alive 1 Cor. 15.22 They shall not use that Proverb in the Resurrection and Judgment to come That the Fathers have eaten sower Grapes and the Childrens teeth are set on edge the Soul that sinneth it shall dye Ezek. 18.2 3. The Condemnation is not nor shall be then that Adam sinned but That light came into the World and men loved darkness rather then light John 3.19 Prov. 1.24 25 29. Though as to the taking guilt off from the ignorant and unbelieving conscience in respect of that first Sin also Men in their ignorance and unbelief often charging themselves with the guilt of that Sin of Adam so as to think themselves therefore under Condemnation from God and in danger of perishing as also for purging out the corruption of Nature there-through entred the Son of Man is to be lifted up in the Preaching of him to men who though so delivered from that first Death as that they shall not perish in it yet as they come up into the World to be capable of choosing the good and refusing the evil are generally in danger of perishing 2. In a Second Death so as not to have eternal life For 1. God being of purer eyes then to behold iniquity evil may not dwell with him fools may not stand in his sight nor any unclean thing inherit his Kingdom Psal 5.4 5. Hab. 1.12 1 Cor. 6.9 And we are all as an unclean thing and all our righteousness as a menstruous or filthy cloth Isa 64.6 None Righteous no not one altogether are become unprofitable None that doth good no not one Rom. 3.10 13. None therefore are fit to come into Gods Kingdom and to have eternal Life without a Regeneration or new Birth John 3.3 5. Which we naturally run from siding with evil and falling into yea walking in new disobediences against God and so making our selves obnoxious to his judgment upon our own personal accounts for our own personal transgressions For 1. We all naturally have a heart deceitful in us and desperately wicked inclining us to those ways that lead to Destruction Jer. 19.9 For out of the heart of man proceed evil thoughts adulteries fornications murthers thefts covetousness wickedness deceits lasciviousness an evil eye blasphemy pride foolishness all these evil things come from within and they defile the man Mark 7.21 22 23. We are naturally carnal sold under sin Rom. 7.14 2. The World is full of baits allurements and snares to draw us away unto and intangle us in such sins as expose us to Gods Wrath and Judgment again the riches pleasures honours pomps and vanities of it are apt to insnare us through the lust that is in us 2 Pet. 1.4 1 John 2.15 16. And the persons in it being sinful and vicious are apt to infect and defile one another inticeing counselling yea and sometimes commanding to sin Psal 1.1 Prov. 1.10 11. 〈◊〉 3.4 5. 6.7 9. Mich. 6.16 3. The old adversary and enemy the Devil with his many Angels evil and wicked Spirits subtil and powerful to intice and move to evil goes about like a roaring Lyon seeking to devour tempting and alluring to sin and prevailing with such as are heedless of them and unskilful to discern them or their enmity and wickedness and to resist them 1 Chron. 21,1 1 Pet. 5.8 Rev. 20.2 3 8. There is none so strong or good that this Adversary will not so far as God permits set upon to tempt Mat. 4.1 2. Luk. 4.2 13. 22.33 And he blinds the minds of all those that believe not the truth and thereby gets power over them 2 Cor. 4.4 Act. 26.18 2. There is none can mend himself or his condition toward God so as either to obtain his favour to Justification If any could it must be by offering him Sacrifice or doing him service such as he requireth in his Law for we are become so altogether bruitish and void of goodness in our selves by our fall which we increase by new compliances with Sathan that we can of our heads and by our own inventions find out or imagine nothing well-pleasing in his sight Jer. 10.14 2 Cor. 3.5 Rom. 7.18 The Lord knows the though of Men yea of the wise that they are vain empty of any righteousness goodness or suitableness to him Psal 94.11 1 Cor. 3.19 20. And therefore it must be in mans learning and keeping Gods Law if in any thing but man is unable of himself to keep Gods Law he being carnal sold under sin and the Law holy pure and spiritual Too high for him in his falleth state Rom. 7.14 Or so as to cleanse himself For who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean Not one No Creature whatsoever Job 14.4 And that 's another reason too why the Law cannot help us nor we help our selves or one another by it it 's too weak because of the Flesh Rom. 8.3 By the deeds of it can no flesh living be justified in the sight of God For by the Law is not either satisfaction for or cleansing from but the knowledge of Sin Rom. 3.20 Which we daily generally commit there being not a just man upon Earth that doth good and sinneth not Eccles 7.20 1 King 8.43 Nay instead of satisfying for or cleansing us from our sins it occasions sin more to abound and become more sinful Rom. 5.20 7.8 Sin taking occasion by it fills men with all lust and concupisence So that as a whorish Woman that cannot forbear to play the harlot seeks and plots more desperately to fulfil her lust and falls more under the danger of the Law there through by being married to a strict and severe Husband that cannot abide the least motion or inclination to such uncleanness and watcheth her at all times then if she had no husband at all so is our case under the Law of works for justification and life they that are of the works of the Law thinking to be justified thereby are thereby more condemned and â—all more under the curse Gal. 3.10 It stands cross and contrary to us like the fiery flaming Sword in the hand of the Cherubim turning every way upon us Gen. 3.22 Col. 2.14 And while men trusting in Moses for like refuge to come to Christ for it Moses will accuse them John 5.40 45. Nor can any man by that or by any devise of his own or others defend and keep himself or be kept from the power of Sin and Sathan so as not to fall by them If they could Christ and his word would not be needful thereto for them which may not be granted Gal. 2.21 3.21 It being his office to succour men in temptations Heb. 2.27 18. 3. Yea God is holy and will not only not admit to eternal life those that are unclean and sin but will also Judge the World in Righteousness and punish the sins of it taking vengeance on the evil doer And rendring to every one according to his works Heb. 9.27 Jer. 17.9 10. Rom. 2.6 11 3.5 And
Pet. 1.19 But he was tempted of Satan to things sinful as we may see in Mat. 4.6 7 8. Even to worship the Devil for the injoyment of the glory and Kingdoms of this World And though we find no mention of any temptations but what was there specified after his Baptisme and before his Preaching yet in saying there that the Tempter left him for a season 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or till an opportunity it is implyed that he was not without temptations at other after-times and in other particulars also And so having so great occasions as before is said for Sathan to take hold of he might have such darts cast at him too as motions to pride and haughtiness Yea such a temptation also may I conceive be apprehended to have been inclusively in that saying to him If thou beest the Son of God command that these Stones be made bread And in cast thy self down from the Pinacle of the Temple c. Mat. 4.56 And as in those temptations mentioned in Mat. 4.8 Luk. 4. Our Saviour did not barely by his Authority and Power rebuke Sathan but proposed to himself and made use of such consideration and allegation of the Law and Doctrine of the Lord as was proper to resist and preserve himself from yeilding to those temptations and such as in such cases minded by us would preserve us also such as It is written man liveth not by bread alone but by every word proceeding out of the mouth of God And it is written Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God c. Even so he might make use of such a consideration as this That He was as to the flesh a man descended from men and so the Son of man to repel and keep clear himself from temptations to pride that Sathan upon the above mentioned accounts might tempt him to As also He did and said many things not so much for his own need as to give us an example that we might follow his steps And so he might and did instruct us hereby that we should avoid pride in any thing wherein we differ from and excel others and that it 's a good-way for avoiding it to consider what we are as to our worser state that is as to our Natures in themselves as fallen considered and as we find sinfulness in us or have committed sins for though we be rich honourable strong beautiful of good witt and parts c. Yet we are men Sons of Adam begot and brought forth in his Image and likeness and so are mortal sinful and in our selves miserable those things notwithstanding Yea though Noble born or descended of Religious Parents though we have the Law or Doctrine of God and skill and knowledge therein and many righteous frames and works thereby and thereafter yet this is Gods gift if there be any thing or as to all things really good therein we yet are in and of our selves Men mortal sinful unworthy creatures Yea though we are called of God to Christ and in him owned of God and become his Children accepted and blessed in him and indued with many singular gifts and priviledges yet for all that according to the Flesh we are men sons of men infirm mortal sinful and what we are in Christ we are it meerly and freely by grace through the Redemption that is in Jesus Christ And we have no cause to lift up or boast our selves because thereof because we received it of grace only God and Christ are to be glorified therein Yea and by how much the more any man is benefited and priviledged of and by the Lord so much is He the more obliged for it to the Lord. Certainly we find the holy men of God in their injoyments of favour and grace from and with God and honours with him to exercise their minds to sobriety and humillity in themselves from the consideration of what they were in and of themselves or by Nature and Corruption before such grace or honour bestowed upon them So we find Abraham when God so highly honoured him as not to hide from him the thing he intended toward Sodom but to acquaint him with it and admit him to plead with him and make intercession for them thus depressing himself Suffer me that am but Dust and Ashes Gen. 18.27 And when David had been blessing the Lord as his strength goodness fortress and for his great benefits bestowed upon him least he should be lifted up or be thought to have had this favour of the Lord bestowed upon him for any goodness in himself he adds Lord what is man that thou regardest him or the Son of Man that thou makest account of him Man is like to vanity his days are like a shadow Psal 144.3.4 And the Apostle Paul speaking of the grace bestowed upon him and the favour shewed him of God and Christ in counting him faithful and calling him to be an Apostle usually takes this course to hide Pride from himself to confess what he had been and was when Christ came upon him to convince and convert him and take him into that dignity Viz. That he was a Persecutor and a Blasphemer and Injurious not worthy to be called an Apostle because he had Persecuted the Church of God Yea therefore he stiles himself the least of all Saints yea the chief of Sinners 1 Cor. 15.8 9. Eph. 3.8 1. Tim. 1.23 14 15. That so he might the more magnifie the grace of God and Christ and being sensible of his own demerit and unworthiness in himself be the more low and humble the more diligent and obedient in service more compassionate over others though sinners yea more ready to every good work And so Christ here and his Servants ought to be imitated by us in avoiding pride and high-mindedness and in exercising our selves to humility and lowliness Learn we of Christ who was meek and lowly that we may find rest unto our Souls Mat. 11.29 That 's the first reason Reason 2. Secondly he is called the Son of Man not only of some particular man or of the Father of some particular branch or family of men as to say the Son of Abraham or of Heber or of Shem or of David or the like though it 's true he was the Son of all those persons as to descent of his flesh Yea and he is elsewhere stiled the Son of Abraham to signifie that he is and was that Seed promised to him and so the person in whom the blessing for all Nations was prepared And the Son of David to signifie that he was and is the Heir of the Kingdom that God spoke of in his Oath and Covenant to David Mat. 1.1 But that 's not the title that he ever gives himself but speaking of himself both here and often besides he stiles himself The Son of Man which word man is not appropriated and limited to any one Person or Family or condition of men but is common to all men And may he not herein also imply that
I begotten thee And Sit thou on my right hand till I make thy foes thy foot-stool Heb. 1.5.13 Yea All the fullness of the God-head dwells in him bodily Col. 2.9 2. A State of greater Authority Power and Majesty For he is set above all Authorities Principalities Powers Thrones Might or Dominion yea and every name that is named not only in this World but in that which is to come Eph. 1.21 For He hath put all things under his feet And Given him to be Head over all things to his Church ver 22. The Head top or chief of all Principality and Power Col. 2.10 Not only Lord of Lords and King of Kings Gods first-born higher then the Kings of the Earth As Rev. 17.14 19.16 Psal 89.27 But he is also A great King above all Gods Psal 95.2 Angels and Principalities and Powers being made subject to him 1 Pet. 3.22 Lord of all Act. 10.36 Being made in the Nature of Man so much better higher and more glorious then the Angels at he hath by inheritance obtained a more excellent name then they being not only owned of God as his Son begotten by him from the dead to all this excelâ—ent glory dignity and majesty even to be set at his right hand on the Throne of Majesty in the highest Heb. 1.3 4 5 13. 8.1 But as set on Gods own Throne Rev. 3.21 So as it 's said to all other Potestates and Powers Let all the Angels of God Or as in Psal 97.7 Worship him all ye Gods And again to him it is said Thy Throne O God endureth for ever The Sceptre of thy Kingdom is a Sceptre of Righteousness or a right Sceptre Thou hast loved righteousness and hated iniquity Therefore God thy God hath anointed thee with the oyl of gladness above thy fellows Above all other Gods Potentates or Powers among either Men or Angels And thou Lord Jehovah in the beginning hast laid the foundations of the Earth and the Heavens are the work of thy hands they shall perish but thou remainest they shall all wax old as a Garment as a Vesture shalt thou change them Or fold them up And they shall be changed but thou endurest and thy years shall not fail Heb. 1.6 8 9 10 11 12. Yea the Angels are all Ministring Spirits to him commanded by him and with one consent proclaim him the excellent and worthy one Worthy to receive Power and Riches and wisdom and strength and honour and glory and blessing Rev. 5.11.12 In a word All Authority and Power in Heaven and over the Earth is given unto him And all that the Father hath is his Even all the Authority Power and fullness of the Father and it pleases to dwell in him Mat. 28.18 John 16.14 15. Col. 1.19 2.9 So that it may well be said as the Prophet foresaw That He is exalted extolled and very high Higher then Moses then Adam or David as some Jewish Criticks observe from the letters of the word Translated very being made up of the initial letters of those three Names Yea and should they to Adam joyn Abraham too whose name begins with the same letter their observation might hold true Isa 52.13 And herein also he is lifted up and so it behoved that he should be that he should suffer such things as he did and so should enter into Glory Luk. 24.26 That he might exercise and discharge the most glorious Offices most useful for us and most honourable for himself for and concerning our welfare and happiness Such as wherein he answers to all the most excellent and honourable things and persons under the Law and among the Israel after thâ— flesh that was lifted up to any honourable and useful Office or Service as the Covenant of Circumcision the Sabbaoth Sacrifices Temple c. Of which I may say more elsewhere I shall here only mention such Offices as were estated upon and exercised by most honourable persons amongst them as 1. The Prophets were holy and honourable persons and the office of a Prophet a most excellent useful and honourable imployment they having intercourse and Power with God and receiving their message from him for directing the people into the knowledge of him and of his mind and will concerning them Whence that of God to Abimelech concerning Abraham Restore the man his wife For he is a Prophet and he shall pray for thee Gen. 20.7 And Do my Prophets no harm Psal â—05 15 The Son of Man was to be and is lifted up into that honour and office For this is he of whom it was said A Prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you from among your Brethren like unto me him shall ye hear in all things whatsoever he shall say unto you Deut. 18.15 18. With Act. 3.22 23. The Great Prophet And The Testimony of Jesus is the Spirit of Prophecy Rev. 19.10 The Great Light In his Testimony Word and Doctrine and the true Light lightning every man coming into the World Who came a Light into the World that whosoever believeth on and followeth him may not abide in darkness but see the Light of Life John 1.9 8.12 12.46 And so I might say also of the Apostles That they were highly honourable and useful as to their office and he is the Great Apostle of our Profession Heb. 3.1 2. The Priests were holy and honourable Persons under the Law in respect of their Office And the Priesthood a most honourable and useful Office for making attonement and Reconciliation for the People by offering gifts and Sacrifices for them to that purpose their lips keeping Knowledge also and teaching the People the Law And Christ the Son of Man was to be and is exalted to that Honour and Office to be the Priest the great High Priest after the order of Melchisedech As God did raise him up to be his Prophet and Apostle giving him that honour and glory that no man in Heaven or Earth or under the Earth was found worthy of even to open the book of Gods Counsels and unloose the Seals of it and unfold the Mysteries therein contained Rev. 5.2 3 6. So he gave him also the honour and Office of the Priest-hood For no man takes to himself that honour of the High Priest-hood but he that is called of God as Aaron was Wherefore Christ also glorified not himself to be made an High Priest but he that said to him Thou art my Son this day have I begotten thee Said also to him Thou art a Priest to me for ever after the Order of Melchisedec Yea the Lord sware and will not repent saying Thou art a Priest for ever c. Heb. 5.3 4 5. c. 3. Whereas some of the Prophets or Priests had other additional honours beside merely their being Prophets and Priests or the like Christ is lifted up in this his glory unto such honour also As to say 1. Whereas Moses was also a Deliverer of them by the Power of God out of
Teachers for perfecting the Saints for the work of the Ministry for the Edifying the Body of Christ till we all come in the unity of the Faith and acknowledgment of the Son of God to a perfect man c. Ephes 4.7 8.11 12. And it was needful he should give such Gifts to men to the end that he might be Lifted up by men in the Exercise of them Yea and that they be faithful to men therein making it the great Business Work and end of all their exercise of their Gifts and so of all their Ministry and Conversation to Lift up and Magnifie the Son of Man to glorifie Jesus Christ our Lord by and from whom they have all their said Gifts and all their Mercies and Injoyments bestowed upon them Heb. 13.7 8. 2 Thes 1.12 Yea and of all that know and believe in him to confess him with their Mouth and magnifie him both in Word and Work calling in others to him And so it 's said The Spirit and the Bride say come and let him that heareth say come Rev. 22.17 And this Witnessing to him and Lifting him up as the Son of God the Christ the Saviour of the World the Lord the Ransom of our Souls who hath given himself the Ransom or Price of Redemption for all the Testimony in due time the Reconciliation and Reconciler the Propitiatory or Mercy Seat through whom God doth cover the Sins of men through Faith in his Blood and the Propitiation for our sins and for the sins of the whole World The Peace-maker and Peace between God and man and between men and men The great Prophet and Apostle Light and Leader of men into the Truth true Knowledg Faith and Worship of Cod the great High Priest over the House of God the Mediator of God and man that makes Intercession for Transgressors and for all that come to God by him the great King of Saints and Nations the Procurer and Giver of Remission of sins and of the Holy Ghost and of all Spiritual Grace and Blessing the great God and our Saviour who hath the Fulness of God yea all the Fulness of the Godhead dwelling in him Bodily and hath the Government of all things committed to him so as he hath all Power and Authority over all things in Heaven and Earth and hath the dispose of all Mercies for this Life and that to come Spiritual and Corporal the only Way to the Father to be worshipped by us and from the Father to Convey all Grace and Blessing to us the Resurrection and the Life yea the All I say the lifting him up as such a one is exceeding useful and behoveful yea necessary for begetting in mens hearts an exceeding high apprehension of him so as to render him precious to them more precious then the fine Gold of Ophir or the Mountains of Prey and to lead them to account all things loss and dung for the excellency of the knowledg of him and so to come to and believe on him And though in all Ages nor in all Places there hath not been given forth a like Express and full Testimony of and to him as there is given in these Ages and these Places wherein we live having the Testimony of the Apostles and of the holy Spirit by them nor where we have that is there in every one the same fulness of understanding firmness of belief and clearness of declaration of what is said and contained therein Yet this in the fulness of it and all that is in it is very needful and behoveful for bringing men in to believe on him explicitly and firmly against and because of all the oppositions of the Devil and evil Spirits and of the reason and wisdom and stubbornness of the Flesh and carnal Heart and the course and principles of the world tending to keep men therefrom as to mens more distinct full and comfortable exercise of Faith in him Indeed as it is not of absolute necessity to Salvation and Eternal life that every one have the same fulness and comfortable exercise of believing so also neither is it of absolute necessity that they have every one the same clearness and fulness of understanding and perswasion of the commendations pertaining to him Yea as to Gods power to save men through him I cannot assert a necessity of a distinct knowledg of the Name and particular Acts of Christ at all for doubtless many who died before his Incarnation and had no distinct knowledg of his Person and personal Acts in the flesh were saved as well as many Infants and others since But yet generally needful it is that he be so far Lifted up and made known and there-through that the heart be so far perswaded of his Being Fulness Power Excellency Sufficiency as that the heart see him the only excellent and sufficient Object of Faith and Confidence the only powerful One to be looked to and hoped in by us or else he cannot be distinctly believed on to Salvation and Life everlasting Where there is no Vision the people perish but where there is so much as that people may see the Law and Doctrine of Christ or the Mind of God concerning them through him he that keeps the Law is happy Even that of the Law that concerning him or by and through him is made known Prov. 29.18 with Rom. 2.26 Acts 10.34 And where men have the clear knowledg of him to declare to others for their helpfulness in believing on him and they conceal it from men woe to them for so doing 1 Cor. 9.16 Br. 2. As the Exalting and Lifting up of Christ by way of Declaration of him as aforesaid is necessary for mens believing on him for Life and Salvation at the first and further then he is made known in his Being and Excellency no man can have any Faith in or belief on him So this is necessary also to the abiding and growth in him and recovery of the Back-sliders to Faith in him again that he be still and always Lifted up and Magnified in the Eyes of men even of those that have begun to believe or have formerly believed on him For if by any means the Lifting of him up and the Preaching and praises of him being with-held or neglected the Serpent foist in high thoughts of some other thing or things as better and fuller then he or as necessary besides him and the Grace in and by him for our Life and Salvation or for our Welfare and Happiness either here or hereafter so as the thoughts or mind be corrupted from the simplicity in him And he begin to appear or be looked upon as less Full Precious and Desirable the soul is in present danger to be withdrawn from him and be gone ceasing to believe and depend on him or to do so singly and rightly for the Salvation and Life that is in and by him which occasioned the Apostles godly jealousie of the Corinthians least by any means as the Serpent beguiled Eve their minds should