curse of thy sin and though thou seest that all the good of his abasement came to thee thou wilt endure nothing for him Ah conforme henceforth thy loue to his Secondly heere is an excellent ground of comfort that we haue a most perfect and all-sufficient Sauiour not onely the son of man but the Son of God almighty Ioh. 3. 16. God so loued the world that he gaue his onely begotten Son that whosoeuer should beleeue in him should not perish but haue euerlasting life All other sauiours were meere sonnes of men Ioshua the Iudges Iephte Samson c. And their deliuerances but temporall from the sonnes of men but heere is an eternall Sonne of God an heauenly Sauiour and Saluation from all spirituall enmities worthy the Sonne of God Hereupon namely the excellency and dignity of his Person ariseth the excellency price and merit of his obedience both actiue in fulfilling the law and passiue in satisfying the breach For being the naturall Sonne of God he cānot but be very God of the same substance and Godhead with the Father vnto which Diuine nature the humane being vnited it receiueth an excellency and dignity aboue all created natures of men and Angels for to which of the Angels did he at any time say Thou art my Sonne Heb. 1. 5 And hence all his obedience must needs bee of infinite merit the Person being so infinite else could he not haue sustained the infinite burden of mans sin nor appeased the wrath of his Father infinitly offended nor in so short time haue made so full and perfect satisfaction which must be of infinite worth and desert nor haue vanquished so infinite enemies as sin death hell and the deuill nor haue purchased for vs that infinite and eternall Crowne of righteousnes vnlesse he had been Immanuel God with vs and for vs blessed for euer Thirdly If Christ be that true Sonne of God so declared by the Prophets then wee are instructed 1. To beleeue in him for this is the Commaundement of GOD that we doe beleeue in the Name of his Sonne Ye beleeue in God beleeue also in me And the reason is because the Father and the Son are one Besides no creature can be the obiect of faith which fixeth it selfe vpon God as Mar. 11. 22. Haue faith in God which word God in the Creed is but once named to note the vnity of essence yet in vnderstanding is to be referred to all the three persons in whome we beleeue and in nothing else And because we must beleeue in him wee must pray not onely by him as a Mediator but vnto him as God equal with the Father into whose name we are baptized Thus the Apostles prayed to him Lord increase our faith and a Leper came and worshipped him saying Lord if thou wilt thou canst make me cleane Math. 8. 2. And often it is made a marke or note whereby all Christians are described that they are such as call vpon the name of the Lord Iesus Christ Act. 9. 14. 1. Cor. 1. 2. In one word whatsoeuer diuine worship is due to the Father is due to this Sonne of God Rom. 15. 12. In him the Gentiles shall trust euery knee shall bowe vnto him and Ioh. 5. 23. That all men might honour the Son as they honour the Father 2. We must esteeme and affect him as the Sonne of God accounting him the chiefe of 10000. as the Church doth to loue and reuerence him aboue all other saying Thou art fayrer then the sonnes of men If any man loue not the Lord Iesus let him be accursed 1. Cor. 16. 22. Yea account all things as losse and dung in comparison of him hate father and mother if need so require in respect of him and be so farre from being ashamed of him and his profession as to acknowledge it the greatest honour to suffer in his cause 1. Pet. 4. 13. 3. If Christ be the onely naturall Sonne then kisse the Son of God Psal. 2. 12. 1. In token of subiection as a kisse is if it be of an inferiour to a superiour so Pharaoh said to Ioseph All my people shall kisse thee Gen. 41. namely in token of subiection so Idolaters are said to kisse their Idols that is to be subiect and deuoted vnto them 1. King 19. 18. 2. In token of loue good will if from a superiour or equal thus the Saints must kisse one another with an holy kisse And thus must euery Christian kisse the Sonne of God both in token of their homage and subiection as also as a sure pledge of their loue and faithfull affection towards him especially wee must take his yoke vpon vs stoope vnder his Scepter and obserue whatsoeuer hee hath commanded vs. Doe as the people promised Ioshua chap. 1. 16. All that thou commandest vs wee will doe whither thou sendest vs we will goe whosoeuer rebell and will not obey thy words let him die the death and as Mary his mother said to the seruants Whatsoeuer hee shall bid you doe that doe Beloued Sonne The English is too short for the Greeke where we finde two articles and it soundeth thus This is that my Sonne that my beloued and such a beloued one as on whom all a mans loue is cast for the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is commonly vsed of that which is but one as of Isaac Take now thy 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 thy onely Sonne thy beloued Sonne Christ is the proper obiect of Gods loue on whom all his loue is cast figured not onely in Isaac but in Salomon 2. Sam. 12. 25. The Lord also loued him and called his name Iedidiah that is the beloued of the Lord Christ is the true Iedidiah prophecied of Isa. 42. 1. Behold my Elect in whom my soule delighteth The Apostles expresse this loue in sundry phrases Ioh. 1. 18. The onely begotten Sonne which is in the bosome of the Father hath declared him that is who is intirely and inwardly loued with such affection as is due onely to her who is to be layd in the bosome who is thy best-beloued thy heart thy selfe And hee is called Gods deare Sonne Col. 1. 13. 1. God loues him as himself as being one with him The Father I are one saith Christ in nature in essence in will in operation looke with what loue he loues himselfe with the same he loues his Sonne the only begotten of the Father full of grace and trueth 2. Christ is capable of perfect and infinite loue as no creature is and therefore is perfectly and infinitely loued of his Father hence is it that the Father giueth him all that euer he hath Mat. 28. 18. All power in heauen and in earth hence he reuealeth and declareth his whole counsell to him who from eternity hath coexisted and layd in the bosome of his Father whereas all creatures are not capable of this knowledge 3. Christ as Mediator is most deare to his Father and
beloued as a sea or fountaine from whose fulnesse loue must be deriued to all other Eph. 1. 6. He hath made vs accepted in his Beloued the head of the body must be filled with sense and spirit and life because it must send these into all the members so the Head of the Church As the Apostle therefore saith In him are the treasures of wisedome so he is Gods store-house of loue whence all our supplies must be fetched Of consolation 1. In respect of Gods affection 2. Of Christs intercession 3. Of our owne acceptation The first if God thus dearely loue Christ the Head he must needes dearely loue the mēbers whence Christ prayeth thus Ioh. 17. 23. That the world may know that thou louest them as thou hast loued me namely with a fatherly and free loue What then if the child of God be in want distresse danger death it selfe God looking on him in Christ cannot but pitty him the wife and children cannot so pitty and helpe vs when they can weepe about vs. Psal. 103. 13. Secondly Christs intercession for vs must needes be powerfull and preuailing because he therefore euer liueth to make requests for vs and being also euer loued it must needes be fruitfull for vs he was heard in all things in the dayes of his flesh and much more now in his glory We see what great suits a Kings fauorite can carry away as Ahashuerosh because Hester found grace in his sight would not deny her to the halfe of his Kingdome and shee easily got her suit for her selfe and all her people But Christ shall not be denied the whole Kingdome if he aske it for his Elect. Thirdly hence comes in our boldnesse to come to God in the name and for the sake of Christ in whom our persons and prayers finde acceptance we in our selues being enemies to God strangers from God and his couenant hauing forfaited all are by his mediation receiued into such fauour as Aske what wee will in his name in faith and vnderstanding and wee shall be speeders Of instruction in two things 1. If God thought not his deare Sonne too deare for vs but although his whole loue was cast on him would not spare him shall wee thinke any thing too deare for him If benefits will binde search heauen and earth you shall not finde such a loue which is left with an admiration Ioh. 3. 16. God so loued the world c. And oughtest not thou to giue vp thy soule body and life it selfe as a reasonable sacrifice for him Oh the ingratitude of men that are so farre from this as that they will not part with a grain of their wealth with a dram of their credit nor with their base lusts The proud will not depart from his pride nor the drunkard with his drunkennesse nor the froward with his malice and reuenge for Christ and much lesse from liberty life c. And what is the reason Men loue their liues their lusts c. and did not God loue his Sonne more than thou canst loue these he set his whole loue euen an infinite loue vpon him and yet hee gaue him to death for thee and wilt thou doe nothing suffer nothing for him Wilt thou loue hatefull things better than God who loued not his dearest Sonne too well for thee 2. If God so dearely loued Christ his Sonne so must we we want no reasons or motiues thereunto for first hee loued vs first not existing yea resisting Secondly he hath declared his loue by innumerable gifts of body and soule yea by that inualuable gift of his owne bodie and soule Thirdly hee hath more to declare to vs hereafter in greater things which eye hath not seene eare hath not heard for hee will not be in heauen without vs. Fourthly God cannot loue vs if wee loue not his beloued Sonne Can a father who hath cast his whole affection on his childe and worthily endure that hee should be contemptuously entreated and despised The sentence is passed If any loue not the Lord Iesus let him bee accursed Fifthly the greatest reason of all is the strait vnion and band between Christ and the Christian he the foundation wee the building coupled he the roote we the branches ingrafted he the Head we the body vnited he the Husband we the wife married and hence is the communication betweene vs in natures goods estates he puts on our nature to cloath vs with his diuine nature he put vs in state of all his goods wisedome righteousnes sanctification and Redemption yea giues vs right to heauen to earth and the creatures he takes on him our low estate to aduance vs to his glory yea our troubles are his in our wrongs he is wronged and whatsoeuer is done to vs of well or woe hee takes it as done to himselfe either to recompence or reuenge it Now what an vnseemly and confused sight were it to behold the building falling off of the foundation the branches seuering from the roote the members cutting themselues from the head and the wife suing for a diuorce or at daggers with her husband Notes of our loue to Christ are these 1. Often to thinke of him and these thoughts bee deepe large frequent which argues abundant affection in the soule Often out of that abundance to speake of him and neuer but to his glory for where we heartily loue we can willingly praise Thus the loue of God in Dauids heart filled his mouth and pen with often praises Psal. 119. 164. Seuen times a day doe I praise thee Thus the Spouse in the Canticles loued much and praised much My beloued is white and ruddy the fairest of ten thousand chap. 5. 10. Yea by this meanes bring others to be in loue with him as wee doe with our deare friends Psal. 31. 23. O loue the Lord all ye his Saints Cant. 5. 16. His mouth is as sweet things he is wholly delectable this is my welbeloued and this is my louer O daughters of Ierusalem 2. To bee carefull to please and content him in all things the man I loue I will doe any thing wherby I may please him I will abstain from y t which will offend and incense him 2. Cor. 5. 9. We couet both at home and from home to be acceptable vnto him I will not forget his desire his word I will thinke the time short and well spent to do his requests I will not imprison his loue in my heart or mouth but expresse it in my whole course and calling as Peter was thrice enioyned to expresse his loue to Christ in feeding his sheepe and lambes Ioh. 21. 16. 3. Loue is bountifull I will spare nothing for my friend all I haue is his to command and vse because my selfe am sincere loue is communicatiue and will be at cost for Christ those that loue Christ first giue themselues to Christ and then their gifts their graces their goods to the vse of Christ and of his members
sincere loue is diligent and will refuse no paines to please or pleasure the partie loued what infinite paines will men that loue the world take for an handfull of it and such as loue Christ will refuse no paines to enioy to glorifie him as the Apostles and Martyrs in whom we see how loue ouercommeth all things and the hardest paines is pleasure to it 4. This Christian and holie loue is ready to defend Christ no man can endure to heare or see his friend abused loue carries a sympathy with it that is a fellow-feeling causing ioy or griefe to see his glory Word or Kingdom aduanced or hindred it carries a godly zeale to Gods house which consumed Dauid Psalm 69. 9. Paul and Barnabas when GOD was dishonoured were mooued and rent their cloathes and loue to Christ makes a mā take to heart things against his name and honour nay it makes the Christian ready to suffer with Christ and for Christ and accept of neuer so hard a conditiō with him Much water cannot quench loue nor the flouds drowne it Cant. 8. 6. Yea if all the world should forsake Christ and sincere profession of him sincere loue would loue the more and die with him rather than deny him 5. Now in his absence to loue him in his image in his seruants because they loue him in his Word Sacraments which are his letters and pledges in his gifts and graces which are his loue-tokens and long to obtaine his presence for the Spirit saith Come and the Bride saith Come yea euen to be sick of loue after him Cantic 5. 8. Thus may wee trie our loue of Christ and shame our selues for want of it and stirre vp our selues to grow vp in the image of God who hath set his whole loue vpon him and long after the day when wee also shall set our whole loue vpon him as he vpon vs. In whom I am well pleased Sect. 10. HEre is the fruit of this neere relation declaring to vs that God is not onely pleased with Christ his person his actions and perfections for hee saith not with whom but that in him whatsoeuer is presented is accepted and hee is pleased with that also Neuer is God appeased with any man but in and through his Christ whom hee so loueth as that all his wrath is appeased with all that are in him Eph. 1. 6. We are accepted in his Welbeloued Col. 1. 20. In him are all things reconciled and set at peace through the bloud of his crosse both in earth and in heauen that is the whole bodie of the Church which is partly in earth and partly in heauen by Christ vnited to God Luk. 2. At his birth the Angels sang Glory to God peace on earth good wil to mē teaching vs that now by Christ Gods good will was turned towards men Add hereto that all the fauors we receiue from God are ascribed vnto him Ephes. 1. We are elected in him adopted in him called with an holy calling iustified but all in him and vers 3. He hath blessed vs with all spirituall and heauenly blessings in Christ. For 1. If God look on vs in our selues in the common masse wee are so couered ouer with sin as he must needs pronounce of vs as once hee did of mankinde It repenteth me that I haue made man he must needes bring the curse of the Law vpon our neckes But looking on vs through Christ he changeth his voyce that as when wee behold a thing through a red or greene or coloured glasse euery thing looks as the colour of the glasse so God beholding vs through Christ we receiue the dye and tincture of his bloud and obedience and so are iustified and accounted innocent and pure And thus as it is said of the Church Ezek. 16. 14. we recouer our former beautie which is made perfect through his beautie 2. This was shadowed in the old Testament Ge. 8. 21. When the earth was destroyed and Noah came out of the Arke hee offered burnt-offerings to the Lord and the Lord smelled a sauour of rest and said I will no more curse the earth c. A notable type of Christ the Mediatour and maker of atonement betweene God and man from whose meritorious sacrifice God only smelleth a sauour of rest So likewise in Aaron the high Priest Exod. 28. 38. Aaron must beare the iniquitie of the offerings of the children of Israel and Holinesse to the Lord shall be alwaies vpon his forehead to make them acceptable to the Lord here saith Caluine must all our senses bee fixed vpon the forehead of the only high Priest from whom all holinesse floweth foorth to his Church neither could the Priest make the people acceptable in his owne person but as hee stood a type of Christ. 3. Consider Christ 1. in himselfe God was so pleased in him as hee was neuer displeased nothing was euer found in him displeasing no guile in his lips no spot in his person but was euer a beloued Sonne it is not so with vs who were before the sonnes of wrath and Lo-ammi Lo-ruhamah 2. Consider him as Head of the Church and Mediatour his obedience was so voluntary and satisfactory so full and meritorious as must needs appease his fathers wrath in him the Father hath his Law wholly fulfilled euen all righteousnes in him he hath the curse borne carried away in him he hath a new righteousnes of faith restored to beleeuers and a new image repaired vpon them so as now beholding them not in the first Adam but in the second not in the old roote but in the new plantation he loueth the members because he loueth the Head accepteth them as sons through his beloued Sonne To note the miserable condition of all them that are without Christ because they are as the Gentiles without God in the world without hope for nothing else in the world can put backe the wrath of God there is no name else vnder heauen in which a man can be saued How fearefully is the wrath of God come vpon the Iewes to the vttermost who reiect this Corner stone and yet expect a Messiah of their owne making Neither the cleere testimonies of the Prophets nor of Iohn nor Heare this voyce of the Father nor his own mighty works haue moued them because hardnesse is come vpon them till this day and the vaile is vpon their hearts which wee must pray that God would in his time remooue Those mightie kingdomes of Turkes and Heathens who refuse the Sonne of God and will not acknowledge him more than a man lye vnder Gods wrath and in the power of the diuell and reiect the onely meanes whereby they should come into fauor with God which when we consider as we are to pitie and pray for them so with praise and gladnesse wee are to acknowledge Gods goodnesse whose prouidence watched ouer vs to be borne in the places and times wherein Christ rideth most gloriously in