Jewes refused him The Sun is ashamed to behold the Souldiers and the earth quaked as loath to bear the Souldiers Thus far of the Witnesse-bearer the Manner of his witnessing and the Time when 4. The fourth particular remaineth namely The Matter of the Testimony which John here giveth of Christ which 4. The matter of John's testimony of Christ lyeth in these words This was he of whom I spake He that cometh after me is preferred before me for he was before me Let us expound the words first This was He. There lyeth some matter of commendations even in that So that your great Oratour of Greece Demosthenes he accounted it matter of commendations when he went in the streets to have it said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 This is Demosthenes Res est magnoperè laudanda It is a matter much to be valued to have one pointed at with the finger and to have it said This is such a man of note The holy Ghost speaks it by way of commendations of Moses and Aaron Exod. 6. 26 27. ye have it twice there These are that Aaron and Moses to whom the Lord said Bring out the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt according to their armies These are they which spake to Pharaoh king of Egypt to bring out the children of Israel from Egypt These are that Moses and Aaron Here it is thrice So This was he saith John But the commendations he giveth lyeth more apparent in the following words He of whom I spake He that comes after me is preferred before me for he was before me He that comes after me Quest What is that How doth Christ come after John How is Christ said to come after John Answ In three respects which I frame as a ground from this First In regard of his Nativity Secondly In regard of his own Ministry Thirdly In regard of his attendance upon the Ministry of John First In regard of his Nativity Christ was born of the 1. In regard of his Nativity Virgin Mary some six months after John the Baptist came into the world so he came after him in that respect Luk. 1. 36. You may find that the mother of John the Baptist was gone with child some six months when the Virgin Mary had newly conceived Behold thy cousen Elizabeth hath conceived and shall bear a son and his name shall be called John So saith the Angel that came to Mary and brought the first tydings of Christ our Saviour Secondly Christ came after him In regard of his own 2. In regard of his own Ministry Ministry and the discharge of that Christ did not begin to exercise his Ministry till John had ended his Mar. 1. 14. After that John was put in prison where he lost his head Jesus came into Galilee preaching the Gospell of the Kingdom of God We use to say that seldom comes a better but let not that proverb occasion dispair in any for here Christ comes after John It may be the people may think themselves undone now they have lost such a Minister as John the Baptist After him comes Christ even as Elisha comes after Eliah with a double portion of the spirituall truths of God for all that have to do in the world Thirdly Christ is said to come after John In regard of 3. In regard of his attendance upon the Ministry of John his attendance upon the Ministry of John the Baptist 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That word is seldom or never to be found in Scripture as relating to time but alwaies to place and should not be used for post me but pone me as Beza renders it So it respects time After me in regard of his Nativity and exercise of his Ministry that ye may take in the other But now After me that is In regard of his attendancy upon my Ministry So it was with Christ who was a hearer of John the Baptist Joh. 1. 26. John answered them saying I baptize with water but there standeth one amongst you whom ye know not There standeth one amongst you Therefore Christ was one of John's followers he stood amongst John's Disciples here And in the Scripture-phrase the followers of any Teacher it is usually said of them that they go after such a one because the Teacher was wont to go before and the Disciples after which is the proper notion of the phrase in that place Matth. 16. 24. Then said Jesus to his disciples If any man will come after me let him deny himself and take up his crosse and follow me The Disciple is said to come after and to follow the Teacher Christ here to come after John because he was one of his Hearers Go we on to the next words He that comes after me is preferred before me Namely In regard of his worth and dignity The Prince Christ preferred before John in regard of his worth and dignity comes after the Harbinger and yet is preferred before him The Word comes after the Voice and yet is preferred before it for it was a voice during the time of articulation and not a word till it be articulated Christ was the Prince and John the Harbinger Christ the Sun of righteousnesse and John the Morning-star Christ the Word and John the Voice Though he comes after me he was before me And it is reason he should be preferred before him in dignity because he was before him in regard of his Essence as being God from everlasting to everlasting whose going forth is from all eternity He was not onely before John but before Abraham Joh. 8. 58. Before Abraham was I am Before Abraham was yea before the World was Prov. 8. 25 26. Before the mountains were setled or before the hills were brought forth while as yet he had not made the earth nor the fields nor the highest part of the dust of the world Ye have John the Baptist telling us in this Chapter vers 34. that he bears witnesse to the Divinity of Christ And I saw and bear record that this is the Son of God Now this he doth in this place He proveth and bears record that Christ is the Son of God because he was before all That is a testimony of his Divinity The sum of all then is this John's endeavour is to preferre Christ before him that is the thing I would have you to observe And it should be the care of every Believer to prefer and exalt and set up Christ above himself He that came after me is preferred before me for he was before me John was put upon this because the people had a conceit of him that he was the Messias and therefore he made it his businesse throughly to depresse himself to exalt his Saviour I must decrease but he must encrease I am the friend of the Bridegroom but he is the Bridegroom that hath the Bride I baptize with water but he with the holy Ghost I am the poorest sinner but he is the Lamb of God
that light But the wonder will be over if ye consider that The vast difference between CHRIST and John though these two are eminent lights yet to be that light was a farther business John was the light enlightned but Christ was the light enlightning In him was light and the light was the life of men John had light by participation Christ had light and was light originally John shined for a while then his light was put under a candlestick when he was beheaded but Christ shineth for ever he hath shined in darknesse and will shine to the end of the world John was a light Instrumentalitèr Christ a light Efficientèr John Instrumentally conveyed light into others by Christ but Christ the light Efficientèr Who of himself and by himself by his owne power conveyeth light by way of infusion into the hearts of his servants Therefore to put the difference it is purposely said He was not that light We may note from hence That God cannot endure to have that ascribed Note to any man which is proper to Christ Therefore I will here shew Where the holy Ghost setteth himself to advance John the Baptist yet he would not have him raised too high he would not set him in the Throne He doth purposely prevent all imaginations of his deserving what is Christ's due He was not that Light Look through Scripture and History in all ages Ye shall find how ill God taketh it at the hands of men whensoever they come to usurp any thing out of the hands of Christ As in old time where there rose up a Seducer an Impostor that gave himself out to be that Star which Balaam prophecied of which was a prophecy of Christ Now Numb 24. 17. this fellow called himself Ben-chomar The son of a Star this man professed himselfe to be Christ but he was slain with thunder and lightning from heaven And then the Jews called him Ben cosmar which signifieth The son of a Lie Ye have it said It is the voyce of God It is proper onely to God Never man spake like this man as they said true of Christ But if Herod will take this to himself when the people cry out The voice of God and not of man Herod shall pay for it it cost him his life Act. 12. He was eaten up with worms If ye look into the beginning of that chapter Herod had before this imprisoned Peter and slain James with the sword God putteth up this but if he will come to usurp what is proper to Christ God will put it up no longer then the worms devour him Herod might safelier take-away the liberty of one and the life of another than the glory due to the Son of God This is to be considered by them that take too much upon them and by them that ascribe too much to men Some take too much upon them even so much as Christ himself can take no more It is said of the man of sin that he sitteth in the temple of of God as God and some of the Popes sat down so as Pope 2 Thess 2. 4. Martin the fourth When the people of Cicily had given some offence to the See of Rome and in an humble manner sent their Ambassadors to make their peace it is frequently known in History that those Ambassadors deprecated in these very words Thou Lamb of God that takest away the The Pope usurpeth the title of Christ sins of the world have mercy upon us Was not this a wicked cursed blasphemous thing for the man of sin to have this spoken to him All power saith another Pope is given to me in heaven and in earth It is wonderfull patience that The Pope a Blaspheme◠God should suffer the man of sin so long now he hath usurped what belongeth to Christ On the other side some there are that ascribe too much to men even that which is Christ's due and ought to be reserved for him as when people in trouble of conscience go to this or that godly Minister or Friend and do expect they shall have peace spoken to them from such a mouth Here is a great deal of dishonour done to Christ That man whatsoever he be is not that light therefore they that go with this expectation ascribe too much to man God many times sendeth men away without comfort because they come in expectation of more than is in man They come as Mr. Greenham was wont to say not as to Ministers who have nothing but what is derived but as to Magicians as if men could conjure for comfort Who is it that hath the keys of David that shutteth and no man openeth and openeth and no man shutteth This is Christ's prerogative If he open the conscience all the devills in hell cannot shut it and if he shut the conscience all the Angells in heaven cannot open it As for Ministers they are Instruments through whom ye believe yet they are but Instruments therefore are ready to say to all men upon such occasion even as Peter and John said to them when they had healed the lame man Act. 3. 12 13. Ye men of Israel why marvell ye at this or why look ye so earnestly on us as though by our own power and holinesse we had made this man to walk The God of Abraham and of Isaac and of Jacob the God of our fathers hath glorified his Son Jesus it is He that hath done it Look not on us but look to Christ We are not that Light I conclude this with that of the Apostle purposely 1 Cor. 3. 5 6 7. Who then is Paul or Apollos or Cephas but ministers by whom ye believe even as the Lord giveth to every man I have done with the declaration of John the Baptist's Office save onely for what followeth in the end of the Verse which is nothing else but a repetition of what went before namely He was sent to bear witnesse of that Light Vers 8. He was not that Light but was sent to bear witness of that Light Vers 9. That was the true Light which lighteth every man that commeth into the world Let us consider what is said of this eighth Verse He was sent to bear witnesse to that light Amongst other diverse The end of Repetition in Scripture ends of Repetition in Scripture this is one to set on a commendation Exod. 6. 26 27. These are that Moses and Aaron to whom the Lord said Bring up the children of Israel from the land of Egypt These are they that spake to Pharoah King of Egypt These are that Moses and Aaron Here is thrice These are they these are that Moses and Aaron The Repetition heightneth the Commendations So The same came to bear witnesse of that light And Was sent to bear witnesse of the light To teach us this That to bear witnesse of the light and to testifie of Christ is a most Observ honourable employment Of all that are born of a woman as our
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
Divine A word too much scorned now a daies 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 why because he did set forth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He is called Divine because he held forth the Divinity of the Word namely of Christ Others did it as well as He. But not so much Ye shall find Luke calling Christ the Word in that place though not often yet worthy your noting Luke 1. 2. Even as they delivered them unto us which from the beginning were eye witnesses and Ministers of the Word What is that not Preachers of the Gospell but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 followers of Jesus Christ St. Luke had that relation from the Apostles themselves who were eye-witnesses of Christ and from the Seventy Disciples who were likewise servants of the Word And in all reason this must be the sense that by Word here Luke should mean the Lord Jesus Christ because it suiteth so well with what the other Apostles said As John begins his Epistle He telleth them he would speak to them of whom they had heard and seen of the Word of Life 1 John 1. 1. That which was from the beginning which we have heard and seen with our eyes and have look't upon and have handled of the Word of Life So Luke telleth them he spake what he received By Luke from the Ministers of the Word Which suiteth with that place 2 Pet. 1. 16. We have not followed cunningly devised fables when we made known to you the power and coming of Jesus Christ but we were eye-witnesses of his Majesty But if this be not the meaning then consider How much wanting doth Luke seem to be to his Readers He intendeth to write of Jesus Christ and to make a Preface of Christ and fully mentioneth him whom he intendeth to write upon Ye shall find Paul calling Christ the VVord in that fare-well-speech of his to the Church of Ephesus By Paul which is recommended Act. 20. 32. Now brethren I commend you to God and to the VVord of his grace which is able to build you up and to give you an inheritance among all them which are sanctified I know this place is commonly interpreted of the Gospell and that the Gospell is called the VVord of Grace in another place of the Acts of the Apostles but yet they question whether that be the meaning here or no and that upon this ground because that Word is here meant to which the Saints are commended Now the Gospell is commended to the Saints but the Saints are not commended to the Gospell But some other Word is here meant that is Christ I commend you to God namely to God the Father and to the VVord namely to Christ Indeed for the Gospell to be commended to the Saints is an usuall thing 2 Tim. 1. 13 14. Hold fast Usuall for the Gospel to be commended to the Saints not the Saints to the Gospel the form of sound words which thou hast heard of me in faith and love which is in Jesus Christ That good thing which was committed to thee keep by the holy Ghost which dwelleth in us And so in the second Chapter of that Epistle vers 2. The things that thou hast heard of me amongst many witnesses the same commit thou to faithfull men Here is the Gospell committed to the Saints But where do you find the Saints committed to the Gospell To God ye find them committed again and again Act. 4. 26. Having commended them to the grace of God Here are men commended to God And so in that sense I take it here I commend you to God and to the Word of his grace to Jesus Christ who is called The VVord of his Christ the Author of Grace and Reconciliation with God grace here because it is Christ that God is reconciled to us by He is the Author of all that grace and reconciliation and favour which we have with God So understand the VVord of grace as you understand the VVord of life that is Christ clearly VVhat we have heard and seen of the VVord of life that is Christ the Author of that Ye shall find Paul calling Christ by the name of the VVord in another place which is commonly otherwise interpreted Heb. 4. 12. The word of God is quick and powerfull and sharper than any two-edged sword piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit and of the joynts and marrow and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight but all things are naked and open to the eyes of him with whom we have to do The VVord clearly here is a Person I say a Person for the VVord of God is quick All things are manifest in His sight All things are naked and open in the eyes of Him He and Him and His these imply that the Apostle speaketh of a Person not of the Word revealed but of the Essentiall vord of God which is Christ Not but that something may agree to the revealed Word because it hath the stamp of Christ upon it but something cannot be given to it The Word is a Revealer of the thoughts of the heart when it is powerfully Preached But Who can properly say of the word that every creature is naked and open before the word of God Before Christ every creature is open Christ is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the searcher of all hearts in a proper sense Take the end of the thirteen Verse All things are naked and open to the eye of him the word namely with whom we have to do Our Translation readeth it thus which the Originall doth very well bear All things are open to the eye of him to whom we must give an account 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not With whom we have to do but To whom we must give an account 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 there signifieth Account compared to Rom. 14. 12. So then every one of us shall give an account of himself to God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the same word that is in Heb. 12. To whom must we give account to the revealed Word No but to the Word that is to Jesus Christ We must all stand before the judgment-seat of Christ Heb. 12. 13. The very word that is in this place speaks expresly of Christ Seeing then we have a great high Priest that is passed into the heavens for us let us do so and so The Word is the same with the High Priest The second Quere then is this Why is Christ rather Quaere 2 called by this tearm The Word than by the name of the Why Christ is called the VVord rather than the Son of God Son of God here in the beginning of this Gospell why doth not John rather say The Son of God was in the beginning and was God and was with God But In the beginning was the Word Why for this reason probably because he would not at first alienate the hearts of his Readers
Text In the beginning was the word The Lord possessed me in the beginning of his waies before his works of old I was set up from everlasting from the beginning or ever the world was When there were no depths I was brought forth when there were no fountains abounding with water Before the mountains were setled before the hills were brought forth c. Another testimony ye have of Christ's Eternity it is in the Type of Melchisedeck Heb. 7. 2 3. King of Righteousnesse and King of Salem which is King of Peace Without father or mother or without descent having neither beginning of daies nor end of life but made like the Son of God which abideth a Priest continually What cause have we to adore as Tertullian speaketh not onely to admire but to adore the fulnesse of the Scriptures The very silence of the Scriptures speaks deep Mysteries The Apostle arguing from the Scriptures the Eternity of Christ speaketh nothing of Melchisedeck's father or mother Moses speaking of the Worthies in Scripture he is wont to speak of their parentage when they began and when they dyed But the Apostle when he speaks of this Priest saith He was without father or mother Another place of the Eternity of Christ ye have Mich. 5. 2. where he speaketh both of the temporall and eternall Generation of the Son of God Thou Bethlehem Ephrata though thou be little amongst the thousands of Judah yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that shall be Ruler in Israel Out of thee shall he come forth That is of his temporall Government Here he speaketh of his eternall Generation Whose goings forth have been from everlasting In the beginning was the word That is Christ was from everlasting He had a beeing before the greatest began to be And this may serve briefly for the Explication of that Proposition I now come to the Application because I intend to be as brief as may be What ye have heard of Christ's Eternity of having a being before the creatures were made will afford you First matter of Comfort Secondly matter of Duty First Matter of Comfort from hence because this lets Vse 1 Of Comfort us see that our happinesse standeth upon an everlasting foundation upon one who was in the beginning before any creature began to be And what shall overthrow that Building whose foundations are laid in Eternity Shall the Creatures which are but of yesterday What can they do to undo what the eternall God hath ordained before the world was That is the foundation of all Ephes 1. 4. According as he hath chosen us in Christ before the foundation of the world that we should be holy and without blame before him in love Our salvation beareth date before the world was therefore there is nothing in the world shall prejudice it much lesse overthrow it It resteth upon him who was in the beginning and who will be after the end upon him who is Alpha and Omega more antient than the beginning and more lasting than the end of the creatures Alas poor creatures time was when they were not but then was He In the beginning was the word and there will come a time when they shall not be but no time wherein it can be said Christ is not The Devill is a creature Shall he be able to undo what the Eternall hath appointed He was not when Christ was and though he shall now live for ever to be in torment yet the time shall come when he shall not be a Tempter Then Christ shall be a Saviour be sure Hab. 1. 12. See what a spring of consolation doth arise from this consideration of Strong Consolation from the consideration of Christ's Eternity Christ's Eternity Art thou not from everlasting O Lord my God my holy One art thou not from everlasting we shall not die Certainly we that have an everlasting Saviour shall be freed from everlasting death we shall not die This is the lot of as many as lay hold on him by faith Our eternall Saviour loveth to do all things like himself Lest you should fear either want of love or might both his love and power are eternall even as Himself is He hath everlasting kindnesse in him and intendeth to shew it unto us Isa 54. 8. In a little wrath I hid my face from thee for a moment And from his Love and Power but with everlasting kindnesse will I have mercy on thee saith the Lord thy Redeemer And his Power is as everlasting as his Love Isa 20. 4. Trust ye in the Lord for ever for in the Lord JEHOVAH is everlasting strength The consideration of these two should fill us with everlasting consolation as Paul speaks 1 Thess 2. 16. Everlasting consolation and good hope through grace He that was in the beginning will be with us to the end I and in the end of our daies too It is a great comfort when a man commeth to die to think Whom my Salvation dependeth upon why upon an everlasting Redeemer that dyeth not There is a time when we must go out from all the creatures and have no more to do with those things that are so pleasing to us in the world There is a time when we must go into Eternity and there is Christ The creatures we delighted in they remain not I but the God we go to He remaineth From everlasting to everlasting thou art God Here is a living Comfort for a dying Creature Secondly Here is matter of Duty as well as matter of Vse 2 Of Duty Comfort If Christ were in the beginning before all the creatures then let him not come after any of them in our esteems That is one Lesson we learn from hence It is expresly said of Christ Col. 1. 17. He is hefore all things and by him all things consist He is before all things in regard of his own beeing Let him be before all things and above all things in our esteem He was before all the creatures O let him not come after them in our hearts In the beginning was the word when no wealth no profit no pleasure no preferment such as men now dote upon Christ is before all these things Why should he go after them in the esteem of men As it was amongst the Heathens they placed their happinesse in the exercise of vertue and yet some of them cryed Virtus post nummos quaerenda pecunia primùm Let Lib. 1. Epist Horat. ad Moecenatem vertue come after wealth They first laboured to get a good estate and then look'd after good qualities and dispositions So it is with many Christians who in their Doctrins and Professions place their happinesse and fellowship with Christ after riches let Christ come after Which of us doth not wonder and cry shame of the Gadarenes that preferred their swine before Christ rather let him go out of their coasts than part with their heards Certainly we in effect do the same when we prefer our swinish
the Creatures as it were by these severall stages and let our affections goe on as God went on in working Fourthly But six dayes De Posse God might have done 4. To see how great things God can do in a short time it in a moment But defacto he did it in six dayes We see how great a thing God can do in a short time That which men and Angells could not have done though he had given them a thousand millions of years to have perfected it Thirteen years was Solomon a building the first Temple And forty yeares were the Jews a building the second Temple Here in six dayes Heaven and Earth and Sea and All things therein are made Therefore trust God be thou never so low in thy estate or name or body or Soul He that raised the World out of nothing in six dayes how soon is he able to raise thee to a Competencie of these things Lastly Six dayes and no more God cast it so as we may 5. To limit us a time of working think on purpose to limit us a time of working and a time of resting He himself wrought six dayes and rested the seaventh day from all his works To teach us That we should have six dayes to labour in and keep the seaventh as a Sabbath Levit. 23. 3. Six dayes shalt thou labour but the seaventh day is the Sabbath of rest an holy Convocation ye shall do no work therein It is the Sabbath of the Lord in all your dwellings That is the third thing Ye have heard what these All-things are In what order they were made And in what space of time they were created See now next In what manner they were created Fourthly In what manner were they made They were made by the sole word of God without instruments 4. In what manner without materialls meerly by the word of Command Psal 148. 5 6. Praise him ye Heaven of heavens and ye waters that be above the Heavens let them praise the name of the Lord for he commanded and they were created He hath established them for ever and ever he hath made a decree which shall not passe You read of no Instruments Solomon could not make a Temple but he must have a thousand of Tools God doth but speak the word and the earth was made You read of no materials out of which he made the world What can men make if you give them nothing to work upon Let a Smith have Iron and a Mason Stone and they can make some Work but here God maketh all out of Nothing saith the Apostle Heb. 11. 3. Through faith we Understand that the World was framed by the word of God so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear Briefly God made Something of Nothing and then out of that Something made All things as one well expresseth it That which Gen. 1. is called the earth and the water and the deep that first matter it was made out of meer nothing There is something out of nothing and then out of that first-Matter were all things framed There is all things out of something so as mediately or immediately all the Creatures come out of Nothing There is Non-ens negativum And so the first matter commeth out of nothing There is Non-ens privativum And so the other things they came out of that which is Non-ens tale a thing that had no naturall disposition to receive such a form And here is the omnipotency of God seen in both For it requires as much power to produce such and such formes as to produce that God Omnipotent in the Creation first matter out of Nothing and yet This God hath done And this should teach us both Obedience and Humility The consideration of the manner of making all things He made them all by his word Who are we that we should disobey the word of God which every Creature was framed by It is a shame for a man to be the worst thing in his house All the World is a house made for Man and man approveth himself the worst thing in the World if he disobey the Word of God Fire Haile Ice Snow fulfill thy Word saith the Psalmist He did but say Let there be light and the light presently shined How many words have we had Ten words of the Law as the Ten Commandements all comprized in two Words under the Gospell Repent and Believe and how many are unbelieving and disobedient still The Creatures cast shame upon us in this particular As they were made without Instruments by a sole word of Command so they were made of Nothing This should take down our Pride shall we be proud of the Creature That is to be proud of Nothing Proud of our parts or gifts Who art thou the Son of Adam vvho is Adam the Son of dust What is that dust The Son of nothing All resolveth it self into Nothing And certainly he that hath brought something out of nothing can quickly reduce our something to nothing again if we begin to be proud of it As he did the parts and power of Nebuchadnezzar when he took away his understanding and turned him to eat grasse with the beasts of the field Some thing ye have heard about the Things and the Order and the Manner and the Time Fiftly See now the End for which all things were made 5. To what end Solomon telleth you in one word That they were all made for the glory of God Prov. 16. 4. The Lord hath made all things for himself The Heavens declare the glory of God The firmaments shew his handy works Therefore this is the great improvement we should make of all the things that are made to read something of God in them And this is a duty that lyeth especially upon man Man as he is the most considerable part of the visible World so the only Creature that can consider the rest and it lyeth as a more strong engagement upon him to Glorifie God above all because no visible Creature can do it if man deny it And it lyeth as a more strong obligation upon Ministers to Preach the Word because Regularly none but they can Preach And also upon Kings to govern and Merchants to trade because none can govern none can trade in such things as they No none but Men can consider and praise God for what he hath done in the World Therefore every man should look at this great book of the Creature as that which is written all over with something of God Beloved There is many a man cast away for not reading when he is put to this book a Non legit here may destroy a man for not reading the book of the Creature Though some of us take it but for a morall fault Observe that Psal 28. 5. Because they regarded not the works of the Lord nor the operation of his hands he shall destroy them and not build them up Why Should God set before
us such a glorious piece as this is and shall not we consider it with a Contemplative eye An Artist thinketh himself negglected when he hangeth forth a Picture to be viewed and no body give it the beholding All creatures are active upon the stage of the world but Man is a Spectator as well as an Actor therefore they should observe not themselves Man is not to observe himself onely but what God doth in other Creatures onely but whatsoever God doth in other creatures and towards other creatures as well as in and towards themselves To this end God hath fitted them with Sense to let the consideration of him into their Understandings and set them in such a place of the world as that they are compassed about both with lasting works of Creation Sun Moon Stars Beasts Plants and the like and also with transient works of Providence that passe over their heads daily O therefore that men would praise the Lord and glorifie him in and for all these things that he hath made That is the Use we should make of it Rev. 4. ult Thou art worthy O Lord to receive glory and honour and power for thou hast created all things For thee they are and were created Rom. 1. 20. Therefore give him the glory of his power Who but God could have created such a Palace as Heaven and Pond as the Sea and Pavement as the Earth Give Him the glory of His wisdom O Lord how manifold are thy works In wisdom hast thou made them all It requireth wisdom to manage a great Family much wisdom to martiall a great Army What wisdom is it in God not onely to make but to govern all the host of all the Creatures In wisdom hast thou made them all in wisdom dost thou govern them Let all therefore give Him the praise of his Goodnesse for the next words there say The earth is full of thy riches namely of his goodnesse to the sons of men because for us were all these things made and we were made for God as ye heard before And therefore made after his own Image Now my Brethren What doth God expect from us in a way of requitall for all these things but that as they serve As the Creature serveth us so we should serve the Lord. us so we should serve him That seeing we are made after his own Image we should represent him in our dispositions and carriages towards the sons of men in being holy and meek and loving even as God himself is Whose image and superscription is this will God ask one day that is upon thy soul Is it God's after which thou art made or is it Satan's If the Devill 's give to Satan that which is Satan's God will give the Devill his due one day If he findeth his own Image spunged out of us and the Devill 's stampt upon us wo be to us As it is said of Queen Elizabeth that passing by the streets and seeing some of her Pictures hang for Signes that were not made like her she was angry and caused them to be pulled down and thrown into the fire Brethren I speak it with trembling Should any of you carry souls about you that do not look like God they must be thrown down and cast into the fire Thus have I run over a sort of Considerations from the great and glorious work of the Creation The next thing is to discourse of Christ as the Maker the Efficient Vers 3. All things were made by him and without him was made nothing that was made Vers 4. In him was life and the life was the light of men The Divinity of Jesus Christ under the tearm of the Word hath been asserted in the former Verse In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God And this our Evangelist proveth by an Argument taken from the Creation First Generally from the Creation of all things All things were made by him and without him was not any thing made that was made Secondly More Especially from the Creation of living things living Creatures In him was life And Particularly from the Creation of Man The life was the light of men That part of the Argument which is most Generall lyeth in the third Verse Where ye have two things The Argument first Propounded And secondly Illustrated Propounded All things were made by him Illustrated Without him was not any thing made that was made In the Proposition are two things Here is the Effect All things made The Efficient By him Of the Effect I have spoken already I proceed now to the Efficient Christ the Eternall Word was the Maker of them All things were made by him The Eternall Word was the Creator of all things Ye shall have this truth established in the mouth of two or three witnesses Ephes 2. 9. Who created all things by Jesus Christ The Epistle to the Hebrewes will afford two pregnant testimonies Heb. 1. 2. He hath in these last daies spoken to us by his Son whom he hath appointed heir of all things by whom also he made the worlds This may seem something difficult because he speaketh of Worlds whereas we acknowledg but one Let it be considered whom he writes to the Hebrews whose custome it was to style God Rabboni Dominus mundorum The Lord of the Worlds They were wont to speak of three Worlds the lower World the higher World and the middle World The lower World containeth the Elements Earth and Water and Aire and Fire The higher World that containeth the Heaven of the Blessed And the middle World that containeth the Starry Heaven We now being acquainted with this Language and the Apostle writing to them he saith That God by Christ made the Worlds those worlds which they were wont to speak so frequently of And whereas one scruple might arise from this expression in the Text By him were all things made that in the Ephesians God created all things by Jesus Christ this to the Hebrews By whom he made the worlds As if Christ were onely an Instrument in the Creation and not the principall Efficient Therefore another place in this first Chapter will clear it which speaketh of Christ as the principall Efficient of all things Heb. 1. compare the 8th and 10th Verses together To the Son he saith Thy throne O God is for ever and ever And Thou Lord verse 10. hast laid the foundations of the earth and the heavens are the work of thy hands Namely thine that is the Son which he spake of before There is no great distinction here in all Objections for this Praeposition 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doth not alwaies signifie an Instrument but sometimes it noteth a principall Agent It is said of God Of him and through him and to him are all things 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rom. 11. 36. by him which we render through him Ye will have a more clear place Gal. 1. 1. Paul an Apostle not of man neither by
When creatures fail and men are wanting Happy is he that trusteth in God saith the Psalmist Beloved God himself is All-sufficient and needeth not the help of any creature therefore he never made all these things for Himself that is clear For if he had need How could he have endured to be without them till within these 5672 years I say If God had needed them himself he would not have been without them till then Therefore certainly he made them for some other end Not for his enemies his friends have an interest in them If Christ made all these things he made them with a speciall reference to them that have the greatest interest in his favour Therefore dispair not For God hath promised to with-hold no good thing from them that walk uprightly I speak now of temporall blessings It is much more true of spiritualls That which is good and good for me at this time I shall have it God will not with-hold it He may indeed with-hold something that is good but it may be it is not good at this time or in this estate I am in Water is good one of the most usefull Elements but not for a man in the heighth of a Feavour though good for him at another time None of those things that God hath made will he withhold from his servants when they are fitted to receive them Ye have a great experience of this how God provided for his Apostles in this case in the want of the creatures Luk. 22. 35. Christ saith to the Disciples When I sent you without purse or scrip and shoos lacked ye any thing And they said Nothing Here were men as poorly provided for as one could imagine sent to travell without any shoos upon their feet Here is want of apparell without No meat Believers want nothing that is necessary for their support they could carry along with them When I sent you without scrip and without any mony to buy any food or rayment with I sent you without purse as well as without food or shoos And yet lacked ye any thing And they said Nothing The Maker of all things so disposed that though they carried nothing with them they had some that bestowed all things upon them that were necessary As that reverend Divine Vrfine whose Catechism you have amongst you at this day was frequently heard to use this expression being a poor youth I had many and many a time lyen in the streets if the Providence of God had not been mine Hoste taken me in and given me a lodging Well But are they spirituall blessings that thou wantest All wants of spirituall blessings are supplied by Christ All these thou maist have from the Creator of all things if thou believest Dost thou want Grace Fetch it from him Create in me a clean heart O Lord and renew a right spirit within me Psal 51. 10. Dost thou want Peace peace of Conscience Have ye that Whence commeth it Christ who is the Creator of all things is the Creator of that I create the fruit of the lips peace peace to him that is afar off and to him that is near saith the Lord. Go then to Christ as the Centurion did when his servant was sick and say Speak the word and my servant shall be whole Lord speak the word and my soul shall be whole It is but as at the Creation He said Let there be light and there was light Lord let there be light in my understanding and there shall be light Let there be peace in my conscience and there shall be peace there It is as easie for him to make thee righteous as to make thee at first Therefore trust Him Secondly Here is comfort in case of Scruple about right to the Creature which is a very usuall case and that many 2. In case of Scruple times with the dearest servants of God They think they have no right to the least bit of bread they put into their mouths and therefore some have starved themselves out of scruple Who is the maker of all these things Is not Christ and art not thou his All are yours if you be Christ's and Christ is God's The Apostle resolveth that case clearly 1 Cor. 3. latter end Whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas or principalityes or powers or things present or They that have Christ have all things to come all are yours and ye are Christ's If ye be Christ's all are yours Whatsoever question may be made of what right unregenerate men out of Christ have to the creature yet it is out of all question thou that art a Believer hast a right The ungodly have the right of a servant but thou hast the right of a son Take this comparison A Simile maid-servant while she liveth in a family hath a right to the good things of that house but now put case as it often happeneth that the Master of the family marry that Maid and make her his wife she hath a farther right now to the same things an higher right and a more comfortable right than before So when a soul commeth once to be married to Jesus Christ to have a sanctified use of all the creatures as part of her Joynture All is yours and ye are Christ's Thirdly Here is Comfort in case of fearing harm from the Creature Are they not all of thy Saviour's making 3. In case of fearing harm from the creature are they not all thy Father's servants Shall a son and heir be afraid to converse in his Father 's own family and fearfull of those that serve him whom he calleth Father The creatures are more they are not onely servants to Christ but they owe their beeing to Christ Ye see great men when they raise men they are wont to call such a one their Creature What are the servants of the family have they been raised up from nothing by the Master of the family and shall the son fear to be amongst them I will lift up mine eyes to the hills from whence commeth my help My help standeth in the name of the Lord who made heaven and earth He speaketh nothing of help from the creatures because he trusted in the Lord that made them Ye have it Isa 54. 16 17. God himself suggesteth this consolation to his people Behold I have created the smith that bloweth the coals in the fire and that bringeth forth an instrument for his work And I have created the destroyer to destroy No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper Therefore fear not He that made all these things hath them at his command and if he speaks the word they shall do thee no harm Without him was nothing made and without him can nothing hurt If God speaketh a word in a dream to Laban and saith concerning Jacob Hurt him not Laban shall have no power to do him mischief when God rebuketh him If God say to the creatures even when they are armed against us as David
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The same word in the Text. He came to his owne home Though the earth be the Lords and the fulnesse thereof yet the Land of Judea was Christ's home in a speciall manner He dwelt there in a more remarkable way As it is said Psal 76. 1 2. In Judah is God known his Name is great in Israell in Salem also is his Tabernacle and his dwelling place in Sion where Christ's home was And accordingly it is said Isai 31. ult He shall passe over to his strong hold for fear and his Princes shall be afraid of the Ensigne saith the Lord whose fire is in Sion and his furnace in Jerusalem It is a Metaphor taken from them that keep fire in their dwelling houses It is a signe that the house standeth not empty where fire is kept Now saith he The Lords furnace is in Jerusalem He dwelleth there Therefore he is said to come to his owne when He came to them He came to his own that is the Jewes who are said to be his owne in a speciall manner Psal 33. 12. Blessed is the Nation whose God is the Lord and the people whom He hath chosen for his owne Inheritance Here it is spoken of the Nation of the Jewes And his owne received him not That is believed not in him So the word is interpreted in the very next verse To as many as received him that is believed in Not to receive Christ is not to believe in Him his name Received him not that is believed not in his name so as here that which we are to observe is briefly this Though Christ came to his owne he was not received no not by them First He came to them in his Ordinances They had the 1. How in his Ordinances Ministry of the word He hath not dealt so with every Nation Psal 147. ult Neither have the Heathen knowledge of his wayes but he sheweth his word to Jacob and his statutes and judgments to Israell Christ came in his word The Scripture is but the shell Christ is the kernell The Scripture is the Cabinet Christ is the Jewell Scripturae sunt fasciae in quibus involutus est puer Jesus This the Prince of Antwerpe was wont to say The Scriptures are the swadling Cloaths in which Christ is wrapt So Christ came in the word in a great many personall types that did fore-signifie him He came in Melchisedeck He himselfe Gen. 14. 18. being the true King of Righteousnesse the King of peace He came in Joshua he being the true Leader of men into the heavenly Canaan He came in Isaac he being the true Joshua 4. 19. Gen. 18. 12. Gen. 22. 6. Son of Laughter The cause of his peoples joy bearing his owne Crosse as Isaac bore the Wood. So in all other personall Types He came in the Sacrifices under the Law they all signified Him Therefore they offered the Morning and Evening Sacrifice The Evening sacrifice was offered at the same hour in which Christ was after nailed to the Crosse And he did so purposely to make it appear that He came to fulfill all those Sacrifice He came in the Sacrament the Lamb slain The passe-over was a Type of Christ Christ our passe-over was sacrificed for us Manna was a Type of him And so the water in the Rock that was Christ So he came in his Ordinances to the Jewes but they did not receive him Let two Prophets answer that Isa 8. 12. I have written to him speaking of Ephraim the great things of my Law but they were counted as a strange thing Christ came in the Word and they looked at the word as if it concerned not them they accompted it as a strange thing this for the Law And for the Gospell whereof Isaiah was a Preacher in that age the most Evangelicall of all the Prophets see what he saith Isa 53. 1. Who hath believed our report and to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed Here is Christ comes to his owne in his Ordinances and not received the report of him not believed his Law accompted a strange thing Secondly Christ in the flesh The word was made flesh 2. How in the flesh and dwelt amongst us He conversed in the land of Judea This was an act of speciall favour For one to receive a man into his house is a favour What was it for Christ to become man himselfe to assume the Manhood into one and the same Person into the Godhead yet this he did He came to his owne did they receive him Search the Sciptures some kind of reception there was when He was born But what Here is a King born where is his Pallace Matth. 2. 2◠Luk. 2. 7. Matth. 2. 14. The stable for beasts is his Court His Chamber of presence a Manger Before He can go He is forced to flye to Egypt in his Mothers armes and at his return what entertainment findeth he The Gadarenes prefer their swine Mar. 5. 17. 15. 13. before him the Jews cry out Crucifie him crucifie him Not him but Barabbas Which is excellently set forth in that Parable of the Master of the Vineyard wherein Christ Luk. 20. 9. telleth us How the Master of the Vineyard after other Messengers sent sendeth his own Son And the husbandmen said This is the heir let us slay him This was the entertainment Christ found when he came to his own This for the Explication of it In the first place it hinteth us to a considerable Parallel 1. Christ not received nor Antichrist avoided between Christ and Antichrist in regard of their Entertainment Christ came and was to be received Antichrist was to come and to be shunned The Scripture had foretold that Christ should come when the Scepter should depart from Judah Therefore about that time they began Gen. 49. 10. to look for the Consolation of Israel as Simeon and the rest Luk. 2. 25. did 2 Thess 2. 7. When that which withholds is taken out of the way then the man of perdition shall be revealed Accordingly Christ came at his time and Antichrist came at his time and yet neither was Christ received nor Antichrist shunned as he should have been and all upon a false surmise They looked not at Christ at that time but as a temporall Monarch therefore they received him not because he came in a mean condition Antichrist came in his time up-starts the Pope when the Emperour went down But they looked for Antichrist as a Tyrant that should with fire and sword over-run the world but he came in sheep's Antichrist's hypocriticall delusion cloathing as a Lamb therefore they shunn'd him not upon this mistake onely As some godly Jews when Christ came gave him entertainment as the Messias so when Antichrist came some believers were stirred up to cry out that the Pope was Antichrist and so to write against him from his first rise After Antichrist had been in the world a while people began to
were not some Havens and Harbours to strike into in a storm so no living in the World if there were not some comfort to be fetched from Heaven Look through all the Scriptures and ye will hardly find a safer harbour than this The relation between God and believers He is their Father they his Children They receive Christ and so become sons This will afford comfort to us in severall Cases which I shall briefly run over First In case of weak abilities and performances when they shall think that God is their Father and therefore is 1. Receiving Christ affordeth comfort in case of weak Performances willing to bear with them though their performances be but weak and their abilities small according to that Psal 102. 13 14. Like as a father pittieth his children so the Lord pittieth them that fear him For he knoweth our frame he remembreth that we are but dust God consider what mould we are made of that we are Men and not Angels sinfull men and not men in a state of Perfection Therefore when we follow on to know him and go lamenting after the Lord as it is said of the men of Israel Jer. 9. though God discover a great deal of weaknesse in our services yet we find a great deal of acceptance in him when he looketh upon us as children The truth is though our faith be weak our God is strong and from thence commeth our safety As when a father carrieth his little child in his armes the Infant with his little feeble arms layeth hold upon the father but the safety lyeth in the father's holding him and not in his clasping about the father So we hold Christ by the feeble arm of our faith but Christ holdeth us more strongly by his Spirit and our safety commeth from thence It is true our faith is weak and so our services are accordingly weak but still look at God as a Father Suppose a man have a son in forraign parts sent abroad for his education before he hath well learned the Language he writeth a Letter home to his father He is but a scribler what he writeth is written but in broken language and badly writ But it commeth from a child and therefore the father taketh it well and passeth by all the faults The father biddeth the child shoot at such a mark the child draweth the bowe and letteth go the arrow falleth a great deal short of the mark yet he is encouraged by the father because he hath done his best As men are in a condition of belief so accordingly in a condition of As our Faith is so is our Comfort comfort If I can but go to God as a Father though with a great deal of infirmity I may hope to find successe Indeed Lord Lord is often sent away without a blessing they cried Lord Lord and had no blessing But Father Father that alwaies proceedeth from the Spirit of Adoption by which we cry Abba Father that is never sent away without an answer Deus non negavit sua petentibus saith Augustine sweetly God that freely offereth himself to those that ask not for him will be sure to give his good things to them that ask him because he is their Father Secondly As in the first place it ministreth comfort thus 2. In case of sinful failings in case of weak abilities and performances so In case of sinful failings We are not onely weaklings but sinners in what we do But yet Look at God as a Father and consider that Mal. 3. 13. I will spare them as a father spareth his own son that serveth him If we be sons serving-sons that go on to serve our Father according to what we have received from him he will spare us as a man spareth his son that serveth him Doubtless many are here that know the bowells of parents let those that do not consider David's carriage towards his sinfull son Absolom Absolom taketh up arms against his father and endeavoureth to deprive him of his Estate Crown and Life An Army commeth against him and messengers come and tell David that Absolom is overthrown What enquiry doth David make How fareth it with the Host No but Is the young man Absolom well And when a second messenger came and told him Absolom was slain How do his bowells break out at his mouth My son Absolom my son would God I had died for thee Let us judge by this how God looketh at a failing child whose bowells are infinitely much more large than those of David's Ye know the Parable of the Prodigal Luk. 15. he had run a wild course but resolving with himself to take up I will go to my father saith he and say unto him Father I have sinned against heaven and before thee He doth so And this word Father breaketh the heart of him to whom he made his addresse as ye know the story He fetched the robes and the ring and killed the fatted calf Though a prodigall yet a son still Our Saviour knew the comfort of this Relation and therefore directeth us to make use of it in his Prayer Our Father which art in heaven for give us our trespasses That is a melting word and therefore this must needs be a comfortable Relation Thirdly This affordeth Comfort to Believers In case of 3. In case of temporall sufferings temporall sufferings and want and losses and dangers Whatsoever our sufferings be they come from a Father And the holy Ghost calleth upon us again and again to consider that Deut. 8. 5. Thou shalt a so consider in thy heart that as a man chastiseth his son so the Lord thy God chastiseth thee The father will call for a rod to correct his son but will not turn him out of doors Ye have it at large Heb. 12. from the 5th verse to the 11th Ye have forgot the exhortation which speaketh to you as unto children My son despise not thou the chastening of the Lord nor faint when thou art rebuked of him for whom the Lord loveth he chastiseth and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth For they verily for a few daies chastise us at their pleasures but he for our profit that we might be partakers of the holinesse of God All chastisements tend to make men partakers of the holinesse of God As for the wants of Believers whatsoever they be here is comfort for them they do not want a Father It is the great consolation that Christ gave to his Disciples when he was to depart from them in regard of his corporall presence Joh. 14. 18. I will not leave you comfortlesse but I will come to you That is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as the word in the Original signifieth I will not leave you orphans or fatherlesse A child though he be a son and heir yet in his minority is often kept short a servant haply the steward of a family hath as good allowance as he The children of Christ here are in minority therefore they are
who is meant by the Word and what is meant by Flesh I now proceed to shew you in what sense the Word is said to be made flesh First We must remove a false sense then assert the true The Word was made flesh Take it in the phrase of Athanasius The Word made flesh by taking the Manhood into God not by converting the Godhead into Man his Creed Not by conversion of the Godhead into Man but by the taking of the Manhood into God Quod erat permansit quod non erat assumpsit They were wont to sing so in an antient Liturgy Christ remaineth without any change in him as God I speak according to the meaning of that old Aenigmaticall Verse Sum quod eram quod eram non sum nunc dicor utrumque It is said in the Person of Christ I am what I was to wit God still I was not what I am to wit Man I am called both to wit God-Man To clear it by the application of the Text The Word was made flesh Christ is called the Word particularly in reference to that internall word and conceptions that are in a man's heart Now if a man manifest his own conceptions What doth he do He assumeth a voice as it were and by that voice makes men to hear what his conception is This Word was that that it was before yet it was manifested in the flesh without any change of what he was Here ye have the false sense removed Let the true sense now be asserted The Word was made flesh that is He assumed the Human Nature into By assuming the human nature into the union of his Person the union of his person He that was God before from everlasting doth now take man into the unity of his Person onely there is this difference in it The phrase seemeth to import something more because it is said The Word was made flesh And that some Hereticks catch at because they say One thing cannot be made another without some Object change As at the marriage in Canaan water was made wine and then it ceased to be water so say they If the Word be made flesh it must cease to be the Word for it is now made another thing For Answer to this first There is no necessity of translating Answ 1 it Made 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Word became flesh So 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Cor. 9. 20. Unto the Jews I became as a Jew saith Paul 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I became So the Word became flesh by a voluntary assumption of the Manhood So then the Objection is waved for it lyeth wholly in the Translation The Word was made flesh Secondly Let the Translation stand yet it will not overthrow Answ 2 what hath been said because every thing that is made another is not infallibly changed it self Let us therefore distinguish of a Naturall change and a Civill change a Physicall change and a Politicall change When one thing indeed is made another by a Physicall change then it ceaseth to be what it was before as when the water was made wine But one person may be made another in a way of Politicall change and yet continue what it was before As When one that is invested with Titles and Royalties of an higher nature is pleased out of condescention to assume some lower Title to himself as When a Soveraign Prince is pleased to be made or created Knight of the Garter when an English Earl is made a Gentleman of Venice Here is the King made a Knight and the Earl a Gentleman and yet continue what they were They have assumed a lower dignity without disparagement to what they were before And some of our Kings have been made free of this City of London in some Companies and it was an honour to the Company not a disparagement to the Prince So it is with Christ He honored that Nature he assumed and not lost that Nature which he had Thus you see the meaning of this Clause The Word was made flesh Let us now see what Use may be made of it First We shall apply the whole Clause and then draw Use 1 some instances from particulars The whole Clause may be of use for the confutation of For Confutation of Hereticks many Hereticks Our Evangelist here aimed at the confutation of Hereticks when he writ this Gospel and this one Clause knocketh many of them in the head It hath been the lot of the Church of Christ to be alwaies conflicting more or lesse with that kind of men For the first three hundred years after Christ the great thing then was by Persecution but after God had stirred up Constantine the Devil leaveth playing the Lion and turned to the Fox what he could not obtain by force he now seeks by fraud and instead of Persecution raiseth up Heresies And look as now adaies that which should unite all Christians together namely the Lord's Supper which we therefore call the Communion is made the greatest matter of Contention in the world The Lutherans and Caâ—vinists fall out about Consubstantiation Lutherans and Papists about Transubstantiation The Lord's Supper is made a meer matter of quarrell by the subtlety of Satan So of old this Personall Union of which I have spoken all this while the two Natures God and Man in one Person was the great matter of division in the Churches of Christ Many Hereticks struck at this and this Text meeteth with many of them I shall instance in four but not trouble you long about them but a little is fit to be said that we may know what was done in former ages Great use is of Evangelicall History There is the Heresie of The Arians All confuted by this Clause The Apollinarians The Nestorians The Eutychians The Arians held That Jesus Christ was not true God 1. The Arians opinion confuted This Text calleth him the Word and maketh him a Person in the Trinity It saith The Word was with God and the Word was God and that Word was made flesh The Apollinarians acknowledge him to be God yea and 2. The Apollinarians opinion confuted Man too but they held That he took onely the Body of a Man not the Soul of a Man but they say His Divinity supplied the room of a Soul We interpret the word Flesh rightly for the whole human nature Therefore the Apollinarians are confuted here too The Nestorians grant him to be both God and Man but 3. The Nestorians opinion confuted then they say The Godhead made one Person and the Manhood another Person We interpret the word Made rightly according as it holdeth forth an Hypostaticall Union and remember what was said of Christ's assuming not the person of man but the nature of man That Heresie is then confuted Here is God and Man two Natures but one Person 4. The Eutychians opinion confuted The Eutychians held but one Person in Christ then they confounded the Natures They say That the Godhead
Faith and Love and Zeal The former are called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the latter Charites the former gifts the latter graces in a strict sense Thirdly There is grace bestowed upon the whole Person that is Acceptation Ye may call the first Gracefulnesse 3. Upon the whole Person in the body the second Grace in the soul and the third Gracefulnesse in the person As when we say Such a one is gratious at the Court when he partaketh of the grace and favour of the King Now Christ was full of grace in all these senses First If ye speak of active grace giving grace there 1. A fulness of active grace in Christ was a fulnesse of that in Christ a fulnesse of good-will out of which flowed so many accommodations to the sons of men both for soul and body Therefore at his birth the Angels sung Good-will towards men Whether ye look to his words or to his deeds ye shall find him full of grace in this sense If to his words ye know what the Evangelist saith Luk. 4. 42. They all bare witnesse and wondred at the gratious words which proceeded out of his mouth Gratious words It is prophecied of him and accordingly he made it good that he should not cry nor his voice be heard in the streets His cry should not be like that of Jonah in Niniveh Jon. 3. 4. a voice of destruction or of terrour but if he did cry it should be of mercy If any man thirst let him come and Isa 55. 1. drink If his voice be heard it is a voice of grace inviting sinners to come to him Ye that be heavy laden c. Grace Matth. 11. 24. in all his words And so grace in all his Actions He went about as the Scripture telleth us Act. 10. doing good And so ye know the Evangelicall History I do not think ye can give me an instance of any man that Christ sent away in the daies of his flesh that came to him for mercy without mercy He healed them all Luk. 9. 11. And the people when they knew it followed him and he received them and spake unto them of the kingdom of God and healed them that had need of healing So here is active grace in Christ Secondly If ye look to Passive grace to grace given 2. Fulnesse of Passive grace in Christ upon his Body first there was grace given that fell upon his body which certainly was of excellent frame full of beauty Therefore it is said Thou art fairer than the sons of men grace is poured upon thy lips Psal 45. 2. This is not spoken of the Divinity of Christ for in that respect he was fairer than the Angels but of his Humanity and so he was fairer than the children of men There was indeed a time wherein no beauty was to be seen in him but he speaketh of him then as upon the Crosse when the ploughers made long furrowes upon his back and digged deep holes in his sides as he was besmeared with blood so no beauty in him And secondly upon his Soul Secondly Passive grace upon his soul grace given to that Whatsoever Indowment was requisite to fit him for a Mediator that he had some understand by Grace all the perfections of the Will and by Truth all the perfections of the Understanding Surely nothing was wanting either in will or understandingâ— or affectionâ— that might render the soul of Christ fully gratious It is prophecied in Isaiah 11. 2. The spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him He spake before of a rod of Jesse and a branch growing out of his root So now What grace was upon his soul Why The spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him and the spirit of Wisdome and Understanding and of Counsell and Might and of Knowledge and of the Fear of the Lord. Thirdly Grace given such as filleth up the whole person 3. Grace given filleth up the whole person grace of Acceptation In that sense it is said Luk. 2. 40. speaking of Christ The Child grew and waxed strong in spirit filled with wisdome and the grace of God was upon him that is the favour of God So he interpreteth it in the last verse of that Chapter Jesus increased in wisdom and stature and favour with God and men We needs must grant it to be so because Quod efficit tale magis est tale That which maketh another so is much more so it selfe Christ is he that procureth acceptation both of our persons and our services and therefore he himselfe is much more acceptable with God Our persons have no acceptation but through him We are said to be accepted through the beloved Ephes 1. 6. Our services have no acceptation but through him In that place of Peter we are a spirituall priest-hood 1 Pet. 2. 5 6. Offer up spirituall sacrifices acceptable to God by Jesus Christ So as He himselfe is much more accepted Thus you see how he is full of grace Let us see now how Christ is likewise full of Truth Christ in the truth and the truth in Him The truth is said to be in Jesus and Jesus is said to be in the truth Truth is said to be in him Ephes 4. 21. If so be ye have heard him and been taught by him as the truth is in Jesus He is said to be The truth John 14. 6. I am the way the Truth and the Life More distinctly Take truth in what notion you will it will appear Christ was full of truth Truth is sometimes opposed to Hypocrisie sometimes to Error sometimes to Lying sometimes to Shadowes Christ was full of truth in all these senses First If ye take Truth as opposed to Hypocrisie and as 1. Christ is full of Truth as opposed to Hypocrisie equipollent with sincerity not with the levened bread of malice but with the unlevened bread of sincerity and truth saith the Apostle 1 Cor. 5. So Christ was full of Truth sincere in all When he lifted up his eyes he lifted up his heart to God When he bowed his knee he bowed his soul When he opened his mouth he opened his heart to his hearers Therefore he is said to be girt about the loins with faithfulnesse and truth Righteousnesse and truth shall be the girdle of his loins and faithfulnesse the girdle of his reins As the girdle girts a man in so sincerity and truth girt in all the actions and speeches of Jesus Christ Secondly If ye take Truth as it standeth in opposition 2. As opposed to Error to Error thus Christ was full of truth because all Treasures both of wisdome and knowledge being hid in him it was impossible for him to have any misapprehension He conceived rightly of all things and spake truly of all even his enemies being witnesses Hear what they say Matth. 20. 16. They sent out to him their Disciples with the Hâ—rodians saying Master we know thou art true and teachest the way of God in
and getteth not the fruit Would ye have Christ ye must go to God for him the reality of all is founded in him What are the things men doat upon but either honours or riches or pleasures the worlds Trinity as some call those three We shall find them all in Christ Prov. 3. 16 17. where Wisdom speaks thus that Wisdom is Christ In her right hand are riches and honour Her waies are waies of pleasantnesse Here is all three riches honour and pleasure and all found in Wisdom which is the Lord Jesus Christ Vers 15. John bare witness of him He cryed saying This was he of whom I spake He that cometh after me is preferred before me for he was before me 16. And of his fulness have all we received and grace for grace For this fifteenth verse which I am now to close with there are in it these particulars First The Witnesse-bearer that is John the Baptist John bare witnesse of him Secondly The manner of his Witnessing He cryed saying Thirdly The time when he witnessed which lyeth couched in these words This was he of whom I spake I shall open that by and by Fourthly The matter of his testimony here He that commeth after me is preferred before me for he was before me I shall begin with the first The Witnesse-bearer was John the Baptist of whom we read vers 7. that he came The office of John the Baptist for a witnesse to bear witnesse of the Light and here we find him doing what he came for He came for a witnesse and here he bears witnesse This is the Observation That a good man will not be wanting to the duty of his Observ place This was his Office and ye find him taken up in the discharge of it and so should every one be For we must walk Circumspectly not as fools but as wise not to forget the errand we are sent about Every blessed man is like that Tree Psal 1. that bringeth forth his fruit in his season which is proper to his Calling and in such a time as is most proper for that fruit Rom. 12. 7 8. Ye have an Apostolicall Injunction Let him that hath a Ministry wait upon his ministry or he that exhorts upon his exhortation He that giveth let him do it with simplicity he that ruleth with diligence he that sheweth mercy with Cheerfulnesse Men lose nothing by being imployed in that service that Nothing lost by diligence in God's service God cals them to and men get nothing by being busie in other men's matters One may be over-busie and yet in God's account but an idle person if he doth not his proper work 1 Tim. 5. 13. And withall they learn to be Idle wandring about from house to house and not onely idle but Tatlers also and busie-bodies speaking things which they ought not Busie bodies and yet idle Why why because busie in matters that concern them not The next is the manner of John's witnesse bearing He 2. The manner of his witnesse-bearing bare witnesse and cried The Baptist cried in his witnessing of Christ There is something remarkable in that whereas the Scripture contents it selfe in other Cases to say He opened his mouth and spake here John Crieth What is the mystery of this He is said to cry for some one or all perhaps of these three Reasons First In reference to a fore-going Prophecy Isaiah 1. In reference to fore-going prophecies had fore-told as much which is applied in Matth. 3. 3. speaking of John the Baptist This is he that was spoken of by the Prophet Isaiah Behold the voice of one crying in the wildernesse Prepare ye the way of the Lord make his paths straight He fore-told he should have the voice of a Crier therefore this voice is applied to him Or Secondly In reference to the time when he first began 2. To the time of his witnessing to witnesse of Christ and that was as Philogus telleth us in the year of Jubilee under the Law every fiftieth year the Jewes were to keep a Jubilee wherein they were to ordain liberty to their servants and restore men to their possessions that had been mortgaged Levit. 25. 9 10. Then shalt thou cause the Trumpet of the Jubilee to sound in the tenth day of the seventh month in the day of attonement shall ye make the Trumpet sound through all your Land unto all the Inhabitants thereof It shall be a Jubilee unto you and ye shall return every man to his possession and ye shall return every man unto his family John that came to be the Minister of the Gospell he began in a year of Jubilee because he was to proclaime a liberty that came by Christ who was now to be exhibited and to shew himselfe because he came by the Ministry of the Gospell to restore men to those possessions they had lost in Adam even to an Eternall Inheritance reserved in Heaven for them The year of Jubilee was to be proclaimed by a Trumpet Therefore John comes crying The Interpretation receiveth a strong confirmation of that Isaiah 58. 1. Cry aloud spare not lift up thy voice like a Trumpet and shew my people their transgressions and the house of Israel their sins Here John's voice cometh as a Jubilee-Trumpet to proclaim liberty to them that were Captive therefore he is said to Cry Thirdly Crying may referre to the temper of his spirit 3. To the fervency and alacrity in his witnesse-bearing Exod. 14. 15. in his witnesse-bearing to Christ you may note his fervency or alacrity or both Crying noteth fervency Why Criest thou to me saith God to Moses at the Red Sea when Moses was most fervent in spirit yet we read of nothing he said saith Augustine The people cried and God heard them not Moses held his peace and yet was heard because there was a louder cry within Of Christ himselfe it is said In the daies of his flesh He offered up Prayers with strong cries and tears The spirit crieth Abba Father It is a term of earnestnesse and so of alacrity too Hos 12. ult Cry out and shout thou inhabitant of Sion for great is the Holy one of Israel in the midst of thee John went about this work with a great deal of earnestnesse and delight He that leapt in his Mother's Womb when the newes came Luk. 1. 41. of the Conception of Christ now he leapeth with much more joy when he himselfe came to be the proclaimer of Christ He himselfe hath the honour to be the Day-Star that shall usher-in the Sun of Righteousnesse to be more then a Prophet He pointed at him with the finger and said This is the Lamb of God that taketh away the sins of the World Let us all learn from hence to cry up Christ in our severall places and according to our severall capacities John did so when he witnessed of him to cry up Christ with all the alacrity and fervency that may be You know how
come to good inclinations in the Will they are received Phil. 2. 13. It is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure Come from good inclinations of the Will to good words in the Mouth why God puts them in too or we cannot have them Isa 50. 4. The Lord God hath given me the tongue of the learned that I should know how to speak Come from good words to good works by which our words are made good we fulfill in our actions what we professe they are also received Without me ye can do nothing saith Joh. 15. 5. Christ He doth not say It is but little but Nothing just nothing without me These good works they have different successes every degree of success is received Paul plants and Apollos watereth but it is God that giveth the success 1 Cor. 3. 6. Nay to make it appear that the successe is given that increase is freely dispenced ye shaall often find God giving more success to meaner labours than to greater more success to men of weak abilities than to men of strong abilities because he will have success free as well as any thing else As it was between Rachel and Leah Rachel was the fairer but Leah the fruitfuller Rachel had more beauty but Leah more children Now to come to the Use which the Apostle hath made Use to my hands Whatsoever we have is received Away then Against boasting and proud Opinions with boasting 1 Cor. 4. 7. Who made thee to differ from another What hast thou that thou hast not received Now if thou didst receive it why dost thou glory as if thou hadst not received it Away with all proud opinions of men that ascribe something to the creature and something to themselves that they have not received of free grace There is a great deal of difference between habit acquired and habit infused Men speak of grace as if it were an acquired habit and so ascribe much to themselves and do not take all as received Indeed in acquired habits the actions well performed have a kind of casualty in them as if a man learneth to write his frequent habit bringeth him to write But it is otherwise in infused habits there we have first the habit then perform the act You have first the habit that we receive then the acts are produced and all is of God As they say of the soul Grace frames all of it self the free grace of God doth all in the soul plants the habit then draweth it forth into act and then blesseth those acts and then crowneth all And what is the Crown Why his own work in us God crowneth nothing in us but what he giveth us It is so from first to last All is grace Therefore there is no boasting Away then with proud opinions and glorying of our selves in our conversation The truth is this corruption of nature though it vent it self much in opinion yet more in practise It is too common a fault for men to play the Swan when they look into the whiteness of their own bosoms without considering the blackness of their feet Whence is that whiteness received if there be any whiteness It is from God therefore glory not as if thou hadst not received Yet glory in God but not in thy self There is that which will make us to play the Judas with Christ Christ giveth a bag to Judas and Judas will filch from Christ Christ giveth us grace and we are apt to pocket up all for our selves We derive all from Christ and yet many times we take upon us as if we had it out of our own Cisterns This I did and said and this was done by my endeavours Oh! What hast thou that thou hast not received The Moon receiveth all its light from the Sun and yet the Moon eclipseth the Sun as much as in her lyeth Seeing we receive all from Christ let him have thé praise of all we have and hope for Let this break the pride of our hearts Beggars must be no boasters Of his fulness have we all received even grace for grace Vers 17. For the Law was given by Moses but Grace and Truth came by Jesus Christ 18. No man hath seen God at any time The onely begotten Son which is in the bosome of the Father he hath declared him In this 17th Verse are contained two Assertions First That the Law was given by Moses Secondly That Grace and Truth came by Jesus Christ Of these I shall not here speak any thing nor of the opposition which is here made by some between these two Whereas Christ and Moses the Gospel and the Law are here opposed by way of Comparison the one as more excellent than the other Diverse mistake them as opposed by way of Controversie as the one excluding the other and so gather from hence That under the Gospel we have nothing to do with the Law That The grace and truth that came by Jesus Christ doth quite destroy and abolish the Law that came by Moses We might here distinguish of a four-fold estate of Man A state of Innocency A state of Corruption A state of Preparation A state of Grace And also of the severall uses of the Morall Law First To justifie Secondly To discover sin and guilt Thirdly To prouoke to sin Fourthly To condemn for sin Eifthly To lead to Christ 1. The Law of use to have justified Adam 2. To provoke and condemn in the state of Corruption 3. To lead Sixthly To direct in the waies of holiness First The Law was of use to have justified Adam in the state of Innocency but could never justifie any man since Secondly The Law is still of use to provoke and to condemn in the state of Corruption Thirdly In the state of Preparation the Law is still of use as a School-master to lead us to Christ us to Christ in the state of preparation 4. Of little use to condemn and of no force to provoke in the state of grace 5. Of use to correct in that state as a rule of life Fourthly It is of small use to Condemne and of no force to provoke in the state of grace But yet Fifthly even in the state of grace it is of use to correct and so it is a rule of Life All these I might discover to you by diverse arguments But my intension is to consider such places as are objected to the contrary and then to come to the Application Gal. 3. 19. seems to imply that the Law was to continue no longer then till the coming of Christ Wherefore then serveth the Law It was added because of transgression till the seed should come to whom the promise was made If by seed we understand Object Christ as is likely Then it doth rise higher the Law was added because of Transgression till the seed should come but then it was to continue no longer But the answer is not difficult First If ye understand Answ
even as the Angels It is said of them that they behold the face of God Matth. 18. 20. Christ saith there I say to you that in heaven their Angels do alwaies behold the face of my Father which is in heaven So when men come to be like Angels in a state of glory they shall also see the face of God But no man hath seen God at any time during this life God in his Essence For this we have more than one place of Scripture the same words in the Text are repeated in 1 Joh. 4. 12. No man hath seen God at any time And Paul hath a place to the same purpose 1 Tim. 6. 16. Who onely hath immortality dwelling in light which no man can approach unto whom no man hath seen nor can see There are but three waies that can be imagined by which man in a state of mortality can see God in his Essence either it must be by his Bodily eyes or by the eye of Reason or by the eye of Faith But a man cannot see God by any of these therefore no man can see God in that sense First No man can see God by his Bodily eye for the very 1. The eyes of our bodies cannot behold the Essence of God light wherein he dwelleth is inaccessible to the eye of sense we cannot so much as see our own souls or the Angels that are inferiour spirits How then shall we be able with our bodily eyes to see the Father of spirits the Lord of glory The Israelites could not so much as endure the shining of Moses his face How then can the eye of the body be imagined capable of that infinite glorious light that is in the essence of God And yet there is a place that speaks as if a man in the state of mortality by his bodily eyes had seen God Gen. 32. 30. Jacob called the name of the place Penuel for I have seen God face to face and my life is preserved Here is a man in the state of mortality that saw God face to face For this ye must know that Jacob did indeed see God but God in a representation not God in his essence He saw the Second Person in the Trinity in the shape of a man that wrestled with him This was all the sight of God that he had The Second Person in the Trinity before he took the nature of man took the shape of man such a shape had Christ taken here in which he wrestled with Jacob and this is that God which Jacob saw face to face not God in his essence but God in a representation And that very thing of God appearing in the Old Testament in a representation to the eyes of the body sheweth that he never appeared to them in his essence because his representations are many and his essence is one He appeared in a Bush to Moses and to Eliah in a still Voice to Jacob as a Wrestler to Joshua as a Captain of the Lord's hoast These were all representations that God was pleased to make of himself and thus men saw him But his essence all this while was invisible neither could it be diversified as his representations were being but one That is memorable which Isaiah saith Isa 6. 5. Mine eyes have seen the King the Lord of hosts The Jews took this advantage against him and said he was a false Prophet Why He said he had seen the King the Lord of hoasts whereas God saith to Moses Thou canst not see my face and live Therefore they put him to death No man can see God in his essence and live But Isaiah saw him and he said true but it was in a representation Secondly No man can see God in his essence no not by the eye of Reason Reason hath but three waies by which it 2. The eye of our Reason cannot behold him in his Essence Reason knoweth God three waies 1. By way of Causality comes to the knowledge of God and those are known to Schollars by these names Via causalitatis via Remotionis and via Eminentiae First By way of Causality and so reason comes to gather of God by all the creatures which it seeth lovely and looks at all these as effects of God as the cause of all and so comes to the knowledge of God as the first cause Thus Reason collects of God But how far is this from seeing the essence of God Reason discovers a God but not what God is in his Beeing onely that He is For no effect can shew the nature of its cause fully but either such as manifesteth the whole force of the cause or else such as is of the same kind with the cause as burning that sheweth the nature of the fire because the fire being a naturall agent burns to the utmost of its power Therefore burning sheweth what nature the fire is of as carrying the nature of the force in it As a child sheweth the nature of the father because of the same nature with the father But the creatures cannot shew God because they are of effects different from him These are parts of the way but how little proportion is readd of him The thunder of his power who can understand Neither are the creatures of the same rank and kind with God as the child is with the father they are all of them finite God is infinite So that all that Reason can do this way is to gather that there is a God but not what he is Secondly There is the way of Remotion by looking over 2. By way of Remotion all the creatures and by setting aside whatsoever savours of imperfection in them and ascribing the remainder to God Thus we say that God is Immortall Impassible Impeccable because we say that to die to suffer and to sin are the imperfections of the creature God cannot sin God cannot die God cannot lie God cannot suffer But this still comes short of seeing God in his essence for by this we see what God is not not what he is by this way of Remotion 3. The third way which is a way of Eminency Reason 3. By way of Eminency goeth over the creatures once again and looks whatsoever is good in them and savours of perfection in them and ascribes that to God as the Author of those perfections So when it seeth in Man wisdom and strength and goodnesse Reason can ascribe to God as the cause of them a more eminent goodness and wisdom and strength And this is the nearest and the farthest Reason can go And yet in all these it cometh short of the essence of God because in this way it findeth out what he is rather in regard of his qualities speaking after the manner of men then what he is in his essence Thus we cannot see God in his essence no not by the eye of Reason There is onely one more that is the eye of Faith which â— The eye of Faith cannot apprehend God in his
Essence goeth a great deal further into the knowledge of God than Reason can and yet we cannot apprehend God in his essence no not by the eye of Faith Thence it is that faith is opposed to sight 2 Cor. 5. 7. We walk by faith and not by sight Implying that all the while we have no higher principle than faith in us all that while we come short of God to see him face to face 1 Cor. 13. 12. Now we see through a glass darkly but then face to face Then speaking of a time after this life when that which is perfect is come and that which is imperfect shall be done away Then face to face not till then Here by the eye of faith we see as through a glasse darkly These are two excellent expressions though something darkned by the Translation For it is as through a glasse in a riddle here is the glasse to the eye and the riddle to the eare both imply that faith giveth us but a dark knowledge of God in comparison of the light of glory What we see in a glasse we see by reflection The Angels see God face to face by direct beams We see him as in a glasse the glasse of the Creatures and of the Scriptures There shall be no need of these glasses in Heaven where all Ordinances shall cease and God shall be all in all But here as through a glasse and as in a riddle What men apprehend in a riddle they may have true apprehensions of it As in the riddle that Sampson put Judges 14. 14. forth But it doth not convey a thing so clearly as if it were spoken in plain words Whatsoever we see we see it as in a glasse Whatsoever we hear we hear as in a riddle but then face to face saith the Apostle then we shall see him as he is 1 Joh. So now ye have had an explication of this proposition according to the first sense That no man hath seen God at any time That is No man in the state of mortality hath a beatificall vision of God in his Essence I proceed now to the second That No man here attaineth No man attaineth a scientificall vision of God here in reference to his Counsell to a Scientificall vision of God in reference to his Counsell That also is proper to Christ Compare if you please Joh. 6. 46. with Luk. 10. 22. In John thus of that No man hath seen the Father save hâ—â— which is of God he hath seen the Father What is that Luk. 10. 22. All things are delivered to me of my father and no man knoweth who the Son is but the father and who the father is but the Son and he to whom the Son will reveal him Seeing is usually put for knowing in Scripture and seeing of God for the knowing of his Counsell This onely Christ doth Therefore called the wonderfull Counsellor Isa 9. 6. He could not be a Counsellor to us in discovering the great secrets of God if he were not first privy to Gods secrets Who but Christ could have made known that way of salvation which he hath opened through his owne flesh to the way of Heaven It was impossible for Angels or Men to have found out a way to have been recovered to God when man was once fallen had not Christ revealed it This knowledge of God no man hath For he saith Rom. 11. 34. having said vers 33. Oh the depth of the riches both of the wisdome and knowledge of God How unsearchable is his wisdome He addeth Who hath known either the mind of the Lord or who hath been his Counsellour That is proper to Christ No man may assume it I say no more of it here because it will come in again in the next Clause The onely begotten Son who is in the bosome of the Father Come we now to the Observation of the invisibility of God for Application First By way of reproof we might from hence take occasion of lashing the Papists in the first place And in the Vse 1 next place the disputers of this World and especially the Arminians The Papists First and that both in point of their Idolatry Popish Idolatry reproved and of their boasting of their Idolatry First No man hath seen God at any time And yet they presume to make Images of Him visible shapes of the Invisible God Deut. 4. 15 16. Take ye good heed to your selves for ye saw no manner of similitude on the day that the Lord spake unto you in Horeb out of the midst of the fire lest you corrupt your selves and make you a graven Image the similitude of any figure the likenesse of Male or Female If we will be worshipping any Image of God let us worship Christ who is the expresse Image of his Father's Person And no Image of God but Christ may be worshipped They were wont to kisse their Images of old Ye know what God saith of so many souls who have not bowed the knee to Baal nor kissed him In reference to 1 King 19. 18. this kisse the Son Psal 2. No man hath seen God at any time And yet if you believe them they tell you strange stories of some of their Grandees that have seen the blessed Trinity as they say of one Matinius that was continually incompassed with the glorious light either of the whole Trinity or of some glorious Person of the Trinity As he said of a Jesuite That he lay a long time in prison because during his life-time he had not earnestly desired to see the glorious Trinity They shall never make me believe that God will discover to any Jesuite of them all what he denied to his servant Moses I come to what is more for Edification to refute the Arminians refuted great disputers of this World and especially the Arminians that speak as if they were privy to the Counsels of God and had a Scientificall vision here below and therefore will believe no more then they can bring within the compasse of their owne reason Not considering what Job saith Job 33. 12 13. Behold in this thou art not just I will answer thee That God is greater then man why doest thou strive against him for he giveth not account of any of his matters Two Queries are made by Paul that might stop the mouths of all over-curious Quaerists in the World Nay but oh man Who art thou that repliest against God There are too many that are ready to reply against God to chop logick with their Maker when they will not believe what God revealeth because they cannot fathome it 1 Cor. 1. 20. Where is the Wise and the Scribe and the Disputer of this World The disputer of this world and Emphatically Of this world because there will be no disputing in the next World Then cometh the day of 〈◊〉 Revelation of the righteous judgements of God as Paul speaks Rom. 2. When God will make it apparent to every man that whatsoever he