested else in our flesh to have consumed us But as the Apostle saith God was in Christ reconciling the World to himselfe That is God was in Christs Nature as a God in order to the reconciling poor soules and this is the great mystery God was offended by our Nature and God takes that Nature on himselfe to reconcile us to himselfe by himselfe God himselfe will pay the price out of his own glory for our offences only assumes our Nature as if it should be thought to act it out for us and joines it to his sonne and cals that Christ and this is the Gospell-notion of Christ God manifest in flesh in order to the reconciliation of poor soules Thus God must satisfie himselfe and save us himselfe only takes our Nature to doe it in and cals it Christ a Saviour when it is none other then God himselfe in our Nature transacting our peace This manifestation is a peculiar one For First God was never manifested as one with flesh before he was not one with Adam's Nature or with any of the first Creation but this is a manifestation of ownnesse Secondly God never manifested himselfe in his God-head before in such a manner many of his glorious attributes were