ΘΕἈÎΘΡΩΠΟΣ OR God-Man BEING AN EXPOSITION Upon the first Eighteen verses of the first chapter of the Gospel according to St JOHN Wherein is most Accurately and Divinely handled the Divinity and Humanity of Jesus Christ proving him to be God and Man Coequall and Coeternall with the Father To the confutation of severall Heresies both Ancient and Modern By that Eminently Learned and Reverend Divine JOHN ARROWSMITH D. D. Late Master of Trinity-Colledge in Cambridge and Professor of Divinity there The Lord possessed me in the beginning of his way before the works of old I was set up from everlasting from the beginning or ever the earth was Prov. 8. 22 23. Quid est Deus Mens universi Quid est Deus Quod vides totum et quod non vides totum Sic demum Magnitudo sua illi redditur quia nihil majus excogitari potest Si solus est omnia opus suum extrà et intrà tenet Seneca London Printed for Humphrey Moseley and William Wilson and are to be sold at the Prince's Armes in St Paul's Church-yard and in Well-yard neer St Bartholomew's Hospitall 1660. TO THE READER WHat was said to the highest praise and Commendations out of the mouth of Truth it selfe concerning John the Baptist John 5. 35. may not unfitly be spoken of the Learned Authour of this mysterious Treatise That 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He was a burning and a shining Light who by his indefatigable and unwearied studie in the sublime mysteries of the Gospel did spend and waste himself to the socket and utmost end of his last breath to explicate the darkest places of the sacred Scriptures that he might give light to others in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. And though this Piece be a Posthumus yet it speaketh the living praise of its departed Authour And cannot but discover its selfe to be the product of so holy and learned a Divine as the Author was The matter it selfe declareth the excellencie of his worth and the largenesse of his capacity in the right apprehending and dividing of the word of truth to the confuting of heresies and damnable errors It may well be said of him as of Athanasius of old Maluit sedem quà m fidei syllabam mutare He had while he was rather have lost whatsoever profits and preferments were cast upon him than to have altered or forsaken the least syllable or Iota of his Christian-faith who after he had fought a good fight kept the faith and finished his course with joy is accepted into glory Our losse and the Churches deprivation of him became his gain his advantage For the Prophets doe not live for ever Zach. 1. 5. which may give us just occasion to wish Jeremiah's wish Oh that our heads were full of water and our eyes fountaines of teares that we might weep day and night for the Prophets that are taken away from us And amongst them for this Prophet of whom I may say the Poets words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That he was one of a Thousand With what diligence and with what studie and paines with what good conscience with what integrity and uprightnesse he did carry himselfe in the constant course of his life those that were most intimate with him cannot but testifie All that knew any thing of him knew the truth of all His manner of Preaching did shew indefatigable great pains and labour being one of the most hard courses that could be undergone which was by way of Paraphrase and Explication of the most mysterious and obscure Texts of the Sacred Scriptures Great dexterity good judgement and profound and admirable learning were everywhere manifested in his Ministry He was noted in the Vniversity for one of prime wit and sharp conceipt plain in the delivery of the word yet so that any one might discern there was both judgement much learning and wisdome mixt therewith He had a soul that aspired after much more than so weak and sickly a body was able to undergoe He put forth his strength beyond his strength to doe good Even as a Taper that doth wast it self to give light to others so did he exhaust himself strengh and vitall parts to give light to all Nothing made him for some time before his death to give off his Ministry but weakness disability of body So that he must have this testimony that he did service to God and his Church as long as God would have him to do service to him on earth And many have cause to weep though not for him who is now translated to glory yet for themselves in the loss of so faithfull and carefull a dispencer of the word of God I dare say no more lest while I indeavour to declare his worth and dignity I should do him wrong Had he lived to have supervised this work no question but it would have passed his hand with more politenesse and authority I now desire thee not only to read but throughly to weigh and consider the worth and excellency of the heavenly matter contained therein That that God that causeth light to shine out of darknesse may cause the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ to shine in all our hearts more more to the perfect day Which at the Throne of grace shall be continually prayed for by him that is Thine in the Lord T. A. ΘΕἈÎΘΡΩΠΟΣ OR GOD made MAN JOHN 1. ver 1. In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God ANcient Records tell us That before the first Writing of this Book The Churches of God set upon the Work of Fasting and Prayer by the Appointment of St. John That so they might seek Divine assistance How much more need have I at this time to beg your Prayers before I begin and all the while I shall continue to expound this Glorious Gospell It is therefore my hearty and humble request to you all that your Prayers may neither be denied nor sparingly put up for me That as Augustine pray'd for himselfe in reference to the whole Scriptures Domine sint Castae deliciae meae Scripturae Sanctae Lord let thy holy Scriptures be my chast delight Nec fallar in iis nec fallam alios ex iis Let me neither be deceived in them nor let me deceive others out of them So that you would pray on my behalfe That I may neither my selfe be deceived in the mis-understanding of the sublime places of this Book not mis-guide you by giving you either false or impertinent Interpretations of them What progresse I shall make herein God onely knoweth But in the Confidence of His assistance not in mine owne strength which I acknowledge to be farre below many others I shall enter upon this first Chapter after I have premised by way of preface something concerning The Title of this sublime book The Writer The Occasion The Scope And likewise something concerning the Difference
Christ Here is one sort of spirituall life that Christ giveth and that in abundance I came that they might have life and have it more abundantly because where God is reconciled he beareth abundance of good-will to such a soul In thy favour is life and that favour aboundeth so much as that God loveth every reconciled soul with the same love wherewith he loveth Christ himself Joh. 17. 23. That the world may know that thou hast loved them as thou hast loved me faith Christ That sheweth abundant love All love falleth first upon Christ as the head Divine love doth and so descendeth to the skirts of his garments It falleth upon us from Christ and through Christ Secondly there is a life of Justification which standeth 2. A life of Justification in opposition to the guilt of sin and of this the Apostle speaketh Rom. 5. and telleth you what abundance of righteousnesse accompanyeth it Rom. 5. 15 17. If through the offence of one many be dead much more the grace of God and the gift by grace which is by one man Jesus Christ hath abounded unto many For if by one man's offence death reigned by one much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousnesse shall reign in life by one Jesus Christ It is called Justification of life there vers 18. Even so by the righteousnesse of one the free gift came upon all men to Justification of life Thirdly There is a life of Sanctification that standeth 3. A life of Sanctification in opposition to the power of sin as that of Justification did to the guilt of sin This is likewise from Christ and of it Paul speaketh Gal. 2. latter end I through the Law am dead to the Law that I might live to the Lord. I am crucified to the world notwithstanding I live yet not I but Christ that liveth in me This commeth in from Christ in great abundance Hence are those expressions 2 Cor. 8. 17. Therefore as ye abound in every thing in faith and utterance and knowledge and all diligence and your love towards us see that ye abound in this grace also Rom. 9. 8. God is able to make all grace abound towards you This is that that Christ saith That he giveth life and more aboundantly Fourthly There is a life of Consolation which standeth in opposition to the discouragements that arise both from 4. A life of Consolation the power of sin and the guilt of sin that strike the soul dead And therefore a soul that is glad is said to live Psal 69. 32. The humble shall see this and be glad and your heart shall live So you see that to be glad and to live is all one This is founded in Christ and there is abundance of this communicated to believers See that 1 Cor. 2. 15. As the sufferings of Christ abound in us so our consolation also aboundeth by Christ Here is consolation abundant consolation and both by Christ The last thing is a life of Glory which standeth in opposition 5. A life of Glory to that misery that ariseth from all the former from the wrath of God and the guilt and power of sin and the discouragements that arise from thence all these bring misery after the soul's death Now there is a life of Glory that freeth the soul from this that is hid in Christ You are dead but your life is hid with Christ in God When Christ who is our life shall appear then shall we also appear with him in glory There is a glorious life for believers but it is now hidden like the sap in the root in the winter-time It is hidden in Christ who is their glorifi'd Head already This they shall have and have it more abundantly because of that aboundant happinesse which accompanieth this life of Glory They shall be aboundantly satisfied with the fatnesse of thy house and made to drink of the rivers of thy pleasures For with thee is the fountain of life Psal 36. 8 9. When there is but a little small Brook and a whole Army commeth to drink at it they are ready to emulate one another because there is not enough to serve them all As he said Xerxes's Army drunk up whole Rivers But where there are Rivers of pleasure there is enough for all commers there needs be no emulation all shall be satisfied They shall be abundantly and Thou shalt cause them to drink of the Rivers of thy pleasures Thus ye see what strong Encouragement ariseth from hence that life is in Christ as in the Fountain So I have done with that Clause of the fourth Verse In him was life The next is And the Life was the Light of Men. Vers 5. And the Light shined in Darkness and the Darkness comprehended it not We proceed to that which concerneth the Creation of Light of Life Men in particular The life was the light of men That is as I take it The Life which was originally in the Eternall Word and conveyed to the creature according to their severall ranks and degrees was a life of Vegetation in Plants and a life of Sense in Brutes and a Life and Light of Men. It was so in the Angels as well as in Men. But the Evangelist because the Scripture was made for the use of Men and not of Angels contenteth himself onely to mention them The life was the light of men By Light I am soath to understand onely Knowledge as is Knowledge Grace and Joy some do or onely Grace as other some I rather take in both and add a third thing which is the result of both namely Joy For all these three come under the notion of Light Then make this our Observation That man was created by God at first in a state of light The life was the light of men Do but compare this place with that Joh. 8. 12. for the understanding of the phrase Then spake Jesus again to them saying I am the light of the world He that followeth me shall not walk in darknesse but shall have the light of life The light of life and the life of light is all one and both come from Christ without any great difficulty Next the life was the light of men And he shall have the life of light saith Christ here but that he speaketh of Conversion My Text confineth me to what was in the Creation Christ is presented to us as the Maker of all things So then Man was created by Christ at first in a state of light that is in a state of Knowledge of Holinesse and of Joy for these three things come under the notion of Light in the Scripture First Knowledge See in that 2 Cor. 4. 6. God who 1. Man created in the light of knowledge commanded the light to shine out of darknesse hath shined in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ This light of
knowledge was eminently in Man at his first creation Therefore the light of God is said to stand in knowledge Having put on the new man which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him And whereas there are three sorts of beams of light by which the understanding seeth Three sorts of Beams of Light Direct Reflect Refract things and these were all eminent in Adam at the first Creation There are Direct beams and Reflect beams and Refract beams so they are wont to call them Thus a man seeth another man whom he looketh upon face to face by a direct beam The same man when he seeth his own face in a glasse it is by a reflect beam Let him look into the water see a staff in the water that is by a refract beam because the species is broken by reason of the thicknesse of Adam's Knowledge in Perfection the water through which he seeth Now Adam saw by all these and by them in a way of perfection He lookt by a direct beam of light upon all the creatures he saw the inside and outside of them he knew all their Natures so plainly as that he was able to give them all names according to their severall kinds He lookt upon himself by a reflect beam of light he was able to apprehend all his own notions and apprehensions and all the duties God required at his hands and that without any oblivion which since the Fall we cannot do We have power to reflect indeed upon our selves but what we do one day we forget another But now with Adam in this state of light he could neither forget evill nor forget good He could forget no evill for there was no evill to forget and he could forget no good for it had been evill to have forgotten it for he was without all evill And then for a Refract beam of light he lookt upon God with such a beam because he saw God in them through a thick Medium He could not see God in his Essence but through the Medium of the creature and through those Revelations which he was pleased to make of himself before the Fall Herein stood that light of knowledge wherewith Adam was at first created Secondly Man was created in a state of Light that is in 2. Created in a state of Holinesse a state of Holinesse 1 Joh. 1. 6 7. If we walk in the light as he is in the light we have fellowship one with another that is in Holinesse Ye were sometimes darknesse but now are ye light in the Lord that is holy and sanctified persons Holinesse was stamped upon Adam there in an eminent measure it was a deep stamp and a clear one because the Image of God was not onely in knowledge as before but in righteousnesse and true holinesse Ephes 4. 24. insomuch as there was no irregularity in Adam's soul He was an Instrument new made by the finger of God himself well strung and well tun'd not a jarring string in the whole Instrument A Glasse filled with pure crystall-water no mudd at the bottom no defilement in the water stand it never so much His Body was subject to his Appetite his Appetite subject to his Will his Will subject to his Reason his Reason subject to God One Faculty sweetly subordinate to another and all to the Divine Majesty This I have found saith Solomon Eccles 11. ult that God made man upright and that he hath sought out many inventions If man would have contented himself with that happinesse that God made him in at first he might have been happy He was at first created in light of Holinesse Thirdly Man was created in a state of Light that is of 3. Man created in a state of Joy Joy which commeth under the notion of Light in Scripture Hest 8. 16. The Jews had light and gladnesse and joy and honour Light is sowen for the righteous and gladnesse for the upright in heart saith the Psalmist There was nothing wanting to make Adam's condition comfortable to him For his Body he had a Paradise all the delights and pleasures that are found in all the severall places of the world at this day put together they could not make such a Garden as Eden was nor such a pleasant place as Paradise For his Soul he enjoyed the chiefest good the more he knew God the more God loved him and the more he loved him the more he praised him and the more he praised him the more he delighted in him There was overflowings of joy in Adam's soul Then in reference to God and so the Creatures It could not but add exceedingly to the light of joy in Adam's heart that all the creatures were willingly subject to him God had made him Master of them all and not one of them that refused to be subject Indeed afterwards since the Fall the creatures became formidable to him Moses when his Rod was turned into a Serpent he fled from it and was afraid but so was not Eve when the Serpent came to her in Paradise The Image of God was so perfectly stampt upon Adam then that every creature bare him reverence and stood in awe of the face of Man And so they did to Jesus Christ in whom the Image of God was fully renewed That is a passage observable though haply not much heeded Mar. 1. 13. it is a clause brought in by St. Mark which the other Evangelists as I think have not spoken of Christ's being in the Wildernesse He was there forty daies tempted of Satan and was with the wild beasts of the field The other tell you of his being tempted but St. Mark onely putteth in these words And he was with the wild beasts which was as great a miracle as any of the other It was a miracle that Christ fasted forty daies and nights but it was as great a miracle that all the beasts did homage and gave reverence to him even as they had done to Adam in Paradise Thus ye have heard for Explication of this Truth That Man was created at first by Christ in a state of Light that is in a state of Knowledge of Holinesse and of Joy First The Use shall be generall to all the sons and 1 Generall Use To seek to Christ to be restored to the state of Light daughters of Adam that they would seek to Christ that they may be restored to this state of light He who himself is the Image of God the expresse Image of his Father's Person Heb. 1. who at first made man after that Image of God He onely it is that can restore him He from whom life was the light of men he it is that must give that light of life and he hath promised to give it to such as follow him Certainly this is worth the seeking after Joh. 8. 12. I am the light of the world he that followeth me shall not walk in darknesse but shall have the light of life That which
go blind-fold to work but will prove what is acceptable The word in the Originall is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is a Metaphor taken from Goldsmiths that prove their Mettle by the Touchstone not by the colour onely or tinnitu by the jingling of the Mettle onely but bring it to the Test if it will not bear that they disallow it Many things have a fair colour to the eye that seem good and beautifull fit to be practised by a Christian and some things that sound well to the ear as of good report in the world but here is not enough bring them to the Test believe neither colour nor sound if they will not bear the touchstone of the Word A man that walketh holily will endure the proof it Thirdly He that walketh as a child of light must walk Cheerfully for there is a light of Joy too Such a phrase ye 3. Walk Cheerfully have in the Psalms Blessed is the man that heareth the joyfull sound they shall walk in the light of thy countenance Here is now one walking as a child of light that walketh in the light of God's countenance cheerfully and joyfully Serve the Lord with gladness and come into his presence with singing Psal 100. 2. This is acceptable to God and creditable to Religion God liketh it well that his servants should walk in the light of his countenance joyfully The Apostle telleth you this is acceptable to God Rom. 14. 17 18. The kingdom of God standeth not in meat and drink but in righteousnesse and peace and joy in the holy Ghost He that in these things serveth Christ is acceptable to God and approved of men This is one of the things wherein we must serve Christ joyfully in the holy Ghost Christ doth not like to be served uncheerfully They that make conscience of serving Christ in righteousnesse and of serving Christ in peace dare not be the Authors of division Why do not people make conscience of serving Christ in joy too He that in these things namely in righteousnesse and peace and joy serveth Christ is acceptable to God and approved of men The Saints of God like it well when they see men go chearfully on in the way to heaven otherwise they bring a bad report upon the good Land and make men to suspect that the service of Christ is not so acceptable when men walk so droopingly that stand in relation to him You know what Jezabel said to Ahab who had a mind to Naboth's Vineyard and because he could not compasse it he walked droopingly She came to him and said Why is thy spirit so sad Dost thou now govern the 1 King 21. 6. Kingdom of Israel and be so sad Implying how ill it became a King that hath the world at will to walk droopingly and uncheerfully Every one in whom this Image is renewed is made a King Christ hath made him a King to God and his Father What! a King and droop One that hath such a nearnesse and so near a relation to God and yet so full of discontent Let me yet say to every child of God as the Apostle Phil. 5. 4. Rejoyce in the Lord alwaies and again I say Rejoyce So I have now done with that Verse In him was life and the life was the light of men Vers 5. And the light shined in darkness and the darkness comprehended it not Ye have heard in what estate man was created it was in a state of Light and the next news ye hear is of Darknesse The light shined in darknesse and the darknesse comprehended it not First here we find man fallen and Christ's demeanour towards him in that estate Secondly his inability to receive that light which Christ shed abroad Thirdly Here is a supposition of the Fall intimated by that word Darkness Fourthly Here is a declaration what Christ did to man thus fallen He still sendeth forth light The light shined in darknesse And fifthly Here is a manifestation of man's carriage towards Christ in reference to this communication of his And the darknesse comprehended it not The first thing to be observed from hence is That Man Observ 1 by his fall from the state of light became dark yea darkness it self The second Observation is That light from Christ hath Observ 2 continued to shine ever since the Fall The light shineth in darkness It is something emphatically uttered for it is not in the Praeter perfect Tense as before it is not The light shined in darknesse or hath shined but it is The light shineth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to shew that the light continueth to shine There is no time since the Fall wherein it could be said The light shined not This was alwaies an approved Proposition ever since man became darke The light shineth in darknesse Thirdly We must imagine That it is naturall to man Observ 3 since the Fall not to comprehend the light of Christ The light shineth in darkness and the darkness comprehendeth it not Here ye have a supposall of Man's Fall and a declaration both of man's carriage towards him and of his carriage towards Christ since the Fall I shall but touch upon the first which is this First That Man fell from a state of light and became dark yea darknesse it self Light was the life of men by Creation and since the light shineth in darknesse By darkness understand the persons of unregenerate men all the world before the Lord Jesus Christ enlightneth them savingly with the light of life come under this notion of darknesse Therefore Satan who is elswhere called The prince of the world is said to be the ruler of the darkness of this world that is of unregenerate men Ephes 6. 12. Ephes 5. 6. Ye were sometimes dark but now are ye light in the Lord therefore ye were sometimes unregenerate but now ye are sanctified Ye were sometimes dark That which predominateth useth to give the denomination that is the reason why the naturall man is called darkness in the abstract because darknesse hath a predominancy in their minds As when a man is extreamly vitious we call such a man Vice Non est invidiosus sed invidia He is not envious but envy and malice it self Non est vitiosus sed vitium He is not vitious but vice it self The Papists call the Pope of Holy His Holiness in the abstract because they would have the world to believe him to be exceeding holy Dark in the abstract is exceeding darkness in regard of the dominion of a threefold darknesse the darknesse of Ignorance opposed to the light of Knowledge the darknesse of Sinfulness opposed to the light of Holiness the darknesse of Misery opposed to the light of Joy This three-fold darknesse accompanieth the state of nature even in all men as long as they continue in it First therefore that of Ignorance Ephes 4. 18. Having the understanding darkened being alienated from the life of 1. A darkness of Ignorance God through the ignorance
came the Prophets after them the Evangelists and Apostles So as this Age enjoyes the benefit of all the light that former times have had Thus you see it is made good that a light from Christ hath continued to shine in all Ages ever since the Fall This letteth us see that ignorant persons in all Ages have been inexcusable they cannot say but that God sent them light more or lesse Rom. 1. 20. The invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen being understood by the things that are made even his eternall Power and Godhead so that they are without excuse No age can plead any thing for it self by way of excuse if it looketh not after God and this age least of all for Christ who hath continued to shine in all ages shineth out most gloriously now They had but as it were the Star-light before Moses afterwards I will take in all that under Moses too it was but a Star-light in comparison In John the Baptist's time they had as it were the light of the morning peeping out he was the Lucifer the Morning-star that came before the Day Then came the Day-spring from on high to visit us the Lord Jesus Christ himself in the Ministry of the Gospell he being both the Subject and Christ both the Subject and the Preacher of the Gospell the Preacher of the Gospell Then the Sun arose and so the light shined more and more to the perfect day He sent forth his Apostles and endowed them with infallibility of spirit And the holy men writ as being moved by the Spirit of God So as in the ages since God hath been pleased to make good that which was Prophecied of old by Isaiah first and afterwards by Habbakuk The time shall come when the earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the Lord even as the waters cover the sea Isa 11. 9. Former times had but poor Ebb-tydes in comparison there are now Spring-tydes since the comming of Christ into the world The earth is full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea You may see if you will a little by what degrees Light came in Heb. 1. 1. God revealed himself 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 God revealed by degrees 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in severall waies and at severall times 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by piece-meals in many parts which the word implyeth As for instance He first made known to Adam that he would send Mankind a Mediator that should be born of a A little light revealed to Adam Woman there is the light with him The Seed of the Woman shall break the Serpent's head And that manifestation goes no further After commeth a further light that is to Abraham a little more to Abraham where he telleth him In thy seed shall all the nations of the world be blessed And to him is given Circumcision as a seal of this covenant of Grace A further light came in more to Jacob Jacob's time and discovered the time when Shiloe should come into the world Gen. 49. 10. After him the Propheticall Office of Christ is revealed to Moses A Prophet like more to Moses to me will God raise up to you of your brethren him shall ye hear Deut. 18. 18. Then commeth in another Sacrament and more afterwards to the Jews the Passeover and all the Ceremoniall Law which was the Jews Gospell every thing there pointed at Christ Afterwards clearer manifestation still Isaiah telleth you what kind of Mediator he shall be not descended of a pompous A clearer light to Isaiah way but as a man of sorrow He telleth you of whom he shall be born A Virgin shall conceive and bear a Son Micah more to Micha telleth you the very place where he shall be born Thou Bethlehem out of thee shall come forth to me him that shall be the Ruler in Israel Mich. 5. 2. And so by degrees light came in How much is this Age of the world bound to God We under the Gospell have all the light of former Ages for the enjoyment of all the light of former Ages so as if still we are ignorant of Christ we are of all men most inexcusable It was but a little that our fore-fathers enjoyed in comparison Look but back a few years to Henry the Eighth's time and to Queen Mary's daies the Protestants then had but little light in comparison of what they have now As it is in Reason our Reason should answer our Light so it is in Nature when the Sun appeareth at noon-day then it is hottest Naturalists say Calor Lux concrescunt Light and heat encrease together But alas notwithstanding the light in our heads what a coldnesse is there in the most of our affections Let me say this to you Our fathers in those daies they walked to Heaven as it were by Candle-light But Oh! if we shall now post to Hell by day-light What will become of us how inexcusable will our guilt and insupportable will our condition be I have done with the second Observation The light shineth in darkness It followeth The Darkness comprehended it not The Point from hence is this That it is naturall to man Observ 3 since the Fall not to comprehend the light of Christ The Apostle speaketh in plain tearms 1 Cor. 2. 14. The naturall man perceiveth not the things of the Spirit of God for they are foolishness to him neither can he know them because they are spiritually discerned It is not with this Metaphoricall light as it is with the Naturall the naturall light scattereth the darknesse where it commeth Let the Sun arise Darknesse giveth way But here the Metaphoricall darknesse will not give way that resisteth the light when it commeth and prevaileth against it Thus in St. John's language It comprehendeth it not Job 24. 13. These are they that abhor the light they know not the wayes thereof nor abide in the paths thereof They are of those that rebell against the light For the light that shineth in the works of God darknesse comprehendeth Light shining in the Works of God it not God hath gloriously appeared in the works of Creation but with what issue 1 Cor. 1. 21. Seeing the world by wisdom knew not God in the wisdom of God it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe There was a great deal of wisdom appeared in the works of Creation In wisdom hast thou made them all saith the Psalmist of the works of God and yet the world by wisdom knew not God All that appeared of God by the creatures could not bring man to a taking knowledge of him Therefore you see God is put upon another way of saving man viz. The foolishness of Preaching as this place telleth you Something men did apprehend of this light but they comprehended it not fully The light shineth in darkness but the darkness comprehendeth it not Again This light
Therefore God doth to every one give sufficient light remotely sufficient because say they He giveth them such light as if they would follow it He would give them faith This is commonly said But I could never yet see it proved Wheresoever there is an improvement of natural life men say there shall certainly be an addition of super naturall discoveries of Christ and so power to believe If there be no such thing the connexion between the improvement of what a man hath and the donation of what he standeth in need of for to bring him to salvation must depend either upon the merit of man that doth so improve his nature or upon the promise of Christ that whosoever doth improve his naturall abilities shall have grace vouchsafed to him But it dependeth upon neither of these Therefore no such thing First it doth not depend upon the merits of man nor upon his utmost improvement of naturall abilities so long Salvation depends not upon men's Merits nor their improvement of naturall abilities as we are out of Christ all our abilities are but naturall they cannot deserve the grace of Christ No creature can raise it self to an higher kind by improving of what belongeth to it in a lower sphear As for example Take creatures that onely have sense in them it is possible by art and industry to bring them to a great exactnesse in the exercise of their science as an Horse to dance an Elephant to write and a Parrat to speak but none can bring them to Reason because that is a thing of an higher sphear So take a Man that is naturall by the improvement of nature he may go on a great way but he cannot by all the improvements of nature deserve grace at the hands of God The Papists call this the Merit of Congruity if a man improve what he hath he deserveth ex Congruo that God should give him more But if so then the heavenly Call upon which Salvation dependeth to such a man it will be of works and not of meer mercy contrary to that of the Apostle 2 Tim. 1. 9. Who hath saved us and called us with an holy calling not according to our works but according to his own purpose and grace which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world was Thence followeth Calling from Election not from improvement of our abilities in our own works Might such a man say I am called and why why according to my works and improvements How then shall that of the Apostle Rom. 9. 15 16. be overthrown I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy and compassion on whom I will have compassion According to this way in the merits of Congruity it will be of him that willeth and runneth and not of meer mercy Then it cannot follow from the merits of man But perhaps it followeth from the promise of God Nor upon the Promise of Christ That is the Armintan way Let such a promise be produced and how gladly will men submit to it That which the Arminians pitch upon is this To him that hath shall be given a speech of Christ which is annexed to two severall Parables to the Parable of the Sower and to the Parable of the Tares To him which hath shall be given Therefore say they if a man improve his Naturalls he shall have Grace if his Reason he shall have Christ But there is a great mistake in this for the utmost that this Promise will bear is a reward for them in the same kind for an improvement of what one hath and useth aright He that useth his naturall wit aright shall have more naturall wit he that useth his parts shall have more parts and he that useth his graces shall increase his graces And in this sense To him that hath shall more be given A man may as well say He that useth his wealth well to him health shall be given and he that useth health well to him wealth shall be given as to say He that useth his reason well to him grace shall be given for here is a transition or passing into another kind of thing whereas the promise runneth for the increase of a thing of the same kind This may suffice to clear that second Quary namely Whether sufficient light be given to every one In these two Propositions Christ doth dispense to every one light sufficient to leave him without excuse Christ doth not dispense to every one Converting-light sufficient to bring him to Salvation I have done with the Explication of the Point For the Use of it briefly If Christ doth thus lighten every man that commeth into the world let us learn from hence these four Lessons 1. To see Him 2. To seek Him 3. To serve Him 4. To blesse Him First Learn to see Christ and to acknowledge him in Use 1 all the light which we our selves and others have even as Learn to See Christ ye see the cause in the effect in Christ as the Author of all that light When ye see men knowing men men of great understanding there is much of the light of Reason strict men there is much of the light of Conscience holy men there is much of the light of Grace Admire Christ in all these for all commeth from him Think how holy and how understanding Christ is in whom all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge are We are many times apt to admire men and to over-look Christ this should not be Suppose a man that were kept in a deep dungeon all his daies and were brought out at midnight when the Moon shineth this man would be apt when he looketh upon the Moon to think it to be the most glorious creature that he seeth to be the spring of all light for it is the most glorious creature that ever he saw But let him but stay till morning when the Sun ariseth and he will be ashamed of his mistake If we see men that shine as the Moon think how much more glory there is in Christ This is the way to see him in all the light dispenced by him to the creatures Secondly We should learn hence to seek Him for the Use 2 encrease of light for He is the Father of lights so saith Learn to Seek him James Jam. 1. 17. Every good and perfect gift is from above and commeth down from the Father of lights Some men are of a foolish conceit that men derive their understandings from such Constellations at their birth and that maketh them wise No it is not the light of heaven but it is the Father of lights It is Christ that conveyeth all understanding to men He is not onely the Author of all the light we have but the Father of it He is the Author of many things that bear his Image He is called the Father of lights because all the light we have hath a clear impression of the night of and upon it even that of Reason which is like Mephibosheth
to shine out of darknesse hath shined in our hears that we should give the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ Therefore in your attendance upon the Ministry of the Gospell let it be your aim still to see something of Christ's glory in it And do as the Disciples did We beheld his glory as in a Theater Let it be our care to view Christ and the things of Christ as they are represented to us in a Theater Ye know how greedy men are of such objects they cannot satisfie their eyes with seeing Pageants and such kind of showes besides things upon a Stage are seen with a great deal of delight Insomuch as Augustine when he would exphesse the joyes of Christians in the midst of their greatest sorrow hath this excellent expression of it Orantium dâ—lciores sunt lachrimae quà m omnium gaudia Theatrorum saith he The tears of praying Christians have morè sweetnesse in them than all the joyes of the Theaters or of the Stages Certainly there never came such a spectacle never such a thing to be viewed as the glory of Christ is never any thing so well worth the viewing Let it therefore be our care to do as the Apostle exhorts us to be looking up to Jesus That is very emphaticall Heb. 12. 2. Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith who for the joy that was set before him endured the crosse and despised the shame and is set down at the right hand of God The word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which hath a double force in it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 looking off first and then looking upon We must look off from the world which our hearts are too much glued to and then look up to Jesus otherwise if we busie our minds too much with carnall things our hearts will be so full of the relish of them as we cannot savour of the things of God Certainly brethren we have presidents for this take Paul a man that busied himself in this great work of beholding the glory of Christ throughout his whole course after his conversion therefore he desired no other learnlng but Christ crucified 1 Cor. 2. 2. I determined not to know any thing amongst you save Jesus Christ and him crucified He valued no other wealth The knowledge of Christ to be preferred before all things but the knowledge of Christ Phil. 3. 8. I count all things but losse and drosse for the excellency of the knowledge of Jesus Christ my Lord for whom I have suffered the losse of all things and do count them but dung that I may win Christ Where was his learning and wealth and joy and great delight It was in the beholding of Christ he gloried in nothing else Gal. 6. 14. God forbid that I should glory save in the crosse of our Lord Jesus Christ Beloved the Crosse of Christ shall be our Crown if we love to make the glory of Christ our study Thirdly take this third use into your meditations of 3. Meditation on Christ's excellency raiseth our apprehensions above all created glories the excellency of Christ raising your apprehensions above all created glories for his glory is the glory as of the onely begotten of the Father Ye wrong Christ if your apprehensions of him be not higher than those you have of any creature His hath a glory far above theirs above the glory of the Celestiall bodies and the glory of Men above the Angels and Cherubims Therefore the Apostle taketh a great deal of pains to prefer Christ above the Angels that our thoughts may go beyond in the excellency of Christ above any other creatures Whence it is that Joh. 5. 23. all men should honour the Son even as they honour the Father He that honoureth not the Son honoureth not the Father which hath sent him So I have done with that Clause 4. The fourth thing in my Text remaineth that is The singular Qualifications of Christ's Person Full of Grace and Truth Christ was full of grace and truth That is our Observation All sorts of grace in Christ It pleased the Father saith the Apostle Col. 1. 19. that in him should all fulnesse dwell all fulnesse of all sorts of grace whether ye look to the kinds or degrees of grace the fulnesse of both sorts There were all kinds of grace in Christ Those graces which were scattered amongst the Saints one excelling in this grace another in that Moses in meeknesse Job in patience David in thankfulnesse and Joseph in chastity and so in the rest they are all united in Christ So for the measure and degrees of grace as he hath of all kinds so the utmost degree of every kind To Ministers graces are given in a scant proportion and measured out according as God hath allotted to every one his proportion as the Apostle speaks Ephes 4. 7. Unto every one of us is grace given according to the measure of the gift of Christ But to Christ himself it is above measure Joh. 3. 34. God gave not the Spirit by measure to him he doth not stand meting it out but poureth it out upon him So that look whatsoever grace a human nature void of sin is capable of that was all poured out upon Christ Full of grace It pleased the Father that in him should all fulnesse dwell 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that it should be the mansion-house of all fulnesse so as there shall be no defect Adam was full of grace in his condition but fell from it and the Angels full but many of them turned Apostates but Christ hath no defect in his Nature it is a fulnesse and a dwelling fulnesse But this is too generall Full Of what Full of grace and full of truth First Of grace Grace is a word of various acceptation 1. Christ is ful of grace and admitteth of many distinctions I shall onely meddle with such as are applicable to this place Grace is twofold it is taken either Active or Passive There is Active-grace Gratia gratis dans Givinggrace Passive-grace Gratia gratis data Grace given Active grace is that good-will out of which God bestoweth his benefits upon the gratious Passive grace grace given is that which is bestowed either upon the body or upon the soul or upon the whole person First A grace bestowed upon the bodies of men and r. Grace bestowed upon the bodies of men that is Beauty which properly cometh under the notion of grace in that sense Favour is deceitfull and beauty is vain Prov. 31. 30. Gratia fallax est saith the Latine translation grace is deceitfull taking grace for beauty So the Heathens they called those goddesses of theirs Charites the Graces That is grace upon the body but that is the lowest Secondly There is grace bestowed upon the Soul and 2. Upon rhe Soul those are rather Gifts tending to Edification as gifts of Prophecy and the like or to Salvation as
we lost in the first Adam we shall have restored in the Second there is no other way to come by it but this The Mint in which Knowledge Holinesse and Joy are coyned it goeth in Heaven and no where else Christ is the Master of that Mint That you may be encouraged to seek to Christ for this set me tell you Beloved That if the Lord Jesus Christ be 1. Sweeter Knowledge by Christ then that we lost in Adam pleased to renew this Image in you and restore you to this state of light you shall have a sweeter Knowledge ye shall have a surer Holinesse and a more lasting Joy than Adam himself had in Paradise The light that the second Adam giveth is better in some respect than the light which the first Adam lost Ye shall know that which Adam never knew the heighth and depth and breadth and length of the love of God in Christ That which did not come within the compasse of Adam's knowledge to know what belonged to a Redeemer but that is made known to the Saints in whom the Image of God is renewed Ephes 3. 17 18 19. That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith that ye being rooted and grounded in love may be able to comprehend with all Saints what is the breadth and length and depth and heighth and to know the love of God which passeth knowledge that ye might be filled with all the fulnesse of God Adam knew much of the love of God as a Creator but now we know the love of God as a Redeemer This must needs be a sweeter knowledge because this second is a greater love The misery of the person to whom love is shewed heightneth the love That which God in Christ Pitty in misery heightneth love sheweth to man fallen is love in mercy love joyned with mercy is greater love therefore the knowledge of this is sweeter knowledge And as ye shall have sweeter Knowledge so surer Holinesse 2. Surer Holinesse I do not say a purer Holinesse Adam was more pure in the state of Innocency than any man on this side Heaven he had no corruptions stirring in him But surer Holinesse That Holinesse which Adam had he was capable of losing it and did lose it That which Christ restoreth to them in whom this Image is renewed it is not left to their own keeping He himself keepeth it for them and no man shall take them out of his hand Joh. 10. 28. They shall never perish neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand As it fareth sometimes with a man that hath broke his leg or arm if he light upon a good Chirurgion that setteth it well again the arm or leg is stronger than before the breaking of it and we say He fell into the hands of a good Chirurgion So we were broken in Adam but we have by Christ a stronger Holinesse than we had at first And so you shall have a more lasting Joy than you could 3. More lasting Joy have in the first Adam It was a joyfull state as ye have heard but how long endured it The Psalmist saith Sorrow endureth for a night but joy commeth in the morning Here joy endured for the morning and sorrow came at evening Some think Adam did not stand in his integrity a whole night sure he did not stand long but lost his joy presently That joy which is given to whom this Image is renewed is such as no man or devill can take from them Joh. 16. 22. You all shall rejoyce and your joy shall no man tâ—â—e from you Bernard saith Gaudium â—â—it in fine sed Gaudium sine fine It shall be joy in the end but it shall be a joy without end which Adam's was not This is the Generall Use There is another more Particular that is to such as are Particular Use restored to this Image of God and a new state of life from which Adam sell that they might walk as children of the light How is that The Exhortation ye have Ephes 5. 8. Ye were sometimes darknesse but now are ye light in the Lord Walk as children of the light That is Walk knowingly walk piously walk cheerfully for light includeth all these three Hath Christ restored you to what ye fell from First then Walk knowingly have a care to see your way 1. Walk Knowingly before you whatsoever ye do it upon warrantable and good grounds take up no Opinion upon trust follow no Principles without a warrant from the Scripture He that walketh in darknesse faith Christ Joh 12. 35. knoweth not whither he goeth And so Prov. 4. 19. The way of the wicked is as darknesse they know not at what they stumble So long as a man is in the dark he knoweth not whither he goeth nor at what he stumbleth he reeleth sometimes this way and sometimes that way runneth his head against a post or falleth into a ditch into this error or that He stumbleth now upon a mad Principle and then upon a bad Principle because he knoweth not whither he goeth In the dark there is no discerning of colours all things are alike fair So it is with men in the state of unregeneracy there is no difference between civility and grace between formality and truth between faith and fancy He that will walk as a child of light must discern of things that differ for It is light that maketh manifest Secondly As he must walk knowingly so Piously Put on saith the Apostle the armour of light and let us walk 2. Walk Piously honestly as in the day Rom. 13. 13. Would you know how Cast your eyes upon Ephes 5. 8 9 10. Walk as children of light For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodnesse and righteousnesse and truth proving what is acceptable to the Lord. This place sheweth you that the light of holinesse which is in the souls of the Saints it is a Prolificall Light which bringeth sorth fruit Walk as children of the light For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodnesse and righteousnesse and truth It is the light of the Sun that begeteth creatures which the light of a Candle doth not Many Creatures have no other father but the Light as Philosophers say Putredo mater Sol pater Putridity is the mother and the heat of the Sun that is the father of them So it is with all inferiour Lights they are like the light of a Candle the naturall light of Reason and the utmost improvement of naturall abilities this light make the best of it till it come to be supernaturall and to have infusion from Christ it hath no quickning power in it it will not reform a man's life it begets no work truly good Whereas the light of Holinesse like the light of the Sun it ingenders and bringeth forth good works The fruit of the Spirit is in all goodnesse Then there will be a proving of what is acceptable to the will of God Men will not