a high way for our God Beyond all doubt this is spoken of John Baptist for he applieth * John 1.23 it to himself and if we want other Witnesses Matthew †Chap. 3.3 will serve for one and Zacharias as recorded by S. Luke ‖ Chap. 1.76 for another now I take it to be as unquestionable that John was the fore-runner of Christ who is the same Lord God for whom he prepared the way Further that in this place of Isaiah Christ is the same Lord God that was to come it appears by the description therein made of him He will come with strong hand and his arm shall rule for him behold his reward is with him and his work before him v. 10. The Miracles he wrought by his own Power upon the sick blind dumb lame dead commanding Wind and Sea and the Devils themselves which observed him did convincingly demonstrate him to be the Lord God if any doubt should remain 't is clear'd v. 11. He shall feed his flock like a shepherd he shall gather the lambs with his arm the comparison of the Shepherd and Sheep our Saviour doth much insist upon and several * John 10. times gives himself the Name of Shepherd and S. Paul calls him †Heb. 13.20 the great shepherd of the sheep and by another ‖ 1 Pet. 2.25 Chap. 5.4 the shepherd of our souls and the chief shepherd This being his great Atrribute as Head of the Church and Mediatour his Person must necessarily be designed by the Prophet who to him attributeth the words feeding and gathering the Person here spoken of by the Prophet Isaiah called Lord God is the same mentioned by another who calls him king of Zion and of Jerusalem and as he speaks of the same as Isaiah doth so he speaks to the same †Zech. 9.9 Rejoyce greatly O daughter of Zion shout O daughter of Jerusalem behold thy king comes unto thee both Prophets speak of the same Person 's coming to the same place he is just and having salvation lowly and riding upon an ass and upon a colt the foal of an ass these very words of the Prophet are quoted upon the occasion of our Saviour's entering into Jerusalem * Matth. 21.4 5. and applyed unto him as indeed this same Prophet speaks in several places which I mention in this Discourse of Christ the Son of God as of the great and mighty God Chap. 2. calls him Lord of Hosts sent by the Lord of Hosts to the Nations who was to come and dwell in thee O Daughter of Zion who was to speak peace unto the heathen and his dominion to be even from sea to sea and unto the ends of the earth Ch. 9.10 that was to be sold for Thirty pieces of Silver which were given for the Potters Field Chap. 11.12 13. and that was to pour upon the House of David and Inhabitants of Jerusalem the Spirit of Grace and Supplication that same Spirit which was in the Prophet is call'd the spirit of Christ 1 Pet. 1.11 or the Holy Ghost by whom they were moved 2 Pet. 2.21 so Chap. 13.7 the Lord of Hosts calls him his fellow did the Lord of Hosts ever call any meer Man his Fellow my Companion that is united to me in Substance equal with me in Power Thus God doth honour Christ in this Name to shew the Unity of Essence and the Union of the Will of the Father and of the Son the Mediator who is in the same Verse called my shepherd which is spoken of Christ for unto himself he applyeth it Matth. 26.31 Before we fall upon examining other Texts of the Old Testament to prove the essential Names of God to belong to his Son the Lord Jesus we must compare some places of both Testaments to shew how many things belonging to God are applyed unto Christ as first that just now quoted of Isaiah a Isai 40.3 The voice of him that cryeth in the wilderness prepare ye the way of the Lord or Jehovah b Luke 1.76 John 1.23 applyed one to John Baptist the other to Jesus Christ there called the Lord This is another c Isai 6 1 2 3 9 10. I saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne high and lifted up and his train filled the temple above it stood the Seraphims and said holy holy holy is the Lord of hosts the whole earth is full of his glory this in the d John 12.40 41. Gospel is applyed to the Son Again e Isai 8.13 14. Sanctifie the Lord of hosts himself and let him be your fear and let him be your dread and he shall be for a sanctuary but for a stone of stumbling and for a rock of offence to both the houses of Israel for a gin and for a snare to the inhabitants of Jerusalem applyed unto Christ f Luke 2.34 Rom. 9.33 1 Pet. 2.8 David saith g Psal 45.6 Thy throne O God is for ever and ever which is applyed unto Christ h Heb. 1.8 But unto the Son he saith thy throne O God is for ever and ever The same Royal Prophet saith i Psal 68.17 18. The chariots of God are twenty thousand even thousands of Angels the Lord is amongst them as in Sinai in the holy place thou hast ascended on high thou hast led captivity captive thou hast received gifts for men yea for the rebellious also all which is applyed k Eph. 4 8. unto Jesus Christ So is this l Ps 110.1 The Lord said unto my Lord sit thou on my right hand applyed to the Son m Matth. 22 44. We read in the Prophet n Isai 45.23 I have sworn by my self the word is gone out of my mouth that unto me every knee shall bow which is attributed unto Christ o Rom. 14.11 Phil. â—2 10 Of old saith David p Ps 102.25 hast thou laid the foundations of the earth and the heavens are the works of thy hands which is by the Apostle q Heb. 1.10 declar'd to be meant of the Son r Isai 44.6 Thus saith the Lord the king of Israel and his redeemer the Lord of hosts I am the first and I am the last Our blessed Saviour saith the same of himself Å¿ Rev. 1.17 and 22.13 God Almighty t Ps 26.2 and 7.9 doth try the reins and the heart and our glorified Saviour saith u Rev. 2.23 I am he that searcheth the reins and hearts God saith x Zech. 12.10 and Rev. 1.7 I will pour upon the house of David and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem the spirit of grace and of supplication and they shall look upon me whom they have pierced the same whom they have pierced saith he will pour the Spirit of Grace which none but the true God can do which is applyed to our Saviour And again another scripture saith they shall look on him whom they pierced y John 19.37 they never pierced God
't is not appellative or common but proper for if it were not so God would not absolutely be one for that is common which belongs to many and proper that which belongs only to one and the Name of one only thing must needs be proper since Scripture teaches us there is but one God the Name of God must needs be proper and farther when a Name doth of it self belong to one and to others in relation only to that same one it must be accounted to be that one 's proper Name thus the Name of God of it self belongs to God alone not in relation to any thing else but to others it belongs only in relation to the only True God and as the Word God spoken of the True God is as already said taken Essentially or personally so is the Name Father either for the Essence of God or for the first Person of the Trinity now the Person is taken either abstractively or concretively when we say the Word God is taken personally we do not mean abstractively or separately from but concretively or joyntly with the Essence so the Name Father is taken either essentially or personally in the first manner when in the Lord's Prayer we say our Father and personally when in the Creed we say I believe in God the Father Thus far we in these matters do agree with the Adversaries that there is but One God and that * Isai 42.8 he gives not his Name and Glory to another for to whom God doth communicate the Honor of his Name and Titles to the same he thereby imparts his Glory Now there is a Name of God proper and another appellative this is given to the Creatures and 't is either properly or figuratively in the first Sence the Word is not always to be understood to be the absolute Being but a relative one as when some Nation doth through Error and Idolatry name to herself some Divinity or other in this Sense God and People are relatives so the Name God taken in the predicament of Relation and not in that of Substance may properly be spoken of a Creature thus I speak properly when I say Chamos is the God of the Moabites and Malcom of the Ammonites but when I come to examine the Opinion of those Nations it is very true that they are the Gods of such Nations but 't is not true that they are Gods in Nature and Substance they are but erroneously look'd upon as Gods by such Nations so this is not a substantial and absolute Truth only Relative which the Adversaries may not affirm of the Son and of the Holy Ghost as being feigned and invented Gods between which the Word of God makes a difference †1 Thess 1.9 Ye turned to God from Idols to serve the living and true God Now the figurative signification is when by reason of some likeness God's Name is attributed to some Creatures ‖ Psal 8. thus Angels are called Elohim and * Job 1.6 Sons of God by reason of the Excellency of their Nature Magistrates are called †Psal 82.6 Gods and Sons of God upon the account of the Dignity of their Office But here the Case is very different the question is Whether the Name of God be properly or improperly and figuratively attributed to the Son and to the Holy Ghost I mean the Name taken appellatively denoting in him that is so called the Divine Nature and Essence Socinians though they be brazen-fac'd enough yet not to that degree as to say that the Persons of the Son and Holy Ghost are called God only by way of Figure but they cavil that the Word signifies not a Nature but an Office so the proper signification of the Word they extend to Angels and Magistrates as if the Word God signified Governour Preserver and Benefactor c. but before their Heresy broke out no Man ever taught so then no Language gives that Sence to the Word for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Greek signifies the Nature for some accounted to be Gods are false ones * Gal. 4.8 which by nature are not Gods and Philosophers reckoned the Gods of the Heathens amongst the Animals 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 speaking and rational and the Hebrew Word Elohah doth certainly properly signify the Nature as being given to the supreme Being which is so called not relatively but absolutely when to the first Man the common Name is attributed he is not simply called Adam till that became his proper Name Now as to the Origin or Etymology of the Word 't is falsly deduced from the signification of governing helping and preserving but truly from the Notion of the word Worship and Adoration we must not think that our first Parents were so wanting in their Piety towards their Maker whom they worshipped so devoutly to call him by a common Name proper to Creatures as if afterwards it had been attributed to him by way of Excellency And is it likely that God had been so wanting in what related to his Honor as being himself the Author of the Hebrew Tongue the Knowledge whereof he infused into Adam and Eve as not to provide a Name proper to distinguish his own Nature For having instituted for himself a Religious Worship and Adoration he must need also have declared a proper Name incommunicable to any Creature whatsoever Now the Name of God is given the Son not only attributively †Joh. 1.1 the word was God and ‖ Rom. 9.13 Christ God blessed for ever but also subjectively * 1 Tim 3.16 God was manifested in the flesh and * Acts 20.28 God purchased his church with his own blood even in the Old Testament †Psal 97.6 7. The heavens declare his righteousness and all the people see his glory c. Worship him all ye gods Now the Adversaries do confess that as often as the Name of God is spoken subjectively as they call it it signifies a Substance and Person but of God the Father of Christ still they own it signifies a Substance and Person of the Godhead but why only of the Father of Christ that is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 meerly their Opinion without any Proof As to that which they say about the Article in the Greek I shewed already it is an idle Distinction for out of some places of Scripture I shewed how the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifying the true God is sometimes with an Article and sometimes without as * 1 Tim. 3.16 God was manifest in the flesh 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is the same as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith Thomas †Joh. 20.28 my Lord and my God he spoke to one whom he knew was to be worshipped with religious worship and he own'd it so yet Scripture commands and often repeats that the Lord our God alone is to be worshipped which our Saviour Christ confirmed * Mat. 4.10 with his own Mouth and Paul †Gal. 4.8 after him and
of Israel are attributed to one and the same Subject namely to the true living God as Isai 44.6 Zephan 3.15 compared with John 1.49 attributed to Christ We already have demonstrated how the Names of God and Lord are proper to him so is that of King simply taken as we have it in the Description made of Christ's Kingdom by the Psalmist * Psal 45.1 6. I speak of the things which I have made touching the king where in several Verses mention is made of his Glory and Majesty of his Throne of his Scepter and Kingdom and is called God most mighty Lord Christ to Pilate owned himself to be King in the Inscription upon the Cross he was called King of the Jews which is equivalent to that of King of Israel and thus it is interpreted by his Enemies Mark 15.32 though in derision Let Christ the King of Israel descend now from the cross and for all their jest he was so in earnest not only in relation to his oecumenical but upon the account of his natural Kingdom for essentially he is King of the whole Earth he is the King that is set upon the holy hill of Sion Rev. 17.14 and 19.16 whose dominion is from one sea unto another who hath the heathen for his inheritance and the utmost parts of the earth for his possession The Lamb that is Christ is Lord of Lords and King of Kings The Prophet upon a solemn occasion calls him a King Rejoyce greatly Zech. 9.9 O daughter of Sion shout O daughter of Jerusalem behold thy king comes unto thee he is just and having salvation c. to be compared with Isai 62.11 and this was literally fulfilled at the time when our blessed Saviour did solemnly enter into Jerusalem upon which occasion Matthew doth quote the Prophets words This I press the more because the Adversaries would have none to be true God but he who is the God and King of Israel We know how to do great things is attributed unto God Thus after the return from Captivity the Heathen said The Lord hath done great things for them Psal 126.2 3. and they owned it themselves The Lord hath done great things for us which great things are also called Wonders Thou art the God that dost wonders Nay he alone Ps 77.14 that is the Lord God of Israel doth Wonders for saith David Blessed be the Lord God of Israel Ps 72.18 who only doth wondrous things Wherefore since the Lord Jesus hath done the Wonders which the Lord God of Israel doth and can do upon the Evidence of these words it followeth that he is the Lord God of Israel for this same in the New Testament is spoken of Christ by himself under the Name of God subjectively when he had out of the Man driven a Legion of Devils he commanded him to return to his own House Luke 8.39 and shew how great things God had done unto him in the latter end of the Verse the Evangelist giveth an account how the Man obeyed in these words And he went his way and published through the whole city how great things Jesus had done unto him so him who had done these great things unto the Man our blessed Saviour speaking of himself called God and the Evangelist Jesus making use of the very same words How great things God Jesus had done unto him whence it appears that Jesus is the God that doth great things that is the great God chief and primary God to speak in their Language though there be no other true God Also that the Lord Christ is the God that doth Wonders as spoken of the true God in the fore-quoted Psalm for saith Peter * Acts 2.22 Jesus was approved of God among you by miracles wonders and signs But to conclude this Head hence it appears how those Attributes of God which he hath declared to make us distinctly conceive the Diversity of his Perfections and Operations are all applicable and do belong to his Son Jesus Christ and to none else but him they without any difference do enjoy the Possession of all things all mine are thine and all thine are mine John 17.10 saith our Saviour to the Father both have the same infinite Nature and unresistible Power The Lord God saith the Psalmist Ps 104.3 Acts 1.9 Rev. 1.7 maketh the clouds his chariot and the Lord Jesus did so for he went up in a Cloud and he cometh and will so at the last day come with clouds in that place where the Prophet foretelleth the coming of Christ Zech. 14.9 In that day saith he the Lord shall be king over all the earth there shall be one Lord and his name one which compared with Ephes 4.5 and Rev. 11.15 doth shew Christ therein to be meaned Colos 2.10 who is the head of all principality and power as well as of his Church and hereupon what is said in the Book of Genesis is observable Ch. 4.26 Then began men to call upon the name of the Lord that was the beginning of the Church which was formed in Seth's Family and this Paul seems to point at when he saith Rom. 10.13 Whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved which relates to the Christian Church from the Name of Christ which Name began first in Antioch Acts 11.26 then Men began to call upon the Name of God Redeemer Jesus Christ The Church is God's House for so the Jewish Church whereof Moses was part is called by the Apostle now this Church was built by the Lord Jesus and thereupon he gives our Saviour that high Preference before Moses Heb. 3.2 3 4. that he who first built the House must be before the House and before Moses and the reason is that he that built all things is God but the Son of God built not only that Church but all things besides so he existed before Moses and before the Foundation of that Church yea before the Foundation of the World too as under the Name of Wisdom he saith in the place which several times we have occasion to mention Prov. 8.30 then that is before the earth was I was with him God as one brought up with him and I was dayly his delight rejoycing always before him as a Son brought up in his Fathers Bosom of the same Essence not upon the account of Adoption a natural Son is opposed to him that is adopted or not begotten of his Fathers Substance 't is as of a Forreigner that may be called a naturalized but not a natural Englishman admitted to the Rights of an Englishman but never an Englishman born CHAP. VIII Works proper to God belong to Christ WE now proceed to another argument drawn from the Works Seeing Christ hath done those things which none but the true Essential God can do he must be the true Essential God This kind of Argument is very strong for our Blessed Saviour doth often use it
met and fell down at his feet and worshiped him but he though he had excellent gifts and great authority by his office yet he refused it and this he gave for a reason I my self also am a man that is such a thing is not to be offered any man yet we must not believe Cornelius to have been so besotted as to have taken him for God but he thought he might do so to such an extraordinary man Chap. 14.13 14 1â— Paul and Barnabas seeing how the people of Lystra would have done Sacrifice they presently rent their cloaths running and crying Sirs why do you do these things Their reason was we are also men Rev. 19.10 hence we conclude how no man ought to be worshiped Now we shall speak of Angels John a person of no mean gifts fell at the Angels feet who was a Minister of God and of Christ to worship him surely he took him not to be God for he could not but know the contrary but may be he thought he might pay him that respect but whatsoever he thought he did amiss therefore the Angel highly rejected it when he said see thou do it not Chap. 2â— 9 and gave his reason for 't for I am thy fellow servant and of thy brethren that have the testimony of Jesus and not satisfied with this directed him to the object of worship and adoration worship God and this not only once but twice for it happened a second time We have demonstrated how the true God is alone to be worshiped now we must shew how Christ is religiously to be worshiped and consequently he is the true God which last expressions now when I remember put me in mind of that excellent place wherein he is called the true God which but in few words I will take notice of 1 John 5.20 we are in him that is true even in his Son Jesus Christ this is the true God and oternal Life The Relative this is refered to Jesus Christ not only as the nearest but also as the Subject Orationis spoken of besides that with St. John 't is usual by Eternal Life to signifie the Lord Jesus and here the true God and Eternal Life are spoken of one and the same Subject Now when the Lord is here called true God it cannot be said metaphorically or improperly but as to his nature the reason it this none is ever called the true God specially with the Article but in relation to his Essence Now to prove that the religious worship belonging to the only true God is appropriated to christ we have several places out of Scripture some do it in general and others in the particulars whereof there are several branclies Of the first Order is this let all the Angels of God worship him quoted out of the Psalm Upon these two unshaken pillars Heb. 1.6 Psal 37.7 I mean the testimonies of a Prophet and of an Apostle stand these two great Truths First how the person whom the Angels here called God's for so the Apostle doth explain the word are commanded to worship is the true Essential God or to make use of the name which the Adversaries do commonly bring in namely the God of Israel Secondly that the person to be worshiped by Angels is the Lord Jesus Christ the first assertion is the Prophet's the second is the Apostle's out of which both we may surely conclude how the Lord Jesus is the true Essential God of Israel To examine well this we shall first begin with the words of the Original that is the Psalm whence they are drawn and afterwards the Application made of them in the Gospel To remove the weight of this argument which lie's so heavy upon them and finding they cannot deny the Application to belong to Christ the Adversaries would not have the words to be understood of the true God of Israel but certainly they ought to be related to him that is named in the next verse but one before namely the Lord of the whole earth for indeed in this Psalm wherein is described the Majesty of God's Kingdom no other person is spoken of but that God whose Kingdom it is Now that the God of the whole Earth is Jehovah the God of Israel it appears out of Scripture wherein the attribute of Lord of the whole Earth is given to the true God by nature amongst others take these few Josh 3.11 Zechar. 14 and 6 5. Behold the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord of all the earth passeth over before you into Jordan And these are the two anointed ones that stand by the Lord of the whole earth Again these are the four spirits of the Heavens which go forth from standing before the Lord of all the earth Micah 4.12 The very same expression is found in another Prophet I will consecrate their gain unto the Lord and their substance unto the Lord of the whole earth I shall add that considerable place where the Prophet for the comfort of the Gentiles prophesied of what a large extent their Church should be and speaks of their deliverance heaping several glorious titles upon him that was to be the Author thereof which no doubt had a relation to the Messiah who was to effect it Among other names therein given that of God of the whole earth is one Isa 3â— â— For thy maker is thine husband the Lord of hosts is his name and thy redeemer the holy one of Israel the God of the whole â—arth shall he be casted all these glorious names belong to one and the same I need not to shew that the Prophecies about the deliverance and calling of the Gentiles do relate to Christ Psal 2.8 who was to have the heathen for his inheritance and the utmost parts of the earth for his possession And this Title of Lord of the whole earth is by the Psalmist in another place rendred by a great King over all the earth Psal 47.2.7 and the King of all the earth all to signifie tho same thing and person the Kingdom of Christ the Messiah I think this is enough to prove how the God of Israel and the Lord of the whole Earth is the same as Israel made a part of the Earth so he that was God of the whole Earth must need be the God of Israel so 't is the same in this Text for no where in Scripture that title is given to any but the true God Yet they are so obstinate in their opinions that Socinus himself who though he will not have Christ to be the King of Israel yet being forced by the strength of this reason he seems content that the Lord Jesus should be here called the Lord of the whole Earth but if the argument should lie upon this he would want no Cavils to elude the force of it for that wretch is so damnably bent against the glory and honour of our Saviour that in whatsoever he writes about him Acts 8.23 there appears
by our Saviour belonging only to his Humane Nature which may be due and necessary from one in nature and quality inferiour to another but it was also an undue and meerly voluntary obedience which may be rendred by an Equal and some times by a Superiour as we read when Joshua said Josn 10.12 13. Sun stand thou still upon Gibeon and thou Moon in the valey of Ajalon so the Sun stood he was obeyed but there is in it more than this the Sun of himself could not stand nor alter or stop his Course a Superiour power to do 't was required and indeed we find that in the beginning of the verse 't is said then spook Joshua unto the Lord in the day when c. Sun stand thou still so let it be spoken with that awful reverence and to an infinite Majesty in some kind we may see how in this case the Superiour was pleased to obey the Inferiour so we may say a sort of obedience may belong to Divine Nature as when God commanded the World should be created and it was performed by his Son of this nature is Christ's obedience as spoken of by the Apostle concerning Christ Phil. 2.6 7 8. who being in the form of God thought it not robbery to be equal with God he humbled himself This was a voluntary obedience for he was not humbled but humbled himself he was not made but made himself of no reputation thus the obedience is valued according to the dignity of the person which obeyeth To be in the form of God is to be God for forma dat esse rei the form is the nature of the thing and makes it to be what it is But what this man granted before he is now willing to take away when he would have this worship not to be terminated in Christ but from him to pass unto God so this is but a relative worship Thus Papists say they worship images but they are mistaken for though God hath exalted him it doth not follow that Adoration should be only Transitory and not fixed So God hath exalted the Kings of the Earth but the Civil Worship or respect rendered unto the King is rendred unto a Man but not in the capacity of a Man but is terminated in him as he is a King so when Christ Man is adored he is not so under the notion of Man but as he is God of the same nature with the Father and that he is in the Father and the Father in him the Father may well be worshiped in him and he in the Father but making them as they do to be of different natures I see no cause why they may not be worshiped asunder one from another which yet doth but rend and divide the object of our worship with this new as they call it way of worship to adore God in a Man But they must say what they understand by him for both the Prophet and the Apostle make use of the word Is it one or a different person named by them if the same then Christ is the one God if not the same then the Apostle hath not well explained the Prophet If in the Psalm Christ be not spoken of but only the God of Israel of a nature altogether different then in the Epistle the words are made use of to no purpose for therein the design is to prove how Christ must be worshiped by all Angels Now he doth not answer his purpose when to prove one who is not the God Israel ought to be adored he brings a Text which commands the Angels to adore him only who is the God of Israel a great disparagement indeed not only to the Author of the Epistle but to the Spirit of God which directed him he saith in that worship exhibited unto Christ the Lord Jesus represents the person of God the Father how as an Actor upon the Stage doth represent a King After this rate Christ with all the worship given him would be without blasphemy let it be spoken but a Stage God If to reign doth signifie the Kingdom of Christ why shall not also the name Jehovah who reigneth belong to his person If he hath the thing why should he not have the name also Christs Kingdom is therein described Jehovah is the King why should not Christ be Jehovah which if he be it must be properly for Christ nor no one else was ever figuratively called Jehovah and the Kingdom of Christ under the name of God is described then if Christ be not God Jehovah then 't is Jehovah that indeed doth represent Christ so he must be the Type of Christ thus they unavoidably run into absurdities but in very deed Christ doth not act the part of the Father but his own He doth act the part of three persons upon the account of his three several offices of a Prophet of a Priest and of a King he therein exerciseth his own office and not that of the Father he doth what belongeth to him and not to others Joh. 17.10 and as all things the Father hath are his so the Kingdom Throne Scepter Power Majesty Ministry and Subjects are all his if he received the Kingdom from the Father he received it as only begotten Son and Heir of all things not as of anothers but as his own wherefore he doth not reign as a Servant or a Minister of the Farther so then when he reigneth he doth not represent the Father's person but his own not as his Vicar or Lieutenant but as God equal with him The first part of the verse Matth. 1.20 Luke 2.9 13. Matth. 28.2 5. and again when he bringeth in the first begotten into the world sheweth how at his first coming into the world he was worshiped and served by Angels for his Conception Birth and Resurrection were published by Angels and then it demonstrates there are two persons one that bringeth the other that is brought in the one is the Father the other the Son the first commanding the last to be adored for he saith not worship me but him There is an Emphasis in the word first begotten simply spoken to be understood of every Creature Col. 1.15 for 't is very just he should be worshiped by Angels as his Creatures and indeed in Scripture I cannot find any truth more clearly and fully proved than this is he was worshiped not only by Angels but also by Devils Mark 5.6 7. the Legion in the Body of the man possessed But as we proved the Lord Jesus ought to be worshiped by Angels so we now must shew he ought to be by men and the place is this That all men should honour the Son even as they honour the Father he that honoureth not the Son John 5.23 honoureth not the Father that sent him To understand the place well we must go up higher and take notice how from verse 17. to 23. our Saviour speaks of his equality with the Father as well understood by the
that findeth his life shall lose it and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it Luke 14.26 Nay If any man come to me and hate not his father and mother and wife and children and brethren yea and his own life he cannot be my disciple Is not this the manner of love which God requireth of us and doth not this lay upon us a duty to love Christ with all our heart with all our soul with all our mind and with all our strength thus this honour is proper for and ought equally to be rendered to the Father and to the Son for all men ought to honour the Son as they honour the Father I hope the sense we give the Text is sufficiently proved how all men without distinction or exceptionare bound to honour the Son as they honour the Father and the manner is by our Saviour prescribed in spirit and truth Joh. 4.24 Now I must shew how the Texts they bring against us cannot admit of the sense which ours doth because 't is contrary to the Scope of the Apostles and to the Analogy of Faith First to the scope for the end of both Apostles 1 Thes 4.7 Luk. 1.74 75. Psal 93.5 Heb. 11.6 Heb. 12.14 is to exhort Christians to study and labour after Purity and Holiness which they are called unto All that are adopted Children ought to walk in holiness because holiness becomes the house of God and as without faith 't is impossible to please God so without holiness no man shall see the Lord. This great and necessary duty I say the two Apostles in these Texts do exhort men to strive and labour after not as to attain to such a perfection of holiness as is in God which is impossible for any Man for all that we can desire is that we may be partakers of his holiness Heb. 12.10 Mat. 5.48 and receive some degrees of it In the same sense is to be understood that other place Be ye therefore perfect as your father which is in heaven is perfect a duty we ought to study after because as much as we can we must be conformable unto God Secondly Such an interpretation would destroy the Analogy of Faith as contrary to the truth set down in other places of Scripture For though holiness be a communicable Attribute of God yet there cannot be so much as thought to be an equality between Purity and Holiness in God and those small portions he is graciously pleased to impart unto us Holiness is Essentially and Originatively in God nay Holiness is God infinitely and most simply holy and we are naturally unclean transgressors from the Womb conceived in Sin brought forth in Iniquity wallowing in our own Blood till God be pleased to wash and cleanse us to derive from himself and by his holy spirit to work some small degree of holiness in us God is most holy Luke 6.36 thrice Holy In the same sense we are commanded to be merciful as our Father also is merciful that is as far as God will be pleased to enable us we ought to follow and imitate that Pattern but not pretend or hope to arrive to the perfection of it which in both Mercy and Holiness were no less than Blasphemy wherefore such interpretations God's word doth abhor and in that place St. John saith not Every man that hath this hope hath purified in the Praetertense but in the Present purifieth himself to shew how he doth but aim at it and by degrees And St. Peter in the 16. v. explains the sense of the foregoing verse because it is written saith he be ye holy for I am holy he shews no equality or parity of holiness The word as which he used before he now renders by for as a motive and a cause why we ought to be holy Because God is holy To what I said before I shall now add at last how the word as doth in other places denote an equality as the Father knoweth me even so know I the Father John 10.15 which in the Greek word is taken for to love he equally knows and loves the Father with an Eternal and perfect Love as the Father knoweth and loveth him The words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 when spoken of the Father and the Son denote an equality not a similitude as the Father hath life in himself so hath the Son life in himself 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the Original Now to understand the foregoing places of an equality Chap 5. 26. is not contrary to other Scriptures nor to the Analogy of Faith but doth tend to the glory of both Father and Son for the rule is most true in the Text now in question he that honoureth not the Son honoureth not the Father that sent him but he that honoureth the Son honoureth the Father also which is a natural inference out of the place But that people who pretend to honour the Father have taken a quite contrary way to do 't which is dishonouring the Son Joh. 8.49 as he said to the Jews I honour my Father and ye dishonour me with robbing him if they could of his divine Nature and Attributes when 't is most true that he that honoureth not the Son Chap. 5.23 Chap. 12. We are baptized in Christ's name honoureth not the Father and the Father beareth witness from Heaven that he is glorified in the Son Having thus proved in general that divine worship belongs to Christ we must now come to the places which demonstrate it in the particulars As first we are baptized in his name Baptism is a divine ordinance whereby being admitted to be members of Christ's mystical body we take an Oath of Allegiance to him whereby we own him to be our God and Redeemer this is the seal of the Covenant Now no Covenant is in force till it be passed the Seal this Seal in Baptism is not only instituted by Christ but also administred in his name and authority whereby it doth appear that this is his Right which Right of his Matth. 28.19 he would make use of when he commanded all Nations to be baptized in his name None but God can institute Sacraments for none but he can bestow the grace therein represented none but the Lord of the House hath right to make Laws in his House now the Church is God's House and seeing the preaching of the Word and administration of both Sacraments therein is done by Christ's authority and in his name he is thereby not only owned but also worshiped as God and Lord of it wherefore the Church is called Christ's own house Heb. 3.6 I find indeed there was a subordination between God and Moses this being but a Servant but the same subordination between God and Moses was between the Son of God and Moses as is now of all Ministers of the Gospel under Christ Mal. 3. ◠for he is the Lord of the Temple who
express Image of the Father's Person because in him through that eternal Generation is expressed the whole Person and Glory of the Father for which Image of God he is called the First-born of every Creature that is begotten before there was any Creature and so from Eternity as in the Form and Nature of God to be equal with God who otherwise hath not and owneth none equal to himself 2 Sam. 7 1â— In these high and divine matters Men must not presume beyond what is written and revealed in Gods Word nor wrest the Delign of the Spirit of God or force an unusual and contrary sense to the words of the Text but we ought to keep our selves within the bounds of that holy reverence which becomes us in the contemplation of the Majesty of God In these very things Hierom as said before was very cautions about acknowledging three Hypostases in the Deity because he thought the word to denote substance When God was upon withdrawing the Spirit of Prophecy from among his People Chap. 4.4 he by Malâ—câ—y the last of the Prophets commands them to remember the law of Moses his servant So now when the Apostles immediately inspired by the Holy Ghost ceased so long since men should wholly acquiesce to the sound Doctrine which those Servants of his Son Jesus left for our use and instruction wherein we learn how God hath revealed himself and communicated his own infinite fulness unto his Creatures in all of them immediately by his own Son first in the creation of all things secondly in their providential disposal and rule thirdly in the revelation of his Will and Ordinances fourthly in the communication of his Spirit and Grace in none of which is the Person of the Father otherwise represented unto us than in and by the Person of the Son for the whole end of the Gospel is 2 Cor. 4.6 1 Tim 6.10 1 â—oâ—n 4.12 to give knowledge of the glory of God in the 〈◊〉 of Jesus Christ that is the glory of the 〈◊〉 visible God whom no man hath seen Now in that forenamed Prophecy of Malachy the same Chapter and two last Verses the coming of the 〈◊〉 which had often been prophesied of before is again promised yea of the Lord himself who then was and had been from all Eternity but was to come only at such a time which is called the great and dreadful day of the Lord for against the appearing and long before of that Sun of Righteousness all those Stars the Prophets were to disappear one only excepted like the Morning-star before the rising of the Sun Behold I will send you Elijah the Prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord By whom the Lord Jesus is meant as John Baptist is by Elijah so called because he came in the spirit and power of Elias for both were endow'd with a fervency of Spirit which made them spare neither Kings nor People And the Evangelist makes use of the words of the Prophet He shall turn the hearts of the Fathers to the Children Luke 1.17 compared with Matt. 11.14 Mark 9.11 12 13. That same Lord whose coming with such Concomitants as great and dreadful was Jehovah himself the God of Israel whose words tho' in his state of humiliation were so conspicuous glorious and great as he in one particular said himself to the man out of whom he had cast a Legion of Devils Return to thine own house Luk. 8.39 and shew what great things God hath done unto thee And the Evangelist who in the beginning of the Verse relateth Christ's words to the man doth in the latter end of the same declare what the man did And he went his way and published throughout the whole City how great things Jesus had done unto him he did it in the same words how great things only instead of God he said Jesus so that Jesus was the God that had done great things unto him This was in the Land of Judah where no other God but the true God of Israel was own'd and worshipped so the Lord Jesus was that same God whom the Father from Heaven calls his Son which is the Name mentioned Phil. 2.9 that is above every name and this name more excellent than any given the Angels Heb. 1.4 he hath obtained by inheritance not by favour according to what saith the Apostle for the name by him designed is that of Son of God Thou art my Son with the exegetical adjunct of his generation This day have I begotten thee Acts 13.33 which words Paul doth apply to the Lord Jesus This day of Eternity after the manner of time spoken in relation to God with whom are no parts of time as with Men past present and to come With God are not days but only one day which had no beginning and shall have no end It was never said to any Angel personally upon his own account Thou art the Son of God much less with the reason of the appellation This day have I begotten thee so in that place the Apostle doth not speak of the general Name of a Son but of the particular appropriation thereof unto the Lord Jesus upon his own account When the Apostle saith he is the first-born the thing it self is not meant of being the first begotten but the Dignity and Privilege that attended it Psal 89.27 Thus God saith of David I will make him my first-born explained in the later part of the Verse higher than the Kings of the carth Thus among Men one may say I will make such a one my First-born or my Heir which is the Privilege attending the Birth-right This is Christs Title by Nature and not by Office anointing was a Ceremony used to make and declare a King but that anointing made him not a Man for he was so before So the Lord Jesus was God before he was Christ CHAP. XI Some Animadversions upon a Book called Christianity not Mysterious WHAT I said somewhat before concerning Reason puts me in mind of a thing I promised about the middle of my Discourse namely to take notice of a Book with the Title of Christianity not mysterious wherein the Author undertakes to shew there is nothing in the Gospel or in our Religion against or above Reason And tho' I have hardly any room left yet to be as good as my word I must briefly say something to it We agree with him against all human Authority contrary to the Word and own Scripture to be the only competent Judge and allow of our Reason as long as it draweth out of that Spring and not otherwise Let us be sincere and avoid Ambiguities there is true and sound Reason whereof the Word of God is the right and standing infallible Rule for the Will of God is the measure of all Truth and Equity and our Reason to be Reason indeed must be guided by that or else it doth deviate from the Rule There is also that
The Blasphemous Socinian HERESIE Disproved and Confuted WHEREIN The Doctrinal and Controversial Parts of those Points are handled and the Adversaries Scripture and School-Arguments answered WITH Animadversions upon a late Book called Christianity not Mysterious Humbly Dedicated to Both Houses of PARLIAMENT By J. GAILHARD Gent. And many other things blasphemously spake they against him Luke 22.65 And we know that the son of God is come and hath given us understanding that we may know him that is true and we are in him that is true even in his Son Jesus Christ this is the true God and eternal life 1 John 5.20 Textus non fallit multos speciosa fefellit Glossa Dei verbo nitere tutus eris LONDON Printed for R. Wellington at the Lute in S. Paul's Church-Yard and J. Hartley over against Grays-Inn-Gate in Holborn 1697. TO THE Lords and Commons NOW IN PARLIAMENT Assembled Right Honourable and Honourable AT this time God's Providence hath brought you together to consult about the great Concerns of the Nation and the Matter I now do most humbly offer to your serious Consideration is one of if not the most important that can be laid before you for it doth conduce to the Glory of God the Peace of the Church as by Law established the Asserting and Defence of its Doctrine and to the Welfare of the Kingdom Though I presume to appear upon so high a Stage and draw upon me the Eyes of as August and upon every account as famous an Assembly as any in the World Yet the Subject I go upon holding so near a Proportion with the Station and Dignity wherein God hath placed you will I hope secure me from being aspersed with Rashness and Vain-glory or accounted a Busie-Body I offer you a Field of Honour and an occasion of exercising your Piety towards God Love to Truth your Justice and Wisdom with putting a stop to and a Curb upon a boundless and blasphemous Impiety which seems openly to defie Heaven and Earth Psal 111.3 'T is God's Work which as David saith is honourable and glorious 't is good necessary and great but Time is short and uncertain therefore must be well improved for the Opportunity may happen to be lost never to be recover'd so 't is wished the thing be done whilst it may and before it be too late to time things well is one of the best parts of Prudence and one of the most Essential Circumstances of our Actions Among the several Seasons and Times mention'd by Solomon we read of two Eccles 3.7 a time to keep silence which I look upon to be over and a time to speak which I take now to be fully come There ought to be a proportion between the Distemper and the Remedy thus extream Distempers require extream Remedies and an extraordinary Necessity doth vindicate an extraordinary Method in the Use thereof When the Watchman whose immediate Duty is to give warning doth through Sluggishness or other Cause at the approach of the Enemy neglect to blow the Trumpet then every one concern'd in the Community hath right to do 't for the Preservation of the whole That Passage of Craesus's dumb Son who one day perceiving how some went about to kill his Father was so much stirred as to cry out Murther though trivial may well be admitted upon the present occasion for no true Christian having before his Eyes the near and great Danger which our holy Religion lies under upon the account of some damnable Heresies now more than ever brought in again but must be moved and cry out against it But what do I talk of danger when the evil it self the Philistins are upon us The Enemy is not only at the Gates but in the very body of the place and in the Bowels of the Church and to speak in Moses's words Num. 16.46 There is wrath gone out from the Lord the plague is begun for blasphemous Socinianism attended by Atheism Deism Prophaneness Immorality yea and Idolatry c. doth bare and brazen-faced walk in our Streets as much as in it lyeth to deprive us of our blessed Lord and Saviour so it strikes at no less than the Head and Author of our Salvation And men are puffed up and have not rather mourned 1 Cor. 5.2 that they that do this deed might be taken away from among us To what purpose is Popery or Idolatry expelled if Socinianism or Blasphemy be let in But I am not so hasty as to affirm Popish Idolatry to be turned out for we know too much of the contrary witness those Swarms of Priests which are in and about the City and the many places where I shall not say in private for 't is publick enough the Wafer-Idol-Worship is performed against the Laws of God and of the Land which some that should do not mind nor care for whereupon we have much cause to renew the Apostle's Complaint All seek their own Phil. 2.21 not the things that are Jesus Christs And in the Country almost every Popish Family of any note hath a Priest when able to keep it all this for want of due care to see Laws against them put in execution Upon this account a thing there is which doth so much lie in my way as that I cannot avoid taking notice of it and indeed the thing is so publick that many have and do daily with a kind of Indignation wonder at it As in this World nothing is free from God's Jurisdiction so when we have an occasion to speak of his Cause nothing hath Immunity or Privilege to plead for Here we have an Ambassadour who for himself and Family hath a private Chappel in his own House and a publick one in a Street not far from it for any one that hath a mind to come to it We know it to be a Privilege as good as grounded upon the Right of Nations for every foreign Minister to have within his doors the free Exercise of his Religion for his Person and Houshold but a Plurality hath no ground to plead for Here it hath been unknown and unheard of since the Reformation that any foreign Minister was at any time allow'd two Chappels In the supernumerary one I and many more besides to whom it is an Eye-sore have on Mass days seen and still can see Three or Four Hundred People going in and out not the Ambassador or his Family if you except the Priest and his Clerk with may be some inferiour Servants but generally all English and perhaps some few Irish and others We may well remember how under a Reign which never was commended for Piety I mean of Charles II. when the Parliament complained and the People grumbled about the growth of Popery that Prince not only said Gentlemen offer what you think fit for the Security of your Religion and Liberty and I will give my Consent to 't but withal he sent to all foreign Ministers to desire them to receive none of his Subjects within
their Chappel Doors also Men were sent thither to watch who went in and out to give an account of it And if we well look into the thing in hand we may find it is like to be of ill and troublesom Consequence for the Party in question is of a Nation which when once they have been in possession of a thing will willingly never part with but for ever lay a claim to 't when this Man is gone his Successor will according to their Maxim never fail to pretend to Two Chappels and this will be a Precedent for other foreign Popish Ministers to lay claim to Two for if one hath it why not another Which may happen to engage us in some Difficulties Besides that here common People love not to see unnecessary Popish Monuments and God knows whether or not at one time or other may not into their Head come some fancy of being rude besides those are Meeting-places for Papists to plot against the Government which Inconveniencies I humbly conceive it were both Piety and Prudence betimes to prevent and upon this Motive only with Submission to Superiors I speak of it though Blasphemy be the thing I now chiefly aim against Yet both Idolatry and Blasphemy are the two greatest Abominations of all in the sight of God for which he destroyed the Kingdoms of Israel and Judah and overturned the Assyrian Babylonian and other great Empires And to come home to the Toleration of those Two transcendent Wickednesses among others I think we may chiefly attribute the cause of the heavy Chastisements which make the Nation uneasie and he is very blind that doth not see and insensible that takes no notice of both I mean Sin and Chastisement and I most humbly beseech God to avert from us that terrible Threatning by his Prophet for at least we are as bad as those whom 't is directed to Isai 26.11 Lord when thy hand is lifted up they will not see but they shall see and be ashamed What a matter of unexpressible Grief is it for true Christians to see in a Nation an Incorrigibleness under great and many Judgments as we read enumerated by the Prophet and withal the greatest of all a Hardness of Heart as if the Anvil should say to the Hammer strike as often and as hard as thou wilt Amos 4. from 6. to 12. I will never be the softer Yet have ye not returned unto me saith the Lord Men will consider neither God's Work nor his Word the Dispensations of his Providence nor his Ordinances the Workings of God nor the Words of Men the Prophet's Counsel is worth following by every one in his station Let us search and try our ways and turn again to the Lord. Lament 3 40. In comparison of the utter Destruction of Jerusalem and Judah our Chastisements here are but like Whips instead of those with Scorpions but let us have a care lest we hear Isai 5.25 for all this his anger is not turned away but his hand is stretched out still We have been threatned with Insurrections and Invasions the danger is not over we have Enemies at home and one potent crafty and faithless at our Doors a Nation as bitter hasty Habak 1.6 and insolent as ever the Chaldeans were God hath made use of them to chastise others and so they are a Rod in his hand when he pleases against us and besides I tremble at the reading of this Threatning Zech. 11.6 for I will no more pity the inhabitants of the land saith the Lord but lo I will deliver the men every one into his neighbours hand and into the hand of his late King who very likely would prove a tearing and furious Lion broke loose out of his Den full of Hatred and Vengeance However we must fear God more than them for 't is usual when Men fear any thing more than God that very same thing doth befal them and if they walk contrary unto God Levit. 26.28 then saith the Lord I will walk contrary unto them also in fury which Fury is a consuming Fire and knowing therefore the terror of the Lord 2 Cor. 5.11 saith S. Paul out of a consideration of a Judgment to come we would persuade men who generally act out of fear of Punishment more than out of love to that which is good If Men should hold their peace the stones Luke 19.40 saith our blessed Saviour would immediately cry out for God never wants Instruments but can and doth fit them for his Work and never leaves himself without Witness We read how he rebuked Balaam for his iniquity 2 Pet. 2.16 the dumb ass speaking with mans voice forbad the madness of the prophet much more doth God make use of Men whom he hath endu'd with Reason and the knowledg of himself and of his Grace whom he will have not to halt between two opinions if Christ be God follow him if he be not follow him not To deny the most holy Trinity and our Saviour's Divinity is as much as in a Man lieth to go about to pull our Religion up by the very root and quite to overthrow it Yet Men are concerned to know that Religion is the Basis and Foundation that bears up and supports the Civil Government The true Church of God shall at last be seen truly to uphold the State seeing the World it self stands and shall continue only till the Number of the Elect be filled up and then it will come to an end in the mean while without Rewards and Punishments no Society whether Civil or Ecclesiastical can stand any long time Seeing the most holy Godhead it self is stricken at all are concerned to know who are the detestable Wretches that made themselves guilty of so impious an Attempt The Devil hath his Instruments of several sorts which concur with him in that wicked Work those Achans the Troublers of our Israel are some among us which upon the account of Novelty Acts 17.21 always like the Areopagites in Athens spend their time in nothing else but either to tell or to hear some new thing Others out of a vain Glory or Affectation of Singularity and Self conceit of Learning Others whom the Father of Lies hath disposed ever to oppose the Truth Some others that have been perverted by the Conversation and Books of such Seducers wherein that Poyson as I hope I made it clear is through Sophistry spread in a specious shape and plausible manner and to suffer such Books stuffed with Blasphemies to be imported and here printed and sold publickly is dangerous and against Law Others of a bold and confident Spirit are ready to own any thing and some others out of different Motives but all out of ill Principles But withal here we have a Generation of Men openly allow'd who as much as their Predecessors are violent and bitter Enemies to the Lord Jesus I mean the Jews who are used not to be wanting in their endeavours to
after the Example of the good Kings of Judah begin with God's purge it of all its Filth and he will take care of yours prosper and establish them If ye mind the Honour of God and the Good of his Church with keeping out the Ravenous Wolves that would break into it then he will guide and direct in the weighty Affairs which now are and hereafter shall be before you and will preside among you with his Spirit of Wisdom Knowledge and Understanding extricate and overcome the greatest Difficulties and his gracious Providence will be as a Wall of Fire round about you God's Commands are attended not only with Promises to the Observers but also with Threatnings to the Breakers and Neglecters thereof for this Scripture is full of Proofs and therein God hath pronounced a Curse against those who do his work deceitfull Jerem. 48.10 in the case of executing Justice and Judgment and 't is but Justice what we now call for the very same Person the Eternal Son of God whose Cause within your Station I do humbly commend unto you shall at last come into the World in the glory of his Father with his Angels Matt. 16.27 chap. 25. to reward every man according to his works and the unprofitable as well as the wicked servant which with him is but one and the same shall be cast into outer darkness where shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth When Men neglect to Secure and Promote the Glory of God he hath in his Hand ways and means enough to lay their Honour in the Dust This I speak not of my self for 't is God's Language and indeed it ought to be look'd upon as the Voice of God not of Man because grounded upon God's and not Man's Word and I could almost be content never to be able to persuade if at this Time and Occasion I could effectually do 't upon these Considerations that soon or late we all must die how soon God alone knows not we for we have no certain Leases of our Lives then cometh Judgment and our Works whether good or bad shall follow us which we must give an account of and indeed this should make us tremble as well as Felix Acts 24.25 when Paul reasoned of judgment to come The Parable of the Talents shall then actually become matter of fact and the slothful and careless for want of exercising them shall be severely dealt withal Negative Sins though many mind them not shall be the cause of Damnation for we see in the Description of the last Judgment made by our Saviour the only Sins named for which Men shall be damned are all of omission ye gave me no meat ye gave me no drink ye clothed me not ye visited me not ye minded me not and ye did not for me what ye ought and might have done Matt. 25. therefore depart from me ye cursed into everlasting fire prepared for the Devil and his Angels This is terrible to hear and shall be more to feel O that to prevent this dreadful Doom in our several Stations we were able with Bernard to say Wherever I am and whatsoever I do it seems to me as if I had heard the voice of the Archangel saying arise ye dead and come to judgment this is the ready way to be prepared for it and to avoid being surprised therewith and to live every moment as if that same was the last of our Life and the next Luk. 16.2 give an account of thy Stewardship this ought to make every one keep his accounts ready for though Men are apt to put off till to morrow what can be done to day there shall then be no procrastination whilst 't is time Matt. 24. let us do our Duty and blessed yea thrice blessed shall that servant be whom his Lord when he comes shall find so doing but wo be to him that shall be found doing the contrary as if because his Lord delayeth his coming he was never to come and call to an account David gives us the Character of a wicked Man to say God will not require it though he speaks it not with his Tongue but only saith it in his Heart and his saying so is there called a Contempt of God wherefore doth the wicked contemn God Psal 10.13 he hath said in his heart thou shalt not require it Now the Second thing to be laid before you Heb 4.13 I shall but name 't is this all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do he is present every where Psal 139. and Ezek. 11.5 all seeing and all knowing he is acquainted with all our ways all our words and he understandeth all our thoughts afar off so cannot be deceived nor imposed upon and if Men forsake the Lord's Cause he will forsake them then look for nothing but Misery and Calamity which I think again and again I now may safely say for I hope we at this time have no Amaziah to speak thus but prophecy not again any more of Bethel Amos 7 1â— for it is the King's chappel and it is the King's court for in such places they loved not to hear the Truth nor of unpleasant Things but 't is spoken of the Court of the Kings of Israel who after the renting of the Ten Tribes from first to last proved bad every one which was not altogether of those of Judah where was a mixture of some good and some bad Seeing Arguments drawn out of God's Word the common and general Consent of the Christian Church since the Apostles time and out of true sound Reason cannot work upon or prevail with a sort of Men hardened and obstinate in their Opinions and of whom long ago David said Psal 64.5 they encourage themselves in an evil matter and the Apostle fore-told of such false teachers who should privily 2 Pet. 2.1 at first and then openly bring in damnable heresies even denying the Lord that bought them that is the Lord Jesus Saviour of the World to be true God natural and consubstantial Son of God I say 't is not improper to apply our selves unto the Civil Power that he would make use of the lawful Authority which God for his own Glory hath put into his hands with some others we have done our part with offering in this Discourse good Arguments to assert and bear Record for the Truth but remembring the Apostle's Rule a man that is an heretick after the first and second admonition reject knowing that he that is such is subverted and sinneth being condemned of himself we think such may well be condemned by those who have right to do 't thereby to put a stop to the spreading of a mortal Gargrene in a most corrupt and backsliding Age. Herein we go upon Two Heads Heresy and Blasphemy against which we have both Gospel and Law Divine and Human no Error more fundamental than that which impiously strikes at the Nature and Persons
found alive at the last Day They would have Christ's Incarnation to be against Reason and Scripture they deny him to be truly God the like of the Holy Ghost That there is in One God no Trinity of Persons and that the Old Testament is needless for Christians c. All these and other Blasphemies are found in the Works of Socinus in the Racovian Catechism whereof Smalcius is the Author of Ostorodius Crellius Wolkelius Vaydovius c. but we shall by the Grace of God insist only upon some of their greatest Blasphemies Now to the Cause Matters of this high Nature and fundamental Concernment to our Holy Religion must not be prostituted to the captious scanning of Men of corrupt Minds nor the ways of God be made layable to the Judgment of Men rather humbly to be adored with Submission of Mind and Obedience of Faith to the Revelation declared in God's Word and herein we ought the more to be sober and cautious that we know Errors to be link'd together and to have a dependency one upon another he that strikes at the Grace of the Lord Jesus will afterwards make no Conscience to fly out against his Person he who denies him to be a Prophet will soon disown him to be a King and a Priest for as one Depth calls to another so an Arminian can easily become a rank Pelagian and Socinian Wherefore 't is necessary at the very beginning to oppose Errors defend every inch of ground against such as will daily grow worse and worse as do the * James 1.8 double-minded men that are for their own more than for the Truth 's Interest for they are unstable in all their ways and the more Hands orderly employed the better is the Effect like to be This Consideration makes me to appear amongst those who heretofore did and now do oppose false Teachers who not only privily but also in publick bring in again those damnable Heresies which of old Truth and Learning exploded and baffled out of the World The Divinity of Christ was the Stumbling-block to the Jews who could not endure to hear him call himself the Son of God absolutely and without limitation and thereat were enraged which made 'em take up Stones to cast at him John 8.59 and also at another time Chap. 10.31 the Doctrines about the Holy Trinity and the Person and Deity of Christ do stand and fall together In our Saviour's time it began to be oppos'd by the Jews and since from time to time continu'd to be so by the Devil's Instruments raised to that same purpose and within the last Age revived by the fore-named Blasphemers against the Rock of the Church which is built on the Confession that Christ is the Son of the living God not by any special Favour or any such Restriction for then there would be only a gradual difference between his and our being Sons of God but he is simply the Son of God yea his only begotten Before we enter upon this important Matter some things to clear the state of the Question must be premised so that we must shew wherein we agree before we speak of that wherein we differ as to the first this Foundation must be laid there is a God the Cause of all the Effect of none who hath made all and is made by none who hath given all things their Being and hath his own of himself This is not denyed so I shall not go about to prove it the Light of Nature the Book of Scripture and the Testimony of Conscience do sufficiently convince Men of it The next thing is what God is He being infinite cannot be defined but imperfectly described only according to what he hath in his Word revealed of himself how he is infinite independent self-sufficient eternal unchangeable But such is the blindness of some Mens Judgments or the Perverseness of their Hearts that they will cavil at the Nature Names Attributes and Works of this eternal and infinite Being But about this fundamental Truth our Faith must be directed by the Revelation which God hath made of it in his holy Word herein Men must not follow their own fancy for * 〈◊〉 Mat. 〈…〉 no man knoweth the father but the son and he to whom the son will reveal him Now the sum of this Revelation in the Word is that God is One that this One God is Father Son and Holy Ghost that the Father is the Father of the Son and the Son the Son of the Father and the Holy Ghost the Spirit of the Father and of the Son and that they are distinct one from another in respect of this their mutual Relation by this Rule we must be guided how to know believe worship love fear and obey him that is the Father One true God the Son One true God and the Holy Ghost One true God to be believed worshiped and obeyed Now for our Edification and further Instruction thâ—â— Doctrin admits of some Enlargement and Explanation to prevent undue Notions of God which by reason of the Blindness and Ignorance we are naturally involv'd in our Minds are liable unto thus out of the Revelation that God is One we easily deduce he is so in respect of his Nature Essence or Godhead and how being Father Son and Holy Ghost he doth subsist in these Three distinct Persons thence also is derived the manner of their Subsistence what are their mutual respects to each other and such like things by a necessary Consequence from the Revelation Upon these Grounds were compiled the Nicene Athanasian and other Creeds or Articles of Faith in opposition to the Heresies of those Times for therein was explained the true Sense of Scripture about those matters which were wrested by the Enemies of the Truth and though the Orthodox Doctors and Councils to oppose the Error and lay open the Venom made use of some Words and Expressions which in so many Letters are not set down in the Word of God yet they were not to blame for they were drawn out of it by lawful and necessary Consequences Men may lawfully conceive in their Minds what is the nature of the Things or the sense of the Words according to the scope of the Spirit of God in the Writings of the Prophets and Apostles and also as to the Analogy of Faith or else we are no better than Brutes So that if the chief Assertion contained in the Revelation be true so must also be whatsoever is therein included and in the Explication thereof drawn by a true and right Consequence Wherefore seeing God hath declared Father Son and Holy Ghost to be One God it necessarily follows they are One in Nature because therein only they can be One And this is the ground of any other Unity and seeing it is also declared they are Three it must be explained of three distinct Persons or Subsistences wherein only it is possible they can be Three The Revelation is clear there is One God this God is
Father called God Son called God Holy Ghost called God and here the Enemies of Truth should begin their Opposition which is the true way and method yet they do not but they except against the Explication which only tends to farther Edifying and Instruction and quarrel with Words as Essence Trinity Persons c. Divine Nature is One yet common to Three in the Mystery of the Trinity we must learn the Truth the Height and Excellency thereof the Truth doth not depend upon our Apprehension and Understanding of it but upon the Consent of the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments and tho' under the first Men were more in the dark yet there was Light enough to make 'em believe it with humble Faith and Piety but under the last that Truth is clearly apparent 't is by * John 5.4 Faith only that we are enabled to overcome the World so †2 Cor. 5.7 we walk by faith and not by sight to shew our Religion is matter of Faith more than of Fact to be attained unto through Belief and not through Senses whose Object is visible and temporal but that of Faith is * 2 Cor. 4.18 spiritual invisible and eternal the holy Mystery of the Trinity cannot be comprehended by the Light of Grace nor of Glory much less by that of Nature Controvertes about Principles are more intricate and difficult than about Conclusions especially in things relating to God the Principal of all Beings and that for two Reasons the first because the infinite and incomprehensible Majesty of God doth far exceed our Understanding the second upon the account of the Blindness and Vanity of Man's Mind which either will not depend upon the Revelation without which we can never know things of that nature or else goes about with its wrong Notions to depravate it not so much as to the Words as in the Sense and Doctrine wherein Heresie doth consist Now as 't is a damnable Presumption in those who in these Matters do pervert the true Sense of the Word of God so I must say 't is a great Imprudence in those who undertake to refute them to abound in their own Sense leaving the trodden way and slighting Arguments made use of by the former Assertors of these Truths to set up new Notions and Hypotheses of their own which render those Points more abstruse and these new Lights of theirs instead of clearing make them darker instead of proving they do not so much as illustrate the matter the Proofs ought to be drawn out of the Revelation and in the Explanation thereof 't is no Shame nor Loss of Reputation to follow the Steps and Methods of Learned and Orthodox Men who went before and with great Success opposed Error and Blasphemy I do not hereby intend to deny a Man the liberty of making use of the Parts and Learning which God hath endued him with above others and improve them to a further Confirmation of the Truth but I would not have them to depart from the Foundation laid before them nor to exercise their wandring Thoughts about the adorable and incomprehensible Nature of God merely to affect Singularity and thereby to be applauded This very thing hath of late led if not tumbled some into strange and horrid Precipices which to avoid they more and more intangled themselves therein as hath well been observed by others 't is no good Consequence for such to say that if a Person be a Mind a Spirit and a Substance then Three Persons must be Three distinct Minds Spirits and Substances as distinct as Adam and Abel though not separate But the Error of the Hypothesis lies in this which openeth the false Ground thereof namely because Mind Spirit and Substance in their proper signification are absolute but Person in its proper signification is a relative Term because King William is King of England Scotland and Ireland must we argue that since a King is a Man an Animal a Substance therefore because of Three distinct substantial Kingdoms he is Three distinct Men Three distinct Animals and Three distinct Substances not so because Man Animal and Substance are Terms absolute but King is relative Suppose as one said before and to the purpose a Man were Dean of Pauls of Westminster and of Windsor should we thence conclude that since a Dean is a Man an Animal a Substance therefore because of Three distinct Deanaries he is Three distinct Substances I think not because Man Animal Substance are Terms absolute but Dean is relative It is very sad now to see the blasphemous Heresie of the Threetheites or of Three Gods revived among us by such as might do better in every well-order'd Christian State Idolatry and Blasphemy ought not to be tolerated but severely punished I know there are certain Terms to be explained in the Discussion of these Controversies especially in the Schools as may be Essence Existence Subsistence Substance Individuum Suppositum Hypostasis or Person wherein they agree and wherein they differ but I conceive they who writ for a publick good and would make these Points intelligible to most if not to all Readers might well avoid too far engaging in Metaphysical Notions I humbly conceive it were better because more profitablē in a Theological way to write and explain that which is most necessary to be understood according to the Pattern of Scripture and the Practice of the Orthodox Primitive Church and of its Doctors against Hereticks as we have it in the three Creeds which are a production of their universal Consent But for some Men herein thus far to indulge their fancy as to let it spatiate as much as it will and give it a full Latitude to wander and then express it self in such Terms as one of a Hundred Thousand can hardly understand the meaning thereof Nay upon reasonable grounds it may be doubted whether the Author doth well understand them this is only to intricate the Matter to puzzle the Reader and that which is worse to want a due respect for the Majesty of God whose Mysteries ought to be handled with an awful Reverence no Man may presume to know of him beyond what he hath been pleased to reveal himself for if we cannot well and perfectly know things created much less the Creator neither can the less comprehend the greater and if * Rom. 11.33 God's Judgments be past finding out much more is he himself Besides that this way of thus managing these Matters doth much prejudice the Cause and gives the Adversaries thereof ground to say of us They cannot among themselves agree how to defend it CHAP. II. Of Divine Essence HERETICKS Dispute against the Words Essence Trinity and Person used in the Primitive Church but sound Faith contendeth not about Words when the Truth of the thing is agreed upon Trinity is the abstract whereof three is the Concret expressed 1 John 5.7 as that of Jehovah and Lord signifie the Essence render'd by him * Revel 1.8 Which is
Essence also they make a Confusion between being and the manner of it And they ask us why we do not rather multiply Essences in the plurality of the Persons than Persons in the Unity of Essence whereunto we answer that we therein follow the Doctrine of the Holy Ghost in the word and he who makes Three Essences doth also make Three Gods but he that saith there is One divine Nature in Three Persons doth not make Three Gods now Scripture and Reason teach us there is but One God and the same Scripture saith also Father Son and Holy Ghost are but One God and 't is to be observ'd how the word Father when used alone as 't is in the Lord's Prayer without relation to the Son is as well as that of God common to the Three Persons but when it signifies a Person of the Trinity first in order then 't is relatively to the Son Now the Plurality of Persons in One divine Essence is proved by Arguments drawn out of Five several Heads whereof the First doth consist in several clear Testimonies out of Scripture Secondly from the relatives or opposite Relations as Father Son Spirit to beget to be begotten and to proceed from the Father and from the Son Thirdly by distinguishing Properties as Creator to the Father Redeemer to the Son Sanctifier to the Holy Ghost Fourthly by peculiar Apparitions to be read in both the Old and New Testaments And Fifthly by different Operations the Four last I shall not insist upon only some of them I shall have occasion to speak of in some place of my Discourse but the first I intend by the Grace of God chiefly to enlarge upon These Scripture Proofs are of three kinds the first speaks of a Plurality of Persons in God the second of Three Persons and the third mentions the Son by himself and the Holy Ghost by himself for about the Father there is no Dispute yet to avoid Prolixity we shall make use only of some few places out of the many which Scripture doth afford We shall begin with that of Genesis * Gen. 1.1 In the beginning God created in the Hebrew the Word God is in the Plural Number not Eloah which is the Singular but Elohim the Plural surely there must be some reason why a Nominative in the Plural is joyned to a Verb in the Singular as Bara is that signifies created certainly this shews some kind of Plurality in the divine Nature we may well say it is not without cause that in a Tongue whereof in a special manner God is the Author and in which are many Names in the Singular Number yet this in the Plural is made use of to signifie God not only in this place but very often and in many more There are many other Names of God but none more frequently used than this in the Plural Why then if in the Godhead there be but One single Person should God delight so much in being called so often in the Plural I say farther that as the History of the Creation could not be written but by help of Revelation and that God chose Moses a Man of very great Wisdom so 〈◊〉 being inspired of God inserted therein nothing 〈◊〉 might be called rash and superfluous so 't was 〈◊〉 at a venture that he chose that Word amongst so many others to name God in the great Work of Creation which being terminated outwardly is common and belongs to the Three Persons of the Trinity and a thing very observable is that in that first Chapter of Genesis no less than Thirty two times that very same word Elohim in the plural is construed with a Verb in the singular when in the Second Chapter that of Jehovah which is a singular is Eleven times joyned to the Verb of a singular Number What else can the plural Number in God signifie but some Plurality The Name Elohim is the first given to God in Scripture and though it be plural yet 't is not personal but essential and according to the Hebrew Idiome is spoken both of the Nature and of the Persons hence there is only One Elohim not Three as in the Athanasian Creed 't is well observed that the Father is Almighty the Son Almighty the Holy Ghost Almighty yet not Three Almighties but only One now the Name Elohim being derived from God's Power there are not Three Elohims no more than Three Almighties wherefore 't is joyned with an Adjective singular Elohim Zaddik Deus juste O God righteous Psal 7.10 which they who are for Three Spirits and Three Substances are desired to take notice of and how their Hypothesis is herein contrary to the Athanasian Creed Farthermore in the beginning of the * Exod. 20.2 Decalogue this word Elohim is joyned with the Pronoun possessive in the singular thy though the word God be in the plural and †Josh 24.19 elsewhere we have it joyned with an Adjective in the plural and with a Relative in the singular he is an holy God he is in the singular God and holy are in the plural Nay we have it also prefix'd to a Verb in the plural where Abraham said * Gen. 20.13 When God caused this Verb is in the plural me to wander So we have it elswhere †2 Sam. 7.23 hence we may conclude how in the Text in hand not by chance but by a special divine direction the Name God is in the plural Number and in the place already quoted in the Preface of the Ten Commandments God makes use of the Lord Jehovah and God Elohim the one as it seems to declare the Vnity of his Nature and the other the Plurality of the Persons Adonai a Name of God also in the plural Number is frequently used either when God speaks of himself or Men to or of him Another Text to prove the Plurality of Persons in the Godhead is this * Gen. 1.26 Let us make man in our image and after our likeness which is an Exhortation to the other Persons that had a hand in the Creation the Verb and the Pronouns are used in the plural 't is not said let me but let us make 't is not said in my but in our image not after my but after our likeness This manner of speaking so different from the foregoing is not in vain but with a purpose to give us for whose sake that History was written a Subject to meditate upon I know they say God there speaks as 't is usual with Princes in the plural Number for Majesty and Greatness sake and what if great men do so must this through man's wandrings be father'd also upon God Princes do represent their People and also they comprehend their Counsellours whence it is that in every Proclamation we have that Form By the Advice of our Privy Council which God doth not want Let us more seriously consider this doth God speak it to no body I am necessitated to make use of that Expression or to some
they do penetrate one another for they most perfectly and infinitely know and love one another now Love is an earnest desire of Union so then they be most intirely united The Apostle makes the necessary difference of the Three on Earth he saith they agree in One but of the Three in Heaven he saith they are One. Moreover either one knows something which the other doth not or loves something which the other doth not love or can do something which the other cannot do or not if the former how are they God For God knows and can do all if the last then not only they have one Will but also one Mind one Power one Knowledg one Love Now let Man think upon several Natures of the same kind which mutually do penetrate themselves and by a mutual inclination do embrace and unite themselves inseparably and have the same Thoughts Will and Action doth not all this conclude for one and the same Nature And that there is no difference but in some manner of Existing which because they are such are distinct one from another without Confusion all which from Oneness of Will leads to Oneness of Essence for the Will of God is not a thing different from his Nature Another Text wherein the most holy Trinity is demonstrated and not only may be read but also be heard and seen is that about our Saviour's Baptism where the Father speaks from Heaven and calls him his Son Christ the Son is baptized and the Holy Ghost appears in the shape of a Dove if Men do believe Scripture this they must believe to be true S. Austin lookt upon this Text as a strong and convincing Proof of that divine and essential Truth Vade ad Jordanem c. saith he Go to the River Jordan and there thou shalt find the holy Trinity and be convinced of the Verity thereof Besides these we have a Cloud of other Witnesses to prove this Truth where the Three Persons are mentioned under their proper Names and first * Acts 2.22 23. This Jesus being by the right hand of God exalted and having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Ghost the Three Persons are plainly named Again the same Jesus Christ was declared †Rom. 1.3 4. to be the Son of God with power according to the Spirit of holiness Elsewhere the same Apostle saith ‖ Tit. 3.4 5 6. God saved us by the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Ghost through Jesus Christ And in another place ‡ Gal. 4.6 God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts by the word God is meaned the Person of the Father * Heb. 9.14 How much more shall the blood of Christ who through the eternal Spirit offereth himself without spot to God Furthermore †Ephes 2.18 Through him Christ we both have an access by one spirit unto the Father Our blessed Saviour himself out of his own sacred Mouth doth plainly and positively speak to this purpose when he saith * John 14.16.17 I will pray the Father and he will give you another comforter the Father I the Son and the comforter whom he calls the Spirit of Truth are Three Persons which in the next Chapter †Chap. 15 26. is by him repeated But when the Comforter is come whom I will send to you from the Father even the Spirit of truth One Text more I shall bring to confirm this * 2 Cor. 13.14 The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God that is the Father and the communion of the Holy Ghost be with you all And in the Text of another Apostle †1 Pet. 1.2 are contained the Workings of the Three Persons in the Trinity Elect according to the fore knowledg of God the Father through the sanctification of the Spirit unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ As the New Testament is full of Proofs to confirm this holy Doctrine for indeed these Mysteries of the Trinity and Incarnation are more clearly and fully therein related so out of the Old Testament we have enough to confute the Enemies of this Truth and because we look upon Socinians in their Principles to be a sort of Jews and as well as they Blasphemers against our holy and blessed Saviour so we will bring such Arguments against them as we would if we were disputing against unbelieving Jew◠only a few Texts out of many We begin with the Book of Genesis Chap. 1. wherein is contained a relation of the History of the Creation which is a Work common to the Three Persons of the Trinity and though we may not look upon it as the clearer upon the matter yet in it is Light enough to shew the Truth we now assert I shall say nothing of the Name God under that of Elohim which already we have spoken of as representing the plurality of Persons in the most holy Trinity but we may say that though the Name God was there which it is not in the singular and taken for the Person of the Father yet the Son had a hand in the act of Creation for it is God said here is the word which is the proper Name of the Son our Lord Jesus Christ who in Scripture especially by S. John is so often called by that Name the Word God saying and speaking is that which made the World We read God said when any thing was created which being compared with what is spoken by John * John 1.3 All things were made by him that is the Word the Person of Jesus Christ for actiones sunt suppositorum acting is proper to Persons and without him was not any thing made that was made now that Word God said is that which created every thing so then here is the Person of the Son but we also find the Person of the Holy Ghost Gen. 1.2 the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters by his acting represented by motion to cherish give life and motion to things as a Hen doth when sitting upon her Eggs for the word in the Original signifies such a thing This sense is given by a competent Interpreter †Psal 33.6.9 By the word of the Lord were the heavens made and all the host thereof by the breath of his mouth Here we can read distinctly the Lord if it were to be understood only of the first Person about which there is no dispute the Word and the Breath or Spirit this though it be clear I could set in a greater Light with comparing it with other places which I now forbear to do because I shall have occasion to make use of them in some other branch of my Discourse Another Text is this * Isai 42.1 Behold my servant whom I uphold mine elect in whom my soul delighteth I have put my spirit upon him besides the Person that speaks namely the Father here we have the Son under the name
of his Servant of his elect in whom his Soul delighteth whereby none may deny the Lord Jesus to be understood and the Holy Ghost or Spirit Nothing better than this can quadrate with the History of our Saviour's Baptism ‖ Matth. 3.16 And in another place of the same Prophet †Iâ—al 6.3 when he saw the Vision and heard that Trisagion or holy holy holy which long after was also heard by John * Rev. 4 8. that three-fold repetition of God's Name compar'd with the proper Hypotheses of the antient Jews ' that it signified three things in God is adapted to the Trinity of Persons in S. John's Vision we have some enlargement as to the Lord Jesus represented by the Lamb for the same Twenty four Elders and Four Beasts * Rev. 5.8 9 13. fell down before the lamb and sung a new song and every creature which is in heaven and on the earth and under the earth and such as are in the sea paid the same Worship to the Lamb as to him that sitteth on the Throne Again the same Prophet †Isai 61.1 The spirit of the Lord is upon me for he hath anointed me this to be understood of Christ as applyed Luke 4.18 and of the Holy Ghost by the anointing for he was anointed with the Oyl of Gladness that is the Graces of the Spirit These Three are also to be read amongst the last Words of David * 2 Sam. 23.2 saying The Spirit of the Lord spake by me and the Word was in my tongue here is the Lord the Word and the Spirit To the same purpose speaks another Prophet †Hagg. 2.5 according to the word that I covenanted with you when ye came out of Egypt so my Spirit remaineth among you the Father with the Word his Son and his Spirit made a Covenant with Israel There are several other Texts in the Old Testament of the Nature of One which I already made use of I mean of the thrice holy wherein the Name of God or Lord is thrice repeated I own I have such a persuasion of the infinite Wisdom of God as to believe there is nothing at all in his Word but what there is a particular reason for it to be in and in this belief of mine I am confirmed by what our blessed Saviour saith in earnest and with a strong Asseveration †Matt. 5.18 Verily I say unto you till heaven and earth pass one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law till all be fulfilled and I am sufficiently satisfied that though through the Infirmity of our Nature in the Ignorance of our Mind we cannot apprehend the Causes of many things in the Word of God yet therein is nothing without a Cause So out of that Principle I dare say God meaneth something when in the Blessing which he prescribed to be pronounced to the People the Lord's Name is thrice in it thus * Numb 6.24 25 26. The Lord bless thee and keep thee the Lord make his face shine upon thee and be gracious unto thee the Lord lift up his countenance upon thee and give thee peace and when God speaks unto Moses he dictates what he was to speak to the Children of Israel when he was come to them in his Name that is The Lord God of your Fathers one would have thought this had been enough but no for he addeth †Exod. 3.15 The God of Abraham the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob it was the same God yet thrice named So when the Law is given he saith ‖ Exod. 20.5 I the Lord thy God am a jealous God once Lord and twice God which is the same so in another place the * Psalm 136.1 2 3. Psalmist exhorteth thrice to give thanks to whom unto the Lord unto the God of Gods to the Lord of Lords One more I shall quote and 't is this †Isa 33.22 The Lord is our Judge the Lord is our Lawgiver the Lord is our King Why thrice and no more Surely God aims at something for as he doth nothing so he saith nothing in vain these things are not in by Chance and seeing with a full assurance I believe according to Revelation a Trinity of Persons in the Divine Nature Why should not I also believe that these things relate to it Now if one would seriously attend upon these quoted places and compare them with others of the same kind may be God would impart upon the Matter greater Discoveries than I for the present am able to give only this I shall add how the Name Jehovah called in Greek Tetragrammaton because it originally consists only of four Letters signifieth both God's Self-existence for the Root whence 't is derived doth denote to be and also his Eternity for it contains all times to come present and past one out of the two first Letters draws the Words beginning and to live and the third having a Vertue of copulating or joyning together is for Love whereby is denoted the Holy Ghost as by the two before are Father and Son and because the second Letter h is twice in he would have both Natures in the Second Person of the most Holy Trinity to be meaned tho' I have nothing to say against these mysterious Interpretations which may be well grounded yet we build not our main Arguments thereupon however knowing that essential and incommunicable Holy Name to confist of three different Letters I can see nothing to hinder me from believing that that same Nature is communicated to Three Persons and as the same Letter is twice in it doth signifie Two Natures in One Person especially it falling upon the Second Letter relating to the Second Person of the most blessed Trinity and as God is the Author of the Name Why may not he in his Infinite Wisdom therein denote some Mystery This I take to be Rational Here I must not omit for Proof of this great Truth to bring in our Creed called the Apostolical as an Evidence I meddle not with the others for the Adversaries will not own them though they ever were by better more Learned more Pious and Sound in all Ages than they are or I doubt can be I know the World hath afforded some Men who out of a vain-glory and to seem to be something through a tryal of their Parts have attempted to enervate with their Criticisms the Strength and Orthodoxy of these Creeds but as to this Socinians themselves can except against it no more than they do against the written Word of God whence this is extracted Father Son and Holy Ghost are all Three named in the Creed and as the Word God is expressed when joined with the Father so 't is understood of Son and Holy Ghost thus I believe in God his only begotten Son and I believe in God the Holy Ghost for to them it also doth belong and as there we profess to believe in that is to
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 God and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Lord are frequent Jehovah signifies God's Essence in Three manners First First Jehovah That he is of himself and of no other Secondly All other Things are from him not from themselves or from any else Thirdly That he is true in his Promises and Threatnings 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 when absolutely attributed to God answereth that of Jehovah for he is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Self-Lord and of his Nature The Name Jehovah is properly absolutely and without any adjection attributed to the Son as it must amongst other places be understood in that wherein 't is said * Gen. 19.24 The Lord rained upon Sodom and upon Gomorrah brimstone and fire from the Lord the Lord from the Lord is a Tautology and a gross one too which God is not capable of were it not that as the Father hath committed all Judgment to the Son upon that occasion the Son executed Judgment against those wicked Cities and to prove the Truth of this Interpretation we have two undeniable Evidences the Expressions of one are just as in this place and of the other they are to the same purpose David is the first * Psaim 110.1 The Lord said unto my Lord which our Saviour explains of †Mat. 22.44 himself the other Witness is ‖ Hos 1.7 Hosea by whom God saith I will save the house of Judah by the Lord their God not only he calls him their Lord but also their God Here we have the True Eternal and Infinite God whose Word came to the Prophet saying he will have mercy upon the House of Judah and I hope hitherto we are agreed he promiseth to save them By whom By the Lord their God that is the Lord God of Judah for he speaks to and of the House of Judah he then by whom they are to be saved is the True God of Israel for certainly the God of Judah and Israel is one and the same God and not two for their Saviour is their God the next thing to be known is who is meaned by this Lord God of theirs not properly and immediately the Person that speaks for then he would have said I will save them by my self as upon another occasion he said * Gen. 22.16 By my self have I sworn and in some other places wherefore here another Person is to be understood or else the designation of another had been superfluous and not to the purpose but here is a visible distinction of Persons he that speaks and promiseth to save them and he by whom they shall be saved according to the whole Analogy of Faith this Prophecy relateth to the Messiah the Son of God whom the Father out of his own Bosom was to send into the World to save it and the Lord Jesus was the Messiah which at that time was to come and came since who by the Prophet is called the Lord God of Judah which was fulfilled when the Angel said unto the Shepherds †Lu. 2.11 Vnto you is born this day in the City of David a Saviour which is Christ the Lord who came to save his People the True Judah and Israel of God not according to the Flesh but the promise from their Sins and from the Punishments which thereby they had deserved so the Lord Jesus is the True Lord God of Israel for the House of Israel or Judah hath no other Prince and Saviour to * Act. 5.31 give them repentance and forgiveness of sins but the Lord Jesus who in this same place is called Prince now the Title of God of Israel the true eternal and undoubted God doth in many places of Scripture appropriate to himself and communicateth to none besides †Joh. 1.49 Nathanael called Jesus Christ the Son of God and the King of Israel and we know he spoke Truth as did David when he saith ‖ Psal 22.28 the Kingdom is the Lord's and he is the governour amongst the nations and we are sure that Psalm hath a relation to the Lord Jesus and if any doubt remaineth it is explained in the Person of the * Rev. 12.5 man child who was to rule all nations with a red of iron and this is fully interpreted of the Person whom the Lord hath said to thou art my Son and hath given to †Psal 2.7 8 9. the heathen for his inheritance c. which he shall break with a rod of iron In the Old Testament we read of an Angel who appeared at several times and spoke as to Hagar he is called the Angel of the Lord and was the Lord Jehovah himself ‖ Gen. 16.13 for she called the Name of the Lord that spake unto her thou God seest me a second time he appeared unto her and said lift up the lad Ishmael for I will make him a great nation this certainly was an increated Angel namely the Son of God for no created Angel could make such a Promise it being beyond the Power of any creature to perform it and that Angel is called Jehovah upon the occasion of sacrificing Isaac and that he was God himself it appears not only from the Nature but also from the Words he spake Seeing said he * Gen. 22.11 12 15 16.17 18. thou hast not held thy Son thine only Son from me now that Son was to have been sacrificed to God and none else and this is confirmed beyond all doubt when 't is said And the Angel of the Lord called unto Abraham out of Heaven the second time and said by my self have I sworn c. that in blessing I will bless thee and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the Stars of heaven and as the sand that is upon the sea shore and in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed This is elsewhere represented under the shape of a Man who a Gen. 32.24 28 30. wrestled with Jacob might not the Name Man relate to the future Incarnation however 't is most certain under what Name soever that same was God for he said to Jacob Thou hast power with God and when he asked his Name Jacob receiv'd no other Answer but this Wherefore is it that thou dost ask after my name which as a Prophet saith b Isai 9 6. is wonderful Jacob though he asked his Name knew who it was for he saith I have seen God face to face and the same is called Man God even the Lord God of hosts Hosea 12.3 5. and in the same place is called the Angel verse 4. So the Names Man Angel and God Lord of hosts do belong to the same and as upon that same occasion one of the Names belong to the Son of God by the same reason must all the rest and him Jacob remembers when blessing Joseph's Children he saith c Gen. 48.15 16. The angel which redeemed me from all evil bless these lads and just the verse before he calls him
the Father It is said of the Children of Israel z Psal 106 14. Numb 14.22 They tempted God in the desart and S. Paul applyeth it to Christ a 1 Cor. 10.9 Neither let us tempt Christ as some of them also tempted they tempted Jehovah and that Jehovah is Christ who brought them out of Egypt through the Wilderness into the Land of Canaan who certainly is the only true God maker of Heaven and Earth It is to be observed how in another place David speaking of the Peoples tempting God in the Wilderness useth very strong Expressions for he saith b Psal 78.41 They turned back and tempted God and limited the holy one of Israel the God whom they tempted is the same holy one of Israel whom they limited and the same who vers 56. is called the Most High God they tempted and provoked the Most High God Now the Adversaries must own that the holy one of Israel and the most high God is such by Nature so that wholly to clear this matter we are to find out who it is whom they tempted in the Wilderness we can have no better Interpreter than S. Paul in the fore quoted place who declares 't was Christ neither let us tempt Christ as some of them also tempted and those very same that tempted him were destroyed of Serpents so then the Consequence is easie and natural that Christ is the holy one of Israel and the most high God Ps 16.10 Acts 2.27 and 3.14 1 John 2.20 and the Title of Holy One is spoken of Christ if we must believe Peter and John now all these things as Paul saith are written for our Admonition and Instruction Furthermore 't is said he shall be called Jehovah c Jer. 23.6 and 33.16 the Lord our righteousness that is a righteous branch a king that shall reign and prosper in whose days Judah shall be saved a Prophesie of the Messiah explain'd of Christ d 1 Cor. 1.30 who is made unto us wisdom and righteousness If I would go on in this it were an endless business for Scripture doth abound in such Evidences whereof several more may be seen apply'd in the Book of the Revelation and what would it be if I should bring in so many Circumstances as there were foretold by the Prophets about the coming and suffering of the Messiah which are fulfill'd in the Life and Death of our blessed Saviour as in their places they be observed by the Evangelists but I think I have under this Head said enough to prove Jesus Christ to be Jehovah the true eternal God to this only I shall add two places out of another Prophet e Hos 13.14 I will ransom them from the power of the grave I will redeem them from death which S. Paul doth allude unto when he saith f 1 Cor. 15 55 57. O death where is thy sting O grave where is thy victory c. we have the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ And in another place formerly quoted saith the same Prophet g Hos 1.7 I will have mercy upon the house of Judah and will save them by the Lord their God which was fulfilled in the Person of Christ who is called and actually is both their Lord and their God in a true and a proper sense whence we must necessarily conclude him to be the Lord God of Israel about whom is the question for they deny him to be the God of Israel but that 't is undisputably spoken of our Saviour it appears by what Peter saith h Acts 4.12.11.10 Neither is there salvation in any other for there is none other name under heaven given among men whereby we must be saved we may know whom he speaks of by the Description he makes of him in the fore-going Verse This is the stone which was set at nought of you builders which is become the head of the corner which saying of David Ps 118.22 is by our Saviour applyed unto himself Matth. 21.42 and in case any doubt should remain that this of the Prophet is to be understood of Christ Peter in that same place Vers 10. names who is the Lord their God by whom they are to be saved Jesus Christ of Nazareth whom ye crucified and if the Testimony of this one Apostle be not enough let us hear the joynt Evidence of all the other Apostles who unanimously said unto the chief Priests i Acts 5.29 30 31. God hath exalted with his right hand Jesus to be a prince and a Saviour for to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins Whosever shall call upon the name of the Lord faith another Prophet k Joel 2.32 shall be delivered and saved which in the same words is by two Apostles l Acts 2.21 Rom. 10.13 applyed unto the Lord Jesus and in that remarkable place of the Prophet m Zech. 11.12 13. Jehovah the Lord speaketh of himself they weighed for my price thirty pieces of silver and the Lord said unto me cast it unto the potter a goodly price that I was prized at of them And did not Judas n Matth. 26.15 27.7 10. agree with the chief Priests to betray the Lord Jesus for Thirty pieces of Silver And after that Wretch had return'd the Money did not they with it buy the Potters Field How wonderful and plain is the Harmony between the Old and New Testaments between the Prophecies and the fulfilling thereof to demonstrate our Saviour to be the Jehovah the Lord God and Saviour of Israel whence we may argue that the Saviour promised is Jehovah Christ is the promised Saviour therefore he is Jehovah which Name not only was known but also was of great account among the Heathens which were Neighbours to the Jewes as Philistines Arabians Idumeans Egyptians Syrians c. which according to the Idiom of their Languages with some small alteration they made use of thus the last named it Jehuvo whence the Greeks derived their Jevo and the Romans called it Jove or Jupiter their chief and great God whom they named Divûm hominumque patrem the Father of the gods and of men which they made his Proper Name and never spoke it of any other but him alone they gave it to and according as the Jewes did in relation to the true God so they in respect to their false gods they attributed it only to the Head of them and to all the rest made it incommunicable Here before we proceed we must say that the Name Jehovah is not common or appellative but proper to God it is derived from Jah a word which signifies fuit a Being for the strength of the word doth betoken the Nature and Essence of God Exod. 3.14 wherein the Jews observe three different Spaces of time future present and past whereunto answers that of S. John o Rev. 1.8 which is which was and which is to come which the Son of God there speaks of himself and in the
same place of Exod. v. 15. God whom we ought to believe saith this is my name for ever which elsewhere he confirmeth p Isai 42. â— I am the Lord that is my name and my glory will I not give to another So then that Name God accounts to be his Glory and that Name he would not give the Angel we have spoken of before in whom God said was his Name except he was his true Son and partaker of his Nature this is by another Prophet q Jer. 16.21 confirmed I will cause them to know mine hand and my might and they shall know that my name is the Lord and by another r Hos 12.5 even the Lord God of hosts the Lord is his memorial what follows is worthy of a most serious consideration Å¿ Psal 83.18 that men may know that thou whose name alone is Jehovah art the most high over all the earth so then if God speaks truth Jehovah is his Name alone and of none else Another Prophet is not silent upon the matter t Amos 5.8 Seek him that maketh the seven stars and Orion and turneth the shadow of death into the morning and makes the day dark with night that calleth for the waters of the sea and poureth them out upon the face of the earth the Lord is his name One thing more I add how after the People had seen the Fire of the Lord fall upon Eliah's Sacrifice and consume it and all round about they fell on their faces and said the Lord be is the God 1 Kings 18.38 39. the Lord he is the God Who after these plain and convincing Evidences can be so much a Child of the Devil I mean a Lyar as to deny the Name Jehovah to be God's proper Name and consequently deny Christ who is Jehovah to be the true natural God By Jehovah and Jah is primarily denoted the Essence proper only to God whereby God is understood to have his Being of himself and to be efficient principle in a way of Excellency of all other Beings and the Name was not altogether unknown before Moses for in that place v Exod. 6.3 the Question is not properly or formally about the Word but the Thing as of the Unchangeableness of the Divine Truth and of the Deliverance of his People The Jewes are so scrupulous about the Word that they would not have it pronounced but with some change of Letters they impiously give a magical Virtue to the Characters whereunto they attribute all Miracles done by our Saviour the Name Schaddai signifying God's Self-sufficiency is also incommunicable but 't is of Attribute as the other of Nature They cannot deny that Christ or the Son is called Jehovah wherefore they betake themselves to another Shift which is to deny the Name to be incommunicable for say they it is attributed to Angels and to other things as unto the Mount where Abraham would have sacrificed his Son to Jerusalem and unto the Ark As to the first 't is not to be understood of any created Angel but of that Angel whom we proved to be God truly and properly whom the Name doth belong unto in a proper sense When spoken of the forenamed things 't is not to be taken as a Name but as a Commendation Testimony Sign and a Symbol as if one should say There John liveth there James reigneth by a kind of Metonimy used in human things when the thing contained is put for the containing as to the Ark when Moses saith q Num. 10.35 Rise up Lord and let thine enemies be scattered he doth not speak to the Ark a material Creature unable to hear and of it self to move but to Jehovah who had his Seat in it Of this we can have no surer Interpreter than David who saith r Psal 132 8. Arise O Lord into thy rest thou and the ark of thy strength the Prayer is directed to God not to the Ark which were Idolatry the Ark doth neither rise nor return but after the manner of Men it is attributed unto God So in another place Å¿ Ps 68.1 Let God arise let his enemies be scattered besides these words of Moses were spoken when the Ark was upon a motion or at rest wherefore it had been improper to say to the Ark Rise when 't was going on and Rest when it was fixed so it must be to God who had appointed it there to manifest his special Grace or Glory Thus the Name Jehovah is consider'd either relatively or absolutely the first when joyned with some thing as we said of Jerusalem and of the Ark not to be absolutely but relatively understood as Jerusalem the City wherein Jehovah dwelleth God's Worship was tyed to the Ark for there as promised he spoke with Moses t Exod. 25 22. Levit. 16.2 1 Sam. 4 4 the second when God takes that Name to himself u Exodus 20.2 I am Jehovah or the Lord thy God and x Isai 42.8 Whose name is Jehovah the Lord of hosts Thus Moses and People say in their Song y Exodus 15.3 Jehovah is his name and that according to the Etymology which is as said from a word that signifies is hath been and herein we can agree with Crellius shall be which properly denoteth the Essence not generally but specially an infinite eternal Being existing of it self Now this figurative way of speaking in this kind is often used in Scripture whereof the following Text * Psal 24.5 6. is a considerable Instance This is the generation of them that seek him that seek thy face O Jacob where Jacob is put for the God of Jacob to seek the Face is a Duty relating to God not to Jacob or any Man pressed upon us in the Word for the Psalmist not being satisfied to have said Psal 105.3 4. Let the heart of them rejoyce that seek the Lord he addeth this Command reiterated Seek the Lord and his strength seek his face evermore 'T is then a Duty which God requireth of us for he saith * Psal 27.8 Seek ye my face and the obedient and dutiful Soul answereth My heart said unto thee thy face Lord will I seek Hence it appeareth how this religious Duty to seek the Face is not directed to Jacob but to the God of Jacob who in the latter end of the foregoing Verse is named the Lord God of our salvation Thus after this figurative way of speaking the Name Jehovah is spoken of the Mount and of the Ark which are Jehovah no more than Jacob was and therefore when God's most holy Name is concerned Men must not be so rash as to fancy and vent their profane Notions and attribute unto any Man or other Creature whatsoever that which God hath reserved as proper to himself Tertullian tells the Heathens how their Philosophers called the Maker of the World by the Name the Word Second The Word which agrees with what S. John saith * John 1.3
All things were made by him how they came to that knowledg I shall not be so positive as to determine but in the Verses father'd upon Orpheus the Creator of the World is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Word so 't is in some of the antient Books of the Caldeans but we must draw out of purer Springs than these for our blessed Saviour the Son of God is in the New Tewament called 〈◊〉 the Name 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Word because as Speech of Word is the Production of the Mind so is the Son of his Father and as a Man declareth the meaning of the Heart by the Words of his Mouth so God * John 1.18 Heb. 1.2 revealeth his Will and Mind by his Son and because it is he whom the Father promised to Adam Abraham and Patriarchs to make his Promises of Salvation sure unto them The second Person is the Word of the Father begotten from all eternity by Communication of a personal Being from whom as from the Father proceeds the Holy Ghost Here the Word is not a thing such as Speech may be but 't is a proper Name of a Person in a Discourse it ever takes place of the Subject never of the Predicate 't is the Name * John 1.14 4. 13.16 Matth. 2.17 Rom. 14.2 1 Cor. 1.19 of the Son of God our blessed Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ he is called the Word in relation both to his Person and Office as to the first because he is from God's Mind and is the Image of the Father wholly representing the Father as to the Office because by him all things were made and he declares the Father's Will to Angels and to Men he is known in three Capacities as God as Man and as both in which last relation he is the Head of the Church as God and as to his absolute Essence and Being he is of himself as to the manner he is from the Father always he was is and ever shall be begotten for absolute Eternity hath no term before or after and is always whole without succession he is called not barely the Word but Word of Life * 1 Joh. 1.1 because it contains Life in himself for in him was Life †Joh. 1.4 and is the Author of Life in others Now it becomes an Historian such as S. John is who in his Gospel writes the History of Christ if he will write things clearly and in order and not make a Romance to set down the true and proper Name of the Person whose History he doth pen specially when the Name is not well know nor much in use or else he will seem to have a design of imposing upon the Reader To apply this to the matter in hand if S. John when he was about giving the World an account of the Life Actions and Sufferings of our Saviour had called him by a Name that was not his own and proper Name but metaphorical as Socinians would have it far from being acted by a real desire to inform his Readers he might be thought to have intended to mock and deceive them for if the Name the Word which had been unknown under the Old Testament and was not used till by him was only a figurative improper and borrowed Name then not to say worse the Evangelist had not acted the part of a true and judicious Historian for in such things the first to be known is the true Name of the Person whose History is written and certainly if ever he intended to have informed the Reader and had his Gospel read he had thereby fallen into the readiest way to prevent it for as soon as it had been found out that without Reason and Necessity the Author had with obtruse and intricate Names drawn a curtain over the first Line then presently the Reader would have laid aside the Book thus far goes the Opinions of these unreasonable Men which how injurious it is to the Evangelist I leave any rational Man to judge how ever we must say that seeing of the Four Evangelists John alone before he made any mention of the Name of Jesus Christ in his first Line calls him the Word and goes on till past the 14 Verse we must own there was special cause for it no less than Divine Inspiration for we find in that part of the Vision he had in the Isle of Patmos that he who sat upon * Rev. 19.11 13. the White Horse called faithful and true representing our blessed Lord and Saviour 't is said there his name is called the Word of God but Socinians make this Opposition and rise all this Dust because to rob him of what they can they would have him called the Word only because he hath declared us the Will of God that he hath done it is true but not the whole Truth But this relating to the first Chapter of John we shall have a farther occasion to speak to it let this be observed how the Name Word signifies a Substance not a Sound in the Air and also only the Divine Nature in Christ The Name 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Lord belongs and is proper to Christ to shew his absolute Dominion Third the Lord. the Septuagint rendered the Word Jehovah by this and so in the New Testament Evangelists and Apostles make use of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to signify Jehovah which both are translated Lord it is taken either primarily and absolutely or secondarily and relatively in the first it signifies the infinite and independent Dominion by reason of Right and Extent as of Duration About this Socinians do mistake for they would have God's Dominion to be meaned when 't is with the Article and without it that of the Creatures but it appears how the Word when spoken of the Father hath sometimes the Article as Matth. 22.44 the Lord said unto my Lord and sometimes not as Mark 12.29 and when of the Son whom they would have to be a Creature it hath no Article say they but it hath John 20.28 so there is no reason to consider the Article in the Word but rather the Subject This Word against Socinus's Opinion is a Proper Name not an Appellative because in a strict Sense it is attributed unto God alone as in Deut. 6. Mark 12.29 The Lord our God is one Lord and elsewhere * 1 Cor. 8.6 to us there is but one God and Father of all and one Lord Jesus Christ c. and †Ephes 4.5 one Lord one Faith one Baptism God alone is the King of Kings and Lord of Lords ‖ 1 Tim. 6.15 When soever the Name Lord and God be absolutely taken they are reciprocal with one true Lord one true God the word Lord in the Subject when joyned with God doth signify the True God as when Christ says * Matth. 4.7 Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God the like Examples we have Gen 15.2 Isa 51.22 Mark 12.29 Joh. 20.28 which for brevities
sake I do but point at now when this Name is absolutely spoken or reduplicatively as †Matth. 7.21 not every one that saith unto me Lord Lord or with an Emphasis as Lord of Lords in the fore-quoted place of Timothy or with an Idiom and Property as ‖ Psalm 135.5 great Lord or with an Energy as * Rev. 4.11 Thou art worthy O Lord to receive glory and honor and power whereby the Worship due to him is expressed it properly belongs to God alone in the New Testament it is mostly appropriated to our blessed Saviour which he owns as the fore-quoted Text not every one that saith unto me Lord Lord and when he speaks of the Day of Judgment when the Son of Man shall come in his Glory †Matth. 25.44 they will say Lord when saw we thee an hungered and about the time of his washing of his Disciples Feet he said ‖ Joh. 13.13 ye call me Master and Lord and ye say well for so I am when after his Resurrection he appeared John said to Peter it is the Lord John 21.7 that 's the usual Name which the Apostles in their Writings do call him by 'T is observable how after his Ascension there are two Things peculiarly called by the Lord's Name that is the * 1 Cor. 10.21 Lord's-Table and the †Rev. 1.10 Lord's-Day Now we must come to another Thing and shew how the Word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or God is in Scripture in a true and proper Sense given to Jesus Christ Fourth GOD. but something must be premised before we come to the point in the question what God is we must distinguish either absolutely or relatively that is considered either 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Essentially or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Personally the one relates to the Nature and essential Attributes the other to the Persons of the most Holy Trinity and to their Attributes Here we assert two Things against Socinians First the Name of God with Attributes is not a Name of Office as Emperor King Consul Judge c. but of Essence and Nature as are the Names Spirit Man Lyon c. Secondly The Name God in its first and proper signification is not appellative but proper for it signifieth an Essence of a most singular Nature though we know it to be also improperly used and abused as the Idols of the Ammonites and of several other Nations are called their Gods but there are with it such Circumstances as make us easily know the difference Commonly there are such Epithets when the True God is mentioned alone with it as the God of Abraham Isaac Jacob Israel One God True God Eternal Life God blessed for ever which leave no doubt that the True God by Nature is spoken of The Word God in the New Testament doth properly first and chiefly signify the True God and such by Nature but secondarily and improperly those that are in high Places of Office and Power which Sense Socinians would restrain it to when 't is spoken of our blessed Saviour but 't is spoken of him not only attributively but subjectively as 't is in that place When * â—al 4.8 ye knew not God ye did service unto them which by nature are not Gods for if there that Name had been of Office and Dignity the Galatians might have excused themselves that they did serve those that were Gods by Dignity and Place though not by Nature but the Apostle reproves them for it so tho' they be called Gods yet if they are not such by Nature they are no Gods according to what the Lord saith by the Prophet †Jerem. 2.11 Hath a nation changed their Gods which yet are no Gods The reason is by the same given elsewhere because ‖ Chap. 16.20 man makes them Gods unto himself the proper Character which another Prophet gives of the True God is he * Isa 43.10 before whom there was no God formed neither shall there be after him for being of himself he hath no beginning and shall have no end such is the Son of God the Saviour of the World before whom there was no God formed upon which account he is by the Prophet called the antient of days Dan. 7.22 neither shall there be after him thus he must needs be such by Nature and every one knows that neither Angels nor Magistrates are Gods because not such by Nature as is the Son of God which by God's Grace we shall demonstrate and neither the Galatians nor none of the Gentiles could well know God and as he ought to be till God was manifest in the Flesh when this Second Person of the Godhead took Human Nature in the Virgin 's Womb. The Word God is either first and properly spoken of the True Eternal God or of the Creature if of the Creature then the Creature shall properly be called and properly be God which is Blasphemy but if it be spoken of the High True and Eternal God then it must signify his Essence and Nature seeing God is such from all Eternity through the perfection of his Nature not upon the account of any Dignity or Power different from his Nature the Name of God if absolute denoteth his Nature and not any Office but if it be relative and signifieth only an Office then from Eternity God was not God They would have the Word God without an Article as we observed of the Word Lord to signify those that are Secondarily such but with an Article only the True God both which Notions are false for first the True God is sometimes denoted without an Article as Joh. 1.6.12.13.18 so is the Inscription of the * Rom. 1.7 Epistle to the Romans and in other places so is the other Notion false for the Word God attributed to false Gods is sometimes with the Article as Act. 7.43 and 2 Chron. 4.4 both which Examples are joyned together in the fore-quoted place to the Galatians so then the signification depends not upon the Article but the Nature of the Subject but to leave off such Criticisms of the Schools and not to bestow our time upon Words more than upon Things I say the Word God is Jesus Christ's proper Name for God and Christ are so unseparably united that †Ephes 2.12 they that were without Christ were also without God in the world So then the Name God signifies the Essence or Nature not barely the Office and Dignity for otherwise it would follow it should belong to God only in relation to Creatures but 't is most true it absolutely belongs to him for he was God before there were any Creature now our God by Nature is opposed to those that are only called so the Apostle saith ‖ 1. Cor. â— 5 6. Though there be that are called Gods many c. to us there is but one God and by the Epithet True God is distinguished from them therefore when the Word God is spoken of the True God
accidentally so for such Accidents have their degrees for they say Christ during his whole Life was not a perfect God or a perfect Lord and by these means Christ's Excellency was greater for being Man than for being God for to be a Man is to be a Substance but to be a God is after that rate to be an Accident but every Substance is more excellent than its Accident Nay they grow worse and worse for as they would not have him to have been a God from the beginning so at last they will have him to cease from being a God for if Christ be called true God only by virtue of that Power he hath over Believers and in that respect only to be worshipped as true God then after the last day he will be God no longer for then he shall be deprived of that Power when he shall have deliver'd up the Kingdom unto God even the Father which Text I shall elsewhere have occasion to explain so that he shall be reduced to the common condition of other Believers and have no Advantage over any of them O take notice what a God they make Christ to be for every Believer could be such a God No Man of sound mind can't but see such an Absurdity Impiety and Blasphemy Here farther we could shew that as Socinians own not Christ to be true God so they deny him to be true Man because they say the Body he had of the blessed Virgin is gone under the notion That Flesh and Blood cannot inherit the Kingdom of God They also teach the Soul of Man doth not subsist by it self as Socinus * pag. 79. taught against Puccius So according to them Christ such as he was is gone and perished both in Body and Soul this I take notice of only by the way to come to other things The Name God is spoke substantively and subjectively not only predicatively of Christ for if it be not necessary it should substantively be taken of him then neither adjectively for the Name God is also predicatively taken of the true God as †1 Kings 18.21 if the Lord be God follow him and so in other places When in Scripture the Name of God is given Christ we do not mind so much the Word as the Person signifi'd by the Word who is God blessed for ever to be adored whereby is meaned the true God though it be spoken by way of Attribute What Socinus saith is false how when the word God is spoken subjectively it never signifieth Christ as it appears out of several Texts First The Lord of Hosts is sent by the Lord of hosts the words of the Lord of Hosts are related thus by the Angel * Zech. 2.8 10 11. after the glory hath he sent me to the nations after his Glorification and he that says so adds for lo I come and will dwell in the midst of thee saith the Lord which is the proper Character of the Messiah who to that purpose is call'd †Hagg. 2.7 the desire of all nations and only in the time of the Messiah after his Resurrection all * Nations were by the Apostles call'd to believe Here out of that place of Haggai one thing I must observe which is the Comparison made by the Prophet between the first Temple and the second wherein the Preference is given to the last for therein 't is said not only and I will fill this house with glory saith the Lord of hosts but also in the next Verse but one the glory of this latter house shall be greater than of the former I ask wherein could this greater Glory consist Not in the Stateliness and Magnificence of the Building wherein the last was much inferiour to the first as God by the Mouth of the same Prophet declareth it when he saith Who is left among you that saw this house in her first glory And how do you see it now Is it not in your eyes in comparison of it as nothing v. 3. in so much that many of the priests and Levites and chief of the Fathers who were antient men that had seen the first house Ezra 3.12 when the foundation of the last was laid before their eyes wept with a loud voice As indeed what a proportion could there be between a Temple built by a poor remnant of a long Captivity who for Means to do 't were beholding to Heathenish Princes and who met with so much Opposition in the carrying on their design from open and secret Enemies I say what a Proportion could such a House hold with the Temple of Solomon towards the building whereof David had for several years before made so rich and great Provisions which his Son the most glorious King that ever sate upon the Throne of Israel did so much increase and erected a Temple which for Magnificence and Riches was a Wonder of the World So then the Glory of the second Temple could not upon any such account be greater than that of the first nor in reference to the Manifestation of God's Presence in the Ark at the Mercy-Seat between the Cherubims and of the Cloud which fill'd the whole House more conspicuous in the first than in the second Temple wherein then could this Glory consist Our Prophet declares it And I will shake all nations and the desire of all nations shall come and I will fill this house with glory saith the Lord of Hosts I take it to be beyond all Dispute that by the desire of all Nations the Messiah the Lord Jesus is understood who came whilst the second Temple was yet standing Christ the Messiah is called the desire of all Nations he whom all Nations were to desire because according to the Promise unto Abraham in him all the Nations of the Earth should be blessed Blessedness is certainly a thing most desireable It was then his Presence that made its Glory greater than the former's for things in the first Temple did but represent him and were the Shadow and Figures whereof he was the Body and the Truth Solomon thô never so glorious was by no means to be compared with him as he plainly declared it to the Scribes Mat. 12.22 Behold a greater than Solomon is here According to all human appearances Solomon being every way compassed about with Glory was beyond expression greater than Christ a Person persecuted and derided by most Men chiefly by the great ones of the World and if we must speak of Gifts Solomon was glorious not only in Riches and Honour but also great in Wisdom for his wisdom excelled the wisdom of all the children of the East country 1 Kings 4.30 31. and all the wisdom of Egypt for he was wiser than all men yet for all this Christ saith in Wisdom he was greater than he Matt. 12.42 which could never have been if he had been a meer Man in that respect every thing was against him therefore that preference can have no human ground it must
be by virtue of a natural Privilege and of a divine Prerogative which is the same he had over David Solomon's Father whose Lord he was the same he had over Abraham Pre-existence before Abraham was I am which could not be as to his Humanity wherefore in him there must be another ground namely his Divinity only therein can lay the advantage he had over them all Not only he was greater than all these but also than the Temple it self a place so eminently glorious by reason of God's immediate Presence in it that it was called not only Holy but the inner part of it was called the holiest of all into which none but the High Priest might enter and that only once a year not without Blood yet saith our Saviour Matt. 12.6 8. I say unto you that in this place is one greater than the temple which can be said of none but of God there he also calls himself Lord of the Sabbath not as Man but as God Temple and Sabbath the two holiest things in Israel The second Text is this * Isai 35.4 5. Behold your God will come with vengeance even God with a recompence he will come and save you then the Eyes of the blind shall be open and the Ears of the deaf shall be unstopp'd which our Saviour applyeth to himself who when John's Disciples ask'd him †Matt. 11.3 5. Art thou he that should come or do we look for another Jesus answered them by this the blind receive their sight c. which were the Signes wherewith Isaiah had prophefied God would come these things he commands them to give John an account of wherein he lookt to the Prophet who foretold such things should be done by the Messiah whom in that place Isaiah calleth God when he saith God himself will come and save you which must not be understood of the Father for first we never read that God the Father came into the World to save us but that he sent his Son to do 't he that sends another in his place cannot properly be said to come himself Secondly there is an Energy in the word he himself whereby is meaned not that another in God's stead but God himself by himself would come and though God be said to come when he shews some gracious effect of his Power yet when he is said to send another 't is not to be understood in that same manner And tho Socinus denies him at that time to be God only that he was appointed hereafter so to be he is refuted by his being in that Text at that time call'd the God of Israel your God whom you worship The third Text is that wherein God saith * Mal. 3.1 Behold I will send my messenger and he shall prepare the way before me and the Lord whom ye seek shall suddenly come to his temple Now who that God is before whose face John prepared his way is clear enough that he spake of the Lord Jesus not of the Father's coming after him which he pointed at when he said †John 1 26 27 29.30 compared with Act. 13.24 There standeth one among you whom ye know not he it is that coming after me is preferred before me and to make it clearer he points directly at the Person of Christ for the next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him and saith behold the lamb of God which taketh away the sins of the world which is he of whom I said after me comes a man which is preferred before me for he was before me Can there be a plainer Designation of a person than this To him alone by means of his Preaching he prepared the way and that which is remarkable our Saviour explains of himself the Text of Malachy This is he of whom it is written behold * Luke 7.27 I send my messenger before thy face which shall prepare thy way before thee and the word my face in the Prophet he renders thy face that is of Christ so he quoteth the place not according to the Words but according to the Sense †Luke 1.76 Thou child saith Zechariah of John shalt he called the Prophet of the highest a high Name proper to God for thou shalt go before the face of the Lord to prepare his ways it is then most certain that John prepared the way for him that was to come after him and to converse with and dwell among Men not the Father but Christ came after John therefore he is that God that sent his Messenger as in Malachy Socinus his Phrase is no where in Scripture to be read that God came in Christ he sent Christ his Son but came not in him the Father is said to be and dwéll in Christ not to come in Christ he sent him in his own Name Though Christ under the Name Word be called God absolutely * Joh. 1.1 and without any restriction in the same manner as the True God is absolutely called God without any thing to pretext an improper appellation and the repetition of the Word God in the same Signification doth sufficiently demonstrate it †1 Joh. 5.20 nay though he be not barely called God but the True God whence we must necessarily conclude he is true essential God Yet they would have the Father alone to be God and that when the Name of God is absolutely set down it is to be understood only of the Father not of the Son nor of the Holy Ghost so they conclude Father Son and Holy not to be One God to which purpose they wrest some Scripture out of the Old and New Testament which in due time we shall by the Grace of God take an occasion to answer but because the Adversaries use their utmost pernicious Endeavours to oppose these Truths we to make clear these most important Doctrines which our Faith is grounded upon must somewhat more enlarge upon it though we take notice of some things we said before or to the same purpose First We say God is a Name of the Divine Essence or Nature as Man is of Human Nature but whereof there is a different Reason from that of all Names of other Natures for all Individuals are asunder one from another their Nature according to the mental Notion is one but not really so wherefore in them Nature is the species or kind which is predicated and spoken of every singular and individual Person as James is a Man and of many too as Matthew John and Luke are Three Men but as in God the Essence is but One in number and not only in the mental Notion but also is really and most simply One though in Three Persons this Name of God is not predicated as a species of every Person but according to the priority or posteriority of their Origin and Order as thus the Father is God but unbegotten the Son God begotten the Holy Ghost proceeding from both Now if the Name God was as species spoken of the Persons
of Man because manifested in the Flesh he is not called Son of God upon any such account or in any of these Senses as Socinians would have him 1 Job 4.14.15 for they cannot deny the Lord Jesus to be called God Son of God for that Name is given him in so many places of Scripture and herein they would seem to agree but not sincerely for they cavil about the manner and disagree as to the true Sense he is called Son of God by reason of an Eternal Generation by the Father wherefore he is called God's * Rom. 8.3 32. own and proper Son and †Joh. 3.16 only begotten Christ is from the Father by Generation and the Holy Ghost by Spiration to be from the Father by Generation is to be generated or begotten by the Father long before the fulness of times and his appearing in the Flesh God absolutely said to him ‖ Psal 2.7 thou art my Son this day have â—â—begotten thee this represented with Comparisons as when called * Prov 8. Wisdom for as Wisdom is produced by the Mind so is the Son by the Father and in the New Testament by the similitude of †Colos 1.15 an Image of 〈◊〉 Father's ‖ Heb 1.3 Person and of the brightness of his glory and of the inward * Job 1.1 Word in the Mind for as an Image is not every likeness but the express Effigie or Representation of that whereof it is the Image so the Son in his Essence and Essential Attributes is so much the express Image of the Father that * Joh. 14.9 whosoever sees him doth see the Father also as the brightness of the Beam is from the Sun so the Son is from the Father as Light from Light as equally the glorious Image of his Nature as a Letter doth exactly represent the Character out of which it is drawn thus the Son doth exactly represent the Father by whom he is begotten as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Word is conceived by the Mind and remains in it so is the Son begotten by the Father and remains in him and as the Wisdom Image Brightness the Word are one thing from another so the Son is of the Father from the Father not as an Essence is from another but as a Person is from a Person because he is the Character or express Image of the Person of the Father all these in created Things are accidents but in the Son who is in himself and by himself they are essential hence appears how in this there is a true distinction of the Persons begetting and begotten So then Christ is called the Son of God not by reason of any gracious Communication of Existence or of Power but upon the account of a secret and incomprehensible Generation of the Father of his Essence for he is the true proper only begotten highly beloved Son of the Living God and the prepositive Article 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Son frequently join'd to this Subject doth denote a Filiation or Sonship altogether of another kind from that of †Heb. 1.5 Angels or Men which can be no other than an essential one a True Son is begotten of the Essence of his Father but the Son of God is a True Son therefore he is begotten of the Essence of his Father Again the proper Son is said to be and is he that hath his proper Father now he is the proper Father who hath begotten his Son of his own Essence Farthermore the Only Begotten Son is only he that is begotten of the Substance of his Father which is demonstrated by the Opposition of natural and adopted Sons who are loved for the sake of the well beloved natural Son of God that Confession of Peter in the Name of the Disciples thou art not * Matth. 16.14 16 17. repeated John the Baptist nor Elias nor Jeremias who had been great in God's Favour nor none of the Prophets they were a meer nothing in Comparison of Christ but †Joh. 6.68 69. Ver. 17. thou art Christ the Son of the living God is not only in its true Sense approved of by our Saviour but he also there attributes it to Divine Revelation as of an incomprehensible Mystery Blessed art thou Simon Bar-â—â—â—as for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee but my father which is in heaven Isaac as they object is called * Gen 23.2 and Heb. 11.17 Only Begotten Son but he is not absolutely so called but relatively secundum quid because he was the Only Begotten Son of Abraham by Sarah in a lawful Marriage and thereby made his only Heir to the exclusion of Ishmael whom he had before by Hagar he was Only Begotten Son in relation to the Promise which is expressed in the following Verse ‖ Heb. 11.18 of whom it was said that in Isaac shall thy seed be called The excellency of Filiation is between those who differ in Degrees but here the Difference is greater than in the whole kind as Heb. 1.4 5. Isaac was a Type of Christ in relation to the Sacrifice but not of the Generation the Father hath begotten his Son thorough the Communication of his Nature and so of a true and proper Generation but not of a Physical or Natural such as Man's and of other animated Creatures but by a Supernatural whereby God begets according to the Truth of his Word for the more Excellent he is that begets so the more Excellent is the Generation as it appears by the Example of every thing that doth generate that which is esteemed a Perfection in natural Generation is in an infinitely most Eminent Degree attributed unto God as to beget that which is like unto himself and by the Communication of his Nature as to the thing it self the Generation besides its being asserted in the Word of God the secundity of God's Nature is a reason for it for it requites a Communication to several Persons according to that of the Prophet * Isa 66.9 shall I cause to bring forth and not bring forth or beget my self saith the Lord as if he had said shall I make others fruitful and be barren my self that in relation to the Son and to the Holy Ghost may be done in two ways after the manner of Spiritual Substances namely begetting the Son by a natural Intellection and by the same Will or Love breathing the Holy Ghost both consubstantial to himself and of the same Nature and Perfection distinguished amongst themselves and one from another only by their personalities and personal Attributes this consideration serves to demonstrate not only the Generation of the Son but also the Procession of the Holy Ghost and consequently the whole Trinity for Scriptures describe Son and Holy Ghost as existing of themselves as the Father working understanding witnessing sending c. taken not only passively which is of Things but actively which is of Persons for it belongs to none
of his Father's Person 'T is in vain that they cavil out of God's words Let us make man in our image and after our likeness for the Question is about Generation and not of Creation God made man that is created him as in that place of Genesis explained in the following Verse but 't is never said that God made but begat his Son as of Adam not that he made but begat Seth in his own likeness after his Image Thus the Son of God is truly and really begotten of the very Substance of the Father and this by Immanence and Communication Heathens feigned a Minerva the Goddess of Wisdom and Prudence to be born ex Jovis cerebro out of Jupiter's Head and Brain a dark Notion of this high Mystery as was their cara deûm soboles magnum Jovis incrementum as expressed by the Poet. The Lord Jesus is called not only * Heb. 1.3 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the express Image but also 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Brightness of the Glory of God by a Metaphor taken from the Sun Beams which if the Sun was eternal would be eternal too wherefore in the Nicene Creed is well called God of God Light of Light so not only like but also †Phil. 2.6 equal with God This eternal Generation to be look'd upon with the Eyes of Faith more than of human Reason is first not transient but immanent secondly terminated if we may use the word not in an absolute Existence but in the Subsistence or manner of subsisting for the Essence neither begetteth nor is begotten neither through this Generation is God absolutely constituted but the Son is relatively Thirdly It is eternal without any difference of time so that the Son may not be said begotten and not begotten existent and not existent but always begotten Fourthly The Begetter and begotten are always the same in Nature and in Time or rather Eternity Fifthly Through that same Generation the same Divine Nature is communicated to the Son not in Species but in Number not in part but wholly not to be or exist but to subsist in such a manner Sixthly The same is natural and so simply not voluntary nor involuntary that is necessary but not forced But as to the main thing 't is enough to know that Christ was before he manifested himself in the Flesh for therein he appears to be eternal which Eternity of his we shall have occasion to prove In the Scripture none but the Lord Jesus is in the singular number called God's Son Abraham is called his Friend Moses his Servant and in the Parable of the Vineyard and the Husbandmen * Luk. 20.9 10 c. to whom God under the name of the Lord of the Vineyard sent his Servants whom they beat and wounded then said he I will send my beloved son it may be they will reverence him when they see him but they said this is the heir let us kill him that the inheritance may be ours I say in that Parable where the Lord Jesus spoke of himself and against them as they perceiv'd it v. 19. we may observe what a vast difference he makes between himself and all that came before him who were all but Servants but he gives himself the Character of God's beloved Son whom they ought to have reverenced when they saw him who was the Heir of all things by his Nature and not by any Privilege of Dignity by Favour bestowed upon him as upon Men and Angels * Heb. 1.4 5. Being made so much better than Angels as he hath by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they what this Name is is expressed in the next Verse For unto which of the Angels said he at any time thou art my son this day have I begotten thee c. We see the difference of the Sonship a Son not created nor adopted but begotten for that Name comes to him by inheritance as in the Text that is by his own natural Right and Property and not by Grace Then the Lord Jesus is Gods natural Son because called his own and proper Son †Rom. 8.3.32 every one knoweth how those Sons that are naturally begotten by their Parents are called their own Sons and on the contrary those that are not so are not proper Sons but Strangers so that proper and Strangers are so called and distinguished according to Nature only therefore seeing Scripture doth not indifferently call Christ Son but God's own Son thus by this special Attribute distinguishing him from all others it means natural Son and of the same Essence the more because he calls God * John 5.18 his own Father for which cause the Jews would have stoll'd him for they well understood as express'd in the Text how thereby he made himself equal with God thus he is called God's own Son in opposition to adopted Sons one may adopt another to be his Son but can never make him his own natural Son begotten of his Substance and as Christ is God's own Son so is God his own Father then from Eternity or else there had been in time a new relation in God which had not always been that might be called a kind of an Accident so contrary to the simplicity of his Nature and according to this God had within these 1700 Years been made that which he was not before namely Father of his own Son whereby Changeableness is father'd upon him and his Immutability that is an incommunicable Attribute thereby overturned Now in the same Chapter the Apostle to express own Son makes use of another word which fully and clearly doth decide the Question which is Whether the Lord Jesus be properly God's Son for if he be properly so then all improper Applications are out of doors Now the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 used by S. Paul * Rom. 8.32 signifies proper so if the Lord Jesus be God's proper Son we must properly understand and believe him to be such although our shallow Brain can neither conceive in its Thoughts nor express in Words the incomprehensible and unexpressible manner of that Generation which is wonderful †Isai 9.6 as his name is yet we must believe it because God in his word hath declared it to be so The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 proper they mis-interpret and do render by special or peculiar as if Christ was God's Son only in a special manner above others but none can be call'd proper Son to any one except he be begotten of his Blood and Substance which being not he may not be called such a one's proper Son Thus they would confound proper and peculiar which two words are very different for one may be a proper Son who hath nothing peculiar above the rest of his natural Brethren for when a Father hath many all are his proper and own Sons begotten of his Substance yet no one may happen to have any thing particular above the rest likewise one may happen upon a special
account to be call'd such a Man's Son yet not be his proper Son thus an adopted though he excel never so much above the rest yet that can never make him to be a proper Son To refute some Cavils of theirs one thing more we are again to take notice of upon this matter how the the word God is in Scripture sometimes taken essentially for the most holy Trinity and sometimes personally for one of the Persons as when 't is said * Acts 20.28 God hath purchased his church with his own blood which is meaned our Saviour the second Person of the Godhead In the first sense must be understood those places of Scripture wherein 't is said The name of the Lord is one and there is none besides him there is but one God and others to the same purpose to shew the Oneness of the Nature which as well as they we do affirm but as to teach well one must distinguish well so for want of observing this Rule that which is spoken of the Essence of God they mis-apply it to the Persons and so make a Confusion between things to be distinguished We already proved how the Unity of Nature doth not take away the Trinity of Persons nor the Plurality of Persons destroy the Unity of Nature which Mistake of theirs doth also hold in the Mystery of the Incarnation or of the Word being made Flesh and about our Saviour's Person in whom they confound the Natures so that which is spoken of his Humanity they mis-apply to his Divinity The second Argument whereby Christ is proved to be God's natural Son is drawn from the word only begotten which for greater confirmation is attributed to Christ in several * John 1.18 places wherefore in Scripture Christ is called the Son of God to shew he is the only begotten for that 's the signification of the word and †Heb. 1.2 vers 5. Paul's interpretation of it for he saith Such is the Son to whom only God saith Thou art my son this day have I begotten thee and other places of Scripture By the words God's only begotten Son do all mean Christ only The Adversaries would have him to be called so only in a special manner above the rest as we already have taken notice of in the instance about Isaac whereunto here we shall add that of Solomon which also they made use of called say they * Prov. 4.3 only begotten in the sight of his mother but they must not go about to impose upon us for in the original the word begotten is not in but only which in our Bibles is according to the sense of the place explained by beloved only beloved one may be the only yet not only begotten Son when of many Children one alone is remaining and the rest are dead as to Isaac we already observed he was the only begotten in relation to Sarab by Promise but Christ is so called God's only begotten Son that it was never said to any one else Thou art my Son c. whence we may conclude him so to be God's Son as to be the only begotten of him that is according to his Nature in the word he is properly and absolutely called the only begotten * John 1.14 We beheld his glory as of the only begotten of the Father the Particle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as is not comparative as only denoting a likeness but as Chrysostomus observes well is expressive of the truth as being really as if one willing to describe a Royal State and Carriage of a King should say as that is in a manner becoming and proper for a King and farther the Evangelist addeth v. 18. The only begotten son which is in the besom of the Father he hath declared him where Christ is called the only begotten 〈◊〉 it being his own proper Name signifying how besides him there is no true natural Son of God again ‖ John 3.16 God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son and * 1 John 4.9 God sent his only begotten son into the world See what a care the Spirit of God hath taken to confirm and make that Truth known how Christ is properly and absolutely God's only begotten Son now he is absolutely only begotten that is not only so called lookt upon and loved as such but that is really so and indeed we know our blessed Saviour is call'd †Joh. 20.17 Brother of his Disciples and of ‖ Heb. 2.17 Believers but not in a proper and strict sense The relation of Brotherhood hath a great latitude for among the Jews Persons belonging to any branch of a Family to a Tribe or to any of the Tribes were call'd Brethren * Gal. 1.19 James and John were call'd the Lord's Brothers and in another sense our Saviour calls †Mat. 12.50 his brother his sister and his mother whosoever shall do the will of God He is our Brother in that he hath taken upon him our human Nature all Men are Brothers in human Nature but Adoption cannot be the ground of his as 't is of our being call'd the Sons of God he is never called adopted as we are neither can he be adopted with us seeing we are adopted in him we are the Branches of the wild Olive-Tree that have been grafted in him who is the true natural Olive-Tree and thereby are become Members of his mystical Body How can our blessed Saviour be called God's only begotten Son if he be not partaker of the same Nature And the more to enforce this in that sâ—â—e Chapter and Verse John 18. 't is added which is in the bosom of the Father can he be in and from the Bosom of the Father and not be of the same Nature All other Children of God are made but this is begotten and only begotten none but he is properly begotten Our Third Argument is taken out of our Saviour's Question to the Pharisees * Mat. 12.41 41 4â— 44. What think ye of Christ whose son is he they say unto him the son of David he saith unto them how then doth David in spirit call him Lord By this way of arguing he shewed how in him besides human Nature there was another namely the divine according to which he by no means might be called David's Son but David's Lord which to the Pharisees proved an unanswerable Argument for upon this same 't is positively said v. 46. and no man was able to answer him a word one would think this should also stop the mouth of Socinians Indeed there the Lord proposeth the Question about the Nature of Christ or the Son whose natural Son he was Whereunto the Pharisees returned an imperfect Answer for only they said he was the Son of David but the Lord Jesus out of Scripture which they could not deny concluded that since he was by David's confession his Lord he must in him have another Nature besides human according to which he might not be called
Coeternal he makes them Equal for them to say that the word being with God signifies that the word was known to God but not to Men doth them no good the knowledge of this doth comprehend the whole Mystery of our Redemption which the Son who is in the Bosom of the Father hath revealed unto us but to the thing if this imported no more but that Christ was known to the Father What could he thereby have more than we No Prerogative at all for before the Foundation of the World God knew us and We were present with him Christ was with the the Father that is had a real Existence did subsist in himself which cannot be said of us or of any Creature wherefore the Word must need have been before his Incarnation In the Third place 't is said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Word was God which is properly to be understood as is * 1 Joh. 5.20 that other place we are in him that is true in his Son Jesus Christ that is the true God and eternal life and elsewhere †Tit. 1.3 God hath in due time manifested his word through preaching which is committed to me according to the commandment of God our Saviour repeated Chap. 3.4 and Chap. 2. he is called †Tit. 2.12 Rev. 19.17 the great God our Saviour Jesus Christ and in another place he is named ‖ 1 Tim. 1.1 God our Saviour and Lord Jesus Christ now this God Lord and Saviour is but One and this is Jesus Christ whose Apostle he owns himself to be and the Gospel he preached * Gal. 1.12 he was taught by the Revelation of Jesus Christ who again is called †1 Tim. 2.3 God our Saviour There must be special Cause why the words God and Saviour are so often joyned together and both attributed to One Person the Lord Jesus he is God as truly and really as he is Saviour which we hope the Adversaries will not have the confidence to deny him to be in the strictest Sense though otherwise they rob him of what they can he is then a Saviour by Office and God by Nature to save Men from the Dominion of Sin from the Curse of the Law from the Devil Death and Hell requires a true real Divine Power which none but a Divine Nature is or can be possessed of Moses was relatively called God and Cyrus God 's Anointed or Messiah but they were but Types of the great Deliverer Every one knows Moses was not God nor Cyrus the Messiah but to say Christ Jesus is called God though he be not is the effect of a brazen faced Impudence of an invincible Ignorance of the Mind or hellish Perverseness of the Heart as good as to conclude that because 't is said he is of God made unto us †1 Cor. 1.30 Wisdom righteousness sanctification and redemption therefore he is neither nor God by Nature when he saith ‖ Joh. 15.5 without me you can do nothing which may not be said of Men. The Fourth Reason out of St. John is this * Joh. 1.3 all things were made by â—him and without him was not any thing made that was made certainly the Work of Creation doth evince the Eternity of the Word for the Workman must be before his Work and the Creator before the Creature now the Word being the Maker must need be before Mary here they would cavil and confine this making of Things within the Work of the New Creation or renewing of the Creature but the following Words without him was not any thing made that was made are universal and comprehend every thing Temporal or Spiritual Creation of the World or Regeneration of Men though we own the Creation of the World is the scope of the place compared with Coloss 1.15 All things were created by him and for him which doth appear out of ver 10. the world was made by him and God created all things by Jesus Christ Ephes 3.9 and to remove all grounds of Exception we have it in the Plural Number which doth include all †Heb. 11.3 the worlds were framed by the word of God Another Reason might be brought out of ver 14. of this same Gospel the word was made flesh but this we shall by the Grace of God bring in under another Head In Scripture we have several places which either do express or imply two Natures in the Person of our blessed Lord and Saviour the Prophet Isaiah doth among others afford us Two very considerable the first is this * Isa 7.14 Behold a Virgin shall conceive and bear a Son and shall call his name Immanuel this affords several things seriously but now briefly to be thought upon this Prophecy is a sign given Ahaz King of Judah to Comfort him when the Kings of Israel and of Syria came up against him with a Promise that they should not prevail and that he might be confirmed and assured of the performance he is bidden to ask a Sign which he refusing to do gave for Reason he would not tempt God whereupon is made this Gospel-Promise which was performed at the time of the Conception and Birth of our blessed Saviour whose Mother was a Virgin and whose Name was Immanuel a Name given him at that time by the Prophet through God's own appointment and when the Angel delivered his Message to Mary he makes use of some of the Words of the Prophet * Luk. 1.31 thou shalt conceive and bring forth a Son and shalt call his Name Jesus because he was to save his People and when the thing was fulfilled the Evangelist doth point at and quote this Prophecy adding the Interpretation of the Name ‖ Matt. 1.21 Immanuel God with us So there is no doubt to be made that this wholly and only related to our Saviour never any other Virgin did conceive and bring forth never was the Name Immanuel given any one else and cannot be wrested so as to be given to any Son to be born of Ahaz for some Reason which I presently shall produce Immanuel is God with a Divine Essence Christ is the Immanuel so we must conclude he hath the Divine Essence for God with us hath the Divine Essence and God with us is Immanuel the Name God is not spoken of Angels of no King or Magistrate of no Idols which are the several significations of the Word God used in Scripture wherefore he whom this Name is given to must be the true essential God and this same Evangelical Prophet in the next Chapter but one after this calls him by the Name used in this place and the Word El which makes the latter end of the Name doth not barely signify God but the Mighty God this Word makes part of that of Michael whose signification is who is like unto thee thou mighty God and he that beareth it is called * Jud. 9. Archangel Prince of Angels for Angels are called †Rev. 12.7 his and
and what John expresses thus the word was made flesh S. Paul calls it †1 Tim. 3.16 God was manifest in the flesh if by the word Flesh human Nature be meaned as certainly it is then this imports that God appeared made himself known and was manifest in assuming our human Nature and that the God that was thus made Flesh and was manifest is Christ Jesus the second Person of the Godhead who being in the Form that is in the Nature of God for the Nature is the being of a thing and the Form gives that Being well Jesus Christ in the form of God thought it not robbery to be equal with God ‖ Phil. 2.6 7. because it was his right 〈◊〉 took upon him the form of a servant and was made in the likeness of men and being found in fashion as a man he was God before he was made in that likeness this is plain that a God became man he was made that which he was not yet ceased not to be that which he was That this God that was made Flesh and manifest in the Flesh and found in the likeness of men here is explained what we must understand by Flesh was the Son of God the second Person of the most holy Trinity is declared elsewhere * Rom. 8.3 God sending his own Son in likeness of sinful flesh All these representing Christ as God and as man doth clearly demonstrate him to be both God and man Another place there is much to our purpose 't is this †Rom. 9.5 of whom the Israelites as concerning the flesh Christ came who is over all God blessed for ever this restriction as concerning the Flesh doth imply that Christ came not from the Jews concerning some other thing this settles two Relations in Christ one according to the Flesh as expressed Acts 2.30 what must the other be Scripture usually doth oppose the Spirit to the Flesh and the Flesh to the Spirit so in Christ there must be a Principle that is spiritual or else this restriction according to the Flesh were frivolous and not pertinent one thing cannot be distinguished of it self a thing is in it self but one thing and Distinctions are between different things for no one thing doth differ from it self Now that as there is in Christ a principle concerning the Flesh and another according to the Spirit anon we shall by the Grace of God have occasion to speak of but now thus far we must say that as by the Flesh his Humanity is meaned so is his divine Nature by the Spirit for * 1 Joh. 4.24 2 Cor. 3.17 God is a Spirit The Text we now are upon is remarkable upon several accounts our blessed Saviour as 't is very well known was a Jew born of the Seed of Abraham of the Tribe of Judah and of the Family of David this is the Apostle's meaning when he saith of whom as concerning the flesh Christ came which doth necessarily imply he came not of them concerning some other thing in him the Pedigree of his Manhood was indeed derived from thence but it had been in vain there to have sought for another Genealogy of this Melchisedec The Article 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 joyned with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 shews how in him besides human Nature there was another for S. Paul who troubleth not his Readers with superfluous Expressions would not have added those words except in Christ had been another Nature or to what purpose say according to the flesh if he had been a meer man and herein chiefly lyes the Prerogative of the Jews that Christ who is God was born amongst them Their Priviledge doth not herein consist that Moses Joâ—huah Elijah John Baptist c. were born amongst them they all were but Men but that Christ was because he is God for this he addeth as the great reason and speaketh of his divine Nature who is over all God blessed for ever he saith not is called but is he is God over all the Fathers of the same stock thaâ— were born of the Jews before him or over all things whatsoever The words blessed for ever are in Scripture attributed to the true eternal God and even in our Saviour's time when the Jews said the blessed they meaned the true God Thus the High Priest asked the Lord Jesus †Mark 14.61 Art thou the Christ the son of the blessed which another Evangelist expresses thus ‖ Luke 20 70. Art thou the son of God In another place the same Apostle affords a convincing Proof of this Truth that in Christ are two Natures where he speaks of them thus * Rom. 1.3 4. Concerning his Son Jesus Christ our Lord which was made of the seed of David according to the flesh and declared to be the son of God with power according to the spirit of holiness by the resurrection from the dead Wherein S. Paul teaches in what respect Christ is the Son of God not according to the Flesh for thus he is the Son of man of the Seed of David but according to the Spirit of Holiness which is the Spirit of God's Nature and according to that Spirit he hath been declared to be the Son of God with Power Certainly the Opposition used by the Apostle sheweth he cannot be Son of God upon both accounts but only upon one for if he had been according to both Paul would have said declared the Son of God as to the Flesh and as to the Spirit and herein would have made no difference between the Son of God according to the Flesh and according to the Spirit for as it is contrary to * Rom. 9.5 Scripture to call the Lord Jesus God according to the Flesh for God and Flesh are opposite so 't is contrary to say Christ is Son of God according to the Flesh for by the same reason one is said to be Son of God by the same he may be call'd God as we see it both joyned †Psal 82.6 I have said ye are God's and all of you are children of the most high And we read where the Jews upbraided our Saviour ‖ Joh. 10.33 36. that he made himself God that is absolutely he renders the words thus I said I am the son of God Jesus Christ is said * Phil. 2.5 6 7 8. to be in the form of God and made in the likeness of men 't is not said Made in the form of God but being his being is related to God and made to man he was God but made man he was made in the likeness of men and form'd in fashion as a man certainly here are two Natures asserted divine and human whence we say that as by his Incarnation he was really man so as surely his being in the form of God signifies that he was really God before he became man as he was man after his being born of the Virgin Mary These Expressions conclude for both his Deity and Humanity and if
and Christ do not denote the same thing neither could Christ by virtue of his Office which he received but in time be properly called Son of God and equal with God as it appears ‖ John 10.33 37 38. compared with John 5.18 he made himself and really was No sort of Men more prone to wrest Scripture than Socinus and Socinians wherefore in the matter now in hand in that Confession which Peter made of and to our Saviour Matthew hath these words * Mat. 16.16 Thou art Christ the Son of the living God and John upon another occasion †John 6.69 We believe and are sure that thou art that Christ the Son of the living God but because Mark saith only ‖ Mark 8.29 Thou art the Christ and Luke * Luke 9.20 The Christ of God wherefore saith he the Name of Christ contains the full meaning of Son of the living God But who knoweth not the diversity by the Evangelists used in their Narrations one more at large the other more briefly one sets down all the other only some part as 't is observed between Matthew's and Mark 's Relations If after the Socinian way from the comparison of words one could conclude all to be but one and the same sense many Absurdities would arise therefrom as for instance Matthew relates that our Saviour said to the man sick of the palsie Mat. 9.2 Son be of good cheer thy sins be forgiven thee but Mark leaves out the words †Mark 2.5 be of good cheer saying Son thy sins be forgiven thee and Luke instead of the word Son uses that of Man ‖ Luke 5.20 thy sins are forgiven thee then according to this way of arguing it may be concluded how the words Son and Man are but one and the same and signifie but one and the same thing for whom Matthew and Mark call Son Luke calls Man so after this rate Man and Son now do not differ as an absolute Name that denoteth Nature and a relative signifying a relation to a Father It is said how in a Vision Cornelius saw an Angel of God Acts 10.3 and v. 30 he said to Peter Behold a man stood before me in bright clothing what he saw in the same Vision is called an Angel and a Man must we conclude an Angel to be a Man After the same manner they would wrest some other places as when Matthew saith Mat. 26.63 The high priest said unto him I abjure thee by the living God that thou tell us whether thou be the Christ the Son of God and Mark †Mar. 14.61 Again the high priest asked him are thou the Christ the Son of the blessed and Luke ‖ Luke 26.66 67. The chief priests and the scribes led him into their counsel saying art thou the Christ Tell us Where the Name Son of God is omitted the Heresiarch doth conclude that the words Son of God and Christ are the same But we already shewed the Falseness of such Consequences and this is farther to be observed how though the relations by the Evangelist be not contrary yet they sometimes differ and are not expressed in the same words Matthew useth the Name Son of God Mark calls him The Son of the blessed where the words God and blessed signifie the same thing though one expresseth the Nature the other the Worship This difference of relating doth farther appear that Matthew and Mark say the High Priest asked but Luke saith it of the Chief Priests and Scribes shall we then concludé that the High Priest and the Scribes are the same But withal the word Son of God is not quite left out by Luke for we find it v. 70. Then said they all art thou then the Son of God Here by the by take notice how what our Saviour said of himself under the Name of Son of Man by reason of what is said of sitting on the right hand of the Power of God they well took the meaning to be Son of God which Christ confirmed and indeed he often declared himself to be true Son of God but we read no where that ever he denyed it But to return to our Text hence appeareth the insignificancy of their Exceptions for all the Evangelists do joyn the Names of Christ and Son of God And we are to take special notice how after our Saviour had affirmed he was the Son of God they all concluded he had blasphemed which there had been no cause for them to say except thereby had been meaned he who is begotten of the Essence and Nature of God and therein equal with him It seems they will not be perswaded but that Christ and Son of God are synonimous to which end they farther make use of other places whereof the first hath these words * 1 Joh. 5.1 vers 5. Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God the next is thus Who is he that overcometh the world but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God The last is this †‑ Chap. 4.15 Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God God dwelleth in him and he in God Whence they would infer that the Names of Christ and Son of God are the same because they are put one for the other but the Consequence is not good for all that followeth is this that Christ and the Son of God are the same which we own and is true both do meet in the Person of the Lord Jesus for he is Son of God and Christ but we deny the Name of Christ to be the same with that of Son of God because this last is a Name of Nature and the first of Office and to say he is Son of God because he is Christ is a meer begging of the Question Christ is called Immanuel Wonderful Counselour Mighty God The everlasting Father The Prince of Peace by Isaiah and The Lord our Righteousness by Jeremiah ‖ Chap. 23.6 all which Names are given to one and the same Person yet none may say they do formally signifie the same thing no more than Prudence Courage and Liberality can be said to be the same because they meet in one and the same subject and the same Person may be prudent couragious and liberal 'T is bad Logical from the Unity of the Person to argue for the Unity of Names seeing one and the same Person may be called by several Names God is merciful and just yet though Mercy and Justice be in God they differ one from another between themselves abstractively taken though we know in God they are one and the same thing Thus though the Words Son of God and Christ belong to one and the same Person yet in themselves they differ one from another as do God and Lord which in Scripture are often joyned together as the Lord God and put one for another yet God is a Name of Nature and Lord signifies his Dominion they in themselves denote
having exposed his Son out of his Bosom to all the Abuses which the Rage and Malice of Devils and Men could inven◠and to the shameful painful and cursed Death of the Cross Take notice how the same Apostle in the same Chapter having applyed the words of the Psalmist to the Lord Jesus * vers 5. thou art my Son he calls the time of these Sufferings †vers 7. thē days of his flesh to make a difference between his divine and human Natures and thus such a Son and in such a manner as his Name to distinguish him from all Men was never bestowed upon any Person in the singular Number Abraham as observed before was called God's Friend and Moses his Servant but to neither of them nor to any one else it was said Thou art my Son 't is said Christ was faithful to him that appointed him Heb. 3.2 3 4 5 6. and Moses also was faithful in all God's house but with what a vast difference Moses as a servant Christ as a Son over his own house which he had builded himself but he that built all things is God Thus much I could not forbear taking notice of those Texts tending to our main purpose and for Christ's Divinity But to return to the exceeding greatness of God's Love to us it would be extreamly lessen'd if Christ had been considerable only for his office and not for his Person but * Rom. 5.8 God commendeth his love toward us in that while we were yet Sinners Christ his own proper well beloved and only begotten Son dyed for us that Christ who according to Peter's confession is the Son of the living God which containeth two things first that Christ is the Messiab the second that he is the Son of the living God This they object * Heb. 5.4 5. Christ glorified not himself to be made an high Priest but he that said unto him thou art my Son this day have I begotten thee Wherefore say they he is called Son in respect to his Office In answer we say if by these quoted Words Christ was constituted Mediator then he was constituted Mediator only after his Resurrection for after his Resurrection Paul said †Act. 13.33 God said thou art my Son this day c. Furthermore all that can be deduced out of these Words is this how Christ was by him that begot him called to the Office of Mediator which we grant but deny him only by these Words to have been constituted Mediator Rev. 13.8 for this day have I begotten thee do not contain the Institution of Christ's being a Mediator but a Declaration and Manifestation thereof he was a Mediator from the beginning being the Lamb slain from the Foundation of the World he could have been no Mediator except he had a being and subsisted Out of all that hath been and many more things that might be said and of some others which by the Grace of God afterwards I shall add it may appear how to the Lord Jesus do truly and properly belong the Names proper to the Essential God as Jehovah Lord God Son of God God's Own Proper Only Begotten Son the Word how he was begotten from Eternity and in him is a Divine as there is a Human Nature c. Against their wresting the true Sense of the Scriptures which they are so much inclined apt and study to do we may consider how several Expressions therein do tend to condescend to our weakness and infirmity according to the Capacity of some of those whom they were spoken or written to or afterwards were to read them thus our Saviour said to the Jews ‖ Joh. 5.31 If I bear witness of my self my witness is not true and because John was in great esteem among them he appeals to the Testimony he had given of him That Argument was good with the Jews * Mat. 21.26 for all held John as a prophet however to shew he was above such things and that his due Glory depended not thereupon lest it should thereby suffer any Prejudice in their Opinion he said †John 5.34 41. I receive not testimony from man but these things I say that ye might be saved and I receive no honour from men like a tender Father he had compassion on them and would help their Weakness and Infirmity and relieve their Frailty but when his Right and Due were questioned then he expresseth himself in another manner for when the Pharisees had said unto him ‖ Chap. 8.14 Thou bearest record of thy self thy record is not true then upon such an occasion he is not wanting in asserting his divine Prerogative for he answer'd Though I bear record of my self yet my record is true for I know whence I came and whither I go He might bear record of himself and to strengthen his own Evidence he saith it is not single for he hath another infinitely above that of John for * Vers 16.18 compared with chap. 7.32 If I judge my judgment is true for I am not alone but I and the Father that sent me who beareth witness of me though as Peter said †Acts 10.38 He went about doing good yet his Right he asserted when called in question so no Consequence against his divine Nature Attributes or Actions is to be drawn out of his Humiliation when in the days of his Flesh out of his infinite Love and Compassion towards poor lost Sinners he earnestly did sollicit and as it were beseech Men to come to and believe in him for that was the proper Work of the day in the time of his Humiliation to bring about our Redemption so what himself or the Evangelists and Apostles spoke of him in that state of his ought not to be wrested or mis-applyed to derogate from that Glory and Honour which he had from and shall have to all Eternity 't is neither just nor fair to do it 't is an abominable Abuse of his Mercy and to turn the Grace of our God into Lasciviousness and detestable Unthankfulness Some things in Scripture of a certain Nature and attended with particular Circumstances as may be Types and Comparisons must not be pressed overmuch 't is enough they agree in the thing for which they are made use of or else they will fail though they agree in many things yet not in every thing it will be as when a Man blows his Nose if he presses too hard he will be in danger of squeezing Blood out of it So in things of the nature of those we now are upon we must not indulge our own Fancy or suffer our Minds to wander up and down and want the Reverence due to such holy Mysteries we may and must often part with our own Reason but never with the Revelation which that Reason though never so strong must be ruled by and therein the Analogy of Faith is to be observed Thus when between our Adversaries and us there happens a Dispute about
the meaning of a Text and we give an Interpretation different from theirs this Interpretation of ours ought to be grounded upon some other place of Scripture and we have reason from them to expect the like for neither they nor we must be Judges in our own Cause and Scripture ought to be explained by Scripture But a great general Fault in them is to force a sense upon the words that is contrary to the scope of the place and to the Analogy of Faith and to give unusual Meanings and different from the whole course of Scripture as we made it appear in several places and yet give no good reason for it nay sometimes none at all They must pardon us if we have no such implicit Faith as to take their bare word though they boast never so much of their strength of Reason We now know better than to approve of the old Saying Magister dixit ergo verum the Master said so therefore 't is true indeed in relation to our great Lord and Master we agree to 't but not so when 't is apply'd to any Man or Sect whatsoever We see by experience how commonly in these things one Depth calleth to another and when once Men are fall'n in into a wrong way the longer they go in the farther from the true one Hence it is that Errors in Judgment are attended with others in Practice That People that think they know all will also believe they can do all things as they are of opinion nothing is or can be above their natural Reason so out of Self-Love and Conceit they will easily be perswaded that nothing is beyond their natural strength Thus as they can easily know what God is so as easily they can do what he commands and such Pharisees will not question but that they may fulfil the Law they can repent and believe if they please for all such Free-Willers are of that mind yet of so many Instances I shall bring but one wherein the word of God doth confute and confound them indeed 't is one if not the main about Mens ordering their Carriage and Conversation in the whole course of their Life 't is called Steps for as we are Pilgrims and Passengers in this World so our Actings therein are in Scripture expressed by Walking Now our Adversaries will say their Actions are guided by their Reason against which I bring two Evidences without exception Father and Son both great Men and both in several things Types of Christ the Son of God for David saith * Psal 37.23 The steps of a man are ordered by the Lord And Solomon declares †Prov. 16.9 A mans heart deviseth his way but the Lord directeth his steps Reason indeed subservient to Revelation and guided by Faith is a good Companion but postponing or putting first last and last first and altering the order of things is in these contrary to true Religion The Prophet knew better than so when he said ‖ Jer. 10.23 O Lord I know that the way of man is not in himself it is not in man that walketh to direct his steps But these Matters of Grace I elsewhere discussed somewhat at large A Plea for Free grace against Free-will wherefore now I shall not engage in it Only in relation to what a little before I spoke about Comparisons I shall say how though we must lay no stress upon them in Matters of this nature nor screw up Consequences for divine from human things by reason of an infinite disproportion between them Yet notwithstanding that Disparity to convince some sorts of Men even among those natural things God hath not left himself without Witness in relation to the great Mystery about God the Father and God his Son grounded upon a Comparison drawn from the Sun and its Beams First the Sun in relation to the Beam is of it self and the Beam of the Sun so is the Father of himself and the Son of the Father Secondly as the Sun in order of Nature is before the Beam but in time they both are co-existent so is the Father in order of Nature before the Son though in Existence both co-eternal Thirdly as the Sun without Diminution or Division of its Substance or change in its Nature produceth the Beams so is the Son begotten of the Father Fourthly as the Sun cannot be seen but by the Beam no more can the Father but by and in the Son Fifthly as the Beam is never separated from the Sun nor can the Sun be without the Beam no more can the Son be from the Father nor was the Father ever without the Son Sixthly as the Beam is distinguished from the Sun so that the Sun is not the Beam nor the Beam the Sun so it is between the Father and the Son Notwithstanding the infinite Disparity in it this Comparison I have chosen as the most sit and proper to illustrate that adorable incomprehensible and incomparable Mystery after what the Apostle said of it when alluding to the Sun he calls the Son * Heb. 1.3 The brightness of his Fathers Glory The next thing I am to do is to shew how true divine and incommunicable Attributes do also belong to him CHAP. VII Essential Divine Attributes belong to Christ OF God's Attributes some are Negative as Infifinite Independent Immortal Unchangeable c. which remove from God all manner of Imperfection and though these teach not what he is yet they teach what he is not others are Affirmative as Eternal Almighty All-knowing c. these are not so strong as the others because they represent Things but imperfectly other Attributes there be as Wisdom Goodness Mercy Justice c. which in some Degree God is pleased to impart unto the Creature but these I intend not to speak of only of those that are essential and incommunicable to the Creature and this Rule must be laid that whensoever any of these Attributes are in Scripture given to God essentially taken they are attributed to Christ because he is essentially God as I hope is sufficiently proved But before I proceed something in general may be spoken about Divine Attributes The Attributes of God are those Proprieties whereby he makes himself known unto us and shews the Difference that is between him and the Creature these Attributes in God are not as Attributes in the Creatures for they are no Qualities nor Accidents nor Things different from the Essence or from one another according to the Rule that nothing is in God but what is God himself God's Infiniteness and Eternity are God Infinite and Eternal wherefore because we cannot comprehend God's Infiniteness Eternity Simplicity c. we say we cannot comprehend his Essence and Nature The Knowledge that is in us comes in by Parts and Degrees How then can we know one Attribute of God as may be his Simplicity and Absoluteness which hath no Parts For it doth not consist of any Genus and Difference Substance and Accident Power and Act
nor of Ens being and Essence and as to his Immensity or Infiniteness according to which he is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 wholly whole whole in himself whole in all whole in every one and whole out of all he is neither circumscrib'd defined by included in or excluded out of any place all these are past Understanding not only of Men but of Angels also Let those who pretend to know all Things and that to them nothing is a Mystery take notice of this Thus much in short of the incommunicable Attributes or as otherwise called of the first Order And as to those of the second and communicable to Creatures which yet must be well understood for a thing may be said to be imparted or communicated in two ways either when the same thing in Number and Species is imparted to another or when the same is by Analogy in likeness and proportion In the first way no propriety of God can be communicated to the Creature because all infinite and the same with the Nature but in the last in some measure and degree they are in as much as some Effects like unto his Attributes according to their Capacity come out of them The Attributes of this last sort may be reduced under these three Heads Mercy Wisdom and Power Mercy moveth and willeth Wisdom doth contrive and dispose and Power executes all three in God Infinite and Eternal all three to be found in the Son in the Works of Creation Preservation and Redemption in relation to the two first absolutely consider'd in his Divine Nature and to the last in both Divine and Human in the Capacity of Mediator wherein he is both God and Man for indeed the Office of Mediator required a Person that should be both to perform those things that were to be done in relation to both because to suffer and die was the part of human Nature which the Divine is not capable of but to overcome Death and our spiritual Enemies could not be effected but by a Divine Power withal it became the Majesty of God that the Mediator should be God for that Majesty is so great that none but one that is intimate and equal with the Father could interpose between God and Man Angels themselves could and dared not undertake it for they stood in need of Christ to be confirmed in their state of Integrity besides that they are not pure in God's sight much less any Man meerly such I ask Who but a God could destroy sin appease God's wrath overcome the Power of Satan with natural and eternal Death Who could make expiation for Offences committed against an Infinite God but he that is Infinite himself By whose Intercession could God's Anger be pacified but thorough him that is his beloved Son By whose Power could Satan and the whole Power of Darkness be overcome but by him that is stronger than all Devils and Hell And who could conquer Death but he that hath destroyed him who hath the Power of Death And as none but a God could deliver us from all these Evils under whose Power we were so none but a God could restore us to the Goods we had lost Who could have restored us to a perfect Righteousness but he that is Righteousness it self Who to God's Image but he that is the express Image of his Person and the Brightness of his Glory Who could make us Children of God but he that is his natural only begotten and beloved Son Who could bestow upon us the Holy Ghost but he from whom the Holy Ghost proceedeth And who could give us eternal Life but he that is Life it self And by whom could we come to God but thorough him that is the way Out of all this it appears how none but a True and not a made God could be a Mediator between God and us * 1 Sam. 2.25 If one man sin against another saith Eli the judge shall judge him but if a man sin against the Lord who shall intreat for him No meer Man can only he that is Lord God himself Divine Essence is necessarily attended with the Divine Attributes First Eternity and it being most simple they are not otherwise distinguished then after our manner of Conceiving so that out of the foregoing Evidences they must necessarily be attributed unto the Son and first Eternity having already proved Christ's Deity and his eternal Generation we have spoken many Things belonging to this Head Eternity is Indivisible as the begetting Power of the Father is Infinite so it hath a terminus an Object of Infinite Perfection namely his Son Coeternal and Coessential and because the Generation is from Eternity so is it true that the Son was continually and perpetually begotten for we must not say God was first God and then Father but without beginning always God and always Father and seeing he ever was Father he ever had a Son This Reason is much to our purpose and we could easily farther enlarge upon it yet in order to prove this Eternity we must draw Arguments out of Scripture without which in these Matters all our Reasons are no Reasons at all Both Testaments do abound in Proofs but out of many we shall make use of few First out of the Old and begin with the place where it speaks of Christ's Kingdom and of the Glory and Power thereof He saith * Psal 110.3 From the womb of the morning thou hast the dew of thy youth the Meaning and Sence of the Words is thou art from Eternity Morning implies a Day and the first part of it too Day imports a Time which began with the Creation for before there was no Time all was Eternity now Christ whom here David calls his Lord is not said to have the Dew of his Youth from the Morning but from the Womb of the Morning that is before there was any Morning any Time at all for before any Creature be brought forth 't is in the Womb and what is the Womb of Time but Eternity which is the Day spoken of in another place †Psal 2. this day have I begotten thee with God there is no Time with Him all is one Day a Day of Eternity that saying so to him is not of a present Generation or Constitution but the Revelation of a Thing that was before wherefore in that same Verse it is called a Decree I will declare the decree 't is the declaration of the Decree not the time of it now all God's Decrees are Eternal without beginning consequently the Time therein mentioned is meaned of Eternity which the Psalmist's manner of speaking doth confirm more when in that first place he saith thou hast the dew of thy youth the Dew falls on the first part of the Morning so in that beginning of Time he had not his Birth or Childhood but his Youth not only existed but had his whole Strength and Vigour all this way of speaking is with condescending to our weak human Capacity to make us
understand how the Person therein spoken is from Eternity as 't is plainly expressed by * Prov. 8.21 22 24 25. Solomon when bringing the same Person to speak under the Name of Wisdom saith the Lord possessed me in the beginning of his ways before his works of old I was set from everlasting from the beginning or ever the earth was when there was no depths when there was no fountains with water and before the mountains were settled I was brought forth that is before there was any Creature now that Christ is the Wisdom of the Father †1 Cor. 1.30 who of God is made unto us wisdom c. no Man ought to doubt of Another Text to prove this Eternity is one of the Names whereby the Prophet calls Christ when he fore-telleth his Birth in the place which we had occasion to speak of before ‖ Isa 9.6 the everlasting Father here is Eternity in the very Spring he not only is Everlasting but is the Father of Eternity it-self in the abstract A farther Proof we draw out of another Prophet who speaking of the place where the Messiah was to be born saith Micha 5.2 Out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel whose goings forth have been of old from everlasting Upon the occasion of knowing the place where Christ should be born the * Matt. 2.4 5 6. Evangelist saith how all the Chief Priests and Scribes quoted this very place to Herod so that as certainly as he was to be born and was actually born there as certainly his goings forth have been from of old from Everlasting this Prophecy was made several hundreds of years before his Birth yet at that very time he was said to have gone forth from of old what is to be understood by this from of old he there explains it thus from everlasting the Hebrew word signifieth from the Days of Eternity whence we may surely conclude that the Person spoken of in that place namely the Lord Jesus hath been and is from Eternity here two goings or comings forth be expressed one passed from of old from everlasting the other to come out of thee Bethlehem shall he come forth c. Daniel calls him the antient of days which is the very same Name in ver 13. of the same Chapter given the True God of Israel whether taken Essentially or Personally whereby is denominated the true everlasting God Now out of the New Testament on my way I shall take notice of the place where he is called * Colos 1.15 the first born of every creature which as the Adversaries would have it doth not include him amongst the Creatures rather it declares him not to be a Creature if he was not made with the Creatures in time then he was before all Creatures were made that is from Eternity for he that was before all Creatures is not created so he was first born because born before any Creature was far from being a Creature he is the Creatour for he created all things as anon we shall have occasion to shew Before I go on this I must say how Socinus's unhappy Design and great Mistake is to interpret Scripture meerly by Criticisms upon the words without any regard to the scope of the place or the analogy of Faith thus he searches into all the Senses that they are possibly capable of till he can find one though never so forced to serve the Opinion he is prepossessed of and before hand though never so contrary to the plain and natural Sense of the place In the Preface to his Explication of the first of John's Gospel he owns not wihtout Vanity how his Interpretation is new quorum verus sensus c. the true Sense of which words saith he seems to have been hid from all the Expositors that ever were extant how proudly is this to applaud himself as if he alone had known God's mind as if the Spirit of God had not assisted but departed from all Good and Learned Men for 1500 years after Christ this is an over-affected singularity of his to turn all into Allegories such shifts to defend a Cause do declare it to be bad for 't is only to preserve it from sinking and if once a Man hath leave to suppose what he pleases then he may prove what he will of this now I shall give but one Instance if by the word beginning which we read in John 1.1 we must as he doth contrary to all particulars of the Text and the scope of the Evangelist understand the beginning of the Gospel then according to this way of explaining by the word beginning which we read in Gen. 1.1 we may understand not the beginning or Creation of the World but of the beginning of the Mosaical Dispensation and so the Creation of Heaven and Earth to be the Institution of the Jewish Religion and so several other things of the same Nature this misinterpretation of Holy Scripture is very injurious to 't and dangerous for after such Notions and Fancies no Error though never so absurd can want one pretence or other to set up against the scope of Texts and Anology of Faith But now we must go on * Joh. 1.1 In the beginning was the word saith St. John in that beginning the Word was with God and in the same beginning the same Word was God it being granted that Christ is signified by the name Word that the Word is God the Eternity of Christ may easily and naturally be understood by the Word Beginning it appears how the Evangelist's Design is to assert the Divinity of Christ wherewith he abruptly begins his Gospel under that name he speaks of him in the fourteen former Verses of his first Chapter and then mentions it no more he saith nothing of his Birth nor of any Circumstance of its Time Place or Person but barely when where what he was and what he did this is plain enough if some Men of perverse Judgment had not thorough vain Deceit and Cavils gone about to darken and wrest that Truth By this beginning of time is here as in other parts of Scripture when spoken without limitation understood the beginning of the World it having here as I observed before the same Signification as in the first Verse of the Book of Genesis in the beginning God created c. and that this is the meaning of this place it appears out of the second and third Verses in the second is repeated what is said in the first the same was in the beginning with God upon what occasion was he then with God Certainly about the Work of Creation for ver 3. it is said All things were made by him and without him was not any thing made that was made and what I say is the meaning of the word Beginning I can make it appear out of Scipture and that what they say to reduce it only to the beginning of the Gospel is a
false gloss of theirs put upon the Words to pervert the Sense ‖ Prov. 8.23 the Son of God speaking of himself under the Name of Wisdom saith I was from the beginning the meaning of the Word is there well expressed in two several ways though but to one and the same end I was in the beginning or ever the earth was where it is very plain that the word Beginning is understood before the Earth was and in the first part of the same 't is said I was set up from everlasting then by the word Beginning is meaned from Everlasting for indeed before the beginning of the World it was Eternity this I am sure doth not agree with the false gloss of the beginning of the Gospel No more do the following our Saviour speaking of Adam and Eve saith * Matth. 19.4 8. He which made them at the beginning made them male and female and somewhat lower †John 8.44 from the beginning it was not so and our Evangelist saith he the Devil was a murtherer from the beginning Furthermore ‖ Heb. 1.10 Thou Lord in the beginning hath laid the foundation of the earth and the heavens are the work of thine hands and elsewhere where Christ is spoken of * 1 Joh. 2.13 ye have known him that is from the beginning and in the same Epistle †chap. 3.8 the devil sinneth from the beginning Now I ask Are these Texts with others I could produce to be understood of the beginning of the Gospel or of the World Nay the Gospel is not of so late a Date as they would have it to be for if we may believe ‖ Gal. 3.8 Paul it was preached unto Abraham that Word which in time was made Flesh was in the beginning when the World was made so not to be understood when he took our Human Nature seeing he was long before even before Abraham and to take it of the beginning of the Gospel as they do the Sense must be this in the beginning of the Gospel of Jesus Christ Jesus Christ was altogether unbecoming the Wisdom of the Spirit of God 't is said in the Praeter-Tense was with God not hath been the word was hath its weight to shew that he began not to be in the beginning but that he was already and shall continue to Eternity without ceasing or interruption according to the place before quoted this day have I begotten thee this Day of Eternity for with God there is no Time nor Succession it cannot be said of our Saviour's Birth which happened so long after but there the Holy Ghost pointed to Eternity which is ever present that in that Psalm Eternity is meaned the subject Matter doth demonstrate for the Question is about him in whom we must put our Trust and Confidence which ought to be * Jerem. 17.5 in God alone now God's Duration is no Time but Eternity which is an intire and continual perfect possession of an endless Life or an Infiniteness not successive but permanent wherein three things are to be consider'd First no Beginning Secondly it hath no End Thirdly admits of no Continuation 't is free from any Succession the two former are agreed on but the third they Dispute but as God and Eternity are the same for nothing in God but what is God himself so God were not whole for that Eternity is not whole which is subject to a continual Succession Fourthly God were divisible as is a continual Succession which hath several Parts and Fifthly it would admit access and recess as doth every Succession This I set down as necessary to understand what Eternity which we now speak of is Now again to our Text in the beginning I say that though it had been before instead of in their perverseness in going about to make Scripture subservient to their ill Opinions and Designs and not to make it the Rule thereof as they ought to do in endeavouring to find out the true meaning of it yet still they would have endeavoured to pervert the true Sense but what is here said in is the Description made of God's Eternity expressed by the word before * Isa 43.13 yea before the day was I am he the Gospel is the †Luke 2.10 good tidings of great joy of Christ's the Lord being come and what could the Evangelist have done better than to set in the very front and beginning of his Gospel how when Christ was announced that he had been as indeed he was at the time of the first Promise made of the Messiah when the Gospel was preached and declared to our first Parents ‖ Gen. 3.15 the seed of the woman shall bruise the Serpent's head If by the word Beginning is to be understood the Time when the Gospel was preached it makes the thing very doubtful Matthew begins it from the Birth of Christ Luke from the Conception of St. John Baptist and Mark from the time when John began to preach Paul from Christ's first preaching and Peter from the Day of Pentecost when the Spirit cam◠upon the Apostles so that it would be very uncertain which of these Beginnings is meaned by the Evangelist for there is nothing in the Text to determine it every one of these is attended with some incongruity as to say that Christ was when he was born or when he preached or that he was fifty Days after his Resurrection I can find no proper or good Sense in any of these nor in the other which they declare for and 't is that when John began to preach which was on the thirtieth of his Age or thereabouts and between him and Christ there was but six Months difference which being so inconsiderable what need then why the Evangelist should say Christ was when he was past twenty nine And when there was no ground to doubt of it doth this become the Wisdom of the Apostle inspired by the Holy Ghost Is it fit to say and cry out as John did I am sent to prepare the way for the coming of one that is already come * Joh. 1.26 that standeth among you whom you know not and whom he doth point at when he saith ver 29. this is the lamb of God which taketh away the sins of the world to speak thus Doth it become one who hath the right use of his Reason Besides it cannot be supposed the time when John began first to preach here to be understood for he saith the Word or Christ was before he mentioneth any thing of John's Being or Preaching for he speaks of him but in Verse 6th but in the very first he saith the word was he could not say John had preached before he had said he was but this needeth no longer being insisted upon Another Text we make use of is this * Joh. 1.15 he that comes after me is preferred before me for he was before me this precedency may not be understood literally of the Birth and
Words and Mind of those whom he discoursed with What could in so serious a Matter and of so high a Concernment as this is to make him alter his method and differ from himself when his main Design was all along to make himself truly known for what he was yet here as much as in them lays they make him say nothing to the purpose of the Jew's Question and Objection as they attempt to rob him of his Divinity so they would of that Heavenly Wisdom Gentleness and Readiness to do good which ever appeared in his whole Carriage here not only they make him not to speak pertinently to the Question but also they so mangle his answer that Men cannot tell what to make of it Is the Etymology or Derivation of Abraham's Name to any purpose here The Jews look'd upon it as very absurd that Christ so young should have been in Abraham's time the Lord doth plainly and to the purpose answer before Abraham was I am and with this very strong Asseveration by him used only in Matters of the highest Concernment Verily verily I say unto you not once but twice Verily now we know him to be †Rev. 3.14 Amen Amen the true and faithful witness Their Brains are fruitful in idle Inventions for upon this place they say one thing more wherein Arminians joyn with them How this before Abraham was I am is to be understood of a Divine Constitution or Pre-ordination that is in the fore-sight and fore-knowledge of God Christ was before Abraham but not really so in Existence but Christ here saith not he was fore-ordained but that he was and existed I am we deny not Christ to have been fore-ordained for * 1 Pet. 1.20 Peter saith he was but we deny that to be the Ground of his Divinity or that in this place Christ saith so when the Question is about his Deity being pre-ordained of God is no Prerogative of Christ for it is †Rom. 8.29 common to all believers Is it not ridiculous for one to say he is older than others because he was fore-ordained of God before they were born This I shall conclude with one thing more I must say to it how our Saviour in this place saith clearly and positively before Abraham was I am the Jews understood how thereby he made himself to have been before Abraham which could not be upon that account of his human Birth our Saviour doth not go about to shew they were mistaken which if it had been the Evangelist would have spoken of on the contrary he did run the hazard of being stoned and indeed he not only is before Abraham but also ‖ Colos 1.17 before all things and Persons Adam not excepted One place more I shall speak of and then shall have done with this Head I am * Rev. 1.8 Alpha and Omega the beginning and the ending saith the Lord which is which was and which is to come the Almighty As before Alpha there is no other Letter in the Green Alphabet which Language the Book is written in so before the Son of God there is nothing and as of all things that are Christ existed the first so he shall exist the last and herein the Metaphor doth exactly fit and is explained by the following words the beginning and the ending which though v. 4. be spoken of the Father yet it hinders not but is here attributed unto the Son neither is there any thing in the whole Verse but what is adapted to the Son as well as to the Father as to the Name Lord How often is the Son in the New Testament called by that Name As to the expressions which is which was and which is to come taken out of the * Isa 44.6 Prophet which are the explanation of the word Jehovah they belong to Christ as we have before proved the Name doth and so doth the Thing for in a place already quoted the Signification is applied to the Lord Jesus Christ the same yesterday to day and for ever he that is named Alpha the beginning and the first and which is may well be called he which was and he who is called Omega the end and the last may also be well called he that is to come which is properly and in a special manner spoken of Christ as it appears out of this †Heb. 10.37 yet a little while and he that shall come will come and this is spoken of him in ‖ Rev. 17. and 3.11 and 16.15 and 22.7 12 20. several places of this Book Besides that in this whole Chapter the Apostle's Design is to describe the Son not the Father as it doth appear by the foregoing and following Verses so 't is not likely he would in this v. 8. describe the Father only and seeing in this first Chapter he was to dispose the seven Churches to receive the Epistles by the Son to be directed to them with that Submission and awful Reverence as became them so to prepare their Spirits it was a due Course to make an ample and glorious Description of the Son for the Father doth not immediatly in his Person shew himself to or speak with Men but the Son doth therefore there is a kind of Necessity that he should make his own Description seeing therefore how the Words and the Things of the Description do belong to Christ why should not we say that the Description is adapted for him This Interpretation of ours is natural with the words and scope of the place it neither altereth taketh away or addeth thereunto as their Interpretation doth with wresting forcing and restraining it to the Person of the Father when the Son absolutely without any limitation or restriction calls himself Alpha and Omega beginning and ending first and last but it seems they would teach the Spirit of God how to speak though nothing can be said more fully and plainly than this is he doth not say only 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 am but joyns the Person 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I so when in the several Epistles †Rev. 2.7.17.26 to him that overcometh he promises to give to eat of the tree of life and of the hidden manna Chap. 2.5.12.21 the white stone and the new name with power over the nations c. and * Chap. 22.17 the water of life freely to him that is thirsty he doth not send them to the Father but offereth it himself as to the †John 4.10 Woman of Samaria nay in his state of Humiliation he calls Men ‖ Chap. 7.37 38. to come to himself much more after his exaltation and glorisition But to conclude this Matt. 11.28 and at the same time shew how this is simply spoken of Christ not only in this 8 verse but also in the 11 and 17 it appears out of the 12 and 13 where he turned to see the voice that spake with him and in the midst of the seven Candleiticks he saw one like
is here said to reign The Lord God Almighty but to reign belong to Kings and if we go back to v. 15. this we shall find The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord and of his Christ who is called * Ch. 19.16 Vers 6. King of Kings and Lord of Lords and if we go back to v. 6. we may hear Alleluia the reason is for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth and in another place we read of the song of the lamb which I suppose no Man doubts to be the Lord Jesus and what is the Song Great and marvellous are thy works Lord God Almighty He is the Almighty God and certainly we have as many Evidences of his Omnipotency as there be Miracles wrought by him And if God the Father be Almighty as they will not deny him to be the Son must also be Almighty †John 5.19 for whatsoever things the father doth these also doth the son likewise Unchangeableness belongs to the true essential God Christ's Immutability but thou art the same saith the Psalmist 102.27 and Christ is unchangeable in his Words and Promises ‖ Matt. 24 35. Heaven and earth pass away but my words shall not pass away for * 2 Cor. 1.20 All the promises of God in him are yea and in him Amen and †Rev. 19.11 He is called faithful and true Other Names and Attributes there are in Scripture which though not incommunicable yet are so eminently spoken of the Divinity that they are almost equivalent to it so that they be fixed in God as their Spring and in the Creature but detivatively and as it were a small Drop in comparison with the vast Ocean and these being attributed unto Christ by way of Excellency do not only illustrate but also prove his Divinity I shall speak but few words about them the first is the highest which indeed I find in Scripture never to be spoken of Men in the superlative degree This is spoken of Christ in the place where it is said * Gen. 14.18 19 20. Melchizedec was the Priest of the most high God equivalent to the word highest and in the two following Verses 't is repeated so that no less than thrice the Name most high is set down which I conceive to be not without cause and may be in relation to the most holy and blessed Trinity Well this Name is attributed unto the Lord Jesus as what Zacharias said of his Son John †Luke 1.76 And thou child shalt be called the Prophet of the highest for thou shalt go before the face of the Lord to prepare his ways So the Attribute is given to the Person therein spoken of which no Man may question to be the Lord Jesus This was given him by the Multitude and approved by him upon his entrance into Jerusaâ—em for they cryed saying * Mat. 21.9 Hosanna to the son of David Hosanna in the highest and though as I said this be simply proper to God and †1 Tim. 6.15 belonging only to him yet being joyned with the Name of God is attributed unto Christ ‖ Acts 16. These men are the servants of the most high God which shew unto us the way of salvation Servant of Christ is a Title which Paul doth usually take upon him Who this Most High God is we read in the next Verse Jesus Christ in whose Name he commanded the Spirit to go out which he did the same hour The word the blessed with an Article doth as I have had occasion to shew signifie the same as God and 't is said of the Son of God *âŽ* Psal 72 17. All nations shall call him blessed and the Multitude in the fore-quoted place called him so blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord and in that noted place the Apostle joyneth both blessed and God and gives him * Rom. 9.5 who is over all God blessed for ever Paul saith not Let him be in a way of Wish and Desire nor he shall be as if then the thing was not but only to come but he saith He is God blessed for ever thereby meaning his Being and Nature In Scripture †Isai 14. Psal 71.23 the Name of holy one is given to the only true God whom Israel doth worship This also is spoken of Christ ‖ Psal 16.10 Thou wilt not suffer thine holy one to see corruption and Peter *âŽ* Acts 2.27 and 3.14 doth certainly declare those words to have been spoken of Christ The Angel said to Mary * Luke 1.35 Therefore also that holy thing or holy one for it was a Person which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God before he was born Holiness was his Attribute and 't is †Rom. 1.4 according to the spirit of holiness that he was declared to be Son of God with power he not only is holy but also Holiness it self in the abstract To him sitting upon a Throne the Seraphims ‖ Isai 6.1 2 3. cryed Holy holy holy is the Lord of hosts the whole earth is full of his glory which is by John â‚ Joh. 12.41 applyed unto Christ These things said Esaias when he saw his glory and spake of him and * Rev. 4.8 The four beasts â—est not day and night saying holy holy holy Lord God Almighty which was and is and is to come which last is in S. John's stile a Description of the first these words spoken to him who sits upon the Throne and I hope none will deny Christ is sitting upon the Throne as absolutely expressed in several places of this Book So Daniel ‖ Dan. 9.24 called him The most holy Other Names and Titles Scripture doth appropriate unto Christ which are all strong Demonstrations of what he is namely the natural Son of God which I only shall name for indeed it would be almost an endless Work to insist upon all Testimonies of Scripture upon the matter He is then King of Kings and Lord of Lords Rev. 17.14 and 19.16 King and Lord of glory Psal 24.7 10. compared with 1 Cor. 2.8 Lord of David Psal 110. with Matth. 22.44 where 't is observable how the same Name given to the Lord spoken â—f is also given to the Lord spoken to as equally belonging to both 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and in this sense he is in several places of Scripture called one Lord 1 Cor. 8.6 and Lord of all Acts 10.36 because all things were made by him John 1.3 So the Lord and Saviour because there is no Salvation in any other Acts 4.12 Let special notice be taken of Psal 68. where speaking of Christ according to Paul's interpretation Ephes 4.8 he among other high and great Names is called the Lord God the God of our salvation and such more which certainly do belong only to the true essential God In Scripture the Names of Lord God King absolutely taken or with the distinction
as a demonstration of what he was and a proof of his Divinity which was the same question between him and the Jews as is now between us and the Socinians who though they impiously deny him to be true God by Nature yet must own him to be a very rational Man for indeed his works made him equal with the Father therefore he saith My Father worketh hitherto John 5.17 19.33.34 36. and I work and to the end they should not mistake his meaning as if the Father did work as God and he only as Man to shew there was no disparity between his Father's works and his own he affirmeth That whatsoever the Father doth that also doth the Son likewise and though John was a great man among them and had born witness to the Truth how he was the Son of God wherein by the by more and more to shew who he was and that he wanted no such evidences as being far above them he declared But I receive not testimony from man but these things I say that ye may be saved He said it only out of compassion and to condescend to their weakness for he had a more considerable Evidence I have saith he greater witness than that of John and what 's that the works which the father hath given me to finish the same works that I do bear witness of me that the father hath sent me And upon all occasions he doth appeal to these works John 10.32 37 38. Many good works have I shewed you from my father for which of those works do ye stone me And a few verses lower he offereth to be judged by his works If I do not the works of my Father believe me not but if I do though ye believe not me believe the works And to shew how all this tended to prove his Divinity he saith at the latter end of the verse That ye may know and believe that the father is in me and I in him And even when he was alone with his Disciples after he had eaten the Passeover he taketh notice how their not believing his works was a sign that they hated both him and the father And those very works which thorough hardness of heart and unbelief they would not be convinced by should at last be evidences to condemn them John 15.22 24. For if I had not come and spoken unto them they had had no sin but now they have no cloak for their sin and If I had not done among them the works which no other man did they had not had sin O the works of Christ though sometimes they are not attended with a convincing shall at last have both a convincing and condemning power against those who refuse to own him to be one with the Father and the Father to be in him and he in the Father equally with him God blessed for ever Now these works are of several kinds attributed to Christ first in general what things so ever the Father doth Joh. â— 19 these also doth the Son likewise This is absolutely and simply said without any limitation and restriction whatsoever and of whatsoever nature they be and this he doth without any let or opposition to hinder him according to the working whereby he is able to subdue all things unto himself all things without exception Phil. 3.21 Then divine works are in particular attributed to the Son as Election for the Elect at the last day to be gathered from the four Winds Matth. 24 31. from one end of Heaven to the other are called his Elect and Election is an act immanent so are also the acts transient which are of two sorts First of Nature Secondly of Grace Of Nature it is double either Creation or Providence which is Preservation Creation is an incommunicable work of God the power whereof he never imparted to any Creature but 't is proper to Christ who hath been declared the Son of God with power in those works that are truly divine and proper only to God as Creation is Isal 44.24 Job 9.6 7 8. c. I am the Lord that maketh all things by my self which Job testifieth in several particulars and this is given as a characteristical mark to distinguish the true God from all false Gods Jer. 10.11 The Gods that have not made the Heavens and the Earth they shall perish from the Earth and from under the Heavens But that very same distinguishing character is by the Apostles attributed unto the Lord Jesus All things were made by him and without him was not any thing made that was made John 1.3 This is asserted first by an universal absolute Affirmative All things were made by him then by an universal absolute Negative vers 10 Without him was not any thing made that was made According to all rules nothing can be more positively and clearly exprest than this is all things even the world that knew him not and what other world 's there are Heb. 11.3 for the worlds were framed by the word of God in which place the name word is the same as by St. John is used to signifie the Son of God who is also called the Power of God and the Wisdom of God 1 Cor. 1.24 Psal â—36 5 Colos 1.16 and by his Power and Wisdom made the Heavens yea and all things visible and invisible under which two heads are comprehended all things whatsoever Bodies and Spirits such as Angels and to shew an harmony between the Old and New Testaments in that as well as in this about the work of Creation the name word is made use of Psal 33.6 for by the word of the Lord were the Heavens made and to shew how all the three Persons of the Holy Trinity had a hand in 't 't is added and all the host of them by the breath of his mouth Gen. 1. This relates to the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 dixit God said and it was so and the name Word is by St. John interpreted to be the true God even personally Now as in Genesis and in the Psalm God made all by his Word so in John all things were made by the word and as in the Psalm 't is expresly said Psal 33.6 by the Word of the Lord were the heavens made in a literal not allegorical Sence why should it not in John be understood of the natural created and not of spiritual things Since he speaks of things in the Creation long before not of things to be made hereafter at the preaching of the Gospel so that of Gen. 1. and Psal 33. with John 1. are three Texts parallel relating to the same thing Now the same manner of expression deuoteth the same thing The word used in the Creation was not Corporal because before there was any Creature but spiritual and so God and that word was not directed to Angels but to things themselves for God called them by his word that they should be whereunto answereth
which saith Acts 14.15 Chap. 17.24 26. in six days the Lord made Heaven and Earth which is certainly the same as created so God made Heaven and Earth and the Sea and all things that are therein And God that made the world and all things therein Again and hath made of one blood all Nations of Men c. So he is a great stranger to Scripture who denies to Make the World and to Create the World not to be the same so seeing this shift cannot hold they betake themselves to another which is that God made the world by Christ as aâ—â— instrumental cause but that sort of men will go about overturning Heaven and Earth rather than to depart from their damnable opinions for what can they ground upon this instrumentality of Christ For the preposition by signifieth no such thing as it appears out of the following places Gal. 1.1 Eph. 1.1.1 Cor. 1.9 Rom. 11.36 Heb. 2.10 Paul an Apostle not of men nor by men but by Jesus Christ and God the Father And Paul an Apostle of Jesus by the will of God Also God is faithful by whom ye were called unto the fellowship of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord. Elsewhere for of him and through or by him and to him are all things Furthermore for it became him for whom are all things and by whom are all things c. No sign in these or many more places of the word by signifying any instrumental Cause God by whom are all things Colos 1.17 never made the world by and instrument but by his word who not only in Dignity but also in nature and time is before all things The adversaries cannot upon any rational grounds prove that the Apostle meant the world to come but we want no good reasons to shew how the Creation of the world is to be understood for first 't is neither the idiom of the Jews nor the stile of Scripture by the world to understand the future for out of these words of verse 10. And thou Lord in the beginning hast laid the foundation of the earth Heb. 1.10 out of Psal 102.25 and the heavens are the work of thine hands I see no cause why the Creation of the world should not be understood rather than the beginning of the Gospel the ancient earth rather than the new one and the old Heavens rather than the new The more because when the Apostle intends to speak of the world to come he plainly saith it when he speaks of those that have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the world to come Chap. 6.5 Chap. 2.5 So he doth when he saith unto the Angels hath he not put in subjection the world to come So when he hath a mind to say a thing he well knows how to express it Moreover if he had said in the present he males not in the praeter tense he might have left some thing more of liberty thereby to understand the future for speaking in the time past he shews how he doth speak of those ages which the praeter tense doth fit better than the future Furthermore the worlds or ages in the plural is more proper for ancient times than for that which is to come for this world hath had several ages and shall continue to have till the last day but after that the world to come shall last for ever and be all Eternity without end And when Scripture doth by the name world signifie the future not only it doth add a distinction as whosoever shall for Christ's sake leave all Mark 10.29 30. Luke 18.30 shall in the world to come have life everlasting But also ever speaketh in the singular number the reason is because this world hath several ages and that which is to come shall have but one Besides I must say how the Apostle understands the world which God already had made and not that which he was to make by his Son that which was made had a being but that which was to be made had none so we must conclude he spoke of things that were and not of that which was not Now that the Lord Jesus as principal and efficient cause made the world and so that the word beginning is to be understood of the Creation it appears out of this Heb. 1.1 2. God who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the Fathers by the prophets hath in these last days spoken to us by his Son which our Saviour represented before by the parable of the Vineyard and the Husbandmen Maâ—â— â—1 33 This Son he hath appointed heir of all things by whom he made the worlds Angels are called only God's Ministers but Christ is called the Son the first begotten not made upon which account the Author of the Epistle affirms the Son reaâ—lâ— and truly to be God and proves it out of Psal 45.6 7. Thy throne O God is for ever and ever And this the Apostle still speaking of the same proves by his having created the world v. 10. Thou Lord in the beginning hast laid the sound dation of the earth Observe how the word beginning is meant of the Creation of the world which is attributed to the Son 't is added and the heavens are the works of thine hands which must necessarily be understood in a literal sence of the Creation of the world and not of the new Creation of things by the Gospel out of what follows v. 11. They shall perish c. and be changed c. This shall be the fate of the natural world which cannot be said of the work of Regeneration or new Creation The word was in the beginning 1 Joh. 1.1 which is the same with from the beginning as expressed by the same Apostle that is of the time of the Creation when things began to be made that is from Eternity by these phrases before the world was and before the Foundation of the world the first born of every Creature that is before any thing was created Col. 1.15 16. as appears by the reason given in the next words For by him were all things created c. For he could not be before himself and had created himself which is absurd In the place 't is explained he is before all things in time or dignity because the maker is always in time before the thing which he made This head we shall conclude with the following Text 1 Cor. 8.6 But to us there is but one God the Father of whom are all things and we in him and one Lord Jesus Christ by whom are all things and we by him Here the Apostle upon the occasion of eating things offered unto Idols saith that an Idol is nothing in the world though it be called God as many things are called Gods and Lords yet in reallity are not so the names of God and Lord do properly belong only to the true God whom he here opposeth to things falsely
so called As for us we own but one God and one Lord whom he gives proper attributes unto the one God is the Father of whom are all things and we in him the one Lord is Jesus Christ by whom are all things and we by him for as all things are of him of whom all things are made so all things are by him by whom they are made so then as all things are by Christ he must be before all not only in dignity but also in time Out of this Text we learn first that as there being but one Lord even Jesus Christ doth not exclude God the Father from being Lord so there being but one God even the 〈◊〉 doth not exclude the Lord Jesus from being God also and the Apostle not only affirms that it is so but withall he sheweth how it is by means of the prepositions of and by here used all things are of God the Father by the Lord Jesus Christ all things have the same Principle and Cause but somewhat in a different manner all things are of the Father but by the Son which in the work of making all things sheweth a sort of distribution thereof in the way of it and such a kind of subordination if I may so call it between the two persons as if neither of them was precisely the adequate cause of all things but the person of one God by the person of one Lord and the person of one Lord of the person of one God for if all the same things were not of one God by one Lord but some of one God others of one Lord then the strength of the words of and by with the Order and Coherence between one Lord and one God would fall and so the assertion of one God would be false because there would be two equally first and immediate principles of all things than which nothing can be more contrary to Scripture and reason for the one God is he who is the Supreme Cause not of somethings only but of all and the one Lord is he by whom not only some but all things were and what all these things are it doth appear out of all the Texts I upon this point have made use of being compared together which can make the thing plain enough to any unbiassed and unprejudiced man If here Christ be excluded from being God by the same reason shall the Father be excluded from being Lord. But it seems nothing in the world can stop the boundless impiety of men who with their restrictions will as far as they can confine the Spirit of God within their own Sence for upon the Text they say by all things we are to understand only those which belong to the Church of Christ and to Christianity as such which is a meer invention of Socinus's Brain and not of Christ or of his Apostles However rather than to be mute something he will say that the word all can have no relation to those things that were before him that is before he was born of the Virgin wherein he goes upon his wrong principle as if he was not at all before he was born of Mary for though we own that according to the flesh Christ was not properly before he was born of her yet according to the Spirit he was as accordingly hath been sufficiently demonstrated and as to that Spiritual and Divine Being of his all things were made by him and he was Lord over all But this Dominion of Christ he is endeavouring to reduce not only within the time of our Saviour's being born of the Virgin but also within that of his Resurrection But therein he makes a confusion between Christ's purchased and his natural Dominions which ought well to be distinguished the first was indeed after his death and resurrection grounded upon our redemption as formerly the special Right and Dominion of God over the people of Israel was entailed upon his having delivered them out of the Egyptian bondage but tho he had not delivered them yet still he had been their Lord upon another and more ancient account thus before Christ redeemed us by his death he had a natural Dominion over all things he was our Lord because we were the work of his hands before he was our Lord by a special purchase for before he humbled himself and took upon him the form of a Servant he was in the form of God Son of and equal with God 't is said indeed Rom. 14.9 that Christ both died and rose that he might be Lord both of the dead and living because there the question is about his acquired Dominion but in this place both are spoken of for Christ is opposed unto Idols upon the account of both his Dominions of which both the ground is contained in the words by whom are all things and all things are said to be by him not because he is Lord but rather he is Lord because all things are by him He is Lord of all Acts 10.36 The Apostle saith absolutely and without restriction of whom and by whom are all things yet they would have it reduced only to Christians as such Because 't is said to us but 't is not said of whom or by whom we have all things or all things are ours but barely and generally of whom and by whom are all things without any particular relation to Christians but this would follow that if according to the several relations we stand in we should have some things of one and others of another namely such as creatures such as men and such as Christians we would divide the supreme cause so that there should not be only one but many thus not only one God and one Lord but many quite contrary to what the Apostle saith Besides that if such a restriction be put upon the words one Lord by whom are all things the same must be layed upon the former one God of whom are all things whereby they shall presume upon the Father as well as upon the Son for there is the same reason for both so that both ought either generally or particularly to be taken which how presumptuous an attempt this is let any impartial man judge Not only the work of Creation but also that of divine Providence that is preservation and governing of the world is attributed unto Christ Colos 1 1◠this is of two kinds Ordinary and Miraculous the first spoken of when 't is said and by him all things consist for in the foregoing verse having said by him were all things created in this he addeth by him all things consist for he not only created but also preserveth all things and as 't is said else where all things are upheld by the word of his power Heb 1.3 in which place as in the foregoing is shewed how he who made the world doth also preserve the same the two go together and be inseparable and in the preservation of this world and works of Nature by him created
name of his Spouse Psal 45.11 worship thou him As Christ is not God upon the account of any Office and Dignity so he is not to be worshiped by reason of any Office and Dignity here that which is cause for one is cause for the other no Office can make any one God who is not so so none ought to be adored but because he is God that is of the same nature and substance and not by communication of divine Power Dignity or Office for to give the Creature that which is due only to the Creator is meer Idolatry which the Apostle fathereth upon the Galatians Gal. 4.8 when ye knew not God ye did service unto them which by nature are no Gods which they might have excused thus Though we did so to those that were not such by nature yet they were Gods by Office Dignity and Power but the Apostle as I said before blameth them for doing so unto those which by nature are not Gods Wherefore religious worship is due only to such as is God by nature seeing then divine worship is due to Christ as by and by I hope to prove it implies that Christ is God by his nature and certainly where the name of God and Son of God is absolutely attributed as it is to Christ it designs Nature more than Office or Dignity so that the word Lord so often and specially in the New Testament attributed unto Christ signifies in the strict sense the infinite and independent Dominion of the Lord Jesus over all his being from the Father is by generation not in relation to his Essence but to his person not absolutely but relatively as he is Son and if he be begotten it necessarily follows to be of the Essence or Nature of the Father which also shews the Eternity of that Generation These things I here repeat because when once that perswasion of Christ's being true Essential God is once setled in our minds then without any scruple or difficulty we may worship him else men are at a stand under fear of worshiping the Creature instead of the Creator who is God blessed for ever Before we prove that Christ is and ought to be worshiped with a religious worship for we speak of no other we intend to shew how the true essential God is alone to be worshiped and though to that effect several arguments might be drawn out of Scripture we shall in order thereunto examine only two one is this Isa 42.8 I am the Lord that is my name and my glory will I not give to another This is a solemn declaration of the unchangeable God of Truth who having given that same glory unto Christ must infallibly conclude Christ to be the same Lord Jehovah with him Chap. 48.11 here the name and the glory of God do signifie the same for sometimes in Scripture the Name of God signifies his Nature when essentially taken and the Attributes of the person when personally taken never to be understood barely of a name when we love fear and serve God 't is not the Letters or a sound in the Air but either the nature or some of the persons of the Trinity But the truth of this here asserted that the name and glory of God signifie the same Isai 42.8 compared with Exod. 33.18 19. is elsewhere confirmed positively and absolutely how his glory God will not give to another whosoever he be But as Socinus doth not use to take the words of God as and in the sense he saith them so here he would make God speak otherwise than he doth for he never wants his limitations and therewith he limiteth the holy One the God of Israel God saith he doth not say I will not give my glory to another that is dependent upon and subordinate unto me such he makes the Lord Jesus but to graven Images But do not Images of God of Christ of Angels Apostles depend upon and are subordinate to God as to the Matter the form or making of them the designs of men and all upon the will of God Surely they do for every Creature whatsoever is subordinate to and depends upon his Maker and suppose God would chuse one Creature as may be an Angel or any Man or Woman and heap all the Treasures of his Glory upon such a one which he yet declares he will not do yet according to them he might do 't and not act against his solemn protestation that he will not do 't after this no Creature as a Creature can differ from God for they make God say he doth not intend to exclude any other wholly dependant upon and subordinate to him as is every Creature whatsoever thus after this the Effect shall be the same with the Cause because it depends upon it this new signification of the word another deserved well to have been confirmed by some example in that other place already mentioned which confirmeth this there is no mention of Images or any thing else barely I will not give my glory unto another which leaves no ground to Cavil about Images Thus they would make the strength of these words of God to vanish away and be resolved into this God will not give his Glory to Images but will give it to Angels and Men even to Satan and Antichrist the worst of them Then by the word to give they understand only to permit so if he giveth Money Bread Cloaths c. he only permitteth if to the word give leave had been joyned they might have pretended to something though there had been no sense thus with their altering the sense of words they would overthrow the use of languages and so coin one of their own which none but themselves shall understand and by those means teach all that went before to speak then here according to their interpretation contrary to what God declareth he will permit or give graven Images something of his glory if they do not believe it themselves others who did worship those Images will for they thought God had communicated to them something of his glory or else would not have look't upon them as worthy to be Religiously worshiped But to come to the thing since God in this place denyeth the permission for any one to have his glory much more doth he deny to give it himself to another and if from the beginning of the world he hath suffered the Devil to usurpe Divine Honour to himself and several Nations religiously to worship Images as 't is known he hath yet to neither he gave that glory of his and out of this appeareth the true sence of the Text that he will not permit for he hath permitted but not give his glory which he hath never given V. 6 7 But to come to the scope of the place 't is this God said it when he spoke of Christ as it appears by the two foregoing and following verses which may be perused therein he is spoken of in such a way and to
a gall of bitterness as well as the bond of iniquity with a slight and contempt of his person the Man that Man this Man Man in every case and all this to lose no occasion of robbing him of his Divinity 2 Kings 49.27 and Isai 3.28 this calls to my mind God's words against Sennacherib another great Blasphemer which by the Lord might have been applied to Socinus I know thy abode and thy going out and thy coming in and thy rage against me And let all his Sectators remember what the Apostle saith Jud. 14.15 behold the Lord cometh to execute judgment upon all and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him that is Christ when he cometh to judge the world Another thing here to be taken notice of is this that in verse 5. where the Lord Jehovah is called the Lord of the whole Earth it must be spoken of one and the same person for if they had been two different the copulative particle and had not been omitted after the words Psal 37.5 the hills melted like wax at the presence of the Lord there should have been and at the presence of the Lord of the whole Earth the first words of the verse do sufficiently denote the Lord of the whole Earth to be the God of Israel Jehovah named just before at whose presence only and of none else the hills melted like wax hereunto answereth that place psal 11.7 tremble thou earth at the presence of the Lord at the presence of the God of Jacob whereby the interpretation of this now in hand is confirmed and the God of Jacob is put instead of the Lord of the whole earth in both which places the repetition of the word Presence is very Emphatical which joyned with what I observed before and with the words the scope and the thing it self do all together fully shew here is but one person spoken of which is confirmed more and more because in what follows the Prophet speaks but of one as in the singular number vers 6.7 8. as thus the Heavens declare his righteousness and the people see his glory and worship him all ye Gods Also because of thy judgments whereby it appears 't is spoken of one and not of two but rather than to yield they will sooner give Christ whom otherwise they would rob of any thing he hath but his humane nature which they cannot do because they must have an Historical Faith or else may be they would and reduce him to nothing I say they chuse rather to give Christ that title and exclude God Jehovah from being the Lord of the whole earth than to own Christ to be Jehovah so what they do is not out of kindness they only give him that which they think the least to rob him of what they account to be the chief though indeed it be the same Again the words of verse 7. do farther confirm this Confounded be all they that serve graven images that boast themselves of Idols therefore worship him all ye Gods For who is opposed to graven Images and Idols but he that is by nature the true God And who is religiously to be worshiped but the true God Jehovah And who but he who is the God of Gods is to be adored by all Gods vers 9. This is confirmed out of verse 9. Thou Lord art high above all the earth thou art exalted far above all Gods The first part contained a proper attribute of the true God namely the highest or most high God for saith David Psal 33.18 that men may know that thou whose name alone is Jehovah art the most high over all the earth Is not this the same as to be Lord over all the earth So that both to be Jehovah and Lord over all the earth are attributed only to one and if he be the only most high upon the earth none but he is Lord over all the earth The latter part of the verse doth afford a reason and a very good one why all Gods and Angels ought to worship him because he is for exalted above all Gods No less than six times he is in this Psalm called Jehovah which cannot well be denied to be the same with God of Israel One thing more I shall say as to this Psalm which with the foregoing and following contain an exhortation to all Creatures with and without life to sing and rejoyce before the Lord and why for he cometh he cometh to judge the earth he shall judge the world with righteousness and the people with his truth which none that hath any sence can deny to be a Prophesie of Christ's coming to judge the world which he speaks of himself When the Son of man shall come in his glory Matth. 25.31 and all the holy Angels with him then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory Then indeed in that divine and glorious State being attended and worshiped by all millions of Angels he shall reign fill with joy the hearts of his people and perform the other things contained in this Psalm He that is to do all this if we believe the Psalmist is the Lord Jehovah and the Lord Jesus Christ if we must give faith to the Apostle Now we must draw nearer to the words of the Apostle who is to be believed as well as the Prophet preferably to Socinians who being not able to deny it own that Angels ought to worship Christ One would think they at last would yield to the Truth and give glory to God Phil. 2.7 8 c. but no such thing for they say they may worship him as a man and not upon the consideration of any divinity in him only upon the account of his Humiliation and Obedience unto Death even the Death of the Cross upon which account he was highly exalted But pray whence doth arise the value and merit of that Humiliation and Obedience but from the divinity of the person which underwent it If he had been a meer man it had been no very great matter no more than what many more could have done A King 's only Son sacrifices himself for the safety of a whole Kingdom some among the ordinary people might have done the like but that which raiseth the merit of the thing is not his being a man for any man else therein is equal with him but 't is the Royal Blood running in the Veins of the young Prince which doth make the act so meritorious and so considerable so if I may continue a lame comparison so defectuous to represent what I have a mind the Blood which our Saviour shed upon the Cross doth not receive its unexpressible value for coming out of the Veins of a Man but because it is the blood of God wherewith he hath purchased his Church Acts 20.28 Neither was the Obedience yielded
by the Prophet was foretold should come to his Temple how the Temple is the place for Adoration and the Lord of the Temple is to be adored and the worship proper for God is due to him We are equally baptized in the name of the Father Son and Holy Ghost for in the words of the Institution and form of Administration there is no other difference but of order the names are jointly used without any sign of distinction as to Nature or Power all three are therein called upon there being in them an equal Majesty and Authority I read how in the heavenly Jerusalem Rev. 21.22 the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the Temple of it yet but one Temple as they are but one God But that men were in the practice as by the institution they ought to be baptized in the name of Christ it appears out of what Peter said to the new Converts be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ Acts 2.38 where we see he takes notice only of Jesus Christ not to exclude either Father or Holy Ghost but strongly to insinuate into their minds and hearts how Christ was their God Lord and Saviour which to Preach and perswade was his great end and this he would have them to make open profession of in their being baptized in his name whereby he shews the necessity and comprehensiveness of Christ's name used in the administration of that holy Sacrament and the end thereof is for the remission of sins that is to obtain pardon of sins yea and to receive the gift of the holy ghost So when the Centurion's family was baptized Acts 10.43 chap. 19.5 1 Cor. 1.13 't is said only they were baptized in the name of the Lord. The name signifies the authority of the Lord which in this case Paul was so much concerned for upon the occasion of the contentions that were among the Corinthians which makes him so sharply expostulate with them were ye baptized in the name of Paul This point must needs be one of the highest importance in our Religion seeing he is so earnestly concerned as to say I thank God I baptized none of you c. and he gives his reason for 't lest any should say I baptized in my name Whence we may conclude that to baptize in the name of Christ is one of the most fundamental points of Christian Religion and I think it a rule and practice highly commendable in those Churches where in baptism the word name is prefixed before every one of the three persons thus I baptize thee in the name of the Father in the name of the Son and in the name of the Holy Ghost distinctly pronounced to prevent the abuse of some wretched Socinians which by reason of the affinity which in some Languages the words name and none or not have do confound them and to baptize in the name of the Father not of the Son not of the Holy Ghost Then it is Essential in baptism to have it administred in the name of the Son as well as of the Father wherefore John who by reason of this office is called Baptist did it not in his own name on the contrary declared himself but a Minister when he pointed at Christ and said I indeed baptize you with water but he that comes after me and is mighter than I he shall baptize you with the holy ghost and with fire as if he had said his Servant can administer only the outward sign but the thing and grace signified he alone can give Hence I conclude that Christ in our being baptized in his name is by us therein worshiped as our God equally with the Father Here they make a difficulty because 't is said the Fathers were baptized unto Moses in the Cloud but that signifieth not to be baptized in the name and authority of Moses but to be settled in the faith to be given to Gods word spoken by the Ministery of Moses Exod. 14.31 Joh. 5.45 46. so they are said to have believed the Lord and his Servant Moses Thus our Saviour saith Moses in whom ye trust and believe so they have Moses and the Prophets that is the Law and Doctrine of Moses When God saith a thing tho but once we ought to believe him as if he had confirmed it many times because in some places things are said which seemed to have been left out in others Another particular is we hope and trust in Christ Matth. 12.21 We hope in Christ Isa 11.10 Rom. 15.12 Ephs 1.12 13. 1 Cor. 15.19 in his name and in his name shall the gentiles trust as it had been Prophesied of long before in that day there shall be a root of Jesse which shall stand for an ensign of the people to it shall the Gentiles seck hope and trust in him for mercy As 't is by St. Paul explained in him shall the gentiles trust among others such were the Ephesians for saith the Apostle to them That we should be to the praise of his glory who first trusted in Christ if we must believe the same Apostle not only in this life but also in another to come we must and do hope in Christ or else we are of all men most miserable that is we cannot he happy except we hope in Christ for indeed that hope is the ground of all our Comforts and in that hope whereby we manifest our dependency upon him we own him to be he from whom we expect all manner of help and relief in our necessities for in him are all our Springs we hope in him for all and from him we expect all manner of good and therein we worship him as the Author and Fountain of all the good we receive and hope for now to trust in him is not only our duty but also our blessedness and happiness Psal 2.12 for blessed are all they that put their trust in him which is spoken of Christ the Messiah Now if he was a meer man far from being Blessed they would be Cursed for a dreadful Curse is thundred against any that trusteth in man Thus saith the Lord cursed be the man that trusteth in man Jerem. 17.6 and maketh flesh his arm and whose heart departeth from the Lord. These three several expressions signifie the same and go together for to depend upon the Arm of Flesh for Wisdom Strength and Help is to must in Man and whosoever trusteth in Man his heart departeth from the Lord it is incompatible to trust in God and in Man and the heart is not to be divided one of the two it must adhere to for to both it is impossible Wherefore in this same place as we see a Curse against Man-Trusters so there is a blessing for those who trust in God verse 7 Blessed is the man that trusteth in the Lord and whose hope the Lord is Here again we meet with detestable Socinus and his jugglings God saith he proclaimeth a Curse
against Man that trusteth in Man not in every Man or upon every account but against him that trusteth in Man not appointed by God to give help and relief that is which is not endued with divine gifts but if to be endued with divine gifts had been a sufficient ground to secure men from this Curse then we might have trusted in Moses Elias Daniel c. persons endued with divine and extraordinary gifts but God here makes it a general rule which admitteth of no exception for he simply saith in man it is a most abominable presumption for a man so often to attempt to make the spirit of God to speak in his own Language but suppose there be a man appointed of God to help yet we are not to trust in him for though a man hath divine Gifts and Power yet ceaseth not to be but still remains a man and if God speaketh truth whoever trusteth in man departeth from God though we should happen to know a man endued with divine power and appointed of God to the end he should help us yet we might not trust in him which if we do we become liable altogether to this Sentence of the Curse of God In the third place we do and must believe in him which not to do is sin We believe in Christ Joh. 16.8 9. 1 Joh. 3.23 Chap. 5.1 5 10. yet such an one as the Holy Ghost reproveth the world for It is our duty for there is a precept for it and this is his commandment that we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ which is a sign we are born of God and whereby we overcome the world and have the witness in our selves for this end God sent him into the world 1 Joh. 3.16 17 18 36. that we should believe in him that we should not be condemned nor perish but be saved and have everlasting life now to believe is to do the work of God for this is the work of God that ye believe on him whom he hath sent Chap. 6.29 all our hope for glory is grounded upon the promise which is not perfectly made sure to us till it be sealed now the Seal is the Holy Spirit of Promise which is the earnest of our inheritance untill the redemption of the purchased possession but we cannot be sealed in Christ with the spirit till we have believed Eph. 1.13 14. for so saith the Apostle in whom also after that ye believed ye were sealed c. after and not before No man is the true proper object of our faith for to believe in one is to put in him his whole trust and confidence which we may not in any meer man whatsoever so though we believe in Christ except we believe him to be God our faith is vain and not true This makes the Apostle write his Epistles to whom and unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God Joh. 5 13. but for what end doth he write those things that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God reduplicative as he is Son of God true natural Son of God by whom all things were created in him ought our faith to be terminated for if he was only a medium and not the Object of it then we should believe in him only Ministerially not Principally but in Faith there is no subordination for 't is a Theological Virtue which as it comes only from God so it hath God alone for its object it cannot have two such different and infinitely distant Objects as are the Creator and the Creature To believe in Christ was the chief thing which the Apostles ever exhorted men to do For indeed 't is the whole end and substance of the Gospel but not as an imperfect Christ a meer man but as the true Son of God of the same nature this thing he always commanded men to do namely to believe in him about the time of his leaving this world he charged his Disciples to do 't whereby they should find a present remedy and comfort to those troubles of heart that might happen to befall them this he doth with a great Emphasis he doth not barely say believe in me Joh. 17.1 but he goes higher to shew what manner of Faith they ought to repose in him Ye believe in God believe also in me have in me the same Faith as you have in God if here the word God be taken for the person of the Father the Lord Jesus maketh himself equal with him seeing he will have us to believe in him no less than in the Father if the word God be Essentially taken then he doth affirm himself to be God while he attributes unto himself the same faith which all Believers have and repose in God alone for this fiducial honour God doth not communicate to another no other reason can be assigned why the Son would have us to believe in him as in the Father but because in Nature Power and Honour he is equal with the Father and consequently the primary object of Faith that in matter of worship he owned himself such it doth clearly appear in some instances the first of the man in the Gospel whose eyes he had opened whom our Saviour far from forbidding him to worship him he encouraged to it not under the notion of Son of Man but of Son of God for he asked dost thou believe on the Son of God Chap. 9.35 36 37 38. The man answered who is he Lord Christ replied thou hast both seen him and it is he that talketh with thee and the man said Lord I believe and he worshiped him If he had not been the true Son of â—od by nature I maintain this had been Idolatry which he was no savourer to The other instance is of Thomas who for calling Christ my Lord and my God in the Sense he did after his conviction that he was actually raised from the dead had spoken blasphemy in case he had not truly been Lord and God which far from being reproved for it what our Saviour after said unto him and the manner how he said it import an approbation of what Thomas had said and done and at another time all the Disciples together did perform the same for they came and held him by the feet Matth. 28.9 Luke 24.52 Act. 10.43 Luke 24.47 We pray to Christ and worshiped him In few words whosoever believeth on Christ shall have remission of his sins and he commanded his Disciples that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations Now we come to the fourth part of that religious worship which is due and paid unto him Namely Prayer this floweth from the foregoing for every Prayer should be made in Faith according to what the Apostle saith Rom. 10.10 how shall they call on him in whom they have not believed That to call upon and pray to God is a duty by men to be performed is
Essentially exclusively not to Son and Holy Ghost but to Idols and Creatures the word Father is here taken for God as 't is when said one God and Father of all and Abba-Father Ephes 4.6 Rom. 8.15 Also the Father of Spirits The words our Father are often taken for our God and Lord In those places the word Father is said relatively not to the Son Heb. 12.9 Matth. 10.21 29. Luke 30.32 John 14.13 Chap. 3.13 but to men whose Father God is The things in the Lord's Prayer asked and prayed for are asked of the Son as well as of the Father as the coming of his Kingdom the forgiveness of our Sins whence saith our Lord Whatsoever ye shall ask in my name that I will do And the words which are in Heaven do belong to the Son as to the Father and the Holy Ghost too as appeareth out of Psal 139.7 8. and Matth. 3.16 Nay as we said before the Son is called the everlasting Father And if we consider the Etymology of the word which in the Original signifieth to preserve all things we shall find he is a Father indeed by whom all things are upheld and preserved which the Holy Spirit within us beareth witness unto when our heart laying under the sense of some trouble or mercy doth on a sudden by means of an Ejaculatory Prayer either in thoughts words or both poure it self before him begging for help or giving thanks breaking out upon occasion into these or the like expressions Lord Jesus have pity on me or Lord Jesus make me thankful Thus I through the grace of God have under those several heads brought in proofs for our blessed Lord and Saviour's divinity of many more which Scripture affords I shall take notice but of few wherein he is properly and truly called God which to assert is the main drift of the word as it is the foundation of the whole Gospel for it was absolutely necessary he should be God by nature or else any man might have preached taught prayed given good example and made intercession as well as Christ and if he came into the world and dyed only to teach us good doctrine and give us good example he had done for us no more than the Apostles and Martyrs who taught good doctrine and gave good example so might as well be called our Mediators and Saviours If this had as they say been the whole work of the Mediator our redemption had been no hard matter to be performed But I say that his threefold office of Mediatorship Prophecy Kingship and Priesthood demonstrate him to be true Essential God for none of the three could perfectly have been performed but by a God himself As to the Prophetical to enlighten the understanding and effectually to turn the heart as to the Regal to defend Believers against the Power of Satan and as to the Priestly to obtain forgiveness of Sins favour of God and glory none of these could be obtained but by him who is infinite as in Power so in Nature there is an infinite distance between God who is infinite and every finite Creature no proportion between Infinite and Finite Scripture owneth nothing but God to be higher than Angels now Christ is higher and above all Angels Besides that the necessity of satisfaction to be given to Divine Justice doth argue a necessity for Christ to be God for the satisfaction could not have been adequate as it ought to be except he was God and this divinity in him doth prove the plurality of persons in the God-head which is the whole of the difficulty alledged against the most holy Trinity Certainly the great design of the Apostles and others was to preach Christ to be truely and really God Son of God whereby their Ministry was exalted this was the foundation they were to build upon Acts 8.37 The Eunuch must make this Confession I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God before he could be baptized so did every one else being converted to the Faith this in our Religion is the first thing to be known and preached thus Paul after his Conversion Chap. 9.20 the first thing he did was to preach that Christ is the Son of God for that was the great question the Jews denyed him not to be Man Son of Man but he went about to convince them how also he was God Son of God and he was by Nature God as certainly as by nature he was Man Wherefore he would raise the thoughts of the Corinthians from the consideration of Christ's humanity to that of his Deity when he saith 2 Cor. 5.16 though we have known Christ after the flesh yet now henceforth know we him no more after the flesh but according to the spirit not in the humane but in the divine nature according to which he is called by the glorious names of the holy one Act. 3.14 15. 1 Cor. 2.8 and the just the prince of life and the Lord of glory our Blessed Saviour who when he was in the world had so often declared himself to be the Son of God in a proper sense after his Ascension when he had a full possession of that glory as it were to confirm from Heaven what he had declared upon Earth in the Revelation he made to that disciple of his who doth so eminently bear witness of his divinity 1 Joh. 4.14 15. when he saith we have seen and do testifie that the Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world and whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God God dwelleth in him and he in God and not otherwise I say on that occasion the Lord Jesus from Heaven proclaims himself to be Son of God in the letter to the Angel of the Church in Thiatira with this glorious description Rev. 2.18 compared with chap. 1.14 15. These things saith the Son of God who hath his eyes like unto a flame of fire and his feet like unto fine brass Tho his enemies would not hear him upon earth during the time of his humiliation when through his Passive Obedience he was about performing the first part of his Priestly Office to satisfie divine Justice and make expiation for our sins I think now they should when he speaks from Heaven whence he exercises his Royal Office I know well enough how what I say about his satisfying Divine Justice through his death doth not affect his enemies who deny he hath given satisfaction for us but what can his intercession on in Heaven which is the second part of his Priesthood be grounded upon but his own merits through his Sufferings and Death he thereby hath payed our Debts and by vertue of that payment he asks we should be released but that point I intend not to meddle with in this place In the New Testament the name Saviour is as proper to him as that of Christ as indeed that of Jesus the same with Saviour was given him by the Angel and
with the People but being appeased by Moses promised to send an Angel before them which Moses and the People were fully satisfied with Who and what this Angel was Chap. 23.20 21 22. we have it in the Book of Exodus with the End for which he was to go before namely to guide them and 't is thus expressed Behold I send an Angel before thee to keep thee in the way and to bring thee into the place which I have prepared But hear the Charge he gives them concerning this Angel Beware of him and obey his voice provoke him not for he will not pardon your transgressions for my name is in him Such terms doth the God of Israel use when he speaks of himself Two things here we must observe first what is here spoken belongs only to the true essential God of Israel the second is the Angel or Person here spoken of is the Lord Jesus Christ the Son of God out of which Premises we may well conclude he is the true God of Israel The Caution here given to take heed have a care and beware of him as if he had said take heed to thy self in thy Carriage before him this I say joyned with the Command to obey his Voice is very remarkable The absolute Obedience which God requires them to yield unto the Angel is due to God alone and is never related to the Creature only to himself for his Voice is God's Voice and when he speaketh God speaketh as the words of v. 22. do intimate If thou shalt indeed obey his voice and do all that I speak then I will be an enemy unto thine enemies The Angels Voice and all that God speaketh is the faâ—â—e and upon their obedience to his Voice depended the performance of the Promises The Lord never so expresly charged any People or Person not to provoke any created Angel or Man as here he doth Provoke him not offend and displease him not why For he will not pardon your Transgressions Rebellions or Sins in Scripture Phrase for Sin is the transgression of the law So then to disobey and to provoke this Angel is to sin and this very same Angel hath right and power if he will to pardon Sin which none but the true God hath power to take upon him to do and 't is Blasphemy for any Creature whatsoever to pretend to 't Another great and unanswerable reason is For my Name is in him a more excellent Name than any of the Angels do enjoy Heb. 1.4 The Name is that appellation by which one thing is distinctly known from another so Gods Name signifieth God himself as to call upon Gods name Gen. 4.26 Exod. 33.19 2 Chron. 7.20 't is his Titles God Jehovah Elohim Lord. I will proclaim the name of the Lord before thee said God to Moses compared with Chap. 34.3 6. in the former Verse 't is called to proclaim the name of the Lord and in the later to proclaim the Lord the Lord. And in Scripture Phrase the Name of the Lord is taken for God himself that is all in him Majesty Almightiness Psal 29.2 33.21 34.3 61.5 This house saith God which I have sanctified for my name for my self my honour and worship So here when God saith of that Angel my name is in him he meaneth his Nature Titles Attributes Authority Power and Glory In a word I my self am in him which afterwards was well interpreted by the Lord Jesus The Father is in me and I in the Father Now this by the God of Israel being attributed unto another it must be to another himself for his Name is his Glory and he hath solemnly declared my glory will I not give to another Isa 42.8 Exod. 3.2 The Angel spoken of in this place is as already observed the same as before had appeared unto Moses in a flame of Fire out of the midst of a Bush who v. 4 is called Lord and God who out of the same place called unto and required of him divine Honour Draw not nigh hither but put off thy shoes from off thy feet for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground And if any doubt should remain 't is cleared v. 6 Moreover be the same Angel said I am the God of thy Father the God of Abraham the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob. This very same Angel or Person upon the Peoples entring into the Land of Promise under the shape of a Man appeared unto Joshua under the name of Captain of the host of the Lord and in the posture for it was with a drawn Sword Josh 5.13 14 15. to execute his Office of General as God had promised to bring them into the place he had prepared for then the People were just entering upon the Siege of Jericho and this same Angel or Son of God under the shape of a Man exacted of Joshua the same Worship as he before had required of Moses and of him afterwards Joshua said to the People He is a holy God he is a jealous God Josh 24.19 he will not forgive your transgressions nor your sins These last words are the same which God said to Moses in the fore-quoted place and so belong to one and the same Now I say this Angel who appeared unto Moses out of the Bush who through the Wilderness went before the People into the Land of Promise and appeared unto Joshua is the Son of God the second Person of the most holy Trinity the same who afterwards took on him our human Nature and was born of the Virgin Mary and among other reasons this I take to be a very good one Acts 7.30 35. because Stephen the first Martyr for this glorious Cause and a good Interpreter of the place makes mention of the Angel of the Lord which appeared unto Moses and this Moses God sent to be a ruler and a deliverer by the hands or power of the Angel which appeared to him in the bush Moses was the Minister or Servant Heb. 3.6 but Christ as a Son over his own house saith the Apostle So things were done by the power of the Angel Moses was in the Church in the Wilderness but the Angel was with him Stephen's mentioning the Church and the Angel doth relate to Christ our Lord the Son of God who is the only Head thereof and by whose Directions Moses took care of it as also Moses spoke of him under the name of a Prophet whom God would raise up unto them Acts 3.22 23. and It shall come to pass that every soul which will not hear that Prophet shall be destroyed from among the people saith Peter And tho' from the beginning the Son of God was not made Flesh yet as Head of the Church he took care of his People exercis'd his Mediatorship and administred his spiritual Kingdom of Grace which the bringing out of Egypt and introducing into Canaan was a Figure of and we may easily perceive the
sweet harmony between the Old and New Testaments about Christ's governing his Church under both as to Names as well as to Things for he is called Captain of the Lord's Host as in the fore-quoted place and God is a man of war and Lord of hosts is one of God's Titles not only 1 Sam. 1.1 but in a hundred places more So Christ is in the New Testament called the Captain of our salvation Exod 15.3 Heb. 2.10 to be compleated in Heaven whereof the Promised Land was a Type This Angel the People were commanded to take care not to provoke him yet they did In this case the Question may be put to our Socinian Rabshakehs which in another God did concerning Sennacherib 2 Kin. 19.22 Whom hast thou reproached and blasphemed and the same Answer return'd Even against the holy one of Israel So here if it be asked Whom did the Children of Israel provoke tempt and limit in the Wilderness the Psalmist will say Psal â—8 40 41 56. God the holy one of Israel and the most high God compared with Psal 95. c. And if of St. paul we ask Whom did the People tempt in the Wilderness he will answer They tempted Christ 1 Cor. 10 9. compared with Heb. 3.9 for there he speaks of Christ as Son of God it may not be understood that Christ was tempted after he was born of the Virgin Mary tho' after his Baptism he was by the Devil in the Wilderness which indeed may point at the Temptation by the People in the Wilderdess which we read of in the old Testament However I say that Temptation after the coming out of Egypt which was so long before he was born cannot be meaned of any thing after his Birth yet if Scripture saith truth Christ was by the People tempted in the Wilderness the same Person tho' not in the same Nature which he took afterwards Now the Person of the Word in his divine nature existed before he was made Flesh or else how was it possible it should be tempted at that time So I can see nothing to the contrary but that we may well conclude the Lord Jesus Son of God to be the Angel that went before them whom they were forbidden to provoke and the most high God the holy one of Israel whom they tempted and provoked he is called the Angel of God's Presence or of God's Face for the Lord said to Moses Mypresence shall go Exod 33.14 It donoteth a distinct Person in the Godhead from him whose Angel and whose Face he is We must understand where the Angel was God was present because that same Angel and Person was God and what in v. â—â— is named Presence in v. 18 't is called Glory to be compared with what John saith And we beheld his glory Chap. 1.14 as the glory of the only begotten of the Father He also is called the Angel of the Covenant for 't is plain how the Covenant of Grace between God and man is grounded only in Christ and none else Isa 63.9 for Scripture saith in him we are chosen and adopted and only by him we shall be saved This Truth that the Angel who went before the People was the true God the Spirit of God hath judged so important and necessary to be known that at several times and in many places he declared it Among others the following is very considerable if we mind time place and the very words compared together I send an Angel before thee saith the Lord Psal 68.7 8. and David O God when thou wentest before thy people when thou didst march through the wilderness compared with that before quoted of the Church in the Wilderness and the same who went before the People is by the Psalmist in the same place called God the God of Israel of whom v. 18 't is said Thou hast ascended on high thou hast led captivity captive c. for here is certainly a Prophecy of Christ's Ascension as to that purpose this place is quoted by St. Paul Ephes 4.8 9 10. for indeed here mention is made of the Figure and Type namely the Ark as we see in the words of v. 1 2 taken out of Numb 10.35 when the Ark was setting forward and of the Antitype the truth and body of the Type Jesus Christ and upon good ground namely that of Ephes 4 many are of opinion that this is a triumphant Psalm of our Saviour's Resurrection and Ascension into Heaven for David who was a Prophet as a King and knew himself in some things to be a Type of the Messiah among things relating to his Kingdom used to mix and comprehend some belonging to Christ which is the chief scope of the Psalm So Jah Jehovah God and Lord are to be understood of the Angel or Christ for as a little before we observed the Deliverance out of Egypt leading through the Wilderness and bringing into the Land of Promise was a Figure of the great Salvation of God's People and of the deliverance of the Church which is the proper work committed unto the Son of God the Lord Jesus as King Head and Preserver of it When David speaks of ascending he acts not the Part of an Historian but of a Prophet and this is of an Ascension joyned with a Triumph and leading of Captives which doth not belong to that of Sinai Neither do we read any where that God ascended into Heaven from Sinai but Christ having obtained victory over Death the Grave and all his and our Enemies went up to Heaven which cannot be said of the Ark But the Ascension here spoken of as Paul to the Ephesians doth interpret it relateth to him who descended first into the lower parts of the earth that is to Christ who ascended far above all Heavens that he might fit all things if we may take an Apostle's Interpretation of a Prophet and it was Christ's or the Son of God's Voice that shook the Earth or Mount Sinai as we may read it Heb. 12.26 Before I leave this matter to what I said upon another Text which is much to our purpose about this Angel concerning Jacob I shall farther add how the same person that appeared unto him was in the shape of a man There wrestled a man with him Gen. 32.24 2ly That same when Jacob was about blessing Joseph's Children Gen. 48.16 he called an Angel The 3d thing is That he is expresly said to be God Lord of Hosts by Hosea for the Prophet speaking of Jacob said He had power with God upon the occasion of his wrestleing and added Yea he had power over the Angel and prevailed he wept and made supplication unto him he found him in Bethel and there he spake with us even the Lord God of hosts the Lord is his memorial Hos 12.3 4 5. So hence it appears how the Person who at Bethel appeared to him when he fled from the Face of his Brother Esau Gen. 28.13 compared with Chap. 35.1
by †De Vnit Eccles Cyprian and also by Tertullian Ignatius c. This Text doth so well agree with that of the Evangelist to baptize all Nations in the name of the Father Son and Holy Ghost which it doth allude unto that none may doubt but it was suggested by the same Spirit and the name word particular to St. John doth sufficiently witness how those lines together with the rest came out of his Pen Non unus sed unum saith one of the fore-quoted Fathers Not one Person sed unum c. one Nature not only the unity of Testimony as they are three distinct Witnesses not only the unity of Consent and Will but also of Nature as I and the Father are one Joh 10.30 which the Jews understood very well for thereupon they accused him of Blasphemy and took up Stones to have cast at him the reason they give for 't is this Because thou being a man V. 33. makest thy self God In few words we cannot be baptized in the name of Father Son and Holy Ghost except the names of these three equal in Authority Dignity and Essence be called upon on our behalf and as I observed before 't is unlawful to be baptized in the name of any man The Israelites were baptized by the Worâ—â— or Ministry or as the Syriack hath it in the Hand of Moses but not in his Name Before we leave off these Objections against the most adorable Trinity for the better understanding of the matter I shall speak some few words more for indeed the point is of so high a concernment and affords such a plenty and variety of Discourse that we can never say enough of what is to be known in the case Tho' as we said they be the same in Essence yet they differ first in personal Names as Father Son and Holy Ghost Secondly in their Order Father first as the Spring then Son thirdly Holy Ghost Thirdly In their manner of Operation the Father doth act of himself the Son from the Father and the Holy Ghost from both Gal. 4.4 John 14.26 15.26 so the Son is sent by the Father the Holy Ghost from both Father and Son but we never read the Father was sent So there is a difference in the outward Works for tho' they be common to the three Persons yet Creation is properly attributed to the Father Redemption to the Son and Sanctification to the Holy Ghost Thus these three Persons have every one their personal unity in number they are distinguish'd yet are but one God in number of Essential and natural unity wherefore in God are not three Beings three Infinites or three Things Yet they object the names of Trinity Personality and Essence were not heard of before the Apostles time nor the Doctrin of the Trinity I answer to the first that tho' the Names were not yet the Things were and Words are to signifie Things that there is one God the Father the Son and the Holy Spirit as it appears out of the places quoted to prove the Divinity of the Son and Holy Ghost which here I need not to repeat and if the things be true why should Men dispute about words which do not in the least prejudice the Analogy of Faith on the contrary do explain and confirm it As to the Second I say that the Doctrin of the Trinity was mentioned of old as I proved it already out of several places of Scripture the Question is not about the Father but the Son concerning whom is the clear Testimony of Psal 2 whose coming as Jehovah and God of Israel for the Prophet speaks to Israel when he calls him your God was foretold Behold Isa 35 4 5. Mat. 11.4 5. Psal 51.10 11. your God will come with vengeance even God with a recompence he will come and save you which is applied unto Christ Of the Holy Ghost mention is made by David and in other places but that which under the Old Testament was under a Vail is clearly revealed under the New for the Persons are plainly named and their number expressed as in the places already made use of not only in the Baptism of our Saviour but in his Commission given his Apostles to baptize c. which as I shewed is unlawful to be done in any man's name As there is truth in Jesus so this is the truth of his Gospel which also hath in conformity thereunto been the sense of the general Orthodox Councils and of the Doctors of the Primitive Church however this must be said that tho' this Mystery of the holy Trinity be expressed in Scripture yet 't is such a one as exceedeth our understanding and capacity Again they say In most places of Scripture 't is said there is but one God and that this God is the Father of Jesus Christ I answer The Name God when properly spoken and of the true God is taken either essentially for Divine Nature or personalty for some of the Persons when taken in the first sense it doth not exclude but include the Persons only it is set down in opposition to Idols and false Gods which by Nature are not Gods the things absolutely spoken of the Oneness of God do not at all prejudice the Persons which are that onely God hence it is that not only the Father but also Son and Holy Ghost are called God In this Essential sense are taken the places they quote out of the Old and New Testament as for instance Mark 2.7 Luk. 5.21 that of Mark and of Luke which among others they make use of Who can forgive sins but God only The word God belongs to the Essence yet that power doth belong to the Son as to the Father for there Christ assumeth it to himself which same power is also attributed unto the Holy Ghost Receive ye the Holy Ghost John 20.21 22. whosoever sins ye remit they are remitted unto them When the word God is to be understood personally then there is a note of distinction joyned to know what Person is spoken of whether Father Son or Holy Ghost What we say of the word God the same we affirm of the name Father which doth not always signifie the first Person but also the Nature and three Persons Thus when God is said to be Father of all and in the Lord's Prayer we call him Our Father when we cry Abba Father c. in all Texts of that nature Father Son and Holy Ghost are understood As to the Particle besides me sometimes used it excepts nothing within tho' every thing without the Deity or that hath not the Divine Nature But one of the Arguments which most of all they ground themselves upon is this Joh. 17.3 And this is eternal life to know thee the only true God and whom thou hast sent Jesus Christ They would have Christ to be excluded from being the only true God which they restrain only to the Father but herein they are much
mistaken for the word alone or onely which they lay the stress upon doth not belong to the Subject thee but to the Predicate not to thee but to true God not to that which goes before but to that which followeth after 'T is not said to know only thee to be but know thee to be the only true God This we may look upon as one of their usual pieces of Sophistry our Saviour makes it appear that this is the true God whom Scriptures mention namely the Father who sent and the Son that was sent for the true sense of the place we cannot have a better Interpreter of than the Evangelist himself 1 John 5.20 here the true God and eternal Life are joyned in the same the same that is eternal Life is also the true God onely eternal Life and onely true God Now Christ is called true God and eternal Life His Son Jesus Christ John 10.28 this is the true God and eternal life And if here we consider eternal Life as the Gift of the onely true God doth not Scripture say in several places how eternal Life is the gift of Christ Let of many this one serve for all I give unto them his Sheep eternal life If the Son was not that onely true God why should he joyn himself with the Father And whom thou hast sent Jesus Christ to know thee and whom thou hast sent Jesus Christ to be the only true God This is the true order of the words whereof the true sense is resolved into this The Father is the onely true God and not the onely or Father alone is the true God The words in the original are not thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to know thee only the true God but thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to know thee the only true God where any one may see how the Particle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doth not belong to the Pronoun thee but to the true God and tho' the Particle was removed yet thereby Christ would not be excluded for the true God is said as I already observed not in opposition to Christ but to false Gods according to the stile of Scripture the word alone or onely doth not always give a general exclusion as we see it under the Old Testament when Jacob said unto Reuben My Son shall not go down with you Gen. 42.38 for his brother is dead and he is left alone he meaneth by the Mothers side and not by the Father's for all the rest were his Brethren And in the New in the Transfiguration Luk. 9.36 't is said And when the voice was past Jesus was left alone Certainly Peter James and John were not excluded for they were with him but Moses and Elias In the same sense are taken Martha's words to our Saviour Lord dost thou not care that my sister hath left me to serve alone Luk. 10.40 only meant of Mary and not of the Servants of the House And to the matter now in hand let it be known that Scripture never saith the Father only is the true God tho' it says the Father is the only true God so is the Son and so is the Holy Ghost Here Christ would not deny himself the honour of being the true God which in other places he attributes unto himself for the two words alone and true go with God not with thee and his meaning is how true eternal Life consists in this Gal. 4.8 1 Thes 1.9 1 Cor. 8.6 that men may detest Idols and false Gods and be converted to thee O Father who art the only true God by nature which Idols are not Thus when the name One Lord is given the Son 't is not to exclude the Father who also is Lord and the name Spirit given the third Person doth not exclude Father or Son who also are Spirit so this Text doth admit of the same construction as this when Paul saith 1 Cor. 9.6 I only and Barnabas have we not power to forbear working where it is plain that Barnabas far from being excluded is joyned and included in the same power with Paul And here the thing requireth it seeing eternal Life is made to consist in the knowledge of Christ as of the Father wherefore both are equally said to be the true God Those men who pretend to know better than God himself what becomes his glory are very apt to lay hold upon any thing like to favour their notions wherefore because 't is said God hath appointed his Son heir of all things Heb. 1.2 John 5.22 and hath committed all judgment unto him with other things to the same purpose they with the Jews do therewith entangle themselves and form this Argument It cannot consist with the Majesty of the God of Israel of the most high God to be appointed Heir by any one but God hath appointed his Son Heir of all things therefore his Son is not the God of Israel nor the most high God In answer to this Objection I say first that the Person of the God of Israel c. is not the Person of his Father but the same Dignity Nature and Authority he hath as already demonstrated common with the Father he is not made Heir of all things in reference to his Nature for he is such of himself by his own right and inheritance not by favour but in relation to his Office of Mediator in which sense he is not only God but God and Man and upon this account is all Judgment committed unto him by the Father but otherwise he is the God of Israel and the most high But secondly this Argument contains two branches which before I have spoken about yet to what hath already been said this I shall add to the first part That the Son of God the Lord Jesus above 3400 years before his being manifested in the Flesh Numb 24.17 Micah 5.2 Luk. 2.32 John 1.49 Acts 5.31 was called the Star of Jacob and the Scepter of Israel and long after the ruler in Israel after his birth the glory of Israel and after his Baptism the King of Israel which in that sense and place is as good as God of Israel as indeed in the same Verse he is called the Son of God that is of the God of Israel a Prince and a Saviour for to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins As to the other part That he is not the most high God we must in the first place take notice how they set up a high God that is Christ and a most high God the Father which is by such a comparative difference to make two Gods and they would have the Son of the highest not to be highest himself as to Essence and Power The word most high or highest is an Hebraism for in that Language God is called Helion 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is Supreme whence the Greeks borrowed the Name they call the Sun by because the chief of all Stars and Planets
in the Firmament But to shew the falshood of their Assertion that the Son is not the most high God let us consider the following things The Angel said to the Virgin He shall be great Luk. 1.32 upon every account and absolutely so according to the Character long before given of him by the Prophet and Son of the highest that is of the true God v. 35 compared with v. 76 Isa 9.6 and so according to that Divine Nature the highest himself it ought to be observed how the word of the Angel he shall be called the Son of the Highest is the same as used by the Prophet His name shall be called wonderful Counsellor the mighty God c. As in the Prophet by being called is understood â—e shall really be so it must be in the Evangelist he shall be manifested owned and really be Thus Zecharias said of John And thou child shalt be called really and truly be the Prophet of the highest and when he spoke thus he was filled with the Holy Ghost and prophecy'd v. 67 as Elizabeth was when she said of the blessed Virgin Whence is this to me that the Mother of my Lord should come to me v. 41 43. How could he according to the flesh be her Lord before he was born In the second place seeing I already proved Jesus Christ to be Jehovah it necessarily follows he is the most high God Psal 33.18 for he whose name alone is Jehovah is the most high over all the earth Also I proved him to be he whom the People provoked in the Wilderness and Scripture calls him the most high whom they provoked in the wilderness The proper Son of God is God the Son of the Highest is the Highest And the words of Psal 107.11 Psal 78.17 56. do belong to the People in the Wilderness who rebelled against the word of God and contemned the counsel of the most high They would make use against us of that place where when Melchisedes blessed Abraham God is called the most high God whereby they would confine that Title only to the Person of the Father which before I refute I must by the by take notice how the word most high is thrice mentioned in three Verses Gen. 14.18 19 20. to shew how the Blessing upon Abraham was the Work of the three Persons in the Godhead as all three meet in the Conception of Christ in the blessed Virgin 's Womb and in his Baptism The same high God in whose name Melchisedec blessed Abraham is the same who called Abraham received him into favour and at that time had given him Victory over four Kings as it appears out of the place Now that most high God who called Abraham is the same as made a Covenant with him who afterwards commanded him to sacrifice his Son to himself who is that same Angel as before we have taken notice of who is called the Lord himself and upon that occasion said to him Gen. 22. By my self have I sworn saith the Lord that in blessing I will bless thee and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed Now the Apostle teaches that not only the Father but also the Son is Author of that Covenant when he saith The Testament or Covenant Heb. 9.16 was confirmed by the death of the Testator And I would have them to tell me who besides Christ hath with his Death and Blood sealed and confirmed that Covenant certainly none but that God that was manifest in the flesh Act. 20 28. that same God who hath purchased his Church with his own blood So that Melchisedec by the name of most high meant the Son as well as the Father who cannot be separated for as Scriptures bear witness the Son is always in the Father therefore every where in the Word of God the name most high is spoken of Father Son and Holy Ghost which with that of God of Gods and Lord of Lords is essentially taken and excludes indeed Creatures but never Son and Holy Ghost whom it doth truly and properly belong to Now we are come to the Objections that are directly against the Divinity of the Person of Christ which must be answered and in order to it we must here premise something which before we gave a hint of how the word God is taken in two senses first properly then metaphorically and the name God doth properly signifie the true God Now he is the only true God who essentially and by nature is such for every thing is called true by its nature as true Man true Gold true Silver c. as said before from the nature of Man of Gold and of Silver so that if only it be like a Man and like Gold then 't is neither true Man nor true Gold for simile non est idem the thing like is not the same If the true God be he that hath Gods Nature and Essence certainly he is the high and independent God seeing Divine Essence is in itself Chief and Independent Now secondly and improperly or metaphorically are they called Gods that in something are like God by participation and likeness as Moses was to Pharaoh so Angels and Men but these metaphorical Gods may not be called true God nor worshipt as such that which is somewhat like a thing may never be called the same thing Thus I do premise in opposition to Socinus's Notion how in Scripture the word God is taken for the high God independent from any other and for him who by the chief God is in some manner made partaker of the Divinity In the first sense God is God the Father called one in the second is Christ and some other Men he because of his Sanctification and being sent into the World where Christ as he would have it doth not affirm himself to be God but with dependency that is a titular a made and coined God as by vertue of that Sanctification and Mission when that very Sanctification and sending into the World shew him to be true God Joh 10.36 for in the place is meant that Sanctification which preceded his coming into the World for the Father sanctified first and then sent him which belonged to him not as a Man but had it before he was Man and before he came into the World for he saith first he was sanctified by the Father and then afterwards sent into the World that is he became Man for before he was made flesh he had been sanctified by the Father that is appointed and constituted Mediator and Head of the Church but Mediator he could not be except he were true eternal God As to his being sent into the World that also sheweth that his Being is not of this World but from above from Heaven whence he was sent into the World from the Bosom of the Father which argueth him to be above Man and to have had a Being before he was made Man for he was the Son of God in Heaven he was not Man but
was made so upon Earth We speak of the rising of the Sun which hath a Being before he riseth on our Hemisphere but only at such a time he appeareth unto us like the Star that guided the Wisemen to the place where he was born and of Christ it is said Thou hast the dew of thy youth from the womb of the morning As to what Socinus saith That Christ is said to be God but not that onely God we answer how Christ is not upon every account said to be God but only he is said to be such a God as true divine Worship is due unto who alone is to be worshipped and served as he saith Mat. 4.10 So he is no other but the onely God in Scripture called the true God They object the place where the Holy Ghost saith 1 Cor. 8.6 But to us there is but one God the Father of whom are all things who is distinguished from Christ who is one Lord by whom are all things But the Adversaries Prejudice makes that they either will not or cannot see how in the place St. Paul doth not separate one God from Christ nor one Lord from the Father for his scope is to teach us Christians how there are not many Gods nor many Lords but only one God and one Lord Now if the Father was one God and one Lord separately from Christ then there would be two Gods and two Lords which wholly overturns the Apostle's design so that of necessity we must say the Father and Christ are one God and one Lord consequently that God and the Lord are the same for there is no doubt but that God is the Lord and he who by Divine Reason is Lord and opposed to Idols as 't is the true sense of the place he also for certain must needs be God So then when Paul saith that onely God to be the Father he also owns him to be the onely Lord and when he saith the one Lord is Christ he owns him to be one God and as he excludeth not the Father from being Lord so he excludeth not Christ from being God 'T is a weak notion grounded upon these Particles of whom and by whom are all things for both the same in Scripture are attributed to God Rom. 11.36 Of him and through him and to him are all things so there is in them nothing to exclude Christ from being God for both belong to Father and Christ only one is chiefly attributed to one the other chiefly to the other 'T is an Error in the Adversaries to say the words by whom to signifie a second Cause seeing that very same Particle is elsewhere attributed unto God which in the same place we must also believe to be attributed unto Christ seeing the Apostle's mind is to shew there is only one God and one Lord But in Socinus's sense there would be two Gods and two Lords one of whom are all things the other by whom are all things tho' the same Apostle doth without any such Particles absolutely affirm There is one Lord one God and Father of all Ephes 4 5 6. wherefore Men must conceive no Mystery to be in those Particles to make a distinction between God and Lord one and the same Nature or Person is certainly God and Lord. Thus David saith Psal 85.8 I will hear what God the Lord will speak And if two be so one is no prejudice to the other Hence I conclude how no stress is to be laid upon these Particles of and by as if there were two different Natures and Principles as also in another place already quoted they would upon the Particle and where 't is said To know thee the only true God and Jesus Christ where they would have the copulative Particle to joyn different Natures and Persons to exclude him from being the true God but after this manner of interpreting the words God and Father must import two different Subjects and Natures so that God shall be one and Father the other for 't is said Gal. 1.4 according to the will of God and our Father which contradicts their Opinion of one onely God namely the Father but in that place the words God and Father are essentially taken for Father Son and Holy Ghost one only God Farther they argue thus If Christ be the Son of that onely God he is not the onely God himself or else he would be his own Son but he is not his own Son therefore he is not the onely God But I answer the Son is distinguished from that one God not as to the Nature but as to the Person for the Essence cannot be distinguish'd because the Son hath not part of the Nature but wholly together with the Father the Person must be distinguish'd for he is not Son of himself but of another tho' he be God of himself Hence followeth that as to the Nature the Son is that one God not as to the Person seeing in Nature it doth agree but must be distinguish'd as to the Person Another Objection is this If Christ be the Son of that only God then that one is not God the Father Son and Holy Ghost but only the Father so that onely God is not in three Persons We answer When Christ is called the Son of one God one God is there taken for the Person of the Father or as it subsisteth in the Person of the Father for Christ is the Son only of God the Father but when Father Son and Holy Ghost are said to be one God then one God is taken essentially They need not say where are one and three there are four as if the Essence and three Persons were four things really distinct But we answer Where are one Being and three Beings there indeed are four but not where are one Being and three manners of being This may be illustrated by an Example of Metaphysick where is one Ens or Being and three as properties or qualities unum verum and bonum one must not conclude there are four but unum verum bonum to be simply one Being Wherefore seeing in this most simple Essence the Persons are Subsistences or Manners of subsisting it follows that three Persons and one Nature do not make four in God As to the Rule of the tertium which I have taken notice of before it faileth here because the Essence is communicable for Divine Nature being infinite is so Now we come to some Objections relating to the Son of God's eternal generation The Father alone say they is not begotten but the Son and Holy Ghost are begotten and made so cannot be the true God We know how the relative Property of the Father is to beget of the Son to be begotten and of the Holy Ghost to proceed so the word God is attributed to Son and Holy Ghost that the Son is called only begotten because he is the natural Son and the first born as Mediator because he hath many Brethren he is called the
and of these we may say as of a Watch the several pieces of which being asunder seem to be insignificant but put them together in their due place they are of good use and commend the Art of the Maker when he hath shewed us what it is good for which before we could not know of our selves Thus one or few acts of divine Providence are Mysteries to us which we cannot dive into nor understand till God hath manifested them to us What would all the Humane Reason in the World say of the Command which Abraham received to sacrifice his own Son in all appearance it was a murther and a barbarous and unnatural one too for a Father to destroy his own Son God's Will to try his Faith and Obedience was a Secret As Job's Afflictions for a trial of his Patience and to make him in Ages to come an Example of it Joseph's being cast in Prison for so good an Act as to refuse committing Adultery with his Master's Wife would puzzle the Brains and Reason of any Man who believes God to be just and pure if by the several things which the same wife Providence brought to pass God had not made his design known which David saith was to try him Ps 105.19 the word of the Lord tried him So God's command to the Prophet Hosea to take unto him a Wife of Whoredoms when the Lord is a most holy God That the Son of God who is just harmless undefiled separate from Sinners should by Blasphemers be accused of condemned and executed for Blasphemy and this by the determinate Counsel and fore-knowledge of God is that which doth transcend the poor weak frail Understanding of Man tho' never so much screwed up or his Reason put to the rack I am sure David a Prophet as well as a King speaks of himself to that purpose about the Prosperity of the Wicked in this World so foolish was I Psal 73.22 16 17. and ignorant I was as a beast before thee and when I thought to know this it was too painful for me too hard for me to understand until I went into the sanctuary of God No Humane Reason only Divine Revelation could make it intelligible Whoso is wise and will observe those things even they shall understand the loving kindness of the Lord that is Psal 107.43 from 40. the Wisdom from above not the Humane can teach us to understand God's Gracious Dispensations especially in the wise Government of his Church which to Humane Reason is passed understanding as concerning God's Works and Thoughts of which David saith O Lord how great are thy works and thy thoughts are very deep which if we may believe him Ps 92 5 6. a bruitish man knows not neither doth a fool understand this With Admiration and Exclamation he saith it and so deep that Humane Reason cannot fathom it without Revelation Heavenly Light maketh some know and understand but the Bruitish the Fool and Wicked doth not and cannot for want of this Divine Grace and when they would find to measure Divine Mysteries with the Line of this Reason then they become Fools so to them these things still continue to be Mysteries This Author is one of those whom the Prophet speaks of Psal 64.5 They encourage themselves in an evil matter for at first he concealed his Name whether out of Fear or Modesty he knows best but now in his second Edition he pulled off the Vizzard and hath his Name at length how he came by that Encouragement deserves as I think to be inquired into by those that are more than I immediately concerned I agree with him when he speaks the Truth as thus how the Converted Jews would still retain some of the Levitical Ceremonies as may be seen Act. 15. and therein might happen to be too much Compliance as with the Gentiles who brought in some of the Heathenish Rites and that Remisness in some afterwards made those things a part of Christianity it self thus they degenerated from the Simplicity of the Gospel by means of self and worldly ends Hence we see how from Page 165 till 172 he takes Advantage upon account of Ceremonies and such foolish or selffish Priestcraft as he calls it But after all do this Socinian People think to monopolize to themselves and be sole Masters of all good Sense and Reason surely others among the Antients and now are as rational as they why should not their Wisdom and Reason seeing they make it to be natural differ from Wisdom and Reason that is Spiritual From hence I am sure St. Panl makes not only a difference but also a great Opposition between them for saith he We speak not in the words of humane wisdom but which the Holy Ghost teacheth and God hath revealed them that is the Doctrines of the Gospel unto us by his Spirit and as 't is not the Wisdom or Reason of Man which the same Apostle in the same Epistle Ch. 3.19 calls foolishness with God but the wisdom of God in a mystery even the hidden wisdom 1 Cor. the whole Ch. c. And where this Spirit of God is not pleased to teach the Truth of the Gospel that remains hidden all the Reason in the World cannot understand it 2 Cor. 4.33 and we know it is hid to some to them that are lost among whom are some of the most learned and wise in the World endued with as much Natural Reason and great Parts as any of our Adversaries yet this natural Reason cannot comprehend it I go farther and say that some of these things of God remain still Mysteries and if not wholly yet in part are hidden even to those who have the Spirit of God because by reason of the weakness of their Nature they are not capable and 't is above their reach to understand it first as to God's Nature to us it is incomprehensible because infinite behold the heaven 1 Kings 8.27 Compar'd with Job 11.7 8 9. and heaven of heavens cannot contain thee nor Reason comprehend So in his Attributes his greatness is unsearchable and his understanding is infinite so are his Works both of Power and Providence Wisdom Mercy and Justice far above the reach of Humane Reason as to be seen in Job in the Psalms and other parts of Scripture and let one Text of Job serve for all great things doth he God Psal 145.3 Ps 147.5 Job 37.5 which we cannot comprehend and to apply this to our present purpose we own that the Doctrines of the Gospel necessary to be known both as to the Substance and to the Declaration are clear and perspicuous but still there are some as to the Difficulties which learned Men and Doctors do study to understand which they can never rightly do without a special Assistance of the Spirit of God for 't is he and he alone that can lead us into all Truth for if of our selves we cannot understand the plainest much less the hardest wherefore