the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the Lord. Now to find out the Conformity of this Vision with that of John we must join the first and fourth Chapters of the Revelation and observe the Concomitants Fire and Brightness his eyes were as a flame of fire Rev. 1 1â— v. 16. chap. 4.2 3 6 7. and his countenance was as the Sun shineth in his strength also there was a throne in heaven and one sat on the throne And he that sat was to look upon like a jasper and a sardine stone and there was a rain-bow round about the throne in sight like unto an Emerald And before the throne was a sea of glass like unto chrystal And round about the throne were four beasts full of eyes before and behind 〈◊〉 â—usâ— beast was like a lion the second like a calf the third had the face as a man and the fourth was like a flying eagle These circumstances do pretty well agree in both Visions and 't will appear the better if we speak of him who sate upon the Throne the Prophet saith he had the likeness as the appearance of a man and the Apostle writes chap. 1.13 in the midst of the seven candleshicks was one like unto the son of man who there appears among the Churches represented by Candlesticks as their Head but in chap. 4. we see him upon the Throne the word like and likeness is used not only by the Prophet but also by the Apostle John as also by Paul who speaking of the Lord Jesus saith He was made in the likeness of men Phil. 2.7 This after the Incarnation but Ezekiel speaks before that time and of a Vision so expresseth it by the word likeness and appearance because he who then sate upon the Throne was not actually but afterwards was to be made Man not by any Change of Substance but by Assumption of humane Nature however he describes a humane Body when he saith Rev. 1.13 14 15. of his loyns upward and even of his loyns downward which John doth in a more emphatical way when from head to foot he describes one like unto the son of man he doth not in general say like unto Man but like unto the Son of Man which name our Lord when upon Earth used to call himself by Now I say that he who sate upon the Throne was God Almighty for 't is called the likeness of the Glory of the Lord Ezekiel 1.28 And if a Person of the Godhead it relates unto the Son who afterwards was manifested in the Flesh and before under the Old Testament had appeared in the Shape and Likeness of a Man which the Father never did and of him we read no such thing Before I make an end with this Head I must take notice how because precious Stones are even beyond Gold the more valuable things in this World so when God was pleased to grant a special Manifestation of his Presence to set a value upon it always something of Jewels was offered to the eye whereby it is delighted and this not only in Ecstasies and Visions but upon other occasions thus Moses Exod. 24.9 10. Aaron Nadab Abihu and seventy of the elders saw the God of Israel and there were under his feet as it were a paved work of saphire-stone and as it were the body of heaven in its clearness The third Vision is Daniel's Dan. 7.13 Acts 1.9 one we read of Chap. 7.13 directly relating to our Saviour's Ascension into Heaven how one like the Son of Man came with the Clouds of Heaven to the Ancient of Days which we find fullfilled when his Disciples beheld he was taken up and a Cloud received him out of their Sight this I shall not speak of for I mention'd it in another place only I take notice how the expression like the Son of Man doth point at that Individual Person who being the Son of God was made like unto the Son of Man for it denotes that he was something else besides the Son of Man and before he was the Son of Man or else the words behold a Man came with the Clouds had sufficiently describ'd the Person if he had been a meer Man without saying the Son of Man but by that expression which as already observed is the very name which he who often call'd himself Son of God used also to call himself by the Prophet mean'd something more than a bare Man Dan. 9.23 Chap. 2.44 and 7.14 for he being a Man greatly beloved of God by means of the great and many Revelations he had relating both to the Kingdom and Person of Christ he though at so great a distance might see the Son of God as become the Son of Man chiefly in the Vision of the 70 Weeks and in that same Chap. in his Prayer to God for his Nation he mentions Christ the Messiah V. 17. for he doth beseech to be heard for the Lord's sake which plainly implies a distinction of the Person he Prays to by him call'd Our God and of that for whose sake he prays to be heard for the Lord's sake that is for Christ's in whom God alone accepteth all our Prayers John 14.6 for none can come to the Father but by him and now this is our form of Prayer to God that he be pleas'd to hear us for the sake of his Son who is he that appeared to the Prophet in another place in the Vision of the battel between the Ram and the Geâ—â— Dan. 8. V. 15.16 for he saith behold there stood before me as the appearance of a Man who gave the Angel Gabriel the word of Command make this Man to understand the Vision but if we proceed to that Vision of his contain'd in Chap. 10.5 6. we shall find the description of a Person which doth exactly suit with that in Revel 1.13 14 15. for saith the Prophet I lift up mine Eyes and look'd and behold a certain Man clothed in Linen whose Loyns were girded with fine Gold of Vphaz his Body also was like the Bâ—ryl and his Face as the appearance of lightning and his Eyes as Lamps of fire and his arms and his feet like in colour to polish'd brass and the Voice of his Words like the Voice of a multitude We may take notice how in these Visions of the Glory of God commonly appear'd a Man or one like a Man sitting upon a Throne why like a Man not as if Divine Nature in the abstract was like the human for such a wrong notion Scripture declares against but to teach how in the Godhead in the Concrete there is something or rather Person Man like Man then more than Man and something besides Man which became Christ made like a Man not in every thing a Man because no Sinner Now as the Father was never made Man so it would have been improper for him to appear in the shape of a Man but for the Son who in time was
to mind what the Prophets or what God saith by the Prophets this is a bold stroak of a pen against the Old Testament he that is so sawcy with the Old can soon be so with the New and so against all Revealed Religion but because 't is fit for me to shew upon what occasion he saith it I must pass to another point and say few Words to it the more because this hits our Socinians who call themselves Vnitarians in that place the question is between the strict Socinians and the sect of Davidians whether or not Christ should be Worship'd and Pray'd to which Socinus was for though indeed to little purpose only as a Medium as †Tom. 2. p. 772. he saith and in Relation to God but Francis David against now Socinus and his Adherents were very strict and positive for their Opinion such as it is * Epist 3. ad Radecium Tom. 1. p. 391. he himself is large upon it and there saith de re omnium maxima c. 't is the greatest point of all in our Religion and somewhat lower he adds noli igitur rogo obsecro c. do not I beseech you oppose a most clear Truth but own the most excellent Mystery and foundation of Christian Religion here by the by take Notice how contrary to some of the Gang he calls Mystery something in our Religion and †Epist ad Synod Waegrov elsewhere to an Assembly of Antitrinitarians he saith they ought in their Churches to maintain the Adoration and Invocation of Christ for saith he if it be despised Judaism nor Epicurism or Atheism cannot be kept out and their * Catec Racov p. 115. eos prorsus non esse Christianos Catechism saith of those Men who pray not to Christ and hold he must not be adored they are no Christians at all seeing they really have not Christ whom they deny in deed though dare not do 't in Words This hits home the Vnitarians let them Answear it as they can But to say all tho' Socinus had as you read so strongly pressed that point yet †Epist ad Enjedin Tom. 1. p. 485. elsewhere he reckons it among indifferent things such as God in his Word hath neither commanded nor forbidden and so not altogether necessary It is very strange how one can be for the Adoration of Christ yet Blasphemously to call him * Smalc exam err 100. a made God or a deisied man a God of the second order a God subordinate to the supreme One but after what he saith in the same Book we must wonder at nothing from him †Err. 8. non est certum c. 't is not certain that God is precisely to be adored for his Divine Nature and elsewhere * Err. 15. non est certum c. to Worship one Onely God who is supreme God by Nature and independent is somewhat to Judaize and deny the Christian Religion nay he goes further and saith †Err. 17. Angelis qui sunt dij c. No man may deny that Divine Worship may be and hath under the Old Testament really been rendered to Angels which are heavenly Gods After this distinction there are also hellish Gods Further God may Command that every Angel be Worshiped for a God but I am sure God never will for he never contradicts himself is not this perfect Idolatry which we charge Socinianism with but I must get out of this stinking Blasphemous and Idolatrous dunghill the Devil John 8.44 saith the Lord is a lyar and his Children are liars and this Man is such one with a Witness for he gives God the lie But before I leave off this point to come closer upon some of our Socinians here I must with a stroak of my Pen hit their great Master Francis David who to shew his want of sincerity and his perverseness of Heart doth so wretchedly wrest the Protomartyr's Prayer to the Lord Jesus when being stoned to death he said Acts 7.59 Lord Jesus receive my Spirit which with his ignorant and unsound Interpretation the Heretick would thus depravate O God the Father who art the Lord of Jesus receive my Soul Did any wretch ever screw up his hellish brains to force such a sense upon Words so plain without the least shaddow or appearance of ground for it only because he would have him by no means called upon was ever any Text worse mangled than this by the Additions of that Wicked Man This is the Spirit of those who call themselves Vnitarians and I Socinian-Davidians but to the thing There is a phrase which answers this Chap. 9.14 viz. All that call on thy Name which can admit of no such sense as the Heretick would force upon the other for there Ananias speaks to the Lord Jesus of those who pray'd to and believed in him there is besides a prayer of St. John to our Blessed Lord which leaves not in the least place to quibble or cavil at Amen even so come Lord Jesus Rev. 22.20 which as to the Object fully and plainly answers that of Stephen Lord Jesus receive my Spirit when Paul besought the Lord thrice he certainly thereby pray'd to him who answered and said my grace is sufficient unto thee and that this was the Grace of Christ who thus answered his prayer in plain Words he declared it 2. Cor. 12.9 I will Glory in my Insirmities that the power of Christ may rest upon me so that the Divinity and Invocation of our Blessed Saviour is clear enough out of Scripture so 't is out of the Faith and Practice of the Christian Church at all times That by the Primitive Christians he was believed to be true Consubstantial God and adored as such it appears not only out of the Writings of the Doctors of the Church both before and after the Nicene Council who Condemn'd as Hereticks all that did speak or writ against it but also by the Testimony of their Heathen Enemies as Pliny in what he did write to the Emperour Trajan about the Christians who gave of them this Character that they owned Christ to be God and as such Sung hymns in his Praise Now we must go on and speak of other things concerning Adam they hold many bad and dangerous Errours as Scripture saith Gen. 1.27 he was Created in God's own Image which consisted not in one but in many things in Soul and Body and in the Union of both in his Person the Soul is in the Image of God First As to her Nature which is Spiritual and Immortal Secondly As to the Faculties namely the Understanding and Will Thirdly As to the habits of those Faculties that is in Wisdom and Righteousness for as God is Spiritual and Immortal so is the Soul as to Understand and to Will are Proprieties of God so he endued Man's Soul with an Understanding and a Will as to the Body though there be less of God's Image in it than
work the Tabernacle the Sanctuary and all things thereunto belonging which was the place where till the Building of the Temple all those Levical Ceremonies were perform'd so this Ceremonial Service was no Priest-craft as most wickedly called but a most Wise Divine Institution Nay all the Pins of the Tabernacle and of the Court round about which seem the least things about it as before observed were of God's own immediate Appointment and Direction Exodus 27.19 as executed chap. 38.20 31. The Apostle saith Col. 2.16 all these Ceremonies were a shadow of things to come but the Body of Christ Therefore no vain nor idle things but Types and Figures as were Gideon's Fleece and the Brazen Serpent which contain'd much of Gospel in it Paul in the case of some Legal Ceremonies saith that thereby the Holy Ghost signified things Heb. 9.8 and if in that case we may well conclude in others too whereof in that same Epistle chap. 13.11 is one That the Bodies of those Beasts whose blood was brought into the sanctuary were burnt without the Camp One would think there had been no meaning in it but in the following verse the Apostle saith the contrary Wherefore Jesus also that he might sanctisie the People with his own Blood suffered without the Gate So without the Gate and without the Camp answered one another as the Antitype and the Type and 't is so certain that Moses received those Laws from God himself that by the last of the Prophets he own'd it and put them in mind to observe it as his own Mal. 4.4 Remember the Law of Moses my servant which I commanded unto him in Horeb for all Israel with the statutes and judgments The Apostle Paul who had been brought up in Jerusalem at the Feet of Gamaâ—iel a great Doctor of the Law and who better than any Socinian understood the nature use and end of the Ceremonial Laws declareth how The Priests that offered gifts according to the Law Heb. 4.5 6. served unto the example and shadow of heavenly things which are no vain things nor Moses's Invention for 't is added As Moses was admonished of God when he was about to make the Tabernacle for see saith he that thou make all things according to the pattern shewed to thee in the mount So 't is no less than Blasphemy to say God's Institution is Man's Invention but what care they for't Blasphemy is their Element which they cannot live without This Samaritan hath led us somewhat out of our way therefore we must return where we left about the Imputation and Inherency of Original Sin But against this truth sprung up as detestable an Heresie as ever was broached by Man for Pelagius said All the harm which thereby befel Mankind was only an ill Example given so that Nature is as whole and sound as ever whereby the excellency and necessity of Grace is wholly annulled and to what purpose a Saviour and Mediatour for where is no Distemper there needs no Remedy and if there be no Original Sin yet Death is an effect of Sin how is it then that Children dye though they committed no actual Sin Now Socinans have espoused that Cause and value nothing of what Scripture can say or Arguments thence deduced conclude Socinus in his Exposition of Rom. 5.12 saith * De stratu primaevi Homin Apostolus nequaqam c. The Apostle doth not in the least affirm that all have sinned in Adam which is the very thing that there Paul doth affirm but Socinus makes nothing of that Sin for he saith †Praelect c. 4. in c. 10. p. 195. Vnum illud peccatum c. That one sin had no power within its self to corrupt Adam himself much less all his Posterity To the same purpose speaks the Racovian Catechism and in the last quoted place of Socinus he confidently saith * Peccat Origin nullum prorsus est c. Ex peccatô c. From that sin of our first Parents there is no necessity that any stain or pravity should have been propagated in whole Mankind To this we joyn what the Racovian saith in the fore-quoted place Original sin is nothing at all therefore it could not hurt free-will neither doth scripture teach that Adam's fall was a punishment imputed either to him or his Posterity But as I shew'd Scripture abounds in proofs to the contrary That Heresiarck denies also †Socin praelect c. 4. non fuisse c. Original Righteousness to have been in the first Man which is as positive as are the Words by another used to maintain that Humane Nature was not in the least Prejudiced or Corrupted through Adam 's first sin But one carries on the thing farther saying * Smale contr 〈…〉 206. Illum ab omni c. To say that God for that first sin of Adam punish'd all his Posterity whilest then they were Innocent is very far from Equity and Justice therefore it cannot without Blasphemy be attributed to God Here they challenge God's Justice as elsewhere they have his other Attributes and they slight one of the most important things in our Religion As they sacrilegiously presume upon the Nature and Person of our blessed Saviour so they do upon his Office of Mediator and would Rob us of the Advantages and Benefits which he thereby purchased for us And indeed they go about to corrupt the whole work of our Redemption and overthrow our Deliverance from Sin and Death for to omit here what they 〈◊〉 against his Royal and Prophetical Offices which â— mention'd elsewhere I shall take notice how they 〈◊〉 either wholly deny or partly corrupt what Scriptuâ—â— saith about his Propitiatory Sacrifice his Priesthood Merits Death Resurrection Glorification sitting at the Right-Hand of the Father and his Intercession for his Church His Sacrifice they deny to be true and real only allow it to be Metaphorical thus as they make of him a Metaphorical God so he must be only a Metaphorical Mediator or Saviour and Priest Christus c. saith one * Smale resp ad nâ—va Monst par 2. c. 3. p. 129. Christ our High-Priest was appointed to make an Offering improperly so called and he is improperly Metaphorically and Allegorically called by the name of Priest Thus after this we are Improperly and Metaphorically saved which is a strange sort of Salvation Paul calls Christ proprerly A Priest for ever Heb. 5.6 Psal 110.4 after the Order of Melchisedeck So had David long before the Lord hath not barely said but sworn thou art a Priest for ever after the Order of Melchizedeck To be a Priest after an Order is really and properly to be a Priest yet let David and Paul say what they please Smalcius is of another Opinion when he saith †Err. 57.65 Heb. 3.1 4.14 15 5.5.10 c. He is not a Priest for ever after the Order of Melchizedeck shall we believe David and Paul or Smalcius How often is our
went with Moses and led the People through the Wilderness but the Angel of his face or presence Isai 63.9 2 Cor. 4.6 whom I elsewhere fully proved to be the Son of God Jesus Christ in whose face as the Apostle saith We behold the glory of God The word to shine which is in the Verse doth signifie a property of the Son Mal. 4.2 1 John 1.16 ver 17. 1 Cor. 16.33 Gal. 6.18 Phil. 4.23 1 Thess 5.28 2 Thess 3.18 Philemon 25. for the Son is call'd the Son of righteousness the latter part the Lord be gracious unto thee doth plainly relate to the Son Jesus Christ who is the Fountain of Grace for of his fulness have we all received and grace for grace no true Grace to be had but only in him for saith the Evangelist Grace and truth came by Jesus Christ after this Form of Blessing it is that Paul doth conclude several of his Epistles as a Prayer to God for those whom he did write to or as a Blessing of God upon them The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all The 3 Verse hath things specially attributed unto the Holy Ghost as To lift up his countenance upon and give them peace It seems as if David pointed at this when he saith Lift up the light of thy countenance upon us Now to enlighten encourage countenance quicken and strengthen Men Psalm 4.6 is the proper work of the Holy Ghost so is to give peace therefore he is call'd the Comforter who gives us inward joy assurance and peace of Conscience and unto our Souls he applys the benefits of all that Christ hath done and suffered for us the better to understand this let us compâ—re these 3 verses of Numbers 6. with Paul's words which are an Explanation thereof The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ 2 Cor. 13.14 and the love of God the Father and the Communion of the Holy Ghost be with you all This shews a Conformity in the Form of Blessing under the Old and New Testaments the like we find in Jude ver 20 21. where the three Persons are distinctly set down This I shall conclude with the following Observation how St. John explains Moses's words in the beginning John 1.1 and that the word Bara Created in Hebrew consists of three Letters for though there be four yet one being twice in there are but three different and these three begin each the Hebrew words signifying Father Son and Holy Ghost as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Aleph begins the name Abba Father 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Beth the second Letter of the Hebrew Alphabet as Aleph is the first begins the word Ben or Son and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Resh begins Ruach Spirit Hachodesh which signifie the Holy Ghost now must we proceed to other things We know it to have been the practice of all Hereticks who would not downright deny Scriptures but keep an outward shew as if they own'd them to come in and by a side Wind to corrupt the Truths therein contained and no Sect went on in that way more cunningly presumptuously and obstinately than Socinians who would make of it a tool with wresting and falsifying them to serve their ends and though they so highly pretend to an unreconcilableness with the Romish Church yet therein they follow their Methods and have taken great and unhappy pains in corrupting both the word of God and the Writings of Men but God who is and loves truth in his infinite Wisdom to the confusion of the Authors of such Works of Darkness brings them to light the World hath been acquainted with the notorious Cheat of the Jesuits of Mentz who with the leave of the then Prince Elector Palatine borrow'd of the Library Keeper of Heidelberg the Manuscript of Anastasius about the Lives of the Popes which they offer'd to get Printed at their own Charges and after they had given good Security that the Manuscript should be return'd they had it upon this Condition that every thing therein should be printed and nothing left out which Condition was put in in relation to the History of Pope Joan that was in 't But mark the Trick the Jesuits got it Printed and in one Book only which they were engaged to put in the Palsgrave's Library all was according to the Manuscript but that which related to Pope Joan was left out in every other Book Which Cheat of theirs the Library-Keeper having afterwards found out he about it publish'd his Complaint to the World That Manuscript is now in the Vatican among the rest of the Heidelberg Library but though when I was in Rome I several times used means to see it I could never obtain it nor in Milan neither where another Manuscript of the same is said to be in the Ambrosian Library 't was own'd to me that there is one but when I desired to see it which I did more than once with one pretence or other 't was ever put off Such are the shifts by Papists used to conceal the proofs of a Woman having been a Pope and an infallible Head of their Church Thus Socinians are glad of any pretence which to the utmost of their power they would improve to have the 7th Ver. of the 5th Chap. of 1 John expunged because it lies so heavy upon them but the consideration of such Practices affords an occasion to admire and adore God's wise and infinite Providence with great Mercy to his Church that notwithstanding the malice and craftiness of Hell and its Instruments wholly or in part to suppress Holy Scripture yet such hath been his Divine Care of it having given his People that Holy Word of his never to fail to the Worlds end that he hath blasted the wicked Endeavours of all who would have depriv'd the Church of that Heavenly Bread but through so many Ages and amidst so many various Dispensations of his Providence hath to this day continued whole and in its Purity for the Good and Benefit of his People Thus in the days of Josiah was by Hilkiah the High Priest 1 Kings 22.8 found the book of the law in the House of the Lord which was the Copy that Moses left with them as it appears out of 2 Chron. 34.14 which either by the Negligence of the Priests had been lost or by the wickedness of Idolatrous Kings had been rejected and in some kind abolish'd The like care God was pleased to use at the Taking and Burning of Jerusalem and of the Temple by Nebuchadnezzar though 't is not express'd how for we must not mind the Jewish Fabulous Stories about it yet so it was as we gather out of Artaxerxes's words to Ezra Ezra 7.14 Thou art sent of the King and of his seven Counsellors to enquire concerning Judah and Jerusalem according to the law of thy God which is in thine hand Thus God hath rescu'd his Holy Word of the New Testament from the Rage and Malice of the Jews of
Person of the Messiah are compared with the Office and Person of Melchisedec it denotes a difference between them for that which is like is not the same with that which 't is like unto The ancient Jews believed R. Menahem that by reason of the Wickedness of the first World Schechina with Enoch was returned up to Heaven whereby they own he was come down from thence as afterwards our Saviour himself declared it John 6. Gen. 12.7 As to Jehovah who in Canaan appeared unto Abraham according to the constant Tradition of the Jews it was Schechina for * Rakenat p. 43. col 4 Acts 7.2 1 Cor. 2.8 one saith it him Stephen call'd the God of Glory and Paul the Lord of Glory †Nachm in Gen. 15. Menahem in Thor. p. 16. Some of the Rabbies say this Apparition in Canaan to have been in the Night but the other after the Victory over the Kings happened certainly in the Day They § Menah and Nachmanid in Gen. 17.22 also say that the Lord who in Gen. 17. appeared to Abraham and instituted Circumcision did in his sight return up into Heaven this they * Bechai p. 89. call the Glory of God by the Name whereby they usually denote the Son of God Elsewhere I observed how the Son of God constituted the Judge of the World executed upon Sodom that terrible Judgment which †Rakenat f. 51. c. 4. one attributeth to Schechina Hereupon the 14th Canon of the Council of Syrmium called by Constantine is very considerable the Words are these Si quis illud quod c. If any one saith that what is written The Lord rained upon Sodom and Gomorrah Brimstone and Fire from the Lord out of Heaven is not to be understood of the Father and of the Son but affirms that he rained himself from himself let him be Anathema for the Lord the Son rained from the Lord the Father This Lord Jehovah the Son is the same who dwelt in the Ark between the Cherubims above the Mercy-seat Exod. 25.22 whence God communed with Moses but in the way of Mercy God never communes with Men but in and through his Beloved Son the Lord Jesus who as in the Old Testament was called Jehovah so in the New is simply and absolutely called Lord which is equivalent to the other for the Septuagint rendered the Hebrew Word Jehovah by the Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Lord so that under the New Testament he had the same Name as under the Old 1 Chron. 13.6 hence it is that the Ark was called the Ark of the Lord or Jehovah This namely that Schechina dwelt in the Ark * Bechai in Thor. p. 9. c. 3 4. Numb 24.17 the Jews owned Balaam's Prophecy of the Messiah There shall come a Star out of Jacob c. Onkelos Jonathan Ben Vziel and Nachmanides explain it of the Schechina and Aben Ezra owns it to be the Opinion of many and tho' this be a Prophecy of what was to come yet still 't is of the same which was before in the Garden of Eden as already observed The clear Prophecy by Haggai of the Messiah's coming into the second Temple ch 2.7 8. or whilst the second Temple was yet standing I elsewhere enlarged upon which as we read in Drusius R. Akiba hath explained it of Christ and Jarchius hath said ch 12.1 that all should see Schechina conversing in the second Temple In Daniel mention is made of Michael the Great Prince understood of Christ and to be compared with Rev. 12.7 in whom is God's Name indeed for it signifies who is like unto thee thou mighty God which the wisest * Menah in Thor. p. 34. c. 2. Nachman in Exod. 3.2 and l. c. Rakenat p. 80. c. 2. Gen. 14.19 20. among the Jews do rightly interpret to be the Angel Revenger and Deliverer the Angel of God's Presence and in some place Nachmanides calls †Nachm in Exod. 14.19 Gen. 19.20 it the Glory of Schechina and speaking of the Angel of the Lord who went before the Camp of Israel and removed behind to be between them and the Egyptians whom he drowned he saith is the great Prince This is the same who having before appeared to Moses in the Bush was afterwards pleased to speak to him upon the Mount and the Words are remarkable The Lord came down upon Mount Sinai that is from Heaven whence afterwards to be made Flesh he came upon Earth in Judea which coming our Saviour doth mention at several times tho' one of these Jewish Doctors thought that the Angel of whom God said I send an Angel before thee c. was a created one and not the same Angel of the Covenant of whom when he was well pleased he said My Presence shall go with thee yet he owns that the Angel of God's Face had been with him but saith * Rakenat p. 120. c. 1. The glorious Presence of God Schechina was withdrawn for he thought God was still angry but Moses had already appeased him The Jews hold that the Law was given by the Mouth of Schechina upon Mount Sinai for as he brought the People out of Egypt which yet excludeth not the Father who brought them out by his Son so in the Wilderness he often spake to them chiefly upon this solemn Occasion The Truth is confirmed by Scripture Deut. 33.2 3. compared with Habak 3.3 Levit. 26.11 12. The Lord came from Sinai saith Moses and rose up from Seir unto them he shined from Mount Paran and he came with ten Thousands of Saints From his right Hand went a fiery Law for them And to shew him to be their Law-giver Prophet and Teacher he adds Yea he loved ihe People all the Saints are in thy Hand and they sat down at thy Feet every one shall receive of thy words compared with another place Levit. 26.11 12. And I will set my Tabernacle among you and I will walk among you and will be your God and ye shall be my People To shew his gracious condescension and how familiarly he would converse with them now this was a Prophecy for he spake in the future of things to come and this seems to relate only to the Jews but thanks be to God that now we may speak of it in the Preter-tense of a thing fulfilled on the behalf of Gentiles as well as of Jews which I affirm not out of my own Head but out of the Word of God And I heard a great Voice out of Heaven Rev. 21.3 behold the Tabernacle of God is with Men and he will dwell with them and they shall be his People and God himself shall be with them and be their God Here is the Prophecy fulfilled in the very Words he who promised it in the Old Testament hath made it good in the New he is the same in both not in person in the Old and only by proxy in the New for here 't is said
in himself yea and shall straightway glorifie him That state of Humiliation was near come to an end and the time was at hand when he was again to be glorified with the Father with the Glory which he had with him before the World was God's Glory is a Divine Glory and who can be a Copartner to that Divine Glory but he who is God himself certainly not a meer Son of Man but he that is God as well as Man If we compare this Text with another he still goes on upon the Reciprocal Glorifying of one another Joh. 17.1 Father glorifie thy self that thy Son also may glorifie thee I now say nothing of Verse 5. of the same Chapter because I elsewhere sufficiently enlarg'd upon 't This is very clear yet some will not believe what they say they can't comprehend and thereby deny what God hath revealed Ps 107.8.15.21.31 Oh that instead of it men would often praise the Lord for his Goodness and for his wonderful Works to the Children of men I heretofore as I hope have sufficiently beaten down the vain Idol of their own Reason and demonstrated how idle and frivolous a thing it is in Religious Matters except it be enlightned and sanctified by Revelation All the Skill and Learning of the Chaldeans which in the sight of Men was very considerable would have done Abraham no good towards the true Knowledge of God without Revelation but God appearing and speaking to him made him know him well and in the true manner which his own Reason could never have led him into as Revelation did His Faith was grounded upon the Declaration and the Promise so as the Apostle saith Heb. 11.8 He went out not knowing whither he went guided not by his Reason but by Faith as indeed Matters of Religion do far exceed the Eye of human Reason this makes the great Apostle who had so many Revelations to call the Gospel not Mystery but Mysteries in the plural when he saith Let a man so account of us 1 Cor. 4.1 as of the ministers of Christ and stewards of the Mysteries of God so Faith he calls a Mystery and so the Incarnation of the Son of God he calls the Mystery of Godliness 1 Tim. 3.9 and a great one too for great is the Mystery of Godliness and this should admit of no Dispute for there he saith without controversie but against Paul and the whole Christian World Socinians are pleased to make a great one VVhat he calls a Mystery is this v. 16. Rom. 11.25 God was manifest in the flesh Also he calls a Mystery The blindness that in part is happened to Israel until the fulness of the Gentiles be come more Mysteries there are in our Religion whereof God himself is the greatest Now as men about these matters must not presume beyond what is written so they ought not to neglect or slight what God hath revealed in his Holy Word about it for the Knowledge and Practice thereof is necessary to Salvation The Lord Jesus saith the Apostle 2 Thess 1.7 8. shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty Angels in flaming fire taking vengeance of them that know not God and that obey not the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ that ignorance of God after what he hath been pleased to reveal of himself is unexcusable and wilful whosoever knoweth not God in Christ Theanthrope God and Man knows him not at all as he ought therefore shall be liable to his Judgment My people saith the Lord Hos 4.6 are destroyed for Lack of knowledge because thou hast rejected knowledge I will also reject thee and therefore the People that doth not understand shall fall v. 14. Indeed after the great Light which God hath given us concerning the fundamental Points of Christian Religion about the Most Holy Trinity the Person and Offices of our Lord and Saviour there is no ground of pretence to an Excuse left for any that hath the Word of God in his House and can read it when he pleaseth Therefore God hath graciously done his part sufficiently and clearly declared his Will and Mind which 't is Man's Duty to follow and conform to but as to some he gives Grace to do good others he leaves in their Natural Refractoriness and Aversion from it for 't is Grace to seek for Grace 't is Grace to receive it and Grace to use it well so he hath not been wanting in giving Rules and Directions to encourage those who do well and punish them that do evil which agrees with his Justice and his Truth and as he hath ordered the things so he hath appointed those who must execute it among which as 't is in every Station of Men some do their Duty and some not which is a preparatory matter for a Judgment to come But to bring home the thing upon us can any one who hath lived any competent time be so blind as not to have seen and taken notice of God's great Mercies to this Nation which with an humble and thankful Heart I admire at how gloriously and universally hath the Light of the Gospel shin'd among us How many effects of God's gracious and wise Providence hath the Nation had experience of How plentiful and powerful hath the preaching of the Word of God been in this great City which may well be called the Jerusalem of the Gentiles and so proportionably in most if not in every part of the Kingdom So that God might justly expostulate with us as formerly he did with his People Isa 5.4 What more could have been done to my Vineyard that I have not done in 't Even of late when our Holy Religion and Liberties were in so great a danger of being swallowed up by Popery But what Returns to God have we made for all this Have we with the Psalmist so much as said or thought Ps 116.12 Deut. 32.15 What shall we render unto God for all his Benefits towards us Rather like Jeshurun we kicked but with this difference that he kicked when he was waxed fat but we do when we are grown lean Prosperity is apt to make one wanton but Adversity should make us humble Tho' we thank God Idolatry doth not now sit upon the Throne yet it walks bare-fac'd up and down in the Streets which one would have thought that like the Man whom God by a Prophet speaks of 1 Kings 20.42 he had appointed to Destruction should have been forced to abscond and hide her Face after she had visibly aimed at no less than the ruine of the Protestant Religion in the whole Kingdom but instead of that whilst violent and cruel Persecutions are raging abroad against Protestants Popery keeps its ground and daily her Priests by Herds are seen to slock to some places where against the Law they are received to the great Scandal of Religion and shame of those who suffer it whereby they contribute towards maintaining and promoting of Idolatry and