of Israel are attributed to one and the same Subject namely to the true living God as Isai 44.6 Zephan 3.15 compared with John 1.49 attributed to Christ We already have demonstrated how the Names of God and Lord are proper to him so is that of King simply taken as we have it in the Description made of Christ's Kingdom by the Psalmist * Psal 45.1 6. I speak of the things which I have made touching the king where in several Verses mention is made of his Glory and Majesty of his Throne of his Scepter and Kingdom and is called God most mighty Lord Christ to Pilate owned himself to be King in the Inscription upon the Cross he was called King of the Jews which is equivalent to that of King of Israel and thus it is interpreted by his Enemies Mark 15.32 though in derision Let Christ the King of Israel descend now from the cross and for all their jest he was so in earnest not only in relation to his oecumenical but upon the account of his natural Kingdom for essentially he is King of the whole Earth he is the King that is set upon the holy hill of Sion Rev. 17.14 and 19.16 whose dominion is from one sea unto another who hath the heathen for his inheritance and the utmost parts of the earth for his possession The Lamb that is Christ is Lord of Lords and King of Kings The Prophet upon a solemn occasion calls him a King Rejoyce greatly Zech. 9.9 O daughter of Sion shout O daughter of Jerusalem behold thy king comes unto thee he is just and having salvation c. to be compared with Isai 62.11 and this was literally fulfilled at the time when our blessed Saviour did solemnly enter into Jerusalem upon which occasion Matthew doth quote the Prophets words This I press the more because the Adversaries would have none to be true God but he who is the God and King of Israel We know how to do great things is attributed unto God Thus after the return from Captivity the Heathen said The Lord hath done great things for them Psal 126.2 3. and they owned it themselves The Lord hath done great things for us which great things are also called Wonders Thou art the God that dost wonders Nay he alone Ps 77.14 that is the Lord God of Israel doth Wonders for saith David Blessed be the Lord God of Israel Ps 72.18 who only doth wondrous things Wherefore since the Lord Jesus hath done the Wonders which the Lord God of Israel doth and can do upon the Evidence of these words it followeth that he is the Lord God of Israel for this same in the New Testament is spoken of Christ by himself under the Name of God subjectively when he had out of the Man driven a Legion of Devils he commanded him to return to his own House Luke 8.39 and shew how great things God had done unto him in the latter end of the Verse the Evangelist giveth an account how the Man obeyed in these words And he went his way and published through the whole city how great things Jesus had done unto him so him who had done these great things unto the Man our blessed Saviour speaking of himself called God and the Evangelist Jesus making use of the very same words How great things God Jesus had done unto him whence it appears that Jesus is the God that doth great things that is the great God chief and primary God to speak in their Language though there be no other true God Also that the Lord Christ is the God that doth Wonders as spoken of the true God in the fore-quoted Psalm for saith Peter * Acts 2.22 Jesus was approved of God among you by miracles wonders and signs But to conclude this Head hence it appears how those Attributes of God which he hath declared to make us distinctly conceive the Diversity of his Perfections and Operations are all applicable and do belong to his Son Jesus Christ and to none else but him they without any difference do enjoy the Possession of all things all mine are thine and all thine are mine John 17.10 saith our Saviour to the Father both have the same infinite Nature and unresistible Power The Lord God saith the Psalmist Ps 104.3 Acts 1.9 Rev. 1.7 maketh the clouds his chariot and the Lord Jesus did so for he went up in a Cloud and he cometh and will so at the last day come with clouds in that place where the Prophet foretelleth the coming of Christ Zech. 14.9 In that day saith he the Lord shall be king over all the earth there shall be one Lord and his name one which compared with Ephes 4.5 and Rev. 11.15 doth shew Christ therein to be meaned Colos 2.10 who is the head of all principality and power as well as of his Church and hereupon what is said in the Book of Genesis is observable Ch. 4.26 Then began men to call upon the name of the Lord that was the beginning of the Church which was formed in Seth's Family and this Paul seems to point at when he saith Rom. 10.13 Whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved which relates to the Christian Church from the Name of Christ which Name began first in Antioch Acts 11.26 then Men began to call upon the Name of God Redeemer Jesus Christ The Church is God's House for so the Jewish Church whereof Moses was part is called by the Apostle now this Church was built by the Lord Jesus and thereupon he gives our Saviour that high Preference before Moses Heb. 3.2 3 4. that he who first built the House must be before the House and before Moses and the reason is that he that built all things is God but the Son of God built not only that Church but all things besides so he existed before Moses and before the Foundation of that Church yea before the Foundation of the World too as under the Name of Wisdom he saith in the place which several times we have occasion to mention Prov. 8.30 then that is before the earth was I was with him God as one brought up with him and I was dayly his delight rejoycing always before him as a Son brought up in his Fathers Bosom of the same Essence not upon the account of Adoption a natural Son is opposed to him that is adopted or not begotten of his Fathers Substance 't is as of a Forreigner that may be called a naturalized but not a natural Englishman admitted to the Rights of an Englishman but never an Englishman born CHAP. VIII Works proper to God belong to Christ WE now proceed to another argument drawn from the Works Seeing Christ hath done those things which none but the true Essential God can do he must be the true Essential God This kind of Argument is very strong for our Blessed Saviour doth often use it
by our Saviour belonging only to his Humane Nature which may be due and necessary from one in nature and quality inferiour to another but it was also an undue and meerly voluntary obedience which may be rendred by an Equal and some times by a Superiour as we read when Joshua said Josn 10.12 13. Sun stand thou still upon Gibeon and thou Moon in the valey of Ajalon so the Sun stood he was obeyed but there is in it more than this the Sun of himself could not stand nor alter or stop his Course a Superiour power to do 't was required and indeed we find that in the beginning of the verse 't is said then spook Joshua unto the Lord in the day when c. Sun stand thou still so let it be spoken with that awful reverence and to an infinite Majesty in some kind we may see how in this case the Superiour was pleased to obey the Inferiour so we may say a sort of obedience may belong to Divine Nature as when God commanded the World should be created and it was performed by his Son of this nature is Christ's obedience as spoken of by the Apostle concerning Christ Phil. 2.6 7 8. who being in the form of God thought it not robbery to be equal with God he humbled himself This was a voluntary obedience for he was not humbled but humbled himself he was not made but made himself of no reputation thus the obedience is valued according to the dignity of the person which obeyeth To be in the form of God is to be God for forma dat esse rei the form is the nature of the thing and makes it to be what it is But what this man granted before he is now willing to take away when he would have this worship not to be terminated in Christ but from him to pass unto God so this is but a relative worship Thus Papists say they worship images but they are mistaken for though God hath exalted him it doth not follow that Adoration should be only Transitory and not fixed So God hath exalted the Kings of the Earth but the Civil Worship or respect rendered unto the King is rendred unto a Man but not in the capacity of a Man but is terminated in him as he is a King so when Christ Man is adored he is not so under the notion of Man but as he is God of the same nature with the Father and that he is in the Father and the Father in him the Father may well be worshiped in him and he in the Father but making them as they do to be of different natures I see no cause why they may not be worshiped asunder one from another which yet doth but rend and divide the object of our worship with this new as they call it way of worship to adore God in a Man But they must say what they understand by him for both the Prophet and the Apostle make use of the word Is it one or a different person named by them if the same then Christ is the one God if not the same then the Apostle hath not well explained the Prophet If in the Psalm Christ be not spoken of but only the God of Israel of a nature altogether different then in the Epistle the words are made use of to no purpose for therein the design is to prove how Christ must be worshiped by all Angels Now he doth not answer his purpose when to prove one who is not the God Israel ought to be adored he brings a Text which commands the Angels to adore him only who is the God of Israel a great disparagement indeed not only to the Author of the Epistle but to the Spirit of God which directed him he saith in that worship exhibited unto Christ the Lord Jesus represents the person of God the Father how as an Actor upon the Stage doth represent a King After this rate Christ with all the worship given him would be without blasphemy let it be spoken but a Stage God If to reign doth signifie the Kingdom of Christ why shall not also the name Jehovah who reigneth belong to his person If he hath the thing why should he not have the name also Christs Kingdom is therein described Jehovah is the King why should not Christ be Jehovah which if he be it must be properly for Christ nor no one else was ever figuratively called Jehovah and the Kingdom of Christ under the name of God is described then if Christ be not God Jehovah then 't is Jehovah that indeed doth represent Christ so he must be the Type of Christ thus they unavoidably run into absurdities but in very deed Christ doth not act the part of the Father but his own He doth act the part of three persons upon the account of his three several offices of a Prophet of a Priest and of a King he therein exerciseth his own office and not that of the Father he doth what belongeth to him and not to others Joh. 17.10 and as all things the Father hath are his so the Kingdom Throne Scepter Power Majesty Ministry and Subjects are all his if he received the Kingdom from the Father he received it as only begotten Son and Heir of all things not as of anothers but as his own wherefore he doth not reign as a Servant or a Minister of the Farther so then when he reigneth he doth not represent the Father's person but his own not as his Vicar or Lieutenant but as God equal with him The first part of the verse Matth. 1.20 Luke 2.9 13. Matth. 28.2 5. and again when he bringeth in the first begotten into the world sheweth how at his first coming into the world he was worshiped and served by Angels for his Conception Birth and Resurrection were published by Angels and then it demonstrates there are two persons one that bringeth the other that is brought in the one is the Father the other the Son the first commanding the last to be adored for he saith not worship me but him There is an Emphasis in the word first begotten simply spoken to be understood of every Creature Col. 1.15 for 't is very just he should be worshiped by Angels as his Creatures and indeed in Scripture I cannot find any truth more clearly and fully proved than this is he was worshiped not only by Angels but also by Devils Mark 5.6 7. the Legion in the Body of the man possessed But as we proved the Lord Jesus ought to be worshiped by Angels so we now must shew he ought to be by men and the place is this That all men should honour the Son even as they honour the Father he that honoureth not the Son John 5.23 honoureth not the Father that sent him To understand the place well we must go up higher and take notice how from verse 17. to 23. our Saviour speaks of his equality with the Father as well understood by the
is here said to reign The Lord God Almighty but to reign belong to Kings and if we go back to v. 15. this we shall find The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord and of his Christ who is called * Ch. 19.16 Vers 6. King of Kings and Lord of Lords and if we go back to v. 6. we may hear Alleluia the reason is for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth and in another place we read of the song of the lamb which I suppose no Man doubts to be the Lord Jesus and what is the Song Great and marvellous are thy works Lord God Almighty He is the Almighty God and certainly we have as many Evidences of his Omnipotency as there be Miracles wrought by him And if God the Father be Almighty as they will not deny him to be the Son must also be Almighty †John 5.19 for whatsoever things the father doth these also doth the son likewise Unchangeableness belongs to the true essential God Christ's Immutability but thou art the same saith the Psalmist 102.27 and Christ is unchangeable in his Words and Promises ‖ Matt. 24 35. Heaven and earth pass away but my words shall not pass away for * 2 Cor. 1.20 All the promises of God in him are yea and in him Amen and †Rev. 19.11 He is called faithful and true Other Names and Attributes there are in Scripture which though not incommunicable yet are so eminently spoken of the Divinity that they are almost equivalent to it so that they be fixed in God as their Spring and in the Creature but detivatively and as it were a small Drop in comparison with the vast Ocean and these being attributed unto Christ by way of Excellency do not only illustrate but also prove his Divinity I shall speak but few words about them the first is the highest which indeed I find in Scripture never to be spoken of Men in the superlative degree This is spoken of Christ in the place where it is said * Gen. 14.18 19 20. Melchizedec was the Priest of the most high God equivalent to the word highest and in the two following Verses 't is repeated so that no less than thrice the Name most high is set down which I conceive to be not without cause and may be in relation to the most holy and blessed Trinity Well this Name is attributed unto the Lord Jesus as what Zacharias said of his Son John †Luke 1.76 And thou child shalt be called the Prophet of the highest for thou shalt go before the face of the Lord to prepare his ways So the Attribute is given to the Person therein spoken of which no Man may question to be the Lord Jesus This was given him by the Multitude and approved by him upon his entrance into Jerusaâ—em for they cryed saying * Mat. 21.9 Hosanna to the son of David Hosanna in the highest and though as I said this be simply proper to God and †1 Tim. 6.15 belonging only to him yet being joyned with the Name of God is attributed unto Christ ‖ Acts 16. These men are the servants of the most high God which shew unto us the way of salvation Servant of Christ is a Title which Paul doth usually take upon him Who this Most High God is we read in the next Verse Jesus Christ in whose Name he commanded the Spirit to go out which he did the same hour The word the blessed with an Article doth as I have had occasion to shew signifie the same as God and 't is said of the Son of God *âŽ* Psal 72 17. All nations shall call him blessed and the Multitude in the fore-quoted place called him so blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord and in that noted place the Apostle joyneth both blessed and God and gives him * Rom. 9.5 who is over all God blessed for ever Paul saith not Let him be in a way of Wish and Desire nor he shall be as if then the thing was not but only to come but he saith He is God blessed for ever thereby meaning his Being and Nature In Scripture †Isai 14. Psal 71.23 the Name of holy one is given to the only true God whom Israel doth worship This also is spoken of Christ ‖ Psal 16.10 Thou wilt not suffer thine holy one to see corruption and Peter *âŽ* Acts 2.27 and 3.14 doth certainly declare those words to have been spoken of Christ The Angel said to Mary * Luke 1.35 Therefore also that holy thing or holy one for it was a Person which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God before he was born Holiness was his Attribute and 't is †Rom. 1.4 according to the spirit of holiness that he was declared to be Son of God with power he not only is holy but also Holiness it self in the abstract To him sitting upon a Throne the Seraphims ‖ Isai 6.1 2 3. cryed Holy holy holy is the Lord of hosts the whole earth is full of his glory which is by John â‚ Joh. 12.41 applyed unto Christ These things said Esaias when he saw his glory and spake of him and * Rev. 4.8 The four beasts â—est not day and night saying holy holy holy Lord God Almighty which was and is and is to come which last is in S. John's stile a Description of the first these words spoken to him who sits upon the Throne and I hope none will deny Christ is sitting upon the Throne as absolutely expressed in several places of this Book So Daniel ‖ Dan. 9.24 called him The most holy Other Names and Titles Scripture doth appropriate unto Christ which are all strong Demonstrations of what he is namely the natural Son of God which I only shall name for indeed it would be almost an endless Work to insist upon all Testimonies of Scripture upon the matter He is then King of Kings and Lord of Lords Rev. 17.14 and 19.16 King and Lord of glory Psal 24.7 10. compared with 1 Cor. 2.8 Lord of David Psal 110. with Matth. 22.44 where 't is observable how the same Name given to the Lord spoken â—f is also given to the Lord spoken to as equally belonging to both 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and in this sense he is in several places of Scripture called one Lord 1 Cor. 8.6 and Lord of all Acts 10.36 because all things were made by him John 1.3 So the Lord and Saviour because there is no Salvation in any other Acts 4.12 Let special notice be taken of Psal 68. where speaking of Christ according to Paul's interpretation Ephes 4.8 he among other high and great Names is called the Lord God the God of our salvation and such more which certainly do belong only to the true essential God In Scripture the Names of Lord God King absolutely taken or with the distinction
met and fell down at his feet and worshiped him but he though he had excellent gifts and great authority by his office yet he refused it and this he gave for a reason I my self also am a man that is such a thing is not to be offered any man yet we must not believe Cornelius to have been so besotted as to have taken him for God but he thought he might do so to such an extraordinary man Chap. 14.13 14 1â— Paul and Barnabas seeing how the people of Lystra would have done Sacrifice they presently rent their cloaths running and crying Sirs why do you do these things Their reason was we are also men Rev. 19.10 hence we conclude how no man ought to be worshiped Now we shall speak of Angels John a person of no mean gifts fell at the Angels feet who was a Minister of God and of Christ to worship him surely he took him not to be God for he could not but know the contrary but may be he thought he might pay him that respect but whatsoever he thought he did amiss therefore the Angel highly rejected it when he said see thou do it not Chap. 2â— 9 and gave his reason for 't for I am thy fellow servant and of thy brethren that have the testimony of Jesus and not satisfied with this directed him to the object of worship and adoration worship God and this not only once but twice for it happened a second time We have demonstrated how the true God is alone to be worshiped now we must shew how Christ is religiously to be worshiped and consequently he is the true God which last expressions now when I remember put me in mind of that excellent place wherein he is called the true God which but in few words I will take notice of 1 John 5.20 we are in him that is true even in his Son Jesus Christ this is the true God and oternal Life The Relative this is refered to Jesus Christ not only as the nearest but also as the Subject Orationis spoken of besides that with St. John 't is usual by Eternal Life to signifie the Lord Jesus and here the true God and Eternal Life are spoken of one and the same Subject Now when the Lord is here called true God it cannot be said metaphorically or improperly but as to his nature the reason it this none is ever called the true God specially with the Article but in relation to his Essence Now to prove that the religious worship belonging to the only true God is appropriated to christ we have several places out of Scripture some do it in general and others in the particulars whereof there are several branclies Of the first Order is this let all the Angels of God worship him quoted out of the Psalm Upon these two unshaken pillars Heb. 1.6 Psal 37.7 I mean the testimonies of a Prophet and of an Apostle stand these two great Truths First how the person whom the Angels here called God's for so the Apostle doth explain the word are commanded to worship is the true Essential God or to make use of the name which the Adversaries do commonly bring in namely the God of Israel Secondly that the person to be worshiped by Angels is the Lord Jesus Christ the first assertion is the Prophet's the second is the Apostle's out of which both we may surely conclude how the Lord Jesus is the true Essential God of Israel To examine well this we shall first begin with the words of the Original that is the Psalm whence they are drawn and afterwards the Application made of them in the Gospel To remove the weight of this argument which lie's so heavy upon them and finding they cannot deny the Application to belong to Christ the Adversaries would not have the words to be understood of the true God of Israel but certainly they ought to be related to him that is named in the next verse but one before namely the Lord of the whole earth for indeed in this Psalm wherein is described the Majesty of God's Kingdom no other person is spoken of but that God whose Kingdom it is Now that the God of the whole Earth is Jehovah the God of Israel it appears out of Scripture wherein the attribute of Lord of the whole Earth is given to the true God by nature amongst others take these few Josh 3.11 Zechar. 14 and 6 5. Behold the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord of all the earth passeth over before you into Jordan And these are the two anointed ones that stand by the Lord of the whole earth Again these are the four spirits of the Heavens which go forth from standing before the Lord of all the earth Micah 4.12 The very same expression is found in another Prophet I will consecrate their gain unto the Lord and their substance unto the Lord of the whole earth I shall add that considerable place where the Prophet for the comfort of the Gentiles prophesied of what a large extent their Church should be and speaks of their deliverance heaping several glorious titles upon him that was to be the Author thereof which no doubt had a relation to the Messiah who was to effect it Among other names therein given that of God of the whole earth is one Isa 3â— â— For thy maker is thine husband the Lord of hosts is his name and thy redeemer the holy one of Israel the God of the whole â—arth shall he be casted all these glorious names belong to one and the same I need not to shew that the Prophecies about the deliverance and calling of the Gentiles do relate to Christ Psal 2.8 who was to have the heathen for his inheritance and the utmost parts of the earth for his possession And this Title of Lord of the whole earth is by the Psalmist in another place rendred by a great King over all the earth Psal 47.2.7 and the King of all the earth all to signifie tho same thing and person the Kingdom of Christ the Messiah I think this is enough to prove how the God of Israel and the Lord of the whole Earth is the same as Israel made a part of the Earth so he that was God of the whole Earth must need be the God of Israel so 't is the same in this Text for no where in Scripture that title is given to any but the true God Yet they are so obstinate in their opinions that Socinus himself who though he will not have Christ to be the King of Israel yet being forced by the strength of this reason he seems content that the Lord Jesus should be here called the Lord of the whole Earth but if the argument should lie upon this he would want no Cavils to elude the force of it for that wretch is so damnably bent against the glory and honour of our Saviour that in whatsoever he writes about him Acts 8.23 there appears
Father called God Son called God Holy Ghost called God and here the Enemies of Truth should begin their Opposition which is the true way and method yet they do not but they except against the Explication which only tends to farther Edifying and Instruction and quarrel with Words as Essence Trinity Persons c. Divine Nature is One yet common to Three in the Mystery of the Trinity we must learn the Truth the Height and Excellency thereof the Truth doth not depend upon our Apprehension and Understanding of it but upon the Consent of the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments and tho' under the first Men were more in the dark yet there was Light enough to make 'em believe it with humble Faith and Piety but under the last that Truth is clearly apparent 't is by * John 5.4 Faith only that we are enabled to overcome the World so †2 Cor. 5.7 we walk by faith and not by sight to shew our Religion is matter of Faith more than of Fact to be attained unto through Belief and not through Senses whose Object is visible and temporal but that of Faith is * 2 Cor. 4.18 spiritual invisible and eternal the holy Mystery of the Trinity cannot be comprehended by the Light of Grace nor of Glory much less by that of Nature Controvertes about Principles are more intricate and difficult than about Conclusions especially in things relating to God the Principal of all Beings and that for two Reasons the first because the infinite and incomprehensible Majesty of God doth far exceed our Understanding the second upon the account of the Blindness and Vanity of Man's Mind which either will not depend upon the Revelation without which we can never know things of that nature or else goes about with its wrong Notions to depravate it not so much as to the Words as in the Sense and Doctrine wherein Heresie doth consist Now as 't is a damnable Presumption in those who in these Matters do pervert the true Sense of the Word of God so I must say 't is a great Imprudence in those who undertake to refute them to abound in their own Sense leaving the trodden way and slighting Arguments made use of by the former Assertors of these Truths to set up new Notions and Hypotheses of their own which render those Points more abstruse and these new Lights of theirs instead of clearing make them darker instead of proving they do not so much as illustrate the matter the Proofs ought to be drawn out of the Revelation and in the Explanation thereof 't is no Shame nor Loss of Reputation to follow the Steps and Methods of Learned and Orthodox Men who went before and with great Success opposed Error and Blasphemy I do not hereby intend to deny a Man the liberty of making use of the Parts and Learning which God hath endued him with above others and improve them to a further Confirmation of the Truth but I would not have them to depart from the Foundation laid before them nor to exercise their wandring Thoughts about the adorable and incomprehensible Nature of God merely to affect Singularity and thereby to be applauded This very thing hath of late led if not tumbled some into strange and horrid Precipices which to avoid they more and more intangled themselves therein as hath well been observed by others 't is no good Consequence for such to say that if a Person be a Mind a Spirit and a Substance then Three Persons must be Three distinct Minds Spirits and Substances as distinct as Adam and Abel though not separate But the Error of the Hypothesis lies in this which openeth the false Ground thereof namely because Mind Spirit and Substance in their proper signification are absolute but Person in its proper signification is a relative Term because King William is King of England Scotland and Ireland must we argue that since a King is a Man an Animal a Substance therefore because of Three distinct substantial Kingdoms he is Three distinct Men Three distinct Animals and Three distinct Substances not so because Man Animal and Substance are Terms absolute but King is relative Suppose as one said before and to the purpose a Man were Dean of Pauls of Westminster and of Windsor should we thence conclude that since a Dean is a Man an Animal a Substance therefore because of Three distinct Deanaries he is Three distinct Substances I think not because Man Animal Substance are Terms absolute but Dean is relative It is very sad now to see the blasphemous Heresie of the Threetheites or of Three Gods revived among us by such as might do better in every well-order'd Christian State Idolatry and Blasphemy ought not to be tolerated but severely punished I know there are certain Terms to be explained in the Discussion of these Controversies especially in the Schools as may be Essence Existence Subsistence Substance Individuum Suppositum Hypostasis or Person wherein they agree and wherein they differ but I conceive they who writ for a publick good and would make these Points intelligible to most if not to all Readers might well avoid too far engaging in Metaphysical Notions I humbly conceive it were better because more profitablē in a Theological way to write and explain that which is most necessary to be understood according to the Pattern of Scripture and the Practice of the Orthodox Primitive Church and of its Doctors against Hereticks as we have it in the three Creeds which are a production of their universal Consent But for some Men herein thus far to indulge their fancy as to let it spatiate as much as it will and give it a full Latitude to wander and then express it self in such Terms as one of a Hundred Thousand can hardly understand the meaning thereof Nay upon reasonable grounds it may be doubted whether the Author doth well understand them this is only to intricate the Matter to puzzle the Reader and that which is worse to want a due respect for the Majesty of God whose Mysteries ought to be handled with an awful Reverence no Man may presume to know of him beyond what he hath been pleased to reveal himself for if we cannot well and perfectly know things created much less the Creator neither can the less comprehend the greater and if * Rom. 11.33 God's Judgments be past finding out much more is he himself Besides that this way of thus managing these Matters doth much prejudice the Cause and gives the Adversaries thereof ground to say of us They cannot among themselves agree how to defend it CHAP. II. Of Divine Essence HERETICKS Dispute against the Words Essence Trinity and Person used in the Primitive Church but sound Faith contendeth not about Words when the Truth of the thing is agreed upon Trinity is the abstract whereof three is the Concret expressed 1 John 5.7 as that of Jehovah and Lord signifie the Essence render'd by him * Revel 1.8 Which is
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 God and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Lord are frequent Jehovah signifies God's Essence in Three manners First First Jehovah That he is of himself and of no other Secondly All other Things are from him not from themselves or from any else Thirdly That he is true in his Promises and Threatnings 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 when absolutely attributed to God answereth that of Jehovah for he is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Self-Lord and of his Nature The Name Jehovah is properly absolutely and without any adjection attributed to the Son as it must amongst other places be understood in that wherein 't is said * Gen. 19.24 The Lord rained upon Sodom and upon Gomorrah brimstone and fire from the Lord the Lord from the Lord is a Tautology and a gross one too which God is not capable of were it not that as the Father hath committed all Judgment to the Son upon that occasion the Son executed Judgment against those wicked Cities and to prove the Truth of this Interpretation we have two undeniable Evidences the Expressions of one are just as in this place and of the other they are to the same purpose David is the first * Psaim 110.1 The Lord said unto my Lord which our Saviour explains of †Mat. 22.44 himself the other Witness is ‖ Hos 1.7 Hosea by whom God saith I will save the house of Judah by the Lord their God not only he calls him their Lord but also their God Here we have the True Eternal and Infinite God whose Word came to the Prophet saying he will have mercy upon the House of Judah and I hope hitherto we are agreed he promiseth to save them By whom By the Lord their God that is the Lord God of Judah for he speaks to and of the House of Judah he then by whom they are to be saved is the True God of Israel for certainly the God of Judah and Israel is one and the same God and not two for their Saviour is their God the next thing to be known is who is meaned by this Lord God of theirs not properly and immediately the Person that speaks for then he would have said I will save them by my self as upon another occasion he said * Gen. 22.16 By my self have I sworn and in some other places wherefore here another Person is to be understood or else the designation of another had been superfluous and not to the purpose but here is a visible distinction of Persons he that speaks and promiseth to save them and he by whom they shall be saved according to the whole Analogy of Faith this Prophecy relateth to the Messiah the Son of God whom the Father out of his own Bosom was to send into the World to save it and the Lord Jesus was the Messiah which at that time was to come and came since who by the Prophet is called the Lord God of Judah which was fulfilled when the Angel said unto the Shepherds †Lu. 2.11 Vnto you is born this day in the City of David a Saviour which is Christ the Lord who came to save his People the True Judah and Israel of God not according to the Flesh but the promise from their Sins and from the Punishments which thereby they had deserved so the Lord Jesus is the True Lord God of Israel for the House of Israel or Judah hath no other Prince and Saviour to * Act. 5.31 give them repentance and forgiveness of sins but the Lord Jesus who in this same place is called Prince now the Title of God of Israel the true eternal and undoubted God doth in many places of Scripture appropriate to himself and communicateth to none besides †Joh. 1.49 Nathanael called Jesus Christ the Son of God and the King of Israel and we know he spoke Truth as did David when he saith ‖ Psal 22.28 the Kingdom is the Lord's and he is the governour amongst the nations and we are sure that Psalm hath a relation to the Lord Jesus and if any doubt remaineth it is explained in the Person of the * Rev. 12.5 man child who was to rule all nations with a red of iron and this is fully interpreted of the Person whom the Lord hath said to thou art my Son and hath given to †Psal 2.7 8 9. the heathen for his inheritance c. which he shall break with a rod of iron In the Old Testament we read of an Angel who appeared at several times and spoke as to Hagar he is called the Angel of the Lord and was the Lord Jehovah himself ‖ Gen. 16.13 for she called the Name of the Lord that spake unto her thou God seest me a second time he appeared unto her and said lift up the lad Ishmael for I will make him a great nation this certainly was an increated Angel namely the Son of God for no created Angel could make such a Promise it being beyond the Power of any creature to perform it and that Angel is called Jehovah upon the occasion of sacrificing Isaac and that he was God himself it appears not only from the Nature but also from the Words he spake Seeing said he * Gen. 22.11 12 15 16.17 18. thou hast not held thy Son thine only Son from me now that Son was to have been sacrificed to God and none else and this is confirmed beyond all doubt when 't is said And the Angel of the Lord called unto Abraham out of Heaven the second time and said by my self have I sworn c. that in blessing I will bless thee and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the Stars of heaven and as the sand that is upon the sea shore and in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed This is elsewhere represented under the shape of a Man who a Gen. 32.24 28 30. wrestled with Jacob might not the Name Man relate to the future Incarnation however 't is most certain under what Name soever that same was God for he said to Jacob Thou hast power with God and when he asked his Name Jacob receiv'd no other Answer but this Wherefore is it that thou dost ask after my name which as a Prophet saith b Isai 9 6. is wonderful Jacob though he asked his Name knew who it was for he saith I have seen God face to face and the same is called Man God even the Lord God of hosts Hosea 12.3 5. and in the same place is called the Angel verse 4. So the Names Man Angel and God Lord of hosts do belong to the same and as upon that same occasion one of the Names belong to the Son of God by the same reason must all the rest and him Jacob remembers when blessing Joseph's Children he saith c Gen. 48.15 16. The angel which redeemed me from all evil bless these lads and just the verse before he calls him
Condescention is a wonderful Argument of God's Goodness which is the greatest Glory of Divine Nature this is cause of Thankfulness not of Cavils and Exceptions he knows what is best and fittest for him to do and wants not our Counsel had the Son of God appeared as a great Prince he probably would thereby have made more Hypocrites than real Converts and not so well persuaded Men to Holiness and Goodness for Arguments to do it must not be fetch'd from the Pomp and Prosperity of this World but from the great Rewards and Glory of that which is to come But before I leave this Point I must take notice of that place wherein the Apostle makes the Son of God upon his coming into the World speak thus Heb. 10.5 but a body hast thou prepared me the Body was prepared against his coming into the World and that prepared Body at his coming he took so then he was before the Body was prepared for him and before his coming into the World for nothing can be said to be sitted as the word implies in the Original for one who is not hence we conclude how the Son of God was before his Incarnation and had a Being but we now return to our Proofs The next place is of the same Prophet Isa 9.6 For unto us a Child is born unto us a Son is given and the government shall be upon his shoulders and his name shall be called wonderful Counsellour the mighty God the everlasting Father the Prince of Peace of the increase of his Government and Peace there shall be no end c. I ask Is this appliable to any Son that was to be born of Ahaz For this is the same Person mentioned in the fore-quoted place and may be seen if compared together Observe how the different Expressions do denote different Natures the Child is for Humanity the Son for the Divinity the Child is born but the Son not born but given in relation to Human Nature he had a beginning and a progress he was a Child before he was a Man but the Son not so a Child is not before he be born but the Son had a being and did exist before he was given yet both united in one Person for the Child was not one Person and the Son another for all along the Prophet though he had named a Child and a Son speaks in the singular number his Shoulder his Name his Government as his Name is wonderful so is the manner of the Union these two Natures are in one Person without Confusion the Divine retained her Proprieties so hath the Human and yet these different Proprieties are so united in one Person that the Person may be called by the Name of both Natures Christ is God and Christ is Man in the Concret tho' in the Abstract it may not be said Divinity is Humanity nor Humanity Divinity they are united but without Confusion But to return to our Point there was never so many glorious Names joyned together to describe one Person as we find to be in this place to him alone they all belong because the Spirit of Truth saith so which if they were not properly his by right he would not give them Wonderful in his Name in his Nature in his Person in his Incarnation Wonderful every way Counsellour for he is the Wisdom of the Father without which the Only Wise God never doth any thing the Mighty God most proper to God and never in the singular number given any Creature * Isa 10.21 the remnant saith our Prophet shall return even the remnant of Jacob unto the mighty God the true essential God the God of Israel is meaned in the place 't is such a Name as is made use of when in a most Eminent way God is described †Deut. 10.17 your God is God of Gods and the Cord of Lords a great God mighty and terrible And ‖ Nehem. 9.32 now therefore our God the great the mighty and the terrible God and elsewhere * Jerem 32.18 the great the mighty God the Lord of hosts is his name and when the Question is to know who is the King of Glory the Answer is the Lord strong and mighty this High and Divine Name is here in the place aâ—â—â—ibuted to Jesus Christ the Son of God about whom is the Prophecy that which follows is no less considerable or incommunicable the everlasting Father or as 〈…〉 Father of Eternity nothing more Noble or becoming God can be said than to call him so nothing â—ut the True God is Eternal and nothing more propâ—â—â— to God than Eternity How can a Child or any meet mortal Man be called everlasting Father Now what can hinder us hence to argue thus the mighty God and everlasting Father is true God by Nature but Christ is such out of this place therefore Christ is true God by Nature Two things more are here said of this Son of God he is the Prince of Peace for by his Death he made our Peace with God and procured an inward Peace of Conscience and reconciled things in Heaven and on the earth he came into the World in time of universal Peace when the Roman Empire the greatest in the World fully enjoy'd it and for a Sign the Temple of Janus in Rome was shut up nay Herod and Pilate Luke 23.12 both his Enemies were before his death upon his account reconciled one to another Secondly 't is said of him The government shall be upon his shoulders and of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end After the Father had said to him * Psal 2.7 8 9. Thou art my Son this day have I begotten thee he promiseth to give him the Heathens for his inheritance and the utmost parts of the Earth for his Possession thou shalt break them with a Rod of Iron thou shalt dash them in pieces like a Potters Vessel whereunto agreeth another Scripture †Rev. 12 5. of the Man-child that was to rule all Nations with a Rod of Iron this he declared unto Pilate ‖ John 18.37 Rev. 11.15 Luke 1.33 I am a king to this end was I born and for this cause came I into the world So then the kingdoms of this world are his and he shall reign for ever and ever and of his kingdom there shall be no end The New Testament doth also in several places demonstrate two Natures in the Person of Christ S. John having affirmed the Word to be God which relates to his eternal Generation he doth afterwards speak of his Incarnation when he saith * Joh. 1.14 The word that was God was made flesh that is the Person call'd the Word the Son of God took upon him our human Nature and so united two Natures divine and human in one Person for this Word is in the whole Chapter spoken of as of a Person acting making or creating coming all this is the Character of a Person
a gall of bitterness as well as the bond of iniquity with a slight and contempt of his person the Man that Man this Man Man in every case and all this to lose no occasion of robbing him of his Divinity 2 Kings 49.27 and Isai 3.28 this calls to my mind God's words against Sennacherib another great Blasphemer which by the Lord might have been applied to Socinus I know thy abode and thy going out and thy coming in and thy rage against me And let all his Sectators remember what the Apostle saith Jud. 14.15 behold the Lord cometh to execute judgment upon all and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him that is Christ when he cometh to judge the world Another thing here to be taken notice of is this that in verse 5. where the Lord Jehovah is called the Lord of the whole Earth it must be spoken of one and the same person for if they had been two different the copulative particle and had not been omitted after the words Psal 37.5 the hills melted like wax at the presence of the Lord there should have been and at the presence of the Lord of the whole Earth the first words of the verse do sufficiently denote the Lord of the whole Earth to be the God of Israel Jehovah named just before at whose presence only and of none else the hills melted like wax hereunto answereth that place psal 11.7 tremble thou earth at the presence of the Lord at the presence of the God of Jacob whereby the interpretation of this now in hand is confirmed and the God of Jacob is put instead of the Lord of the whole earth in both which places the repetition of the word Presence is very Emphatical which joyned with what I observed before and with the words the scope and the thing it self do all together fully shew here is but one person spoken of which is confirmed more and more because in what follows the Prophet speaks but of one as in the singular number vers 6.7 8. as thus the Heavens declare his righteousness and the people see his glory and worship him all ye Gods Also because of thy judgments whereby it appears 't is spoken of one and not of two but rather than to yield they will sooner give Christ whom otherwise they would rob of any thing he hath but his humane nature which they cannot do because they must have an Historical Faith or else may be they would and reduce him to nothing I say they chuse rather to give Christ that title and exclude God Jehovah from being the Lord of the whole earth than to own Christ to be Jehovah so what they do is not out of kindness they only give him that which they think the least to rob him of what they account to be the chief though indeed it be the same Again the words of verse 7. do farther confirm this Confounded be all they that serve graven images that boast themselves of Idols therefore worship him all ye Gods For who is opposed to graven Images and Idols but he that is by nature the true God And who is religiously to be worshiped but the true God Jehovah And who but he who is the God of Gods is to be adored by all Gods vers 9. This is confirmed out of verse 9. Thou Lord art high above all the earth thou art exalted far above all Gods The first part contained a proper attribute of the true God namely the highest or most high God for saith David Psal 33.18 that men may know that thou whose name alone is Jehovah art the most high over all the earth Is not this the same as to be Lord over all the earth So that both to be Jehovah and Lord over all the earth are attributed only to one and if he be the only most high upon the earth none but he is Lord over all the earth The latter part of the verse doth afford a reason and a very good one why all Gods and Angels ought to worship him because he is for exalted above all Gods No less than six times he is in this Psalm called Jehovah which cannot well be denied to be the same with God of Israel One thing more I shall say as to this Psalm which with the foregoing and following contain an exhortation to all Creatures with and without life to sing and rejoyce before the Lord and why for he cometh he cometh to judge the earth he shall judge the world with righteousness and the people with his truth which none that hath any sence can deny to be a Prophesie of Christ's coming to judge the world which he speaks of himself When the Son of man shall come in his glory Matth. 25.31 and all the holy Angels with him then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory Then indeed in that divine and glorious State being attended and worshiped by all millions of Angels he shall reign fill with joy the hearts of his people and perform the other things contained in this Psalm He that is to do all this if we believe the Psalmist is the Lord Jehovah and the Lord Jesus Christ if we must give faith to the Apostle Now we must draw nearer to the words of the Apostle who is to be believed as well as the Prophet preferably to Socinians who being not able to deny it own that Angels ought to worship Christ One would think they at last would yield to the Truth and give glory to God Phil. 2.7 8 c. but no such thing for they say they may worship him as a man and not upon the consideration of any divinity in him only upon the account of his Humiliation and Obedience unto Death even the Death of the Cross upon which account he was highly exalted But pray whence doth arise the value and merit of that Humiliation and Obedience but from the divinity of the person which underwent it If he had been a meer man it had been no very great matter no more than what many more could have done A King 's only Son sacrifices himself for the safety of a whole Kingdom some among the ordinary people might have done the like but that which raiseth the merit of the thing is not his being a man for any man else therein is equal with him but 't is the Royal Blood running in the Veins of the young Prince which doth make the act so meritorious and so considerable so if I may continue a lame comparison so defectuous to represent what I have a mind the Blood which our Saviour shed upon the Cross doth not receive its unexpressible value for coming out of the Veins of a Man but because it is the blood of God wherewith he hath purchased his Church Acts 20.28 Neither was the Obedience yielded
sweet harmony between the Old and New Testaments about Christ's governing his Church under both as to Names as well as to Things for he is called Captain of the Lord's Host as in the fore-quoted place and God is a man of war and Lord of hosts is one of God's Titles not only 1 Sam. 1.1 but in a hundred places more So Christ is in the New Testament called the Captain of our salvation Exod 15.3 Heb. 2.10 to be compleated in Heaven whereof the Promised Land was a Type This Angel the People were commanded to take care not to provoke him yet they did In this case the Question may be put to our Socinian Rabshakehs which in another God did concerning Sennacherib 2 Kin. 19.22 Whom hast thou reproached and blasphemed and the same Answer return'd Even against the holy one of Israel So here if it be asked Whom did the Children of Israel provoke tempt and limit in the Wilderness the Psalmist will say Psal â—8 40 41 56. God the holy one of Israel and the most high God compared with Psal 95. c. And if of St. paul we ask Whom did the People tempt in the Wilderness he will answer They tempted Christ 1 Cor. 10 9. compared with Heb. 3.9 for there he speaks of Christ as Son of God it may not be understood that Christ was tempted after he was born of the Virgin Mary tho' after his Baptism he was by the Devil in the Wilderness which indeed may point at the Temptation by the People in the Wilderdess which we read of in the old Testament However I say that Temptation after the coming out of Egypt which was so long before he was born cannot be meaned of any thing after his Birth yet if Scripture saith truth Christ was by the People tempted in the Wilderness the same Person tho' not in the same Nature which he took afterwards Now the Person of the Word in his divine nature existed before he was made Flesh or else how was it possible it should be tempted at that time So I can see nothing to the contrary but that we may well conclude the Lord Jesus Son of God to be the Angel that went before them whom they were forbidden to provoke and the most high God the holy one of Israel whom they tempted and provoked he is called the Angel of God's Presence or of God's Face for the Lord said to Moses Mypresence shall go Exod 33.14 It donoteth a distinct Person in the Godhead from him whose Angel and whose Face he is We must understand where the Angel was God was present because that same Angel and Person was God and what in v. â—â— is named Presence in v. 18 't is called Glory to be compared with what John saith And we beheld his glory Chap. 1.14 as the glory of the only begotten of the Father He also is called the Angel of the Covenant for 't is plain how the Covenant of Grace between God and man is grounded only in Christ and none else Isa 63.9 for Scripture saith in him we are chosen and adopted and only by him we shall be saved This Truth that the Angel who went before the People was the true God the Spirit of God hath judged so important and necessary to be known that at several times and in many places he declared it Among others the following is very considerable if we mind time place and the very words compared together I send an Angel before thee saith the Lord Psal 68.7 8. and David O God when thou wentest before thy people when thou didst march through the wilderness compared with that before quoted of the Church in the Wilderness and the same who went before the People is by the Psalmist in the same place called God the God of Israel of whom v. 18 't is said Thou hast ascended on high thou hast led captivity captive c. for here is certainly a Prophecy of Christ's Ascension as to that purpose this place is quoted by St. Paul Ephes 4.8 9 10. for indeed here mention is made of the Figure and Type namely the Ark as we see in the words of v. 1 2 taken out of Numb 10.35 when the Ark was setting forward and of the Antitype the truth and body of the Type Jesus Christ and upon good ground namely that of Ephes 4 many are of opinion that this is a triumphant Psalm of our Saviour's Resurrection and Ascension into Heaven for David who was a Prophet as a King and knew himself in some things to be a Type of the Messiah among things relating to his Kingdom used to mix and comprehend some belonging to Christ which is the chief scope of the Psalm So Jah Jehovah God and Lord are to be understood of the Angel or Christ for as a little before we observed the Deliverance out of Egypt leading through the Wilderness and bringing into the Land of Promise was a Figure of the great Salvation of God's People and of the deliverance of the Church which is the proper work committed unto the Son of God the Lord Jesus as King Head and Preserver of it When David speaks of ascending he acts not the Part of an Historian but of a Prophet and this is of an Ascension joyned with a Triumph and leading of Captives which doth not belong to that of Sinai Neither do we read any where that God ascended into Heaven from Sinai but Christ having obtained victory over Death the Grave and all his and our Enemies went up to Heaven which cannot be said of the Ark But the Ascension here spoken of as Paul to the Ephesians doth interpret it relateth to him who descended first into the lower parts of the earth that is to Christ who ascended far above all Heavens that he might fit all things if we may take an Apostle's Interpretation of a Prophet and it was Christ's or the Son of God's Voice that shook the Earth or Mount Sinai as we may read it Heb. 12.26 Before I leave this matter to what I said upon another Text which is much to our purpose about this Angel concerning Jacob I shall farther add how the same person that appeared unto him was in the shape of a man There wrestled a man with him Gen. 32.24 2ly That same when Jacob was about blessing Joseph's Children Gen. 48.16 he called an Angel The 3d thing is That he is expresly said to be God Lord of Hosts by Hosea for the Prophet speaking of Jacob said He had power with God upon the occasion of his wrestleing and added Yea he had power over the Angel and prevailed he wept and made supplication unto him he found him in Bethel and there he spake with us even the Lord God of hosts the Lord is his memorial Hos 12.3 4 5. So hence it appears how the Person who at Bethel appeared to him when he fled from the Face of his Brother Esau Gen. 28.13 compared with Chap. 35.1
and wrestled with him when coming from Lanban he had passed over the Ford Jabbock that same I say was God the Angel and the Lord of Hosts This happened when Jacob and his Family were going into Canaan whereof the possession had been promised him and his Posterity upon the very borders he is met by his Adversary his Brother Esau who had a pretence to that Inheritance and therefore came against him with a power which of himself he was not able to resist which made him afraid as we read v. 11 wherefore upon such a tryal to strengthen his Faith and make him lay hold the faster on the Promise 2 Cor. 1.20 he in whom all the promises are yea and Amen the Son of God Jesus Christ appeared unto him in the shape of a man because in his Seed were the Promises made but this man in appearance was God in effect and nature therefore Jacob did solemnly pray to him for his Blessing in the time of the wrestling and would not rest till he had blessed him which he obtained v. 29 and in remembrance of this Jacob called the name of the place Peniel because he had seen God face to face This solemn meeting with much Comfort and Thankfulness Jacob remembred when he blessed Joseph and his two Sons in these most remarkable words God before whom my Fathers Abraham and Isaac did walk the God which fed me all my life long unto this day the Angel which redeemed me from all evil bless the Lads The God of his Fathers the God that sed him all his life-time and the Angel which redeemed him from all evil is but one and the same And the Name Redeemer is proper to Christ the second Person of the holy Trinity All these are irrefragable Truths which Socinians can effectually say nothing against tho' out of the Rabbis or Jewish Doctors Writings they have been screwing up whatsoever they thought might serve their turn thus they were not ashamed to borrow Weapons from Christs sworn Enemies But before I leave off this Point about Angels whether the Creator or created ones for the glory of the Son of God I must say how tho' these be called Sons of God mighty in Power and excellent in created Glory yet when compared with God Job 15.15 4.18 Isa 6.3 John 12.40 't is said they are not pure in his sight and he chargeth them with folly and they cover their faces at the brightness of his glory as not being able nor worthy to look upon t. And that place about Divine Glory as I already observed we know to belong to our Saviour who is called Lord and King of Glory because all Glory is in and from him as its true Spring and proper Center Psal 24 compared with 1 Cor. 2.8 Hence it is that at his coming into the World all Angels were commanded to worship him which was performed in their attendance on his Birth proclamation of his Nativity and celebrating the Glory of God on that account and afterwards declaring his Resurrection and confirming his Ascension even ministring unto him after the Temptation and when he was in his Agony And whilst Angels are called God's Ministers who ought to worship Christ the Son as their Maker Vnto the Son he saith Thy throne O God is for ever and ever to shew that there is as much and as great a difference between the Son and Angels as there is between God and Angels between the Creator and the Creature for indeed in that same place the Heavens are said to be the work of his hands so no comparison to be made between the Son and Angels the noblest of all Creatures The Name Elohim absolutely used is never in Scripture given to any singular Angel or Man which is the same as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with the Article by the Apostle given the Son so he is denoted by that Name as the true God by Nature And this same hath a Kingdom signified by the Royal Marks of a Scepter and a Throne whereunto Eternity is annexed for 't is for ever and ever whereby its duration or lasting is expressed so is his manner of administration with righteousness His scepter is a scepter of righteousness and to shew his preparation for that administration of his 't is said He loved righteousness and hated iniquity Now the Throne is not for the Servants but for the Son because the Kingdom thereby denoted is not theirs but his who indeed is graciously pleased to promise his Apostles that at the last day they shall sit on twelve thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel that is they shall participate only at the last day with him in his Kingly Power Mat. 19.28 and in some degree be made partakers of his Glory with an Interest in his Kingdom which he is pleased to give them in the mean time the Throne is not theirs but his Here I must take notice how for preventing many Errors rash and false Opinions 't is to be wished men would follow the Apostles Practise in this place who abounding in quotations gives us a Rule and an Example to do so for with comparing Scriptures one with another we come to be acquainted with God's Mind and Will in them for by what is spoken of Angels in one place and of the Son in another we are taught what to believe of him and of them They who follow not this Rule are apt to frame in their Heads hasty wrong and false notions about God's Mind especially in the matters we are now upon And what is it that gives the Throne of the Lord Jesus Unchangeableness and Eternity but his divine Nature The words of the Psalmist whence the Apostle draws his Argument do not belong to Solomon for the words O God do not relate to him nor these Thy throne is for ever and ever for he reigned but forty years nor to his Successors who went off the Stage at or about the time of the Babylonian Captivity We know how in some things Solomon was a Type of Christ but it doth not follow that every thing relating to the Antitype should belong unto the Type for 't is enough for the Type so to represent and shadow out the Lord Jesus that what the Prophet would teach concerning him should be spoken of the Type whereby he was represented for the Antitype is what the Spirit of God ever chiefly aimed at So tho the Type and Antitype agreed in some things in others there was a vast difference between them But that in this place the Apostle doth interpret those words of the Son of God Jesus Christ it appears out of v. 8 but unto the Son he saith Thy throne O God c. And 't is in that Party but vain and idle words to go about to perswade us that the Apostle did not say what he said and which is written for our instruction And with us they should take notice how it is said When he bringeth in his