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
righteousnesse Jer. 23.6 2. He in whom are those high and eminent perfections those glorious attributes of which no câ—eature is capable must needs be more than a creature and consequently God 1. He that is Omnipotent whose power is boundlesse and unlimited must needs be God The highest power of creatures hath its non ultra Thus far may it â—o but no further but Christ is said to be Almighty Rev. 1.8 The Lord God Omnipotent Rev. 19.6 2. He that is Omniscient that searcheth hearts that hath a window into every mans breast that can look into all the rooms and corners of our souls that can see through all those Veils and coverings which no creature-eye can pierce must needs be God and these are the excellencies ascribed to Christ He needed not that any should testifie of man because he knew what was in man Joh. 2.25 I am he which searcheth the heart and reines Rev. 2.23 He knew their thoughts Luke 6.8 so Mark 2.8 Joh. 13.19 c. 3. He that fills heaven and earth and all places with his presence must needs be God and thus was Christ in heaven while he was on earth The Son of man which is in heaven Joh. 3.13 That where I am Joh. 14.3 Christ as God was then in heaven when as man he was on earth So as God he is still on earth though as man he sits at the right hand of God in heaven I will be with you to the end of the world Matthew 28.20 4. He that is immutable and eternal must needs be God The heavens are the work of thy hands they shall perish but thou shalt endure c. but thou art the same and thy years shall have no end Psal 102.25 26 27. so is Christ the everlasting Father Isa 9.6 The same yesterdy to day and for ever Heb. 13.8 5. He that hath life in himself and is the fountain of life to others must needs be God and thus is Christ the Prince of life to others Acts 3.15 and hath life in himselfe Joh. 5.26 3. He to whom those works of infinitenesse are ascribed to which no lesse a power is sufficient than that of Omnipotency he must needs be more than a creature He that laid the foundation of the earth that by a word commanded all things out of nothing that preserves them from mouldring and sinking into their first nothing again that could pardon sin destroy him that had power of death Mark 2.5 7 8 9 10 c. Heb. 2.14 subdue principalities and powers Redeem his Church carry his people triumphing into heaven he must needs be God And all these works of infinitenesse are ascribed to Christ the work of Creation Without him was nothing made of all that was made Joh. 1.3 Of conservation Vpholding all things by the Word of his power Heb. 1.3 of redemption which he purchased with his blood Acts 20.28 4. He whom Angels adore before whom the highest and best of creatures fall down giving that worship which is peculiarly due to God must needs be more than a creature and thus it is to Christ Let all the Angels of God worship him Heb. 1.6 so Mat. 2.11 I might adde the equality of Christ in all those solemn benedictions and praises upon Record in the New Testament all which argue strongly that he must needs be truly God 2. As he is truly God so is he compleat and perfect man having not only an humane body but a rational soul and in all things was like to us sin only excepted That he had a real not an imaginary body appeares from the whole story of the Gospel He that was conceived born circumcised Gerhardi Loci Commun Forbes Disputat Historico Theolog. L. 2. was hungred athirst swet drops of blood was crucified he that went from place to place and had all those sinlesse affections which are proper unto bodies had a true and real body and such was the body of Christ That he had an humane soul is clear also from the story of the Gospel He that grew in wisdome and knowledge as 't is said of Christ Luke 1.80 Luke 2.40 he whose knowledge was bounded and limited as was also said of Christ Of that day and that houre knoweth no man no not the Angels Propterea totum hominem sine peccato suscepit ut totum quo constabat homo à peccatorum peste sanaret August Sicut totum hominem Diabolus decipiendo percussit ita Deus totum suscipiendo salvavit Fulgent neither the Sonne of man but the Father Mark 13.32 As God he knew all things as man his knowledge was but the knowledge of a creature and therefore finite all which argue he had a humane soul as well as body and was compleat man The whole Nature of man was corrupted destroyed and therefore 't was needful Christ should take upon him whole man that the whole might be repaired and saved 3. He is God and man in one person He had two Natures but was but one person there was a twofold substance divine and humane but not a twofold subsistence for the personal being which the Son of God had before all worlds Hooker Eccles pol. pag. 293. suffered not the substance to be personal which he took although together with the Nature which he had the Nature which he took continue for ever thus both Natures make but one Christ He was the Son of God and the Son of man yet not two Sons but one person He was born of God and born of a Virgin Lyford p. 100. but 't is in respect of his different Natures Thus was Christ Davids Son and Davids Lord Maries Son and Maries Saviour and Maker too By the right understanding of this we may be very much helped in reconciling those seeming contradictions which frequently occurre in Scripture concerning Christ He is said to be born of a woman and yet to be without beginning of dayes Zanch. in Ephes p 35. himself sayes his Father is greater than he and yet he is said to be equal with the Father All which may be cleared by this He was but one person and therefore as in man who consists of soul and body the actions of each part are ascribed to the person the man is said to understand 't is not his body but soul that understands yet this is ascribed to the person Lyford p. 101. though it be but the formal act of one part so in regard of this hypostatical union of two Natures in one person the acts of each Nature are ascribed to the person Thus 't is said the Jews câ—ucified the Lord of glory 1 Cor. 2.8 i. e. they crucified that person who was the Lord of glory Acts 20.28 God is said to purchase his Church by his blood as God he could not shed his blood but 't was that person who was God Thus is Christ said to be in heaven when he was on earth i. e. as God he was in heaven And so what
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
beauty thus by the Sun-beams we may clearly see a Divine providence Besides when it retires from us and a Curtain of darknesse is drawn over the world that proves the wisdome and goodnesse of God the Psalmist attributes the disposition of day and night to God the day is thine Psal 64.16 and with an Emphasis the night also is thine notwithstanding its sad appearance yet it is very beneficial its darknesse enlightens us its obscurity makes v sible the Ornaments of heaven the stars their aspects their dispositions their motions which were hid in the day it unbends the world and gives a short and necessary truce to its labours it recreates the wasted spirits 't is the Nurse of nature which poures into its bosome those sweet and cooling dews which beget new life and vigour the divine providence is also eminent in the manner of this dispensation for the Sun finishing its course about the world in the space of twenty four houres I speak of that part of the world which is inhabited causes that succession of day and night which doth most fâ—tly temper our labour and repose whereas if the day and night should each of them continue six entire months this division would be very inconvenient for us We may farther observe a wise providence in the diversity it hath used to lengthen and shorten the dayes and nights for the advantages of several Countryes for that part of the earth which is under the line being scorcht with immoderate heat wants a continual supply of moysture therefore the longest and coolest nights are there but it is otherwise in the Northern parts for the beams of the Sun being very feeble there providence hath so disposed that the dayes are extream long that so by the continuance of the heat the fruits may come to maturity and perfection And as the difference of day and night so the diversity of seasons proceeds from the motion of the Sun which is a work of providence no lesse admirable than the former as the motion of the Sun from East to West Psal 74.17 Thou hast made the Summer and Winter makes the day and night so from North to South causes Summer and Winter by these the world is preserved Summer crownes the earth with flowers and fruits and produces an abundant variety for the support of living creatures the Winter which seems to be the death of nature robbing the earth of its heat and life contributes also to the Universal good it prepares the earth by its cold and moysture for the returning Sun in the succession of these seasons the Divine Providence is very conspicuous for since the world cannot passe from one extream to another without a dangerous alteration to prevent this inconvenience the Sun makes its approaches gradually to us the Spring is interposed between the Winter and Summer that by its gentle and temperate heat it may dispose our bodyes for the excesse of Summer and in the same manner the Sun retires by degrees from us that so in the Autumne we may be prepared for the asperities of the Winter And to close this part of the Argument the invariable succession of times and seasons is a token of the same providence the Sun which runs ten or twelve millions of Leagues every day never failes one minute of its appointed time nor turns an inch out of its constant course but inviolably observes the same order so that there is nothing more regular equal and constant than the succession of day and night to ascribe this to hazzard is the most absurd extravagance for in the effects of chance there is neither order nor constancy as we may see in the casting of a Dy which hardly falls twice together upon the same square it is necessary therefore to conclude that an intelligent principle guides the revolutions of the Sun thus uniformly for the advantage of the world Psalme 19.1 2 3. The heavens declare the glory of God the firmament shews his handy work Day unto day utters speech and night unto night addes knowledge There is no speech nor language where their voice is not heard what is that language and voice but a Universal Sermon to the world of Gods being and excellency Let us now consider that vast extent of aire which fills the space between heaven and earth this is of so pure a nature that in a moment it transmits the influences of heaven to the lower world this serves as an arsenal for thunders and lightenings whereby God summons the world to dread and reverence this is a treasury for the clouds which dissolving in gentle showers refresh the earth and call forth its seeds into flourishing and fruitfulnesse this fannes the earth with the wings of the winde allaying those intemperate heats which would be injurious to its inhabitants this is the Region for the Birds wherein they passe as so many self-moving Engines praising the Creatour this serves for the breath and life of man from hence we may conclude the wisdome of a God who so governes the several Regions of the aire as by them to convey blessings for the necessities of man and to send judgements for the awakening the secure to seek after God Let us now descend to the Sea and see how that informes us there is a God 't is a Truth evident to reason that the proper place of the waters is next to the aire above the earth for as it is of a middle nature between these two Elements being purer and lighter than the earth but more grosse and heavy than the aire so it challenges a situation between them that as the aire on all parts encompasses the Sea in like manner the Sea should overspread the earth and cover the whole surface of it that its natural inclination is such appears by its continual flowings who then hath arrested its course and stopt its violence who hath confined it to such a place and compass that it may not be destructive to the world certainly no other but the great God who first gave it being and motion besides that which renders the power of God more conspicuous is that by so weak a bridle as the sand its rage is bounded when it threatens the shore with its insulting waves you would fear lest it should swallow up all but it no sooner touches the sand but its fury is turned into froth it retires and by a kind of submission respects those bounds which are fixt by the Creatour Now that the fiercest Element should be represt by the feeblest thing in the world and that which breaks the Rocks be limited by the sand is a wonder of providence therefore the Lord alledges this as an effect only proceeding from his power and challenges an incommunicable glory upon this account Job 38.8 9 10 11 verses Who shut up the Sea with doores when it brake forth as if it had issued out of the womb when I made the cloud the garment thereof and thick darknesse a
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
Secondly his Omnipotency can secure us from dangers The Creation is a standing Monument of his Almighty Power for what but Omnipotency could out of nothing produce the beautiful Fabrick of heaven and earth man cannot work without materials but God doth and that which exalts his power is that he made it by his Word he spake the Word and they were made saith the Psalmist Psal 33.9 There went no greater pains to the Worlds Creation than Gods command Moreover the World is preserved from perishing by the power of its Maker Certainly without the support of his mighty hand the World had long before this time relapfed to its primitive nothing Many instances we have of his power in those miraculous deliverances which he hath shewn to his people in their extremity sometimes by suspension of the Works of Nature his dividing the Red Sea and making it as a solid Wall that the Israelites might have a secure passage his stopping the Sun in its course that Joshua might have time to destroy his enemies his suspending the nature of the fire that it might not so much as singe the garments of the three Hebrews his shutting the mouth of the devouring Lyons and r turning Daniel in safety from that dreadful Den And are not all these and many others of this kind not only the pregnant testimonies of his love but the everlasting Characters of his Omnipotency Moreover that which expresses the power of God with as great a lustre is the turning of the hearts of many cruel enemies from their intended rage to favour his people thus did he change the heart of Esau who had resolved the death of his brother that instead of killing him he exprest the greatest tendernesse and the most endearing affections to him thus did he so sway the hearts of the Egyptians towards the oppressed Israelites that instead of securing them under bondage they encouraged their departure by enriching them with jewels of silver and of gold Exod. 12.35 Now our duty is to glorifie this power of God by placing our trust on him Psal 121.2 3. My help comes from the Lord who made the heavens and the earth he will not suffer thy foot to be moved by dependance on God the soul is composed in the midst of the most apparent dangers as the upper Region of the Aire is calme and serene whatever stormes are here below thus David expresses the same courage in all Estates when he was retired into a Cave to shelter himself from the fury of Saul he sung the 57. Psal which he then composed My heart is fixed O God my heart is fixed Psal 57.7 I will sing and give praise and afterwards when he triumphed over Hadadezer the King of Zebah he composed the hundred and eighth Psalme and sung the same words O God Psal 108.1 my heart is fixed I will sing and give praise iâ— faith taught him the same song in the Cave and on the Throne in all our exigencies we should apply the power of God the cause of our perplexing fears is our low apprehension of Gods power and therefore when we are surrounded with difficulties and dangers then we are surprised with terror and dispondency whereas when there are visible means to rescue us we lift up our heads but our duty is in the greatest extremities to glorifie his power and to refer our selves to his goodnesse and though we cannot be certain that God will by miracles rescue us from dangers as he did many of his people in former Ages yet we are sure he will so abate the power and force of the most injurious enemies as they shall not conquer the patience nor break the hope of his people 4. We owe perfect obedience to Gods will vid. Subjection to his Commands and submission to his Providence 1. Subjection to his Commands As he is the first cause so he is the Supreme Lord he that gave us life must give us law God hath an absolute title to our service as Creator this made the Psalmist desire the knowledge of Gods Commandments in order to his obedience Psal 119.73 Thy hands have made me and fashioned me give me understanding that I may learn thy Commandments he may learn this from the universal obedience of all creatures those which are without reason sense or life inviolably observe his commands Esay 48.13 Mine hand hath laid the foundations of the earth and my right hand hath span'd the heavens when I call to them they stand up together as prepared to execute his commands The insensible parts of the World are so compliant with his will as to contradict their proper natures to serve his glory fire descends from heaven at his command the fluid Sea stands up as a solid wall in obedience to him this upbraids our Degeneration and Apostasie that we who are most indebted to the goodnesse of our Creator should prove disloyal and rebellious when the inferiour creatures with one consent serve and glorifie him Lastly we owe submission to the will of his Providence there is no shadow of exception can be formed agâ—iâ—â—t his Sovereignty he may do by right whatever he can do by power therefore we should acquiesce in his dispensations this consideration silenc't David Psal 39.9 I held my tongue and said nothing because thou didst it as the presence of a grave person in authority quiets a disordered multitude so the apprehension of Gods supremacy composes our riotous thoughts and passions unquietnesse of spirit in troubles springs from the ignorance of God and of our selves by impatience we cite God before our Tribunal and do as it were usurp his Throne we set up an antiprovidence as if his wisdome should be taught by our folly and sometimes in afflictions we eye the next cause but do not look upward to the Soveraign Disposer of all things l ke Balaam who struck the Asse but did not see the Angel which opposed him thus from a brutish imagination we regard the visible instrument of our trouble but consider not the Providence of God in all from hence it is that our spirits are full of unquiet agitations we live continually upon self-created Racks Now the humble acknowledgement of Gods hand and the submitting of our selves to his will as it glorifies God so it gives ease to us as there is the greatest equity so policy in our willing stooping to him Rom. 14.11 As I live saith the Lord every knee shall bow to me and every tongue shall confess to God he engages his life and honor for this if there is not a voluntary there must be a violent subjection to him the wilful man never wants woe the spring of our daily misery as well as our sins is opposition to Gods will but the chearful resignation to his Providence what a blessed pill of rest is this to the soul what a Sabbath from all those sinful and penal disturbances which discompose our spirits 't is a lower heaven for as in the state of glory
there is an unchangeable agreement between the will of the Creator and the creature so according to the same measure and degree wherein we conform our wills to Gods we proportionably enjoy the holinesse and blessednesse of that state THE TRINITY Proved by Scripture 1 JOHN 5.7 For there are three that bear record in heaven the Father the Word and the Holy Ghost and these three are one IN the fifth verse of this Chapter the Apostle had laid this down as an Article of faith that the Lord Jesus Christ is the Sonne of God Who is he that ovcrcometh the world but he that believeth that Jesus is the Sonne of God 1 John 5.5 Now for the proof of so glorious a truth the Apostle produces six witnesses and ranks them into two orders some bear record in heaven and some bear witnesse on earth some bear witnesse on earth as ver 8. Ver. 8. of this Chapter There are three that bear witnesse on earth the Spirit and the water and the blood and these three agree in one and some bear record in heaven in the words of my Text There are three that bear record in heaven the Father the Word and the Holy Ghost and these three are one In the words you may take notice of these particulars 1. The number of the heavenly witnesses or the number of those witnesses that bear record in heaven viz. three 2. Their dignity or excellency they are in heaven 3. Their act they bear record 4. The names of the witnesses the Father the Word and the Holy Ghost 5. Their unity and these three are one I would observe from the context Observ That it is not an easie matter to believe that the Lord Jesus Christ is the Sonne of God Whence is it else that the Apostle so often urges this point in this Epistle whence is it else that whereas it is sufficient for any truth to be confirmed by the mouth of two or three witnesses here are no lesse than six witnesses produced to prove that the Lord Jesus is the Sonne of God three heavenly and three earthly and indeed who can declare the great mystery of the eternal generation of the Son of God I will give five wonders in five words 1. God the Father communicates the whole divine essence unto the Sonne and yet hath the whole divine essence in himself If God communicates his essence it must be his whole essence for that which is infinite cannot admit of any division partition or diminution yet methinks we have a faint resemblance of this here below 'T is not with things of a spiritual nature as with things of a corporeal spiritual things may be communicated without being lessened or divided viz. when I make a man know that which I know my knowledge is still the same and nothing diminished and upon his account whether that Argument against the traduction of the soul that if the soul of the Father be traduced the Father is left soul-lesse be cogent I leave to the judgment of the learned 'T is to be granted that to communicate the notion is one thing and the faculty is another but both are things of a spiritual nature 2. God the Father and God the Sonne are one essence and yet though the Father begets the Sonne the Sonne doth not beget himself The Father and the Sonne are one God yet the Lord Jesus is the Sonne of God under that notion as God is a Father and not the Sonne of God under the notion as God is a Sonne and so not the Sonne of himself 3. God the Father begetteth God the Sonne and yet the Father is not elder than the Sonne nor the Sonne younger than the Father he that begetteth is not in time before him that is begotten if God was a Father from everlasting then Christ was a Sonne from everlasting for relata sunt simul natura an eternal Father must have an eternal Sonne 4. The Father begets the Sonne yet the Sonne is not inferiour to the Father nor the Father superiour to the Sonne The Lord Jesus Christ being in the forme of God thought it no robbery to be equal with God it was his right and therefore it was no robbery as he is coeternal so he is coequal with the Father 5. The Father begets the Sonne yet the Sonne hath the same numerical nature with the Father and the Father the same numerical nature with the Sonne an earthly sonne hath the same specifical nature with his Father but then though it be the same in regard of kinde yet it differs in regard of number but God the Father and God the Sonne have the same individual numerical nature Use Let me entreat you that you would attend unto the record and testimony that is given by those witnesses and for your encouragement consider the difference between these heavenly witnesses in the Text and earthly wi nesses and so I shall proceed to that which I mainly intend 1. On earth there may be some single or one witnesse but here are no lesse than three 2. Earthly witnesses are such as are lyable to exception but these are in heaven beyond all exception 3. As for earthly witnesses it may come to passe that their names may not be known these here are named the Father the Word and the Holy Ghost 4. Earthly witnesses when they are produced either may be silent or it may be bear false witnesse but these bear record and their record is true 5. Earthly witnesses may not agree in their witnesse as the witnesses brought against Christ but there is a sweet consent and agreement amongst these witnesses for these three are one 6. Whereas Earthly witnesses although they may be one in regard of consent yet they are not one in regard of essence every man hath one particular individual essence of his own but these are one in regard of essence Now pray mark this for if it be so then the Father is God the Son God and the Holy Ghost God And therefore the Socinian who denies the Deity of the Word and of the Holy Ghost will perswade you to believe that these words are to be expounded thus these three are one that is sayes he these three agree in one but that this is not the meaning of the phrase appears by the variation of it in the next verse the words are Ver. 8. There are three that bear witnesse on earth the Spirit the water and the blood and these three agree in one Now if both phrases note unity in consent here is an occasion of offence and falling administred by the variation of them in these two verses why is it not said the Father the Word and the Holy Ghost agree in one as well as the Spirit water and blood And suppose we should grant that the onenesse spoken of in the Text is to be expounded of consent in will and agreement yet it would prove the Godhead both of the Father and Spirit for in free Agents
As for that part of the service of God which is moral all of that neither is not discoverable by natural light For 1. If you consult the seventh to the Romans you shall find that there were some secret moral wickednesses which Paul did not see which Paul could not have seen by the light of nature no although a Pharisee and by that means very expert in the letter of the Law Rom. 7.7 Rom. 7.7 I had not known lust except the Law had said Thou shalt not covet 2. If the light of nature be imperfect in us since the fall which I suppose you will grant then there may be many things moral now imperceptible by the light of nature which it might and did see in its state of perfection and therefore it must needs be of dangerous import to make the Law of nature a weak faint shadowing imperfect light the perfect rule and only measure of moral duties to cry up the Law written in our hearts is in this case to cry down the Law written in the Scriptures this is as it were to pull the Sun in its noon-day brightnesse in its greatest lustre and glory out of the firmament and to walk by the light of a Candle a stinking snuffe in the socket almost gone out this is to make the Primmer the Horn-book the A. b. c. of natural light the highest piece of learning in morality The Law of nature to our shame and grief we may speak it is so obliterated and darkened that it cannot show a man the least part of his wickednesse Pelagius was a man of great learning and by his studies and diligence had snuffed the Candle of the Lord and made it burn with a clearer shine yet how little could he see into this matter It was his affection that we are borne as well without vice as vertue tam sine vitio quam sine virtute nascimur and we see all Popery to this very day hold motions to sinne not consented unto to be no sinnes but necessary conditions arising from our constitution and such as Adam had in innocency But I forbeare the issue of this particular is thus much if that which concerns the worship and service of God cannot be found out by the light of nature much lesse that which concerns his essence and subsistence 2. The doctrine of the Gospel is called by the Apostle a mystery and a mystery without controversie great is the mystery of godliness and what greater Gospel-mystery is there than the Trinity which neither men nor Angels can comprehend and both men and Angels must adore Now if this doctrine be discoverable by natural light it is no more a mystery The works of the flesh are manifest Gal. 5.19 20. saith the Apostle Gal. 5.19 20. Now why are they said to be manifest because they stink in the nostrils of nature and are discernable by the dimme eye of conscience Object 1. Possibly some may say man hath as it were the image or likenesse of a Trinity within himself there are three prime faculties understanding will and memory in one and the same reasonable soul Resol 1. A similitude doth not prove a thing to be but only represent a thing to our fancy which at present hath or at least had a being one way or other for instance it is impossible that any Sonne should know his fathers picture unlesse first he hath seen or heard that his father was such a person as the picture doth represent and by that means hath before hand his fathers idea and image presented in his own soul 2. 'T is denyed that these faculties in mans soul bear the image or likenesse of a Trinity neither can any man by a reflex act upon his own soul attain to the knowledge of this great mystery but such notions as these are the luxuriant extravagancies of some curious braines that would advance earth as high as heaven and do indeed rather darken then illustrate this truth as he who would adde any colour unto light doth rather blemish it than adorn it what a piece of folly would it be to undertake to emblazon a sun-beam Object 2. The doctrine of the Trinity was known to several of the Heathens which had not the Scriptures and therefore is discoverable by the light of nature Resol 1. If the Heathen had any notions of the Trinity they might receive them either by tradition from those who had read the Scriptures or out of the Scriptures themselves and not by the improvement of natural light 2. 'T is very probable that these notions of a Trinity which are found in Plato and Trismegistus were not writ by them but foisted into their works by some that lived in after ages my Reasons are these 1. Those writings which go under the name of the Ancient Fathers are not all truly such but a great part of them supposititious and forged as Mr. Dally proves largely in that learned piece of his called A Treatise of the right use of the Fathers where he gives you an account of whole books that were published under the names of the Apostles as Saint Peter Saint Barnabas and others which were not such Now if men durst be thus bold with the Apostles no wonder if they did not stick to deal thus with Heathens This imposture in the Primitive times was very ordinary yea the fathers themselves have used this Artifice to promote their own opinions as you may read largely in the third Chapter of that book 2. Some are apt to believe that there are clearer notions of a Trinity in some of the books of the Heathens than in the books of Moses and so by consequence the Heathens should know more of the Trinity than the Israel of God which is flat contrary to the Scriptures Psal 76.1 Psal 76.1 In Judah is God known his Name is great in Israel He hath not dealt so with any Nation and as for his judgements thy have not known them praise ye the Lord. And thus I have done with the first Assertion in answer to this question whither the mystery of the Trinity may be found out by the light of nature viz. that the light of nature without divine Revelation cannot discover it 2. The light of nature after divine Revelation cannot oppose it For 1. As the judgement of sense ought not to be urged against the judgement of reason so the judgement of reason ought not to be urged against the judgement of faith The judgement of sense ought not to be urged against the judgement of reason for instance sense tells us that some of the Stars are as small as spangles I am apt to believe that some Country men think the Sunne to be no bigger than their Cartwheele here reason interposes corrects sense tells us that there being a vast distance between us and them they must needs be very great bodies or else they could not be visible There are thousands of Stars that cause the white streak in the
the whole earth mans baser part the body but his celestial part his heaven-born soul is contaminated by it the sun moon and stars in it are turn'd into blood 2. This Original sin is diffused derived and communicated 2. Diffusive whereas actual sins are not Personal faults of Parents are not imputed to Children and defile not their Children unlesse imitated or unbewail'd Childrens teeth are not set on edge by the sowre grapes their Parents thus eat but Original sin being the sin of the nature of the Parent becomes the sin of the Child and will be entailed further to the last man upon earth for Children have the nature but not the person of their Parents An Objection answered And let it not seem strange that God should suffer this original sin to be so vastly diffusive that he should not exempt his own people wholly from it There is the same reason that corruption should remaine amongst them which there was for the abode of the Canaanites amongst the Israel of God of old It tryes them and brings them often to Bochim and makes their life a vall y of teares and whilst they go on their wâ—y weeping and crying unto God by reason of it they beare precious fruit for God does make good come unto believers out of this great evil making it an Antidote against carnal confidence and self-love a meanes to exercise their faith and a sure evidence of his own power and presence in the keeping of them Besides it is farre better for us by this occasion to be under the second Adam then ever it could have been being under the first The first Adam was a head of clay of the earth earthly The second Adam is a head of gold 1 Cor. 15.47 The Lord from heaven Though we were made holy in the first Adam yet having a mutable will we might under him perish everlastingly but they that are in Christ shall not perish but have everlasting life a glory beyond what we could have had if we had continued in innocency for under that first Covenant we could have expected only a reward answerable to our own works but under the second we hope for glory in some measure proportionable to Christs merits Though we know not what that glory is yet this we know that when he appeares we shall be like him 1 Joh. 3.2 And in the mean while as the Israelites who were before but Brick-burners and potters by reason of the Canaanites amongst them learn'd the art of warre and became Renowned soldiers so the true Israel of God by this meanes put on their whole spiritual Armour and dayly fight the good fight of faith and become more than Conquerors to conquer a lust being more glorious than to conquer a Kingdome through Christ that strengthens them when these Philistines are upon them as upon Sampson then the Spirit of the Lord comes upon them 〈◊〉 and what lust is able to stand before his Spirit Josh 10 24 25 As Joshuah took the five Kings and shut them up in the Cave at Makkedah till the Battel was over and then slew them So the Lord is pleased to shut up and restrain the corruption of his people in the Cave of their body untill their warfare be finished but then he brings them out and slays them they shall then never see these enemies more And therefore holy Paul who cryes out Rom. 7.24 25. Who shall deliver me addes presently I thank God c. as if he had breathed the same breath out in praise which he had taken in in prayer for deliverance so soon does God answer prayer made against this sin according to his will And thus we have seen something towards the explaining of this difficult matter Application The nature of this undertaking being more to informe your judgments than to deal with your affections I shall the rather hope to be excus'd if I be not proportionably so large in the Application which I am now come unto and shall lay down what I intend to speak to under these two heads 1. Of Instruction 2. Of Exhortation to inform your judgment and to quicken your practice 1. If we all have corruption thus by nature inherent in us 1. Use of Instruction it may silence all complaints against God for exposing of us to such wants and miseries at our very entrance into the world and so all along during our continuance in it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whence come evils was a question which did much puzzle the Philosophers of old here we are resolved of it The evil of sin and sorrow comâ—s from this root No wonder now that our children are more miserable than the young ones of Beasts or Birds because they are more siâ—ful 2. Hence it follows that in the very best there is a mixture borh in their principles and actions There was two in Rebecca's womb there are two in their hearts the Old mâ—n and the New man nature aâ—d grace flesh and Spirit Hence that striving that â—ombate betwixt them daily The unregenerate person this sin reigns in his body is as a Temple and his soul as a Shrine for this his Diana This keeps the house and all things are in peace In the glorified Saint this sin is wholly done away this unclean thing does not go with him into the new Jerusalem Only the gracious person is the field in whom the flesh warreth against the Spirit and the Spirit against the flesh He is like the Moon which hath its spots when it receives the fullest influence from the Sun sin in him will not dye willingly but as a dying man multiplies his stroaks at his enemy though they are comparatively but weak ones 2. Use of Exhortation For Exhortation let me recommend these following Duties 1. To a right knowledge of this sin 1. Get a right knowledge of thy self according to this doctrine it is folly in men to have travel'd much abroad and to be strangers in their own Countrey It will be found the greatest folly for thee to be never so knowing in other things if thou beest a stranger to thine own heart and dost not know that it is desperately wicked The very Heathens apprehended this precept 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Know thy self to be of such consequence as to grace it the more they said it came down from heaven I am sure it is Gods message unto you from this truth this day Know your selves unlesse you know your selves thus lost Christs coming will be in vain unto you John 3.4 10. for he came only for the lost sheep Nicodemus had never doubted so much of Regeneration and a new birth had he understood the defilement of his first birth I am afraid there are many Masters in Israel that are ignorant of this still or else they would labour not only to reforme their lives but especially to get new hearts also thou canst not kill one lust unlesse thou layest the Axe
1 John 5.4 as well as a Saviour a Faith that is for obedience as well as priviledge Oh you that have this Faith go away in peace be of good comfort This everlasting Covenant betwixt the Father and the Son is yours your good was promoted and secured in this Treaty and foederal Engagement How much doth this Covenant speak for the benefit of believers if you be such 't is all yours By it you are already brought into a state of Grace by it you shall hereafter be brought into a state of glory Upon this Covenant Christ now sees you as his seed upon this Covenant you shall hereafter see him as your Saviour face to face unto Eternity To this Father to this Son with the Holy Spirit be glory for evermore THE COVENANT OF GRACE Heb. 8.6 But now hath he obtained a more excellent ministry by how much also he is the Mediatour of a better Covenant which was established upon better promises THE general design of this Epistle is my special design in this Text viz. to demonstrate to you that you live under the best of gracious dispensations that Jesus Christ our deservedly adored Mediator of the New Covenant hath obtained a more excellent Ministry and by the faithful discharge of that Ministry more excellent benefits than either Moses the Messenger-Mediator or the Levitical Priests the Stationary-Mediators of the Old Covenant But now now is not here a note of time but of opposition as in Rom. 7.17 now then i. e. after the Law received so Grotius or if you will have it to note the time 't is the time of the Gospel this last time Hath he obtained not by usurpation but by election he hath of divine grace freely received * Anselm A more excellent ministry 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Minister is he that doth something at the command of another Heb. 1.7 and so 't is said of Magistrates Rom. 13.6 they are Gods Ministers but 't is chiefly spoken of the Priests Nehemiah 10.39 The Priests that minister because they offer those things that God requires they are said to minister Exodus 28.35 43. Christs ministry is more excellent thatn the Levitical he executes it partly on earth and partly in heaven but he amplifies the excellency chiefly from the excellency of the Covenant * Paraeus and therefore it follows By how much also he is the Mediator of a better Covenant If you take the old Covenant for the whole dispensation under the old Testament as well Gospel-promises as those things which are more strictly legal then we may truly say he old and new Covenant are for substance the same and therefore the Comparison relates rather to the form than to the matter of the Covenant * Calvin The Covenant of grace is dispensed with more latitude clearnesse and power of the Holy Ghost * Dâ—odate and therefore it may be called a better Covenant Which was established upon better promises 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chrys He names that which may most affect them with joy in saying it is established upon better promises All Coveâ—ants consist in promises The Covenants of Kings and Princes amongst themselves consist in promises of either not hurting or helping one another the Covenants of Princes and people consist in promises the Prince promises justice clemency and defence the people promise love obedience and gratitude so in the Covenant of grace the first and chief part whereof is I will be thy God and of thy seed and we promise faith obedience and worship the promises of the Old Covenant run more upon temporal good things the promises of the New Covenant are chiefly remission of sins sanctification by the Spirit c. and the Covenant is said to be established the word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 q. d. Legislatum Law and Covenant are joyned together in Scripture They kept not the Covenant of God and refused to walk in his Law Psal 78.10 The New Covenant containeth certain precepts which every one must obey that will obtaine the promise Thus you have the meaning of the words The Observation I shall commend to you is this The Gospel Covenant or the new Covenant is the best Covenant that ever God made with man I will not stay you long in the general notion of a Covenant the word sometimes signifies an absolute promise of God without any restipulation as Gods engagement to Noah Gen. 9.11 And I will establish my Covenant with you neither shall all flesh be cut off any more by the waters of a flood neither shall there any more be a flood to destroy the earth Whatever mans carriage shall be God promises that he will no more drown the world So the promise of perseverance Heb. 8.10 This is the Covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those dayes saith the Lord I will put my Laws into their minds and write them in their hearts and I will be to them a God and they shall be to me a people Our perseverance doth not leane upon imperfect grace but upon divine favour but I wave this and shall speak of Covenants as they note the free promise of God with restipulation of our duty * Camero A Covenant is amicus status interfaederatos so Martin a friendly state between Allies 'pray ' consider the several Covenants the Scripture mentions and they are three namely the Natural Legal and Gospel Covenant the Natural commonly called the Covenant of Works that flourished till the first sin the Legal Covenant that flourished till the Ascention of Christ and the pouring out of the holy Ghost upon the Apostles though it began to languish from Johns preaching and began to grow old throuhout the course of Christs Miniâ—try the Gosp l Covenant that flourisheth from Christ till the end of the world I shall speak but little of the first something more of the second but dwell upon the last 1. The Natural Covenant is that whereby God by the right of Creation doth require a perfect obedience of all man-kind and promiseth a most blessed life in Paradise to those that obey him and threateneth eternal death to those that disobey him that it may appeare to all how he loves righteousnesse and holinesse how he hates impiety and wickednesse In this Covenant I shall consider but these three things 1. Gods condiscention that he would enter into Covenant with man God was at liberty whether he would create man or not and when God had made this glorious Fabrick there could be no engagement upon him besides his own goodnesse to keep it from ruine Matth. 20.15 Is it not lawful for me to do what I will with mine own but man having an understanding and will to comprehend and observe the Laws given him had a natural obligation to duty which can no way be dissolved there is no power in heaven or earth can disoblige man from loving and obeying God Now that God will deale with man not summo
jure not imperiously and threateningly but magna comitate that God will deale with man as with his friend and though he may give what Laws he will yet he will give none but what are easie and yet make them more easie by bountifully rewarding an easie obedience this speaks wonderful condiscention 2. The second thing considerable in the Natural Covenant is mans duty which consisted in the knowledge and love of God whence would have proceeded piety to God justice and love to man this was mans natural duty for we must distinguish the duty from the Symbole of duty Natural duty consisteth in those things that are good in their own nature and not in those things that are only good because God commands them the Law about the forbidden fruit was only for the tryal of mans obedience for had not the divine command intervened it would have been as lawful for man to have eaten of that Tree as any other Tree in Paradise but 3. The last thing I shall mention concerning this Natural Covenant is the Promise of Reward now that consisted in a perpetual life flowing with all manner of good things agreeable to the soule and body of man in that perfect estate 2. The second Covenant was the Legal now the Legal Covenant is that whereby God did râ—quire of the people of Israel obedience to the Moral Ceremonial and Judicial Law and to that obedience he promised all sorts of blessings in the Land of Canaan and to the dis bedient he denounced most severe curses and death and all to this end that he might bring them to the future Messiah Here I shall propose the same considerations as in the former Covenant only something more Therefore consider 1. Gods condiscention is singularly observable that ever he would enter into another Covenant with man when the first was broken this Moses useth as a mighty Argument to perswade Israel to observe the Covenant Deut. 4. from the 32. to the 40. verse Ask now of the dayes that are past which were before thee since the day that God created man upon earth and ask from the one side of heaven unto thie other whether there hath been any such thing as this great thing is or hath been heard like it Did ever people hear the voice of God speaking out of the midst of the fire as thou hast heard and live Or hath God assayed to go and take him a Nation from the midst of another Nation by temptations by signes and by wonders and by warre and by a mighty hand and by a stretched-out arme and by great terrours according to all that the Lord your God did for you in Egypt before your eyes c. thou shalt therefore keep his Statutes and his Commandments which I command thee this day that it may go well with thee and thy children after thee c. 2. Consider mans duty in the Legal Covenant and that is obedience to the moral Law to which was added the Ceremonial Law for a Rule and Direction in the worship of God and the Judicial Law which was their divine policy for the government of the State All these are comprehended in the ten Commandments but the more-particular their directions were the more plain was their duty and the truth is it was but need that they should have particular direction when their Legal Covenant neither admitted of faith in the Redeemer nor repentance of sin for pardon of sin and curse for sin are inconsistent Gal. 3.10 As many as are of the works of the Law are under the Curse for it is written Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the Law to do them As many as depend upon the works of the Law for Justification are under the curse and the Law discovered no other way of Justification but by Works 3. The third thing considerable in the Legal Covenant is the promise that God made to those that obeyed it and that was perpetual happiness in the Land of Canaan By the way to prevent mistakes I do not say neither will the Scripture at all warrant any such assertion as that the Fathers under the Old Testament had only temporal promises they had salvation promised them and pardon of sin promised them but thanks to the Gospel for those promises the Apostle tells us Gal. 3.17 The Covenant that was confirmed before of God in Christ the Law which was foure hundred and thirty years after cannot disannull that it should make the promise of none effect the Morning Star of the Gospel Covenant that shone upon Abraham foure hundred and thirty years before the Legal Covenant was given did shine thorough that dark dispensation But to speak of the Legal promises as Lâ—gal so they are of temporal good things and they were made to works not to faith Rom. 4.4 To him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace but of debt 4. The fourth thing considerable in this Covenant which had no place at all in the former is a Mediator Now the Mediator of the Covenant strictly legal was Moses for That needed only a meer man it not admitting of satisfaction nor reconciliation of mercy nor pardon Moses might serve as a Messenger to make known the minde of God unto the people Deut. 5.5 I stood bâ—tween the Lord and you at that time to shew you the Word of the Lord in the Natural Covenant communion with God was natural unto man and so there needed no Mediator In the Legal Covenant man was rather considered as what he should be than what he was and so a meer man was able in the name of the people to promise obedience and in the name of God to promise a reward and this Moses did you have both very plain in Deut. 5. The people do as it were say Go to God from us upon this Errand Ver. 27. Go thou nâ—ar and hear all that the Lord our God shall say and speak thou unto us all that the Lord our God shall speak unto thee and we will hear it and do it and God doth as it were say Go dismiss them with this blessing if they will be obedient Ver. 28.29 30. And the Lord heard the voice of your words when ye spake unto me I have heard the voice of the words of this people which they have spoken unto thee they have well said all that they have spoken O that there were such an heart in them that they would fear me and keep all my Commandments alwayes that it might be well with them and with their children for ever Go say to them Get you into your Tents again q. d. If they will keep their promise assure them I will keep mine and thus much concerning the Covenant strictly Legal 3. The third Covenant is the Gâ—spel-Covenant and here Beloved here is 2 Sam. 23.5 the Everlasting Covenâ—nt ordered in all things and sure This is all our salvation and all our desire Here is the
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
is proper to each nature by reason of the hypostatical union is ascribed to the whole person 4. This union of two natures in one person is without confusion or transmutation the natures remaining distinct and the properties and operations of both natures distinct notwithstanding this union Some things are proper to the Godhead of which the Manhood is uncapable and some things proper to the Manhood of which the Godhead is uncapable We cannot say the Godhead was athirst weary dyed neither can we say the Manhood was the Fountain of all being the Creator and Preserver of all things or that it is ubiquitary or omnipresent though we may say all of the same person 'T is observed by learned Writers that the dividing of the person which is but one Hooker Eccles Pol. p. 299. and the confounding of the natures which are two hath occasioned those grand Errors in this Article of faith by which the peace of the Church hath been so much disturbed And sutably to these foure heads that have been spoken to there have arisen foure several heresies 1. The Arrians denying the Deity of Christ against whom the Council of Nice Determined that he was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 truly God Hooker ibid. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2. The Apollinarians who maimed and misinterpreted his humane nature against whom the Council of Constantinople Determined that he was compleat and perfect Man 3. The Nestorians who divided Christ into two persons because of his two natures 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 against whom the Council of Ephesus Determined that he was God-man in one person 4. The Eutichians who confounded these two natures in one person 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 against whom the Council of Chalcedon Determined that he was God-man in one person without confusion or mutation of natures But in the foure above-named heads enough hath been said by way of Antidote against those dangerous mistakes And all being duly considered we cannot but see great reason why he should be called wonderful Isa 9.6 Well might the Apostle cry out by way of admiration Without controversie great is the mystery of godlinesse God was manifest in the flesh 1 Tim. 3.16 5. The singular fitnesse of Christ for this work of Mediation arises from his being God-man in two natures united in one person without Confusion or Transmutation 1. Had he not been truly God he had been too mean a person for so high an employment it was God that had been offended an infinite Majesty that had been despised The person therefore interposing must have some equality with him to whom he interposes Had the whole society of persevering Angels interposed on mans behalf it had been to little purpose one Christ was infinitely more than all and that because he was truly God 2. Had he not been compleatly man he had been no way capable of performing that indispensibly necessary condition upon which God was willing to be reconciled viz. The satisfying of that righteous sentence God had pronounced Gen. 2.17 In the day thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely dye That therefore he might be capable of dying which as God he could not and that the justice of God might be satisfied in the same nature by which it had been offended 't was necessary he should be man 3. Had he not been God and man in one person the sufferings of his humane nature could not have derived that infinite value from the Divine nature Mediatâ—o Christi est 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 We could not have called his blood the blood of God as 't is called Acts 20.28 it would have been no more than the blood of a creature and consequently as unavailable as the blood of Bulls c. Hebr. 9.12 Hebr. 10.4 4. Had he not been God-man without confusion of natures his Deity might either have advanced his humanity above the capacity of suffering or his humanity might have debased his Deity below the capability of meriting which is no lesse than blasphemy to imaâ—ine And this is the first reason the singular fitnesse of Christ for this work because of the Dignity of his person Reason 2. The singular fitnesse of Christ for this employment in respect of the sutablenesse of his Offices There is a threefold misery upon all men or a threefold bar to communion with God 1. The guilt of their sins which themselves are never able to expiate or satisfie for 2. The blindnesse of their minds the cure whereof is too difficult for any creature Physician 3. Their bondage and captivity to sin and Satan which are enemies too strong for man to deal with Sutably to these three great necessities Jesus Christ is anointed of God to a threefold Office of a Priest a Prophet a King the former of which Offices he exercises on our behalf to God and the two last from God to us 1. The Priestly Office of Christ is the great the only relief we have against the guilt of sin the work of the Priesthood consisted under the Law chiefly of these two parts 1. Satisfaction for the sins of the people Lev. 4.16 17 18 19 c. 2. Intercession unto God on their behalf Levit. 16.12 13. Both which were verified in Christ our great high Priest Hebr. 4.14 And hence it is that the Apostle encourages us to come with boldness unto the Throne of Grace Hebr. 4.16 What was done by others Typically was done by Christ Really 1. His satisfaction in discharging those debts which his people had run into with Divine justice to the utmost farthing and this he did by offering up that one single sacrifice which was infinitely more worth than all those multitudes of sacrifices offered up of old and from which all former sacrifices had their vertue and efficacy Ephes 5.2 The Priests of old offered up creatures but this high Priest offers up himself they offered the blood of Bullocks c. Hebr. 9.13 14. but Christ the blood of God Acts 20.28 They offered many sacrifices and Christ but one but such a one as infinitely exceeded all their many such a one as perfected for ever them that are sanctified Hebr. 10.14 One Sun is worth more than thousands of Stars and one Jewel than millions of ordinary stones and so one Christ is more effectual than all Lebanon or the cattel on a thousand hills 2. His intercession this is the other part of his Priestly Office his satisfaction that was performed on earth his Intercession is performed chiefly in heaven by the former he purchased pardon and Reconciliation 2 Cor. 5.19 compared with Verse 21. by the latter he applies the benefits he hath purchased his sufferings though they were but while he was on earth yet the benefit of them extends to all ages of the Church both before and since his passion and his Intercession is that which sues out these blessings for his people and therefore that great Apostle joynes both together as the foundation of all his comfort Rom.
the burden of it You have not yâ—t resisted unto blood Heb. 12.4 saith the Apostle striving against sin as if he had said you are not yet come to the hottest of the battel it may be you have gone through some light skirmishes a few ill words or outward losses but when Christ was challenged by this Goliah and none durst take up the Gantlet he resisted unto blood and verily the evil of sin is not so much seen in that thousands are damn'd for it as that Christ dyed for it If you should see a black vapour arise out of the earth and ascend by degrees till it covered the face of the heavens and obscure the Sun in brightest Noon-day lustre you would doubtlesse conclude there must needs be a strange and preternatural malignity in that vapour What shall we then think of sin that brought down the Son of God from heaven darkned his glory took away his life laid him in the dust After whom is the King of Israel come out saith David to Saul after whom dost thou pursue after a dead dog after a flea As if he had said 1 Sam. 24.14 methinks the King of Israel should never trouble himself about such a sorry and inconsiderable thing as I am a dead dog cannot bite when alive indeed he is a fierce creature he may flie in a mans face and tear out his throat but death tames him A dead dog needs no chain and a flea cannot bite very much the mark it makes is but a flea-bite you that have slight thoughts of sin do as good as say that the God of Israel entred into the lists and armed himself for the Battel against a dead dog nay that he lost the Field and was worsted by a flea the evil of sin is not so much seen that it is a knife that cuts our fingers as that its a knife redded over with the blood of our dear Redeemer 3. Hence note the exact and impartial justice of God and his most righteous severity against sin that rather than that shall passe unpunished his only begotten and everlastingly beloved Son shall shed his blood and become lyable and obnoxious to a curse In the blood of Christ as a mirrour is represented the most condescending mercy and inflexible severity that ever the world saw Son saith God if thou wilt undertake for sinners and undergo that penalty that is due to sin thy blood must go for it and nothing can be abated he prays the Cup may passe if possible but justice was inexorable he was upon such terms that it was not possible God hath set forth Christ to be a propitiation through faith in his blood Rom. 3.25 to declare his righteousnesse that he may be just One would have thought he would have said to declare his love and mercy that he may shew himself gracious nay but though there be a truth in that the Apostle pitches upon another Attribute To declare his righteousnesse that he may be just If there were any respect of persons with God or if exact justice could have warp't and been drawn away with any accessory and circumstantial considerations doubtlesse Christ should have gone free and an indemnity from suffering should have been the Sons priviledge 4. This is sad and dreadful news to all impenitent and unbelieving sinners What will be their doom that have no share in this blood of Christ and not only so but trample it under foot as an unholy thing Let them look to it it will one day rise up against them as a witnesse for their certain damnation for such there 's a much sorer punishment Heb. 10.29 woe to those that have not the blood of Christ to plead for them but ten thousand woes to them that have the blood of Christ pleading against them And where it cries not for pardon it cries out for vengeance with a witnesse They are the enemies of the Crosse of Christ saith the Apostle whose end is destruction Phil. 3.18 19. And what better end could it rationally be hoped they should come to that have an enmity against the Crosse of Christ If that which is light in th e be darkness Matth. 6.23 how great is that darknesse If the healing saving blood of Christ be destruction how dreadful is that destruction the death of Christ is to a wicked man one of the saddest stories and most dreadful tragedies that he can read or hear of because having no interest in it he understands what must certainly be acted upon himself and if God would not hearken to the prayers of his Son how is it likely he should be moved with the cry of Rebels and Enemies When God sent the Prophet Jeremiah upon his Errand to the Nations with the Cup of his fury that they should drink and be drunken and spue and fall and rise no more upon case of their refusal to drink tell them saith he that loe I begin to bring evil on the City which is called by my Name Jer. 25.29 and sh uld ye be utterly unpunished ye shall not be unpunished As if God had said Carry a Cup and if they refuse tell them Jerusalem hath been before them and I am resolved it shall go round My own people shall not drink unpledged and they shall not be unpunished God hath prepared a Cup for all Christ-rejecting sinners warmed with fire and spiced with brimstone and if they wince and make a sowre face let them know Christ hath had it Gods only begotten and beloved Son hath drunk deep on 't and how or with what face can they expect to escape What! will God say to such a one Behold he whose judgment was not to drink of the Cup Jer. 49.12 hath assuredly drunken and art thou he that shalt altogether go unpunished thou shalt not go unpunished but thou shalt surely drink of it Use 2 2. For Exhortation and that in six particulars 1. Hath Christ shed his blood for sin let us then shed the blood of sin let sin never live one quiet quarter of an houre in our souls that would not let Christ live in the world Christ dyed unto sin for Satisfaction let us dye unto sin by Mortification He died unto sinne once likewise reckon ye also your selves to be dead indeed unto sin Rom. 6.10 11. Every Saint should be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as the Apostles phrase is Rom. 6.5 planted together in the likenesse of his death And he further explaines his meaning Ver. 6. Knowing this that our old man is crucified with him that the body of sin might be destroyed that henceforth we should not serve sin And verily unlesse by the death of sin in you you can have no comfortable evidence that the death of Christ was for you Christ was crucified and they that are Christs Gal. 6.24 Gal. 5.2 have crucified the flesh with its affections and lusts If ye be circumcised Christ shall profit you nothing saith the Apostle I
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
must one day bow the knee 3. Consider That the sinnes of Christians are far greater than of the Jews against Christ They sinned against Christ in the state of his Humiliation but we sin against Christ who is now exalted on the right hand of God The Jews put Christ to death for saying Mat. 26.64 Hereafter you shall see the Son of Man sitting on the right hand of power and coming in the Clouds of Heaven and shall we we Christians put the Lord of glory to open shame who do believe that he is sate down at the right hand of the Majesty on High Acts 3.17 The Jews many of them both Rulers and people knew not that Jesus was the Christ they had a hand in his death but it was through ignorance for had they known it g Cor. 2.8 they would not have crucified the Lord of Glory but it must be horrible wickedness for us to rebell against Christ who do believe his Exaltation Sub pedibus ejus eris aut adoptatus aut victus Aug. 4. And Lastly Consider That Christ at last will be too hard for the most hard-hearted sinner If you will not bow you will be broken O obstinate sinner if thou wilt not kiss the Son thou wilt lick the dust under his feet if thou wilt not bow as a Child thou wilt be made to bow as a Slave if thou wilt not bow to his golden Scepter Mat. 11.29 Psa 110.1 thou wilt be broken with his Iron Rod In a word if thou wilt not bear his Yoke thou shalt become his Foot-stool III. Vse of Comfort to Belâ—evers great is the Consolation which doth arise from the doctrine of Christs Exaltation 1. Is Christ exalted to the right hand of God then we may comfortably believe that he hath perfectly satisfied Gods justice for us John 16.9 we may now rest upon Christs righteousness that he hath accomplished fully all his undertaking because he is gone to the Father Christ by his Death overcame his enemies by his Resurrection he scattered them by his Ascension he triumph't over them by his Death he paid the debt by his Resurrection he came out of Prison and by his Ascension he shews himself openly to God the Creditor and pleads satisfaction The Humiliation of Christ confirmed and ratified the New Testament his Exaltation gives him opportunity to execute his last Will and Testament for he is now exalted as a Conquerour Rev. 1.18 and hath the keys of death and hell delivered to him This comfort the Apostle urgeth upon the Doctrine of Christs Exaltation for if when we were enemies Rom. 5.10 we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son much more being reconciled we shall be saved by his life Our salvation began in the humiliation but it is compleated in the Exaltation of Christ Heb. 7.25 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He did not undertake what he was not able to finish for he saves his people to the uttermost 2. This is our comfort though Christ be highly exalted yet he is mindful of us He is not only a faithful High Priest in things pertaining to God to make reconciliation for the sins of the people but he is a merciful high Priest Heb. 2.17 18. to remember the sufferings of his people and to succour those that are temptâ—d The Lord Jesus though he be safely landed upon the shore of eternal glory yet he hath an eye to and a care of his poor Church Heb. 4.15 Heb. 5.2 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is tossed with tempest and afflicted He is not only 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 one that can be touched with the feeling of our infirmities but he is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he doth pro magnitudine miseriae condolere he bears a share with us in our afflictions and temptations The manner of men is that great preferments makes them forget their former poor acquaintance Honores mutanâ— mores but it is otherwise with Chrâ—st He is exalted above the Heavens and yet he is not unmindful of his Church on earth The dayes of his Passion are ended but not of his compassion as Joseph though he was the Favourite of Egypt yet was not ashamed to own his Brethren who were poor Shepherds Heb. 2 11. Heb. 6.20 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 John 2.1 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Joh. 20.17 Exod. 28.9 10. no more is Jesus Christ ashamed to call us Brethren Christ is gone into heaven as our Fâ—re-runner and there he is an Advâ—cate for us with the Fa her Just when Christ was going into heaven he sends this comfortable message to his Disciples I ascend to your God and my God to your Fa her and my Fa her Our great High Priest hath all the names and necessities of his people written upon his Breast-plate Believers are engraven upon the palmes of his hands Isa 49.16 Cant. 8.6 yea they are set as a Seal upon his heart Videmus caput nostrum super aquas Greg. 3. And last Consolation is this Christ is exalted to heaven and so shall all believers in due time the Head hath taken possession of heaven for all his Members In all the several parts of the Humiliation and Exaltation of Christ he acted not as a single person but as the Second Adam representatively as a publick person so that all those who are in Christ Jesus have an interest in that Redemption he hath purchased for Believers Gal. 2.20 Rom. 6.8 Christ was crucified and a believer is crucified with Christ Christ dyed and a believer is dead with Christ Col. 3.1 Christ rose from the dead and believers are risen with Christ Christ is ascended up to heaven and believers sit together with Christ in heauenly places Eph. 2.6 1 Cor. 6.2 Christ wil come to judge the world and the Saints as Assessors to Christ shall judge the world Rev. 3.31 Christ is sate down in his Fathers Throne and believers shall sit with Christ in his Throne In a word our Lord Jesus Christ who is now possest of the glory of heaven John 14.3 Joh 16.24 will come again to fetch us to heaven that we may be where he is that we may not only see his glory but partake of it for when he shall appear we shall appear with him in glory Col. 3.4 THE SATISFACTION OF CHRIST DISCUSSED COL 1.20 And having made peace through the blood of his Crosse by him to reconcile all things unto himself by him I say whether they be things in earth or things in heaven THE Apostle having congratulated the Colossians their faith and love and other graces and poured forth a prayer for them in the 14. verse he enters upon a Declaration of the Gospel-mystery the Person and Offices and work of Christ His person ver 15 16 17. he is God c. his Office ver 18. he is the Head of the body the Church c. His work in the 20.
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
can they but rejoyce in them and sing of the mercies of the Lord for ever Why are you not more careful to walk worthy of this Grace There is a Decorum Ephes 4.1 a seemlinesse that appertains to every Calling This made Scipio that he would not accept the offer of an Harlot because he was General of the Army And when Antigonus was invited to a place where there was none of the best Company he was well advised by one to remember he was a Kings Sonne When you suffer your selves to be drawn away by your lusts to be ensnared by the World to be captivated by the Divel you forget the Decorum that should attend your Christian Calling Remember I beseech you First That it is a Holy Calling and therefore be ye also Holy in all Manner of Conversation Methinks it should sound as harshly in our ears to hear of a dark Sun as a wicked Christian Secondly It is an High Calling Do you live High Scorne Basenesse Blush to appear in your Old Raggs To be seen Catering for your Lusts as you use to do Crown your selves with the Starres Cloath your selves with the Sunne Tread the Moon under your Feet Let the Gospel be your Crown Let Christ be your Cloathing Let the World be your Foot-stool Let Hidden Manna be your constant Dyet Keep Open House to all Comers Set your Spiritual Dainties before them Bid them feed Heartily and Welcome And for Discourse Tell them what great things God hath done for your Souls Thirdly It is an Heavenly Call Let your Conversations be in Heaven you have a good Correspondent there Maintain a constant Trade and Traffick thither Expect Returns thence Lay up your Treasure there where neither Moth nor Rust doth corrupt nor can Thieves break through and steal Be alwayes preparing for your passage thither Fourthly It is an Immutable Call Do not droop and hang your Heads for the Changes and Mutations there are in the World The Foundation of God standeth sure though the Foundation of States be Overturned Overturned Overturned the Lord knoweth who are his and will cause all things to Work together for their good But what if now there be many amongst you that are not Effectually Called In the third and last place I addresse my self to them Men and Brethren if you have any sense of the excellency of your Immortal Souls any Love to them sutable to that excellency any care and solicitousnesse sutable to that love Do not resist the Holy Ghost Make the best Use you can of the Means of Grace To day if you will hear his Voice harden not your hearts If he now Knock at the Door of your hearts and you will not Open you know not how soon you may come to Knock at the Door of his house and he will not Open. Diog. Laertius Thal. It is Reported that Thales one of the Grecian Sages being urged by his Mother to marry told her at first it was too soon and afterward when she urged him again he told her it was too late Effectual Voâ—ation is our Espousal unto Christ all the time of our life God is urging this Match upon our Souls his Ministers are still wooing for Christ if now we say it is too soon for ought we know the very next Moment our Sunne may set and then God will say it is too late They that are not Contracted to Christ on Earth shall never be Married to him in Heaven THE TRUE BELIEVERS Union with CHRIST JESUS 1 COR. 6.17 But he that is joyned unto the Lord is one Spirit YOU have lately seen the Portraicture of our Lord Jesus drawn as it were at length Introduction both as to his Person and Offices together with the Means and Mannâ—r how he hath dearly purcha'st Redemption for us Method now requires that we lay before you how that Redemption and the benefits thereof come to be effectually applied unto us There we had the balme of Gilead and the plaister spread what remains but that it be now applied There we had a Bethesda an healing Fountain open'd but the Pool of life heals not unlesse the Patient be put in and the Angel of the Covenant Stir the waters Salvation for sinners cannot be obtain'd without a puâ—chase this purchase is not significant without possession this possession not to be procured without application this application made only by union this union clearly held forth in the Text viz. He that is joyned unto the Lord is one Spirit Coherence In the close of this Chapter our Apostle seriously dehorts his Corinthians from that grosse that soul-polluting sinne of Fornication His Arguments which he lets flie as so many Barbed Arrows at the fifth Rib of Uncleanness are drawn 1. Partly from the end to which the body is appointed The body is for the Lord Ver. 13. The body was made for the God of holinesse therefore not to be prostituted to Lust and uncleannesse Ver. 19. The Holy Ghosts Temple ought not to be converted into a Stye for Satan That 's the first 2. Partly from that honour which by the Lord to our bodies is vouchsafed Know ye not that our bodies are the members of Christ Ver. 15. Believers bodies are the members of Christ therefore not to be debauch't so far as to be made the members of an Harlot This second Argument is back't and amplified by the words of the Text He that is joyned to the Lord is one Spirit q. d. There is a near and dear union betwixt the Lord Jesus and true believers much what resembling that which is betwixt the head and members Only here 's the difference that union is carnal this spiritual He that is joyn'd to the Lord is one Spirit i. e. he is spiritually one or one with the Lord in Spirit therefore ought not to be one with a strange woman in the flesh Having thus beaten up and lâ—vel'd our way to the Text I shall not stand to shred the words into any unnecessary parts but shall extract out of them such an Observation as I conceive strikes a full eighth to the minde of the Spirit of God in them And 't is plainly this Observation True Believers are closely united unto Christ Iesus The word which we render a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Agglutinatus joyned imports the nearest strictest closest union This truth I shall endeavour 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 cleanly to explain solidly to confirme practically to appy 1. For the Explication of this truth Explication It will be of consequence to lay before you Query 1 1. Whom we understand by true believers Sol. 1. Not such as are united unto Christ by a meer external prosession Sacramental admission or presumptuous perswasion Such as these are said to believe in Christ John 3.23 and yet they are such so hollow so false that Christ dares not trust them Ver. 24. These are dead Branches John 15.2 Saplesse stakes in the Churches hedge Reformadâ—'s and Hangby's only
we are as really united unto Christ as the members of the body are to the head Hence are we said to be h Ephes 5.30 members of his body of his flesh and his bones As the head communicates real influences to the body so doth Christ to Believers communicates to us his Spâ—rit graces fulnesse spiritual light life strength comfort Joh. 1.16 4. A close near dear intimate union Like that of the food with the body which it nourisheth Hence Believers are said to eat Christs flesh and to drink his blood John 6.54 Such an intimate union as that one possessive particle is not sufficient to expresse it not said my Vineyard is before me but my Vineyard which is mine is before me Cant. 8.12 5. An inseparable perpetual indissoluble union A marriage knot which neither men sins sorrows death nor Divels are able to dissolve Who or what can separate us from the love of God The Apostle clearly resolves his own question i Rom 8 38 39 I am perswaded that neither life nor death c. Believers are held in Christs hand he that would break this union must first be too hard of fist for Christ yea and for his Father too No man shall pluck them out of my hand my Father is greater than all and no man can pluck them out of my Fathers hand Joh. 10.28 29. And thus we have dispatch't the second Question 3. What are the efficient causes of this union Sol. 1. The efficient causes of this union are either principal or less principal 1. Principal and so this great work of union being opus ad extra 't is indivisum and so ascribed 1. In common to the whole k 1 Pet. 5.10 John 6.44 45. Ephes 2 6 7. Godhead Hence we are said to be call'd by God the Father into the fellâ—wship of his dear Son 1 Cor. 1.9 So likewise this union is ascribed to the Sonne The dead shall hear the voice of the Sonne of God and live Joh. 5.25 Joh. 10.16 2. But more especially the Spirit of God in a more peculiar sense is said to be the principal Author of this union He it is that knits this marriage knot betwixt Christ Jesus and true Believers Look as l Acts 4.24 Creation in some respect is appropriated to the Father m 1 Pet. 1.18 Redemption to the Son so the Application of that Redemption to the Holy Ghost 'T is by one Spirit that we are all baptized into one body 1 Cor. 12.13 'T is by the Holy Spirit the Comforter That we are convinced of sin righteousnesse and judgment Joh. 16.7 8 9. 'T is by the Holy Ghost that we are renewed Tit. 3.5 2. Lesse principal or the means or instruments of union These are twofold outward inward 1. Outward Generally all the Ordinances of God by the Ordinances it is that we come to have n Job 22.21 acquaintance that is union and communion with Jesus Christ 'T is by these golden pipes that golden oyle is conveyed to us from that golden Olive Zech. 4.12 More especially 1. The Word read preach't meditated on believed improved 'T is by hearing and learning of the Father that we come to Christ Joh. 6.44 45. The Holy Scriptures were written for this end that through them we might have fellowship with the Father and his Sonne 1 Joh. 1.3 The way to have Christs company is to keep Christs words Joh. 14.23 2. The Sacraments those spiritual Seals and Labels which God hath fix't to his Covenant of Grace 1. Bapti me By one Spirit we are baptiz'd into one body 1 Cor. 12.13 Hence we are said to be buried with Christ by Baptisme into death Rom. 6.3 4. Baptisme styled the Laver of regeneration Tit. 3.5 By Baptisme we put on Christ Gal. 3.7 2. The Lords Supper this is a great means of strengthning and evidencing our union and advancing our communion with Christ Jesus We are all made to drink into one Spirit 1 Cor. 12.13 Hence that 1 Cor. 10.16 The bread which we break is it not the communion of means argâ—ments evidences of our communion with the body of Christ The wine which we drink is it not the communion of the blood of Christ Thus much for the external means of union 2. Inward internal intrinsecal means of union on mans part i. e. faith Not a bare historical miraculous temporal dead faith No but a living working justifying saving faith Christ comes to dwell in our hearts by faith Ephes 3.17 'T is by faith alone that we receive Christ Joh. 1.12 That we come unto him and feed upon him Joh. 6.56 'T is by faith that a Believer lives in and to Christ and Christ lives in and for a Believer Gal. 2.20 Thus much for the Explication of the termes of our Proposition for the fixing of it on a right Basis I now proceed to the second part of my discourse viz. Now That there is such a spiritual mystical real close inseparable union betwixt the Lord Jesus and true Believers 2. Confirm appears three ways 1. From those many synonymical terms and equivalent expressions whereby the Scriptures hold forth this union Christ is said to be in Believers Col. 1.27 Rom. 8.10 To dwell in them Ephes 3.17 To walk in them 2 Cor. 6.16 So are Believers said to abide in Christ as he abides in them 1 Joh. 4.16 Joh. 15.17 To dwell in Christ as Christ in them Joh. 6.56 To put on Christ to be cloathed with him Gal. 3.27 Each of these expressions clearly import that near and intimate union that is betwixt the Lord Jesus and true Believers The King of Saints hath two Mansion houses one in heaven the Throne of his glory another on earth a Tabernacle of flesh the heart of a Believer which is the seat of his delight Prov. 8.31 his lesser Heaven Isa 57.15 66.1 2. 2. From those several similitudes by which the Scriptures shadow out this union Believers are said to be lively stones 1 Pet. 2.4 5 6. Christ the living foundation the chief corner-stone on which they are built Ephes 2.20 21. Believers are styled living branches Christ the true Vine into whom they are engraffed and in whom they bring forth fruit Joh. 15.1.5 Christ the faithful loving discreet Bridegroom Believers his Loyal Affectionate obedient Spouse Ephes 5.31 32. Cant. 2.16 5.1 Believers are intitled Christs body Ephes 1.23 Bone of his bone flesh of his flesh Ephes 5.30 Christ the Believers head Ephes 1.22 In a word the head and mystical body are call'd Christ 1 Cor. 12.12 In all these Resemblances he that runs may read the union betwixt Christ and Believers pourtrayed out to the life unto us 3. From that communion which there is betwixt Christ and true Believers Omnis communio fundatur in unione Communion where ever it is of necessity argues union as the effect necessarily implies the cause Believers they communicate with Christ in his fulness Joh. 1.16 In his o 2 Cor 5.21 Solus
thy safety and thou art sâ—cure because hood-wink't Thy security is not from want of danger but discerning Alas how dreadful is thy condition that liest every minute exposed to the cruel courtesie of every Divel Lust Temptation Judgment The sentence is past against thee in the next Scene expect the Executioner He that believeth not is condemned already Joh. 3.18 19. Poor soul a deluge of wrath is pouring down in full streams upon thee and thou art as yet shut out of the Ark. The Avenger of blood is at thy heels and thou not yet got into a City of Refuge A shower of brimstone falling on thee and thou hast no Zoar to flie unto The destroying Angel with his drawn Sword at the threshold and the lintel posts of thy door not sprinkled with blood But 2. If the winde do not le ts see whether the Sun cannot prevaile Poor self-destroying Caitiff Look yonder on that amiable Jesus Christ for a marriage between whom and thy precious soul I am now woing Do but observe his condescending willingnesse to be united to thee That great Ahashuerus courts his own captive Hester The Potter makes suit to his own clay Wooes thee though he wants thee not is infinitely happy without thee yet is not cannot be satisfied but with thee Heark how he commands intreats begs thee to be reconciled 2 Cor. 5.20 Swears and pawns his life upon it that he desires not thy death Ezek. 33.11 Seals this his oath with his blood and if after all this thou art fond of thine own damnation and hadst rather be at an agreement with hell than with him see how the brinish tears trickle down his cheeks Luke 19.41 42. He weeps for thee that dost not wilt not weep for thy self Nay after all this obdurate obstinacy is resolved still to wait that he may be gracious Isa 30.18 Stands yet and knocks though his head be wet with rain and hâ—s locks with the dew of the night fain he would have thee open the door that he may come in and sup with thee and thou with him Rev. 3.20 Thus much for a whet to sinners my next address is 2. To Saints that are indeed united unto Christ Jesus Four words of advice I have for you Oh that they might stick as Goads as Nails fastened by the Masters of the Assemblies 1. Be very fearful of that which may in any sort weaken your union with Christ Beware of committing of approving thy self in the least compliance with any the least sin Say not as Lot of Zoar is it not a little one Sin approved is that very Dalilah that cuts off the locks and makes a Believer a prey to every Philistine Sin is that that separates between us and our God the great make-bate between heaven and earth Isa 59.2 'T is true a Saint shall never be left so to himself or sin as that sin shall bereave him of his Jewel his Gracâ— or God but may and doth often steal away the key of his Cabinet his evidence his assurance I opened to my Beloved but my Beloved had withdrawn himself and was gone Cant. 5.6 Sin is that that will soon grieve away that holy Spirit by which we are seal'd to the day of Redemption Ephes 4.30 2. Wisâ—ly improve this your union with Christ f Frustra est potentia c. 'T is not enough to have unlesse we use Christ Not enough to have a Well of salvation but we must draw water and drink it too Isa 12.3 if we intend a benefit by it 'T was the looking on the Brazen Serpent that cured those that were stung Not enough for Saints to have faith by which to live but they must live by the faith that they have Gal. 2.20 i. e. they must by faith draw continual supply of grace comfort strength from Christ as the branch does sap from the root as the members do influence from the head as the pipe does water from the fountain This your union then must be improved 1. Under the fear and sense of wrath When God begins to thunder and to write bitter things against thee Now now let faith recollect it self and say Why I am united unto Christ in whose wounds is room enough to hold and in whose heart readinesse enough to receive all that flie unto him Matth. 11.28 True indeed there is a terrible storme of justice gathering over my head ready to fall upon me but my Christ to whom I am united is my g Isa 32.1 2. shelter a flood of vengeance but I am got into the Ark. Destruction near but Christ is my Passeover my little Sanctuary Able willing to save to the uttermost with all kinds and degrees of salvation Hebr. 7.25 2. In solicitations unto sin when sin comes like a Potiphars wife and offers deadly poyson in a golden Cup. Now now let faith answer I would consent but that I am united unto Christ How can I do this great wickednesse and sin against my Christ Gen. 39.9 I could easily do this and this if I were not Alexander But now I cannot gratifie this lust but I must needs be disloyal to my Christ my Husband to whom I am married If I take the cold in my feet 't will immediately flye up into my head every sin is an affront to my Christ 3. In the use of all Ordinances let faith use them frequently reverently but not in the least rest on them or be satisfied with them any farther than they advance our union and communion with Christ Look on prayer without a Christ as meer words and sounds Sacraments without a Christ as empty Vials without a cordial Hearing without Christ as a Cabinet without a Jewel Be only so far satisfied with the Ordinances as thou findest them to be * Zech. 4.12 golden pipes conveying golden oyle into thy soul 3. Labour more and more for a frame of Spirit sutable to this union 1. An humble self-abasing frame Say Alas Lord what am I what my Fathers house that so great a Christ should so far stoop beneath himself as to be united to so poor a worme a clod of earth a masse of sin a nothing a lesse a worse than nothing Isa 40.15 17. That strength should be united unto weakness light unto darknesse life unto death heaven unto earth unto hell That incorruption should marry it self unto corruption Immortality to mortality The King of Kings the Lord of Lords to such a captive unpared unwash't unshaven captive as I Ezek. 16.4 5 6. 2. A trusting relying depending frame oâ— spirit for supply of all temporals h Qui misit filium immisit Spiritum promisit vultum quid tandem denegabit He that hath given thee his Sonne what can he deny Rom. 8.32 He that hath given thee an Ocean will not deny thee a Drop If thou hast the Kernel thou shalt not want the Shell if thy Father vouchsafe thee bread Manna the Ring a Kisse he cannot well deny thee husks If thou
any other grace as love that then would have been currant and have justified us as faith doth now Fifthly God justifieth in a proper sense two ways first 5. How God As a Legislator secondly as a Judge 1. As a Legislator enacting by his Soveraign Authority that sweet and gracious Law of the New Covenant by vertue of whose tenor every sinner that believes is justified from the guilt of sin from which he could not be justified by the Law of Moses Acts 13.38 9. This Law of justification by faith is Gods own act and deed the great Instrumentum pacis between God and man he hath proclaimed his Letters Patents the King of heaven and earth hath in the Gospel our Magna Charta given his Warrant under his own broad Seal that he that believeth shall not be condemned 2. As a Judge the God of heaven may in three respects be said to justifie a Believer First Forthwith upon his believing God owneth him secretly within himself as a person justified God esteems and approves of him as in that state unto which he hath by believing a title good in Law an indefeasible right a justified estate emergeth actually as soon as faith the Law-title thereunto emergeth as a necessary resultance by vertue of the tenor of the Gospel-Law which only justified vertually potentially and conditionally before every Believer in general but now actually absolutely and in particular it justifieth him as a Believer when he is so Secondly At the moment of dissolution God justifieth as the Judge of all the earth passing a private sentence and award unto everlasting life upon every believing soul Thirdly But eminently at the last day when the Ancient of days shall take the Throne and in open Court before the whole Creation by publick sentence for ever acquit and discharge Believers at that great and last Assizes 6. How Works Sixthly Shall I need to adde that Works are said to justifie us Jam. 2.4 because they justifie our faith or demonstrate before God and man and to our own consciences that our faith is not a dead and barren but a true and living one by its fruitfulness in well-doing 7. How the Spirit Seventhly But I must not forget lastly that the Spirit of God is said to justifie us 1 Cor. 6.11 and that two ways first directly by working faith in the heart which is one of the fruits of the Spirit Gal. 5.22 Now Causa causae est etiam causa causati the Spirit justifieth as it is the Author of the justifying grace Secondly reflexively The Divine Spirit clears up justification to a Believers conscience by discovering the truth of faith by working assurance and by sealing a Believer to the day of Redemption The Spirit it self beareth witnesse with our spirits that we are the children of God and if children then heirs c. Rom. 8.16 17. Thus I have at length done with my first Task the opening of the Point which finds it self summed up in this definition Justification is a judicial act of God as Law-giver and Judge of the world gracioussly discharging a Believer for the sake of Christs satisfaction from the condemnation of the Law of Works by the tenor of the Gospel-Law or New Covenant which requireth of accepte h from imputeth unto sinners faith in Christ Jesus as their righteousnesse see Rom. 3.25 6 7 8. Rom. 4.5 Phil. 3.9 To improve it now which was my other task by way of refutation I infer against the Antimonians first Vse Refut That justification is not from eternity 1. Because a person must be charged with guilt before he is justified or discharged but nothing can be before eternity if discharg'd from eternity when was he charged what from eternity too then he will be at once eternally charged with and discharged from guilt which if any excuse from a contradiction they are much wiser than I am 2. My Text convinceth them actual faith is not from eternity therefore not justification before God for if faith justifie us not before God but only at the bar of conscience then there will be no justification at Gods bar at all once mention'd in Scripture for works do it at mans bar what is it I wonder that justifieth from eternity Not Gods decree to justifie for then his decree to glorifie would make glorification from eternity too but Decreta Dei nihil ponunt actu in subjecto Gods decrees are immanent acts and passe nothing actually upon the creature 3. A justified person was actually under condemnation whil'st he was an unbeliever Rom. 3.18 He that believeth not is condemned already but he could not be at all condemned if justified from eternity 4. Saint Paul expressely affirms that the believing Corinthians were not once but now were justified 1 Cor. 6.11 Such were some of you but ye are washed but ye are sanctified but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus c. Secondly I infer against them that they are dangerously mistaken in thinking that a Believer is righteous in the sight of God with the self-same active and passive righteousnesse wherewith Christ was righteous as though Believers suffered in Christ and obeyed in Christ and were as righteous in Gods esteem as Christ himself having his personal righteousnesse made personally theirs by imputaâ—ion This is their fundamental mistake and from hence tanquam ex equo Trojano issue out a throng of such false and corrupt deductions and consequences as these That God sees no sin in his children that affliction and death are not proper punishments of sin to Believers that all future sins are already actually forgiven as well as past and present that a Believer must not pray for the pardon of sinne but only for the manifestation of it that God loved Noah when drunk Lot when so and besides incestuous David when acting Adultery and Murther Peter when he was cursing and swearing and denying Christ with as high a love of complacency and delight as when coâ—versant in the most spiritual exercises of grace that all which God requires as a sinners duty in the Gospel is to believe that Christ dyed absolutely for him in particular that this is alone true Gospel faith and the doubting or questioning this the unbelief which the Gospel so much condemneth that to argue our justification from our sanctification and gather assurance of Gods love from our love and fear of him is a Legal principle that obedience to Gods Commandments is not properly a Believers debt but that all the obligation which lies upon him to holinesse is only the voluntary expression of his love and gratitude to God not as what is due but what is comely And lastly for I should be tyred to name all that Christ hath kept the Gospel-Covenant for us as well as satisfied the Law So that not only our Legal righteousnesse is without us in Christ our Surety but our Evangelical righteousnesse it self also Now to pluck up all these desperate consequences by
unto the Lord and when provoked by others it is to return to the Lord their God Hosea 14.1 and when God calleth and chargeth their Repentance with hypocrisie it is with this complaint They cryed but nat unto me and they returned but not unto the most High Hosea 7.14 16. The Gospel penitent turneth not from sin to sin as do the profane nor from sinful rudenesse to common civility or only moral honesty as do the civil honest man but unto piety acts of Religion unto God God is the sole object of his affection and adoration the true penitent is prostrate at the feet of God as him only that pardoneth iniquity transgression and sin And pliable to the pleasure of God as him only that hath prerogative over him the whole man soul and body is bent for God and pursueth communion with and conformity to God not only doth Repentance turn us from what is grievous and contrary to God but unto that which is agreeable and acceptable God the minde returneth from the devising of evil to the review of the minde and will of God Psal 1. v. 1 2. from sitting in the seat of the scorneful unto meditating on the Law of God night and day his earnest out-cry is Lord Acts 9.6 what wouldest thou have me to do for he is transformed in the spirit of his minde to prove what is the good and acceptable will of the Lord Rom. 12.3 and full well knoweth it is life eternal to know God 1 Pet. 2.2 and Jesus Christ and therefore having once tasted that the Lord is gracious he as a new-born babe desireth the sincere milk of the Word Gods Word is his great delight and beautiful in his eyes are their feet that bring glad tydings from Zion Rom. 10.15 The will and affections return from all evil unto a resolution and ready acceptance of the good and acceptable will of God not only doth the Gospel penitent pray Wherein I have done amiss do thou shew it me I will do so no more but also speak Lord for thy servant heareth for it is wholly resolved into the will of God approving what is good prizing every act of worship and purposing an exact observance of it sincerely praying Let thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven and accounting it his meat and drink to do the will of God his desires and affections run out to God and God alone there is nothing in all the earth to be compared with God nor any in heaven acceptable to the soul besides God Psal 73.25 The Lord becomes his very dread and delight he rejoyceth in the Lord and continually feareth before him such are his affections now towards God that he can leave all to follow him father mother sisters brethren wife children lands houses nay life it self becomes nothing in respect of God A Gospel penitent stands convinced that if any man love the world the love of the Father is not in him 1 Joh. 2.15 And if any man love any thing better than Christ he is not worthy of him Matth. 10.37 and so he accounteth all things drosse and dung in comparison of Christ Phil. 3.7 The Lord is his chiefest among ten thousand his all in all and so his outward man is ready in the utmost of endeavours to do the will of God he is wholly resigned to Divine pleasure to do or suffer any thing God shall not enjoyne what his attempts and utmost industry shall not be to performe or inflict what he shall not in patience and silent submission endure Repentance is no other than the obedience of faith 1 Pet. 1.2 the penitent Romans do obey from the heart the forme of sound words unto them delivered or as the Greek bears it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 into which they are delivered as in a mold which leaves its shape and impression on that which passed through it Rom. 6.17 For the stony heart removed the Law of God is imprinted in the soul the Spirit of Repentance maketh us walk in Gods way Ezek. 3.26 and to do his Statutes The command of God carrieth the truly penitent contrary to the commands of men nay corrupt dictates of their own soul J seph dare not sin against God for all Potiphars possession nor Daniel slack his devotion for fear of a Lyons Den nay it is irksome to a penitent Peter to be once and again provoked to obedience as half angry he cannot but cry out John 21.17 Why Lord thou knowest I love thee he is ready to execute Divine prescription against the utmost of opposition he never desireth other Apology than whether we obey God or man judge ye for Christ is exalted to be Lord and King to give Repentance c. Not only doth he believe but is also ready to suffer for the sake of Christ he is contented to be at Gods carving as unworthy any thing under sharpest sorrows he is dumb Psal 39.9 and openeth not his mouth because God did it in saddest disasters he complains not because he hath sinned against the Lord 2 Sam. 16.10 let Shimey curse him he is quiet nay grieved at the instigations of revenge for that God hath bid Shimey curse in all his actions and enjoyments he is awed by and argueth not against God However he may with Hezekiah slip and fall in his life time yet the support of his soul at death is Lord Remember I have walked before thee with an upright and perfect heart and have done that which was right in thine eyes Isa 38.3 And with Paul he may finde a Law in his members rebelling against the Law of his minde yet can thank God that with his minde he serves the Law of God Rom. 7.25 So that true Gospel Repentance doth not only convince and cast down but change and convert a sinner sense of and sorrow for sin as committed against God are necessary and essential parts but not the whole or formality of Repentance no that is a turning from sin all sin unto God only untâ— a God it indulgeth not the least iniquity nor taketh up short of the Lord it stayeth not with Jehu at the extirpation of Baal but with Hezekiah and Josiah Rest reth the Passeover the worship of the Lord and that is the fourth thing considerable in the nature of Repentance Conclusion 5 The fifth and last conclusion is Confession of sin and prayer for its pardon are constant concomitants of true Repentance The true penitent is not only the sinner of sense but of hope and therefore a suppâ—iant at the Throne of Grace prostrate at the foot-stool of mercy confessing sin and suing for pardon freely accusing and fully condemning it self before God every penitent soul comes to God like Benhadad to the King of Israel wiâ—h an Halter about his Neck praying Forgive us our trespasses David is no sooner brought to Repentance by Nathan but he is brought on his knees before the Lord with an I havâ—
the fish it is said that he may learn to pray there and preach after Go Temptation winnow me that man well that he may not be full of self-confidence that he being converted may strengthen his brethren Go death saith he smite such a womans husband that she may be destitute of worldly comforts then will she trust in me 1 Tim. 5.5 and fall to prayer and supplication Go ye Caldeans and Sabeans and work your will on my servant Job yea Go Satan and do thy worst make ye him poor I 'le make him honest and pious and more than a Conqueror and bring him forth as gold I will leave a poore people saith the Lord and they shall trust in me In a word the Lord saith Zeph. 3.12 the end of all chastisement is That we should be made partakers of his holinesse Hebr. 12.10 2. If God deliver it is that we should serve him in holinesse and righteousnesse Go saith the Lord to Moses Luke 1.74 75. deliver me that people that they may be to me a Kingdome of Priests and an holy Nation Let Naaman be healed Exod. 19.5 6. that he may become a Convert to that God that hath healed him Sanctifie me that first-borne sonne 2 Kings 5. Exod 13.2 whom I have given thee again Secondly In all Ordinances whose sole and proper end is Sanctification The Word is to sanctifie John 17.17 The commands 1 Thes 4.3 The promises to sanctifie 2 Cor. 7.1 The Sabbath is a signe between God and us that he is the Lord that doth sanctifie us Exod. 31.13 The Sacraments Baptisme is to sanctifie Ephes 5.26 The Lords Supper so Discipline Censures Absolution c. Church-communion private Conference All Ordinances agree in this some of them are for Conversion some for Confirmation all for Sanctification Reas 2. This is that which constitutes a Christian and from which he is denominated All the Christians and Church-members of old were called Saints the Saints at Rome Corinth Ephesus c. That is the Christians of those places and Churches not Saints departed and Canon zed but such Saints as we are or should be visible Saints followers of holinesse And therefore as one is called a Scholar because he followes learning another a Merchant because he follows Merchandize so is the Christian to follow holiness To imagine a Christian without holinesse is to call one rich that hath neither goods nor lands a Scholar without learning to imagine a Sun without light and fire without heat which is a pure contradiction It is holinesse which constitutes the Christian as it is the soul which constitutes the man who without it is a dead carcasse hand foot heart move not neither can the eye see eare hear or tongue speak without the enlivening soul so is the Professor a carcasse or shadow without holinesse all his works dead works his prayers dead praises dead yea his faith hope repentance without holinesse mortua mortifera all dead and deadly Reas 3. Without this no man shall see the Lord. This is the Menacing reason of the Text where there are two things to be explained First One implyed Secondly The other expressed 1. That implied is That in seeing the Lord is the compleat beatitude of the soul Blessed are the pure in heart they shall see God Mat. 5.8 i. e. see the Lord Jesus for the Godhead is invâ—sible No man hath seen God at any time nor can we see him 1 Tim. 6.16 But the holy person shall see Christ and the glory of the Divine Essence as much as finite can comprehend of infinite yea see God and live see Christ and be like him 1 John 3.1 2. Jesus Christ seen in heaven is the glass of the Trinity in him we shall see the fulnesse of the Godhead bodily And he is a transforming glasse to those that see him who shall be changed into the same image from glory to glory 2 Cor. 3.18 And the sight of Christ will be to us a transfiguration sight when I look into another glasse I see the image and representative of my self and as it were another self but when I shall look into this glasse I shall see another image and representation as a Parelius by the reflexion of the Sun and as I may say another Christ Hence we commonly call the vision of God the beatifical vision as one saith elegantly Fides justificat Charitas aedificat Spes laetificat Visio beatificat Faith justifies Charity edifies Hope pacifies but it is Vision which glorifies And I may adde Sanctitas qualificat holinesse qualifies that Vision may glorifie And this leads me to the second thing which is expressed 2. Without this no man shall see the Lord. Mark the word no man Be he rich or poor Prince or Peasant yea be he a Prophet Apostle Minister Martyr yea we may carry this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 higher no Angell shall see the Lord what parts soever the man hath whatsoever duties he performeth let him be this or that or any other the best profession way Church let him do let him suffer let him be let him give let him hold what he will â—f he be not holy he comes not into Gods beatifical presence he enters not into the holy hill of God But were he as the Signet oâ— the right hand he must off were he an anointed Cherub he must out down came the Angels when they had laid down the r holinesse and Adam was driven out of Gods presence when he had driven out holinesse Reas 4. The fourth and last Reason is that thundering one of Saint Peter 2 Pet. 3.10 11 12 13. When the last Trumpet shall sound and sound louder and louder when the day of the Lord shall come as a Thief in the night in the which the Heavens shall pass away with a noise and the Elements shall melt with fervent heat the Earth also and all the works therein shall be burnt up Seeing then all these things shall be dissolved what manner of persons ought we to be in all holy Conversation and godliness looking for and hastening unto the coming of the day of God wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved and the Elements shall melt with fervent heat Neverthelesse we according to his promise look for new Heavens and a new Earth wherein dwelleth righteousnesse Here is nothing but terror in the Text Lamentation and mourning and woe A Thief in the night a great noise fire melting burning dissolving yet is holinesse and righteousnesse secure The new Creature looks for a new Heaven and a new Earth wherein there will be room for holinesse if there be none here as for Lot in Sâ—dome This holinesse is like the blood of the Passeover on the door posts when the destroyer was abroad and a dreadful cry all Egypt over then were the Israelites ready with their loyns girt and staves in their hands expecting the good houre of their last Redemption We have seen it may be
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
a Physician who could cure all bodily deformities what flocking would there be to him for help such a Physician is Death As Job had all things restored double when raised from the dunghil so shall a childe of God have all bodily deformities removed and his body shall be raised in glory and shine as the Sun in the firmament And why then should we be so afraid of death it is initium vivae spei the beginning of a living hope The Heathen mans Motto is Dum spiro spero while there is life there is hope but a Christians Motto is Dum expiro spero when I dye then my hope begins to live 4. Comfort to those who forgoe any members of their bodies for Christ If thou losest thy leg or arm or ear God will restore it again at the Resurrection The same leg c. as Christ healed the ear of Matchus he did not give him a new ear but the same again Famous is the story that Josephus tells of one of the seven children in the Maccabees who when he was to have his tongue cut out and his hand cut off said to his Mother These I have received from the Heavens and for the love of my God I despise them and trust that I shall receive them again 5. Comfort to the people of God when in the lowest condition When upon the dunghil and past help of man then let them remember That the God whom we serve can raise the dead and therefore can deliver them out of all their troubles though never so great and incurable This was Jobs comfort when in the saddest condition Job 19.25 26 27. It is proper to God to deliver from the lowest grave Psal 86.13 And for this very end and purpose God oftentimes brings his children into a very deplorable and desperate condition that they might learn to trust in that God who raiseth the dead 2 Cor. 1.12 6. Lastly Here is singular consolation in reference to the sad times in which we live It is with us now as it was with the Disciples when Christ was crucified their hopes dyed when Christ dyed their faith in Christ was dead and buried with Christ therefore they say Luke 24.21 We trusted that it had been he which should have redeemed Israel and besides all this to day is the third day since these things were done As if they should have said Christ hath now been so long in the grave that we have no hope of salvation by him it is now the third day and we hear no tidings of him Even so the people of God are ready to say of these times We had thought that this had been the time wherein Christ would have made the Churches of England very glorious and have taken away all our tynne and drosse out of his Church and perfectly have purged his floor and made a most happy Reformation But we see that Christ is still in the grave and there are mountains upon mountains rowled over him to keep him still in it We are in as bad a condition as ever and our hopes as desperate and it is now not onely the third day but the thirteenth nay the sixteenth year and yet we are not delivered But now hearken to a Word of Consolation As Christ rose in spight of the Jews they rowled a stone upon the mouth of the grave and sealed it and set a watch to keep it and yet he rose in spight of them all So shall Religion and the Gospel and Church of Christ rise notwithstanding all the opposition made against it Though never so many Mountains â—e in the way God will in time rowl away all these Mountains Mat. 16. Isa 54. Zach. 12.3 for Christ haih said That the gates of Hâ—ll shall not prevail against his Church and that no weapon formed against Jacob shall prosper and that he will make Jerusalem a burthensome stone for all people all that burthen themselves with it shall be cut in pieces though all the people of the earth be gathered together against it As the children of Israel the more they were oppressed the more they multiplied so the more the Church of Christ is trodden under foot the more it will prosper As Moses his bush burned and was not consumed because God was in it so the Church of Christ may be burning and full of troubles and afflictions which shall purge it Rev. 11.7 8 9 10 11. and refine it but it shall not be consumâ—d for Christ is risen and his Church shall rise The God whom we serve is a God who can raise the dead It is related of the two Witnesses that when they shall have flnished their estimony they should be slain and lie three days and an half unburied and that the people that dwell upon the earth should reâ—oâ—ce over them and make merry But yet notwithstanding the Spirit of God should after three days and an half enter into them and they should stand upon their feet and ascend up to Heaven in the sight of their Enemies By these two Witnesses are meant all the eminent Opposers of Antichrist whether Magistrates or Ministers who though they prophesie in sackcloath 1260 years and towards the end of them which is yet to come be in a more then ordinary manner massacred and killed yet they shall after a little while rise again in their successors stand â—pon their feet and ascend up to a more heavenly and glorious condition There will be a happy and blessed Resurrection of the Church Famous is the Parable of the Dry Bones Ezek. 37. God saith to the Prophet Son of man can these bones live The Prophet answered O Lord God thou knowest Then God tells him That he would cause breath to enter into the dry bones and make them to live c. Though the Church of Christ be in as sad a condition as the Israelites in Babylon and be as dry bones in a grave and though the Prophets know not how they can be raised 2 Pet. 2.9 yet God knoweth how to deliver his people He can and will in due time raise them up to a more pure and happy estate even in this life Let us comfort one another with these things Use 3. OF Terrour to all the wicked and ungodly that cannot say with Job I know my Redeemer liveth but I know my Revenger liveth There will a time come when they that now stop their ears and will not hear the voyce of Christ speaking by his Word and Ministers shall hear a voyce whether they will or no and shall come out of their graves to the Resurrection of condemnation just as Pharaohs Baker out of Prison or as Malefactors out of Newgate to be executed at Tiburn Happy were it for such that there were no Resurrection that their souls did dye as the souls of Brute Beasts But let such know That there shall be a Resurrection of the unjust as well as of the just and that there will a day come in which
the Punishment it self Properties of it 1. Punshment it self Paena damni â—nsus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Acts 1.25 Abiâ—â—iendi in illud 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quo infernus Gerh. 1. The punishment it self to which the wicked are adjudged and that is the pain of Losse absence of infinite mercy the Sense presence of unspeakable misery 1. The pain of loss the privation of all good Depart from me says Christ get ye gone from my presence into your proper place away with you here is no comfort for you Depart from all the good you were once while on earth invited to have in me and with me in heaven yea and from that you chose and preferred before me you must now lose all real and all you and others reputed good things whither 1. Natural your sins will go along with you but all your pleasures profits honours with the vain hopes of greater content in your sinful courses will leave you The covetous Cormorant shall not have his bags nor the ambitious his honour nor the voluptuous his pleasure Acts 1.18 Judas left his silver which he prized more than out Saviour Haman his honour the deceased Gentleman in the Gospel his delicious fare with which he had pamper'd himself in his life time and glad he would have been upon his importunate begging to have had one drop of water from the end of Lazarus his sorest finger to cool the tip of his tongue when he was tormented in flames but alas he must remain deprived with this sharp answer Luk. 16.24 25 with Jam. 5.5 Remember that thou in thy life time receivedst thy good things Though wicked men be Rebels and Traytors to God yet here he gives them meat and drink to keep them alive for a time he deals not with them as the cruel Duke D' Alva did with his prisoners whom he starved after he had given them Quarter saying Though I promised your lives I promised not to finde you meat He gave Aegypt to Nebuchadnezzar and vast Dominions to Alexander but in Hell wicked men shall be deprived of all There they shall have no houses nor lands nor moneys nor good chear nor mirth nor credit nor friends nor servants no stately Italian Palaces no rare Coaches of Naples drawn by the Horses of Barbary no artificial wares of Quinsaio and Alexandria no Indian gold no Bisnager Diamonds no Scythian Em raulds no Topazes of Aethiopia no Molucca spices no Canary Sacks nor Sugars no Candie oiles no Spanish sweet meats no French wines no V lvets nor Tissâ—e nor Scarlet nor purple cloaths but purple flames 2. Spâ—ritual good things they had here and might have had in common with the Saints in Hell no offers of Christ Vide part 3. of Baxters Saints rest nor pardon by him no Pr achers nor promisâ—s nor pâ—ssibility of heaven as there was here in the wâ—ckeds apprehensions whicâ— will be exceedingly enlightened to see what they are deprived of yet then can see no Wells of salvation only the pit of dâ—mnâ—tion 3. Eternal good things the wicked lose God himself and heaven with him oh unspeakable losse to the understanding soul infinite loss to want an infinite good to be separated from the chief good to depart from God this is a most sad departure In his meditations on the foure last things Psal 139.8 Hebr. 12.14 the worst of all as Reverend and Learned Bolton well observes from the Ancients 't is true wicked men cannot depart from Gods essence for he is essentially in Hell but they depart from his comfortable presence not to see God nor to have one comfortable glance at the great Creator merciful Redeemer and gracious Sanctifier And with this losse of losses they are deprived of heaven and those admirable perfections and ravishing beauties with which the Spouse of Christ is for ever endowed and are shut out with the foolish Virgins from those inconceivable pleasures Mat. 25.10 with c. 8 11 12 Psal 16.11 and joyes which are at Gods right hand for evermore 2. The pain of sense Depart from me saith Christ whither may the damed say why from my face into the fire of Hell not a purifying but a tormenting fire in the last verse called everlasting fire Mat. 13.30 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chrys Hom. 31. in Rom. 16. in my Text the fire as more notable than any other but what and where this fire is I have only this to say negatively neither the fire nor place of Hell are meerly fantastical or imaginary i.e. such only as have their being in the operation of the minde but positively that both are real such as have a certain physical being however Scripture gives me not a warrant distinctly and demonstratively to particularize of what kind and where Some style this more grosse part of Hell punishment positive vexation and torment considering it concretely yet abstractively considered even the pain of sense may be privative as these torments deprive a man of that due perfection which would otherwise be in him ex gr though the sensible vexation of a man in a Cauldron of scalding liquor be in the materality of it positive Salamandra est animal vivens in igne tamen non comburitur Isid yet the formal nature of that punishment precisely considered lies in this that the scalding takes away from the man some perfection belonging to him else the scalding liquor would be no more an evil to him than fire is to the Salamander Exercitatione de malo for 't is impossible saith the Learned Barlow that should be evil to a man which does not in some respect make him worse as that which does not deprive him of any perfection cannot do and by consequent could not be evil this I only premise that I may not be understood by any to have a mind to cavil There are three things requisite to constitute the nature of this pain of sense Requisite to the pain of sense three things 1. The real presence of all evil that which some terme the position of all horrour anguish and vexation some resemblance we may have of it by supposing what the person sustains who is cast into a furnace of scalding lead or brimstone still remembring that all the tortures which ever seized upon all the senses of any body in this world are but shadowy resemblances of this more sensible part of Hell torments 2. The strong impression of vindictive justice Omnis poena si iâ—sta â—st peccati poena est Aug. in reference unto sin else the most vehement tormentings could not properly be punishments when one undergoes the cutting off a rotten leg nè pars sincera trahatur that pain is not properly called a punishment because 't is not inflicted for any fâ—ult 't is for cure not in vengeance but in Hell torment which is the execution of the just wrath of God the Lord Chief Justice comes in flaming fire inflicting vengeance p 2 Thes 1.8 〈◊〉
John 15.4 5. Oh! let 's then labour to see and be truly sorrowful for all our sins and pray Lord Turn thou us Jer. 31.18 and we shall be turned from all our sins and accept of a whole Christ for our only Lord and Saviour oh sith we cannot wash our hands in innocency le ts be washing them daily in the tears of true penitency let 's go to the Fountain open'd to wash in for sin Zâ—ch 13.1 Isa 30. ult Rev. 20.10.14 15.21.8 and for uncleanness that we may not be cast into the River and Lake of fire and brimstone Oh! let 's now bathe our souls in the blood of Christ that everlasting burnings may not hereafter seize upon us Hence Learn 3. Not to blame Gospel-Ministers for preaching of terrors hereby they would stave us off from running head-long into Hell and bring us to repentance that we may not be cast into that prison where there is no place for repentance 2 Cor. 5.11 Knowing the terrors of the Lord we perswade men in love to their precious souls we are bound being assured we must give an account to awake our hearers Hebr. 13.17 lest they forget God and be turned into hell we dare not betray your pretious souls to gratifie you at present Psal 9.17 and indulge you in your sins as the Apostle says We must not for meat destroy the work of God Rom. 14.15.20 for preferment favour or respect from you at present we dare not suffer your immortal souls to perish without warning oh friends be not angry with us the Embassadours of Jesus Christ when we see any of you hastning down the broad way which leads to Hell as sure as we are here now if we then cry fire fire to bring you back You have no more reason to think us your enemies for this warning of you and telling you the truth in love Gal. 4.16 than any of your children have to think the most dear and tender Parents amongst you were their enemies when seeing them through carelessnesse ready to fall into fire or water they should cry out oh take heed Children or you are irrecoverably lost Learn 4. Not to grudge sinners their portion in this World Davids advice should be our practice enforced from this very Doctrine viz. Not to fret our selves at evil doers nor to be envious against the workers of iniquity Psal 37.1 2. 9.17 Prov. 24.20 for they shall soon be cut down as the grasse they shall be turned into Hell their foolish prosperity will destroy them their candle shall be put out and that in a snuff which will never cease stinking why then should we be offended at their prosperity here who are reserved to an extremity and eternity of torment hereafter Mal. 3.15 it is a grosse mistake to call the proud happy or to think the godly most miserable 1 Cor. 15.13.19 because they are here sometimes a little under a cloud The Psalmist was tempted to it but the knowledge of this Doctrine in the Sanctuary Ps 73.3.18 19 did soon rectifie his judgement and made him conclude that God had set them in slippery places to be cast down into destruction Job 20.6 7. and utterly consumed with terrors and perish for ever we had more need to pity than repine at our wicked Neighbours Mat. 19.24 with Luke 16.25 having their good things here when we consider how hard a matter 't is to have good things here with Dives and with Lazarus too hereafter in Abrahams bosome Learn 5. Lastly To admire and be greatly affected with the superlative love of Christ in undergoing that punishment in our stead if we will receive him for our Lord and Saviour which will be extream and eternal torment to all that do refuse him And if he be Judge Mat. 10.14.15 39 40. they who receive not his Embassadors in his Name are of that number Oh! who would not then kiss the Son that believe the wrath of God will inflict these eternal torments Oh! Christians such I wish we may a l be in deed and truth let 's bless and kisse this blessed Son of God that bare for us this insupportable wrath Psal 2.12 1 Thes 1.10 Colos 2.15 Hosea 13.14 1 Cor. 15.54 55. Mat. 23.14 Hebr. 2.3 Gal. 3.13 Hebr. 2.9 even Jesus which delivered us from the wrath to come and triumphed over principalities and over tho Grave and Hell the greatnesse of the damnation we are exposed to by nature doth greaten the salvation purchased by grace Oh! blessed Jesus thou wast cursed here and tasted'st the death that was accursed even this in thy sentence Isa 53.5 7 8. Rom. 8.1 Mark 3.29 with Heb. 6.2 5.9 Acts 2.24 Psal 116 3. John 8.51 thou wast bruised afflicted and broken of God for us but thou was taken from Prison and from judgement and everlasting condemnation for it was not possiâ—le that Thou shouldst be holden of any pains so that though every Believer shall see a Temporal yet shall he never see Eternal Death but inherit Eternal Life OF HEAVEN MATTH 25.34 Come ye blessed of my Father inherit the Kingdome prepared for you from the foundation of the world THE Description of Heaven is a work fitter for an Aaron the High Priest of the Most High when upon Mount Hor he is stripping himself of the vile body of sin or for a Moses when on the top of Nebo after a Pisgah prospect * Deut. 34.5 as the Jews comment he died at the * Cant. 1.2 kiss of God refunding that * Gen. 2.7 breath of life and expiring his soul into the bosome of God Nay more fit to be described by a pen taken from the Wing of a Cherubim than the stammering tongue of any mortal man For whoever attempts to speak of an heavenly state while himself is on earth his discourses of that must needs be like the dark dreams and imaginations of a child concerning the affaires of this world while it self is yet swadled and cradled in the womb Yet discourses of Heaven were never more seasonable upon earth When * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Dio. Laer. Anaxagoras was accused as not studying Politicks for his Countryes good he replied I have a very great care of my Country pointing up to heaven if ever Christians had cause to make all honest haste to heaven 't is in a sinful and a perverse generation when the waters cover the earth whether should a Dove-like soul fly but to the Ark of God when Gods judgements and his Avengers of blood threaten us on every hand what City of refuge can we run to but the Sanctuary of God when we know not how soon the members of Christs body in conformity to their Head may be called to sweat drops of blood 't is wisdom for us with our bitter hearbs to keep the Passover and to think on that * Luke 22.12 large upper Roome wherein we may be Feasted
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
then his * Cant. 2.14 v ice will be sweet when he shall call to them to come up to * Isa 25.6 this Mountain to a feast of fat things a feast of wine on the Lees of fat things full of maâ—row of wines on the Lees well refined Laetissimè excipientis 3. 'T is the speech of one that bids us welcome to the feast too Come my friends I it is Come and welcome now Come poor heart thou hast been coming a long time I went my self to call thee I * 2 Chron. 36.15 sent my Messengers rising up early and sending them continually to invite thee to come in I sent my holy Spirit also like a Dove from heaven and it did light upon thee and gave thee an Olive branch of peace in the Wildernesse of thy fears when it allured thee and call'd thee from all thy wandrings then I sent my black rod for thee by that grim Serjeant death to strip thee of thy soul body of sin not to be touched but by the Angel of death then I sent my Angels to bring thy soul to the Courts of thy God and now by the sounding of the last Trumpet I have call'd for thy sleepy body to arise out of the * Psal 22.15 dust of death And now after all these Messengers thou art come I will not upbraid thee for thy delays but come come blessed soul with as many welcomes as there are Saints and Angels in glory I have * John 14.2 prepared a place for thee * Cant. 5.1 thou at come into my Garden Eat oh friends Drink yea drink abundantly oh beloved And so I have done with the explication of the several branches of the Text now let us see what fruit they bear that may be * Cant. 2.3 sweet to oru taste First 1. Infer Then if there be a Kingdome prepared before the foundation of the World for the blessed Saints and holy ones then what manner of persons are * 2 Pet. 3.11 we in all unholy Conversation and godlessnesse in this generation Men are as dead to Religion as if heaven was but a dream and as hot upon sin as if hell had no fire or was all vanished into smoak as atheistical and wretched as if neither heaven hell nor earth neither did feel a God or any memorandum's of his Providence Therefore a little to fortifie this notion which artificial wickednesse hath endeavoured to expel and expunge out of natural consciences I shall endeavour to confirme your faith by Scripture and reason The Socinians deny the revelation of eternal life and a state to come to have been propounded under the Old Testament and the reward being only earth their Law and obedience to be but carnal and low which is to level the Jews to the order of brutes that so the Gentiles under the Gospel might be advanced to the state of men and so by vertue of rhe new prize of immortal life proposed they should have a new command as their care to run which is all as true as that all the Tribes of Israel were converted into Isacar's * Gen. 49.4 strong asses couching down between two burdens but * Luke 7.35 wisdome is justified of her children and the Chaldee paraphrase renders those words * Gen. 4.7 Remittetur tibi in saeculo futuro if thou dost well shalt thou not be accepted by this glosse Amend thy works in this world and thou shalt be forgiven in the world to come and the â—argum says the very dispute betwixt Cain and Abel was concerning a world to come and those carnal Hereticks that * Jude ver 10.11 19. are sensual not having the spirit in what they know naturally as brute beasts corrupt themselves they are gone into the way of Cain But when God tells Abraham * Gen 15.1 I am thy exceeding great reward and Jacob cries out * Gen. 49.18 I have waited for thy salvation O Lord even when about to dye God stiling himseâ—f their God is not by our Saviours authority * Mat. 22.32 the God of the dead but of the living therefore God held out eternal life in the promises yea and in the very command too * Levit. 18.3 Gen. 3.12 do this and live the reward of that obeeience there enjoyned was no lesse than this everlasting life as appeareth by our Saviours interpretation when the Lawyer came to him * Luke 10.25.28 saying Master What shall I do to inherit eternal life and he said What is written in the Law how readest thou and he answered thou shalt love the Lord c. and Jesus said Thou hast answered right this do and thou shalt live that is thou shalt have that thou desiredst viz. inherit eternal life and the very reproach of the Sadduces and the distinction of their Sect from Pharisees and others argueth sufficiently the world to come was a very common notion among all the Jews and indeed the whole land of Canaan was but a comprehensive type and shadow of heaven and all their Religion but a * Hebr. 10.1 shadow of good things to come in the Kingdome of heaven as well as in the Kingdome of the Messiah * John 8.56 whose day they then saw and were glad and if the Gospel contain the promise of eternal life then they had it in Abrahams days * Gal. 3.8 for the Gospel was preached before to him yea and before to Adam * Gen 3.15 that the seed of the woman should break the S rpents head and the skins of the Sacrifices wherewith he was cloathed might suggest the putting on of that promised seed and his obedience who was * Isa 53.5 to be bruised for the iniquities of his people But now to awaken Atheistical souls that deny not only the revelation of this Kingdome of God under the old Testament but its reality and existence under old and new consider these foure things very briefly as the limits of this Exercise command 1. The whole Creation is a Book which always lyeth open wherein we may read that there is a God who made the goodly Structure and Fabrick of Heaven and Earth Who else could be able to * Job 26.7 hang the vast body of the Earth upon nothing or to * Ver. 10. girdle the Sea and all its mountainous Waves with a Rope of Sand * Psal 104.2 to spread the heavens as a Curtain and hang up those vast Vessels of light in the Skies there must be a being existent from and of himself and so being improduced is infinitely perfect and comprehendeth all those perfections dispersed through the whole Creation and infinitely more yet what he makes is like himself every creature bears his footsteps but * Psal 8 3. Gen. 1.27 the heavens are the works of his fingers and man bears the very image of God We see in the several stories and degrees of the Creation love and
torments to eternity with the enemies of God rather than to part with the pleasures of sinne which aâ—e buâ— for a season and seem to have that wrote on the tables of their hearts which that Wretch subscribed under the Image of God and the Devil * Domine si tu non vis iste me rogitat Lord if thou wilt not here is one that begs of me to be his and his I will be Now if there be a Law a Judge punishments and rewards in some degree here then every man is a Prophet in this case of this Future state 4. The promiscuous dispensations and providences of God in this world * Eccles 9.2 Psal 17.14 Lam. 3.16 all things coming alike to all nay the wicked it may be have their belly full of a large portion in this life when the godly have their teeth broken with gravel stones and covered with ashes these argue 1. There is a day to come when the scales shall be turned Abel is slaine for his piety when Cain lives and builds Cities Herod reigns Herodias danceth when John Baptists head is serv'd in in a Charger And though God sometimes by extempore and sudden justice hangs up some wicked wretches in chaines yet many times the most wretched oppressors are too strong and high for justice in this world and they that live like Lyons die like Lambs they have liberty in their lives and * Psal 73.4 no bands in their deaths Dionysius a bloody Tyrant dies quietly in his bed when David lies * Psal 32.3 roaring all night and a good Josiah falls in Battle which made the Prophet cry out * Hab. 1.8 Wherefore doth the wicked devour one more righteous than himself the just must therefore live by his Faith in the world to come or else all Piety will die therefore there shall be a judgement hereafter for * Heb. 6.10 Psal 58.11 God is not unrighteouâ— to forget their labour of love and patience doubtless there is a reward for the righteous verily there is a God that judgeth in the earth 2. Is the life to come such a Kingdome then here is field-room for all our ambition avarice and contention to shew it self be ambitious for something if we must be ambitious let us all King it here What scuffling and scrambling is there for Crowns and Scepters in the world out of that impetuous lust of dominering whereas a prophane Esau sold his Birth-right which had a Kingdome and a Blessing too in it * Gen. 25.34 for a mess of pottage Lysimachus when inflamed with thirst profered his Kingdome for a draught of cold water and how much gold or how many Kingdomes would Dives give if he had them * Luke 16.24 for a drop of cold water or to be delivered from that one Kingdome of the Devil and shall Christians contend about these things Alas Christian Religion was never made for a secular Engine we may as soon turn Axiomes of Truth into Swords and Speares the Rules of holy living into Canons and Musquets and prayers and teares into powder and shot as to make Religion a troubler of the order and peace of the world that is of a Dove-like * Mat. 10.16 innocent temper full of * Jam. 3.17 meeknesse humility gentlenesse easinesse to be entreated without partiality without hypocrisie can suffer any evil but do none can live and secure it self better by suffering than the crafty world by acting to use sinful means to avoid suffering or preserve worldly greatness is like him that when one hoped to see him at his Diocess ere long Replyed He feared he should be in heaven before that time should come It is not Christian Religion but that Anti-Christian spirit which diffuseth it self all over Christendome in its Doctrines and Agitations its Philtres and Poysons that inflames it more with contentions and Warres than any part of the world besides For Religion truly Christian * Mat. 12.25 takes only the Kingdome of Heaven by violence Let one Romane Emperour busie himself in catching flies another gather Cockle-shells with his Army on the Sands after great preparations for an Expedition silly emblemes of the most valiant attempts of many highly-famed Mortals but let Christians March with all Zeale only for the holy Land of Promise All those tittles of Honour for we pronounce them too long which the world playes with as children with Farthing Candles blowing them in with one breath puffing them out with another if they had never so good a * Membrana dignitatis Sen. Pattent yet what will they come to * Isa 34.4 Rev. 6.14 when the Heavens shall role up as a Scrole much more shall these shrivel up as a piece of Parchment before the Flames when all the Armes and Ensignes of Honour shall be blazoned alike in a Field ardent at the judgement day Beauty that blossome of flesh and blood which now carries so many Captives at her Wheeles tyrannizing over fond mortals affections when we come to those beauties of Glory will be no more comely than a dry skull in comparison of the Ravishing Lustre that will be in the most deformed body of the Poorest Lazarillo whose Brightness will transcend the loveliest face more than the rarest Jewel doth a vile piece of Jett And though perhaps difference of Sexes may remaine for all Scotus his Glosse That in Christ Jesus there is neither male nor female yet * Delectent intuitum non inflectent ad vitium they will only delight the eye not incline to any vicious thought all lust being fired out and no spark of concupiscence left in the Saints but Grace triumphing in those objects that conquered it here when * Mat. 11.12 they shall be as the Angels of God only pure flames of Divine Love and joy When all the pure gold in the World shall be melted out of the veins of the Earth and mens Coffers into one common streame and all Pearles and precious Stones should lie as the gravel on the side of that River yet they would scarcely be thought fit then to make a Metaphor of for the very Pavement of the new Jerusalem one sight whereof will dimm and deface all the glory of the World 3. Must the Title be Inheritance then look to your evidences Regeneration and Adoption as ever you look for this Kingdome prove your Fathers Will and your selves Sonnes it is no matter how your names are wrote on earth in dust or Marble in reproach or renown if they be written in Heaven Some say this world is but a shadow of that above and it was so before sin had blotted and defaced all therefore look for the lineaments of that Kingdome above to be pourtrayed on you all are for an Heaven but as Eusebius says there were many * Ebionitarum Encratitarum Nazaraeorum c. spurious Gospels so Basilis asserted one hundred sixty five Heavens as many Heavens as dayes in a yeare The Turks
of A BETTER COVENANT This done it was very seasonable to let you hear of the Mediatour of the Covenant which was performed by the Subject 12 Twelfth Minister who preached to you JESUS CHRIST in his PERSON NATVRES and OFFICES from that Scripture 1 Tim. 2.5 There is one God and one Mediatour between God and man the man Christ Jesus Next to his Natures and Offices it was proper to treat of the two states of Jesus Christ and therefore the Subject 13 Thirrteeth Preacher opened to you Christs state of Humiliation out of Phil. 2.7 8. He made himself of no reputation and took upon him the form of a Servant and being found in fashion as a man he humbled himself and became obedient to death even the death of the Crosse Subject 14 The fourteenth CHRISTS STATE OF EXALTATION out of the ninth verse Wherefore God hath highly exalted him and given him a Name which is above every Name c. Time not allowing a more copious and distinct enquiry into this great Mystery God manifested in the flesh that which came in the Subject 15 Fifthteenth place under consideration as most proper was THE SATISFACTION WHICH CHRIST MADE TO DIVINE JVSTICE and that was done on that Text Col. 1.20 And having made peace through the blood of his Crosse by him to reconcile all things unto himself I say whether they be things in earth or things in heaven And because the Redemption made by Christ upon the Crosse signifieth nothing in effect without the Application of it to the conscience The Minister to whom the Subject 16 Sixteenth turn fell Treated of EFFECTUAL CALLING from Rom. 8.30 Moreover whom he did predestinate them he also called In and by which Call the soul being really but yet Spiritually joyned and united to Jesus Christ that which fell next under consideration in the Subject 17 Seventeenth Course of this Exercise was that exceding precicious Mystery The SAINTS UNION WITH JESVS CHRIST His Scripture was 1 Cor. 6.17 He that is joyned to the Lord is one Spirit And inasmuch as Vnion is the Foundation of Communion Interest in Christ the Fountain and Spring-head of Fellowship with Christ the Subjects which followed naturally to be handled were Justification and Filiation Subject 18 JVSTIFICATION in the eighteenth Course out of Rom. 5.1 Being justified by Faith we have peace with God And the Nineteenth Subject 19 FILIATIN or Divine Son-ship to God which branching it self into these two great priviledges of the Covenant ADOPTION REGENERATION the one whereby out State is changed by the other our Natures they were twisted together into one Sermon on that portion of Scripture John 1.12 To as many as received him to them he gave power to become the SONNES of God even to them that believe on his Name In which Filiation it being evident by the Scripture quoted that Faith hath such a special ingrediency therefore it was seasonable in the next place to speak of SAVING FAITH which was the Subject preacht on in the Subject 20 Twentieth morning of this Moneths Exercise the Text being Acts 16.31 Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved and thy house And although Repentance be usually before faith in the order of sense and feeling yet faith being before Repentance in the order of Nature and operation it being the primum mobile in the orbe of grace as unbelief in the orbe of sins Heb. 3.12 hence it was proper next after Faith to speak to you of REPENTANCE Subject 21 which was handled by him that preached the one and twenty Lecture his place of Scripture being Acts 5.31 Him hath God exalted to be a Prince and a Saviour for to give repentance and remission of sins Matth. 3.8 And because true repentance is alwayes accompanied with fruits meet for Repentance therefore as the great and comprehensive fruit thereof Subject 22 the twenty second Exercise was spent in setting forth the Nature necessity and Excellency of HOLINESSE from these words of the Apostle Heb. 12.14 Follow peace with all men and holiness without which none shall see the Lord. This giveth the Believer a capacity though not a merit of a joyfull resurrection and the next Preacher took therefore the RESURRECTION Subject 23 for his Subject upon the Twenty third morning and for his Text those words of St. Paul Acts 26.8 Why should it be thought a thing incredible with you that God should raise the dead And as upon the Resurrection follows the day of Judgement in the same Method the discourse of the LAST JVDGEMENT succeeded and was the work of the Subject 24 Twenty fourth day the Preachers Text was Acts 17.31 Gâ—d hath appninted a day in the wich he will judge the world in Righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained Subject 25 The sentence of that day was the next thing in order to be considered and although the sentence of the Elect be first in the processe yet because it is last in the execution as appeareth in comparing the 34. verse of the 25. of Matth. with the 46. therefore the TORMEMTS of HELL was the sad and startling Subject which the twenty fifth Preacher insisted on from Math. 25.41 Everlasting Fire prepared for the Divell and his Angels c. And when the Righteous have had the honour as Assessors with Christ to behold with their eyes that sentence executed upon the Reprobate and their persons dragged away into everlasting burnings by the Ministry of the infernal Angels Then the joyful sentence shall be accomplished upon the Elect of God and they shall ride in triumph with Jesus Christ the King of Saints into the gates of the New Jerusalem and so the Subject 26 Twenty sixth and most blessed Subject with wich the last Minister did most sweetly close this morning Exercise was the JOYES of HEAVEN and his Text was Matth. 25.34 Receive the Kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world And thus honourable and beloved I have prese ted you with the Epitomy or Compendium of sound words which hath Methodically been delivered in the course of this moneth in divers of the chief Heads and Points of Gospel-Dâ—ctrine There is no man that is acquainted with the Body of Divinity but may easily observe this Method or Sâ—stâ—me to have been in some Points possibly redundant but in more defective He that will object the former may consider that eveâ—y man sees not by the same light insomuch as if twenty Divines should have the drawing up of twenty several Models of Divinity not two of them would meet exactly in the same heads or order in this case therefore veniam pâ—timusque damusque vicissim And he that will object the latter must also remember that if we had taken in more Points there must have been more dayes which the course of this Exercise doth not allow Sufficient to the dayes hath been the labour thereof and when we cannot do all we would it his honourable to do what we can To the
clearly implies there were that did say so 3. A third principle he layes down is the doctrine of original corruption even in the regenerate themselves (c) Pelagiani negant originate peccatum Aug. cont Mendac Against those that taught the * Pelagiani Aug. contr Mend. total abolition of original sin in and by Baptisme or that denied the being or at least the damnable nature of it Verse 8. If we say we have no sin c. 4. The necessity of confession of sin not only against them (d) Epiphanius calls the Novatians 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 murderers of repentance Basil de poenit that decried repentance for sin and confession of sin but against them that denied pardon to them (e) Montanistae Novatiani Jerom. Ep. ad Marcel de erroribus Montani that repent If we confesse our sinnes he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins c. 5. He asserts the doctrine of actual sinne in the regenerate against them that affirmed that (f) The Simonians Gnosticks and other hereticks of that age taught that there was no sin but unbelief that to the justified all things were clean however they live vid. Aug. de perfectione justi c. 21 Clem. Alex. c. conceived the Apostles after the coming down of the Holy Ghost upon them nullis esse peccatis aut passionibus ohnoxii Joviniani docebant justum nec leviter peccare a justified person could not sin or which is the same that God sees no sin in his children If we say that we have not sinned we make him a lyar c. If we say we have no sin there 's the denial of original sin if we say we have not sinned there 's the denial of actual sin both make up the great heresie of the (g) Catharists in the third Centurie after Christ Catharists who held perfection in this life 6. The Apostle vindicates the preceptive obligation of the moral Law even over justified persons Against the Antinomian (h) The Simonians Carpocratians Marcionites Maniches did not only deny the moral law but curse and blaspheme it as given not by God but by some unlucky nature heresie which presumptuously breaketh even that yoke also from the neck of the Disciples Chap. 2. verse 3 4 5. Hereby we know that we love him if we keep his Commandments So early were these poysonous weeds sprung up in the Church of God The other Module which the Apostle layeth down is a Catalogue of Gospel-evidences certain marks and signs of an interest in Christ A Catalogue of Scripture-evidences and of a right and title to life eternal such as these 1. Obedience to Gods Commandments ut sup 2. Contempt of the world Ch. 2.15 3. Stedfastnesse in the doctrine of the Gospel verse 8 19 20 24. 4. Conformity to Jesus Christ in holinesse ch 3. ver 3. 5. Mortification 6 7 8 10. 6. Love to the Saints verse 14. and chapter 5.2 10 11. 7. A believing confession * Most blasphemously denied by the Simonians Chrystolites Pâ—oâ—tâ—es c. Aug. de haeres of Gods sending Jesus Christ into the world as the promised Messias with love to him and thankfulnesse for him chap. 4. In the four first verses of the fifth chapter we have no lesse than seven evidences each lincking in with the other and bearing witnesse to the other As 1. You have faith in Christ bearing witnesse to Regeneration Whosoever believeth c. is born of God 2. Love to God bearing witnesse to faith He that loveth him that begat c. 3. Love to the Saints bearing witnesse to our love of God He loveth him also that is begotten Augustine understands it of our love to Christ but the Context expounds it of our love to the Saints for so it followeth ver 2. where we have 4. Love to God reciprocally witnessing our love to the Saints Hereby we know we love the children of God when we love God 5. Obedience to Gods Commandments bearing witnesse again to our love And keep his Commandments 6. Delight testifying the truth of our obedience His Commandments are not grievous 7. And lastly Victory over the world bearing witnesse to Regeneration For whosoever is born of God overcometh the world Verse 4. It were easie out of this and the other two subsequent Epistles to compleat the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of Gospel EVIDENCES which are not thus expresly delineated that by them only the Church might describe her members as some loose and vaine spirits fancy but for the members of the Church to try and examine themselves by whither they be real and living members yea or no. It were easie I say to adde to the Catalogue but I have insisted too long upon the first demonstration sc Scripture Pattern I come now to the second demonstration namely The advantages of such Modules 1. For the Ornament of the truth The excellency and advantage of such Forms and Collections of Evangelical truths And In the first place it addes much to the beauty and ornament of the truth whither it be delivered from the Pulpit or from the Press in such Systemes and Platforms the Hearer or Reader may as in a Map or Table sometimes of one sort sometimes of another behold divine truths standing one by another in their Method and Connexion mutually casting light and lustre upon each other Every truth single is very precious and indeed of infinite value as purchased with and ratified in the blood of Christ but to see the truths of the Gospel linked together in their proper union facing one another like the Cherubims Exod. 25.20 is very glorious As the stones of the Temple when they were squared and polished in the Forrest were very costly for both matter and workmanship but when they were layd into the building and formed up into a Temple what a beautiful and magnificent structure did they make The Disciples beholding it Luk. 21.5 were filled with delight and wonder The Curtains of the Sanctuary each by themselves were very rich both for their materials and curious Embroyderies but had you seen them in their Connecture each Curtain fastned to the other with taches of gold and so making up one entire perfect Tabernacle sparkling and shining in all its native spendour it would have been a ravishing sight The very representation of many Countries in one Nation of many Nations in one of the divisions or quarters of the world and of all the quarters described in one Globe or Map it is very delightful to the eye of an intelligent beholder at once discovering the scite and cognation the Longitude and Latitude the distance and degree of every Kingdome and County such globes and tables are full of delight and profit It is in a most eminent manner observable in the Creation of the world of every single days work it is said God saw that it was good but when the whole Compages of heaven and earth was set together into
one entire Fabrick and Creation God saw every thing that he had made Gen. 1.31 and behold it was VERY GOOD Such a rare piece are Gospel-truths in their variety and uniformity not lesse glorious a d admirable than heaven and earth Sunne Moon Starres Elements in all their order and ornament Secondly 2. Help to knowledge Such types and Exemplars of divine truths are of great help to the understanding As the Collection of many beams and luminaries makes the greater light so it is in tne judgement A constellation of Gospel-principles shining together into the understanding fills it with distinct and excellent knowledge 2 Cor. 4.6 It gives us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. One truth doth irradiate and expound another The truths of the Gospel in their method and series are interpretative one to the other while the understanding by means hereof hath the advantage of dwelling upon them the object and comparing spiritual things with spiritual things as the Apostle speaks 1 Cor. 2.13 The truth is he knows but little of the truth that knows it only within it self he understands it aright that knows it in its connexion and correspondence with other truths of the Gospel That Christ dyed to save sinners is a most precious truth 1 Tim. 1.15 but he knoweth TOO LITTLE of it that knows it alone as most of ignorant Christians do who perish with their knowledge he knoweth this truth to purpose that knows it in its connexion with a lost estate that knows it in its references to the fall the wounds and bruises and death contracted by it he knows Redemption by Jesus Christ aright that knoweth it in order to the GUILT and POWER of sin and mans total impotency to save himself from either He knows salvation aright that knows it in the extent and vertue of all Christs OFFICES King Priest and Prophet that understands salvation to be a saving of the poor creature from the REIGN of sin by the Kingly Office of Jesus Christ a saving of a man from IGNORANCE ERROR and those false rotten principles which are naturally radicated in the understanding by the Prophetical Office of Jesus Christ as well as a saving him from HELL and WRATH TO COME by the Priestly Office of Jesus Christ He knows aright the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ not that knows it singly and nakedly only in the story and notion of it but that knoweth it in the effectual application of it by the Spirit for mortification and vivification that knoweth it in its connexion with and influence into justification and sanctification c. He that thus knoweth Christ and him crucified knoweth him as the truth is in Jesus His understanding is full of light Alas the ignorance and misery of our times is not that people are totally destitute of the principles of Christian Religion but that they know them singly only and apart and so they know them but by halfes yea not so much for I dare be bold to say the better half of every truth consists in its method and necessary coherence with other truths without which therefore the knowledge men have of them must needs be but dark and lifelesse Thirdly Such Patterns and Platforms whether of larger or of lesser compasse Advantage help to memoâ—y are a great help to memory In all Arts and Sciences order and method is of singular advantage unto memory We do easily retain things in our mind when we have once digested them into order It is not so much multitude of objects as their variousnesse and independency which is burdensome to memory when once the understanding apprehends them in their natural union and fellowship one upon another the memory comprehends them with much more sweetnesse and facility Hence it is that NUMBER and PLACE are of such rare use in the art of memory The reason why people generally remember no more of the Sermons they hear is for want of Catechizing whereby they might come to know the principles of Religion in their order and methodical contexture Usually in Sermons truths are delivered single and apart and the ignorant hearer knows not where the Minister is nor what place the doctrine delivered obtains in the body of divinity nor how they are knit together and so the memory leaks them out as fast as they are dropt in order is the very glue of memory Method in a single Sermon when the hearer is acquainted with it gratifieth the memory as well as the understanding while it doth not only lodge things in their own place but locks the door upon them that they may not be lost When things are knit and linckt in one with another as in a chaine pull up one link and that will pull up another so that the whole chaine is preserved But we may have occasion to speak again of this point And therefore Fourthly such Modules serve to quicken affection 4. Advantage to quicken affection Sympathy and Harmony have a notable influence upon the affections The sounding of a single string makes but little musick let a skilfull hand touch them in their musical consent and symphonie and it affects the hearer to a kinde of ravishment So it is with evangelical truths place them in their proper rooms that a man may behold them in their mutual correspondencies and apt couplings together and truly the Seraphims themselves answering one to another and ecchoing to another make not a sweeter harmony in their celestial Hallelujahs Fifthly It is a marvelous Antidote against errour and seduction Gospel truths in their series and dependance are a chain of gold to tie the truth and the soul close together People would not be so easily trapand into heresie if they were acquainted with the concatenation of Gospel-doctrines within themselves As for instance men would not certainly be so easily complemented to worship that Idol of free-will and the power of nature were they well principled in the doctrine of the fall The design of God in permitting of it held out in Scripture in such large and legible Characters that he which runs may read Psal 51.4 1 Cor. 1.29 30 31 c. If they did with sobriety of Spirit observe what the Scripture prâ—claimes concerning the impotency of the lapst and ruined creature mans helplesse condition in himself Rom. 5.6 Ephes 2.1 Of the absolute necessity of the quickening helping and stablishing influence of the Spirit of Christ c. When a chaine of pearls is broken a single jewel is easily lost divine truths are mutually preservative in their social embraces and coherence Sixthly 6. Advantage growth in grace Growth in grace is one blessed fruit of such systems and tables of divine truths When â—oundations are well laid the superstructures are prosperously carried on want of distinct knowledge in the mysteries of Religion is a great obstruction to the growth of grace The great cause of the believing Hebrews non proficiency was