that the most genuine answer is That Paul doth here speak of his trouble according to the sense and apprehension of his flesh even as afterwards he saith It was above his strength that is his humane natural strength as will appear afterwards If therefore flesh and blood be consulted with then Paul saith It is an affliction above measure but then at vers 17. of the 2 Cor. 4. as also in other places he speaketh according to the workings of faith and the operations of Gods Spirit within him So that a godly man speaketh one thing according to the flesh and another thing according to the Spirit That is bitter and heavy to the flesh which may be sweet and welcome to the Spirit From whence observe That godly men judge otherwise of their afflictions by the principles of sense and flesh in them then they do by the principles of grace and reason in them Paul calleth it An affliction above measure in the lower sphere of nature but again he calleth it A light one in the higher sphere of grace Even as an Astronomer beholding the Sunne with his bodily eye judgeth it lesse than the Earth but then again beholding it with the instruments of Art doth conclude that it is many degrees bigger than the Earth Thus the godly man while he thinketh and speaketh according to the law of the flesh within him he cryeth out of his burdens he is discontented at them he look-at them as destructive but then again when the same man considereth them by the principles of faith and Scripture-grounds then he seeth that those stones may be turned into bread and from these thorns he may gather grapes Even as we see in Christ because he had two distinct Natures in a personal Union therefore we say Christ died Christ was in agonies and that because of his humane Nature yea it is called The blood of God And again on the other side Christ is said to be God to create the world to raise himself from the dead and that because of his Divine Nature As he was Sonne of God so he was full of power and might upon the earth As he was the Sonne of man so he was subject to weaknesse and infirmity Now here was no impossibility or repugnancy that it should be thus different with Christ under several respects Thus also it is with every member of Christ As he is born of God so he puts forth divine and gracious operations but as he doth still retain some reliques of his old birth So there are sinfull and infirm actions coming from him Therefore when a godly man doth any thing we must consider from what fountain it is either the sweet fountain or the bitter fountain that it sloweth from To discover this truth First We must know That in every regenerate man there are two selfes as it were the carnal self and the spiritual self From which issue all the works we do Galat. 5. 17. and also Rom. 7. For although Amyraldus Expos in cap. 7. ad Rom. yet professing both against Socinians and Arminians doth industriously labour to understand it of a man only legally wrought upon and that it would be a dishonour to Paul and injurious to the work of Sanctification to affirm That Paul speaketh those things in his own person while regenerated yet by that Text in the Galatians Chap. 5. 17. it is plain That those who are godly like Rebeccah have these two twins struggling in their womb and that as a man consisting of soul and body we may say he is mortal and immortal visible and invisible in different respects mortal and visible in respect of his body but immortal and invisible in respect of his soul Thus also it is with a godly man in a theological consideration he hath both corruption and grace he hath both flesh and spirit Now although this be so yet a godly man is not to be called an unregenerate person as well as a regenerate a sinner and a wicked person as well as holy Because denominations are alwayes from the more noble part and this corruption though remaining yet is to be subdued and conquered Even as Canaan might be called the possession and inheritance of the Israelites although many Jebusites did still continue therein and could not be cast out Let not then any godly man look for such perfection in this life as to have only one principle within him and that of grace Do not look that it should be altogether as the Spirit will have it in thee not finding the least opposition or renitency from the flesh No this estate is to be enjoyed onely in Heaven Secondly As these two selfes or principles are in a man that is regenerate so they doe actually oppose and contradict one another Hence cometh that Christian combate and conflict which the godly find within themselves Not like that of the Heathens Aristotles incontinent person or the Poets Medea a conflict between reason and their lusts only But this opposition is universal and diffusive in every part of the soul The carnal part in the mind opposeth the spiritual The carnal part of the will contradicteth the spiritual So that they have heart against heart affections against affections We are not therefore to conceive of these two principles as dormant and latitant in the soul but they are as fire and water in the same subject labouring to expell each other and according to the three-fold estate or degree that we may conceive in persons regenerate so is this fight and congress more or lesse vehement The first degree is of such who are newly converted These although in Regeneration they have the seed and root of all grace yet because of their former custom in evil wayes cannot so immediately conquer and subdue their lusts and therefore like children that begin to walk because of their feebleness they get many fals A second degree is of those who are in some measure proficients and have obtained much victory over sinne And although in such there be many combates yet grace hath the possession of the whole man notwithstanding the many assaults made against it And then Lastly There are such whom the Scripture calls perfect not absolutely but comparatively to others because they are as Gyants when others are but Dwarfs these are said To have their senses exercised to discern between good and evil Now such although they do overcome the world and the Devil by faith yet they are not free from this combate within It is true some think that though it be granted that Paul Rom. 7. speaketh in the person of a regenerate man yet it is of one in the lowest forme that is but newly come into the state of Christianity And Amyraldus doth therefore think Paul cannot mean those things of himself because he had attained to an higher degree of grace Insomuch that he inviteth others to follow him and to take him for an example Hence he is said to know nothing
For if that individual person be not the Messias then doe we in vaine preach him to be the Mediatour and the Saviour Now this preaching of Christ is the more necessary because of the Jewes that are desperate enemies to our Christianity expecting another Messias judging our Christ to be an Impostor and that he deservedly died upon the Law made against false Prophets and blasphemers So that this was a great part of Paul's preaching to prove that Jesus was the Christ promised for the Jewes being pre-possessed with false principles about a Messias expecting he should come like a temporall Prince to worke externall deliverance for them the more difficult was it to perswade them of this truth And for this ground it is that we have the Scripture attributing so much to the believing of this truth He that believeth Jesus is the Christ is born of God 1 Joh. 5. 1. 4. 15. Whosoever confesseth that Jesus is the Sonne of God dwelleth in him and he in God Hence also it is that our Saviour enquired about this faith so much when any came to him If they did believe he was the Sonne of God If they did believe he was able to doe what they desired The Papists indeed would from hence inferre That there is no such thing required in Scripture as by a special Faith to appropriate Christ to our selves to be mine and thy Saviour because this general faith will suffice say they and Christ required no more than to acknowledge he was the Saviour sent of God into the world to heale sinners but this doth not exclude justifying special faith Onely the great reason why they were required to make a confession of that dogmatical truth viz. that he was the Messias was because that was the thing so greatly controverted at that time if that were believed all the rest would be quickly assented unto So that this is the introductory worke with this we are to beginne That the Jesus crucified at Jerusalem is the Messias promised and that it is in vain to look for any other seeing that all the characters of a Messias given by the Prophets doe so exactly andually meet in him And as for that great Objection that the Jewes have The temporal glorious things attributed to the Messias were not accomplished in Christ The weight of which seemeth so heavy that some expect a second coming of Christ when he will personally reigne in a glorious manner upon the earth and then those promises will be fulfilled But the most proper and solid Answer is That as the Old Testament doth describe Gospel-worship under the Names and Titles of the Levitical service so it doth also declare spiritual and Gospel-priviledges under the names of earthly greatnesse Neither is this any wonder seeing even the New Testament describeth the joy and glory of Heaven by that which is glorious and pleasing to our senses Secondly Christ is to be preached as God and man for so both his Natures are here mentioned Wonderfull hath been the violence of the Devil in raising up cursed Hereticks who have with all their might endeavoured to dis-robe him of either of his Natures Some and they quickly filled the whole world denied the Divine Nature of Christ others though not so numerous they denied his Humane Nature Which opinions though so abominable and very destructive of the Fundamentals yet found many gates and doores set open for their entertainment But if he be not preached as God-man as Emanuel as the Word made flesh then also our faith and consolation is wholly destroyed In the union of these two Natures is founded that aptnesse and fitnesse which is in him to be our Mediatour No meer creature could be a Mediatour no not the highest and sublimest Angel He must be man because man had sinned because the curse of death must be removed by death And he must be God also else he could not satisfie Justice nor remove the curse of the Law It is true God and man united together in one Person is a wonder of wonders there is not the like nor an example thereof in all the world Divines doe bring many instances to illustrate it but none are perfect And indeed if there were the like then it would not be singular Now though Christ be thus often preached amongst us How great is the ignorance of many people in this particular Aske them What was Christ They will say a Saviour or some such thing but to give any understanding account about his God-head and Man-hood therein they faile exceedingly How canst thou be saved that knowest not what Christ was Though it hath been a thousand times preached in thy eares That Christ is God from all eternity and that in time he became man to die for our sinnes yet thou remainest as ignorant as if thou hadst lived amongst Pagans where the Name of Christ is not heard But let the true believer be daily exercising himself upon this mystery of Godlinesse which the Apostle in a most compendious manner doth describe 1 Timothy 3. 16. God was manifest in the flesh c. Neither is this speculatively to be believed but it is to advance godlinesse and therefore called the mystery of godlinesse For what holinesse what love what thankfulnesse what reformation should this make in that God is made man Cur Deus fit homo si non corrigitur home Therefore the Socinian that denieth the God-head of Christ taketh away that great incentive to godlinesse which the Scripture urgeth from Gods manifestation in the flesh Thirdly Christ is to be preached in his Person and Offices as well as his Nature That he is one Person not two Persons though he hath two Natures And herein also faith doth transcend reason here is a particular above the reach of the most intellectual capacity How there can be an individual humane Nature and yet not have a personal subsistency compleat of it self which yet it hath not in Christ for then Christ would be two Persons one as God and another as man which is absurd to think It is well called Christian Faith because in this the understanding of a man must only acquiesce upon the testimony of the Scripture Therefore when the Scripture saith Christ was made like us in all things sinne onely excepted we may also adde the manner of his humane subsistency which is not as in other men but his Office that is to be celebrated with great joy How were the Angels affected with this though they did not immediately reape the benefit by his death Now this Office of Christ is made by Divines three-fold a Priest a Prophet and a King the summe of it consisteth in being a Saviour and a Redeemer from all our sins both in respect of the guilt of them as also the power of them It is woe with the Church when Christ is not thus preached the alone Saviour the alone Mediatour Now how abominably derogatory the Popish preaching in many ages hath been to
Ministry or preaching should ever do them any good And therefore you see when Isaiah was sent to preach to the people of Israel Chap. 6◠it was not to open their eyes or soften their hearts but the clean contrary to shut their eyes and harden their hearts Do not therefore question the Call of a Ministry if the work of conversion be not so general as might be expected For consider the people are they not like the ground the Apostle speaks of that having often drunk in rain yet bringing forth nothing 〈…〉 sing Heb. 6. 7 8. A terrible place it is if they had been a people bringing forth herbs fit for use then God had a blessing for such ground but because they are only briars and thorns the end is to burnt So that though the Ministry doth not work in a saving way yet it 's in a damning way and this discovers the Call to be of God as well as the former because he punisheth people thus for their unthankfulness and unprofitableness But 2. The Ministry of God is not onely for conversion but edification and building up If therefore God makes the Word usefull for further illumination and sanctification this discovers it to be of God Hence Ephes 4. 13 14. There is a two-fold use of the Ministry spoken of One to perfect and to carry forward to an higher stature in Christ and the other to prevent errours and to safeguard against all heretical wayes Now the edifying and building up of the godly is of great importance The Apostles wrote their Epistles chiefly for this end to increase that godliness which was already begun Lastly The Minister whose call is of God and dischargeth it faithfully shall have a great reward from God They that turn others from their sins shall shine as the stars in the firmament The Apostles shall sit upon twelve thrones whereas those who runne without a Call and work without a Commission their labour is in vain and God will ask Who hath required these things at their hands Yea both they and their Office shall be destroyed so that in stead of a reward they will meet with severe punishment Then on the peoples part it is of great consequence for them to be assured of this Let a man esteem of us 1 Cor. 4. as the stewards of God Oh if you receive the Ministers as from God as having commission from him with what reverence and obedience will this be But especially you will take heed of opposing and setting against them lest ye should be found fighters against God Therefore let the Use of this be of Conviction especially to such who acknowledge us the true Ministers of the Gospel You who receive us as your Ministers and cry out against all those that question their Call Now out of your own mouths you will be condemned if you do not receive their Word as it is indeed the word of God and not of man Oh therefore do you discover the experimental work of the Ministry upon your hearts Let it be said of you as of these Corinthians They were his Epistle to be read and seen of all men You are our walking Sermons all may see what we preach by your lives you are our Sermons to be read and seen of all men SERM. VI. Of the proper and appellative Names of our Saviour Jesus and Christ In what sense he is Jesus a Saviour and how Christ the annointed of the Lord. 2 COR. 1. 1. Paul an Apostle of Jesus Christ c. THe second main particular considerable in this inscription is the Efficient Cause or Author of this Apostolical Office he mentioneth and this is said to be Jesus Christ These words may be considered either absolutely as they declare unto us the Lord Christ Or relatively and respectively to Paul's Apostleship And from both these considerations profitable matter will afford it self In the absolute consideration we may take notice of our Lord and Saviours Description 1. Of his proper Name which yet doth denote his Office Jesus 2. His appellative Name Christ We shall conclude both these at this time And For the first word Jesus Osiander otherwise a learned man hath a singular opinion viz. That Jesus comes from Jehovah only the Hebrew letter Shin is interposed because he is called Shiloh Gen. 49. his conceit being that as Christ himself was compounded of two Natures so ought his Name to be of two names the one viz. Jehovah signifying his Divine Nature and the other Shiloh his humane Nature One Argument he urgeth is from Phil. 2. where God is said to give Christ a Name above all Names Now saith he the Name Jesus was common to many others therefore he had such a peculiar name as none ever had But that is a gross mistake as if Name were there taken for a Word and not for the Person or Office signified thereby No less absurd is his notion also That whereas the word Jehovah was ineffable not pronounceable before a figment of the Rabbins by this addition of 〈◊〉 it is made utterable To this purpose almost Castalio likewise who makes the word compounded of Jehovah and Ish vir as if it were God-man but not only the general consent of all but the reason that the Angel gives of this Name makes it evident that Jesus is the same with Joshua for so the Septuagint render that word sutably to a Greek termination and so comes from Jashang to save and therefore the Angel saith He shall be so called because 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he shall save his people from their sinnes So that this name is very expressive In nomine Jesu totum latet Evangelium The whole Gospel lieth in this name of Jesus or a Saviour The Greek word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is so comprehensive that Tully saith The Latinists cannot comprehend it in one word sospitator comes neerest to it In the Old Testament we read of two very eminent that had this name and both of them are made Types of Christ Joshua who lead the people of Israel into Canaan when Moses could not do it So Christ brings us to Heaven which was impossible to the Law and Joshua the high Priest mentioned by Zechary who being first accused because of his despicable garments was afterwards covered more gloriously So Christ our high Priest in the time of his Humiliation was condemned and of no reputation but in his Exaltation was magnified and exalted gloriously The word thus explained we observe That the Lord Christ is a Jesus a Saviour to his people This truth should be sweeter than the honey or the honey-comb to the lost sinner Christ hath some names of terrour and dread as when he is called a Lion and a Judge some again of love and comfort as this of Jesus which as Bernard saith is In ore mel in aure melos not that the name or the sound of words is such and therefore that superstitious custome of bowing at
our works and giving all to the grace of God who worketh according to his own purpose and will Oh what coals of fire will this be in thy bosome To think why doth God do this to me What moveth him Is God necessitated to it Can he not do otherwise Would he be unjust if he did it not And this further will be aggravated when we consider the mercy comparatively with others that want such if for spiritual mercies we compare them with the damned Angels that are utterly cut off from the least crum of any spiritual mercy though so noble and excellent creatures may not this astonish thee And if thou sayest These are not of the same nature with thee How many are there of the same flesh and bloud in the same vicinity where thou livest of the fame calling and profession yea of the same parentage and yet they are forsaken by God and left to their natural deserts whereas he hath pitched his favour upon thee to justifie sanctifie and at last to glorifie thee Certainly thou art a stock and a stone if such discriminating mercy as this doth not affectionately possess thee In the last place The universality of the mercies thou enjoyest will much heighten in the consideration of them All that thou seest thou hearest thou eatest thou feelest yea thou thinkest and apprehendest is a mercy There is nothing within thee without thee or about thee but it is a mercy To hear is a mercy to see is a mercy to think without madness and distraction is a mercy Every thing that is not hell is a mercy to thee All the creatures as Psal 8. the Sunne the Sturres the beasts of the field are wholly mercies if then a man set himself to meditation after this manner will he not find the goodness of God like Ezekiels waters To ascend higher and higher till they come over his head But to finish at last this Subject take notice of the encouragements to this duty of a thankful blessing and praising soul that so if thy heart at last be throughly raised up to this duty thou mayest praise God for this truth that provoketh thee to praise him And First The more thou blessest God the more wilt thou have cause to blesse him For to the thankfull heart God multiplieth his mercies as many times because thou doest not take notice of his goodness to thee or lookest upon his mercies as a debt to thee or thou takest the mercies God hath given thee and usest them as weapons against him therefore he taketh away thy mercies from thee to make thee prize them the more whereas to the soul that taketh every mercy as the hen every drop of water and immediately looks up to Heaven that will take up every fragment that nothing be lost As thou blessest God declaratively God will bless thee really Christ will bless thee as he did those few loaves by multiplying of them Secondly Consider this is all thou canst do to God for all his several mercies What doth God require of thee after all that he hath done for thy soul and body Is it any thing else but to magnifie his name to give him the glory of it And this doth not at all adde unto the greatness of God he is not made the more perfect and blessed in himself by all the glory thou givest to him So that indeed it is the greatest glory that thou art capable of that God will accept of blessing from thee that he will own praises out of thy mouth that he doth not rebuke thee as Christ did the Devils when they confessed He was the Son of the living God Thirdly This blessing and praising of God will keep thee in a joyfull active and fruitfull way Those that sing at their work dispatch it with greater facility And thus it is the soul filled with cordial thankfulness to God doth more for God then many others who are clogged with dejecting and discouraging thoughts See whether the cause of all thy heaviness yea the prevailing of lusts and passions upon thee be not want of chearfull blessing of God The joy of the Lord is our strength Lastly Consider the example of David how unwearied he is in this work never thinking that his soul doth enough herein and therefore because he cannot discharge this duty to his desire he calls upon all the creatures of the world almost to help him therein yea the very Ice and Snow and such inanimate creatures how much more Angels and men must joyn with him to praise God In Austin's time some were named Deo gratias certainly we should so abound in this duty that it may be truly said unto God as Psal 22. Thou inhabitest the praises of Israel SERM. XXXI How Christ is the Sonne of God And how the consideration thereof is the foundation of all a Christians comfort 2 COR. 1. 3. Blessed be God even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ THe Duty of Blessing with the Object of it being dispatched let us now come to that Amplification and Illustration which the Apostle ufeth in describing of it And The first is From a personal and relative respect The Father of our Lord Jesus Christ Even the Father 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That particle is by way of interpretation and explication What he meaneth by God viz. That he doth not take the word as it is often absolutely for the essence of the Divine Nature as common to the three Persons but relatively and in the distinct personality of the first Person and therefore said to be The Father of our Lord Jesus Christ For the particle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Stephanus observeth may be rendred by Et sed tunc etiam c. as the subject matter requireth The Apostle doth in other places delight to use this expression Rom. 15. 6. 2 Cor. 11. 31. Ephes 3. 14. In which places the Apostle seemeth with much affection and cordial enlargement to make mention of this relative Title in God the Father for this is the treasure of our comfort herein are all our mercies contained that we and Christ have the same Father he by Nature and we by Grace So that we are not to consider of Gods paternal relation to Christ as a speculative doctrinal truth but as practical and the ground of all consolation to us Hence John 20. 17. Christ by way of comfort tells them He ascends to his Father and their Father And indeed without Christ we cannot behold him as a Father but as a severe and dreadfull Judge Only when we say this Doctrine of the Fathers relation to Christ a Sonne is so full of comfort you must not understand it absolutely and nakedly as the second Person in the Trinity but as assuming the humane Nature into a Personal Subsistency Therefore he saith The Father of Jesus Christ which is the description of his Person in both his Natures So that we must not look upon the Sonne as the second Person alone in
the Trinity but as assuming our Nature for otherwise the truth would be no wayes comfortable to us if the Sonne of God had not also been made man The Observation shall be the words in the Text viz. That God is the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ Which truth shall be first explicated and confirmed Doctrinally and then illustrated Practically As for the Doctrinal part the Socinians they have raised up much dust and have obscured the point with their subtill heretical depravations For whereas the Church of God formerly did believe Christ to be the Son of the Father by eternal generation They deny this reason and assert some new ones of their own invention Yea and the Remonstrants also though they assert Christs Sonship from the Father by eternal generation yet they affirm also a second way of communication of this Sonship and that is By a gracious vouchsafing of supream power and glory to him So that they must acknowledge two filiations in Christ the one Eternal by that secret and ineffable generation the other Temporal or in time viz. A gracious communication of supream power and glory to him But this is false as is to be shewed But to explain this Consider First In the Scripture we read of four ways whereby a person may be entituled to be the Son of God and to have God his Father For as for that more common and general notion whereby God is said to be a Father in respect of Creation and so to all men Isa 54. 8. And the Apostle sanctifieth that expression of the Poet For we are his off spring we do not here meddle with And 1. There is a Sonne of God by Creation after the Image of God Thus Adam Luk. 3. ult is called The Sonne of God and the Angels also Job 1. 6. These are the Sonnes of God and have him for a Father because they they were at first created after his Image in holiness 2. God is a Father by gracious Adoption Thus all believers have received The Spirit of Adoption being thereby enabled to call God Abba Father 3. A Person is said to be the Sonne of God by communication of some power and office Thus our Saviour argued from the lesse to the greater That if they were gods to whom the word of God came viz. who were appointed by God to be Magistrates how much more was he God Lastly There is the Son of God by eternal generation and thus Christ is onely Hence he is called His only Sonne Secondly Take notice That Christ is called the Sonne of God only from one respect and that is because of eternal generation from the Father It is not my purpose to enter into a Dispute about this secret and unspeakable mystery This is enough for us to know That Christ is never called the Sonne of God or God said to be his Father but because of that eternal generation as the Apostle proveth Heb. 1. from Psal 27. Thou art my Sonne This day have I begotten thee which is so attributed to Christ that thereby he hath a supereminency to all the Angels who yet are called the Sonnes of God upon a gracious foundation Hence 1. Christ is not called The Sonne of God because he is predestinated to be the Mediator of his people 1 Pet. 1. 20. For he is not therefore the Son of God because fore-ordained to be Head of his Church but this latter doth presuppose and is grounded upon the former because he was the second Person in Trinity and Son of the Father therefore was he ordained thus to be a Mediator for his people 2. Christ is not called the Sonne of God because of his Incarnation or that wonderfull manner of the production of his Humane Nature in the womb Indeed some orthodox Divines and so Maldonate the Papist do grant That Christ was called the Sonne of God because of that extraordinary conception Luk. 1. 32 35. for the Evangelist seemeth to favour such an interpretation because when the Angel had said The holy Ghost should overshadow the Virgin Mary he presently addeth Therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Sonne of God Now though these men hold Christ was called thus the Sonne of God because of that extraordinary and peculiar way of the production of his Humane Nature yet they acknowledge his Sonship by eternal generation also But it is well observed by other learned men That it is an impudent concession to the adversaries of Christs Divine Nature to grant Christ is ever called the Sonne of God but because of eternal generation And therefore that expression Therefore also c. is not an argument from the Cause but the Sign That extraordinary conception was not a Cause but a true and sure Sign that he was the Sonne of God and therefore it 's said He shall be called not be the Sonne of God which relateth to the manifestation and notification of it And no doubt the Angel doth allude the ninth of Isaiah where a Virgins bringing forth a Sonne is made a Sign of his being Emmanuel God with us For if this extraordinary conception had been a cause of this filiation he would rather he called The Sonne of the holy Ghost then of God the Father because immediately conceived by him Neither is that of Maldonate true excepting against this interpretation That a pure man might have been so conceived by the holy Ghost and it would not follow that he was God properly For besides that it is a bold assertion to say so we must take this extraordinary conception in its circumstances as it was fo promised by the Prophet and thus it could not agree to any but to God 3. Neither is Christ called the Son of God because of his sanctification and mission into the word as John 10. 35. Nor 4. Because of his Resurrection from the dead His eduction from the earth as it were a womb to life being like a new birth Nor 5. Because of his being placed at the right hand of God Heb. 1. 4. For although in those Texts Christ is proved to be the Sonne of God by his Sanctification and Mission into the world by his Resurrection and by his Exaltation yet not so as if these did make him to be a Sonne So that he was not a Sonne before but by way of declaration and manifestation When these things were done there was a plain discovery that he was the true and proper Sonne of God he was the Sonne of God from all eternity but none could so rise and be exalted but he who was so And therefore the Socinians who make Christ the Sonne of God by degrees by his Incarnation and first and afterwards more perfectly a Son in his Exaltation do most palpably wrest the Scripture The Summe therefore of this Discourse is That as Christ was called the Sonne of man only because born of a woman so the Sonne of God only because by eternal
generation he was of the Father Therefore the Apostle asketh this Question To which of the Angels then much less men said he Thou art my Sonne c which must be in a peculiar transcendent sense for in a common general one Angels are called the Sons of God And indeed to be a Sonne by eternal generation and then afterwards by gracious communication doth imply a contradiction For amongst men he that is truly such a mans sonne by natural generation can never for any adventitious reason be properly called his sonne afterwards If then God be the Father of Christ by generation then he is not by any other supposed wayes of gracious communication And that Christ is a Sonne in a transcendent way to Angels and men appeareth fully by the expression of the Apostle Heb. 5. 8. Although he was a Son 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 yet learned obedience by those things in which he suffered From whence we say Christ was a Sonne not according to his Humane Nature for so he was to shew obedience Mal. 1. 6. but in that sense wherein he could not obey viz in his Divine Nature Therefore it 's a discreet Axiom or Proposition Although he was a Sonne This being laid as a foundation let us come to consider this as a ground of our comfort For you may say Why is God to besa blessed by us Because he is the Father of Jesus Christ For what doth that appertain to us Indeed to wicked and ungodly men who perish in their sins this makes no more for their comfort then for apostate Angels whose nature Christ took not upon him But as for the godly the true believer this is the foundation of all their comfort For First In that he is the Father of Christ by this means he cometh to be the Father in him For seeing Christ is ours then he who is the Father of Christ must be our Father also as will appear in the second place But the first consideration of comfort is That Gods paternal relation to us is grounded upon the Fathers relation to Christ Christ merited at Gods hands that he should be a reconciled Father with us for without Christ God is not the Father of mercies but a dreadfull and terrible Judge He is a consuming fire and we cannot with any confidence draw nigh to him but through Christ God assumeth a new relation to us of a Judge he becometh a Father So that we see this is the fountain of all our comfort Therefore is God a Father to us because he is to Christ and this is the reason why the Apostle mentioneth as you heard this Title so often with Doxologie because without Christ God is not a Father We cannot expect a drop of mercy or the least glimpse of favour from him Secondly This relation of God the Father to Christ is of great comfort to us because of our union with Christ When we by faith are made one with Christ then we have the same Father as he hath and this is a second ground of our comfort The Apostle calleth him The Father of our Lord Jesus Christ because our Lord our Jesus therefore God is our Father The Devils and wicked men because they cannot truly say Our Christ therefore they cannot call God Our Father It 's then our union with Christ that doth entitle us to God a Father as well as Christ himself As it 's with the wise when married to an husband then the husbands father is her father and what relations he hath she is also received into Thus it is here when the soul by faith receiveth Christ he is thereby made the Sonne of God and a co-heir with Christ They have now the same Father Christ is become their brother to them Oh what an unspeakable and glorious priviledge is this that Christ should not disdain us or be ashamed of us but call us brethren and make us to have the same Father with him I Did faith improve this by lively meditation what joy and quietness would it produce in our hearts Thirdly This is greatly for our comfort Because though there be some distance and inequality yet we may upon the same general grounds plead the bowels of a Father and all the effects of fatherly love as Christ himself may Will not the Father deny Christ neither will he us Will not the Father reject Christ neither will he us he is become a Father to us as well as to him Indeed there is a great disproportion between Christ and us in this paternal relation he is by Nature we by Grace he is the only begotten Sonne we adopted sons he is perfectly holy and the meritorious cause of this relation for us Therefore the Socinian doctrine is to be abhorred who makes Christs Sonship and that of believers to differ only in degrees not in kind Yet in the general because by him God is made a Father we may improve it in what we have his promise for as Christ himself did Hence 2 Sam. 7. 14. what is spoken of Solomon as a type of Christ and in the general is true of all believers the Apostle Heb. 1. applieth to Christ as in such particulars 1. The fatherly love and bowels which Christ found from God in all his exercises and agonies the like may we expect to find Did Christ say when his Disciples left him That he should not be alone because the Father was alwayes with him The same may every true believer affirm when he may be left alone if in persecutions thy friends thy acquaintances forsake thee If father and mother as David said should leave thee yet this Father is alwayes with thee So that although thou art not comparable to Christ either in thy natures persons or graces yet remember the same fatherly love is common to both Hence Job 17. 23. That they may know that the love wherewith thou lovest me is in them In them by way of sense and experience by way of knowledge and certainty 2. As God is a Father to Christ thus in love so also he was in hearing of his prayers which he put up as man or as Mediator Father saith Christ I know thou hearest me alwayes John 10. And therefore in that wonderfull prayer of his that his soul poured out before his death his compellation unto God is Father And thus also God being a Father to us he will hear all our requests that are according to his will It is true God the Father heareth his only begotten Sonne Christ because of the full and absolute Image of himself in him There is no sinne no blemish nothing blame-worthy in Christ but in us there are many imperfections There is just cause to reject our prayers but yet because we are in Christ therefore for Christs sake and in his Name they are accepted his incense perfumes their prayers It is through Christs obedience that God smels a sweet savour in our holy performances So that Christ indeed he was heard for his own
it is that it is an art of arts and much heavenly wisdome is required to administer the proper comfort for such a grief This makes Casuistical Divinity which is applied wholly to rectifie and comfort a wounded conscience more difficult than Polemical is The afflicted soul hath its 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 its deeps and Satan also in their temptations hath his deeps likewise Insomuch that it is choice prudence to give the proper cordial and to find out the true way of comforting such yet though there be special comforts in special cases yet all the godly that are in like temptations may and ought to take the like comforts That which hath done any godly man good under such an exercise may do thee also good if thou art not froward and unbelieving In the next place let us consider Why those arguments which some godly men have found powerfull to comfort them should also be very conducible to others And First Because all the Godly they are as I may so say Ejusdem speciei They have all the same substantial sundamentall worke of grace in their hearts That as you see all men have the same specifical humane Nature though there be many individual properties and differences Thus all the godly do partake of the same Divine Nature They are all borne of God they are all become new creatures Although indeed for the manner of conversion and the degrees of grace as also experiences of Gods favour and love in these things there may be much variation yet in the main as they all have the image of God and so are like him So they are also like one another It 's the common faith it 's the common love it 's the common Image of God which they all doe partake of So that godly men though they may differ in their gifts in degrees of graces in their judgements and opinions yet because the Image of God is stampt on them all there is a likenesse and similitude between one another What one feeleth the other feeleth How one is affected the other is affected they understand one another they do as it were see themselves in one another We have an expression Prov. 27. 19. As face answereth face in water so the heart of man to man There is a two-fold exposition of this place and that contrary Some say it is brought to shew the falshood and deceitfulnesse of mans heart That as in water there is not a true representation of the face so one mans heart is not truly known to another Others they goe on the contrary As say they the face of a man and the reflexion of it in the water are alike so is the heart of man to man that is of one friend to another Therefore a friend is Alter Ego They have all things common one soul as it were and one heart Now if this be true of moral friendship that their hearts are fo alike how much more of the people of God who are all made one in the Lord cis not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Gal. 3. 21. They are all but one Person their hearts must needs answer one another Let a godly man read David's Psalmes wherein he doth experimentally declare what the workings of his soul were will not a godly man say he speaketh his heart his doubts his complaints Seeing then there is the same fundamental work of grace in all no wonder if what is suitable to one is also to another Secondly Another ground of the Doctrine is From the samenesse and identity of that Spirit of God which enliveneth all and worketh in all For as it is with the body though it hath different parts yet all those are informed and animated by the same soul It is not one soul that informeth the arms another the feet but it 's one and the same soul that informeth all Thus it is also with all the people of God they may differ much in externals their condition their estate yea in internals also in illumination and sanctification yet it is the same Spirit of God that liveth and worketh in them all If therefore the same root give nourishment to all of them they all grow upon the same stock if the same spirit diffuse it self through all no wonder if what comforts one may also comfort another no wonder if the same promises revive one that doth another He said Homo sum nihil humani alienum c. He was a man and so nothing of a man was strange to him Thus thou art a believer a new creature and so nothing that is proper to such should be strange to thee If you say Seeing they are all animated by the same Spirit which is a Comforter then it would follow they are all comforted alike all have joy alike but experience confuteth that Two have the Spirit of God and one is comforted the other is dejected walking in darknesse so that you would say certainly the same Spirit is not in both The answer is Though the Spirit of God which is a Comforter be in all the godly yet it is a free agent he dispenceth this voluntarily as he pleaseth And again Though the Spirit of God in the godly encline to comfort yet it is in an ordered and appointed way If thou art unbelieving froward then thou resistest the Spirit of God within thee The Jewes have a Proverb Super maestum non cadit Spiritus Sanctus which in a good sense may be true As it is in matter of Doctrine so it is also in respect of Consolation All the godly have the same Spirit whose work it is to lead into truth yet what wonderfull differences in judgement may be amongst them that have the same Spirit yet they all hold the foundation because the Spirit of God doth communicate it self by degrees and in measure to one more to another lesse Thus it is also in respect of Consolation though they have the same Spirit of comfort yet the out-goings of this are in one more than the other And why should it seem a strange thing for all the godly under the Gospel to have the same Spirit seeing the holy ones under the Old Testament and those under the New are led by the same Spirit Whatsoever Marcionites of old and Socinians of late say to the contrary as appeareth notably 2 Cor. 4. 13. We having the same Spirit of faith as it is written I believe and therefore have spoken we also believe and therefore speak so we also believe and therefore rejoyce Thirdly Another ground of the Doctrine is Because the main arguments of comfort promised in the Word are not upon personal considerations neither are particular priviledges but from that common reason which belongs to every believer Paul is comforted not because Paul not because an Apostle So David findeth God putting gladnesse into his heart not because a King not because a Prophet but because godly If therefore comforts Fundamental I mean are given upon a
but in quiete The very nature then of trusting and the actings thereof do proclaime thy inability and insufficiency It is because thou art a depending Creature and not like God allsufficient that thou art necessitated to trust in some thing without 2. This trusting by originall sinne is horribly corrupted and perverted as well as the other actings and powers of the soul for it is wholely perverted in respect of the object We trust in that we ought not to do setting a Creature in the roome of God and thereby become guilty of secret but horrible idolatry and that which is the true and adequate object of our trusting that we neglect Insomuch that there is no man living till regenerated that doth put his trust in God but trusteth in man in the second causes in his own selfe Thus like a Worme he is alwayes crawling upon the ground and therefore if the Creatures and humane helps are removed from him he looketh upon himselfe as undone he hath no more hope abiding in him This argueth the Creature not God is the object of our trusting whereas there ought to be the same object of faith and trust I speake as these are divine acts not of humane faith and hope and therefore as we may not believe in any but God so neither trust in any Every thing that is divine and supernaturall must be terminated upon God himselfe Therefore we say that the Church of Rome by her principles can teach no higher a faith then what is meer humane because the ultimate motive in which they resolve their belief is the Authority of the Church which though they would make a divine motive yet cannot by any more then humane This it is in Practicalls as well as Doctrinalls A man carried by no higher principle then nature can never trust in any thing but a Creature There is required as much supernaturall and divine influence to trust in God as to the exercise of any other grace yea in some respects more But man being so inslaved to lust and to a concupiscentiall love of the Creature some way or other Hence it is that a great part of his sinfullness against God is in perverse and corrupted trusting which is a sin that doth not make such a terrible guilt and noise in the Conscience of a man but it is that which is almost the life and vigor of every sinne All sinne is therefore committed because a man doth trust in some Creature or other and that admirable choice way of Evangelicall Righteousnesse of Gospell justification yea and the whole treasury of riches of grace in Christ is opposed by no sinne so much as a self righteousness as we see in Paul before his conversion Paul was no prophane man no lover of excesse and riot his conversation was very holy and unblameable as to the Law But his selfe-trusting his selfe-righteousnesse made him a greater enemy to the Gospell-grace then any propaneness did most enormious men 3. Our trusting and confidence being naturally thus put from God the right object hence it is that it emptyeth it selfe into many streames insomuch that we have as many sinfull confidences almost as there are Creatures in the world As the Prophet told the people of Israel that his gods multiplyed acording to their Cities they had as many Idols as such places so we may inlarge it about carnall confidence and say it is according to all the Creatures and comforts we do enjoy Insomuch that when our Saviour said Mark 10. 24. That it was impossible for such who trust in riches to be saved the Disciples cry out Who then can be saved signifying thereby that every man hath somewhat he doth trust in as well as the rich man his riches And because particular things do most affect let us instance in some things which are commonly made the objects of mens trust And do you apply which of all these thy heart is fixed upon by trusting in it for thou wilt find whatsoever it is beside God it will prove a lye to thee and as they did by imsultation say to Christ he trusted in God let him save him so this will be a true derision at the day of judgement to every man offending this way Thou didst trust in the power and favour of men let them save thee from Hell let them free thee from damnation Another he did put his trust in his wealth he boasted himselfe of that now let thy wealth save thee let that make thee escape those everlasting torments if they can Every man hath some thing or other in his heart he trusteth to as the Ivy that textilis silva a weaved wood as Tertullian calls it cannot grow without some Tree or Wall to leane upon so neither can the heart of a man move or stirre without dependance upon some Creature or other They did in their Sacrifice for the Muses and Learning offer Ivy to Apollo to shew that Learning would not or could not grow without civill incouragement yea and the Scripture doth often compare the Church of God to a Vine and amongst other reasons this may be one because the Vine cannot grow unless something else beare it up It is not like other Trees that beare up themselves Thus both the world and the Church of God one is like a Vine the other like Ivy. They cannot like the earth be centred on nothing there must be suppeditaments to beare them up And because a naturall man wants the life of faith which would settle him on God only therefore he runeth out to innumerable Crutches to help himselfe with as some Creatures for want of bloud abound with many feet to help them in their motion Now the Scripture doth suggest most of these to us And 1. Which is indeed the worst of all is When a man trusteth in his own wickednesse and beareth himselfe up with that There are such Sonnes of Belial such monsters of impiety that do only comfort and support themselves with the iniquities they have committed Isai 30. 12. Some are there shrapely reproved for trusting in oppression in perverseness and fraud and stay thereon An expression the Scripture doth much delight to use when it speaketh of trusting Here you see because men are subtile and powerfull and successefull in wickednesse they are apt to trust in this but see what bitternesse will be in the latter end Verse 13. Their iniquity should be like a Wall swelling out ready to make a breach when a man thinketh to lean on it presently it falleth and overwhelmeth him The Psalmist also Psalme 62. 10. speaking of the vanity of men even in the highest degree he adviseth them not to trust in oppression and robbery in unjust and sinfull wayes Not to say with him in the Poet Virtus mihi numen ensis quem teneo My Manhood and my Sword is my God for how often hath God by tragicall instances in the world made it appeare that such mighty Nimrods had
the forme of Church-administrations be altered we have publick prayer still and the same Scripture-matter that is to be put in prayer only the form is altered and so about the Sacraments onely the order may be altered If therefore this offend thee and cause thee to think that Ministers are light and inconstant it is thy own ignorance as if wine were altered because emptied into divers cups Yea it cannot appear out of good antiquity for many years that ever the primitive Christians meeting together in a Church-way for the solemne administration of Christs Ordinances ever had any publick Liturgy or set forme For as for those Liturgies that are fastened upon some of the Apostles they are justly censured as supposititious Let this then stop the mouth of such cavillers as aske Why is not the Crosse and other Ceremonies still used Why not the same form of Prayer For hereby the true Religion is not altered at all Now the reason why such inconstancy must needs be a reproach to Ministers is because hereby it is plainly discovered that they are not guided by the Spirit of God after his Word for the Word is the same and the Spirit of God is alwayes like it self When therefore men preach contrary Doctrines we may certainly conclude these are not in both guided by the Spirit of God but that they are carried away according to the imaginations of their owne heart When therefore men do not appeare as coming from God nor as having Commission from him all that they say is easily rejected They see no more than of a mutable changeable man in them Paul doth so often commend his Office with this character that it is of God and not of man whereas if thy administration be of man and not of God it will not bring honour or majesty with it Secondly It is not onely thus a reproach but also it rendereth a man uselesse it hindereth that other good and truth which may be in him Some report of Luther that he was convinced about his errour of Consubstantiation but yet thought it not wisdome to publish his recantation lest all his other Doctrine should be likewise called into question Certainly that was more carnal policy than Scripture-wisdome if it be a true report However there is thus much truth may be deduced from it That inconstancy in some truths though of never so small concernment is enough to bring all under examination Yet the people of God they are alwayes to remember this Caution that they labour for the full assurance of Gods truth so upon their own hearts that though they see many Ministers alter and change that they may remain immoveable It hath been a saying Optima fides laicorum And we reade of a Martyr though a woman who being converted from Popery by a Minister but revolting and denying the truth afterwards when this example was brought to her to make her change also she replied no for now she believed the truth not because that Minister said it but because Gods Word did confirme it SERM. CXIX Christ the Alpha and Omega of all Preaching 2 COR. 1. 19. For the Sonne of God Jesus Christ who was preached among you by us even by me and Sylvanus and Timotheus was not Yea and Nay but in him was Yea. THis verse containeth a new Argument for the constancy and immutability of Paul's Doctrine and it is from the object matter of his preaching If Christ be alwayes the same Christ if there be no new Christ then his preaching must alwayes be the same because he preached nothing but Christ So that in the words we have 1. The Object matter of Paul's preaching what were the contents of his Sermon not his own imaginations not the Jewish Rites and Ceremonies but Christ and he is described 1. From his two Natures his Divine The Sonne of God His humane Jesus which name was given him by the Angel 2. From his Office Christ The two Natures are united but distinguished there is aliud aliud there is not a confusion of them Again they are united into one person so that there is not alius alius In the next place you have 1. The Instruments that do thus preach Christ whereof Paul is set down as the principal by me 2. His associates and fellow-labourers Sylvanus and Timotheus Lastly Here is the Predicate or Property affirmed of this object matter thus preached was not Yea and Nay but in him was yea In all these parts we may find excellent substantial matter but I shall be the briefer in some of the Doctrines because I have handled them upon other occasions Let us beginne with the Object Matter the Sonne of God Jesus Christ was preached By Christ some here understand the Doctrine of Christ and give a Canon or Rule for interpreting Paul that sometimes by Christ we must understand his Doctrine so Ephes 4. But ye have not so learned Christ In like manner some expound that place Hebr. 13. 8. which is parallel to the Text Jesus Christ the same yesterday and to day and for ever that is the Doctrine of Christ We may understand both Christ and the Doctrine of Christ the one is preached ut quod the other ut quo as they say Indeed some Expositors doe not make this an Argument from the Object Matter but à pari or majori if Christ Jesus was not unfaithfull was not uncertain and inconstant but whatsoever he promised he made good then neither are we his Ministers who are deputed to this Office by him But I rather go the former way proposed and then the first Doctrine is That Christ onely is to be the subject of all our preaching The Apostle argueth his Doctrine was alwayes the same and uniforme because Christ is so he never altered and changed now he preached onely Christ As therefore the subject of the whole Scripture is Christ The whole Word of God tends to the exalting of Christ So it ought to be with us the Ministers of the Word As Christ is in himself the Alpha and Omega so he should be in our whole Ministry him whom God intended to exalt we should also magnifie And to let you know that you doe not understand any thing rightly till it bring you to Christ there is no truth that you are simply to stay in but you are to follow this streame till it empty it selfe into the Ocean which is Christ When we preach of Faith of Repentance of a godly life these are but the ladders as it were to tread upon that you may lay hold on Christ To enlarge this truth we must take notice how or when Christ is preached And First When we declare that Jesus of Nazareth who was crucified at Jerusalem is the promised Messiah that he is the Person in whom all those glorious Prophecies that are mentioned in the Prophets are exactly fullfilled This is indeed the Fundamental Article upon which all the other Doctrines about Christ do depend
Christ herein the world knoweth Insomuch that St Francis or St Dominick or the Virgin Mary or some other Saint these were preached more than Christ Insomuch that we may say Till God raised up our Reformers there was no preaching of Christ Images Saints Pilgrimages and workes of Supererogations these were made the whole of Christianity It is true they would sometimes mention Christ but then they make him but a semi-Saviour they make others to joyne in this worke And although they runne to many plausible distinctions yea would perswade us that they more honour Christ then we doe yet all the water of their Tyber cannot cleanse them herein It was then blessed mercy when the Sunne-shine of the Gospel began to arise so that Christ was exalted in his Glory and his Offices that now there was no more robbery making others equal to him Yea the bold blaspheming picture was not ashamed of this Inscription That the way to Heaven by St Francis was easier than by Christ The Papists then do not preach Christ And as for the Socinian he surpasseth the Papist and deferveth not to be reckoned amongst Christians For although they hold him to be a constituted God and some of them say That religious adoration is due to him yet they say This is meerly from Gods appointment Hence as they dis-robe him of his Deity so they deny him to be a Saviour and Redeemer by way of satisfaction and atonement to the justice of God and therefore make him but as an eminent Prophet and Martyr but having no essential God-head nor procuring by his death any atonement for our sinnes to the vindicative justice of God What cause then have we to rejoyce under the full and exact preaching of Christ where Christ in his Natures in his Offices is so magnified that he alone is to be our Mediatour In his obedience alone in his death alone we put all our confidence For if Christ be not known as the way truth and life If the Natures and Offices of Christ be not understood all the way of consolation of justification of remission of sinne is wholly mistaken Because Christ is not known in his Mediatory Office therefore men either runne into despair and tormenting fears on one side or else into instituted wayes of superstition and supererrogation to the workes of the Law and to merits which hath been the poisonous Doctrine in Gods Church for many yeares together this was the wormwood that was in all their water The Popish Casuists did give consciences troubled for sinne nothing but gall to drink and in stead of healing did provoke and irritate the wound farre more Fifthly Christ is preached when he is set up as the King and Lord of his Church to whose Lawes and commands we are wholly to submit else we shall hereafter finde him to be the great Judge of the world who will judge it in righteousnesse People are deceived when they think Christ must be preached onely as a meer absolute Saviour that though they live in prophanenesse and dissolutenesse yet they are to trust in him as a Saviour Whosoever preacheth Christ thus he preacheth another Christ than what is revealed in the Word Therefore the Doctrines of Antinomians and Libertines who turne the grace of God into wantonnesse are to be abhorred with all abomination though there may be a sinfull setting up of righteousness and our good workes against Christ and his grace so there may be also a licentious conjoyning Christ and wickednesse We must therefore distinguish of what persons we have to do with For as Luther observed well to this effect Comment in Gen. The Antinomians who cry down holinesse and mortification they maintain themselves by my words and doctrin which I have preached but they must remember that when we came out of Popery we found the whole world in pharisaical admiration of superstitious workes as if by them they should be justified and saved which made us so advance Christ But under this pretence to cry down the preaching of the Law to give way to all licentiousnesse as if a Publican living in his sinnes might be saved by Christ though not a Pharisee This is to separate one Scripture from another But you will say If we are onely to preach Christ then we must not preach the Law we must not preach about regeneration and the differencing characters between a temporary believer and a true one we must not then preach repentance holy duties nor the day of Judgement To this it is answered That the right preaching of all these is to preach Christ Therefore the Law is preached hell and damnation are preached that so Christ may be the more welcome that so the grace of the Gospel may be the more conspicuous Even as it is with the Physician it 's health that he aimeth at even while he maketh sick while he putteth to paine and seemeth to take the ready way to destroy and kill The Husbandman while he ploweth and harroweth the ground it is the crop he looketh at in all this So it is with the Ministers of God while they convince threaten terrifie while they informe direct all is to bring you nearer to Christ These are the Ladders to stand upon while Christ is built in you SERM. CXX Our Lord Christ is the Son of GOD. 2 COR. 1. 19. For the Sonne of God Jesus Christ c. VVE heard what was the Subject matter of Pauls Preaching even the Lord Christ who is described from his Natures and Office The first is His Divine Nature in the former words The Son of God What is necessary for the Explication of this shall be brought in the Amplification of the Doctrine which is That The Lord Christ is the Son of God This is the greatest and most glorious Attribute that can be given to him It is for this that all adoration and divine worship is due to him It is for this that we are commanded to put our trust and confidence in him Had he not been truly God he could not have been our Mediator nor purchased our Salvation for us No meer pure creature Man or Angel could accomplish this work but he that is our Saviour must be Immanuel God with us I shall not inlarge my self concerning the dignity of this Subject but briefly dispatch all I shall say at this time And First When we say He is the Son of God the meaning is so that he is truely and properly of the same Nature with God It is not to be understood diminitively as if he were not the most High God and Jehovah but distinctively in respect of the Father he is the Son of the Father so that he hath the true nature with God though not the same personal propriety with the Father As then he is called the Son of man because he hath the same nature of a man so also the Son of God because he hath the true nature of God and therefore Rom. 9. called God
might beget one Son why not more while I say thy Imperfect low Soul is arguing after this matter fly from these temptations of Reason as Joseph from his Mistress captivate thy understanding to Scripture-testimony hide thy head in this cloud as it were and put off thy discussion of it till thou come to that perfect Academy in heaven where we shall no longer know in part but compleatly and perfectly Hence those Hereticks who deny Christs his Godhead that they may the more securely indulge themelves in these Blasphemous Doctrines make Reason the Judg of all Controversies in Faith The Scripture must be submitted to reason not Reason to Scripture This Reason is made the standard to weigh all things by But Bernard said well quid tum contra rationem c. What is so much against Reason as to think to comprehend by reason the things above reason Such Pigmeis cannot measure the Pyramides Yet this is not spoken as if that it were against true and solid Reason that the Infinite God should have a Son it is one thing to be above Reason another thing to be contrary to it Now the cause of all that unhappy miscarriage in this matter is because we are apt to judg of God according to our thoughts of a man When we hear of the Father and his only begotten Son we are apt to think it must be so in the Divine nature as it is with the humane we apprehend all alike But thou must know as the nature of God is incomprehensible so is this begetting of his Son Thou that art not able to comprehend the nature of God how canst thou reach to the manner of the Begetting of his Son Let us therefore satisfie our souls with the belief that it is so not daring curiously to search into the manner how lest like moaths flying about this light we be at last consumed by it 6. That we may the more firmly believe this truth of Christs being the Son of God we are to remember that the Scripture maketh this Antichristianism So that he is an Antichrist that denyeth the Son to be God 1 John 2. 22 23. He is Antichrist that shall deny the father and the son Whosoever denyeth the Son the same hath not the father Here we see that these are inseparable the Son and the Father he that denieth the one must necessarily deny the other for they are essential Relatives depending upon one another The Jews the Turks they hold one God but because they deny Christ to be the Son of God they deny the Father It is not enough to acknowledg one true God but we must also acknowledg him to be the Father of Christ and Christ to be his Son without this there is no Eternal life to be had as 1 John 5. 20. We are in him that is true even in his Son Jesus Christ This is the true God this is Eternallife The Socinians also differ but gradually in their impiety from the Turks and therefore no wonder if some of them have fallen into Mahumetisme for they make Christ to be a meer man though a constituted Lord and God and therefore they deny the Father and the Son and although they pretend it is their conscience that out of reverence and regard to the honor of God the Father they dare not affirm the Son to be equal God with him yet it is plain that there is no jealousie between Father and Son in point of honor but the Father commands us to honour the Son and the Son also to honour the Father For how clear is that John 5. 23. That all men should honour the Son even as they honour the Father He that honoureth not the Son honoureth not the Father And therefore all those Blasphemous Doctrines which tend to the Dishonour of Christ as the Son of God do also tend to the dishonour of God the Father So that it is no wonder if he be made an Antichrist that doth so For their is a political Antichrist who opposeth Christ in his Offices and while pretending to Christ doth oppose Christ such is the Pope of Rome and a Doctrinal Antichrist and they are those who deny Christ either to be God or man When therefore you hear how much this pestilential Doctrine of Socinianism prevaileth that men dare boldly plead against the Godhead of Christ tremble at it humble thy self under the want of love to the truths of God take heed of pride self-conceit contempt of the faithfull Guides God hath set over thee for those sinnes do hurry men headlong into everlasting Perdition those spiritual Judgments of God upon mens parts and intellectual abilities are the most dreadfull of all 7. The spirit of giddinesse and contradiction is justly fallen upon those who have denied this essential Deity of Christ insomuch that one party will not acknowledg the other Christian For some of them hold that because Christ is not truly God therefore he is not to be praid unto neither doth Religious Adoration belong to him The other they affirm because he is an appointed Lord over the whole world and so though not a God by nature yet by Office and seing that the Father hath given him the Dominion of the world therefore Prayer and all Divine Worship is to be attributed unto him Volkelius the Socinian handling this Question de ver â Relig. lib. 4. c. 11. Whether it be lawfull to pray to Christ declareth his minde in two Assertions 1. That we may lawfully pray unto Christ alwayes And 2. That we are not alwayes bound to it yet addeth that we might deservedly be thought not worthy of the Christian Name if we should refuse to call upon him But all this is meer impiety for it is impossible to call upon God the Father and not also to call upon Christ and when one Person is prayed unto the other is not neglected but included And therefore how those Socinians by their Principles can maintain the Religious Adoration of Christ against Franciscus David let them look to it Let us proceed to make Use of this Is Christ the Son of God Then with the Scripture let us admire that Love and condescension of the Father who sent his only Son to become a most ignominious and accursed man for our sakes The Mystery of the Doctrine and the Mystery of his love are both incomprehensible the one is above our understanding the other above our affections What may not God exspect from us who hath done so much to us God made man God made weak miserable and crucified man to redeem us from our sinnes What strong Obligations doth this lay upon us to make us for ever to abhor all sin All the Arguments of moral Philosophers against sin are but like a wooden dagger to this Goliahs Sword Here is fire enough to melt the toughest iron Was God made man to remove sin and shall thou yield thy self up to it What remedy will prevail if this do not SERM. CXXI
3. Flesh saith our afflictions will never end 4. Flesh would put us upon any means to get out of trouble 5. Flesh only attends to what is troublesome and grievous in afflictions Why a man should so much study to discern betwixt the flesh and spirit within him 1. Because otherwise he will be apt to passe a false sentence upon himself 2. Hereby he may prevent the Devils end in troubling us It is not the natural strength of any man that can carry him through all afflictions 1. No man can bear all afflictions aright in his own strength 2. All opinion's that hold the contrary are injurious to the glory of God 3. There is a great difference betwixt a natural and spiritual bearing of troubles 4. There is a difference likewise betwixt moral and spiritual bearing of afflictions No grace removeth the natural fear of death The difference betwixt a natural and an elicite desire Propositions clearing the truth 1. Man was not made mortal 2. T is sin that maketh death so terrible 3. Christ came into the world to remove this sting of death sinne 4. Yet howsoever nature cannot but tremble at the thoughts of it Of what use the natural fear of death is 1. Hence men do more patiently endure afflictions 2. It keeps men out of many sins 3. It makes a man more thankfull for the mercies of life 4. The natural fear of death is very hardly kept from being sinfull There is a natural fear of death in all but in some more in some lesse When the fear of death is sinfull 1 When it becomes a snare 2. When it is immoderate and disquieting 3. When it excludeth much profitable and seasonable fear 4. When it proceeds from a sinfull cause as from 1. An inordinate love of life 2. The want of love to God 3. A sinfull life 4. Want of faith in Christ The godly are sometimes deceived about Gods dispensations towards them 1. A godly man may sometimes be deceived in his advise to others which he may think is of God when it is not 2. They are deceived when they thinâ— Gods dispensations are to abet some errours which they may be fallen into 3. When they judge of God after outward appearance 4. When they give too much credit to their zeal and affections 5. They may be deceived in the frame of their own hearts Gods people are deceived when they judge according to sense not saith Reasons 1. Because the godly are too hasty in their judgings 2. Because of their feare and anger wherewith they are too passionately transported 3. From the want of spirituall wisdome Rules for the preventing of false judgements concerning Gods dealings with us Two sorts of trust humane and divine Selfe-confidence a great sinne Propositions clearing the nature of self-confidence 1. All Creatures necessitated to trust in something 2. Our trust is corrupted by originall sin 3. Hence our trust is placed upon many false objects 1. Some trust in their wickednesse 2. Humane power and strength 3. Wealth What are those inward things which a man is apt to trust in 1. In his own heart 2. Self-righteousnesse 3. Church-priviledges How even a godly man may be guilty of self-confidence by trusting 1. In his spiritual gifts 2. In his graces Whether Paul speaketh these words in his own person Of the sinfulness of self-confidence which appears 1. From Gods chastising his children so much to prevent it 2. It is a secret sinne 3. 'T is a sinne soon committed 4. 'T is a making the creature a God 5. 'T is a foolish and unprofitable sin God alone is the proper object of our trust Propositions concerning our trusting in God 1. It is wrought by the Spirit of God 2. None but the regenerate can act this grace 3. It is an act of faith 4. It is not God as absolutely but relatively considered that is the object of our trust 1. As he is an infinite true and everlasting God 2. As immutable in his promises 3. As he is omnipotent 2. The matter for which we trust in God is the good thing we want either spiritual or temporal What is required to our trusting in the Lord. 1. A powerfull apprehension of our own and the creatures inability to help us 2. A practicall consideration of Gods greatness and goodness 3. A particular appropriation of God as our God 4. An experimentall knowledge of Gods promises and providences 5. An use of meanes 6. A sound judgement Of the excellency of this grace of trusting in God 1. It is many times put for the whole worship of God 2. The Lord delighteth to put us upon the daily practice of it 3. It indeareth God to us and engageth him for us 4. T is difficult to flesh and blood 5. One of Gods ends in afflicting us is to work this grace 6. It giveth all glory to God 7. It calmes and quiets the spirit God both can and will help his people in their extremitics 1. God raiseth up the naturally dead 2. God raiseth the metaphorically dead and such who are in any trouble either externall or internall Of Gods raising from internall extremities What is implyed in the expression God raiseth from the dead 1. That Gods own Children may be brought into helpless and hopeless conditions 2. That God hath power over all estates whatsoever 3. That our extremities are Gods opportunities The children of God do not only take notice of Gods mercies but their aggravations likewise 1. From their own low condition 2. From their own sinfulness 3. From the times and seasons of Gods mercies 4. Fromothers miseries We should account of privative and preventing mercies as of positive 1. Some mercies suppose evil inflicted others do not 2. Two sorts of evils spiritual and temporal which the mercy of God prevents 3. The godly are oâ—â— forgetfull about these preventing mercies 4. It is therefore their duty to go further in praise and thankfulness for these mercies then usually they do 1 Whatsoever evil is not inflicted that we have deserved is to be acknowledged a preventing mercy 2. Whatsoever evil fals upon others and not upon us 't is a preventing mercy 3. Whatsoever evil God justly may and yet doth not inflict 't is a preventing mercy 4. What evils God brings upon others in a providential way and not upon thee it is of his preventing mercy 5. Whatsoever mans own weakness would cast him into and yet God keeps it off is a preventing mercy Gods continuing his mercies is as necessary to us as his first bestowing them What deliverances God workes for us 1. Temporall 2. Spirituall 1. From wrath to come 2. From the power of sin and Satan 3. From temptations to sin and apostacy Why 't is necessary God should continue his mercies as well as give them to us 1. Because we cannot continue them our selves 2. Because of our unworthiness 3. Because our dangers and temptations continue The experience of former mercies should encourage us to trust in God
God ruleth in our heart The fire doth not more easily dissolve the frost and ice then this peace of God in our souls doth chase away all slothfulness and negligence if this grace and peace of God were shed abroad in thy heart thou wouldst like a Gyant runne thy race of Christianity whereas now thou art but a Dwarf feeble hands and weak knees will not go through much work especially if difficult and laborious Now the way of Christianity is compared to a race to fighting and combating there are thousands of discouragements and oppositions in the way it behoveth thee therefore to have this peace within that so the work of grace begun in thee may go on more prosperously But you will say This indeed is a mercy like that Pearl in the Parable we may well fell all to have it But how may we be directed to obtain it Take notice of these things briefly First Distinguish between carnal presumption and this peace from God Many have been deluded by taking one for the other The Jews and Pharisees did confidently boast in God as their Father and that they were Abrahams seed the Covenants of Grace did belong to them yet who were further off from it than they were When the Pharisees said Lord I thank thee I am not like other men he might have boldness and confidence upon his soul but yet here was no true peace And thus there are many hundreds who have quiet still and it may be feared stupified consciences Now these find no trouble no aches or pains of heart because of sinne but thank their good God all is well with them when yet alas they are miserable being upon the very borders of Hell in which they may fall every moment Secondly Take heed of living in sinne or omitting of those Duties God requireth of thee For although these be not the cause of this peace in thee yet without these no peace can either be obtained or preserved This is to be throwing water upon the fire till it quite go out Thirdly Perswade thy self of those Doctrinal Truths against the contrary Errours which help to establish this peace Such as the Nature of Justifying Faith in the particular application of it as also not only the possibility but the duty of Assurance the certain and unchangeable love of God to all those who are his as also the acceptablenesse of such a quiet and joyfull spirit unto God himself Fourthly Regard Gods promises as well as precepts Look upon the Gospel as well as the Law let not one destroy the other but make them to be subservient in thy whole life Lastly Pray much for the Spirit of Adoption For it is not thy own power or meditation upon all the Rules that Ministers may give which will give this peace of God till the Spirit of Adoption doe reigne in thee SERM. XXVII Of the Names of God 't is he alone who can give Grace and Peace to his People He is a Father to all Believers even the weakest as well as the strongest 2 COR. 1. 2. From God our Father VVE have dispatched the choice and special mercies here prayed for we now come to the Original and Spring of them The Efficient Cause who alone can vouchsafe this to us and that is two-sold God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ Let us consider the first and there we have a description of him 1. Absolutely God 2. Relatively a Father 3. The Community of this to all Believers or the Extension of it Our Father We shall dispatch all these particulars briefly The first head is the absolute consideration of God expressed in the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whether that word come from fear or to runne or to behold is doubted of In the Hebrew there are several Names given to God insomuch that the Rabbins call him Hashem the Name Whether God himself revealed his Name to Adam or Adam imposed a name upon him it is hard to determine This is certain that the Scripture names do very emphatically represent the Nature of God especially those two Jehovah and Elohim The word Jehovah is commonly rendred by the Septuagint 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 yet in the New Testament Christ is commonly called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and God the Father 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 especially when named together as is to be shewed in the verses following Now of these two mentioned words one in the singular the other is in the plural which doth denote especially having light from other places of Scripture that there is One Divine Nature and Three Persons Hence sometimes Jehovah Elohim is put together although also the former word signifieth the fulness of Gods being and giving being to other things For which reason say some he is not named Jehovah till the second Chapter in Genesis when all things were compleated and in another place God is said Not to be known by the Name Jehovah Exod. 6. 3. because they had not seen the great things promised accomplished and Elohim denoteth God as governing and ruling the world in which sense the fool is said to affirm There is no God no Elohim Psal 14. 1. Yet having light from other places of Scripture especially from the New Testament we ought not to reject this consideration that therefore Jehovah is in the singular number and Elohim in the plural to signifie the One Nature and Three Persons For though from the plural number meerly we cannot pitch upon the number three more than four yet from other places joyned to this we may So then as God in making of man spake in the plural number so we shall find in the Scripture in other places speaking of God as Makers in the plural number Isa 54. 5. Psal 149. 2. Job 35. 9. for this reason Though some Divines dare not say Tres Jehovae Three Jehovahs yet they say Three Elohims as Zanchy nameth a piece of his works Indeed there are others who do wholly reject and dislike that expression The word God is applied sometimes properly sometimes improperly Improperly so it is given to Angels and Magistrates The Apostle saith They are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 called Gods in Heaven and Earth Though a learned man observes That never any Angel or Magistrate is called a god in the singular number but they are said to be gods in the plural number now the Apostle sometimes layeth an argument even upon the number Improperly also it is given to Magistrates Moses is said to be made a god to Pharaoh here is the singular number but the respective limitation is added because of his dominion God gave him over Pharaoh to bring judgements upon him Yea the Devil is called the god of this world who is said to blind the minds of disobedient persons Although some expound that of the true and eternal God who doth in just judgement harden the hearts of wicked men Non impertiendo malitiam sed denegando gratiam But properly and truly it is
the grace of Adoption yet the Apostle confirmeth that speech because we are all his creatures but the good Angels and good men are the sons of God in a more endeared respect We shall not insist long neither upon this though the Scripture make it the treasury of all our consolation only we may briefly consider What it is to be our Father And First It implieth his spiritual begetting us by the Word For before conversion the Devil is our Father we may say Our Father which art in Hell if we were to pray to him as our Saviour told the Pharisees not Abraham but the Devil was their Father and all because we have his likeness upon us and his works we do But when God by his Spirit doth change us and make us to partake of his Divine Nature then we are sons Sonnes by Adoption and sonnes by Regeneration It is not then every one that God is thus a Father to he must have the Image of God and his likeness Therefore though many call him Father yet he is a Judge and an enemy to them because they are contrary to him in nature and actions Secondly As God is thus a Father in respect of a metaphorical generation so also in regard of all his paternal love and care to those that are his No bowels of father or mother are comparable to his Therefore the Prophet Isaiah makes his love to transcend the mothers love and that to her sucking infant Isa 49. 50. Insomuch that all our doubts and fears may presently be subdued if we consider he is a Father Why art thou so disquieted as if like Melchizedech thou were without father and mother Thou art afraid of hell and condemnation but will a Father do thus Again thou doubtest about many earthly and sensible comforts what thou shalt eat or drink and doth not our Saviour say Matth. 6. 8. Your Father knoweth what ye have need of Improve then the relation of a Father think what care love and bowels God hath put into thy heart who art a father to thy children thou never doubtest of thy affections to them but many times of their affections and dutifulness to thee And is not this fatherly affection much more in God Thirdly He is not only our Father but he sendeth his Spirit into our hearts to assure us of this and to be more affected with it Rom. 8. 15. Gal. 4. 6. For whereas in nature there the child by a natural instinct is carried out to his father and to call upon him It is not thus in grace for when God is become our Father then we need the Spirit of God to assure us of this to make us believe it of our selves we should rather conclude he is our enemy and our Judge but this Spirit of God putteth a filial confidence into us Again it doth not only assure us but inableth us against all those doubts and jealousies we have to the contrary to cry Father that denoteth the soul is in a very great agony many objections and oppositions it hath but yet we are enabled against our hearts and against the Devils temptations thus to do Lastly He is a Father and therefore doth afflict us and chastise us for our good Insomuch that it is from his fatherly love to afflict us as well as to give us of his mercies and if as the Apostle urgeth Heb. 12. 9. We reverenced our fathers after the flesh when they chastized us how much rather our Father after the Spirit which cannot miscarry or erre in his afflictions upon us To this Doctrine let us adde the Extension of it Our Father Paul saith not my Father or the father of Abraham and such eminent Saints but our Father Observe God is a Father to the meanest and weakest believer as well as the strongest Hence our Saviour taught all the godly to say Our Father In this expression is implied First Appropriation and application It is not enough to acknowledge God a Father but we must bring this relation home to our hearts Our Father my Father and thy Father Secondly It implieth That God is so the Father of one believer that he is the Father of all the rest Earthly parents have sometimes so many children that they cannot provide for all at least so liberally but God can do as much for any one child of his as if he had no more his riches and inheritance is given to every one All his children are heirs and have as much as if there had been but one child Thirdly There is implied the unity and agreement of all believers amongstthemselves They have one Father why then should there be such divisions amongst them The Apostle Ephes 4. 6. urgeth this one God and Father of all one Lord one Spirit one God and Father These are brought as arguments of unity not meerly because they are one but one â—o believers All believers have but one Lord one Spirit one God and therefore are to manifest this unity Use From both the Doctrines joyned together of Direction with what Evangelical quiet and joyfull spirits we should live upon this divine truth Gods being our Father should be the Gospel harp to drive out every unbelieving and troublesome thought 1 John 1. 3. Truly our fellowship is with the Father and with his Sonne Jesus Christ Our fellowship it should be no new or strange thing to us SERM XXVIII Of the Dominion and Lordship of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ 2 COR. 1. 2. And from the Lord Jesus Christ WE are arrived now to the last particular in this verse and that is the second Principle or Cause of this Grace and Peace prayed for which is Jesus Christ So that the Lord Christ is here conjoyned with God the Father in bestowing of these spiritual mercies In the words therefore we have the Description of Christ 1. By his Name Jesus 2. By his Office Christ Both which we have already considered in the former verse There remaineth therefore the Relation by which he is represented to us and that is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Lord. Paul here prayeth for Grace and Peace from Christ our Lord as well as from the Father which is a sure and strong argument of the Divine Nature of Christ for it is God alone that can give these spiritual mercies if Christ were not truly God he could not give these divine priviledges And hence also it followeth That it 's our duty to pray to Christ seeing he is the Author of such mercies The blasphemous Hereticks of late have differed among themselves Socinus and Franciscus Davidis about praying to Christ The later denying it lawfull to call upon Christ in prayer The other granting in the New Testament examples of it as when Stephen said Lord Jesus receive my Spirit c. So that it is lawfull but yet he saith There is no precept to command it But no wonder at this seeing he holdeth That prayer in the general was never a duty
commanded in the Old Testament We see by this Text that if Christ be the fountain of grace and peace as God the Father is then are we to pray to one as well as the other or to the Father in the Name of Christ The heretical exception against this place is That because the preposition 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is not in the original therefore he would have the word Father relate to Christ as well as to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Our as if the sense were From God our Father and the Father of Jesus Christ Indeed our Saviour doth say I go to my Father and your Father John 20. 17. But then he saith my Father in the first place whereas here in the Text it 's said Our Father and afterwards in the heretical opinion should follow The Father of Christ but that Christ in these salutations is meant as a conjoyned cause is very evident John 2. 2. where the preposition 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is expressed from the Father and from the Lord Christ the Sonne of the Father A second cavil that needeth a vindication may be in that Christ is said to be Lord as distinguished from God Therefore it may be thought that Christ is not God To this it 's answered That it 's true in the New Testament though Christ be sometimes called God yet the more common title given to him is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 especially when God the Father and Christ are mentioned together but as when Christ is called Lord it doth not exclude God the Father from being the Lord also So neither when God the Father is called God doth it exclude Christ from being God But you may say Why doth the Scripture if Christ be God and the fountain of grace as well as God the Father alwayes put Christ after God The answer is That though absolutely as God there be an equality yet when personally considered so that divine order is attended unto whereby the Father is of himself alone but the Sonne of the Father especially if we consider Christ as Mediatour so although God yet because in that work he is God-man and in that office inferiour to the Father hence it is that the Scripture speaks of him as the fountain and Christ as the stream or rather second fountain That of God are all things and by Christ are all things It is good to understand these mysteries so farre as the Scripture is a guide to us that we be not involved in those damnable Socinian Doctrines which overthrow these fundamentals That which I shall observe is from the relation attributed to Christ Lord viz. That Jesus Christ is a Lord. Thus he is often called in the Scripture yea Revel 19. 16. he is said to have on his thigh this name King of kings and Lord of lords So 1 Tim. 6. 15. The blessed and only Potentate the King of kings and Lord of lords It 's observed that these titles were given to the Persian Monarchs because of their transcendent dominion but here it is applied to Christ transcendently even to them also for he is said to be the only Potentate as if none were Lord but him Hence it is noted of Augustus as a providential thing That the year Christ was born in he refused to be called Dominus and so some Christian great men would not be called Domini but Domini diminitively out of reverence to Christ but the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and so Lord may be attributed to men as well as King and head so that still it be acknowledged he is Lord of lords and that none is Lord like him But let us briefly open this Doctrine that thereby our hearts may be more raised up with this greatness of Christ for he is a Lord not only for his own great dominion and glory but for the believers good and benefit it is matter both of great comfort and encouragement to know that Christ is Lord. And. First We are to consider That Christ hath a two-fold Lordship Kingdom or Dominion The one Divines call Natural and Essential The other Dispensatory and Mediatory The former he hath as God and so is Lord in the same sense that the Father is Lord. The second he hath as he is Mediator God-man and therefore it is in some respects distinct from the former God the Father is not Lord in that peculiar and proper respect as Christ is For although that be true which Divines say That Christs natural or essential Kingdom doth virtually and eminently contain all that his Mediatory doth yet there is some formal respect to be made Now as Christs former Lordship and Dominion was natural and necessary so this may in some sense be said to be given him or as the Scripture saith Act. 2. 36. He was made by the Father both Lord and Christ appointed to be the Lord and the Head of his Church Not that this doth any wayes evacuate his Divine Nature as if because he were made Lord that therefore he was not so essentially for nothing was given Christ to perfect him what he received of his Father in time did only manifest that he was God for none can be Lord and Head of his Church but he who is truly God If therefore as he is Mediator it be said to be given him to be Lord and to have a Name above all Names yet this doth not deny but prove his Divine Nature because none but God can have such power and do such things Secondly This Official or Mediatory Kingdom hath its degrees it is militant and triumphant Militant and so the Lord Christ hath not as yet subdued all his enemies under his feet it doth not follow that Christ is not Lord because every thing is not wholly conquered because there is sinne and the Devil working still For as David was King although still there was a great part to be conquered by him he was King at Hebron when he was not made King over Israel yet he had a right to all before he was in actual possession So it is with our Lord Christ he is made Lord over all only there is time required to bring all things in subjection to him And as for his Triumphant and consummate Kingdom or Lordship that will be at the Day of Judgement when having saved all his people and overcome all their enemies then he shall take the triumph of all his victories And here we may take notice how to understand that difficult place 1 Cor. 15. 24 25. where Christ is said After all enemies are subdued to deliver up his Kingdom to the Father The Socinians urge that to shew that his Dominion and Kingdom will be but for a season whereas the Scripture in many other places maketh his Kingdom to be without end Luk. 1. 32 33. To reconcile this therefore you must know That the Apostle doth there speak of Christs Kingdom as it is militant and in respect of that Dominion and Government which now Christ
Moral Patience Natural Patience I call that which cometh much from the constitution and complexion of their bodies they are more mild quiet and enduring of grief than others Moral patience I call that when men by wisdom and reading of moral precepts can harden themselves heroically to bear the tribulations up on them but Christian patience is that which comes from a regenerated and sanctified nature eying Gods glory his will and command only not regarding other sinister respects So that a Natural Patience a Moral Patience under thy sufferings will not advance thy salvation but that which is Christian You have a notable place for this 2 Pet. 1. 6. To patience godlinesse The Apostle doth there exhort to have the chain of graces linked together not to think it enough to have one grace unless he have all And therefore patience must be added to temperance for that requireth the denial of our pleasures the crucifying of our delights which cannot be without patience but then to this patience we must adde godlinesse implying that though we be never so meek so still so Lamb-like under our troubles yet if godliness be not added to this patient deportment if it be not from divine principles and to divine ends then our patience is greatly defective Look we therefore that when we quietly and patiently suffer it came from the grace of patience not from a counterfeit patience for this is not true gold and so will not enrich us This distinction being premised whereby a Christian may be inabled to know when it is Nature and when it is Grace that doth bear when flesh and blood doth suffer and when a divine Nature within him In the next place let us consider What goeth to the producing of this grace of patience for we cannot of our selves perform this duty of patience no more than a wildernesse can bringforth roses Therefore First The efficient cause of patience is God only The heart of man under any afflictions is like a wild bull in a net there is nothing but raging and repining under every exercise till God give a patient spirit Hence Rom. 15. 5. he is called The God of patience For what a wild unruly bedlam is an unsanctified man under any pressure upon him Like Cain he crieth out It is greater than he can bear Like Jobs wife he is tempted to curse God and so die Doest thou therefore under thy trials want patience Doth it grieve and sadly afflict thee to see thy self so passionate so impassionate Then let this make thee to run to the throne of grace improve this title God is the God of patience Say Oh God it is but speaking the word it is but saying Let there be patience and there will be patience How often have I resolved for patience How often prayed for patience and yet Lord my heart is tormented and tossed up and down like that Lunatick which could not be bound by any chains Not only my tongue but my heart are worse than unruly and savage beasts they may be tamed but this no man only God can tame it It 's God only therefore that maketh in us patience The grace of patience is farre above our power Tertullian wrote a Book of Patience but in the very beginning he apologizeth for himself why he should write of that subject which he had so little experimentally and practically attained unto and he excuseth it thus That he doth as those who are sick they delight to be talking and praising of health So I saith he who am Aeger caloribus impatientiae sick with feavorish impatient heats do delight to write of patience Thus do thou seeing it is more then of thy self thou art able to do The least tryal the least affliction is ready to heat thee with impatience pray to God importunately let him not alone till he blesse thee with this composed patient spirit Say with the same Tertullian Pereat seculum dummodo patientiam lucrifaciam Let the whole world perish so that God will give me patience Secondly As God is the efficient cause so the word of God that is instrumental The Word is like Davids harp to drive out this evil spirit So the Apostle Rom. 15. 14. That we through patience of the Scriptures might have hope When thy impatient flesh doth suggest this and that argument to discontent and repining Oh remember what the word of God saith It is for want of Scripture-consideration of Scripture-arguments that thy heart is so clamorous and unruly such a command such a promise would presently have made all calm and quiet The Heathen adviseth an angry furious man to look in the glasse while he is in those passionate fits that he may see how deformed he is made thereby but how much rather when thy heart hath boiled over with impatient repining thoughts art thou to recover thy self immediately and to look into the Word See what that faith what that requireth and then thou wilt be ashamed and abhorring thy self as a very beast Thirdly Afflictions themselves according to Scripture-expression they work patience also Thus Rom. 5. 3. Tribulation worketh patience Jam. 1. 3. The trying of your faith worketh patience Here you see afflictions are said to work patience but not of themselves it 's the power of God in and through them only as the beast accustomed to the yoke is more tame than at first so when we are constantly exercised with afflictions that they seem to be no new thing then through Gods grace we come to be more ready and willing in a patient enduring of them It is said of Christ himself He learned obedience by the things which he suffered Heb. 5. 8. not that he could grow properly in grace or be more obedient than he had been formerly but it is spoken in regard of experimental obedience he had the sense and feeling of it more than before but the adopted sons of God they do increase in obedience and patience by the things that they suffer Therefore thou who hast more afflictions than others it is a reproach to thee if they have not taught thee more patience and meeknesse than others Fourthly The exemplary or ideal cause of patience is God and Christ From them we have a most exact and compleat rule of patience Mat. 5. 48. Be ye therefore perfect as your heavenly Father is To be perfect is there to be patient for he had before instanced in the patience of God that even to the unjust he causeth the Sunne to arise and from this inferreth Be ye therefore perfect To be patient and that to enemies may be called perfection because this alone is taught in Christianity To love our friends is acknowledged a duty by all Nations but to love enemies is only professed by Christians Well then may we be patient under all the persecutions reproaches and vexations the enemies of God bring upon us For is not God patient towards them and yet they are more his enemies then
Church and so it must be understood indefinitely not determinately of this or that person It is true indeed there was in the primitive times among other extraordinary gifts that of the discerning of spirits if by Spirit we are not rather to mean Doctrines pretended to be of the Spirit as 1 John 4. 1. rather than the hearts and frames of mens spirits For although absolutely originally and independently it be Gods only prerogative to know the hearts of men yet in some cases as in Elisha with Gehezi God may reveal the thoughts and secret motions of heart to others but this is extraordinary not constant no more than working of miracles So that it is a very absurd opinion of those that are called Quakers who say That light within them discovers what is in other mens hearts abusing that place The spiritual man judgeth all things whereas the Apostle there informeth us 1 Cor. 2. 11. That no man knoweth the things of a man save the Spirit of man which is within him The perswasion then or hope Paul had of these Corinthians was not divine and infallible in which he could not be deceived but of an inferiour nature yet not light and foolish neither for he saith It was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 firme and stedfast Hesychius renders that word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 unshaken that is not like the waves of the Sea So that Pauls hope did not fluctuate about him and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 abiding continuing It was not hope at sometimes and fear at another but it did abide and dwell in him Observe That it is a great encouragement to a godly Minister to see good grounds for the hope of true grace and stedfastnesse in Gods wayes in the people committed to his charge This was that which did here refresh Paul that though he was put to many exercises and temptations about them yet his hope was that as it is said of Lazarus his sicknesse was not unto death but that the glory of God might be manifested So those failings and decayes amongst the Corinthians were not for their destruction but by their recovery and repentance to manifest the truth of grace more in them In most of Pauls Epistles you may see this spiritual and publick affection in him where any are decaying or falling off there his heart is wounded within him where any flourish and continue stedfast in holinesse there he rejoyceth and triumpheth How notably doth he speak 1 Thess 3. 7. We were comforted over you in all our afflictions by your faith for now we live if ye stand fast in the Lord. Here we see Paul did not so much regard his own afflictions and distresse as the grace of the Thessalonians and because they did not abate in their faith by the afflictions they met with therefore this comforted him in all his distresse Yea he professeth he liveth if they stand fast as if their Apostasie would be worse than all his troubles to him yea would break his heart and be his death The Epistle also to the Galatians who began to decay and to end in the flesh after their beginning in the Spirit doth abundantly declare what agonies he was in about them Galat. 4. 19. Little children of whom I travail again in birth he compareth those troubles and exercises of his mind about them to the pangs and groans of a woman in travail Who hath bewitched you Galat. 3. 1. By this you may gather that the joyes of Paul did ebbe or flow according to the increase or decrease of the graces of these he had spiritual inspection over To discover this truth Let us consider What things made Paul have such hopes about these Corinthians and apply these things to our selves And First Their amendment and repentance by the former Epistle wrote to them in that you may see the body of the Church of Corinth was almost like Jobs or Lazarusses body full of spiritual loathsomnesse corruptions in Doctrine and practice and some of them in a very high nature for which our zealous Apostle as the Lord Christ once did maketh a rod to drive these corruptions out he is both a light shining and burning he keepeth to that rule which he giveth Timothy Rebuke sharply and reprove in all Doctrine He is salt to these Corinthians Now these sharp reproofes do not provoke them to discontent to impatience but it had a savoury and spiritual operation upon them If he said Genus quoddam est Martyrii reprehensionem patienter ferre It 's a kind of Martyrdome to suffer reproof patiently then these Corinthians were Martyrs in this sense for they did not onely take these rebukes well but are thereby put upon a zealous and powerfull repentance So that when this spiritual Physician saw his medicines kindly operate then he began to hope well of them On the other side we se the Prophets complaining of Jerusalem as incurable Because she slighted the Prophets and stoned them so that there remained no more remedy for them The Prophets complained They stretched out their hands all the day long to a rebellious people and that the bellows were consumed yet the drosse was not purged away This then is a very hopefull symptome about a people when we see by the Word preached that their hearts are broken that they are counvinced and ashamed of what they have done and reforme for the future The Apostle speaketh fully to this 2 Cor. 7. 8 9 10 11. This self same thing that you were made sorry after a godly manner what carefulnesse it wrought in you yea what zeal what revenge c. In all things you have approved your selves to be clear in this matter Oh the carefulnesse and zeal that was in the Corinthians after Pauls admonitions to repent and reform So that he had good grounds to say Our hope of you is stedfast Oh then let our Congregations be examined and tried in this very particular What repentance and reformation hath the prophane man shewed after the many admonitions to him What Reformation is there made about the holy and strict observation of the Sabbath What carefull performances of holy duties in thy family concerning which thou hast heard so much Oh that we had cause to say of such persons of such families though once we fear'd for them though once we mourned and grieved for them yet now we rejoyce and our hope of them is very stedfast But may we not cry woe woe and again woe to our Congregations that are like Golgothaes places not of dead mens skuls but dead hearts yea dead men according to that of our Saviour Let the dead bury the dead Have not the Ministers of God been many yeares laying the Axe of the Word to the root of prophanenesse and ignorance which is in most families in most Congregations Yet how greatly doth it abound Surely of such families of such Congregations we may with grief of heart say As yet we have no hope Secondly This is more particularly
it was with Paul this trouble though so exceedingly presting though for the present above his strength yet see how much strength he feeleth at the latter end This trouble did not overcome him but he overcame by the trouble by the grace of God For by this he was brought not to trust in himself but in God who did deliver him and thereupon he concludeth he doth and will deliver him So that God never suffereth any trouble though it be for the present never so heavy and burdensom totally and finally to overcome a man but at last he proveth even more than a conquerour These things thus explained Observe That it 's not the natural strength of any man no not of Paul that is able to carry a man through such afflictions that God may exercise him with Paul saith here It was above his strength not to complain not to accuse God as if he were too severe but thereby to debase himself and to give all glory to God Thus Isai 40. 28 29. when the Church began even to despair under her long calamities saying Her way was hid from God he took no notice of her condition With what incouragement doth God speak and that from this property in him The Creator of the earth fainteth not neither is weary God sinketh not under the government of the world nor the preservation of the Church For if the Sunne that hath runne its course so many years is not weary but can perform it as swiftly as ever Do we think God will be weary But this is not all the comfort As he hath this power so he communicateth it to his weak people To them that have no might he increaseth strength So that the more sensible we are of our own impotency the more ready is God to put forth his power To explain this Let us consider First That the sense of the Doctrine is That no man can bear any burden of affliction in a gracious manner without divine assistance from Christ Men may be naturally patient under great troubles yea they may have that fortitude as to be able to despise death it self but all this is not done in a godly way There is not the least temptation or affliction that cometh upon thee but if God should leave thee to thy self thou wouldst be broken under it nothing but sinne and corruption would manifest it self therein Peters case is abundantly known a temptation did befall him that was more than he could bear for the present though he had a good issue out of it Now this was a very little one in it self Peter had not yet resisted to blood It was but a Damsel and some others that told him he was of Christs company Here was no arraigning of him no impleading of him Here is no sentence of death pronounced against him and yet for all that he falls under it and in a most dreadfull manner denieth Christ What will any one say here Peter was pressed above measure No but from hence we may gather That there is not the least or most inconsiderable trouble that is but falling upon thee in thy own strength as Sampson with his hair cut off but it is able to overwhelme thee Therefore in all thy exercises consider thy infirmity Know that to bear the least burden as a Christian thou canst not do it unlesse it be given thee from above For if Iohn 15. We are not able to do any good separated from Christ if we cannot performe any holy action without the help of grace then much lesse are we able to bear any affliction graciously Conclude then on this That so great is thy sinfull infirmity and impotency that thou canst no more in a godly manner bear thy burden then the lame Cripple could rise up and take his bed and walke till Christ bid him and gave him power to do it Hence in the second place All those opinions which hold That a man is able to resist the tentations of sinne whether by prosperity or adversity so that they be not very extream and grievous without grace and strength from Christ are very injurious to the glory of God though never so much coloured with specious distinctions A man cannot do the least good or beare the least evil without Gods power in an holy manner And besides many Texts in Scripture the reason is plain Because the power of man and supernatural objects have no proportion or habitude between them Ordo Naturae and Ordo Gratiae differ as much as Heaven and Earth For this reason the people of God are so earnestly to pray to God that they be not lead into temptation For let what temptation soever arise if God leaveth thee to thy self it will be to thy ruine Therefore in the third place Experience doth confirm it That many men through the natural strength they have are able to beare up themselves under extream troubles Therefore we must acknowledge a vast difference between a Natural bearing and a Spiritual bearing of troubles And it is the duty for every one to examine whether Nature or Grace doth support Rom. 4. 18. it is there said of Abraham That against hope he believed in hope against natural hope he believed in divine and supernatural hope Thus the godly they do above strength with strength endure afflictions above natural strength with divine But because many men naturally have patient dispositions others stout and strong stomacks it is good to know whether Nature or Grace support thee When Solomon saith Prov. 18. 14. The spirit of a man will sustain his infirmities but a wounded spirit who can bear He doth by that give us a distinction of two sorts of troubles The former External such as fall upon our Body Estate or good Name And now under these many a man hath so much natural courage and boldnesse that he will not shrink under them But then The second sort is Internal because of the guilt of sinnes when the wrath of God falleth upon the conscience being now awakened and made tender this he calleth a wounded spirit and concerning this he saith None can bear it So that although for outward troubles many men do with their natural power and strength go through them yet a troubled conscience no humane power is able to bear if God withdraw his helping hand Cain cried out It was greater than he could bear Iudas was so overwhelmed with it that he destroyed his own self Oh then take heed of bringing a burden upon thy conscience that is heavier than any weight Poverty may be borne misery and streights may be borne but a wounded conscience who can beare In the fourth place There is not only a great difference between the natural spirit of a man to bear infirmities and a gracious but also that moral vertue called Fortitude by Philosophers which is so commended by them They make Fortitude as a vertue to lie in attempting difficult things or bearing great evils for vertues
concerning me We may very well take in both together for the latter doth necessarily suppose the former they could not continue in their acknowledgement of his integrity unlesse Paul also did persist in his uprightnesse Now in that Paul saith He trusteth viz. in God that he shall be thus preserved you see the humble and holy frame of his heart he doth not put confidence in his own strength in his own gifts and graces but alone in God which might teach us That though never so godly yet we are to depend upon God alone for our perseverance in the way to Heaven But we have already spoken to this in the general That it 's the property of the godly to acknowledge the grace of God towards them in all things We shall therefore pitch upon another which floweth from both the interpretations joyned together viz. That hopefull beginnings in the wayes of Religion are not enough without a faithfull perseverance therein It is not enough for a man that runneth a race to set out at first with all speed and swiftnesse unlesse also he hold out to the end Neither doth it avail a Traveller to get up betimes and to beginne his journey with all haste if afterwards he loiter or come back again Now this falleth out too often very sadly in our course of Christianity many that were once first are now last Yea are now nothing at all but turned clear out of the narrow way into the broad way that leadeth to Hell and destruction Thus the Apostle upbraideth the Galatians Galat. 3. 3. For ginning in the Spirit and ending in â—he flesh are you so foolish saith he It is the greatest folly that can be For hereby all our former zeal all our by-past activity for God is forgotten all is in vain Have ye suffered so many things in vain as it followeth in the next verse And again it is extreame folly because we part with God for sinne with Heaven for Hell with honey for gall we lose our sweetnesse and fatnesse to become briars and brambles that are fit for nothing but to be burnt To enlarge this consider First That a man who doth first set upon the way of Religion who will become a Disciple of Christ must above all things look to his foundation well He must have a special care that he layeth a good beginning otherwise though he may make a glorious shew for a while his fall at last will be very great and terrible Therefore our Saviour knowing the hypocrisie and inconstancy of mans heart doth much presse this point and that to such hearers who did shew exceeding great zeal and forwardnesse in following after him witnesse the Parable of the several kinds of grounds that received the good seed Matth. 13. and Luke 8. The difference between the good and bad lay in this that one had a good and honest heart wherein the word of God had deep rooting The other had onely a superficial worke and therefore when hardship came could not endure So likewise the Parable of the foolish and wise builders Luke 6. 47. is expresly to this purpose that none should please themselves in hearing of the Word in publick duties and profession but look to their foundation to observe what all their duties and expressions are built upon For what is built only upon a Rock will endure when stormes and tempests shall arise It is necessary to instance in some of those particulars that will thus qualifie our beginnings For as in diseases yea and in sinnes the Rule is To looke to the beginnings So in another sense it is good counsel to observe what was the first beginning that ever brought you into the wayes of God How came you to leave off what was formerly done by you and to appear in a contrary way For in some sense we may say here not dimidium but principium est plus toto And First We are to look to our motives whether they were temporal external upon some outward advantages or whether holy and spiritual Christ had many followers because of the loaves There are many that know Christ after the flesh that come with the petition of Zebedee's children Grant that we may sit in thy Kingdome one on the right hand and another on the left thinking Christs Kingdome would be outward and glorious Now such as these will never continue It is but painting and near the fire it will melt It is but the morning-dew when the Sunne ariseth it will vanish away Oh then above all things look to thy motives Consider what it was that brought thee off from thy former wayes Was it from beholding a spiritual excellency in Christ and holy things Was it for godlinesse sake Then because Christ is the same and godlinesse is the same thou wilt also be the same but if to get the favour of men to get wealth to obtaine paces of credit and profit then thou art but a meteor compounded of terrestrial materials and so wilt be tossed up and down as any winde driveth thee A second thing necessary to look to in thy beginnings is to see That the workings of Gods Spirit make impressions deep enough that it have full rooting For Matth. 13. and in many other places we read of many common gifts of Gods Spirit bestowed upon men whereby they may make very hopefull beginnings they may be furnished with excellent gifts and abilities so as to be able to work miracles they may taste of the good word of God they may be enlightned they may believe they may receive the Word with joy and are not these great and rare things How few are there that attain to thus much They have not that common illumination nor those transitory affections whereby we may say they do for a season rejoyce in the light When therefore we begin to take the first step to Heaven we are to consider whether we have any more than the common breathings and inspirations of Gods Spirit whether we have more than gifts or abilities more than some bodily ravishments or extasies For all these do not necessarily inferre the new creature oâ— a divine nature within us Indeed we could not have these things without the assistance of Gods Spirit and therefore when carnal and natural men are partakers of these they admire them they take these for grace they never had such workings upon their souls before there is a vast difference in themselves as they find between what they were once and what they now feel and this maketh them very secure and confident but because a good foundation was not at first laid therefore many of such a frame of spirit going no further do greatly apostatize and are more taken with their opinions experiences and apprehensions than Christ dwelling in them they are affected with them and not renouncing all go out of every thing that Christ may be exalted and they debased Thirdly And I will instance in no more It behoveth those who are
Christ is Jesus a Saviour to his people 2 COR. 1. 19. For the Son of God Jesus Christ c. VVE have in a brief manner declared the former description of Christ in respect of his divine nature The Son of God whose Deity so much oppugned by blasphemous Heretiques is yet the Foundation of our Christianity Therefore those Socinians who would reckon the manner how he is God among the Accessories and not Fundamentals in Religion are justly to be exploded If we believe he is God say they it is enough to salvation but whether he be an essential God or made and constituted one that is not necessary Even as they instance prophanely concerning Alexander to some he was accounted a God to others a man but because both these though different in their Opinions did reverence and obey him as a King that was enough But oh prophane mouth The Lord rebuke such spirits and let not the Godly so much as bid God speed or receive into their houses such as bring this blasphemous Doctrine But let us proceed to the other descriptions of Christ which are partly in respect of his Humane Nature Jesus and partly in respect of his Office Christ. We have already said enough from the first Verse to clear the Grammatical Interpretation of these words as also what the judgments of Learned men are about those two Names So that I may not actum agere I shall insist upon New matter not then delivered and first we Observe That the Lord Christ is a Jesus and a Saviour to his people This Name containeth the glad Tydings of the Gospel If so be the news of a Physician that can cure all Diseases be so welcome to diseased Persons if the year of Jubilee was so acceptable to all those whose Lands were morgaged amongst the Jews and they perplexed in extream Debts how precious and dear should the name of a Saviour be to poor undone sinners who while they look upon themselves only and their own power see no way to escape Eternal wrath Did the Angels so much rejoyce when this Jesus came into the World who were not concerned so much in his Redemption and shall distressed and sinfull man not have his heart leap within him for joy hereat That we may be affected herein let us consider what is implyed in this Title He is a Saviour 2. Of whom he is a Saviour First In that Christ is thus called a Saviour their is necessarily implyed that all mankinde are lost that we are all in an undone and hopeless condition Thus our Saviour Mat 18. 11. For the son of man is come to save that which is lost What blessed words of comfort are here He is come to save it is of his own accord of his own good will he cometh there is no necessity he might have chosen whether he would or no but of his own meer will he is come and then he is come to save that implyeth this is the work he had no other thing to do if man had not been lost he had not come into the world If then it be Christs proper work and Office to save shall we think he will be frustrated therein and then it is to save in that it comprehended all things He came to convert to sanctifie to justifie to glorifie for Salvation includeth all these Hence the Scripture speaketh of the Godly as saved already though but in the way 2 Tim. 1. 9. who hath saved us and called us Lastly He came to save that which was lost actually lost not in danger to be lost not in probability to be lost but lost and then lost that doth imply our hopeless estate It s grace must finde us out it s Christ that must seek us out as the good Shepherd did his wandring sheep So that we see in what condition every man is though never so great wise and learned till he hath an Interest in Christ though a Great man a lost man though a Rich man yet a lost man and that to all Eternity for ever lost till this Saviour doth recover What then hast thou to do but to sit down and bewail thy loss to aggravate thy loss Oh wretched and undone man I have lost God I have lost his image I have lost Eternal glory Is it not a reproach to thee to see how thy heart can mourn and mert for outward losses I have lost my dear Relations I have lost all I am worth and to have it like a stone and a rock in this particular It is one thing to be lost and another thing to be sensible of this All men by nature are lost though they do not feel it though they rejoyce and are carnally jolly but then some few only whose hearts God doth soften by his Grace they feel and groan under this lost estate 2. We are to consider what kinde of Saviour he his and what kinde of Salvation it is And now that is plain he is not a temporal Saviour but a spiritual one so the Angel interpreteth it for he shall save his people from their sinnes Mat. 17. 21. In the Old Testament we read that God did raise up his people many temporal Saviours Thus Moses was a Saviour Joshua who hath the same name with Jesus he was a Saviour and the Apostle to the Hebrews maketh Joshua the son of Nun delivering the Israelites from their dangers and enemies so that at last he bringeth them into the Land of Rest to be a Type of Christ our spiritual Saviour who delivereth us from all our spiritual enemies sin and Satan not leaving us till he hath made us sit on Thrones of Glory Now this carnal Opinion that Christ would come as a temporal Saviour did almost infect the whole Nation of the Jews yea the Disciples were leavened with this sower leaven And because some places of Scripture did plainly speak of the lowliness and afflictions of the Messiah and other of his glory and greatness therefore some Jews fancyed two Messiahs one humble lowly and poor the other magnificent and glorious And certainly if Christ had come as a temporal Messias to vindicate his people from all external bondage and to bestow on them outward pomp and greatness this world would have suited with flesh and bloud but it is a spiritual Salvation he bringeth and though natural men do not think so yet this is the greatest Salvation this alone deserveth to be called Salvation To be saved from thy sinnes to be saved from hell to be saved from damnation This is that which alone makes happy The Romans they sacrificed to Jupiter as their Saviour and that was only for temporal Deliverances But with what praise and joy are we to acknowledg Christ our Saviour who doth thus vanquish our most potent and spiritual enemies But no hearer can relish this truth unless he be spiritual he must be like the man of Jericho wounded not in body but in soul crying out I am not a dead
Christ Wonder not but say they wanted the root which is Jesus Christ SERM. CXXXII Of the spiritual anointing which Believers receive from God 2 COR. 1. 21. And hath anointed us c. THat which the Apostle called Confirmation and Establishment the great and precious worke of God upon the hearts of his people is metaphorically declared under three similitudes The first is anointing 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 because the Priests in the Old Testament used by anointing to be inaugurated into their Office and sometimes the Prophets also as we reade of Elisha 1 King 19. 16. Hence Beza doth interpret this place of the Ministers of the Gospel as if by us were meant us Ministers For saith he he is asserting the dignity and excellency of the Ministry in opposition to those calumnies that were cast upon Paul and his Colleagues This interpretation of Beza's Stapleton doth greedily catch at and maketh use thereof to oppose Calvin who doth understand it of believers in the general But first Beza though he thinketh the Apostles meaning is principally of Church-officers yet he doth not gain-say if any shall understand it of believers comparing that place of Peter with this where Christians are said to be a Royal Priesthood 1 Pet. 2. 9. Neither doe I meet with any Popish Commentator but Stapleton that doe expoundit of Ministers only From this word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to prove the Oyle or Chrisme that is used in Popery when they baptize children is ridiculous but we may speak more to that in the next verse where sealing is spoken of The Text of it self is plain whereas in the Old Testament Kings and Priests were set apart for their Office by an external anointing which did externally represent some inward power and virtue of God poured out upon them In the New Testament this is applied to the efficacy of Gods Spirit that is upon believers they have all though not a material one yet an invisible and spiritual anointing which is the grace of Gods Spirit in the soul for they are to the soul what oyl was to the body in the several effects thereof So that we observe All true believers have a spiritual anointing from God They are Gods anointed ones Thus Psal 105. 15. Touch not mine anointed and doe my Prophets no harme Yea Habak 3. 13. all the people of God are called his anointed which caused Grotius though very absurdly to understand the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 spoken of Hebr. 11. 26. where Moses is said To esteeme the reproaches of Christ greater riches than the treasures of Aegypt Not of Christ but the people of Israel as if they were the Christ or anointed one in that Text This will much gratifie the Socinian In the New Testament we have a notable place to confirme this Doctrine 1 John 2. 20. But ye have an unction from the holy one and ye know all things And vers 27. The anointing which you have received of him abideth in you and ye need not that any man teach you Here is the anointing or ointment as some understand because anointing say they is a transient action and so passeth away whereas the Apostle speaketh of something permanent in us we may comprehend both Now it is good to mark the opposition for the Apostle having before spoken of the Antichristian party how that deluded many by specious pretences he cometh with an adversative But ye have the unction by that you are enabled to discerne betweene falshood and truth Yea so farre it worketh in you that ye need not any man should teach you that is say some not exclusively but comparatively for so a negative expression is sometimes used If there be not this unction from God all humane teaching is in vain So that as Calvin and others well observe he doth not speak here against the use of the Ministry as Illuminatists and others pretend For then why should the Apostle teach them in this Epistle while he saith They need no man to teach them Again the Apostle speaketh of the fundamentals and essentials of Religion as if he had said You are not so rude and ignorant as to be taught the principles for so all Christians growne up should not need a Ministry for plantation and a foundation but edification and further instruction Therefore because the Hebrewes were negligent herein how severely doth the Apostle reprove them Hebr. 5. and Chap. 6 Further the meaning may be Ye need not any other man that is of the heretical way should teach you you have received the truth of God from us you need not goe to them to be instructed Thus the Orthodox may say We have informed you in the sound knowledge of God you need not to go to Papists to Socinians for more light and truth By this Text we see that though anointing doth chiefly referre to the worke of grace yet it also comprehends knowledge for Oyle was used to keep up the light of their lampes and therefore Priests and Prophets were anointed So that this very expression is very noble and magnificent You are the anointed ones of God if you doe truly believe you have an unction from the holy one Now how will this title be applied to ignorant and prophane persons Have they this choice anointing May you not call a dunghill sweet ointment as well But to enlarge this excellent point we must First Know Who is the fountain of this spiritual ointment and the Text saith It is God John saith The holy one that is the Lord Christ who therefore hath his name Messias and Christ because he is anointed as the Head and then as from Aaron's head it runneth downe to his members he is the anointed Head and we the anointed Members Whether this anointing of Christ referreth to his Divine Nature or Humane needeth not to be disputed for it is certaine it belongeth to him as God-man Hence Isaiah 61. 1. Christ saith The Lord hath anointed me to preach the Gospel Acts 10. 38. God is there said To anoint Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power So that this anointing of Christ was in him as in us the cause of all that power and vertue we doe partake of Therefore when it is said Psalm 45. vers 7. of Christ Thou lovest righteousnesse and hatest iniquity therefore God hath anointed thee with oyle of gladnesse above thy fellowes That is not an argument à priori as if therefore Christ were anointed because he loved righteousnesse but à â—posteriori by way of signe and manifestation hereby it was made known that he was the anointed of God Thus the spiritual anointing of Gods people is the cause of all that fragrancy and sweet smell that is in their lives Secondly Let us compare the properties of material oyle with this spiritual anointing And First It was used as you heard in setting apart of Kings and Priests for their Office yea most things in the Temple were consecrated by the anointing of