the form of a Servant He was despised in his Person Ministry and Miracles in the dayes of his flesh that is whilst he lived here upon earth He was poor in estate followed by the poor he had not where to lay his head Mat. 11.5 Mat. 8.20 he was reproached and counted a Sabbath-breaker a wine-bibb r an enemy to Caesar a Blasphemer he was counted every thing but what he was Answerable to this great Exinanition of Christ is his ascension into Heaven and sitting at the right hand of God Man did not so despise and disparage but God hath honoured him to sit on the right hand of God note the great honour that Jesus Christ is invested withal as he was man Psal 8.5 so he was lower than the Angels But in that he hath said unto him Sit thou on my right hand he hath e xalted him above the Angels for to none of the Angels hath he said at any time Psal 110.1 Thou art my Sonne Sit thou on my right hand To sit at Gods right hand is to be next in dignity and honour unto Almighty God and this is that which the Apostle speaks of showing how God raised Jesus Christ from the dead and set him at his own right hand in the Heavenly places Heb. 1.13 Eph. 1.20 21 22. far above all principality and power and might and dominion and every name that is named not only in this world but also in that which is to come and hath put all things under his feet and gave him to be the Head over all things to the Church Thus all the dishonour and reproach that was cast upon Christ in his life and the ignominy of his shameful painful and cursed death of the Cross is now taken away by Christ his ascending up into heaven sitting at Gods right hand Heb. 1.6 and all the Angels of God worshipping him And thus our Lord Jesus was exalted from a death of shame to a life of glory and that not to a temporary but an eternal life Christ was raised up not as Lazarus to die againe but Christ died but once but lives for ever at the right hand of God to make Intercession So speaketh Christ of himself Rom. 6.10 Heb. 7.25 Rev. 1.18 I am he that liveth and was dead and behold I am alive for evermore Thus he that descended in his burial into the lowest parts of the earth is the same also that ascended up far above the Heavens Eph. 4.9 10. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 3. His coming to judge the world answers his being judged in the world and by the world Mat. 25.31 32 Veniet judicaturus qui venit judicandus As Christs Exaltation began at his Resurrection so it shall be compleated when he shall come in his glory and all the holy Angels with him then shall he sit upon the Throne of his glory and before him shall be gathered all Nations He that came at first to be judged shall come the second time to judge the world We have in the Scriptures several descriptions of Christs glorious coming to judge the world but when he shall come indeed he will make known his power and glory to all the world Joh. 5.22 27. 1 Cor. 1.8 2 Cor. 5.10 2 Tim. 4.1 1 Cor. 11.26 2 Thes 1.8 Acts 10.42 God hath given the judgement of all things and persons into the hands of his Son Jesus Christ the day of judgement is therefore called the Day of Christ and the Judgement-seat is the Tribunal of Christ the appearing the coming the revealing of Jesus Christ the judge of quick and dead The Apostle gives you the first and last part of Christs Exaltation in one Text and make the first part of it as an assurance of the last God saith he hath appointed a day in the which he will judge the world in righteousnesse Acts 17.31 by that man whom he hath ordained wherâ—of he hath given assurancâ— unto all mâ—n in that he hath raised him from the dead John 5.22 23. Whence we may believe that as certainly as Christ did rise so certainly shall he come to judge the world God hath given us assurance of the one by the other And this committing all judgement to the Lord Jesus Christ is that he might be glorified the Father hath committed all judgement to the Son that all men should honour the Son as they honour the Father Sedebit Judex qui stâ—tit sub judice damnabit vere reos qui falso factus est reus Aug. Then shall our Saviour appear in his glory and judge those wicked ones that judged him We read how the Jews by the help of Judas and the Souldiers took him and bound him and led him to the High Priest and afterwards to Pilate and how basely he was betrayed falsely accused unjustly condemn'd and cruelly murthered But there will be a day when Judas and the wicked Jews when Herod Demonstrabit in judicio potentiam qui ostendit in cruce patientiam Acts 17.31 Isa 53.10 and Pontius Pilate and the Souldiers and all his enemies shall be drag'd into his presence and then the Lord Jesus who before shewed his patience will shew his power and he who was so unjustly condemned shall judge the world in righteoâ—sness and he that was numbred amongst Transgressours shall at that great day judge and punish all transgressours And thus as Christ humbled himself in his Incarnation in his Life Death and Burial so God the Father hath exalted him in his Resurrection Ascension Session at the right hand of God and in constituting him Judge of quick and dead Jesus Christ by his Resurrection overcame all his enemies Heb. 2.14 Col. 2.15 death and him that had the power of death the Devil By his Ascension and sitting on the right hand of God he hath Triumphed openly over them and by his being appointed Judge of all he will avenge himself of all his enemies when all must appeare before that High Court of Justice from which there is no appeal So that the Lord Jesus Christ by his Resurrection Quanto humilius sese dejecit tanto sublimius exaltatus est Brent in loc is exalted above the grave by his Ascension above the earth by his sitting at Gods right hand he is advanced above the heavens and by being the Judge of all he is Exalted above Angels Principalities and Powers and as he was abased more than others he is Exalted above all others Thus in part the glorious Exaltation of Christ hath been set forth in the several degrees thereof For the further Demonstration of the Doctrine of Christs Exaltation let us consider the particulars thereof as they are contained in this Scripture and they are these three 1. God hath given him a name above every name 2. That every knee of things in Heaven and things on the earth and things under the earth shall bow to the Name of Jesus 3. That every tongue must confess
understand here by bowing the knee Answ 1. Some take this literally as the Papists who in their worship bow the knee as often as they heare the Name of Jesus mentioned The Learned Zanchy is of an opinion that some of the Ceremonies in use amongst the Papists might have an innocent Original as their signing with the Cross to show that they were not ashamed of the Cross of Christ with which the Heathens did reproach them and so the standing up at the Creed to note their resolution to strive together for the Faith that was once delivered to the Saints So genuflection to the Name of Jesus was say some in opposition to the Arrians who denyed the Divinity of Christ but whether these things were so innocent at the first seeing they are all of humane institution and have been abused to superstition we have justly laid the use of them aside And this Text cannot be so understood for if by Name we understand the power of Christ then by bowing the knee must be meant our submission and subjection to this power By bowing therefore to the Name of Jesus is understood that obedience and subjection which is due to the Soveraign power and Auhority of Christ Thus when Joseph was exalted to that Dignity and Authority in Egypt Gen. 41.43 Joh. 5.22 23. Mat. 28.18 Acts 3.15 1 Cor. 2.8 that there was none greater than he but Pharaoh himself They cryed in the streets where Joseph went Bow the knee Thus God the Father gave Jurisdiction and Authority to the Son that they which honour the Father might also honour the Sonne All power saith Christ is given me both in Heaven and in Earth He is the Prince of Life and the Lord of Glory to whom all obedience service and subjection is most due Quest 2. Who are they must bow the knee to Christ and be in subjection unto him Answ All Creatures for the Enumeration is full which Chrysostome thus Expounds 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chrysost in loc Things in Heaven on Earth and under the Earth i. e. Angels Men and Devils which Theodoret doth more clearly Explain 1. Things in Heaven i. e. good Angels and glorified Saints spirits of just men made perfect 2. Things on Earth all men living both good and bad 3. Under the Earth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 infernalia i. e. Devils and damned spirits All these must bow the knee and must yield subjection unto Jesus Christ I. All knees in heaven shall bow to Christ voluntarily 1. The good Angels they did alwayes honour and obey the Lord Jesus It was the joy of the Angels of Heaven to be Subject and Serviceable unto Jesus Christ 1. Before the Incarnation of Christ an Angel instructed Daniel concerning the Messiah Dan. 9.24 and how long it should be before his coming 2. When the fulness of time was come an Angel comes to the blessed Virgin and said Feare not Mary for thou hast found favour with God Luke 1.30 31. and behold thou shalt conceive in thy womb and bring forth a Sonne and call his Name Jesus 3. As soon as ever he was born an Angel brings the glad-tydings of it and a whole Hoste of them who sang together Job 38.7 Luke 2.13 and shouted for joy at the Creation of the world do with a song Celebrate Christs Nativity Glory be to God on High c. 4. When Jesus Christ was in danger to be kill'd by Herod an Angel warnes of the danger Mat. 2.13 and directs his Mother to flee with him into Egypt 5. When he was tempted by Satan forty dayes together a little before he entered upon the work of his Ministry Mat. 4.11 behold Angels came and Ministred unto him 6. When he was in his Agony in the Garden ready to take the cup of trembling out of his Fathers hand there appeared an Angel from heaven strengthening him Luke 22.43 This blessed Creature out of love and duty seeing his Lord and Master in such distress came in to succour him 7. And as the Angels gave the first notice of his Birth so also of his Resurrection an Angel told the woman He is not here Mat. 28.6 he is risen 8. The Angels attended Christs Ascension into Heaven for they told the Disciples Acts 1.11 That as they saw him ascending into heaven so he should come again from Heaven in like manner 9. And with infinite delight did they welcome Christ to heaven where Heb. 1.6 upon his first coming all the Angels did worship him Mat 25.31 2 Thes 1.7 Mat. 24.31 10. And Lastly When Christ shall come at the last day to judge both quick and dead he will come with all his holy Angels with him and shall be Revealed from Heaven with his mighty Angels who then most willingly will be employed to gather together all his Elect from the foure Windes of Heaven Col. 1.16 All this service the good Angels performe unto Christ not only as he is their Creator for by him were created even the things that are in heaven But they yield him this Subjection as he is their Head and Governour Col. 2.10 Eph. 1.21 22. and so he is called the Head of all Principality and Power i. e. Of Angels And this voluntary subjection to Jesus Christ is because they have benefit by Christ though not in a way of Redemption yet they owe their Confirmation unto Christ The good Angels though they were created good and excellent creatures Hoc ipsum quod sancti Angeli ab illo statu beatitudinis in quo sunt mutari in deterius nullo modo possunt non est iis naturaliter insitum sed postquam creati sunt gratiae divinae largitate collatum Aug. de fide ad Pet. Diac. cap. 23. Qui erexit hominem lapsum dedit Angelo stanti ne laberetur Bern. yet as creatures their state is mutable and they had in them a potentiality and a possibility to sin and fall as well as those Angels which left their first station But this possibility is removed by Christ who by his grace did lift up fallen man and by his Powen preserves the Angels that they shall not fall And therefore it is that in a way of thankfulness the Angels in Heaven do bow their knee in Subjection and Service unto Christ 2. As the glorious Angels bow the knee to Christ in heaven so the spirits of just men made perfect the souls departed do in Heaven praise adore and worship the Lord Jesus Christ and do yield voluntary subjection and obedience to him unto which duty they are more carried by a principle of thankfulness that Christ hath Redeemed them this is shadowed out unto us by the Vision of Saint John who having seen the Lord Jesus taking the Book with seven Seales and opening it he heard the Saints in Heaven singing a new Song and saying Thou art worthy to take the Book and to open the Seales thereof for thou wast slain
face and with twain his feet and with twain did he flee and one cryed to another Holy holy holy Lord of Hosts the whole earth is full of his glory The Angels are pure and innocent Creatures they fear not his angry justice but they adore his excellencies and perfections his is a dread when a most Serene Majesty Penal fear is inconsistent with the joys of heaven but the fear of admiration is perfected there and in this sense the fear of God continues for ever Psal 19.9 In all our addresses to him we should compose our spirits by the awful apprehension of that infinite distance which is between God and us Eccles 5.2 Let not thine heart be hasty to utter any thing before God for God is in heaven and thou upon earth the greatest distance in nature is but an imperfect discovery how much we are beneath God 't is the effect of grace to represent the Divine being and glory so to the soul that in the most social duties it may have impressions of fear Psal 2.11 Serve the Lord with fear and rejoyce with trembling We should fear his greatnesse and power in whose hands our life and breath and all our wayes are the fear of God having its actual force upon the soul is operative and instrumental to holy walking from whence the fear of God is taken in Scripture for the whole duty of man it being an introduction to it The fear of God and keeping his Commandments are joined together Eccles 12.13 This is the Prepositus which governs our actions according to Gods will this is a watchful Centinel against the most pleasant temptations it kills delight in sin by which the integrity of most men is lost for delight cannot dwell with fear this is the guard and security of the soul in the days of trouble the fear of God countermines the fear of men this cuts off base and unworthy complyings therefore the Lord brings this as an antidote against the base fear of men Isa 51.12 13. Who art thou that thou shouldest be afraid of a man that shall dye and of the son of man that shall be made as grass And forgettest the Lord thy Maker that stretcheth forth the Heavens and laid the foundations of the Earth This exalts a Christian above humane frailty and makes him despise the threatnings of the world whereby many are terrified from their constancy It is the most unreasonable thing to be Cowards to men and fearless of God Men have but a finite power and so they cannot do that hurt they would and they are under the Divine Providence and therefore are disabled from doing that hurt which otherwise they could do but the power of God is absolute and unconfined therefore our Saviour presses with vehemency upon his Disciples Matth. 10.28 Fear not them which kill the body but are not able to kill the soul but rather fear him who is able to destroy both body and soul in hell He lives for ever and can punish for ever therefore when duty and life cannot stand together he that flies the danger by delivering up his soul exchanges the pain of a moment for the torments of Eternity Timent Carcerem non timent Gehennam timent Cruciatum Temporalem non poenas ignis aeterni timent modicum mori non aeternum mori Austin upbraids the folly of such They fear the Prison but they fear not Hell they fear temporal torment but they fear not the pains of unquenchable fire they fear the first but not the second death 3. Dependance in respect of his al-sufficiency to supply our wants and Omnipotency to secure us from dangers First his al-sufficiency can supply our wants he is the Sun Fountain and Mine of all that is good from hence the Prophet glories in God Habbakkuk 3.17 18. Although the fig-tree shall not blossome neither shall fruit be in the Vines the labour of the Olives shall fail and the fields shall yield no meat the Flock shall be cut off from the fold and there shall be no herd in the stalls yet I will râ—joyce in the Lord I will joy in the God of my salvation He expresses not only things for delight as the fruit of the Vine and fig-tree but things for necessity as the meat of the field and the flocks of the stall and the utter failing of these together for otherwise the want of one might be supplied by the enjoyment of another Now in the absolute losse of these supports and comforts of life the Prophet saw all things in God want of all outward things is infinitely recompenc't in the presence of God The Sun needs not the glimmering light of the Stars to make day God without the assistance of the Creatures can make us really happy in the enjoying of him we have all things and that to the greatest advantage The things of this world deceive our expectations and draw forth our corruptions but in God we enjoy them more refinedly and more satisfyingly the dregs of sin and sorrow being removed by possessing God there is no burden which we are not able to bear but he takes it aâ—ay our wants weaknesse and sufferings and there is no excellency of his which we are able to enjoy but he conveys to us his grace his glory There is true riches in his favour true honour in his approbation true pleasure in his peace He is the treasure and triumph of the soul Lam. 3.24 The Lord is my portion saith my soul therefore will I hope in him He is such a portion that all temporal crosses cannot hinder its influence on us and his influxive presence makes heaven he is a portion that cannot be lost he inseparably abides with the soul The real belief and application of this will keep a Saint in an holy independency on earthly things Cum mundus exarserit cogitat se nihil habere de tanta mole perdendum the flames which shall burn the World cannot touch his portion he may stand upon its ruines and say I have lost nothing Moreover this will keep the soul upright in the course of obedience for all the exorbitancies and swervings from the Rule proceeds from the apprehensions of some particular good in the Creature which draws men aside Those who want the light of faith which discovers Gods al-sufficiency only admire present and sensible things and to obtain these they depart from God but the more eagerly they seek after these temporal good things the further they run from the Fountain of goodnesse which alone can sweeten the best things we enjoy and counterbalance their absence the Creatures are but of a limited benignity the necessity of their number proves the meanness of their value but one God answers all he is an infinite and indefective good he is for all the powers of soul and body to hold them in their pleasant exercise and to give them rest he is alone able to impart happinesse and to preserve that happinesse he imparts
where there is the same will there is the same nature indeed with men it is the same specifical nature not numerical because there is but one God only therefore here it must be the same numerical nature Observ The doctrine I would speak more fully to is the doctrine of the Trinity or that there are three persons in the divine essence In the prosecution of this point I shall by Gods assistance observe this method 1. I shall speak something to the notion of a Divine person 2. I shall shew you that these are three persons in the Divine essence 3. I shall speak somethiâ—g to the distinction of those pers s. 4. I shâ—ll speak to the order of these persons 5. I shall enquire wheâ—her the mystery of the Trinity may be found out by the light of nature 6. The Use and Application 1. I shall speak something to the notion of a divine person what a divine person is or wherein it consists Resol 1. Negatively a divine person in the precise notion of it is not a being or singularis substantia persona natura singularis clare distinguitur there is a clear difference between person and nature as you may perceive by these following considerations 1. Our Lord Jesus Christ assumed the nature of man and yet not the person of men 2. Those things which may really be separated are not the same but that personality may be separated from nature appears by the foregoing instance 3. If a person were a being it must either be finite or infinite if finite then something finite would be in God if infinite then there would be three infinites in God or which is all one there would be three Gods now Deum trinum asserimus Deum triplicem negamus 2. Positively a person is modus rei the manner of a being and a divine person is modus divinae essentiae the divine essence modificated or the divine essences considered three manner of wayes for iâ—stance consider the divine essence as the fountain or principle of deity so it is the first person consider it as streaming forth from the Faâ—her so it is the second person consider it as breathed forth by Father and Son and so it is the third person I said before that the Father is the fountain or principle of deity now this must warily be understood I do not say the Father is the cause of deity but the principle there is a wide difference between p incipium causam a principle and a cause Omnis causa est prâ—ncipium sed omne principium non est causa the cause of a thing may be called its beginning but the beginning of a thing is not necessarily its cause the beginning of a line is not the cause of it But to return where we were a divine person is modus divinae essentiae the divine essence modificated the divine essence considered three manner of wayes now the manner of a thing is neither ens nor nihil it is neither a thing nor yet nothing for instance the folding of my hands is not ens for then I should be a Creatour and make something nor is it plainly nothing for there is difference between my hands folded and my hands expanded Now we use the word person because it notes the subsistence of the most excellent kind of being and hath more in it than subsistence hath we say a beast doth subsist but it is absurd to say a beast hath personality because a person notes an understanding subsistent Heb. 1.3 besides the word person is attributed to God in the Scripture in the Epistle to the Hebrews you finde these words made use of by the Apostle concerning Christ the brightnesse of his glory and the expresse Image of his person 2. I am to shew you that there are three persons in the divine essence and that from Scriptures both in the Old Testament and in the New 1. By Scriptures in the Old Testament to that purpose take into your thoughts these particulars 1. A plurality of persons may be proved by that Scripture Gen. 1.26 Gen. 1.26 where God speaks of himself in the plural number Let us make man in our Image this notes more persons in the Godhead than one 't is true something is urged by way of Objection Object 1. God speaks by way of Apostrophe unto the Angels that they should bear witnesse of the works of Creation it is usual in Scripture for God to speak to the creatures as in the Prophecy of Isaiah Isa 1.3 Hear oh heavens and give ear oh earth for the Lord hath spoken Resol 1. Although God is sometimes brought in in the Scripture speaking unto the creature yet it is impossible that this Scripture should be expounded after this manner For 1. Those unto whom God speaks were companions with him in the work of Creation Let us make man after our Image now God did not make use of Angels as instruments in the work of Creation not indeed could he so doe For 1. Every instrument must have subject matter to work upon but Creation doth nor presuppose a subject but make it 2. Every instrument must have time to work in but Creation is in an instant and therefore when we read that God created the world by Jesus Christ as in the Epistle to the Hebrews Heb. 1.2 by whom speaking of Christ he made the world this particle per or by non est nota instrumenti sed nota ordinis notes not instrumentality but the order amongst the divine persons for as there is an order in regard of themselves so in regard of their operations operari sequitur esse and hence it is that although we read that God the Father made the world by Jesus Christ yet we do not read that Jesus Christ made the world by the Father 2. God speaketh unto those persons after whose image man was to be made Let us make man after our image now man was not to be made after the image of Angels but the image of God himself Ob ect 2. God speaks more magnatum or more pincipium after the manner of great ones who speak in the plural number Resol 1. If God speaks more magnatum after the manner of great ones why doth he not alwayes or at least frequently speak after this manner you will find God speaking in Scripture for the most part in the singular number even in this very book of Genesis Behold Gen. 6.17 Gen. 9.9 Gen. 15.1 Gen. 17.1 I even I do bring a flood of waters upon the earth Behold I even I establish my Covenant with you Fear not Abraham saith God I am thy shield and thy exceeding great reward and elsewhere I am the Almighty God walk before me and be thou perfect 2. If God speaks in the plural number after the manner of great ones then certainly he would speak after this manner when he discovers most of his royalty and power and Majesty as he did at the
may not believe a doctrine thus holy a doctrine thus practised by him that published it and confirmed by miracles then a man is under an impossibility of ever being satisfied from any thing from God for what shall satisfie If God speak to us from heaven we should as much suspect that as if an Angel come from heaven we should suspect him but since we believe and know there 's a God and he is just and merciful it 's impossible the divine goodnesse should consent to such Impostors But you will say what are these miracles to us I say therefore thirdly they are a sufficient reason to engage us to believe the divinity of this holy doctrine though we never saw them You do not see Christ your selves nor did you see him dye nor work miracles but would you have had Christ live alwayes among you If you would he must then never dye and the great comfort of our life depended upon his death he dyed is risen and gone to heaven would you have him come down from heaven and dye that you might see it and would you have him dye quite thorow the world at the same time which must be if you would imagine we must see every thing our selves it 's a great piece of madnesse to believe nothing but what we see our selves Austin was troubled himself in this case Lib. 6. Conâ—es cap. 4. he had been cheated before and now he was resolved he would believe nothing but what should be plain to him at length says he O my God thou shewed'st me how many things I believed which I saw not I considered I believed I had a father and mother and such persons were my Parents how can I tell that a man may say it may be he was drop't from heaven and God made him in an extraordinary way so if I never were out of this Town it 's madnesse for a man to say there 's never another Town in England or to say there is no Sea because I saw it not Nay if a man come and tell me there 's this doctrine that teaches me all self-denial mortification weanednesse from the world and say this is of God and when he hath done ventures life children family have we not reason to believe it If you will not believe 't is either because the first persons were deceived themselves or else because you think they would deceive you now deceiv'd themselves they could not be when they saw so many miracles done and deceive you that they would not neither for would any good man to deceive an other undo himself they dyed for it and writ this book and sealed it with their blood and therefore there can be no reason to doubt of it they were witnesses and delivered what they saw Luke 1.2 7. Prop. As we have rational evidence the Scripture is the Word of God so we have evidence also from inward sensation born we are with principles of conscience and the truths in this book are so homogeneal to man that he shall finde something within himself to give testimony for it 2 Cor. 4.2 By manifestation of the truth commending our selves to every mans conscience in the sight of God Joh. 5.44 Men believe not because they receive honour one of another and in Scripture they that would not believe are they that would not repent Mat. 21.28 to the 33. men that practice drunkennesse whoredome sensuality covetousnesse pride and know that these things are sinnes they are the great unbelievers because they are loth to leave their sins offer the greatest reason in the world for a thing if it be against a mans interest how hard and almost next to impossible is it to convince him A man would believe that the Romans were in England that reads the Roman History but if he shall finde the coyne of the Roman Emperour he will much more believe it Do a bad action O the secret terrours that a man finds within him as if he felt something of hell already Do a good action and the secret sweetnesse joy and peace that attends it that he cannot but say I believe it for I feel some degrees of it already 1 Cor. 14.24 25 c. he speaks to the inward principles of his conscience The reason men believe not the Scriptures is not because 't is unreasonable to believe them but because they have a desperate love to sinne and they are loth to entertain that that should check their interest There is in every life that certain sagacity by which a man apprehends what is natural to that life what nourishes that life a man that lives according to the Law written in his heart finds there 's that in this Revelation that feeds nourishes and encourages it so that this man finds experimental satisfaction in it Doth the Word of God tell me the wayes of God are pleasant I thought they were hard and difficult now I finde the yoke of Christ is easie and that no happinesse like this and no blessednesse like that I thought if I did not comply with such things I could never be blessed now I finde I need nothing to make me happy but my God he finds and feels these things are certan true and real Thus I have done with the demonstration You will easily observe I have neither taken notice of what the Papists tell us we must believe the Scripture because the Church saith it we cannot tell what the Church is till the Scripture had told us And though I have not mentioned the testimony of the Spirit yet I suppose I have spoke to the thing for I cannot understand what should be meant by the testimony of the Spirit except we either mean miracles wrought which in Scripture is called the testimony of the Spirit of Christ Acts 15.8 9. the giving of the Holy Ghost it 's the giving of those extraordinary miracles that fell down among them so Heb. 2.4 Acts 5.32 I say if by the testimony of the Spirit you mean this then you can mean nothing else but the Spirit assisting enabling helping our faculties to see the strength of that Argument God hath given us and by experience to feel what may be felt which comes under the head of sensation APPLICATION First then study the Scripture If a famous man do but write an excellent book O how do we long to see it or suppose I could tell you that there 's in France or Germany a book that God himself writ I am confident men may draw all the money out of your purses to get that book you have it by you O that you would study it Wnen the Eunuch was riding in his Chariot he was studying the Prophet Isaiah he was not angry when Philip came and as one would have thought asked him a bold question Vnderstandest thou what thou readest he was glad of it Acts 8 27 28. one great end of the year of release was that the Law might be read Deut 31.9 it 's the wisdome of
is wrath in Domestique relations And wrath as terribly mixeth in Publick Relations Ministers preach not oversee not are not ensamples to the flock have not experience nor ability or care rightly to divide the Word of truth and muzzle the gain-sayer Misled themselves and mislead others c. Magistrates mind not the things of Christ are tight and vigilant over the good indulgent to the evil Beare the sword in vaine c. Such vials there is much wrath poured through 5. Upon the holy things of God and of his people Ours come not with acceptance to God The Lords not with savour closenesse authority c. to us The very book of the Covenant needs sprinkling Heb. 9.19 The Law which is pure and clean Psal 19.8 9. is made a killing letter 2 Cor. 3.7 The Gospel which is the grace of God bringing salvation Tit. 2.11 is made a savour of death unto death 2 Cor. 2.16 the Lords Supper an eating and drinking judgmsnt to our selves 1 Cor. 11.29 and Christ himself is made for falling Luke 2.34 and a stone of stumbling and rock of offence 1 Pet. 2.8 without Christs blood taking away sin the very book of grace had never been opened Rev. 5.4 and though the choicest in it self being opened would never have been useful unto us and sorer wrath cannot be than to curse our very blessings Mal. 2.2 and the very means of grace that they shall be uselesse and for judgment 6. Upon the whole man the person is under the effects of wrath 1. Inslaved to the Divel This is plain 1. From the Scriptures Else converting gracâ— could not a Col. 1.13 deliver from the power of darknesse nor men be said when b 2 Tim. 2.26 God gives repentance to recover themselves out of the snare of the Divel that were taken captive by him at his will 2. From the likenesse of mans work with Satans 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Men of a Trade are ordinarily of a company together but here the rule failes not 1 Joh. 3.8 He that committeth sin is of the Divel that is by doing the same work discovers himself of communion with and in thraldome to him The first finders of a Craft are Fathers and Successors and Imitators in the Craft are called children Gen. 4.20 we naturally and freely do the Divels work John 8.44 The lusts of your Father ye will do and have no minde to the Lords work nor can brook the same to be done circumspectly and exactly by others Acts 13.10 Thou child of the Divel enemy of all righteousness 3. From the community of principles the very mind and will of Satan is engraven upon our spirits and expresse themselves inefficacy and obstinacy of sinning These principles are Satans image instead of Gods 4. From the natural mans subjection to the guidance of Satan regenerate persons are led by the Spirit but Satan filleth the hearts of natural men He had possession of Judas his heart and by a piece of mony rides deeper into him and prevails to engage him to betray Christ This is a lamentable branch of the natural mans misery 2. He is banished and separated from God both from conformity to and communion with him and doth electively banish and cast himself forth of the Lords presence This appears 1. From the former point viz. mans fellowship with Satan there cannot be fellowship with God and with Satan together These communions are inconsistent in the same Spirit at the same time in a reigning intense degree 2. From Gods end and his Apostles and Ministers in the writing explanation and application of the Scripture 1 John 1.3 That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you that ye may have fellowship with us and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ. Were this fellowship already in the state of nature there needed not this means of rebringing into fellowship with God Defiers of the evil one with their mouths are not the lesse in league with him in their hearts 3. From the language of the carnal heart Job 21.14 Depart from us we desire not the knowledge of thee This they speak internally and the desire of their souls is to be rid of God notions of God are a saplesse and burdensome piece of knowledge Rom. 1.18 They did not like to retain God in their knowledge To banish our selves is the heighth of mans sin and folly and to be banished the heighth of the Lords wrath and of mans misery Now do we know what a man loseth in the losse of God that is impossible for any created understanding to conceive The world is a Dungeâ—n without the Sun the body a carrion without the soul but neither so necessary as God is to the soul A taste of the goodnesse of God made the world and the lives of the Martyrs nothing to them Psal 30.5 In thy favour is life Psal 63.3 Thy loving kindnesse is better than life The very heaven of heaven lies in the enjoyment of God and the hell of hell in the losse of him The losse of him is the losse of the Fountain from which all kinde of good doth or can come The losse of the cause is the losse of all the effects of all the blessed affections influences and promises of God The losse of all those blessed hopes that fill the soul with joy unspeakable and full of glory No prayer praises faith love fear or any spark of other grace are to be found in truth upon the hearth of that heart Now the person in league with the Devil and banished from and without God in the world must needs be miserable and accursed 3. He is discontented and unprofitable in every condition Rom. 3.12 They are altogether become unprofitable The Holy Ghost makes a natural man of no more use than rotten things which we cast forth to the dunghill for their unprofitablenesse This is a dreadful ruine that a creature so excellent should become unprofitable to others and very far from comfort to himself in any condition The wife having all for use and the husbands heart hath nothing because not the authority dominion and disposition which is proper to the husband Israel have bread and quailes from heaven and water from the Rock that followed them a table everywise furnished for need and for delight and yet grumble because not meat for their lusts Many have all things very good and the wisdome of heaven could not carve fitter and better things and yet all not good enough Let sin creep in and Adam will not be content in Paradise or the Apostate Angels in heaven but leave their own habitation Go from God and take thy leave and farewell of contentment and satisfaction 4. He is grown a Wolf and Devil to his brethren Biting and devouring Gal. 5.15 tearing pulling catching at advantage flying upon the necks of the weaker Men execute much of the wrath of God in these feuds among themselves so that the Caution is
any receive not him this wrath tarries still and will cleave to and abide upon him for ever John 3.36 He speaks with authority Luke 19.27 Those mine enemies bring them and slay them before me and it shall be done 3. That the Psalmist makes it as it is a point of wisdome in the greatest to kisse the Son with a kisse of homage and subjection Psal 2 11 12. least he be angry what is the danger of that and ye perish in the war of your hopes and purposes and never compasse grace nor glory If his wrath be kindled but a little blessed are all those which put their trust in him 4. That then ye may plead with the Lord with humble boldnesse Psal 74.1 Why doth thine anger smoak against the Sheep of thy Pasture remember thy Congregation which thou hast purchased of old the rod of thine inheritance which thou hast redeemed c. 5. And assure your hearts of welcome Prov. 21.14 A gift in secret pacifieth wrath and a reward in the bosome strong wrath Mark their policy Acts 12.10 and be assured the relations of Christ are beloved of the Father Job 33.24 Then he is gracious to him and saith Deliver him from going down to the pit I have found a ransome 2. To those which the Lord hath translated out of their natural condition 1. Bring the work often to the touchstone that you may not boast in a false gift gold will endure the test and be more fully manifested to be gold indeed and finding the work to be right live with an enlarged heart to the praise of that grace which hath made this change 2. Deal seriously in the mortification of sin which God only strikes at and in order thereto count sin the worst of evils if this were done and throughly and fixedly done in our spirits there is nothing of any other directions would be left undone To set up this judgement there needs 1. Ploughing carefully with the Lords heifer viz. search into the Oracles of God there and there only are lively portraitures of sin and the genuine products and traine of sin 2. The eye-salve of the Spirit We are blinder than Batts in this matter and are indisposed very much or rather wholly to let this truth sink down into our hearts 3. Applications to the Throne of grace None but those which deal in good earnest in heaven will see the hell and mystery of sin in themselves He gives the Holy Ghost to them which ask him 4. Excussions and communings with your selves Prov. 20.27 The spirit of man is the candle of the Lord searching all the inward parts of the belly and duly made use of will tell many stories correspondent to the Word of truth use conscience and use therewith another and bigger candle to rummage the dark room of thy heart with Superadde to conscience the succours of the Word and Spirit and thou shalt do something in the search and finde out convictively the swarms of evil in thine own heart 5. The work of grace There will be else a beam in the eye and plaine things will not be plaine to us Gods work holds intelligence and is of amicable affinity with his Word grace hath the only excellent faculty in looking through sin 6. Attendance to the Lords administrations against sin God writes in great letters in the world what he had first written in the Scriptures every breach by sin should lead down into more hatred brokennesse of spirit and shame before the Lord for sinne This is the engaging evil this engages God and the holy Angels and Devils and the very man against himself Nothing can be his friend to whom sin hath made God an enemy Wo to the man that is in this sense alone and hath heaven and earth and hell and all within the Continent of them against him it is impossible for that mans heart and hands to stand strong This is the mighty prevailing evil Never was man so stout as to stand before the face of sin but he shivered and was like a garment eaten up of moths This hath fretted the joynts of Kingdomes in pieces Psal 39.11 and made the goodliest houses in the world a heap of rubbish Zech. 5.4 will make Bab lon that sits as a Queen an habitation of Divels Rev. 18.2 and the hold of every foule spirit and a Cage of every unclean and hateful birds made the Angels Divels and heaven it self too hot for them Never were the like changes made as by sinne grace makes not changes of richer comfort than sin doth of dismal consequence it is made by the Holy Ghost an argument of the infinity of the power of God to pardon and subdue sinne Micah 7.18 3. Bear all afflictions incident to an holy course chearfully The Martyrs went joyfully into the fire because the flames of hell were quenched to them bore their Crosse easily because no curse and damnation to them in Christ Jesus Gal. 3.13 4. Reduce your anger to the similitude of Gods which is very slowly kindled and is an intense holy displicence only against sin Psal 103.8 and is cleans'd from all dregs of rashnesse injustice and discomposure such zeal should eat us up John 2.17 MANS IMPOTENCY TO Help himself out of that misery ROM 5.6 For when we were yet without strength in due time Christ dyed for the ungodly IN this Chapter there are two parts in the first the Apostle layes down the comfortable fruits and priviledges of a justified estate in the second he argues the firmnesse of these comforts because they are so rich that they are scarce credible and hardly received The firmnesse and soundnesse of these comforts the Apostle representeth by a double comparison 1. By comparing Chr st with Christ and 2. Christ with Adam Christ with Christ or one benefit that we have by him with another from the Text to ver 12. then Christ with Adam the second Adam with the first to the end of the Chapter In comparing Christ with Christ three considerations do occur 1. The efficacy of his love towards us before justification with the efficacy of his love towards us after justification the argument standeth thus if Christ had a love to us when sinners and his love prevailed with him to die for us much more may we expect his love when made friends if when we were in sin and misery shiftless and helpless Christ had the heart to die for us and to take us with all our faults will he cast us off after we are justified and accepted with God in him this love of Christ is asserted in the 6. verse amplified in the 7. and 8. verses and the conclusion is inferred verse 9. much more then being now justified by his blood we shall be saved from wrath through him The second Comparison is of the efficacy of the death of Christ and the efficacy of the life of Christ 't is absurd to think that Christ rising from the dead
reward him for it And all this the Father makes good to Christ 1. He fits him for this work both in a large effusion of the graces and gifts of the Spirit upon him John 3.34 God giveth not the Spirit by measure unto him And also in the preparing of a body for him Hebr. 10.5 2. He strengthens him and supports him in the work Isa 42.1 Behold my servant Christ is our Lord but in the work of Redemption he was the Fathers servant whom I uphold and therefore you finde when Christ was put upon the greatest tryals God gave in eminent succour to him as in the case of temptation Matth. 4.11 and in his agony in the Garden Luke 22.43 And there appeared an Angel unto him from heaven strengthning of him And certainly if Christ had not had support and strength from the Godhead he had never been able to have bore up under and carried thorough his terrible sharp work You finde him encouraging himself and acting faith upon this that God would own him and stand by him in this undertaking Isa 50.7 8 9. The Lord God will help me therefore shall I not be confounded Therefore have I set my face like a flint and I know that I shall not be ashamed He is near that justifyeth me who will contend with me Psal 16.8 c. I have set the Lord alwayes before me because he is at my right hand I shall not be moved c. 3. Further God the Father succeeds and prospers him in the work When thou shalt make â—his soul an offering for sin he shall see his seed the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand This was promised and also made good to Christ in the numerous body of believers past present and to come I might here enlarge upon a threefold gift which the Gospel holds forth There 's the Fathers gift the Sons gift and the Believers gift The Fathers gift lies in Election such and such individual persons he gives to Christ Thine they were and thou gavest them me John 17.6 We are a free gift to Christ in Elâ—ction as Christ is a free gift to us in Redemption The Sons gift lies in the giving of himself for us Who gave himselâ— for us that he might redeem us from all iniquity c. Tit. 2.14 And then there is the Believers gift and that is he gives up himself to Christ to be ruled by Christ disposed by Christ saved by Christ he gives up himself to the Lord 2 Cor. 8.5 The Father giving believers to Christ and promising that believers in time should also give themselves to him was a great encouragement to Christ to give himself for believers and if you read John 17. you shall see there that Christ when he had done his work takes much notice of the accomplishment of this promise to him in believers who are his seed owning of him and closing with him 4. Lastly God will and doth reward Christ upon his undertaking to redeem man he tells him he shall not lose by it His days shall be prolonged Isa 33.10 i. e. his Kingdome shall be set up in the world to endure for ever God would divide him a portion with the great and he should divide the spoile with the strong because he hath poured out his soul unto death Ver. 12. And many such promises you have made to Christ Accordingly God hath exalted him far above all principality and power Eph. 1.21 22. hath put all things under his feet made him to be head over all things to the Church given him a Name which is above every name that at the Name of Jesus every knee should bowe Phil. 2.9 and all because to give satisfaction to his Father he made himself of no reputation and became obedient unto death Ver. 7.8 even the death of the Cross And thus you see what the Father demands and what he doth indent and promise to his Son in case he will engage in this undertaking not as if the Son was unwilling so to do you must not so understand it but the work being of such a nature so hard so grievous it pleased the Father thus to Treat with him Prop. 3 In the third place The Lord Jesus Christ engages in the work accepts of the termes and conditions set before him and undertakes to satisfie his Fathers demands And in order to satisfaction which God stands upon as you have heard before Christ is willing to fulfill the whole Law which was the rule or measure or standard for this satisfaction God had been dishonoured by the violation of his Law and the disobedience and non-performance of it was that which kept God and the sinner at a distance and therefore he will only be satisfied and reconciled upon the fulfilling of it here is my Law saith God satisfie it and my justice is satisfied You must know this that though a sinner as to himself is justified upon the termes of the Covenant of grace yet as to his surety he is justified upon the Covenant of works for the surety must pay the whole debt and the Father will bate him nothing Object Where is then some will say the freenesse of grace in the justifying and acquitting of a sinner if God will be satisfied to the utmost what becomes of mercy if the surety pay the debt to the Creditor is it any great favour for the Creditor to let the debtor out of prison Sol. To this I answer Free grace is very well consistent with full satisfaction and notwithstanding the latter the former is very glorious partly because God himself found out this way of satisfaction partly because God accepts it for the good of the sinner as though he had made it in his own person That place of the Apostle is observable Being justified freely by his grace through the Redemption that is in Jesus Christ Rom. 3.24 Notwithstanding Redemption by Christ yet we are justified freely as freely as though Christ had done and suffered nothing at all But this is a digression I say the Father demanding the fulfilling of the Law Quod requiâ—it lex nempe tum plenam paenae reatibus nostris debitae luitioneÌ„ ut à condemnatione liberemur tum plenam legis praestationeÌ„ ut ad aeternam vitam 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 inveniamur ex illa promissione Hoc fac vives Beza Christ undertakes to do it and therefore he willingly puts himself under this Law When the fulnesse of time was come God sent forth his Son made of a woman made under the Law to Redeem them that were under the Law that we might receive the adoption of Sonnes Gal. 4.4 5. And he submits not only to the duty of the Law but also to the penalty of the Law not only to do what the Law enjoynes but also to suffer what the Law threatens and the former he makes good by his active obedience the latter by his passive obedience To open this a
must be plain with you I beseech you consider how Jews and Pagans and Divels will rise up in judgment against you 1. The Jew may say I had a Legal yoke upon me which neither I nor my Fathers were able to bear Christ invited me only into his Garden of Nuts where I might sooner break my teeth with the hard Shell of Ceremonies than get to the little more than bitter Kenel of Gospel promises you have those promises in abundance with more ease Cant. 6.11 q. d. Their Nuts were ripe but their Pomegranates full of sweet Kernels of Gospel-grace were not then budded The Jew may complain that in the best of their Sacrifices the smoak fill'd their Temple smoak only to provoke them to weep for a clearer manifestation 2 Cor. 3.14 Those of the Jews that were most enraged against Christ yet had they known him they would not have crucified the Lord of glory 1 Cor. 2.8 The Jew may say Though we could but groap after Christ your eyes are dazled with his glory We had but the Old Edition of the Covenant of Grace in a Character very darkly intelligible you have the Last Edition with a Commentary of our Reâ—ection and the Worlds Recep ion and the Spirits Effusion you have all that heart can wish Oh had we but one of your days of the Son of man we would not have sinned against so great salvation Sirs what do you think your consciences will be forced to reply O true true must the Gospel-sinner say I have known own'd and professed Christ and have been angry with Ministers and Friends when they did but question my being in Covenant but I have not in any measure walked worthy of the Gospel But I passe by the Jew let 's hear what the Pagan hath to say against you 2. I perish Eternally may the poor Pagan say without all possibility of Reconciliation and have only sinned against the Covenant of Works having never heard of a Gospel-Covenant nor of Reconciliation by a Mediatour Alas should I have improved my Naturals to the highest Reconciliation by Christ could never have entred into my head Oh had I heard but one Sermon had Christ but once broke in upon my soul to convince me of my undone condition and to have shewen a righteousnesse unto me but woe is me I never had so much as one offer of Grace But so have I must you say that refuse the Gospel I have or might have heard thousands of Sermons I could scarce escape hearing one or other shewing me the danger of my sin and my necessity of Christ but notwithstanding all I heard I wilfully resolved I would have nothing to do with him I could not indure to hear strictnesse prest upon me it was all the hell I had upon earth that I could not sin in quiet 3. Nay may the Divel himself say 't is true I was ever since my fall maliciously set against God But alas so soon as ever I first sinned God kick't me out of heaven and told me he would never have mercy on me And ' though I liv'd in the time of all manner of gracious Dispensations I saw Sacrifices offered and Christ in the flesh and the Gospel preached yet how could this choose but enrage me the more to have God as it were say Look here Satan I have provided a remedy for sin but none for thine this set me upon revenge against God so far as I could reach him But alas alas had God ever entred into any Covenant with me at all had God put me upon any terms though never so hard for the obtaining of mercy had Christ been but once offered to me what do you think would I have done would I have hearkened to any thing you could say to Refuse Christ and Salvation Could you or all the Angels in heaven have kept me from minding Christ But Woe to me may the Gospel-sinner say I have as good a Remnant of the Covenant of Works in my nature as the Pagans have I have all the discoveries of God in the Legal Covenant that the Jews ever had I am under a Better Dispensation than the Divels were under before their Fall The Gospel of Grace is urged upon me And therefore O poor Jew whatever may be said against thy breach of Covenant there 's a thousand fold more to be said against mine O poor Pagan whatever is to be said against thy breach of Covenant there 's ten thousand fold more against mine O wretched Divels whatever may be said against your sinnes there 's infinitely more to be said against mine I am the most Foolish Mad Wilful Rebel that ever waged war with the grace of God Sirs Is all this nothing to you Can you hear these things quietly I know you dare not think them over again and sin at the same rate as before if you think your souls any thing worth or heaven and glory any thing worth now offer up your selves to Christ in the Gospel-Covenant Thus much for the first Inference That their estate is dreadful that are not in the Gospel-Covenant The second Inference is this That their estate is comfortable that are in the Gospel-Covenant I will only instance in two things 1. The weakest and poorest faith and service is accepted through Christ in the Gospel-Covenant The Covenant of Grace is made to poor weak sinful fraile man through a Mediator God doth not expect that we should be perfect here Poor Christians have more ado to pardon themselves than to have God to pardon them They quarrel more with themselves for want of holinesse than God quarrels with them for it Beloved here are some comfortable Riddles of Grace for you to resolve The Covenant is meerly of Grace Grace runs through all the veins and arteries of it all the life blood and spirit of the Covenant are Grace Grace through Jesus Christ. And yet Beloved though it be wholly of Grace it is of Debt by being a Covenant God is pleased to enter into Bond to make good his Deed of Gift What God doth for the heires of promise it is no more than what is debt to Christ and what through him he is graciously engaged for us O the comfort of being in Covenant with God! you will say so indeed if you adde 2. This Gospel-Covenant is so made that it can never be disanul'd Alas we do not know where nor how to make a Covenant sure in the world he that is my friend to day may be my enemy to morrow his Bond may be good to day and may be to morrow insoluble There are ways more than we know of to evade the strictest Covenant to disanull the strongest Oath but now God hath sworn by himself Hebr. 6.13 that he will certainly blesse those whom he takes into Covenant with him God hath sworn by his holinesse Psal 89.34 35. As if he should say Let me not be accounted a holy God if I break Covenant with any of my people Nay he
in this nature only Heb. 4.14 15 16. 2. His Names Christ Jesus this was his proper Name Jesus Christ his appellative Name Jesus that denotes the work and businesse for which he came into the world as appeares from the reason which the Angel that came from heaven as an Herauld to proclaim his incarnatâ—on gives of the imposition of this Name Thou shalt call his Name Jâ—sus fâ—r he shall save his people from their sins This Name though it be given to others in Scripture yet to him eminently to them as types of that compleat Saviour who should come after them and save his people from their sinnes Christ that denotes the several Offices in the exercise whereof he executes this work of salvation Christ in the Greek being the same with Messiah in the Hebrew i. e. anointed Under the Law the solemne ordination or setting apart both of things and persons to special services was by anointing thus we read of three sorts of persons anointed Kings Priests Prophets and in respect of all these Offices Jesus is called Christ From the words thus briefly explained arise these two Observations 1. That there is now no other way of friendly communion between God and man but through a Mediator 2. That there is no other Mediator between God and man but Jesus Christ Doctr. 1. That there is now no other way of friendly communion between God and man but through a Mediator and indeed considering what God is and withal what man is how vastly disproportionable how unspeakably unsuitable our very natures are to his how is it possible there should be any sweet communion betwixt them who are not only so infinitely distant but so extreamly contrary God is holy but we are sinful Isa 6.3 with Gen. 3.5 1 Joh. 1.5 with Eph. 5 8. Rom. 7 1â— in him is nothing but light in us nothing but darknesse in him nothing that 's evil in us nothing that 's good he is all beauty we nothing but deformity he is justice and we guiâ—tinesse he a consuming fire and we but dried stubble in a word he an infiniâ—ely and incomprehensibly glorious Majesty and we poor sinful dust and ashes who have sunk and debased our selves by sin below the meanest rank of creatures and made our selves the burthen of the whole Creation and can there be any communion any friendship between such Can too walk together Amos 3.3 except they be agreed And what agreement can there ever be but through a Mediator If ever God be reconciled to us it must be through a Mediator because of that indispensible necessity of satisfaction Rom. 8.7 and our inability to make it If ever we be reconciled to God it must be through a Mediator because of that radicated enmity that is in our natures to every thing of God and our impotency to it and thus in both respects that God may be willing to be a friend to us and that we may not be unwilling to be friends to him there needs a Mediatour 2 Cor. 5.19 compared with Joh. 14.6 Doctr. 2. That there 's no other Mediator betwen God and man but Jesus Christ And one Mediator i. e. but one Opus est Mediatore ad Mediatorem istum Bernard p. 262 Leo. 1. Papa Roman Epist. 83. ad Palestinos Episcop c. 4. The fondnesse of Papists in their multiplicity of Mediators not only unto God but to our Mediator himself having no other foundation than only their superstition cannot be of moment with them who labour to be wise according to Scripture That those members of the Church who are contemporary here on earth do indeed pray for one another cannot be denied but that they are therefore Mediators of Intercession hath been denied by the more Antient Papists themselves This Title of Mediator is throughout the New Testament appropriated unto Christ Heb. 8.6 Hâ—b 9.15 Heb. 12.24 and indeed there 's none else fit for so high a work as this but only he Resol 1. The singular suitablenesse of his person to this eminent employment To interpose as a Mediator betwixt God and men was an employment above the capacity of men Angels or any creature but Jesus Christ in respect of the dignity of his person was every way suited for this work Which you may take in these four particulars 1. That he was truly God equal with the Father of the same nature and substance not only 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the like nature but of the same nature as is excellently cleared by that famous Champion for the Deity of Christ against the Arrians Athanasius Col. 2.9 In him dwelleth the fulness of the God-head bodily Non 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 non divinitatis sed deitatis D. Prideaux fasc p. 76. 't is not the fulnesse of the Divinity but of the Deity thereby intimating an identity of essence with God the Father and holy Ghost Though the Divine essence be after a several manner in the several Persons of the blessed Trinity in the Father 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 without receiving it from any other in the Son by an eternal generation and in the holy Ghost by proceeding yet 't is the same essence of God that is in all three persons Tylen Syntagm p. 401. Lysord his plain mans senses exercised p. 82. because such is the infinite simplicity of this essence that it cannot be divided or parcelled Thus Christ not to speak any thing concerning the other persons is stiled so the Son of God as one equal with the Father for upon this it is that the Jews ground their charge of blasphemy against him that he said God was his Father making himself equal with God Joh. 5.18 The force of their reason lies in this the natural Son of God is truly God and equal with God as the natural son of man is man equal and of the same substance with his father Angels and men are the Sons of God by Adoption Lyford p. 93. but Christ is the natural Son of God the only Son of God and therefore truly God I and my Father are one Joh. 10.30 he thought it no robbery to be equal with God Phil. 2.6 For the further confirmation of this take these Arguments 1. He whom Scripture honours with all those Names which aâ—e peculiar unto God must needs be God That Christ hath these Names ascribed to him appeares from these instances He is not only stiled God the Word was God Joh. 1.1 but God with such additional discrimination◠〈◊〉 neither Magistrates who because they are Gods Depuâ—ies and Vicegerents here on earth Psal 82 6. are sometimes called Gods nor aâ—y creature is capable of The great God Tit. 2.13 The true God 1 Joh. 5.20 The mighty God Isa 9.6 Over all God blessed for ever Rom. 9.5 The Lord of glory 1 Cor. 2.8 The Lord from heaven 1 Cor. 15.48 Yea that great Name Jehovah the Lord or Jehovah our
eum Deus And for this may be rationally urged 1. That in the whole woâ—k of our Redemption effected by Christ Jesus Christ had a respect noâ— unto himself but unto us It is for us that he humbled himself to the Death of the Crosse for us men and our Salvation 2. Jesus Christ had right to all the Honour Glory and Majesty which now he is possessed of in Heaven by vertue of his being the Sonne of God and the glory which he hath now in Heaven John 17.5 he had with God before the world was 3. The freeness of Gods love in giving Christ and of Christs in giving himself for us was such that the main intention of God was that not Christs but our estate might be bettered John 1. â—18 Rom. 9.5 if the Son of God had never left the bosome of the Father he had been for ever God bl ssed in himself But such was the love of the Father that he gave his only begotten Son that we might not perish Joh. 3.16 who believe but might have everlasting life 4. It is fit to be considered that the glory which Christ hath in Heaven in sitting at the right hand of God is such that it cannot be merited by the sufferings of the Humane nature of Christ And therefore it is said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he hath frâ—ely given him a name above every name This last interpretation of the Particle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is that to which most of our Protestant Divines do incline I will not here undertake to determine the Question I find it the judgement of some of our Learned Divines Dr. Featly Mr. Anthony Burgesse That there need be no Controversie about this thing for the Particle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 notes order but whether the order of causality or antecedency or both may be consistent with the Analogy of Faith 1. For if we look upon Jesus Christ as rewarded for his sufferings for us we may thence be assured that our sufferings for him though of another nature shall be eternally rewarded Psal 58.11 2. Or if you note the order only that Jesus Christ was first humbled and then exalted we may thence learn that before honour is humility Prov. 18.12 1 Pet. 5.6 and that if we Humble our selves under the mighty hand of God in due time he will exalt us Leaving therefore this Question I proceed to the Doctrine of Christs Exaltation as it is laid down in this Text. Doct. It pleased God the Father for his own glory that the Lord Jesus Christ after he had been deeply humbled should be highly exalted Thus it pleased God that he who had humbled himself to the death of the Cross Heb. 7.26 Phil. 2.7 Acts 3.15 1 Cor. 2 8. Acts 2.36 Heb. 2.16 1 Pet. 3.22 should be made higher than the Heavens and he who had taken on him the form of a Servant should now appear in Heaven like himself the Prince of life and he that made himself of no reputation should now be in Heaven the Lord of Glory and the same Jesus who was crucified God hath made both Lord and Christ and He who took not on him the nature of Angels but took on him the seed of Abraham is exalted above Angels being gone into Heaven and is on the Right Hand of God Angels and Authorities and Powers being made subject unto him There is a word in the Text that is very Emphatical which is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he hath highly exalted The Elegancy of the Greek tongue is singular The Apostle hath a notable word Ephes 3.8 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Eph. 3.8 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Minimorum minimus Beza Minor minimo Cor. a Lap. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Emphaticus est hic notandus Pleonasmus q. d. Super omnem altitudinem exaltavit super-exaltavit Ambros Multiplicavit sublimitatem ejus Syr. Sublimitate sublimavit eum Arab. Insigniter extulit Justinianus lesse than the least of Saints and here we have a no less remarkable word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he hath highly exalted him God hath exalted Jesus Christ above all Exaltation the Exaltation of Jesus Christ was super-superlative The Latine Version of the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Exaltavit eum he exalted him is too low to express the sublimity of the Greek word We have here an elegant and an emphatical Pleonasme which the Greek tongue borrows of the Hebrew as is frequently used in the New Testament as it is said of the Magi when they saw the Star they rejoyced with great joy Mat. 2.10 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and so when Christ came to Celebrate his last Passeover he saith to his Disciples Luke 22.15 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 With desire have I desired to eat this Passeover So it is saâ—d here the Lord Jesus Christ was very highly exalted he was exalted with all Exaltation Jesus Christ in his Resurrection was exalted in his Ascension he was highly exalted in his sitting at the right hand of God he was very highly exalted above all Exaltation Christ in his Resurrection was exalted above the Grave in his Ascension above the Earth and in his Session at Gods right hand he was exalted above the highest Heavens It is very Remarkable how the steps of Christs Exaltation did punctually answer to the steps of his Humiliation There were three steps by which Jesus Christ descended in his voluntary Humiliation Heb. 2.16 2 Cor. 5.21 Gal. 3.13 Gal. 4.4 Heb. 7.22 1 Cor. 5.7 First His Incarnation by which he was made of a woman and so became man he was made sinne and so became out Surety he was made a Curse and so became our Sacrifice This was the largest step of Christs Descension and Humiliation for it was more for the Son of God to become the Son of man than for the Son of man to die and being dead to be buried and being buried to continue in the state of the dead and under the power of death untill the Third Day Answerable to this degree of his Humiliation was his Resurrection for as by his Incarnation he was manifest in the flesh Rom. 1.3 4. the son of man made of the seed of David according to the flesh so by his Resurrection from the dead he was declared to be the Son of God with power according to the Spirit of holiness The Resurrection of Christ was the first step of his Exaltation He was declared to be the Son of God Clarificatio Christi ab ejus resurrectione sumpsit exordium Aug. He was alwayes the Son of God even during the dayes of his flesh but then he was openly declared to be the Sonne of God that he could by his own Almighty Power raise up the Temple of his Body which the Jewes had Destroy'd The second step of Christs Humiliation was his poor painful and contemptible life and his painful shameful and cursed death of the Cross Heb. 5.7 He was found in
that Jesus Christ is the Lord. For the first of these we will enquire 1. What we are to understand by the Name given unto Jesus Christ 2. How this Name is a Name above every Name 3. How we are to understand this that God hath given 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to Christ a Name above every Name In Answer to the first First Some by this Name do understand the Name Christ Jesus and so take it literally but neither Jesus nor Christ is a name above every name 1. Not Jesus for that was the name of Joshua the Son of Nun the famous Captain of Israel called Jesus by the Apostle Hebrews 4.8 And of this Name was the High Priest Joshuah the Son of Josedek Haggai 1.1 1 Sam. 24 7. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Unctus sive Christus Domini Isa 45.1 Nomen supra omne nomen non intelligendum est de aliquo externo cognomine vel Jesu vel Christi Brent Heb. 1.4 5. 2. Neither is Christ a name above every name for Saul is called the Lords anointed Christus Domini And so also the Prophet speaking of Cyrus calleth him the anointed of the Lord. We cannot therefore understand this of any name either of Jesus or Christ for Paul is here speaking not what the name of our Saviour was but of the Honour Dignity Power and Majesty to which Christ was advanced Secondly Others as Hierome and Theodoret do think that in that Christ was called the S nne of God he had therein a name above every name and this Exposition is gathered from that passage of the Apostle that Jesus Christ was much better than the Angels as he hath by Inheritance obtain'd a more excellent name than they for unto which of the Angels said he at any time Thou art my Sonne this day have I begotten thee But though this be true that to be the eternal Son of God is a Name above every Name yet this cannot be meant here for it is spoken of that which Christ was exalted to after his Humiliation but from Eternity he was the Sonne of God and did not cease to be so by his Incarnation and Humiliation Thirdly By Name therefore we are to understand that Power Dignity Per nomen potestas dignitas significatur Calvinus Gen. 6.5 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Viri nominis 1 Chron. 5.24 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Viri nominum John 1.14 and Authority which Christ was invested withal after the dayes of his flesh and Sufferings were finished 1 Sometimes in Scripture-phrase Name is put for glory and Renown So we read of men of Renown it is in the Hebrew Men of Name and of famous men Heads of the House of their Fathers What we read famous men is in the Hebrew Men of Names and thus the glory which Christ is invested withal is the Glory of the only begotten of the Father 2. By Name in Scripture-phrase is meant power and Authority and the Soveraignty by which Christ is King of Nations and King of Saints and thus the Scripture speaks The works saith Christ that I do in my Fathers Name John 10.25 they beare witness of me in my Fathers Name i. e. by the Power of God Acts 3.6 Acts 4.7 Thus Pâ—ter speaks to the Criple In the Name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth arise and walk i. e. by the Power of Christ for so it is expressed when the Council questioned them for this thing they are asked By what power or by what name have you done this So then we are to understand by Name that Honour Authority and Dignity which Christ now enjoyes in Heaven of which he spake when he was ascending into Heaven All power is given me in Heaven and Earth Mat. 28.18 and the Glory of Christs Name is such that it shall be celebrated through all the Ages of the World Heaven and Earth shall Ring with the praises of his Name as the Angels praised his Name at his Birth Behold I bring you good tydings of great joy Luk. 2.10 11 13 14. which shall be unto all people for unto you is borne this day in the City of David a Saviour which is Christ the Lord and suddenly there was with the Angel a multitude of the Heavenly Hoste praising God and saying Glory be to God in the highest on earth peace good will towards men So they do now praise him and worship him in Heaven Heb. 1.6 Rev 5.12 saying Worthy is the Lambe to receive Power and Riches and Wisdome and Strength and Honour and Glory and Blessing Secondly How hath Christ obtained a Name above every Name This Nomen super omne nomen a Name above every Name is a demonstration of Christs Super-Exaltation and it notes four things First This is a Name above every Name that Jesus Christ should be the only Saviour of the World that his Name should be the Only One Name by which we are saved Of this the Apostle The stone which the builders refused Acts 4.11 12. is become the Head of the Corner neither is there any Salvation in any other for there is none other Name under heaven given amongst men John 4.42 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whereby we must be saved He is indeed the Christ the Saviour of the World which we may understand not only eminâ—ntly but exclusively He is the Saviour there is none besides him We read that God did raise Saviours to his people Israel so acknowledged the Levites in their solemn Fast-day Nehem. 9.27 Thou O Lord deliveredst thy people into the hands of their enemies who vexed them and in the time of their trouble when they cryed unto thee thou heardest them from heaven and according to thy manifold mercies thou gavest them Saviours who saved them out of the hand of their Enemies Such a Saviour was Moses to the Israelites from the Egyptians Joshua from the Canaanites Gideon from the Midianites Jeptha from the Ammorites and Sampson from the Philistims but all these were but partial petty and temporal Saviours These saved the body from misery and that but for a time Christ saves our souls from our sins Mat. 1.21 and that for ever All these Saviours stood in need of the Saviour Joshua himself had eternally perished had it not been for Jesus Jesus Christ was the only Saviour to whose most precious and saving Name all the Old Testament pointed at He was the Saviour in whom all the Promises were performed all the Types accomplished and all the Prophesies fulfilled Acts 10.43 Gen 49.10 Psal 110.1 Isa 7.14 Jer. 23.5 Dan 9.29 Hag. 2.9 Mat. 12.21 It was unto this only Name the Saviour that all the Prophets bare witness He he it was that was Jacobs Shiloh Davids Lord Isaiahs Immanuel Jeremies Branch Daniels Messiah and Haggie's desire of all Nations It is in his name and his Name alone that all Nations shall trust and that for salvation Secondly Jesus Christ hath a Name above every Name in that he
verse Having in the 19. verse asserted Christs fitness for that work it pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell c. Besides that infinite fulness which he had as God by natural and necessary generation there was another unmeasured fulness depending upon Gods 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and good pleasure and thereby imparted unto Christ Now he comes to shew his work described First By its nature To reconcile to himself to make peace Secondly By its instrument that is the blood of the Cross by him Thirdly The object of it which are All things whether they be things in earth or things in heaven By which learned Davenant understands the Angels spoken of as the things in heaven and so many others supposing that the Elect Angels werâ— confirmed in their estate by Christ But with submission to better judgements I conceive 1. that there is not sufficient evidence in Scripture to shew that the holy Angels had their confirmation from Christ nor doth it seem to be necessary forasmuch as it is commonly acknowledged that Adam who was under the same Covenant with the Angels if he had continued in the observation of Gods precepts for so long time as God judged meet he should have been confirmed by vertue of the Covenant of Works some other way And therefore it was rather to be thought that the Angels have their confirmatiom from Christ as God and Head over all things than as Mediatour The actions of Christ as Mediatour supposing a breach according to that place Gal. 3.20 A Mâ—diatour is not a Mediatour of one i. e. of two parties which are one politically i. e. which are agreed in one but of parties at variance 2. Howsoever if the Angels had been confirmed by Christ yet surely they were not reconciled by Christ for Reconciliation implies a former enmity as these things in heaven are said to be And therefore I rather understand it of departed Saints Patriarchs Prophets c. who as they went to Heaven not to any Limbus so this expression is used to insinuate that they were saved by the grace of Jesus Christ even as we as it is Acts 15.11 and that the blood of Jesus Christ did expiate not only those sins which were committed after his death but those also which were long since past Rom. 3.25 as Sol nondum conspictus illuminat orbem The light and influence of the Sun is dispersed among us before the body of the Sun doth appear above our Horizon So then here you have mans Reconciliation Justification and Salvation described together with the procuring cause of it set forth 1. More generally By him 2. More specially By the blood of his Cross by the shedding of his blood for us by his death and passion compleated on the Cross The doctrine I intend to handle is this That the death of Jesus Christ is the procuring cause of mans justification and salvation Amongst all those heresies which God hath suffered to spring among us that they that are approved may be manifest none are more dangerous than those which concern the person and office of Christ of those many streams of errour which run into the dead Sea of Socinianism these are two They deny the Godhead and the satisfaction of Christ and so indeed subvert the whole Fabrick of the Gospel This latter I shall here endeavour to discuss and shall proceed in this Method 1. I shall explain it 2. Assert 3. Defend 4. Apply it 1. For the Explication of this great Gospel-mystery which truly if it fall we are without hope and so of all creatures most miserable I shall lay down these steps First God made the world and man in it for his own service and glory And this end he cannot be disappointed in but must have it one way or other Secondly Man by sin thwharted Gods end and cast dirt upon his glory and so doth every sinner Every sin is a reflection upon Gods Name a blot in Gods Government of the world so that some make it a pretence for their Atheism saying That if there were a God he would not suffer sin to be in the world Thirdly God is inclined by his Nature and obliged by his interest to hate sin and punish the sinner and so to recover his glory 1. I say God is inclined by his nature to hate and punish sin I do not positively conclude that he is absolutely obliged I shall not here meddle with that nice question Whether God was so far obliged to punish it by his nature that he could not pardon sin without satisfaction but this is manifest look upon man as a sinner and so Gods Nature must needs be opposite unto him The Scripture describes God in such manner not only in regard of his Will but also in respect of his Nature Hab. 1.13 Thou art of purer eyes than to behold evil and canst not look on iniquity c. Exod. 34.6 where the nature of the Divine Majesty is represented among other parts of the description this is one He will by no meanes clear the guilty Psalme 11.5 The wicked his soul hateth and the reason is added from Gods Nature ver 7. For the righteous Lord loveth righteousnesse his countenance doth behold the upright And it may further appear that here punishment of sin is not an act of Gods Will but of his Nature Because the Actions of Gods Will are only known by Revelation not by reason or the light of Nature but that God should and would punish sin this was known by natures light to such as were unacquainted with Revelation-light Hence came the Conclusion Acts 28.4 This man is a Murderer whom though he hath escaped the Sea yet Vengeance suffereth him not to live Vengeance 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a supposed Goddesse but indeed nothing else but Divine Justice 2. God is obliged by his interest to punish him as he is the Ruler of the world By sin there comes a double mischief 1. God is wronged 2. The world is wronged by a bad example and hardned in sin so that if God might pardon sin as it is a wrong to himself yet he is in a manner obliged to punish it to right the wronged world and to make such sinners patterns of severity that the world may not make them examples of ungodlinesse even as King James might pardon the Powder-Traytors so far forth as his Person was concerned but if you look on it as a wrong to the whole Nation to the Protestant Religion so he was obliged to punish them to make them warnings to others in the like cases so that you see mans punishment was necessary for Gods glory and the Worlds good Fourthly The punishment to be inflicted must be sutable to sins Nature and Gods Majesty and therefore an infinite punishment for this is justice to observe an exact proportion between sin and punishment Fifthly The only way whereby this punishment might be suffered and yet man saved was by the incarnation and
conscience are constrained to repent of their miscarriage like Shimei his repentance for cursing David occasioned only by the change of Davids condition 2 Sam. 19.20 1 King 2.39 40. and crosse of his own expectation which yet at length leads him to sin against his soul and break his bounds unto his own ruine and like Judas in a dogged humour deploring his sin unto self-destruction many men turn out of sin because it turns Wife and children out of doors deprives them of expected preferment disposeth them into distresse and anguish of soul or body or both these men have no natural enmity to sinne but are like a Bowle turned out of its Biasse by some more than ordinary rub to their desires Give me leave to adde one more and that is the Quakers Repentance 7. False Repentance not fit to be mentioned nor worthy the least refutation it is so notoriously prophane and ridiculous were it not too much successeful in these sad times in which God hath given us up to a spirit of delusion so as that the most palpable of errours finde entertainment this is the Repentance whereby men following the pretended light within them are suddenly converted from extreame loosenesse to extreame strictnesse of behaviour it is to be wondred at to see what a sudden leap the lewdest men make by this rude spirit from the most horrid lewdnesse to the most strange solitary and self-affected way of behaviour these men we must not deny to be changed unlesse we will deny our senses nor own to be Gospel-penitents unlesse we deny our Religion and very reason for themselves professe it to be from no other principle than the light within thâ—m which they say also is common to all men and so is at the best but natural though in them plainly visible to be diaboli al whilst it carrieth not so far as the light of nature but is contrary to the dictates thereof in natural and civil society darkening nay declaiming against those very notes of distinction which God and nature hath in all Nations made between man and man being violent sudden and precipitate by some absession or enthusiastique impulse as from the Devil not by any moral swasion or intellectual conviction which is proper to a reasonable soule and therefore acts wilfully with rage and rabid expressions not able and so refusing to render a reason of their actions or perswasions but with obduracy persisting in their own self-affected profession without the least possibility of conviction or capacity of discourse reducing them into a direct Bedlam temper fit for nothing but Bedlam Discipline so that in the very forme thereof men of reason and the least measure of Religion must needs conclude their conversion Devilish not Divine yet in the effect of it their repentance must needs appear not to be true Gospel and saving repentance as being dissonant to the nature in the very formality thereof for however it turns them from sin yet not with due contrition and confession or on due conviction not from sin as sin they retain pride railing disrespect to men are void of natural affection despise dominion speak evil of dignities whilst they damne drunkennesse swearing and other the like abominations but it never turnes them unto God nay it keeps them at an equal nay a greater distance from God than from the Devil from heaven than hell whilst they deny civility and the common reverence children owe to Parents Servants to Masters and all Inferiours to Superiours decline God disown and declaime against holinesse praying hearing Sabbath and Sacraments are to them as the vices they do detest Gospel-Ministers and Ministrations are to them an abomination whilst they refuse to sweare they refuse to pray drunkennesse and devotion are equal in their account if with Jehu they drive furiously against Baal and Ahab yet they mind not to walk with God but follow the way of Jeroboam both for Rebellion towards men and confusion in the Church so that they appeare farre from Gospel-penitents I have done with the first general part considerable viz. the nature of repentance and shall now proceed to the second and that is The NECESSITY of Repentance Repentance in the very nature of it which hath been explained doth appeare useful and necessary It is not a thing base and vile to be despised neglected and contemned but admirably excellent and to be prized and pursued by every soul that is studious of true excellency for however proud men prophanely deem and damne it as a puling property and pusillanimous temper of spirit below a man on every ordinary action to sit drooping and pensive and not dare to do as nature dictates and good company requires yet the children of wisdome well pondering what hath already been spoken of it cannot but see it sparkle with such splendid notes as engage them to esteem it and employ themselves in it night and day making it their work and businesse saying as Tertullian Nulli rei natus nisi poenitentiae I am born for nothing but to repentance For from what hath already been spoken it is apparantly excellent in its First Nature being a remorse for guilt and return from sin which who even among the Heathen did not esteem remorse for guilt is the rejoycing of heaven returns are the delights of God in Luke 15.7 10. rhe teares of sinners is the wine of Angels saith Bernard Secondly Authour and Original a grace supernatural grows not in natures Garden cannot be acquired by the most accurate industry or endowments of nature it is from heaven by the immediate operation of the holy Spirit Christ himself is exalted to be a Prince and a Saviour to give repentance Shall divine works celestial influences lose their esteem Thirdly Ground and principle â—t flowes from faith and is the result of hope it is not the lamentation of despaire but complaint of candor and confidence affording comfort streami g with pleasure from the soule the priviledge of the Gospel and Covenant of grace it flowes from the fountaine of Divine favour 4. Concomitants Confession and Supplication accesse to God with assurance of acceptance Confession is the souls physick saith Nazianzen and Supplication is the Childs portion And indeed what is there in the Nature of Repentance which rendreth it not desirable by every gracious heart or good nature so that to men that seek excellent endowments and are for high and honourable atchievements I must say Repent Repenâ— This is Alexanders honour this is the only ornament of nature the way to highest preferment is to be humbled under the hand of God But not only is it in it self excellent and to be esteemed by such as can and do obtain it but also necessary not of indifferency but of absolute and indispensable necessity men may not choose whether or no they will repent but must do it with all care and diligence with all speed and alacrity and amongst the many Demonstrations which might be urged I
and unsainteth all others Isa 65.5 Which say Stand by thy self come not near me for I am holier than thou these are a smoak in my nose and a fire that burneth all the day saith the Lord. This is the worst spot in the beauty of holiness a spice of that pride that was in Lucifer and his fellow-aspiring Angels that made the first Schisme and separation in the purest Church even in heaven it self among the Angels that were wholly perfect Take heed of this as of the very pest of the Church and the bane of all Religion which is best preserved in unity and humility I shall shut up all with a wish and that an hearty Prayer alluding to what I said at first Oh that all our garments our Profession might be adorned with these Bells and Pomgranates peace and holinesse That as we call on God who is called holy holy holy Rev. 4.6 and on Christ who is called King of Saints Rev. 15.6 and as we profess the Gospel which is a Rule of holiness and are members of the Church which is called a Kingdom of Saints an holy Nation 1 Pet. 2.9 and as we look to be partakers of that Kingdom wherein dwells righteousness and holiness that according to that promise Thy people shall be all righteous Isa 60.21 that holiness to the Lord may be engraven upon all our hearts as with the engraving of a Signet the Spirit of God and holiness to the Lord upon all our fore-heads as to our conversation that as we have had a year which we call Annum Restitutae Libertatis we might have a year Restitutae Sanctitatis this we might safely call Annum Salutis or Annum Domini the year of our Lord. That our Officers might be all peace our Governors holiness Isa 60.17 that our Ministers might be cloathed with righteousness and our Church-Members with holiness that all of different perswasions might not contend but labour for peace and holiness Herein let us agree and all is agreed that the bells of our Horses and Bridles of our Horsemen Commanders and common Souldiers might be holiness to the Lord Zach. 14.20 21. that there might not be a Canaanite or hypocrite in the house of the Lord then might our Land Church Parliament Army City Minâ—stry be called Jehovah Shammah the Lord is there Ezek. 48.35 yea then would this holiness settle us in peace here and bring us to see the Lord where peace and holiness shall never be separated Even so come Lord Jesus come quickly Amen OF THE Resurrection ACTS 26.8 Why should it be thought a thing unreasonable with you that God should raise the dead THese words are part of St. Pauls Apologie for himself before King Agrippa against the unjust accusations of his implacable enemies wherein 1. He demonstrates the innocency of his life 2. The truth of his Doctrine and sheweth That there was nothing either in his life or doctrine for which he could justly be accused The Doctrine he taught did consist of divers particulars enumerated in this Chapter one of which and that not the least was That there should a day come in which there would be a Resurrection of the dead both of the just and unjust Now that this Doctrine was not liable to any just exception he proves three manner of ways 1. Because it was no other Doctrine but such which God himself had taught It had a Divine stamp upon it as it is Verse 6. And now I stand and am judged for the hope of the promise made of God unto our fathers 2. Because it was that which all the godly Israelites instantly serving God day and night did hope for and wait and expect in due time to be fulfilled as it is Verse 7. Unto which promise our twelve tribes hope to come for which hope sake King Agrippa I am accused of the Jews and therefore it is called The hope of Israel Acts 28.20 for the hope of Israel I am bound with this chain 3. Because it was a Doctrine which God was able to bring to pass This is set down in the words of the Text Why should it be thought a thing incredible with you that God should raise the dead The emphasis lieth in the words with you Why should you O King Agrippa who art a Jew and believest in the God of Israel and that he made the world out of nothing think it incredible for this God to raise the dead indeed it may seem incredible and impossible to the Heathen Philosophers who are guided onely by Natures Light but as for you who believe all things which are written in the Law and Prophets why should you think it either impossible or incredible that God should raise the dead This interrogation is an Emphatical Negation and it is put down by way of Question Vt oratio sit penetrantior that so the Argument might take the deeper impression and the meaning is that it is not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 It is not a doctrine exceeding the bounds of faith or contrary to right reason that God should raise the dead The Observation which ariseth naturally out of the words is Doctrine That the Doctrine of the Resurrection of the dead both of the just and unjust is neither incredible nor impossible neither against right reason nor true faith Though it be above reason yet it is not against reason nor against the Jewish or the Christian Faith For the explication of this Doctrine I will briefly speak to six particulars 1. What is meant by the Resurrection of the dead 2. Who are the dead that shall be raised 3. The absolute necessity of believing this Doctrine and believing it firmly and undoubtedly 4. The possibility and credibility of it 5. The certainty and infallibility of it 6. The manner how the dead shall rise What is meant by the Resurrection of the dead The first Particular Answ For answer to this you must first know what there is of man that dyes when any man dyeth Man consisteth of soul and body and when he dyeth his soul doth not dye it is the body onely that dyeth Death is not an utter extinction and annihilation of the man as some wickedly teach but onely a separation of the Soul from the Body It is called a departure Luk. 2.25 2 Tim. 4.6 And an uncloathing 2 Cor. 5.4 and a Departure of the Soul out of the body either to Heaven or Hell When Stephen was stoned his soul was not stoned for while he was stoning he prayed Lord Jesus receive my spirit When Christ was crucified his soul was not crucified for while he was crucifying he said Faâ—her into thy hands I commend my Spirit The Wiseman saith expresly That when a man dyeth His body returns to the earth from whence it came Eccles 12.7 but his spirit returns to God who gave it And our Lord Christ commands us Not to fear them that kill the body 1 Luk. 2.4 and after
conceive what God hath prepared even for the bodies of those who love him and wait for his appearing Aug. de Civitate Dei lib. 22. cap. 21. Quae sit quam magna spiritualis corporis gloria quoniam nondum venit in experimentum vereor ne temerarium sit omne quod de illa profertur eloquium The Schoolmen reduce them to four heads Impassibility sibility Impassibilitas Subtilitas Agilitas Claritas Subtilty Agility Clarity The Apostle also comprizeth them under four particulars It is sown in weakness it is raiâ—ed in power It is sown in corruption and raised in incorruption It is sown in dishonour and raised in glory It is sown a natural body and raised a spiritual body Objection If it be a spiritual body how is it the same body Answer It is called a spiritual body not in regard of the substance of it but of the qualities of it and that in two respects 1. Because it shall have no need of meat or drink but shall be as the Angels of Heaven Mat. 20.30 not that we shall have Angelicam essentiam but Angelicas proprietates not the essence but the properties of Angels We shall neither eat nor drink but shall be as the Angels We shall have as Tertullian saith corpora reformata Angelificata Even as a Goldsmith saith Chrysostome puts his silver and gold into a pot and then melts it and forms of it a gold or silver b wl or cup fit to be set before Kings so the Lord melts the bodies of his Saints by death and out of the dead ashes and cinders of the bodies of his servants he frameth and will make goodly vessels of honour to stand before him and to praise him for ever in heaven 2. It is said to be a Spiritual body because it shall be absolutely subject to the soul In the state of glory the soul shall not depend upon the body but the body upon the soul In this life the soul is See this more fully handled in the Sermon preached at Dr. Bollons Funeral as it were carnal because serviceable to the flesh but at the Resurrection the body shall be as it were spiritual because perfectly serviceable to the Spirit But the time will not give me leave to insist largely upon this point So much in answer to the six particulars propounded for the explication of this Doctrine Now for the Application Use 1. LEt us believe this great truth and believe it firmly and undoubtedly That there shall be a Resurrection of the body and that the same numerical body shall rise again the same for substance though not the same for qualities The great God can do this for he is Almighty and to an Almighty power nothing is impossible God can do it because he is Omnipctent and he cannot but do it because he hath promised to do it He cannot be true of his word if the body do not rise again nor can he be a just God as I have shewed for it is just with God that as the body hath been partakers with the soul in good or evil actions so it should be partakers with the soul in everlasting rewards and everlasting punishments And it is just with God that the same body that serves him should be rewarded and the same body that sins against him should be punished And the truth is if the same body doth not rise it cannot be called a Resurrection but rather a new creation as I have shewed Let us I say firmly believe this truth for it is a fundamental truth and the foundation of many other fundamental truths For if the dead rise not then is not Christ risen and then is our faith vain and our preaching in vain Remember Job in the Old Testament believed this Use 2. IF there be a Resurrection of the dead Resurrectio mortuorum est consolatio fiducia Christianorum here is great consolation to all the real members of Jesus Christ For the Resurrection of the dead is the comfort and the hope and confidence of all good Christians This was Jobs comfort upon the dunghil Job 19.26 27. and Davids comfort Psal 16.7 and Christs comfort Mat. 20.19 But the third day he shall rise again It was Christs comfort and it is the comfort of every good Christian 1. Here is comfort against the fear of death As God said to Jacob Gen. 46.3 4. Fear not to go down to Egypt for I will go with thee and I will bring thee out again So give me leave to say to you Fear not to go down to the house of Rottenness to the Den of Death for God will raise you up gain Your Friends and Acquaintance leave you at the grave but God will not leave you The grave is but a dormitory a resting-place a storehouse to keep you safe till the Resurrection Christ hath perfumed the grave 1 Sam. 26. As David when he found Saul asleep took away his spear and cruse of water but when he awoke he restored them again So will death do with us Though it take away out strength and our beauty yet when we awake at the Resurrection they shall be restored again unto us God will keep our dead ashes and preserve them safe as a Druggist keeps every whit of the drug he hath beaten to powder A Saint while he is in the grave is united to Christ he sleeps in Jesus and Jesus will raise him up unto life everlasting John 11.24 2. Comfort against the death of our friends Though they be dead yet they shall rise gain as Martha told Christ I know that he shall rise again at the Resurrection 1 Thess 14. The Saints who dye in the faith of Christ are dead in Christ and such he will raise and bring with him to judgement If a man be to take a long journey his wife and children will not weep and mourn because they hope that ere long he will return again A man that dyes in Christ and sleeps in Christ doth but take a journey from Earth to Heaven but he will come again shortly and therefore let us not mourn as men without hope for our godly relations for we shall meet again and in all probability shall know one another when we meets though not after a carnal manner for we shall rise with the same bodies And if Lazarus was known when raised and the Widows Son known by his Mother if Adam in Innocency knew Eve when he awoke and Peter knew Moses and Elias in the Transfiguration which was but a dark representation of Heaven it is very probable that we also when we awake at the great Resurrection shall know one another which will be no little addition to our Happiness 3. Comfort to those who have maimed and deformed bodies At the great Resurrection all these deformities shall be taken away therefore it is called A Day of Restitution Acts 3.21 wherein God will set all things in joynt If there were
declare to them the true God and he doth it ab effectu That God which made the world and all things therein is Lord of heaven and earth ver 24. To Create is the best demonstration of a Deity And this God being everywhere by way of repletion * Jer. 23.24 cannot be locally confined He dwelleth not in Temâ—lâ—s made with hands ver 24. And though in former times when the vaile of Ignorance was drawn over the face of the world God seemed lesse severe ver 30. The times of this ignorance God winked at 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He did as it were overlook them not taking the extremity of the Law yet now he commandeth all men everywhere to repent ver 30. And if it be asked why now repent why may we not take our full sleep The Reason is because now is the broad day-light of the Gospel which as it discovers sin more clearly so judgment upon sinners He hath appointed a day in which he will judge the world Which words are Gods Alarum to the world to awaken it out of security This is a sweet yet dreadful point When Saint Paul discoursed of judgement to come Faelix trembled Acts 24.25 He that is not affected with this Truth hath an heart of stone For the illustration of this there are six things I shall discusse 1. That there shall be a day of judgement 2. Why there must be a day of judgement 3. When the day of judgement shall be 4. Who shall be the Judge 5. The order and the method of the Trial. 6. The effect or consequent of it I begin with the first That there shall be a day of judgement There is a twofold day of judgement 1. Dies particularis a particular judgement at the day of death immediately upon the souls dissolution from the body it hath a judgment passed upon it * Hebr. 9.27 Eccles 12.7 Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was the spirit shall return to God that gave it As soon as the breath expires the soul receives its particular sentence and knows how it shall be with it to all eternity 2. There is Dies universalis a general day of judgement which is the great Assises when the world shall be gathered together and of this the Text is to be understood He hath appointed a day in which he will judge the world I might impannel a whole Jury of Scriptures giving in their verdict to this but in the mouth of two or three witnesses the truth will be confirmed Eccles 12.14 God shall bring every work into judgment with every secret thing Eccles 12.14 whether it be good or evil Mat. 12.36 Every idle word men shall speak they shall give account thereof in the day of judgement * Mat. 12 36. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Psal 96 13. Now is the day of Arr ars then will be the day of Account Psalme 96.13 For he cometh for he cometh to judge the Earth The Ingemination denotes the certainty and infallibility of his coming Secondly Why there must be a day of judgement 1. That God may execute justice on the wicked Things seem to be carried here in the world with an unequal balance The Candle of God shines upon the wicked * Job 29.3 They that tempt God are delivered * Mal. 3.15 Diogenes seeing Harpalus a Thief goâ—on prosperously said sure God had cast off the government of the world and minded not how things went here below 2 Pet. 3.4 2 Pet. 3.4 There shall be in the last days Scoffers saying Where is the promise of his coming Therefore God will have a day of Assizes to vindicate his justice he will let sinners know that long-forbearance is no forgiveness 2. That God may exercise mercy to the godly Here piety was the white which was shot at they who prayed and wept had the hardest measure those Christians whose zeal did flame most met with the fiery tryal Rom. 8.36 Rom. 8.36 For thy sake we are killed all the day long The Saints as Cyprian saith are put in the wine-presse and oft the blood of these grapes is pressed out God will therefore have a day of judgement that he may reward all the tears and sufferings of his people They shall have their Crown and Throne and White Robes though they may be Losers for him they shall lose nothing by him * Rev. 7.9 Thirdly When the day of judgement shall be 'T is certain there shall be a judgment uncertain when the Angels know not the day nor Christ neither as he was man Matth. 24.36 And the reason why the time is not known is 1. That we may not be curious There are somethings which God would have us ignorant of Acts 1.7 It is not for you to know the times or seasons which the Father hath put in his own power We must not pry into Gods Ark or intermeddle with his Arcana imperii it is a kinde of Sacriledge as Salvian speaks for any man to break into the Holy of holies and enter into Gods secrets 2. God hath concealed the time of judgement that we may not be careless We are alwayes to keep Centinel having our Loyns girr and our Lamps burning not knowing how soon that day may overtake us God would have us live every day saith Austin as if the last day were approaching * Ideo latet ultimus dies ut observentur omnes dies Austin Omnem crede diem tibi diluxisse supremum This is the genuine Use our Saviour makes of it Mark 13.32 Of that day and houre knows no man no not the Angels in heaven Take ye heed watch and pray for ye know not when the time is But though we cannot tell precisely when this day of the Lord shall be yet in probability the time cannot be far off Hebr. 10.3.7 He that shall come Hebr. 10.37 will come and will not tarry Chrysostome hath a simile when saith he we see an old man going on Crutches his Joynts weak his radical moisture dried up though we do not know the just time when he will dye yet it is sure he cannot live long because natures stock is spent So the world is decrepit and goes as it were upon Crutches therefore it cannot be long before the worlds Funerals and the birth-day of judgement The Age which Saint John wrote in was the last time 1 John 2.18 in the Greek it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 John 2.18 the last houre then sure the time we now live in may be called the last minute Psal 96.13 For he cometh to judge the Earth Not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he shall come but he cometh * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to shew how near the time is It is almost day-break and the Court is ready to sit Jam. 5.9 The Judge standeth at the door Verily if Security * Mat. 24.37 Apostasie * 1. Tim. 4.1 Decay of Love * Mat. 24.11
Inundation of Sin * 2 Tim. 3.1 Revelation of Antichrist * 1 Joh. 3.18 Non secus ac slavescente arista colonus colligit pro foribus adesse messem be made in Scripture the Symptomes and Prognosticks of the last day we having these gray haires among us the day of judgement cannot be far off Fourthly Who shall be the Judge I answer the Lord Jesus Christ Thus it is in the. Text He will judge the world by that man whom he hath ordained That man who is God-man We must take heed of judging others this is Christs work John 5.22 The Father hath committed all judgement to the Son * Judicium erit totius individuae Trinitatis quoad consensum authoritatem Christi vero quoad visibilem actum promulgationem executionem 1. Sagacitas He who once had a Reed put into his hand his Father will now put a Scepter into his hand he who had a Purple Robe put upon him in derision shall come in hâ—s Judges Robes he who hung upon the Crosse shall sit upon the Bench. There are two things in Christ which do eminently qualifie him for a Judge 1. Prudence and Intelligence to understand all Causes that are brought before him * Hebr. 4.13 He is described with seven eyes Zech. 3.9 to note his Omnisciency he is like Ezekiels wheels full of eyes * Ezek. 10.12 2. Potestas Christ is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an heart-searcher he doth not only judge the fact but the heart which no Angel can do * 2. Strength whereby he is able to be revenged upon his enemies Christ is armed with Soveraignty therefore the seven eyes are said to be upon one stone Zech. 3.9 To denote the infinite strength of Christ and he is described with seven horns Rev. 5.6 As Christ hath an Eye to see so he hath an Horn to push As he hath his Balance so he hath his Sword As he hath his Fan and his Sieve so he hath his Lake of fire Revel 20.10 Fifthly The Order and Method of the Trial. Where observe 1. The Summons 2. The Judges coming to the Bench. 3. The Processe and Trial it self 1. The Summons to the Court and that is by the sounding of a Trumpet 1 Thes 4.16 The Lord shall descend from heaven with the voice of the Archangel and with the Trump of God Saint Hierom saith that whatever he was doing he thought he heard the noise of this Trumpet sounding in his ears Surgite mortui Arise ye dead and come to judgement * Hierom in Mat. Note 1. The shrilness of the Trumpet it shall sound so loud that the dead shall hear it 2. The efficacy of the Trumpet it shall not only startle the dead but raise them out of their graves Matth. 24.31 * Vere vox magna vox tubae terribilis quae petras scindit inferos aperit vincula mortuorum dirumpit haec autem omnia citiuss peragenda quam sagitta in aere transit in momento in ictuâ—oculi They who will not hear the Trumpet of the Ministery sounding but lie dead in sinneâ— shall be sure to hear the Trumpet of the Archangel sounding 2. The manner of the Judges coming to the Bench. Christs coming to Judgement will be Glorious yet drâ—adful Fâ—rst It will be glorious to the godly The Apostle calls it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Titus 2.13 1. Christs Person shall be glorious His first coming in the flesh was obscure his glory was vail'd over Isa 53.2 3. All who saw the Man did not see the Messiah but his second coming will be in vigore fulgore very illustrious and resplendent He shall come in the glory of his Father Mark 8.38 that is he shall wear the same embroydered Robes of Majesty as his Father 2. Christs Attendants shall be glorious He shall come with all his holy Angels * Mat. 25.31 Mat. 25.31 These Sublime Seraphick Spirits who for their lustre are compared to lightning * Mat. 28.3 are Christi Satellitium part of Christs Train and Retinue He who was led to the Cross with a Band of Souldiers shall be attended to the Bench with a guard of Angels Secondly Christs coming to judgement will be dreadful to the wicked At the coming of this Judge there will be ignis conflagrationis a fire burning round about him 2 Thes 1.7 He shall be revealed with his Angels from heaven in flaming fire * Si talis sit horror venientis qualis erit judicantis Aug. c. When God did give his Law upon the Mount there were thunders and lightnings and Mount Sinai was altogether on a smoak because the Lord descended upon it in fine * Exod. 19.16 18. Exod. 19.16 18. If God was so terrible at the giving of the Law O how terrible will he be when he shall come to require his Law 3. The Processe or the Tryal it self Where observe The 1. Universality Of the Tryal The 2. Formality Of the Tryal The 3. Circumstances Of the Tryal First The Universality of the Tryal it will be a very great Assizes never was the like seen 2 Cor. 5.10 For we must all appear before the judgment-seat of Christ * 2 Cor. 5.10 Kings and Nobles Councels and Armies those who were above all Tryal here have no Chaâ—rter of exemption granted them they must appear before Christs Tribunal and be tryed for their lives neither power nor policy can be a subâ—er-fuge They who refused to come to the Throne of Grace * Hebr. 4.16 shall be forced to come to the Bar of Justice And the dead as well as the living must make their appearance Rev. 20.12 I saw the dead both small and great stand be ore God c. We do not use to cite men to our Courts when they are dead but at that day the dead are called to the Bar and not only Men but Angels Jude 6. The Angels which kept not their first estate he hath reserved in chains to the judgement of the great day Secondly The Formality of the Tryal which consists in the opening of the Books * Rev. 12.20 Dan. 7.10 The judgement was set and the books were opâ—ned There are two books will ba opened 1. The book of Gods Omnisciency God not only observes but registers all our actions Job 14.16 Thou numbrest my steps The word there 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to number * Unde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 liber signifies to put a thing into the book as if Job had said Lord thou keepest thy day-book and enterest down all my actions into the book we read of Gods book of remembrance * Mal. 3.16 Mal. 3.16 This book will be produced at the last day 2. The book of Conscience Let there be never so much written in a book yet if it be clasped it is not seen Men have their sins written in their conscience but the book is clasped
my eyes have seen thy Salvation What unspeakable joy will it be to see your Christian Friends and Relations to whom you have been instrumental in their New Birth and Regeneration all Crowned in one day with an everlasting Diadem of Bliss which never shall decay There shall be no hypocrite then for you to lose your love upon which is now the great cooler of your charity and keeps your affections in a greater reserve but there none but true Eagles and heaven-born souls will be able to look upon that Sun in glory you shall then rejoyce that there are so many pure spirits able to praise and love that God whom you could never yet nor will then be able to love and praise enough or as you desire When the glorious Angels begin their Hallelujahs the Saints shall also joyn in one common Quire * Psal 149 5. they shall be joyful in glory and sing aloud upon their everlasting beds of rest Oh how the Arches of heaven will eccho when the high praises of God shall be in the mouths of such a Congregation for as when one eye moves the other roles and when one string in concord with another is struck the other sounds such a blend and sympathy of praises shall there be in that heavenly Chorus with these * Psal 150.6 high sounding Cymbals in most flourishing expressions and anthems upon the divine glory If the Sun Moon and Stars did as Ignatius sayes make all * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Epist ad Eph. Luke 15.7 a Quire as 't were about the Star that appeared at Christs Incarnation * and there be joy in heaven at the conversion of a sinner no wonder then * Job 38.7 the morning starres shall sing together and the Sons of God shouâ—â— for joy when there shall be * Heb. 12.23 a general Assembly and Church of the first-borne and the spirits of all the just shall be made perfect And though there may be one Starre differ from another in glory yet there will be no * Videbit civitas illa quod inferior non invidebit Aug. de civ 22. 29. envying one anothers happiness but every one bear his part whatever it be in the lower or higher praises of the God of glory with a most harmonious variety in perfect symphony for there we shall love one another as our selves love God and our blessed Saviour better than our selves and he will love us better than we can love our selves or one another * Oh quot quanta gaudia obtiniebit qui de tot tantis beatitudinibus sanctorum jubilabit Ans alicu ni fallor de beatitu Oh how many and how great joyes shall he possess who shall keep an eternal Jubilee in the enjoyment of so many and so great beatitudes and felicities of others as truly as of his own I have done with the possession and its qualification it is a Kingdom I now come to its preparation prepared for you from the foundation of the c. But how is this Kingdom of so long preparation when Christ tells his Disciples I go to prepare a place for you when he departed hence John 14.1 1. Therefore this Kingdom was prepared even when the foundations of the world were laid * Job 38.7 for there the morning starres did sing together God Created the Heavens and then the earth and the spiritual world of Angels above before the foundation of the earth below though as some judge Moses mention'd it not being to teach a dull people by sensible objects concealed the notion of spirits lest they should Idolatrously worship and attribute the Creation of the world to them And so the Empyrean Heaven and seat of glory some venture to say God then made and determinately too in the Aequinoctial East of Judea call'd therefore the Navel of the whole earth to confirm it they tell us Adam was made with his face towards the East and so they worshipped Eastward three thousand and odd years And thence Christ call'd the * Luke 1.79 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 East or day-spring from on high and * Zac. 3.8 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Lev. 16.14 the blood was to be sprinkled on the mercy-seat Eastward seven times But we may answer the curiosity of this enquiry about the Ubi and determinate place as he of old was answered that asked what God was doing before he created the world he was making Hell for such unbelieving Querists and Heaven for the reward of an humble Believer 2. It was prepared from the foundation of the world in regard of divine predestination for that which is last in obtaining is first in the intention of rational agents so God from eternity designing his own glory in the salvation of the Elect and their blisseful fruition of himself may be said to have set the Crown upon them while they were in the womb of his Decree and to have prepared them a Kingdome before they were born And though God made all the world for man yet it was to be kept under his feet he reserved himself to be the Crown of his hopes and Portion of his heart He chose us in Christ before the Foundation of the World therefore * Ephes 1.4 all was ready But 3. In regard of Divine Dâ—spensation the carrying on the whole oeconomy hath been from the Foundation of the World and so being the Kingdome is not yet given up all unto the Father it may be still said to be preparing for though God being our heaven it was always ready yet by our fall we lost our title to this Paradise Christ intervenes to divert the flaming Sword of vengeance enters a Covenant with his Father sends the glad tydings of it into the World * Gal. 3.8 before he came * Levit. 16.6 Hebr 9.7 typifies in the * Gal. 4.4 fulnâ—sse of time makes * Rom. 5.11 1 John 2.2 atonement proclaims reconciliation and pardon to penitent sinners sends his Word and Spirit to wait to be gracious to sollicit the World till all that are the truly called guests are invited and brought in then he shuts up the door of mercy opens the grave summons all to judgmeâ—t by the last Trumpet makes the separation and then pronounceth this Benediction so that though the Kingdome was from the Foundations of the World prepared yet in regard every Kingdome includes Subjects as well as Soveraign Christ when he was going that so he might send his Spirit to comfort his Disciples and to gather in more Subjects may be said to prepare a place for them though most significantly he went to prepare them for that Kingdome But Parabolical and Metonymical Expressions must not have too rigid an Interpretation exacted from them but our Saviour having bid his Disciples to go before and prepare a place for him to eat the Passeover with them in he tells them that he is going to prepare the Supper of the Lamb and
His sin is entailed on all his seed 137 138. transmitted by imputation p. 139 and 140. made ours without any impeachment of Gods justice p. 141. by generation not imitation p. 142 143. hurt received by him must quicken the acceptance of the second Adam p. 145. his sin will not be our acquittance p. 148. Advantage great by systems and modules of Religion p. 16 17 18 19. Adoption its kinds p. 436. its name explained 437. Divine differs from humane Adoption p. 438. Adoption presupposeth Vocation Regeneration and Justification p. 438. it entitles to God Christ and Heaven ibid. Adoption the properties p. 439. and priviledges of it p. 440. Adoption is different from Regeneration yet not divided from it p. 446. Adoption an effect of faith p 469. Affections unruly cashier'd when we come to heaven p. 650. Angels their service to the Lord Jesus Christ p. 323 324. not confirmed not reconciled by Jesus Christ as Mediator p. 338 339. Antinomians refuted p. 423 424. Apparel of Saints in heaven p. 652. 653. Atheisme three sorts Vita pag. 51 52. Voto pag. 51 52. Judicio pag. 51 52. Assent to Gods being and bounty ground of Addresses to him p. 30. Assurance an effect of faith p. 472. B. Bars to communion with God three and how removed p. 272. Barring sinne imports punishment p. 346. Belief of Gods being the foundation of Religion p 30. fountain of obedience p. 54. Belief of Christ to be the Son of God is not easie p. 66. Believing sinner the subject of Gospel-repentance p. 489. Believers their dignity and duty pag. 433. Believers united to Christ. p. 278. Believers whom p. 379. Believers persons graces and duties relate to Christ. p. 395 396. Birth-right despised is dreadful p. 448. Blessedness of mans-natural rectitude p. 111. Blessed estate of the New Covenant p. 254 259. Blessed how said of the Saints p. 664 665. Bodies of Saints re-united to souls p. 657. Bodies of Saints and sinners differ at Resurrection p. 591 592. Body of man subject to Gods wrath p. 184. Body it s very self-same substance shall be raised p. 591 592 593. It s prime endowments at Resurrection p. 593 594. Bodily infirmities shaken off in heaven p. 651. Blood of sin to be shed for the blood of Christ p. 296. Bowing at the Name of Jesus what it means p. 321. by whom to be done p. 322 323. C. Cause encourageth to suffer p. 2 3. Captain encourageth contest ibid. Calling effectual p. 353. what it is and how wrought p. 357 358. Called who p. 359. few p. 360. by what ib. from what causes p. 361 362 363. by what means p. 365. to what end p. 366. when p. 367. Call is holy ib. heavenly p. 368. without noise p. 370. immutable p. 371. Care accompanieth true r pentance 541. Case of man fallen helpless by nature 207. Catechismes commended 21. Children of God by Regeneration and Adoption 435. Children of God their carriage directed 448 449 450. Christ is Lord how 330 331. a good Captaine 2 3. Christ is truly God 266 267. and truly man 268. God and man 269. Christ and promises not God the immediate object of saving faith 460. Christians changes three 557. Christian Religion reasonable 483. Come ye blessed what kinde of speech 666 667. Command to Adam and Covenant of works 122. Complaints against God charmed 267. Compassion to brethren sheweth a sense of our own natural weakness 215. Communion an evidence of union with Christ 385. Conditions in order to mans Redemption between God the Father and God the Son p. 222 223. Conquest of enemies an effect of Faith 470. Conscience proveth that there is a God 43 44. Conscience engendreth fear 46 47. Consent of Nations universal and perpetual proves that there is a God 48. Confession of sin a part of Repentance 509 510. How to be made 511 512 513 514. Conviction wherein it consists and how it acts 493 494. Contrition wherein it consists 496 497. Conversion its parts 502. Crown of Saints in heaven what 654. It s threefold wreath 655 656. Covenant what it means 123 124 235. Covenants in Scripture 235. Covenant Natural what it is 236. Legal what it is 237 238. Evangelical what it is 239. Covenant an act of condescention in God 130. Imports Gods promise and mans duty 239. Gods dealing with Adam in Paradise how and why called a Covenant 125. Covenant of Works wherein it consists p. 126 127. How and why given by Moses 128 129. Israel was not under it ibid. Men out of Christ yet under it 130. Covenant of Redemption what it is and between whom 216 217 218 219. It is to be particularly improved by Believers 230 231 232. It confirms the Covenant of Grace its blessings 228 229. Covenant what 233. Gospel Covenant the best of Covenants 235 239. Covenant of Works and Grace are to be differenced by men 131. Covenant of Redemption different from Covenant of Grace 218. Creation the work of God 31. Man created holy and mutable 105. Creatures execute Gods wrath on man 189. Themselves liable to Gods wrath 190. Creeds Apostles Athanasii Nicene c. justified 20. Curse of the Law due to man by nature 181. Cure of faln man Omnipotent 208. D Death of Christ its kinde manner and grounds p. 283. The Reasons thereof 290 291 292. Death of Christ a sacrifice and only so possible 342. Deserving cause of Christ his death 345. Death of Christ was in our place and stead 347. Diligence in duty and readinesse to dye for Christ but a reasonable recompence for his death for us 297 299. Christ dyed willingly obediently and humbly 287 288 289. Death of Christ a pregnant Argument to Repentance 528 529 530. Death destroyed by the death of Christ 303. Desire accompanieth Repentance 544. Dependence on God the duty of such as believe God is 60 61. Divel an enemy to Faith 481. Divels subject to Jesus Christ 326 327. Divel limited by Christ 328. Doctrine of Trinity to be prized 82. Dominion of Saints 442. E Elect dead in sin before called and poor in the world p. 359. Entrance of sin into the world what and how 136. Enemies of man foiled by the death of Christ 301. Entertainment of Christ 434. Epistle to the Romans a Module of Religion 8. to the Hebrews 9. to Galathians ibid. Ephesians 10. Timothy and Titus ibid. Errors are obviated by a Module of Religion 12 14. Errors about Repentance 55. Error in fundamentals inconsistent with Faith 480. Morning Exercise when it begun and how profitable it hath been 23 24. Duties towards it 25. Extremity of hell torments by their inflammation fire and preparation and association with Divels 628 629 630 631. Eternity the property of hell torments 632 633. Evidences of eternal life laid down in a Module 15. Exaltation of Christ opposed to his Humiliation 306 307. It s priority to his humiliation as a merit or meer antecedent discussed 308 309. it was exceeding high 311. Exaltation of Christ by three