before Men were Poetical Fiction Reason of State Gratitude Flattery or Superstition had no part here From everlasting to everlasting thou art God The Men that were worshipp'd whilst yet alive easily perceiv'd that they were no gods they were very sensible that the Divine Honours rendred unto them were no better than Robbery But saith St. Paul Jesus Christ thought it no Robbery to be equal with God in which words there is a tacite opposition to that Subordination which Paganism had establish'd amongst their gods They said that Jupiter was the Master and Lord Paramount of their gods there being none on equal ground with him St. Paul here insinuates that Jesus Christ is really greater than all the Pagan gods were even in the Conceit of those that were their Worshippers He is equal to God to that Great God who is the Soveraign Master and Lord of the Universe Besides these oppositions which the Apostle had an eye to in the words we are explaining it seems probable that he had a more particular regard to a matter wherein the Philippians were more particularly concern'd They conceiv'd it no small part of their Glory that their Countrey had produc'd Alexander the Great This Conqueror conceiv'd it was both his Glory and Interest to be worshipp'd as a god He would needs be thought the Son of Jupiter and not being content to have pillaged the Earth was desirous to carry his Usurpations to Heaven He knew well enough that the Quality he Arrogated to himself of being the Son of Jupiter was a true piece of Robbery The power of Truth oblig'd this False god to say during the pains he suffer'd by the Wound he had received from an Arrow That they would make him the Son of Jupiter but that he self well enough that he was but a Man The Philippians were fully acquainted with this Story St. Paul knew it and we may aver that he thought of it in presenting to the Philippians a Saviour who was really and truly God the true Son of the true God who being in the Form of God thought it no robbery to be equal with God All these oppositions are of great use to illustrate the Literal Sense we have explained It is time now to search into the Doctrine it contains which we shall do by considering it first in a Relative and then in an Absolute Sense In a Relative Sense it will be to purpose to know the Characters first of him who is here spoken of secondly of him who speaks and thirdly of those to whom it is spoken He concerning whom here is spoken was on the one hand the Pattern of an Absolute Humility and on the other a great Zealot for the Glory of God If we have cast our Eyes never so little upon the Gospel we shall find this to be a Truth altogether incontestable Our Lord Jesus himself hath given us a great and signal instance of the Humility which he recommends he washeth his Disciples Feet he suffers Injuries patiently he flees Honours On the other hand How nice and tender do we find him in cases where his Father's Glory was concern'd Doth he perceive that the Laws of God are made to truckle to the Traditions of Men With what force do we see him exaggerate this Affront If he sees Men prophane the House of God by changing it to a Market-place he does not think words sufficient to repress this Insolence he makes a Whip of Cords to lash these Prophane Wretches out of the Temple With this double Character which might be made out by many more passages of Scripture at what a rate think you would our Saviour have delivered himself if ever he had met with one that made himself a god This was a time wherein the Jews were not guilty of gross Idolatry and wherein Jerusalem had banish'd the Idols of other Nations so that our Lord had no occasion to declare against Idols but had he met with any what would not he have said Had he taken notice of any Man that arrogated to himself Divine Honours with what Zeal and Vehemence would he have confounded the Pride of that Usurper We know enough of the Spirit of our Lord on other occasions to justifie what we suppose of him What then ought we to conclude from this that he who was so Humble and so Zealous yet made himself equal with God Nothing can be said here that is consistent with Reason but to confess that he was really that for which he would that Men should take him Had not he been God and consequently equal to God his Father he would have been so far from affecting this Equality that he would have abhorr'd the least tendency that way Instead of speaking Magisterially he would always have exprest himself in the most humble stile imaginable to disabuse the People who by the Fame of his Miracles would have been tempted to take him for a God But we find his Conduct quite opposite to this he doth not think it any Robbery to be equal with God But how can this be if he be not God indeed What is become of his Humility What of his Zeal What of his Sincerity These three Virtues are the Sureties and Pledges for our Faith of the Godhead of Jesus Christ Who is it that writes this 'T is St. Paul that is to say in one word whatsoever can be conceiv'd of Zeal against attributing the Divine Glory to a Creature This Apostle met with several occasions to make himself known under this Character He strongly declares himself against Idolatry in several places In the Acts of the Apostles we find what a Reception he gave to those Divine Honours which the Lycaonians would needs force upon him he rents his Clothes runs in amongst them Crying out and saying Acts 14.15 Sirs why do you these things We are also men of like passions with you and preach unto you that ye should turn from these vanities unto the living God In the Seventeenth Chapter of the same Book we find that the Spirit of St. Paul was stirred in him at the sight of the Idols they worshipp'd at Athens Acts 17.16 In the first Chapter of the Epistle to the Romans we find him thundring against Idolaters saying that they changed the glory of the incorruptible God Rom 1.23 25. into an image made like to corruptible man and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator who is blessed for ever This is enough to give us a taste of St. Paul's Spirit in this matter and to shew that he had the greatest horror for Idolatry Besides this he made it always his business to humble and abase the Creature that thereby the greater Glory might redound to the Creator and to remove all those things that might in the least serve to colour the Religious Worship of the Creature Yet for all this he speaks always most magnificently of Jesus Christ he makes him equal with the Soveraign God who hath created Heaven and
TWO DISCOURSES Concerning the DIVINITY OF OUR SAVIOUR Whereunto are added some Articles subscribed by all the French Divines in or about London in Opposition to the SOCINIANS Translated out of French IMPRIMATUR March 22. 1692 3. Guil. Lancaster LONDON Printed for Richard Baldwin near the Oxford-Arms in Warwick-Lane 1693. To His Grace the Duke of Sconberg Marquess of Harwich Earl of Brantford Baron of Tays Count of the Holy Empire Lieutenant-General of His Majesty's Army and Colonel of the First Regiment of the English Guards My Lord DID the Fate of Books depend upon the Quality of the Persons to whom they are Dedicated I should be very secure that the two following Discourses would be kindly received because I have presum'd to put 'em under the Protection of one of the Greatest Persons that can be made choice of It is very well known My Lord that Your Illustrious Family has a long Succession of Ancestors whose Blood has been mixt with that of divers Princes and it is not long ago since we lost the Duke your Father in whose Air we saw all the Traces of so August a Pedigree He maintain'd the Glory of His Birth by all the Merit necessary to make a Hero So prudent in his Conduct that he never took a false Measure Indefatigably Vigilant Valiant and Couragious in Action these Great Qualities being joined to a Goodness that made Access to him always easy and a Piety that gave Example to our whole Church could not but render him the Object of our Admiration I know My Lord there is no need of looking farther than Your own Grandeur to find Matter for Your Praises So the Liberty I have taken to speak of the Duke Your Father was only to gain an opportunity of drawing Your Picture without offence to Your Modesty I am not ignorant that how great soever my Patron may be yet the Publick which judges of things as they are in themselves will not receive these Discourses more favourably upon that account But I have no farther design in the Choice than to manifest the Obligations I have to Your Grace for Your Bounty in affording me the Honour of Your Protection and to assure You that I am with a profound respect My Lord Your Graces Most Humble and Obedient Servant and Chaplain C. G. Lamothe To the READER I Doubt not but some People will think it strange that I should venture to Print any thing concerning the Divinity of our Saviour when such Excellent Sermons have been lately Publish'd upon the same Subject This seems to be so ill tim'd that I find my self oblig'd to say something in justification of my own Conduct When I saw this Truth defended by the best Pens in the Church of England I thought it the Duty of the French Ministers who are Refugees there to give some written proofs of the Constancy of their Faith in so important an Article And this Declaration of theirs cannot but carry some weight along with it whether we reflect upon their great number or consider that Religion was the Cause why they were Banished from their own Countrey It is indeed their Duty as far as in them lyes to Edifie a Nation that has receiv'd them with a Charity becoming the Primitive Ages of the Church and some proofs of their Constancy are likewise due to the Honour of their own Ministry Several Ill-designing People have endeavour'd to cast a Blemish upon them Some have done it in France with a design to make their Flocks which now are gone astray conceive an Aversion to their Ancient Pastors and others have thought by this means to gain Reputation to a Cause which they themselves are too much inclin'd to When I saw that the French Ministers in the clearing themselves of this Reproach were content to instruct their Auditors in the True Faith by their Sermons only whose Effects could not reach the Nation in which they have the Happiness to live I thought it my Duty to go farther and that I should not do a thing ungrateful to the Publick in Printing Two Discourses upon this Subject after having took Care that they should be Examin'd by my Brethren to the end it might appear That the Doctrine I Teach is that of our whole Body We whose Names are under-written being Appointed by the other French Ministers in England have Read these Two Discourses and have found them entirely Conformable to the Word of God and the constant Doctrine of the French Protestants Satur Minister of the Savoy Graveral Minister of the New French Church The 8th of March The First Discourse PHILIP II. 6 7. Who being in the Form of God thought it no Robbery to be equal with God But made himfelf of no Reputation IT is a very Judicious Observation which some Divines have made upon the Variety that appears throughout the whole Dispensation of the Gospel They have observ'd that Glory and Meanness were so mix'd in it that it seemed as if Providence had designed thereby to point out to us the two Natures of our Great Redeemer From his very Conception we are entertained with the view of a God-Man he was formed in the Womb of the poor Virgin Mary this speaks him Man But the Holy Ghost presides at his Conception this shews him to be more than Man His Birth is proclaimed by Shepherds but the Angels also bear a part in it His Infancy is persecuted by one King but ador'd by three others We find also according to Origen's Observation that amongst the Presents which these Kings or Wise-men offer'd to the Child Jesus there was Myrth for the Mortal Man and Incense for the Immortal God The whole Life of our Saviour represents to us a like mixture He undergoes a Temptation of Forty Days but he hath Angels to minister unto him he is hungry but he curseth the Fig-tree he falls asleep in the Ship but he commands the Storm to a Calm He weeps for his Friend Lazarus but calls him out of his Grave to life he dies but Nature seems to feel the Pangs of Death with him and the Third Day he riseth from the Dead You see there runs a continued Parallel between the Humiliation of Man and the Majesty of God in most of the Circumstances of our Saviour's Life that we may be assur'd of the Right which each of the two Natures hath to our belief of it This Observation is still more evident from the Opposition St. Paul purposely makes between these two Natures in several places At the beginning of the Epistle to the Romans he speaks of the Gospel of God concerning his Son here is the Divinity of Jesus Christ but then Who was made of the seed of David according to the flesh there is his Humanity In the 9th Chapter of the same Epistle he saith That Christ came of the Father according to the Flesh but that he is over all God blessed for ever In the Epistle to the Galatians it is said that God sent his Son made
of a woman Here we have the Son of God and the Son of a Woman and in the Epistle to Timothy God was manifest in the Flesh But there is no Passage where this Opposition is more distinctly set forth than that which we have made choice of on a day set aside by the Church for a Memorial of our Saviour's Humiliation Who being in the Form of God saith St. Paul though it no Robbery to be equal with God But made himself of no reputation or Emptied himself as the word in the Original signifies The design of these words was to oblige the Philippians to Humility and Charity There could be nothing of greater force to engage them to the practice of these two Vertues than the Example of Jesus Christ They knew what pass'd when our Saviour wash'd his Disciple's Feet Ye call me Master and Lord and ye say well for so I am If I then your Lord and Master have washed your feet ye also ought to wash one anothers feet For I have given you an example that ye should do as I have done to you Verily verily I say unto you the servant is not greater than his Lord c. This Principle being incontestably admitted by the Philippians St. Paul could not alledge a more pressing Motive to establish amongst them a Spirit of Humility and Charity than was that of the Example of our dear Lord where both these Vertues appear with so much lustre Let therefore saith the Apostle this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus who being in the form of God thought it no robbery to be equal with God yet he emptied himself and took upon him the form of a Servant and was made in the likeness of men These words furnish us with two great Subjects for our Meditation the Glory of the Eternal Divinity of Jesus Christ and his Emptying of himself in his Incarnation In order to a thorough Explication of the words which concern the Divinity of our Saviour we must first consider the Literal Sense and then search as far as the weakness of our Understanding will permit into the Doctrine therein contain'd The Literal sense of these words presents us with three Propositions The First is That Jesus Christ was before that he was made man The Second That he was in the form of God before ever he was in the form of man The Third That he thought it no robbery to be equal to his heavenly Father These are the Three Propositions St. Paul expresseth here very clearly The First is That Jesus Christ was before that he became Man Who saith St. Paul being or as it is in the Original 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the form of God did empty himself or was made man That which is not cannot abase it self or become Man A Truth which is proved at the very Proposal of it It would be hard to guess wherein the Soundness of St. Paul's Reasoning did consist if Jesus Christ had not existed before he was born of the Virgin Mary This way of arguing can have no Foundation but this That Christ passed from one Condition to another from a State of Glory to a State of Abasement and in so doing hath set an Example wherein a mixture of Humility and Charity invite or rather force Christians to an Imitation A Doctrine truly worthy of St. Paul But what sense shall we make of it if it be not true that our Saviour before his Birth of the Blessed Virgin was not in a more Glorious State than was that which he entred upon by his Nativity Should we allow our selves to suppose that Jesus Christ began to exist by his Conception in the Womb of the Blessed Virgin could we in this case be able to say That he humble himself to that degree as to be willing to be born after the manner of Men Humility consists in stepping down lower Now that which is not cannot descend nor consequently humble it self He was therefore before that he emptied himself by his Temporal Nativity This is a Truth so clearly asserted in Scripture that the opposite Error cannot be entertained by any but those who either openly or secretly reject the Authority of that Divine Book I will not go about to quote all the Passages we find there to prove the Pre-existence of our Blessed Saviour the number of them is so great that it would take up too much of our time Nevertheless for confirmation of the Proposition we are about we shall put you in mind that Jesus Christ himself declares that he was come down from Heaven and that he was in Heaven before ever he ascended thither This Pre-existence will appear very evidently by a Set of gradual Proofs drawn from the Scriptures concerning it Our Blessed Saviour was before John the Baptist tho he as his Forerunner was born before him Hear we the Deposition of this Illustrious Witness John 1.30 This is he of whom I said After me cometh a man who is preferred before me for he was before me Nay what is more our Saviour was in Moses his time who was so many Ages before John the Baptist for is it not said That the Isralites contemporary with that great Law giver did tempt Christ Neither let us tempt Christ saith our Apostle as some of them also tempted 1 Cor. 10.9 10. and were destroyed of Serpents When Moses refused to be called the Son of Pharaoh's Daughter and forsook the Court of Aegypt to follow the Divine Call the Author of the Epistle to the Hebrews informs us Heb. 11.26 that in so doing he preferr'd the reproach of Christ before the treasures of Egypt Let us go further still and we shall find that our Blessed Lord was before Abraham John 8.58 Verily verily I say unto you Before Abraham was I am This was a very emphatical Testimony to the Jews who look'd upon this Patriarch as the first Stock of their Nation Let us go back as far as Noah and we shall find that our Saviour was at that time also according to the Testimony of St. Peter who tells us That Jesus Christ preached to the spirits that were disobedient in the time of Noah ◠Pet. 3.19 So long since Jesus Christ took care of Sinners Neither must we stop here for if we look back to the beginning of the World John 1.1 Col. 1.17 we shall find our Saviour assisting there In the beginning was the word He is before all things Indeed how could it be otherwise but that he must have been at the beginning of the world since the world ows its Creation to him Without him was not any thing made that was made I was brought forth when yet there were no depths John 1.3 Prov. 8.24 25 nor fountains abounding with water Before the Mountains were setled before the hills was I brought forth As the Wise King introduceth our Saviour speaking in the 8th Chapter of the Proverbs Neither must we conclude from all these
they should make a Relick of it It was thought needful also to veil his Glory with an humbling expression that none might take him for God but for a Servant of God From which principle we may without hesitation conclude That if there be any Being which the Scripture equals with God that the same must needs be God This will be a demonstrative proof of the Divinity of Christ after we have shew'd you that the Scripture doth all along make him equal with God In our foregoing Discourse we have considered this Equality with reference to the Words of the Text only Our design now is to shew that it consists in all those Names those Attributes and that Worship which belong to the Divine Nature alone and yet are Communicated to our Saviour He is so call'd as his Father is and thus is he equal with God in his Names He is True God as his Father this is his equality in Attributes He is honoured as his Father and this is his equality as to Worship Follow me in these Three Points with your Attention Begin we with the Names Christ as well as his Father is called God John 1.1 The word was God Neither was it in time that our Saviour received this Name from the Beginning this Word was God Let no body tell us here that the Scripture hath allowed this name to Creatures as to Moses and to Magistrates These instances are of no force to elude the dint of our Argument from the Name of God Attributed to our Saviour For is there any thing of parity between examples wherein a glorious Creature is once called God by way of Comparison only and the Language of the New Testament which so often calls Christ God by way of perfect Equality But let us take a nearer view of these Examples It is said in Exodus that Moses entring upon his Call made difficulty to accept of it God to determine him to accept of the Commission told him I know that Aaron thy Brother can speak well he shall be thy spokesman unto the People Exod. 4.14 16. and he shall be to thee instead of a mouth and thou shalt be to him instead of God That is to say that as God inspires the Prophets to inform them what they are to say in his Name in like manner Moses was to communicate his thoughts or rather those of God to Aaron that so Aaron might propose them to the People Moses did that with regard to Aaron what God did with respect to the Prophets so that Moses was in stead of God to Aaron It is not simply said That Moses was God or that he was the God of the Israelites no nor the God of Aaron far from it it is only said that he was in stead of a God to Aaron and on this occasion only Hath this any the least resemblance with those places where our Saviour is called God And the same may be said of that Text where it is said See I have made thee a God to Pharaoh and Aaron thy brother shall be thy prophet Exod. 7.1 These words are but the sequel of the words before explain'd for if Moses with reference to Aaron discharged the place of God in communicating to him the Oracles of Heaven it is evident that Moses discharged the same Function with respect to Pharaoh to whom a part of these Oracles were sent We know that in the Publication of Oracles three sorts of Persons act their part God from whom they originally proceed the Prophet whom God commissionates therewith and the Person to whom they are addrest Whence it appears that God at the same time is the God of the Prophet by inspiring him and the God of the party to whom he causeth his will to be declar'd Moses could not be God with regard to Aaron but he must at the same time be so likewise with regard to Pharaoh because Aaron carried the word of Moses to Pharaoh The proof of this Interpretation may be found in that very place where it is said I have made thee a god to Pharaoh for it immediately follows and Aaron shall be thy prophet Exod. 7.1 2. thou shalt speak all that I command thee and Aaron thy brother shall speak unto Pharaoh And is it therefore said That Moses is God simply and absolutely Not in the least for this is distinctly limited I have made thee a God for this that is to say for this only this is plainly limited But our Lord is call'd God without the least determination of his Godhead by any Limitations whatsoever The word was God The Example of Magistrates is not a whit more to the purpose than that of Moses True it is that in the 82d Psalm they are called gods I have said ye are gods Psalm 82 This hath nothing common with that way of speaking wherewith this Name is given to our Saviour It is not said of any Magistrate in particular that he is God no not so much as once throughout all the Scripture It is only said concerning the Magistrates Ye are Gods That is to say that as Magistrates they are an Image of the Sovereign Judge So that you see that this also is limited it is not said of any Man nor of any Angel in particular and by way of absolute speaking that he is God And yet it is thus that Christ is called God This Word was God God hath redeemed his Church with his own blood God manifested in the flesh Nay what is more Christ is not only called God 1 John 5.20 but he is called the True God This is the true God and eternal life saith the Beloved Disciple Neither is he only called the True God but the Great God for so St. Paul stiles him Tet. 2.13 Looking for the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ We cannot but take notice here that in that short Epistle which St. Paul wrote to Titus our Saviour is called God at least four or five times How comes it to pass that St. Paul in so short an Epistle affects to call our Lord so often by the Name of God and Saviour For it is certain that as the heavenly Father is God by way of Principle so it is he whom the Scripture commonly calls God how is it then I say that St. Paul in this short Epistle bestows this Name three or four times upon our Saviour Without question there was some particular Reason for it for any thing I know it was this Because the Ministry of Titus was limited to the Isle of Crete Now we know this Island had a singular Veneration for Jupiter Jupiter that is to say in the Stile of Paganism The great God and the Saviour of Men. Many of these Christians the care of whose Souls were committed to Titus had been converted from this Idol to our Lord Jesus Christ that is to a living and true God St. Paul therefore in opposition to the erroneous
Ideas of their Education bestows upon Jesus christ these very same Names in Writing to Titus And this is as much as if he had said to the Christians of that Island Jupiter was a Usurper he in whom you have believed is the only Saviour and the true God If we had nothing else to say concerning the Name of God attributed to our Saviour in the Scripture we should believe our Argument already very strong to prove the Divinity of Christ Nothing is call'd God as he is but that which is really so He is called God simply and absolutely and if I may make use of an Expression popular indeed but intelligible I say he is called God in plain terms and without ifs or ands I make bold to use this Expression that the most simple may conceive my Meaning and make the Application themselves as they read the Scripture To add more strength to this Argument we need only to observe that the Name of Jehovah it self is given to Jesus Christ in the Scripture This great Name this Incommunicable Name which the Jews dare not so much as pronounce so worthy do they esteem it of all respect and veneration is notwithstanding given to Christ Ye shall not tempt Jehovah your God Deut. 6.16 as ye tempted him in Massah These are the Words of Moses If we will believe St. Paul our Lord is this Jehovah whom the Israelites tempted Neither let us tempt Christ saith he as some of them also tempted 1 Cor. 10.9 Isa 40.3 The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness Prepare ye the way of Jehovah They are the Words of Isaiah Let us consult the Evangelists to know the meaning of them and they will tell us That John the Baptist is the Voice crying in the Wilderness Matt. 3.3 Mark 1.3 Isa 54.5 and that Jesus Christ is that Jehovah whose way is prepared For thy Maker is thine Husband Jehovah of Hosts is his name and thy redeemer the holy one of Israel the God of the whole earth shall he be called Who is the Bridegroom and Husband of the Church St. Paul will inform us 2 Cor. 11.2 I am jealous over you saith he to the Corinthians with a jealousie of God observe that Expression for it was for Christ that St. Paul was jealous For I have espoused you to one Husband that I may present you a chast Virgin to Christ I will save them by Jehovah their God they are the words of God by the mouth of the Prophet Hosea Hos 1.7 By whom is it that the Church is saved Who is it that is our Saviour and Redeemer We know that the New Testament most exprestly assures us in very many places that it is our Lord Jesus Christ It would be an easy matter to alledge several other Passages out of the Old Testament where the True God is most expresly spoken of which by the Writers of the New Testament are applied to Christ What think we can be the Design of these Holy Men herein if Jesus Christ be not indeed that True God In this case I make no difficulty to assert that they have deceived us most shamefully and that their Writings are no better than continual Blasphemies Pray what is Blasphemy if this be not to apply to a Creature what is due to the Creator only and to appropriate to a meer Man or even to an Angel those Oracles which the Holy Ghost hath dictated for the Honour of God alone What a monstrous Opinion is this the Consequences whereof turn the Holy Apostles into Blasphemers As for our part as long as we shall believe that they were not destitute of Common Sense nor of the Fear of God as long as we shall be persuaded over and above this That their Pens were guided by an Infallible Spirit we must be convinced that our Blessed Lord whom they call God either expresly or by application of the Prophetical Passages of the Old Testament was God indeed The Second Rank of our Proofs respects the Equality of Attributes and furnisheth us with a new Demonstration in favour of the Godhead of our Saviour Indeed if we find that the Scripture attributes to our Lord the very same things it appropriates to the Divine Essence will it not be manifest that Christ is God What is it to be God if it be not to have the Nature of God Now there is nothing that can be more easily prov'd than that our Lord hath the Properties of the Divine Nature and that in such a manner as belongs to God only I shall make choice of Six of the Divine Attributes to verifie my Argument Eternity Immensity Holiness Knowledg Power and Mercy The two first of these Attributes never were or can be attributed to any created Substance I mean Eternity and Immensity Having already in a former Discourse spoken of the Eternity of Jesus Christ it would be useless to insist any more upon it were it a Point of less consequence than it is Upon that account we esteem it our Duty to enliven your Faith by quoting the Sacred Author of the Epistle to the Hebrews In the first Chapter he presents them with a strong Motive of perseverance by the Description he gives them of the Majesty of our Lord whom he raiseth high above the Angels and to whom he ascribes Eternity by applying a Passage out of the 102 Psalm to him Psal 102.26 27. They the Heavens shall perish but thou shalt endure yea all of them shall wax old like a garment as a vesture shalt thou change them and they shall be changed but thou art the same and thy years shall have no end To understand the true sense of this Oracle we must search for it at the Fountain-head I mean in the Psalm if self where we shall find it plainly signifies the Eternity of the Divine Nature not only Eternity to come but also that which is past We do not find that the Sacred Author hath added the least restriction to the words of the Text but attributes them in their whole and entire strength to Jesus Christ Our Saviour therefore is Eternal with regard to both sides of Eternity In runing over this Epistle we cannot silently pass over an Argument the Author insists upon in the Third Chapter to confirm Christians in their Perseverance by the Advantages which raise Christ far above Moses For this person was counted worthy of more glory than Moses in as much as he who hath built the house Heb. 3.3 hath more honour than the house This way of reasoning amounts to nothing if it do not suppose our Saviour to be the Builder of the House But saith the Author in the Verse following He that built all things is God Jesus Christ therefore is God Nevertheless it appears that the Father also is the Builder of the House for it is said that Christ as Son is over the House of God But this is easily reconcil'd for the Father and the Son
possessing one and the same Nature the one is suppos'd to have done what the other did Proceed we to the seventh Chapter where we meet with an Emphatical Proof of the Eternity of Christ The Apostle there teacheth us that Melchisedec is the true Portraiture of our Lord in this Type I find a King of righteousness and of Peace and so far the Resemblance is exact for we know that Righteousness and Peace kiss and embrace each other in the Original But consider we those other Lineaments that compose the Type He was without Father without Mother without descent having neither beginning of days nor end of life This according to the Letter cannot be said of any Man if Melchisedec was a Man he had Father Mother Descent beginning of Days and end of Life but nothing of all this is found in the Scripture where not the least mention is made of the Family nor of the Birth nor of the Death of Melchisedec which is very strange forasmuch as the Holy Ghost hath given us the Genealogy of many Persons much less considerable how comes it to pass that it hath neglected to give us these particulars concerning the great Melchisedec Why the reason is plain his Design was to represent to us a Portraiture that might resemble our Lord Being made like the Son of God saith our Author The Holy Ghost on purpose suppresseth the Birth and Death of Melchisedec to the end that this Illustrious Unknown might the better represent the Eternity of the Son of God who is without beginning of days as he is without end of life In the 9th Chapter we find a new Proof of the Eternity of our Saviour Heb. 9.14 It is said that Christ through the eternal spirit offered himself to God What is this Eternal Spirit here mention'd It is not the Soul of our Lord that is now here called the Eternal Spirit Besides the Soul of our Lord was a part of the Sacrifice it self whereas the words speak of the Nature that offers and not of that which is offer'd Neither is it the Holy Ghost the Third Person in the Sacred Trinity he did not offer up our Saviour but he offer'd up himself it must therefore have been an other Nature which our Saviour here calls the Eternal Spirit The Godhead of Christ perform'd the Priest's Office here upon the Manhood predestinated to be the Victim for Mankind I refer also to this That Argument which the same Author draws from the Eternity of Jesus Christ to engage the Christians to persevere in his Doctrine Jesus Christ the same yesterday and to day and for ever The Apostle by these words renews the Notion he had given them in the beginning of this Epistle where we have seen that he asserts the Eternity of Jesus Christ from a Text of the Old Testamnnt Indeed we find the Author had this Eternity in his eye throughout to the very end of the Epistle and 't is with reference to this that we must explain this Elogy of our Saviour which comprehends all distinction of Time past present and to come He is the same yesterday to day and for ever which answers to the Explication St. John gives us of the Eternity of the Father Grace be unto you and peace from him which is and which was Rev. 1.4 and which is to come And the very same Expression is attributed to Christ by St. John or rather our Saviour attributes it to himself in St. John's Revelation Rev. 1.8 I am Alpha avd Omega the Beginning and the End saith the Lord which is which was and which is to come the Almighty Who is it that speaks thus He of whom it is said in the verse foregoing Behold he cometh with clouds and every eye shall see him is the same who in the following Verse saith I am Alpha and Omega the first and the last For St. John having turned himself to see who it was whose Voice he heard saw Jesus Christ Our Lord therefore is Eternal Immensity is the Second Attribute by which our Saviour is present in all places at the same time If it were not so how could he make good the Promise made to his Disciples For where two or three are gathered together in my name Matt. 18.20 there am I in the midst of them It is very observable that this is the Language of God under the Old Law where we see that in several passages he promises to dwell amidst his People Think we that any one but the Son drust have spoke like the Father Besides I will take the boldness to say that as Grace displays it self in the Gospel the Son by promising his presence in all places saith yet more than the Father The Father assures his People that he will dwell amongst them and sometimes does even restrain this his Habitation to the compass of the Tabernacle They shall make me a Sanctuary saith he in Exodus and I will dwell in the midst of them But our Saviour extends his Promise to a much greater compass even to a wheresoever two or three are gathered together in my name there am I in the midst of them As if he had said That place wheresoever it be shall be to me a Jerusalem a Tabernacle a Sanctuary What can this import less than Immensity at a time when Grace overflows the whole Universe without any distinction of People In all parts of the World our Lord is present in the midst of the least Assemblies where his Name is called upon He is in all places at the same time he sees what is done there he hears all that is said there he blesseth those whom he will bless In a word he is in all places where he is call'd upon as God was in the Sanctuary of old It is well enough known that when our Saviour promiseth his presence he means a presence of his Virtue and Influences Immensity is not the proper subject of a Promise That which of its own Nature is present in all places is there whether he promise it or not but because our Lord doth promise a presence of Virtue in all places we have good reason to conclude that he is in all places This Conclusion is evident our Saviour could not act in all places if he were not in all places Now-a-days 't is maintain'd that we cannot conceive the Existence of God in any place but by some Divine Operations God is every where say they because he operates every where Say we the same of our Saviour he is every where because he acts every where For where two or three are gathered together in my name there am I in the midst of them We need no more than common sense to convince us that if our Blessed Lord had no other Amplitude but that of his Human Nature he could never fulfil this great Promise But still to open a further Light to his Immensity we need only call to mind his Discourse with Nicodemus in the third of
St. John's Gospel No man hath ascended up to heaven but hothat came down from heaven Joh. 3.13 even the Son of Man which is in heaven He is discoursing with Nicodemus here on Earth and at the same time tells him he is in Heaven This can admit of no tolerable explication but by means of that Immensity whereby he fills heaven and earth These are the two Divine Attributes that are absolutely incommunicable to Creatures Let us next run over the other Attributes that are by some way of Analogy communicable to them but are possest by God in the highest degree of Absoluteness and Perfection I shall not say that our Saviour is Holy that he is Intelligent that he is Powerful and Merciful which are the four Attributes that remain to be examined Should we say no more than so all this may be attributed to Creatures We find amongst them Holiness Knowledge Power and Mercy No body can doubt but that if we make it evident that our Lord possesseth all these four Perfections as God doth you will be furnish'd with as many Demonstrations to evince the Divinity of our Saviour Our Saviour then is Holy but so as God is which we prove from a plain Text of Scripture The Prophet Isaiah tells us in his sixth Chapter that he saw the Lord sitting upon a throne amidst the Acclamations of the Seraphims who cried one to another and said Holy holy holy is the Lord of Hosts Would you know who this Lord or rather Jehovah is to whom they give the threefold Compellation of Holy St. John the Evangelist will resolve you who tells us in the twelfth Chapter of his Gospel that Isaiah spake of our Saviour Joh. 12 41. These things said Esaias when he saw his glory and spake of him Some have been of Opinion that Isaiah was condemn'd to Death because he had presum'd to say That he had seen him who was invisible This seem'd to be a meer piece of Blasphemy but what can be imagin'd more abominable than that which St. John tells us here if our Blessed Lord be not indeed the King the Lord of Hosts the Holy One of Israel Let us make no scruple to believe the Beloved Disciple who repos'd himself on the Breast of the Son of God Trust we the piercing sight of this Eagle who took so near a view of this glorious Son Rely we upon the Testimony of an Evangelist whose end in writing his Gospel was to prove that Jesus Christ is the Son of God It is he assures us that he whom the Seraphims with so much Humility adore crying to one another and saying Holy holy holy is the Lord of Hosts was no other than our Blessed Lord. We say further That he hath Knowledge also but as God He knows all that God knows Remember always that we speak of the Son of God We know that the Son of Man had a Knowledge which encreas'd by degrees and what is more that he did not know all things No man knows that hour saith he no not the Son of Man This is true of the Son of Man or of the Human Nature of our Saviour but the Son of God the Divine Nature in our Saviour knew that which the Son of Man knew not The Son of God knows all that God knows that is all things St. Peter tells us as much Lord saith he thou knowest all things thou knowest that I love thee This Knowledge is Universal and to take a view of it that way where with one cast of the Eye you may discover it to be the Knowledge of God we need only to observe that the Eyes of our Lord pierce to the very bottom of Man's Heart Thou knowest all things thou knowest that I love thee St. Peter's Heart was not the only Heart that was known to Christ All things were naked and open before him Lord thou knowest all things The Proposition is general The Scribes and Pharisees those Hypocritical Professors could not hide their most secret Thoughts from him this Truth appears from many passages of the Gospel To Cite only one place which by reason of its generality comprehends all the rest we need only take notice of what St. John saith towards the end of the Second Chapter of his Gospel But Jesus did not commit himself unto them saith he Joh. 2.24 25. because he knew all men and needed not that any should testifie of man for he knew what was in man The Case here mentioned is not that of a Prophet to whom God discovers the Heart of some particular Man The Knowledge which the Gospel ascribes to our Saviour is Universal no Heart escapes him He knew what was in man A Knowledge that God in a most peculiar manner appropriates to himself in several places of the Old Testament I know my God 1 Chron. 29.17 Jerem. 17.10 that thou triest the heart said David towards the latter end of his Life I the Lord search the heart I try the reins saith he himself by the Mouth of the Prophet Jeremy Let us read to the end of the Verse Even continues he to give to every man according to his ways and according to the fruit of his doings 'T is God that speaks here and he speaks as God he speaks like himself Never did any Prophet speak thus And yet this is the very passage our Lord ascribes to himself in the Revelation speaking to the Angel of the Church of Thyatira Rev. 2.23 And all the Churches shall know that I am he which searches the reins and hearts and I will give unto every one of you according to your works Words that make it evident that our Saviour declares expresly that it was himself that spake in Jeremy and that the Knowledge of the Heart of Man belongs to him in chief The Fifth Attribute whereby we learn to know the Divine Nature of Christ is his Power He is powerful but so as to be powerful as God he is the Almighty In Virtue of this power the Son doth all that the Father doth Joh. 5.19 What things soever the Father doth these also doth the Son likewise Doth the Father raise the Dead So doth the Son also he quickneth whom he will Doth the Father create the World The Son doth so likewise Which two instances shew us the extent of the Father's Power Indeed we cannot conceive any greater than that of restoring Life to the Dead and that of creating such a World as this is and yet both these belong to our Saviour In the first place he hath raised the Dead but have not others done the same Miracle Elijah and Elisha in the Old Testament and the Disciples of our Lord in the New have not they also raised some that were Dead who for all that never pretended to be equal with God True it is that Elijah and Elisha each of them raised a Child to Life but with what pains do they work these Miracles God makes them sweat for it
that it might appear that these Saints were but Men. Elijah stretcheth himself upon the child three several times and cries to the Lord. Elisha not being able to do any thing by the Ministry of his Servant comes himself into the room where the Child was The Prophet lyes upon the Child and puts his Mouth to the Childs Mouth and his Eyes upon the Childs Eyes and his Hands upon the Childs Hands trying to restore Life and Heat to the Child but for all this the desired Effect doth not follow he goes up and comes down and after having several times stretched himself upon the Child at last by the Blessing of God the Child begins to shew some signs of Life Was this the way our Saviour took to raise the Dead Being touched with Compassion for the Widow of Naim whose only Son was carried forth to be buried our Saviour saith to the Dead Mar. 5.41 Young Man arise and that word did the thing without any more ado neither said he more in raising to Life the Daughter of the Ruler of the Synagogue but Damsel arise and Lazarus was raised with this word Lazarus come forth There is no need to insist upon the Resurrections wrought by the Disciples of our Lord for they being performed in his Name were to be attributed only to the Efficacy of his Virtue Besides these particular Resurrections which prove the Omnipotence of our Lord we ought also to consider that he attributes to himself the Resurrection of all Believers All he did here upon Earth was but a Scantling of what he shall do one day by commanding Death to give up her dead after that their dissipated Dust hath been carried by the Wind to the utmost Corners of the Universe He that believes in me saith he hath eternal life and I will raise him at the last day Is this the Stile of a Creature Pursuant to this Promise several times repeated in the Gospel St. Paul saith to the Philippians as if he would prove to them that Christ is equal to God his Father that Jesus Christ shall change our vile Bodies and make them conform also to his glorious Body by that power whereby he is able even to subdue all things to himself Phil. 3.21 See here the Omnipotence of our Saviour exprest with the greatest plainness that may be In the second place I asserted that Christ had created the World He hath created all that we see and all that we do not see for he is the Creator both of Angels and Men the Creator of all things without him nothing was made that was made Let us make use of St. Paul's Expressions For by him were all things created that are in heaven and that are in earth Col. 1.16 visible and invisible whether they be thrones or dominions or principalities or powers all things were created by him and for him These words are so full and strong and are alone sufficient to prove that our Lord is equal in power with his Father The last Attribute wherewith we evince the equality which St. Paul attributes to our Saviour or rather which our Saviour attributes to himself is that of Mercy We can no sooner have any little knowledge of the Mystery of our Redemption by Jesus Christ but we must acknowledge that our Redeemer is merciful in a manner that doth not belong to any but God Was it not he himself think we to whom Moses said The Lord the Lord God merciful and gracious Exod. 33. 34. This great Lawgiver had a desire to see God I beseech thee said Moses shew me thy glory and God's answer was I will make all my goodness pass before thee where by the way we may observe to our great comfort that the Lord intimates to us that his Goodness is his great Glory And afterwards he informs Moses that no Man can look God in the Face Thou shalt see my back parts saith he but my face shall not be seen What may be the meaning of this Expression The Interpreters are generally agreed that this signifies that God cannot be seen but by and in his Works and that the Mysterious Reasons of his Conduct are not discerned Thus far this Explication is plausible enough but yet this is not enough except they comprehend in these his Works the Works of Grace Indeed those are chiefly here intended I will make all my goodness pass before thee Wherein I pray consists all the goodness of God Why it is all concentred in the Mystery of the Death of Christ When Moses had a glimpse of this Infinite Goodness when the Crucified Jesus was pourtray'd before the Eyes of Moses then it was that he cry'd out saying The Lord the Lord God merciful and gracious long suffering and abundant in goodness and truth And indeed who would not do as much at the view tho a distant one of the Mercy of the Son of God who being in the Form of God nevertheless emptied himself Christ's Mercy alone is sufficient to demonstrate him to be the true God God only is good in that manner because he who said to our Lord Good master what shall I do to have eternal life did not comprehend this Truth Our Lord saith to him Why callest thou me good There is none good but God thou who dost not know that I am God why dost thou call me good Yet our Lord who very well knew his own Rights gives himself that Title I am the good shepherd saith he in the Tenth Chapter of St. John according to the Principle of our Saviour himself it might have been told him Why dost thou call thy self good there is none good but God but knowing very well what he was he made himself equal with God in goodness The whole Gospel is full of the Traces of that Mercy which our Saviour hath exercised in chief You have already seen this in that he pardons sins not as Ministers do by way of Declaration but as God by an absolute and independent Authority The manner of St. Paul's wishing Grace is also an evident proof of this Truth Grace be unto you and peace from God our father and from the Lord Jesus Christ This is the common Seal of St. Paul's Epistles by which he renders an Authentick Witness to our Saviour's Divinity The Christians who had been Educated in the Jewish Religion and thereby accustomed to hear nothing more frequently spoken of than the Blessing the Peace and the Grace of God could not understand it otherwise An Apostle would have been better advis'd than to wish them Grace proceeding elsewhere than from God This Grace alone is sufficient for us The Scripture never tell us of the Grace of Angels or of Men. Where is there any mention made in form of wishing the Grace of Abraham or that of Moses or St. Peter or St. Paul The Church lives only by the Grace of God insomuch that this Salutation The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you is an
excellent proof of the Divinity of our Great Redeemer He is therefore as you see equal to his Father in Eternity in Immensity in Holiness in Power and in Mercy And what is the result of this Equality but this that our Lord possesseth the Attributes of the Divine Essence and enjoys the Honour that is incontestably due to that Essence This is the third Head whereby we prove that Jesus Christ is equal with his Father That which at first put us upon the Meditation of this Article is that Honourable Rank our Saviour holds in the Scriptures In that Sacred Book where every thing is in its proper place and where nothing that is created is made to go hand in hand with God and yet there we ever see the Son always join'd with his Heavenly Father Teach all nations baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost There are three that bear record in heaven the Father the Word and the Holy Ghost John 5.7 These are Texts where we see these three Adorable Persons rank'd in one Line St. Paul blesseth the Corinthians from the Son even as from the Father The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ the love of God 2 Cor. 13.14 and the communion of the Holy Ghost be with you all A remarkable passage indeed where we find the Son even nam'd before the Father which yet we find also in many other passages But why is the order here inverted To make it appear Gal. 1.1 2. 2 Thes 2.16 say the Fathers that the order of names does not import a Subordination of different Natures The Father Son and Holy Ghost are only one Divine Nature and therefore it is that the Scripture sometimes placeth the Son above the Father Can we imagine that that Sacred Record would ever have committed such an absurdity if the Son had been no more than a Creature I appeal to any Man who hath in the least degree savour'd the Spirit of Scripture What think we of such a speech as this The Grace of Moses and the Love of God be with you all Or of this Joshua call'd to be a Leader of Israel not of Men nor by Man but by Moses Gal. 1.1 and by God or of this Now Moses and God comfort your Hearts I appeal to any one whether it be not prophane to talk at this rate and yet do but put the Name of Jesus Christ instead of Moses and we shall find all these passages word for word in the New Testament This is an observation rais'd from the Son 's being sometimes named before the Father but tho the Son had been continually plac'd in the second rank as indeed commonly he is yet the Argument for all that continues in its full force The Son would never have been join'd with the Father in the Scripture if the Son had been a Creature because he would have been infinitely inferior to him neither would the Scripture ever have suppress'd this distance by ranging the Father and the Son together in one Line and placing them on one and the same Throne Is not this to tell us plainly and openly that both of them possess the same undivided Nature This is the Honour the Holy Ghost hath given to the Son of God in the Scriptures See we now what Honour we Men ought to render to this Son who is our Master and Saviour Worship is as it were the shadow of the Godhead let us thereby take the height and elevation of the Lord we are to worship To this purpose let us lay this down for a Principle That the Glory of Adoration belongs to none but God alone Should I go about to prove this Truth from the Old Testament I should be fain to take in the Testimony of all the Prophets They have all of them in the most smart and lively terms express'd the Jealousie of God for any Divine Honours exhibited to Creatures We need but cast our Eyes upon the Old Testament to be fully convinc'd thereof It being indeed no other than a perpetual Commentary upon the First Commandment Thou shalt have no other Gods before me There never was any the least variation or contest in this point Never did the Prophets patiently endure to see Men worship any other gods save him alone who hath created Heaven and Earth These Holy Men unanimously declare that to him alone belongs thâ— Glory of Adoration No Creature at all is to be worshipp'd neither Stars nor Plants nor living Creatures nor Men nor Angels Men indeed have sometimes been called gods as we have already taken notice Moses was instead of God to Aaron and Judges are called gods we also find this name given to Angels in some places but this name given by way of Metaphor doth not import Adoration Aaron did not adore Moses neither did Israel adore their Judges or the Angels for this is the glory of God only and he hath sworn he will not give his glory to another Neither hath this point of Divinity been alter'd under the New Testament It is none of those Mosaick Rites that were to cease as soon as the fulness of time was come God is always God and if we may so say he never was more God than he is at present or to soften the Expression he never more appear'd God than in the Manifestation of Grace Herein he hath made all his Goodness to pass before us and consequently he never more deserv'd to be only worshipped Shall we suppose then that under a Dispensation where by a new Effusion of Grace he hath deserved an accession to his former glory of Adoration that he is become unconcern'd for that glory whereof formerly he was so Jealous And to that degree as to set a Creature at his Right Hand A Creature plac'd on God's side is something that is contradictory Let us set every thing in its proper place God always abides alone in the Throne and the Creature at the foot of it But without having recourse to Reasoning which inform us that the glory of God is an unalienable Right and Possession the Holy Scripture assures us that under the Gospel as well as under the Law the glory of Religious worship belongs to God only We know the answer our Lord return'd to a Creature that would fain have been ador'd Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God and him alone shalt thou serve This answer is good at all times The Apostles use the same Language as their Master they say in more places than one 1 Tim. 1.17 Rom. 16.27 Acts 14.15 To the only wise God be honour and glory for ever and ever Amen When St. Paul sees Men about to worship the Creature he points them straight to the Living God We preach unto you that ye should turn from these vanities to the living God 'T is to him alone that your Homage of right is due When the Apostle represents to the Galatians the excess of that Corruption wherewith
of St. Matthew Matt. 11.27 All things are delivered unto me of my Father he adds to shew that he had received this Power because he was the Eternal Son of God And no man knoweth the Son but the Father neither knoweth any man the Father save the Son We shall have occasion once more to speak of this matter But we proceed now to a more particular enquiry wherein the Worship we owe to Jesus Christ our Lord doth consist There is no question but that Genuflexion and bowing of the Body are comprehended in the sense of these words but they extend yet further they signifie all the Worship we owe to the Godhead This is the Signification they have in the Prophets whence they are taken I have sworn by my self that unto me every knee shall bow Isa 45.23 saith God by the Prophet Isaiah All the kinds of Adoration are express'd in this manner of speaking Prostration of the Body humiliation of Soul and even the total Annihilation of Man All this is due to our Lord. I will not insist upon the Bowing or Prostration of the Body because that is the least part of Worship and to speak properly is no more than a sign and a variable one too of the true Adoration for we may adore without kneeling The Church of old prayed standing for some time So that we shall add no more concerning the Adoration of the Body save only this that we owe our Body to Jesus Christ as to that God who hath created it As for the Soul which is the true Principle of Worship let us conceive all the ways whereby it is capable of adoring God all these she owes to our Saviour Jesus Christ This is that we must prove by Scripture that we may not assert any thing with relation to this Mystery without the information of this Infallible Guide Sacrifice and Trust or Confidence honour God as Sovereign In Sacrifice we offer all to God in Trust and Confidence we expect all from him Under the Old Law God reserv'd this double Honour to himself there was no Sacrificing but to him no trusting or confiding but in him All this is transferr'd to our Saviour As to Sacrifice we cannot now look for any other than that of Prayer since the time of Bloody Sacrifices is ceased The Sacrifice of Prayer is much more worthy of God than the Blood of the Ancient Sacrifices This new Sacrifice we owe to our Lord. St. Stephen dies after having offer'd up this Sacrifice to our Saviour Lord Jesus receive my Spirit cry'd that first Martyr It was with this Sacrifice that St. Paul began his Christian Race For Ananias in declaring to him what he was to do in order to obey him who had stopt him on his way to Damascus saith Acts 11.16 Why tarriest thou arise and be baptized and wash away thy sins by calling on the name of the Lord. The entrance of the Proselites into the Jewish Church was by Circumcision by Baptism and by Sacrifice Circumcision was now ceased so that there remained nothing necessary for St. Paul's admittance but Baptism and Sacrifice and accordingly he is baptized and for his Sacrifice he calls upon the Name of the Lord. This piece of Worship is so essential to Christianity that the Christians are described in several places by those that call upon the Name of the Lord. The time is come that whosoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved Acts 2.21 Joel 2.31 1 Cor. 1.2 Words quoted from the Prophet Joel and apply'd to our Saviour In Joel they plainly belong to God And what did St. Peter and St. Paul think of when they apply'd them to our Lord if he be not God St. Peter upon occasion of the Pentecostal Miracle saith that that was a fulfilling of the words of Joel And St. Paul to shew the necessity of the preaching of the Gospel grounds his Discourse upon these words Whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved Rom. 10.13 14. How then saith he shall they call upon him in whom they have not believed And how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard And how shall they hear without a Preacher This therefore shews at the same time that we are to call upon Jesus Christ and to call upon him as God Confidence or Trust is the Second Branch of Divine Worship God and God alone was the Hope of Israel the Hope of David the Hope of all the Saints under the Old Law Not because God at that time did not make use of any means to deliver his People for it is plain there were Temporal Deliverers there were Moses's Gideon's David's but forasmuch as these were only Instruments in the hand of God they lifted up their eyes to the first Cause of their Deliverances and therefore said to God Thou alone art my Trust and my Rock If our Lord Jesus had only been a second Cause in the Work of our Redemption had he been no more than a Creature sent to save us we need not make any difficulty to say There would have been no more ado about him than about those Deliverers of old neither would the Name of our Saviour appear every where with that Divine Magnificence as it doth in the Gospel Why how is it that the Gospel Honours Christ neither more nor less than God was honour'd under the Old Law Christ is the Hope of the New Israel See what the Apostle saith in the Epistle to the Romans Rom. 15.12 There shall be a root of Jesse c. and in him shall the Gentiles trust He is therefore the Hope and Confidence of the Gentiles he is the Hope of all Christians If in this life only we have hope in Christ 1 Cor. 15.19 1 Tim. 1.1 saith St. Paul we are of all men most miserable Christ is called our Hope Paul an Apostle of Jesus Christ by the commandment of God our Saviour and of the Lord Jesus Christ our Hope So St. Paul begins his Epistle to Timothy Elsewhere Christ is called the hope of Glory or the glorious Hope Let us add to this Col. 1.27 all those passages which enjoyn us to place our Faith in Jesus Christ and all those that forbid us to put our confidence in the Creature and we shall have a demonstration capable to convince us That our Lord and Saviour is God Blessed for ever Why is all this honour put upon him Why because he is God we have no other reason there can be no other reason for it We Sacrifice to him because he is God we put our confidence in him because he is God This reason is contained in the words of St. Paul Wherefore God hath given him a name above every name That is as much as to say Phil. 2.9 because Jesus Christ is God and because he hath emptied himself for this complicated Cause a name above every name hath been given unto him We must