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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A43607	Syntagma theologicum, or, A treatise wherein is concisely comprehended, the body of divinity, and the fundamentals of religion orderly discussed whereunto are added certain divine discourses, wherein are handled these following heads, viz. 1. The express character of Christ our redeemer, 2. Gloria in altissimis, or the angelical anthem, 3. The necessity of Christ's passion and resurrection, 4. The blessed ambassador, or, The best sent into the basest, 5. S. Paul's apology, 6. Holy fear, the fence of the soul, 7. Ordini quisque suo, or, The excellent order, 8. The royal remembrancer, or, Promises put in suit, 9. The watchman's watch-word, 10. Scala Jacobi, or, S. James his ladder, 11. Decus sanctorum, or, The saints dignity, 12. Warrantable separation, without breach of union / by Henry Hibbert ...	Hibbert, Henry, 1601 or 2-1678.; Hibbert, Henry, 1601 or 2-1678. Exercitationes theologiae.	1662 (1662)	Wing H1793; ESTC R2845	709,920	522

Objectivè for he that was yesterday shadowed in the Law is to day shewed in the Gospel one Christ crucified being the center of the Bibles circumference Subjectivè the same in his Attributes Power and Authority being alwayes the Lord of his people and Shepherd of his Flock Effectivè the same in his goodness and grace for he who was yesterday the God of Salvation is to day and shall be for ever Jesus a Saviour Christ is our priviledged place where our souls cannot be arrested Themistocles being out of favour with Philip of Macedon took up in his arms his son Alexander beseeching him for his sake to accept him Let us take in the Arms of our faith the holy Child Jesus and beseech the Father for his sake to accept us Ignis crux bestiae confractio ossium membrorum divulsio Ignatius totius corporis contritio toto Tormenta Diaboli in me veniant dum Christo fruar John Lambert lifting up his hands and fingers flaming with fire Act. and Mon. cryed to the people None but Christ none but Christ Now am I drest like a true Souldier of Christ said Filmer Martyr by whose merits only I trust this day to enter into his joy I know that Messias cometh which is called Christ John 4.25 Isa 61.1 Psal 45.7 Acts 10.38 The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me because the Lord hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek c. God thy God hath anointed thee with the oyle of gladness above thy fellows Him hath God anointed with the Holy Ghost and with power What things were gain to me those I counted loss for Christ Phil. 3.7 That I may win him and be found in him And now let it be observed That although none may be called Jesuites of Jesus because there is no Saviour beside him yet we are called Christians of Christ because we are anointed as he was Christ hath a threefold Title to Christians souls 1. Jure Creationis by Right of Creation Gen. 2.7 2. Merito Redemptionis Bern. by Merit of Redemption 1 Cor. 6.20 3. Dono Patris by the Fathers Gift John 17.6 7 9. As the Needle of a Dy●l removed from his Point never leaveth his quivering motion till it settles it self in the just place it alwayes stands in so fares it with a Christian in this World nothing can so charm him but he will mind his Saviour all that put him out of the quest of Heaven are but disturbances though the profits pleasures c. of this life may shuffle him out of his usual course yet he wavers up and down in trouble like quick-silver and never is quiet till he return to his wonted life and motion towards happiness where he sets down his rest expecting the reality of a Crown of endless glory Quid qui Christo omnino non credit 1. Cypr. appellatur Christianus Pharisaei tibi magis congruit nomen A Christian commits no sin without horrible sacriledge sin committed by a Pagan is the Laws transgression to be punished by death but the same committed by a Christian is not only a sin but a sacrilegious sin of highest degree Belshazzars sins were fully heightned when he abused the holy vessels to have drunk intemporately for the honour of his Idols in any vessel was a fearful sin but to do it in vessels dedicated to the honour of the true God was a double sin But this sacriledge to thine who art a Christian is but small he abused but vessels of gold and silver but thou the Temple of God by thy sin and loose living That which by Baptism was marked and sealed to an holy use thou turnest to the service of Satan By Profession a Christian by Conversation a Satanist Judas-like thou kissest Christ with thy mouth and with thy hand betrayest him Christiani hominis est Agrippa operari charitatem loqui veritatem That good Christian Eusebius to all questions demanded of him answered He was a Christian to shew that in all places callings and things we ought to shew our selves Christians The Disciples were called Christians first in Antioch Acts 11.26 Phil. 2.5 1 John 2.6 Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus We ought also to walk even as Christ walked Of the Personal Vnion AMong other Titles of our Blessed Saviour Unio importat conjunctionem aliquorum in aliquo uno Aquinas he is called Emmanuel well deserving that Name for he hath done what the same imports as being one by whom God would dwell with us united to our nature by Incarnation as well as to our persons by Reconciliation The Personal Union is wonderful and unsearchable the manner whereof is to be believed not discussed admired not pried into Personal it is yet not of persons Athanas of natures and yet not natural As a soul and body are one man so God and man are one person And as every Believer that is born of God remains the same entire person that he was before receiving nevertheless in him a Divine Nature which before he had not so Immanuel continuing the same perfect person which he had been from Eternity assumeth nevertheless a humane nature which before he had not to be born within his person for ever This is our Ladder of Ascension to God faith first layes hold upon Christ as a man and thereby as by a mean makes way to God and embraceth the Godhead which is of itself a consuming fire And whereas sin is a partition-wall of our own making denying us access God is now with us And in Christ we have boldness and access with confidence by the faith of him Christs humanity serves as a Skreen to save us from those everlasting burnings and as a Conduit to derive upon us from the Godhead all spiritual blessings in heavenly places Behold Matth. 1.23 a Virgin shall be with Child and shall bring forth a Son and they shall call his Name Emmanuel which being interpreted is God with us Of Christ the Mediatour THere is an old Covenant and a new the old Covenant was this Hoc sac vive Mediator est qai se medium interponit inter partes dissidentes alios aliis reconciliat Do this and live And cursed is he that continueth not in all things written in the book of the Law to do them This was a sour Covenant The new Covenant is Crede in me vive Believe in Christ and live This a sweet Covenant Moses was the Mediatour of the Law by his hands the two Tables of the Law were transmitted to the people But Christ is the Mediatour of the Gospel the which he hath established with his own blood The Hereticks called Melchisideciani made Melchizedec our Mediatour Epiphan contr haeret l. 2. Tom. 1. Some Papists will have all the Angels and Saints in heaven to be our Mediatours together with Christ Their Champion freely confesseth that Christ is our Mediatour Aquin. p.

Our creation our preservation do both plead for and challenge it at our hands a regular conformity to his will for we are his people and the sheep of his pasture but much more our redemption the end whereof is that we being delivered out of the hands of our enemies might serve him without fear Luke 1.74 75. in holinesse and righteousnesse before him all the dayes of our life This obedience is 1. Internal wrought and seated in the heart 2. External profest and made conspicuous by outward expressions For the former it is internal wrought in the heart for the outward motions of our service and observance to God have their proper dependance upon the good operations of the heart as it is affected moved and ruled by the Spirit of grace In nature the heart is primum vivens the first part in man that lives and communicates natural life and motion to the rest So in grace the heart is the very first that receives new life from above according unto which all the other parts become instruments of righteousness and Gods glory from being instruments of sin and Gods dishonour The heart then once subdued to the obedience of God the rebellion of our nature being suppressed and the love of God shed abroad in them by the holy Ghost which is given unto us there is by the effectual working of the power of the most High begotten in us an ardent love of God which is that spiritual flame of pure heavenly fire that makes us zealous of good works that actuates the whole man in piety putting us awork in the serious disquisition of the affairs of heaven and making us fiery hot in the Christian pursuit of Gods glory and our eternal quiet The Apostle defines it to be the fulfilling of the Law so that upon it depends our obedience there being no obedience without it Wherefore to conclude this with S. Bernard on the Canticles Dilexit nos Deus dulciter sapienter fortiter dulciter quia carnem induit sapienter Bern. quia culpam cavit fortiter quia mortem sustinuit Sic nos diligamus Deum dulciter ne illecti sapienter ne decepti fortiter ne compressi deficiamus God loved us sweetly wisely sirmly Sweetly because he assumed our nature wisely because he eschewed and declined our sin firmly because he sustained death for us In like manner let us love God sweetly lest allured wisely left intrapped and firmly lest constrained and fore urged we revolt and apostatize from him Let our affections then be once heartily endeared unto him as they ought to be and the whole world shall not remove our standing nor make us forsake our obedience due to God For the latter This honour consisting in obedience as it is internal wrought in the heart and seated there by love so it is external profest by outward expressions It must not be lockt up in perpetual silence nor buried in endless obscurity but our lips must be open to shew forth his praises and our light must so shine before men that they seeing our good works may glorifie our Father which is in Heaven This honorable obedience is exprest two ways 1. By good language 2. By good actions First it is exprest by good language The heavenly host of Angels be assembled together to give the good time of the early day to the Son of God now made the Son of Man Sing and rejoice not only because the vacant places of Apostate Angels were to be filled up and supplied with the redeemed Israel of God but also because we are by his most happy Incarnation made most happily the sons of God of the sons of wrath and partakers of their happiness of being partakers of great misery Wherefore joy was proclaimed from Heaven in the sweetest dialects by the Divine Heralds of Honor because the Author and Giver of Joy was come then into the world which was the best day that e●er than beheld made more glorious by the glorious rising of the Sun of Righteousness Joy again is commanded because enmity betwixt God and man the just cause of sorrow is removed Questionless Glory in the highest degree and largest extent is to be rendred unto God which our first Parents by their unlawful transgression would have taken away And if the Angels thus sing and rejoice how much more are we engaged in the performance of the like since he took not upon him the nature of Angels but the nature of Man since unto us that Child was born and for us that Son was given Sing and fear not then as the Angels said because he was born who hath taken away all cause of fear The Israelites did lift up their voices with Jubile 2 Sam. 〈◊〉 when the Ark of the Covenant was brought unto them which was but a shadow or figure of the Lords Incarnation how much more ought we to rejoice unto whom the Lord himself is come and hath honored us with the assumption of our flesh unto him Abraham rejoiced when he saw by faith the day of the Lord afar off how much greater ought our rejoicing to be now that he was Immanuel God with us He rejoiced when he saw the Lord in an humane shape assumed for a time appearing unto him what should we do now that Christ hath coupied unto himself our nature by an everlasting covenant and inviolable union Our souls ought to magnifie the Lord our God and our spirits to rejoice in God our Saviour A new song is expected of us being the old things are passed and all things become new With the Heavens ought we in a more special manner to declare the glory of the God of Heaven and sound forth in the choifest language and with most chearful heart from generation to generation the everlasting praises of our God for the wondrous work of our Redemption God commands us Good Angels invite us all things prompt us to make our tongues as pens of ready writers to set forth that good matter is indited in and by our hearts concerning the King of Kings Psal 45. whereby we may make his name to be remembred in all ages and the people to praise him for ever and ever Secondly This honorable obedience is exprest by good actions To speak well and do ill is simulata sanctitas counterfeit sanctity deliver●d by some to be duplex iniquitas a double iniquity Being that the true Light is gone into the world from the Father of Lights who dwelleth in that Light which is unaccessible We who are the Children of Light by profession ought not to be imployed in the works of Darkness by dissimulation Our behaviour and conversation must be candid and unstain'd if our souls have received the true stamp and character of goodness For this purpose God gave Christ and Christ gave himself that he might redeem us from all iniquity Tit. 2.14 and purifie unto himself a peculiar people zealous of good works Enoch walked with God and Abraham pleased

again is twofold 1. Essential 2. Personall Gods essential glory is that infinite majesty which is common to the Father the Son and the Holy Ghost in the unity of the divine essence This glory is no other than God himself which the most profound or delicious Oratory of men or Angels cannot sufficiently express Which Moses earnestly desirous to behold but a thing impossible directed his suite unto God in these words I beseech thee shew me thy glory The Personal glory of God Exod. 33 1● is that which is proper to each person of the Deity For example It is the Fathers glory to be from no other to beget a Son from eternity which is Jesus Christ the Righteous It is the Sons glory that he is coessential with the Father coeternal with the ancient of dayes without beginning without ending that he assumed our humanity to make us partakers of his divinity It is the glory of the holy Ghost that he proceeds from the Father and the Son that his majesty is equal with theirs that he is the sanctifier of the elect that he is the sole supporter and comforter of afflicted soul● and that he is with the Father and the Son one and the same God over all blessed for ever Amen The humane glory of God I call that which is ascribed and rendred to him by men with a strong concurrence of all the powers and faculties of soul and body and especially on this ground as a Saviour to sinners a Physician to the sick a Redeemer to the Captives a perfect way to wanderers a Pastour to the lost sheep of the house of Israel life to them that were dead and salvation to them that were condemned was sent from heaven in compassion of our wretched condition appointed the Son of God to be all these unto us For as many saviours were sent from God to save the Israelites from bodily oppression so was Christ from his Father to ease us of the unsupportable burden of our inquities wherewith we were heavily laden As the Prophet was sent with a bunch of figs Physician-like to cure Hezekiah's malady Isa 61. so was Christ with the comfortable ointment of his ever blessed Spirit to mollify our bruises to close our wounds to cleanse our putrifying sores to bind up our broken hearts and with his saving righteousness to heal all our mortal infirmities As Moses was sent from God to deliver the children of Isr ael from the Aegyptian bondage so Christ from his Father to proclaim liberty to the captives the opening of the prison to them that are bound and with his stretched out arme to redeem mankind from Satans servitude As the Lord made a way thorow the red sea to bring his People to the land of Canaan so hath he appointed Christ to be the living way through the red sea of whose blood we that wandred in the labrinth of our own wicked imaginations must passe into the land of the living As God sent David to be a shepheard to his people of Israel so did he Christ the Son of David to be that good shepheard that should lay down his life for his sheep the Israel of God As Elisha was sent of God as an instrument to put life into the Shunamites dead child so Christ came to be our life through whom by faith we who were do●d in sins and trespasses shall live everlastingly As Jonas was the Lords messenger of Ninevies salvation if they did repent though condemned So Christ the Angel of the Covenant is Gods messenger of eternal salvation to mankind condemned for sin if we believe in him All which the Angels knowing and men obtaining the Angels sung and men may prosecute what they have begun Glory be to God on high If we return not glory to the highest for this unparallel'd and incomparable love of his we may be justly censured for ingrateful miscreants and for ever debar'd of the grace of God and deservedly shut out of the Court of heaven Hazard not therefore your Christian reputation and hopes of glory through neglect of God but be as the glorious Angels making melody in your hearts and giving glory to God on high This glory due to God by man imports two things 1. Pious admiration 2. Religious honour The sending of the Son of God to be manifested in the flesh for our redemption must work in us an admiration of the infinite wisdom of God of his infinite power and of his infinite goodness Admire 1. Gods infinite wisdom who could find out a means to work our salvation when men and Angels saw none it came not into the apprehension of mans shallow brain to contrive how possibly an infinite satisfaction due to God by man Ephes 1.8 could by man be given unto the infinite justice of God Yet his unsearchable wisdom hath brought it about wherein according to the Apostolical verdict he hath abounded towards us in all wisdom and prudence For saith Anselm God was made man that both he which had sinned might satisfie and he which was infinite might pay an infinite price Admire 2. Gods infinite power who of two things the divine and humane natures most distant and different in themselves could make one so nearly that one and the same should be God and man Others may admire our Creation but let us admire our Redemption though both acts of infinite power It is admirable that our flesh and our bones were formed of God but yet 't is more admirable that God would become flesh of our flesh and bone of our bones It is a mystery out-reaching our capacities wherein is contained the greatest sublimity and the greatest humlity the greatest power and the greatest infirmity the greatest majesty and the greatest frailty What is higher than God lower than man more powerfull than God weaker than man more glorious than God more frail than man Yet God by his alsufficient omnipotency hath conjoyned them together that we might be conjoyn'd to God for ever Admire 3. Gods infinite goodnesse in promising a Saviour to us when in Adam we had lost all goodness And in performing his promise in the fulness of time without the least shadow of variation when yet we were enemies God was then manifested in the flesh See see God himself whose pure eyes cannot indure to behold iniquity did descend to us because we by reason of the weight of our ponderous sins could not ascend to him In which extraordinary act he made an exact demonstration of his unlimited goodness 1. In his mercy 2. In his Justice In his mercy The Creator that was offended assumed the flesh of the creature offending Man had forsaken God and turned to Satan and yet God that was forsaken makes diligent search after the forsaker is not this infinite mercy far exceeding the limits of the finite understanding and thought of man Our nature is become more glorious by Christ in the union than it was deformed by Adam in the transgression We have

12.1 Remember thy Creators Isa 42.5 Thus saith God the Lord he that created the Heavens and they that stretched them out The Psalmist Ps 33.6 By the Word of the Lord were the Heavens made and all the Host of them by the breath of his mouth That is God the Father by the Son through the Holy Ghost created all Psal 67.6 7. Some observe God is thrice named here to note the Trinity of persons When Moses beginneth to rehearse the Law and to explain it the first thing that he teacheth them is the Trinity in Unity and Unity in Trinity Deutr. 6.4 Hear O Israel the Lord our God the Lord is One Three words answering the three Persons Galatinus and the middle word Our God deciphering fitly the second who assumed our nature Jarchi as is well observ'd by Galatinus R. Solomon Jarchi writing on that Cant. 1.11 We will make c. interprets it I and my Judgment-hall Now a Judgement-hall in Israel consisted of three at least which in their close manner of speech they applied to God John 8.56 Your Father Abraham rejoyced to see my day and he saw it Austin and was glad Abraham in these words acknowledgeth the Mystery of the Trinity saith Austin Add unto these Cottons 7. Vial. p. 5. what Mr. Cotton hath out of Brightman on Rev. 4.3 God is here resembled saith he by three precious stones holding forth the three Persons in Trinity A Jasper having as they say a white Circle round about it representing the Eternity of the Father A Sardine stone of a fleshly colour representing Jesus Christ who took our flesh upon him An Emrald being of a green colour refreshing the eyes of them that look upon it representing the Spirit who is as the Rainbow a token of fair weather and is a comfortable refresher wheresoever he cometh There was Concilium augustissimum as one terms it a most Majestical meeting of the three Persons in Trinity about the work of mans Creation Gen. 1.26 And afterwards about his Redemption Mat. 3.16 17. So likewise in the matter of mans Sanctification remarkable is that of the Apostle 1 Cor. 12.4 5 6 7. where the diversities of gifts are said to be of the Spirit The diversities of Ministeries whereby those gifts are administred of the Lord that is of Christ And the diversities of operations effected by the gifts and Ministeries to be of God that is the Father When Jesus was baptized prayed the Heavens were opened and the Aire clarified by a new and glorious light and the Holy Ghost in the manner of a Dove alighted upon his Sacred Head and God the Father gave a voice from Heaven Thou art my beloved Son in whom I am well-pleased This was the greatest meeting that ever was upon Earth where the whole Cabinet of the mysterious Trinity was opened and shewn as much as the capacities of our present imperfections will permit The second Person in the vail of Humanity the third in the shape or with the motion of a Dove But the first kept his primitive state and as to the Israelites He gave notice by way of Caution Ye saw no shape but ye heard a voyce So now also God the Father gave testimony to his holy Son and appeared only in a voyce without any visible representment Also in the transfiguration of Christ the Son standeth the Father by his voyce witnesseth and the Holy Ghost overshadows him in a Cloud as before by a Dove Now the pur-blind Progeny of Adam being able to discern no clearer of the Godhead than he in the Gospel which saw men walking like Trees O blindness more than gross not to see or seeing not to discern when the Sun it self lodgeth in his Zenith Therefore many have ransack't Nature for Mediums to perswade the Doctrine of the Trinity One tells us That a Spring begets a River and that from both are derived smaller Brooks all which make but one water Another shews a Root from which riseth a Body and from thence Branches yet all but one Tree Another Dyonis de divin nomin 5.2 the Trinity may be shadow'd forth though but darkly by light the Father being as the body of light the Son as the beams and the Holy Ghost as the splendour of both Dionysius illustrateth it by the similitude of three Candles Dam●s●● de fid l. 1. c. 4. enlightning one and the same Room And Damascen of the Parelii when there appear as it were three and yet it is but one Sun And thus as difficult as the thing is Divines both Ancient and Modern Vid. Zanch. de tribus Elohim l. 8 c. 6. have in their Writings brought many similitudes and resemblances to express it by Amongst them all this is one of the clearest viz. The light of the Sun the light of the Moon and the light of the Aire all which are for nature and substance one and the same light and yet are they notwithstanding three distinct lights too Mr. Perkins on the Creed for the light of the Sun is of it self and from no other the light of the Moon is from the Sun and the light of the Aire is from them both So the Father the Son and the Holy Ghost are all one simple and undivided Godhead but yet three distinct Persons the Father having the foundation of Personal subsistence from himself and from no other the Son from the Father of whom he is eternally begotten and the Holy Ghost from the Father and the Son from both which he eternally proceedeth And God said let us make man in our Image after our likeness Holy Holy Holy Gen. 1.26 Isa 6.3 is the Lord of Hosts Jesus went up straight way out of the water the Spirit of God descending like a Dove lighted upon him And lo a voyce from Heaven Mat. 3.16 17. saying This is my Beloved Son in Whom I am well pleased Jesus was transfigured Matth. 17.2 5. a bright Cloud overshadowed them and behold a voyce out of the Cloud c. Go Matth. 28.19 and teach all Nations baptizing them in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost For he received from God the Father honour and glory 2 Pet. 1.17 when there came such a voyce to him from the excellent glory 1 John 5.7 There are three that bear Record in Heaven the Father the word and the Holy Ghost and these three are one De Christo THE second person in the glorious Trinity is God the Son Jesus Christ The Name Jesus signifieth a Saviour so he was called before at Nomen Jesu salutis ben ficium quod ab illo expectandum denotat and after his birth A Saviour considering his Potency able to save considering his Habit proclaimed by the Angel at his Conception he shall save or regard his Act hence call'd Jesus at his Circumsion Or look into his Passion where he was Victus Victor unloosing others himself being

understood so Sin spiritually The Regenerate mans actions are as contrary to those that he did before as fire and water so that it may be said of him as it was once of Troy being taken Senec. Thalamis Troja perlucet novis every act word and work are all altered every chamber made new and swept to entertain the Object of the regenerate It was a strange change that Satan mentioned and motioned to our Saviour of turning stones into bread But nothing so strange as the work of Regeneration and Renovation a turning of stony hearts into hearts of flesh In this great work the substance of the Soul is the same only the qualities and operations are altered In Regeneration our natures are translated not destroyed no not our constitution and complexion The melancholy man doth not cease to be so after conversion only the humor is sanctified to a fitness for godly sorrow holy meditation c. and so of the other The fountain of blessed Immortality is the new birth which is the unmaking of a man and the making of him up again The whole frame of the old corrupt conversation is to be dissolved that a better may be erected The dignity and necessity of this work are motive enough to labour it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 It s a being heaven born as the word imports from above and without it Heaven will be too hot a place to hold us A man with Job may come to curse the day of his first but shall never have occasion to curse the day of his new-birth Except a man be born again he cannot see the Kingdom of God John 3.3 Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit vers 5. he nannot enter into the Kingdom of God That which is born of the flesh is flesh and that which is born of the Spirit vers 6. is Spirit Justification There is a twofold Justification by 1. Infusion 2. Imputation Justificare est ex imputatione justitiae Christi pro justo reputare Inquit Lorinus Jesuita in Psal 45. St. Paul saying we are justified by Faith without works Rom. 3.28 And St. James saying that we are justified by works and not by Faith only Jam. 2.24 may be thus reconciled His Sermon of Christ crucified pag. 68. There hath been saith Mr. Fox a long contention and much ado in the Church to reconcile these two places of Scripture but when all is said that may be said touching them there is none that can better reconcile these two different places than you your selves to whom we preach And how is that I will tell you saith he do you joyn the lively Faith that St. Paul speaks of with those good works that St. James speaks of and bring them both together in one life and then hast thou reconciled them for so shalt thou be sure to be justified both before God by St. Pauls Faith and before men by St. James works That we are justified only by the righteousness of Christ apprehended by Faith is the very Basis Foundation and State of Christian Religion whereby it is distinguished from all other Religions whatsoever Jews Turks Pagans and Papists explode an imputed righteousness yea Papists jear it calling it a putative Righteousness Let us therefore hold fast this comfortable and faithful word and transmit this doctrine safe and sound to posterity It was Luthers great fear that when he was dead it would be lost again out of the world Christ is in the midst of his Church whose righteousness is communicated to every true Believer who only comes within the Sphear of his activity The more vertuous the central Agent is in any thing the larger will his Semidiameters be and consequently his circumference The more powerful the fire is the further will it cast its heat circularly By Christ all that believe Act. 13.39 are justified from all things from which we could not be justified by the Law of Moses For what saith the Scripture Rom. 4.2 Abraham believed God and it was counted unto him for Righteousness Therefore we conclude Rom. 3.28 that a man is justified by Faith without the deeds of the Law Vnion with Christ This Union is neither natural nor corporal nor Political nor personal but mystical and Spiritual Unitas not compaginat uni Our unity with Christ makes us one ●ith him and yet it is no less true and real than that of God the Father and God the Son For as the Holy Ghost did unite in the Virgins womb the divine and humane natures of Christ and made them one person by reason whereof Christ is of our flesh and of our bones so the Spirit unites the person of Christ his whole person God-man with our persons by reason whereof we are of his flesh and of his bones Our Union with Christ is exprest in Scripture by five Similitudes 1. By marriage Christ the Husband we the Spouse 2. By a body Christ the Head we the Members 3. By a building Christ the Foundation we the Superstructure 4. By ingraffing Christ the Vine we the Branches ingraffed into him 5. By the Similitude of feoding Christ the food we the body nourished As the Spirit of man quickens no seperate part Ezek. 37.9 neither could those dry bones live till they came together bone to his bone and the wind breathed upon them Aug. so nor Christ any that are not united to him Christ and his Members make one spiritual body Whiles Christ layes hold on us by his Spirit we lay hold on him by Faith Hence the Church is called Christ 1 Cor. 12.12 And the fulness of Christ Eph. 1.23 Yea hence we have the honor of making Christ perfect O happy union the ground of communion Omnis communio fundatur in unione O happy Interest the ground of influence Hence we have communication of Christs Secrets 1 Cor. 2.16 The Testimony of Jesus 1 Cor. 1.5 Consolation in all Afflictions 2 Cor. 1.5 Sanctification of all occurrances Phil. 1.21 Participation of Christs merit and Spirit and what not I am the vine ye are the branches Joh. 15.5 He that is joyned unto the Lord is one Spirit 1 Cor. 6.17 For we are Members of his body of his flesh and of his bones Eph. 5.30 Sanctification Justification and Sanctification are inseperable concomitants indeed they are not to be confounded but withall they ought not to be severed distinguished they must be divided they cannot and therefore they are fitly called Twins in the womb of Free Grace Hence it is that we find those two frequently joyned together 1 Cor. 6.11 Ezek. 36.26 Mic. 7.19 One bade his Fellow at the Sun-rising look towards the West instead of the East where he might the better see the appearance of the Sun upon the tops of the Turrets even so the assurance of Election is best seen in Conversion and Sanctification 2 Pet. 1.10 Malac. 4.2 Sanctification is an universal healing of all the

outward ears so do the Sacraments by the eyes and other senses The essential parts of a Sacrament are either 1. Outward which hath the signe with the ceremony ordained and the word Or 2. Inward which is the matter or thing signified viz. the saving benefits of Christ Jesus and the priviledges of the Covenant of Grace that is remission of sins imputation of Christs righteousnesse regeneration adoption c. Hence we must esteem Sacraments not according to their outward value but according to the blessing annexed in their lawful use For in as much as they are significations and seals of such excellent things they are with all reverence to be handled and esteemed even as means which exhibit to us and confirm the best blessings of God Yet neither the Word not Sacraments profit any thing without the Spirit this grace proceedeth from the holy Ghost who is unto our faith as marrow unto the bones as moisture unto the tree and as a comfortable rain unto the fruits of the earth If this inward Master and Teacher be wanting the Sacraments can work no more in our mindes than if the bright Sun should shine to the blind eyes or a loud voice sound in deaf ears or fruitful corn fall into the barren wildernesse or a shower of rain fall upon the hard-stones Hence whensoever we come unto these aright the Spirit worketh in us mollifying the hardnesse of our hearts framing us unto new obedience and assuring us that God offereth to us his own Sonne for our justification and salvation Therefore learn whensoever we come to the Word and Sacraments to crave the gracious assistance of the blessed Spirit to guide direct and regenerate us to eternal life to sanctifie us and to assure us of Gods endlesse favour in Christ Jesus It is the Spirit that quickneth the flesh prefiteth nothing John 6.63 Baptisme It is either 1. Proper as bare cleansing and washing Heb. 9.10 Or 2. Figurative And then it is 1. Metaphorical as affliction Mat. 20.22 2. Synecdochical put for the whole doctrine of John Mat. 21.25 3. Allegorical as repentant tears Luke 7.38 4. Catexochen for baptizing of Infants or adults converted The School teacheth of three sorts of Baptism 1. Fluminis per aquam 2. Flaminis per spiritum Ephes 4.5 3. Sanguinis per Martyriuns But of all these three sorts there is but one only Sacrament of Baptism the which is one in three regards Vnum quia 1. Ad unum 2. In unum 3. Per unum 1. Once truly received it is never to be reiterated again Against the Marcionites Hemerobaptists and others 2. For that all of us are baptized into one Faith of our Lord Jesus Christ For John's and Christ's baptisme differ not in substance but in circumstance 3. In regard of the water and words wherewith we baptize We may not use any other element but water nor any other words but I baptize thee in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the holy Ghost Verily verily I say unto thee Except a man be born of water John 3.5 and of the Spirit he cannot enter into the Kingdom of God The Lords Supper There are four kindes of Suppers The 1. Sinners Supper 2. Devils Supper 3. Good mans Supper 4. Lords Supper The sinner makes a supper to the Devil Foenus pecuniae funus animae when in gaining the world he loseth his soul The Devil prepares a black banquet for sinners in Hell upon these two dishes weeping and gnashing of teeth The good man provides a Supper unto God when he opens the door of his heart and suffers the words of exhortation to come in Rev. 3.20 But here of the last Against the Papists that say the bread is really turned into flesh Zwinglius saith well Hi tentant Deum qui dicunt miraculum ist hic Dei virtute fieri ubi nemo sentit miraculum Epist. ad Amic quend Durandus saith verbum audimus motum sentimus modum nescimus presentiam credimus Of the likeness that is betwixt Christs Incarnation and the Sacrament of the Lords Supper and how the one explaines the true nature of the other Theodoret hath an excellent parallel Dialog For 1. As in Christ there are two natures of God and man so in the Sacrament are two substances the heavenly and the earthly 2. As in Christ these two natures are truely and entirely so are those substances in the Sacrament 3. As after the union those two natures make but one person so after the consecration the two substances make but one Sacrament 4. As the two natures are united without confusion or abolition of either in Christ so in the Sacrament are the substances heavenly and earthly knit so that each continueth what it was and worketh answerably on us None but holy ought to approach this Table Procul hinc procul ite profani all others are strangers who ought to be dealt withal as Exod. 29.33 Rather saith Calvin following Chrysostom will I suffer my self to be slain than this hand of mine shall reach the holy elements to those that have been judged contemners of God In all that come to the Lords Supper there is required a fitness 1. Fundamental and 2. Actual Even of those that know God savingly saith one and are truly godly in the main it may truly be said that they also serve the Devil and not God when and as far as they fulfil the Devils pleasure and are led by that learning which he hath taught the world in and about the worship of God as when men joyn with polluted and mixt assemblies mixt I mean with openly prophane and scandalous persons and such of whose interests in Christ they have no ground or proof at all in the service of the Lords Table Give not that which is holy unto the dogs Mat. 7.6 1 Cor. 11.26 But let a man examine himself and so let him eat of that bread and drink of that cup. Catechising Dr. Hall calls it a preaching conference in his Epistle Dedicatory to the book called The old Religion Erasmus Munus arduum planè senile It hath been of antient use in the Christian Church And in the Reformation it was one great means of propagating the Gospel Clemens Alexandrinus Origen and Cyril were Catechists If this were diligently used both young and old should be better acquainted with the Principles of Religion and being wisely done would be more profitable than Preaching without Catechising for want whereof many that run to Sermons have been found to be very ignorant of the main Principles of Religion Come ye children hearken unto me I will teach you the fear of the Lord. Psal 34 1● The Sabbath God sepapated it from all other days of the week for his worship The Sabbath of old had many priviledges which no other day had 1. The antiquity thereof 2. It was written with Gods own finger 3. There was a more exact rest observed in it

to be the chief good or deny him to be God He is holy too as he is man time was when he stood at defiance with the world John 8.46 Which of you convinceth me of sinne He did as every Minister should do vivere conscionibus concionari moribus live Sermons as well as preach them What an ancient Monke said of Saint Dunstane sometimes all Englands Metropolitane is more true of him he is vir totus ex virtutibus factus a man wholly composed of grace who according to Saint Peters report did no sin 1 Per. 2 22. neither was there guile found in his mouth The Devil who is Antonomastically stiled 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Tempter Matth. 4.3 with all his black Art could not infect his righteous soul he was free from yeelding to his temptations not from his tempting for as saith the Apostle We have not an High-Priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities Hebr. 4.15 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but was in all points tempted like as we are yet without sin He was holy not only legally as were the Leviticall Priests consecrated to the sacred services of the most high but morally too in a most absolute and exact conformity to the Divine Law hence is that speech of Russinus on the Creed Russinus Aquilei in Symbol Apostal Nil ibi turpe putandum est ubi sanctificatio spiritus inerat we must not have so much as a thought of any foulnesse of evil to be there where the holy Ghost took full possession by a total sanctification Where the fulnesse of the Godhead dwelt bodily Acts 3.14 't were impiety to imagine that the least unholinesse had any being there 'T is his peculiar title to be called the holy one and the just To make this his holiness clear as the Sun free from any cloud of black aspersion that a captious spirit might raise the Apostle addes three other Attributes which serve as a demonstration not to be contradicted he is harmlesse undefiled seperate from sinners The first quits him of all natural pravity wherewith the sons of Adam are originally infected the other of all blemishes of actual trespassing which defile the man the last of that guilt which through the transgression of the Law sinful men are subject In his conception he was without sinne so was he in his nativity thus harmless in his conversation upon earth he was blameless and unreprovable in the sight of God thus undefiled every way guiltless not incurring the least displeasure of his heavenly Father thus seperate from sinners For such an High-Priest became us He was harmless and innocent Aug. and that in his conception in his birth wherefore Saint Augustine speaking saith that Genus humanum Christus assumpsit non autem crimen humanum Christ in being the Son of man assumed the nature of man not the sin of man for his untainted Virgin-Mother blessed among women highly favour'd of the most high was overshadowed with the power of the highest by the coming of the holy Ghost upon her by which power she so miraculously conceived beyond the course of nature in her sacred womb that therein the Son of God became the Son of man the Word was made flesh But that son of man that flesh was without contagion that body which was prepared for him to be Domus divinitatis the house of the divinity as it is termed must needs have been sanctified for that holy use It was the work of the Spirit to purify that selected substance thereby to make it fit to be united to the second Person of the Trinity Sent. l. 3. D. 3. A. Wherefore saith Lombard that flesh which God vouchsafed personally to unite unto himself of the immaculate Virgin Sine vitio concepta sine peccato nata est was conceived without any pollution and born without any sin Yet was it not of an heavenly or of an aerial nature or of any other save of that same Cujus est omnium hominum care saith the same Author whereof is that flesh of all men But it was not so framed in the woman as ours it was sanctified by divine power ours is infected by natural Propagation Nam corporis nestri habuit pollutionem peccati non habuit said Origen his flesh had the nature of our body not sin the corruption of our nature Origen in Rom. 8. the Apostle averres that he was made in the likenesse of man Phil. 2.7 Like unto us in all things sinne only excepted That man to use Saint Hilaries phrase grounded on the Apostleo words Non fuit caro peccati Hilar. in l. 10. de Trinit sed similitudo carnis peccati was not the flesh of sin or sinful flesh but the likeness of sinful flesh Great is the difference betwixt similitude and identity 't is true that as he took our nature upon him so our infirmities wherein he was like to us but they were such as were void of evils none of them in him being defectus culpae Aquin. Sum. as the Schoolmen speak Criminal failings or weaknesses worthy blame but necessary consequences of our nature Whereupon Aquinas notes out of Gregory the great upon that part of the Angels discourse with the blessed Virgin That holy thing that shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God That to distinguish betwixt his and our holiness it was foretold Christ should be born holy as for us we are not born holy but of unholy made holy but he is not made holy of unholy but born holy hence called Acts 4.27 The hely child Jesus In conclusion should any now demand of me in what manner I conceive the Word was made flesh without sin in what manner precisely the conception the assumption the union was effected whereby our nature in Christ was elevated to the perfection it attained unto in him With Chrysostom I ingeniously professe Chrysost in Rom. 1. Hom. 5 I know not 't is a mystery to be adored to be believed not to be curiously searcht into This much I know that there have been four wayes of making man One was the making man without either man or woman so was Adam made the second was to make man without a woman so was Eve made the third was to make man both by man and woman so we their posterity are made the last way was to make man without man by woman only and so was Christ made man who notwithstanding was not polluted by being in the Virgins womb no more than the Sun in the firmament receives infection from any place it shines upon here below From this transcendent purity of our High-Priests conception and birth whereby he is harmlesse there is aforded us a double comfort 1. By it the faithful are justified from the unholinesse of their impure conceptions Tales nos amat Deus quales futuri sumus ipsius dono non quales sumius nostro meritro Concil Arausican secund Canon

cap. 44. nulla sanitas indefessa nihilancommodi omnia ad voluntatem there is no infirmity there is health without weariness there is no discommodity there all things fall out to our own hearts desire This is that to which our Saviour doth invite us Come unto me Mat. 11. all ye that labour and are heavy laden and I will give you rest Thirdly hereby he hath strongly ratified the merits of his life and death in that he there by them never ceaseth interceding for the faithful never faileth in applying of them to the faithful Tot habet linguas pro nobis lequentet quot vulnera pr● nobi● accepit Fr. Joh. de Combis l. 4. ●sp 24. he hath also so many tongues speaking in our behalf as he received wounds for our sakes He is never from the sight of God but always in action before him pleading for us by the mystery of his holy incarnation by his holy nativity and circumcision by his baptisme fasting and temptation by his agony and bloody sweet by his crosse and Passion by his precious death and buriall by his glorious resurrection and ascension So that as Johannes de Combis a Friar Minorite doth observe Ibi nulla potest esse repulsa ubi tot concurrunt amoris in signia there can be no denyal given where so many tokens and pledges of true love are met together Wherefore considering our misery was extream great and universal our enemies exceeding strong and maliciously bent and that the blessings we desire were above our reach in the highest heavens Questionlesse such an High-Priest became us Of all debasements that of our Saviours was the lowest of all advancements that of him the highest He bowed the heavens and came down to the earth where he was a worm he left the earth and became higher than the heavens he descended into hell the lowest of all places and now sitteth on the right hand of God the highest of promotions We have such an High-Priest who is set on the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens 'T is St. Ambrose assertion that this sitting on Gods right hand Heb. 8.1 intimates no other thing nisi honoris aqualitatem than an equality of honour of authority that he hath an equal stroke with the Father in the government and administration of all things God himself gave him this place in heavenly places far above all Principality and power and might and dominion and every name that is named not onely in this world but also in that which is to come Eph. 1.20 21. Quantum inter flellas luna minores Cap. 1.3 4. When he had by himself saith the Apostle to the Hebrews purged our sins he sate down on the right hand of the Majesty on high being made so much better than the Angels as he hath by inheritance obtained a more excellént name than they Those heavenly spirits are subject unto him who at his incarnanion was made a little lower than they so in his glorification he is made far higher even in that nature wherein he was made low So that now being Crowned with glory and honour all things are put under his feet all rule is put into his hand This is the reason why all the Angels of God worship him and why we ought in the service of our spirit and subjection of our consciences devoutly adore him adore him who is God adore him who is man which adoration in the judgment of acute Zanchius is not to be directed simply to the humane nature considered in itself a● essential unto it Zanch. l. 2. de tribus Elohim c. 1. pag. 38. but as it is personally united to the God-head through which union together with the God-head of the Son it is adored and worshipped with Divine honour Saith that famous English Divine if any misconceiving this doctrine Mr. Perkins shall charge us with an Idolatrous worshipping of the creature I say with Athanasius in his Epistle to Adelphius cited by Matthias to this same purpose Athanas they shall know at length Nos qui deminum in carne adoramus nen creaturam adorare sed createrem corpere creato indutum that we who do worship the Lord in the flesh worship ●ot the creature but the Creatour clad with a created body That honour then and homage which we give him in the humblest manner tendit in infinitum looks unto him that is infinite as the proper object that bounds our divine service to whom 't is due in the highest respect being higher than the heavens For the greater glory of our Saviours man-hood some from these words do attribute unto it an Vbiquity a being in every place at one and the same time and not in heaven onely as if in his glorification there were a transfusion of the proprieties of the God-head into the humanity How far this is from truth may be easily judged Sceundum esse naturale Christus non est ubique secundum esse Personale Christus est ubique Pract. of Piet. P. 15. 1. By this that Omnipresence is a proper attribute of the divinity no way at all communicable to corporeal substances which as they are limited with terms of essence by their definition so of place by circumscription for although our Saviours body be highly promoted and come to the height of so much perfection as it is capable of yet hath it not lost the nature of a body he is still as God so man whom as man according to St. Peters doctrine must the heavens contain untill the times of restitution of all things Act. 3.21 2. By this that hereupon doth follow an abolishment of all inferiority and an equality establisht between the creature and Creatour as if either there were an erection of another Deity or as if the essence of the humanity were converted by an unheard of Transubstantiation exceeding that of the Papists in their Mass into the essence of the Deity so that now they remain no more distinct matures in him but one and the self-same and Christ is supposed to be no longer man but altogether God for where there are the properties of any thing there of necessity must the essence be supposed to be they are inseperable Wherefore seeing the grosse nay blasphemous absurdities of this erroneous position grounded upon the misinterpretation of this and the like texts we may not conceive because Christ is made higher than the heavens than the Angels themselves in glory according to the humane nature that presently that nature must be Deified and fill all places at once as if the glory of Christ as man did not exceed that of Angels unless as man he did partake of the ubiquitie of the God-head But to let this go as no ways affected with unnecessary wrangling whereby to disquiet mens Christian thoughts my intention is to endeavour the elevation of our affections to the seeking of those things which are above and above all of Christ who as

short of an invention how to scape his sury and obtain his favour how to satisfy his justice and redeem our lives from hell and death Behold before the foundation of the world was laid he resolved to send his own only Son begotten by an eternal generation who should quell the power of our afflicting enemies stop the mouth of the roaring lyon overcome the world sin death the grave and hell and lay open a plain passage into the Kingdom of heaven Which eternal resolution was in the fulness of time perfectly effected for God then sent forth his Son into the world to assume our nature that we might assume his grace to suffer for our sins what we should of merit suffer to be obedient to the cursed death of the crosse that we might escape the curse of God and not be subject to the second death And albeit hereby he made himself of no reputation who thought it no robbery to be equall with God yet by this meanes he did make way to be highly exalted to get a name which is above every name and to be glorified with the glory which he had with the Father Ne Jesum quidem a●ias gloriosum nisi videris crucisixum Luther to Melanchton before the world was This he himself in a conference with some of his Disciples after his resurrection wherein doubtless he did recapitulate his several sufferings certified to the world Ought not Christ to have suffered those things and to enter into his glory Luk. 24.26 This Scripture points at Christ considered in part of his twofold state 1. His state of humiliation quoad mortem as touching his death Christ's suffering or passion 2. His state of exaltation quoad resurrectionem as touching his resurrection In his humiliation we find him ignominiously crucified and made a curse for us In his exaltation gloriously raised that he might be supereminently glorified and our selves blest in him for ever In this he shall judge as in the former he was judged My pen is now conversant about the first part Wherefore assistance O my souls Saviour and Soveraign I intreat thee that in all humility of soul I may declare what for our salvation thy Majesty didst suffer in all humility And first of my Saviours humiliation in general Of all the works of God done for and to the children of men Some are Opera potentiae works of power Some opera pietatis works of mercy Some opera justitiae works of justice all righteous works Yet if we seriously fix our thoughts upon the humiliation of our alsufficient-Redeemer we shall find it to be a work of 1. Power 2. Mercy 3. Justice All these that otherwise are disperst in his several works are compacted and meet together in this one First then it is a work of power 1. In it self 2. Towards us In it self 't is a work of power God was made man but not sinful man which none could bring to passe but God that first made man without sin The Creator of all made himself a creature which none could do but the Creator of all Whereupon it was that at the conception of the Son of God in the Virgins womb Luk. 1.35 the holy Ghost came upon her and the power of the most high did overshadow her Hence saith one after God had made man he left nothing but to make himself man A dignity to which the Angels are not call'd wherewith our nature above all is blest Tom. 10. Pag. 595. It is Austins speech In creatione mundi homo factus est ad imaginem Dei in nativitate Christi ipse factus est ad imvginem hominis when the world was created man was made in the image of God when Christ was born God was made in the image of man Both which are to be refer'd to divine Omnipotencie For that God and man might be one in Covenant Lib. 2. Institut Ood used his power to make himself and man both one in person Non communicatione gratiae fed naturae veritate non consusione substantiae sed unitate personae saith Trelcatius not by communication of grace Epiphanius but by reality of nature not by an undistinct confusion of substance but by a personal unity So that as Epiphanius speaks Christ was homo in veritate natus Isa 7.14 Deus in veritate existens true God and true man in one and the same person which is implied by the Prophet calling him Immanuel that is God with us or God in our nature Luk. 1.35 Exprest by the Angel calling him the Son of God that should be born of the Virgin Mary And manifested by the Apostle averring him to come of the Fathers as concerning the flesh Rom. 9.5 and yet to be over all God blessed for ever This might seem exceeding strange yet it proves not more strange then true God and man who stood at an infinite distance are now everlastingly linkt together in one person according to the mighty working of his power Thus Christ's humiliation in being incarnate is a work of power in it self It is likewise a work of power towards us Since Adams rebellion we were all captives unto sin and Satan untill God incarnate did vindicate our liberty We were extremely weakened our spirits fail'd us until the Lords anointed the mighty God of Jacob did infuse into our hearts the strength of his Spirit His Incarnation made way for our salvation and his taking unto him our humanity makes us by faith to partake of his Divinity Anselme moves three questions Anselm Meditat c. 8. to which he gives one solid resolution the questions are these 1. What offence could man commit which the Son of God made man could not exprate 2. Who could be so much swell'd up with that uncharitable vice of pride which so great humility could not pull down 3 What dominion could death have over us which the death of the Son of God could not destroy for us The answer 's this Certainly if the iniquity of sinful man and the grace of my unspotted Lord were wigh'd in an even ballance the East is not so much distant from the West nor the lowest hell from the highest heaven as my Redeemers goodnesse in his humility doth exceed the wickednesse of a sinner To this I adde he hath shewn greater power in this act for our redemption than the malice of all the Devils in hell could put in practice for our confusion Thus Christ's humiliation is a work of power towards us And so much the rather he being after this sort humbled was once offered to bear the sins of many Again it is a work of mercy Deus propter hominem sactus est homo ut esset redemptor qui est Creator ut de suo ridimeretur homo saith Austin Aug. Manual c. 26. God for mans sake was made man that he might be our Redeemer who is our Creator and so we have of our own wherewith to be redeemed

All of us lay miserably prest under the grievous weight of sin surrounded with extreme miseries the foiles that Satan gave us and the wound that sin made in us put us into such perplexities and streights that did not that good Samaritan the Lord Jesus raise us up did he not pour oile into our wounds and bind up our killing sores we had perished everlastingly without hope of recovery Which that he might perfectly effect he took part of our flesh and blood whereby being capable of death he might through death destroy him that had the power of death that is the Devil Heb. 2.14.15 and deliver them that through fear of death were all their life-time subject to bondage To this accord Epiphanius his words Chistus seipsum exinanivit forma servi assumpta non ut quod liberum erat in servitutem redigeret Epiphanius sed ut in forma quam assumpsit obedientes servos liberaret Christ being in the form of God equal with God made himself of no reputation Phil. 2.6 7 8. but took upon him the form of a servant and was made in the likenesse of man wherein he humbled himself and became obedient to death even the death of the crosse not that he might bring into servitude what before was free but that in that assumed form he might free from base servitude obedient servants You may remember what Zacheus said to Christ Lord I am not worthy that thou shouldest come under my roof yet he did So might we say Lord we are not worthy that thou shouldest dwell among us and become flesh of our flesh and bone of our bone yet Christ neglecting the Apology came unto us in our nature united to himself which the Postiller calls Divinitatis domum the house of his Divinity Aug. Medit. Upon which Saint Austin grounds this comfortable meditation if the book be his Desperare potuissem propter nimia peccata mea nisi verbum tuum Deus caro fieret habitaret in nobis I could despair O my God by reason of the multitude of my sins were it not that thy Word were made flesh and dwelt in us Wherefore his coming into the world and that in mercy to save sinners that could not save themselves may keep our hearts from distrust from despair and cause us to set up our rest and confidence in him alone who hath suffered for sin the just for the unjust Lastly Christ's humiliation is a work of justice For it is just with God to put in execution what before all times he did determine should come to passe All mankind stood guilty and forlorn before the barre of Gods exact justice until our Advocate who is the propitiation for our sins did fetch us off which could not be so fairly so conveniently done unlesse he were made like unto us his brethren The supreme wisdom therefore to preserve his justice unspotted and withal to manifest the riches of his grace upon the vessels of his mercy made his Son in the fulness of time the Son of man that so his justice as was right and meet might receive a plenary satisfaction from that nature that had offended Hence it was the Lords resolution in bringing many Sons to glory according to his determinate counsel to make the Captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings This was in equity requisite Heb. 2.10 Quod per eum homo redimendus erat in quo redemptio nostra ab aeterno paedestinata fuerat For that by him we were to be redeemed in whom from all eternity our redemption was decreed Trelcatius Institut cap. 2. By him we were to be made up again by whom we were first made We ought to be partakers of the love of God in him who was the onely Son of Gods eternal love In a word we were to receive the right of adoption and liberty of sons through him who by nature was the everlasting Son and heir of the Father Hence saith the Apostle God sent forth his Son made of a woman Gal. 4.4 5. made under the law to redeem them that were under the law that we might receive the adoption of sons Wherein that we might have a sure interest and just claime without any strife Christ must needs have suffered Thus was Christ fitted in power in mercy in justice to be made a sacrifice for sin whom we will now consider more particularly according to the parts of the text and first of the person humbled which is Christ Christ was design'd from all eternity to be the sole Mediatour between God and man and to this end was both God and man to reconcile both God and man together Because both stood at an infinite distance and could not come together but by an infinite person which is God alone Our sins like a cloud interposed betwixt God and us made us strangers to heaven so that the light of Gods countenance could not be listed up upon us nor the comfortable heames of his saving grace reflect upon our soules Could any of the sons of Adam dispel the cloud of our sins or make way for Gods grace to descend to us or for us to ascend to God there could not We have all erred with our first father and cannot indure the presence of the Almighty Fear and trembling seize upon soul and body upon the apprehension of his presence But could any of the Angels work our peace with heaven there could not For they being creatures mutable in their wills as well as men stood in need of an Head by whose neer union unto them they should inseperably be joined unto God For ever then most lamentable had been the condition of man did not Gods infinite Majesty vouchsafe to descend to us ascendere nostrum non erat it was not in our power to ascend to him Hence is he called Immanuel God with us which name imports thus much that as he hath joined his Divinity with our nature so hath he coupled our nature to his Divinity that so he might be a perfect and sufficient Mediatour according to that 1 Tim. 2.5 One God and one Mediatour betwixt God and man the man Christ Jesus For did he not participate of both natures had he not been man as well as God he had been a stranger to us and therefore unfit for the office of Mediatour To bring us therefore unto God he united our man-hood to his divine nature by which union we are made partakers of the divine nature whereby our peace is for ever concluded upon The great acts and worthy designs that by him as Mediator were undertaken to be performed shew how he was God and Man He did so restore us into the favour of our God that of the sons of men we became the sons of God and that of the heirs of Hell he made us heirs of Heaven But who could bring this to pass unless the Son of God were made the Son of Man and unless what was his by

ye use the best means by an honest vocation to acquire what may be communicated to your wives necessity And thus much for the precept commanding love As love is enjoyned so is bitternesse prohibited The obligation that women have on men in wedlock is that they are bound to good-behaviour towards them Their conversation and society must be ever sweetned with the best delights that pious souls and affectionate hearts can afford This bitternesse that is to be abandoned doth discover it self in the 1. Affections 2. Speeches 3. Actions In the affections when men grounding an advantage on trifling matters take occasion to grow exasperate and harsh to the weaker vessels which frequently ends either in a deadly hatred or in a languishing and remisse love whereas our love ought to be the same still rather more than lesse like Christs love to his Church ever nourishing and cherishing it In speeches when mens words aim at the reproach and contumely of their wives A thing repugnant to peaceful content and wounds a tender nature worse than a sword and strikes deeper into the heart than poisoned arrowes to which reproachful language is by the Psalmist compared Rather than be of another temper moderate your passions and your tongues Pleasing words best befit those lips that often greet one another with an holy kisse Good words if there be but the least spark of grace extant in the heart will make them pliable to the utmost of your desires and their loves reciprocal In action there is a discovery of bitterness And that is when men shall bear an heavy and tyrannical hand over to their wives either by removing them from their oeconomical government or subjecting them unto their vassals or withdrawing from them what their necessity pleads for or the support of their dignity requires These are symptomes of no candid dealing And yet there is a worse expression of bitterness than all this which is when men through impatience shall lay violent hands upon them But for a man to use her discourteously with blowes whom he hath selected out of all the world to be his familiar causing her to forsake all friends for his sake is flat opposite to reason to amity to nature to civility To beat her is to beat himself than which there cannot be a more unreasonable unfriendly unnatural uncivil part Beside Eve was not made of the foot of man to be troden under but of the rib of man that he might hold her as dear as himself Right dear therefore unto you ought to be your wives upon whom the principal part of your temporal felicity hath certain dependance Love your wives and be not bitter unto them And thus much for the second head the head of the woman which is the man Having thus run over the reciprocal duties of man and wife a word and but a word of the third head And the head of Christ is God God is the head of Christ in regard of his 1. Divinity 2. Humanity In regard of his Divinity and that by eternal generation because he is the generative principle of the Son according to that nature he is God of very God being consubstantial and coessential with the Father So that here is a kind of subjection whence the Arrians assume an inequality of essence whose assumption is most blasphemously untrue for here is only a subjection in regard of order which imports no inequality of nature as the woman is not inferiour unto man in nature which is the same in both but in order only by divine constitution so neither Christ to God God is the head of Christ in regard of his humanity and that foure wayes 1. In respect of perfection the perfection of God is infinite the perfection of Christ as man proceeding from the Father is finite 2. In respect of eminency so God is above Christ as man as the Creator above the creature 3. In respect of influence all the divine graces in the humane nature of Christ were originally derived from God from whom every good and perfect gift doth descend 4. In respect of government for he was anointed with the oyl of gladness above his fellowes whereby with the more alacrity he did the will of him that sent him He was fill'd full with the Holy Ghost and so fulfilled all righteousness And thus much concerning these three heads the head of the woman which is man the head of man which is Christ and the head of Christ which is God THE ROYAL REMEMBRANGER OR PROMISES Put in Suit PSAL. 132.1 Lord remember David and all his afflictions AS for the Penman of this Psalme who he should be Expositors a●e at variance notwithstanding we may with them are soundest safely Father it on the Father or the Son David or Solomon If on David as Lyra doth the Son put the Fathers work to the Fathers use Faelicis faelix filius ille patris if on Solomon he was thereby his own Fathers Son following his steps happy father happy son David loved God 1 King 2.3 so did Solomon David had a care to instruct his son in the wayes of God Solomon loved the Lord walking in the statutes of his father A president for Kings and their sons For Kings to bring up their sons in the fear of God 1 King 3.3 for Kings sons in the fear of God to obey the King their father Few Kings and few Kings sons are now adayes of this nature happy therefore are these Kingdomes of great Britaine and Ireland that have such a King the son of such a King witnesse daily experience God grant us to make good use of it Well then whether it be David or Solomon the father or the son which was the Author of this Psalm it matters not he was a King and inspired by God yet it seemes rather to be Solomon As for the title of this Psalme it is called Shir Hamagnoloth a song of degrees There is a new song Psal 33.3 there is a song of triumph or thanksgiving for deliverance past such as Moses song after the Israelites had passed through the red sea Exod. 15. Such a song was Deborah's and Baraks after they had delivered Israel from Jabin and Sisera Judg. 5. There is a song of mourning Such a song was Davids for Saul's death 2 Sam. 1. Such a song if we may call it a song is Jeremies Lamentation There is a song of loves whereof we may read Ezek. 33.32 there is a song of joyes such was Hannah's 1 Sam. 2. Such was Elizabeth's John's Mother such was Maries the Mother of Christ such was Zacharies Luk. 1. such was the Angels to the shepheards in the field such was old Simeons Luk. 2. There is Shir Hashirim 1 King 4.32 a song of songs which is Solomons Cant 1. this is but one of a thousand and five which he composed So here is Shir Hamagnaloth a song of degrees Here are fifteen songs of degrees following one the other which are so named