〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is sometimes applied to those powers and principalities of the Kingdome of darknesse 2. You have the extent of this power by the universality of the Object over all flesh Flesh is usuall put Synechdochically for man to denote his fragility and meannesse 3. There is the manner of the obtaining this power It is given him Before we gather our doctrine Let us Theologically explicate this Text Christ saith he hath all power given him From whence three corrupt Opinions have been by some in a seeming way established 1. The blasphemous doctrine of the Arians What Christ hath say they is given him Therefore he is Deus constitutus Deus creatus Deus datus not Deus natus how can he be of the same nature with God who hath all he hath given him in time But this is answered first If Christ speak here of his divine nature then though not as God yet as the second person he is of the Father and so not in time But from all Eternity had with his person all those divine properties communicated unto him for therefore he is called the Sonne because begotten of the Father But secondly If the Text speak not of his nature but the office or reward rather of his Mediatorship then that power and glory which is here said to be given him may well be understood of that Mediatory power and honour God vouchsafed to him and although by reason of the personal Union all honour and glory was due to him yet God had so ordered it that he should not have the manifestation of it till he had suffered and run through the whole course of his active and passive obedience Therefore many understand this power here said to be given Christ only in respect of manifestation for in Scripture-language Haec aliquid dicitur fieri quando incipit patefieri as God said This day have I begotten thee Act. 13.33 upon Christs Resurrection because then he was truly manifested to be the Sonne of God 2 Another party riseth up and squeezes bloud instead of milk Those Lutherans that are called Ubiquitarians because they hold that the humane nature of Christ is every where saying that the properties of the divine nature are communicated to the humane Thus because it 's said All power is given Christ therefore they conclude the humane nature of Christ is omnipotent omniscient omnipresent But this is to argue fallaciously from the abstract to the concrete For suppose this be an infinite power that is here spoken of it only followeth that it 's given to Christ in the concrete to be omnipotent not to his humane nature in the abstract Christ is made omnipotent his humane nature is not 3. Some Papists but not all from this expression gather that the right of all temporal dominion was here given to Christ and from hence would gather that because the Pope is Christs Vicar therefore he succeedeth him in this power and so can dispose of all Kingdoms and Nations as he pleaseth But the most learned of the Papists say This power over all flesh is restrained to the matter in hand viz. to gather and preserve his Church and at last to save it otherwise Christ would not have said to the man who desired him to divide the Inheritance Who made me a Judge Luk. 12.14 For if men had not yet if God had he had a full call to exercise such a temporall jurisdiction as Valentia the Jesuite well urgeth The Text thus vindicated let us observe this Doctrine That Christ hath power over all men There is no man so great so powerful nor no company of men nor all the men joyned together in the world can exempt themselves from that power Christ hath over them We have one or two Parallel places that confirm this Mat. 28.18 All power is given me in heaven and earth There the Subject is more large not only all flesh but all spirits Mat. 11.27 All things are delivered unto me of my Father There also the subject is more large not only all persons but all things as Heb. 2. All things are said to be made subject to him Before we come to mention what acts there are which declare this power of Christ we must lay down severall particulars to clear the nature of this power And First When it s said that Christ hath power over all men that is not to be understood restrictly or exclusively as if his dominion was only over men No you heard it was in heaven as well as earth yea and in hell also Phil. 2. Every thing under the Earth was to bow to him The devils are wholly in subjection to him We reade of his power over the unclean spirits casting them out against their wils from the possessed insomuch that they could not enter into the Swine without his permission Oh this part of Christs power that he hath conquered the devils hath them all in subjection should be no mean part of a Christians comfort for who is thy greatest Enemy Who is likeliest â—o undo thee not man but devils In their temptations how greatly are the godly in danger of being swallowed by them but Christ hath power over them he bids them go our leave of tempting and they dare not or cannot come again yea the good Angels those thousands and ten thousands of ministring spirits they are wholly at his beck No servant will sooner stir at our beck then the host of Angels will at his word Therefore Heb. 1. when Christ is coming into the world The Angels are bid to worship him So then here is a glorious power indeed which reacheth not only to men but to devils to Angels oh how happy are the Children of God who have this Christ for their Saviour that is cloathed with so much power If our eyes were opened with the Prophets Servant we should see more were with us then against us And then all things the inanimate and animate creatures are under his power The Disciples wondred at it when they said What manner of man is this whom the windes and Seas obey Mat. 8.27 So that this power of Christ is farre more comprehensive then this Text expresseth for Christ only speaks of men because he instanceth in that part of power whereby he giveth eternall life to those that beleeve and such are only men Secondly We are to know That though all power be given to Christ yet the administration and exercise of it is by his spirit called therefore the Spirit of Christ by that he convinceth by that he converteth by that he comforteth Insomuch that Christ told his Disciples It was expedient he should bodily depart from them but he would send the Comforter to them Joh. 15.26 so that not the Pope but the Spirit of God is Vicarius Christs in Christs stead Hence it is that all the same glorious and spirituall effects in the Scripture are sometimes attributed to the Father sometimes to
Father then and the Son have the same gracious will have the same purposes of mercy and whom Christ doth invite the Father inviteth whom Châ—ist cals the Father cals So that in and by Christ we may see the gracious and glorious thoughts of mercy God the Father had from all Eternity to his people Indeed as he was man though his humane will was not contrary yet we see he speaks conditionally If it be possible let this Cup passe away yet not my will but thy will be done Matth. 26 39. Therefore his humane will if absolutely considered did desire freedom from death but if particularly considered in these circumstances then he emptied that particular stream of his humane nature in the Ocean of the divine 6. The Son and the Father have the same propriety in all the godly Those that belong to the Father belong also to the Son This was the occasion of this general Speech in the Text The Apostles are thine and all thine are mine So that the Father doth not abdicate his right by the donation of them to Christ Hence Joh. 20.17 I go to my Father and your Father by way of comfort putting us into some co-partnership with his propriety Those then that are Christs Sheep they have also Gods mark upon them They do belong to the Father by grace and to the Son by merit and purchase so that the Children of God are to proceed by degrees to evidence their propriety in Christ and then in the Father For saith Christ If ye had known me ye would have known my Father Joh. 8.16 Lastly They have the same power and strength and that in reference to the defence and preservation of his people Joh. 10. None can pull them out of my Fathers hand then he addeth I and my Father are one one as in nature so in that omnipotent power to govern and preserve his Children to everlasting happinesse so that this doctrine is not meerly speculative but tends to much practical edification In the next place consider how all that Christ hath is the Fathers and so reciprocally 1. By eternal generation The Socinians would grant the Son hath many transcendent prerogatives but not by eternal generation but by a temporal donation This cannot be so because the Psalmist long before Christ was born said This is my Son this day have I begotten thee Psa 2.7 And his out-goings are said to be of old Mic. 5.1 from the daies of Eternity So that Christ hath these things of the Father by nature even as the Sun beams had the light of the Sun as soon as ever there was a Sun though there be a great dissimilitude in this comparison The Son then is not of the Father as the world was by a voluntary Creation but by a natural generation 2. If we consider Christ as God and man yet even then by vertue of the hypostatical Union all that the Father hath is his The infinite Majesty of God Christ nor only as God but as God-man hath but how not as if the properties of the divine nature were communicated to that as the Lutherans hold saying the humane nature of Christ is infinite omnipresent that is absurd for how can it be eternal when it 's plain the humane nature had a being in a time but only by vertue of the personal union there is a communication of properties not to the Natures but to the Person Insomuch that the Apostle cals it the blood of God Act. 25. How can that be but by vertue of that personal Union the divine nature hath no bloud neither can it suffer and thus Christ said The Son of man which iâ— in heaven Joh. 3. that could not be because of his humane nature but by the personal Union so that although the Text doth principally intend Christs communion with the Father as God in the identity of his nature yet this may in some sence be extended to Christ both God and man The Vse of this Doctrine is very fruitfull 1. By doctrinall Information of the deity of Christ that he is truly God having all things God the Father hath therefore retain by a strong Faith this Article of Religion and the rather because so many have brought in damnable assertions about this Point Socinus doth impudently say that this doctrine of Christs Deity is so absurd that the Christian world will one day be so farre informed as to be ashamed to beleeve such a thing yea to hear such a thing and that the word Trinity may be in time as much abhorred as Transubstantiation and the Mass Fly from such persons as those that have a spiritual plague This hath been so often cleared by the Church in all ages that now there needs no more disputation in it we must not alwaies be proving but we must at last hold fast that which is good Remember your Baptism it was In the Name of the Father the Sonne and the holy Ghost These you are with the same faith to acknowledge to these you are equally consecrated Vse 2. Is all that the Father hath Christs then how happy are the people of God who are admitted into some co-partnership with all this blessednesse For although though none but Christ as you heard can say All mine are thine essentially yet every godly man being made a coâ—heir with Christ he may by fruition and enjoyment say so Rom 8. Oh the infinite treasure of that expression a Son and co-heir with Christ Whatsoever Christ is heir to we are also co-heirs with him only here is the difference Quod Christus natura nos gratia what Christ is by nature that we are by grace Why then are the people of God so often dejected and cast down They consider not how rich how honoured how abounding they are All that the Father hath all that Chtist hath is theirs for their good and advantage and this deed of gift God made when he entred into Covenant with them to be their God and they to be his people By this means Paul can triumph and say I have all things I can do all things Phil. 4. The people of God are never established and confirmed till they be anchored here They are tossed up and down as so many waves like the wicked men of the world who live by sence and have no bottom or rock to stand upon For this end it is that God eithet takes away earthly comforts or casteth in many roots of gall and wormwood in every condition That you may know your treasure is in God and Christ not in these earthly contents Vse 3. Is Christ thus partaker essentially of all that God hath then take we heed how we refuse him speaking for God is not only with him but in him as God said concerning the Angel that led the people of Israel which was Christ that they should take heed how they did provoke him for his Name was in him Exo. 23.21 4. How compleat and
that we may say as Musculus there is a good Schism and a bad Schism a good schism is when we divide malè unita things evilly joyned a bad when benè unita things well united 2. If there be many corruptions in government and administrations yet thou art not to make sinfull Breaches and Rents for these do plus perturbare infirmos bonos quam corrigere animosos malos as Austin well Therefore two things thou hast to do First As thy calling and relation is so to reprove and oppose the corruptions that abound Thus the Prophets of old and Christ with his Apostles they did with great Zeal rebuke the corruptions then prevailing and although carnal and Athiestical Politicians call this Schisme and Faction yet this is to condemn the generation of all the godly Prophets in their ages and to justifie Ahab as if not he but Elijah had indeed been the troubler of Israel 2. When you have thus done your Duty and still corruptions are suffered leave your Complaints with God who hath promised at last to take all scandals out of the Church and in the mean while patiently sigh and groan under that burthen for we may have a sinfull impatience in this kinde as Elijah in part had and those Disciples who would needs have fire immediatly consume the Samaritans because they would not receive Christ Lastly To prevent Schism in the Churches order take heed of pride ambition and seeking great things in the Church It 's reported that most of those who made the greatest Rents in the Church did it upon discontent missing of that preferment they looked for The spirit of Diotrephes who loved preheminencies made great divisions Even the Disciples began to quarrell with one another de primatu Who should be the chiefest Therefore doth our Saviour so often presse humility and enjoyn every one to become like a little Childe The last particular wherein divisions are amongst the godly is in their particular civil deportments and those are the quarrellings and wranglings the Apostle James speaks against Now to prevent these first remove the cause kill the Serpent in its Egge and that is the lust of the soul The Apostle asketh From whence comes jars and fightings Is it not from your Lusts James 4.1 There is warring within against your own souls first and then one with another Dry up this Fountain of lust and then the streams will quickly runne no more Now any kinde of lust unmortified is spark great enough to set the Church on fire a covetous lust when men are immoderately given to the world that causeth great discord As the Philistims and Isaac strived about the Well till at last Isaac came to a place which he called Rehoboth that is Rome Gen. 26.22 Thus here on earth we fall out about earthly things because the creature is too scant to give content to all but in heaven there will be room enough So a proud envious lust that breaks all Union insomuch that till there be a mortification of coveting within there will never be Union without We might mention the excellency of this Union to prevent heat but that hath been done already Let the Sum of all be as much as in us lieth to put this prayer of Christ into practise Peace is so great a matter that it 's called the peace of God and God is called the God of peace and Christ is called our peace seeing Christ praieth for it We see it 's not all the Sermons all the irenicall books can do any good till God give one heart Be importunate therefore with God and strive with him for this unspeakable mercy SERMON CXVII Of the Distinction of Persons and Vnity of Essence in the Deity against the Socinians JOHN 17.21 As thou Father art in me and I in thee THe second thing considerable in this Text is the Patern and Example of Vnity It 's not all kinde of unity he prayeth for but that which is the most absolute and perfect even such unity as is between the Father and Sonne Not as if this did denote equality but similitude only Because this patern was mentioned in the prayer for the Apostles unity I shall not repeat what then was delivered Only this must be acknowledged That there is a two-fold Interpretation of this being of the Father in the Son and the Son in the Father The Ancients they understand this of the Divine Nature as if the unity here spoken were homeousial But Calvin saith Huc eos abripuit contentio cum Arianis the heat of dispute with the Arians carried them off from the sense So that he giveth a second interpretation making the speech to be understood not of the son in respect of his Divine Nature but of his Mediatorship for by that he is made one with God the Father and one with us For whereas before Christs Mediatorship there was a miserable confusion and dissipation of mankinde God the Father against man and man against God Through Christ there is an happy unity obtained So that in Calvins judgement this unity is that of a Mediatour whereby Christ as Head of his Church being joyned to us doth thereby also joyn us to the Father In this sense also he explaineth that known place John 10. I and my Father are one Neither may we think as some have calumniated that Calvin doth Judaize or Arianize for though he deny this to be the sense of these places yet otherwise he doth firmly propugn the true Doctrine about Christs Divine Nature But there is no solid ground to make these interpretations distinct for one doth necessarily suppose the other Christ could not be our Mediatour and Head to make us one with the Father unlesse he were God and so of the same nature with the Father and therefore the unity of their Nature must be understood as the foundation So that we have in the words The distinctions of their Persons by their peculiar proprieties and the unity of their Nature Their personal proprieties are Father and Sonne The oneness of their Nature is in those words Thou in me and I in thee From whence observe That the Father and Sonne are two distinct Persons yet one in Nature and Essence I speak not of the holy Ghost which in other places is made the third person but of these two only because they alone are mentioned in the Text. To open this Consider some things in general and then what is implied in their peculiar relations 1. That God is absolutely known as God 2. Relatively as in these three Persons God absolutely considered may be known by the book of nature relatively only by the Scripture and revelation By the creatures we only can come to know that there is a God maker of all things but that this God is distinguished by three personal proprieties is not matter of investigation but faith only Therefore howsoever some learned men have endeavoured to illustrate this mystery from humane Philosophers especially
my self that doth not solely relate to his humane nature but even his divine also because the second person was in a peculiar manner sent into the world and to become man for us 2. The Fathers love was more remarkably seen towards that particular humane nature which the second person assumed in the sanctifying and glorifying of that with all sutablenesse and thus the love of God was to the humane nature of Christ before the Foundation of the world by way of purpose and decree in God even as it is to all the Elect Children of God for Christ attributeth iâ— to God the Father that he had so fitted his humane nature Therefore he saith a body thou hast prepared me Heb. 10.5 Now severall waies did the Fathers love appear herein as 1. to ordain and appoint him to be a Mediatour to make him man for this purpose This is attributed wholly to God the Father hence 1 Pet. 1.20 Christ is said to be fore-ordained before the foundation of the world Christ coming into the world was not of meer necessity There was no compulsion to this but the Father out of his meer good pleasure did thus ordain him Hence it is that our Saviour doth constantly make the Fathers mission or sending of him to be the cause of being our Mediatour 2. This love of the Fathers to him was seen in taking that particular humane nature rather then any other into an hypostaticall Vnion Though Christ did not take an individuall humane personalized as men are yet he took a particular nature into a personal Union with the God-head which is the greatest exaltation of mans nature that can possibly be imagined It 's that great mystery which Angels are continually searching into but if you ask why the second Person did take this particular nature rather then another that the holy Ghost might have sanctified here Gods meer love made the difference for as it was an high act of grace and favour to the Virgin Mary that she rather then any other woman should be appointed to be the mother of Christ so it was much more a great honour and expression of love that this humane nature rather then another was assumed into personal Union and for this cause it is that Austin did so invincibly presse the Pelagians with this argument from Christ as man for saith he if Christ as man was chosen not for any foreseen merit or worth which might be in him but it was solely by the love and goodnesse of God then much more will it follow that no meer man especially corrupted and defiled can be elected to Eternal Life upon the supposition or prescience of any good thing in man So that Christ as man was so meerly from the favour and love of the Father This is that gratia singularis to Christ as man de quâ fas est praedicare sed nefas adjudicare as Austin 3. The love of the Father to Christ in preparing him for Mediatour is seen in the sanctifying and endowing of him with all holinesse that so he might be a compleat Saviour for seeing it behoved us to have such an high-Priest as was holy and separate from sin therefore it was that he was made man in such an extraordinary manner for he was conceived by the holy Ghost The holy Ghost sanctified that corpulent substance of Christs body wherby there was not any form of or inclination to sin abiding in him and therefore he is called the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 because he wrs habitually and originally holy Now this was wholly of the love of God that his humane nature was thus anointed with all holinesse and that he received the Spirit of God without measure and therefore the humane nature of Christ was infinitely obliged to bless and praise God who had powred more holinesse into it then in all Angels and men Thus the Fathers love was seen in preparing him to be Mediatour and when he was thus appointed and in the discharge of his Office The love of the Father was exceeding great to him For 1. you have the Father in a most glorious manner from heaven owning of him and giving of that solemn approbation This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased what a glorious manifestation was here of the Fathers love to him his love did rest on him yet so as thereby he makes others beloved Sonnes in whom also he is well-pleased even those that do believe in him This glorious Testimony then given to Christ by the Father is made by some Learned men part of that glory which is spoken of in v. 22. 2. The Fathers love is wonderfully discovered to him as Mediatour in that he was willing to lay down his life for those who were appointed to salvation Insomuch that although the world thought him forsaken of God and smitten for his own sins yea though Christ himself in respect of his sence and feeling expostulated with his Father why he had forsaken him yet even then was the Fathers love most of all towards him Joh. 10.17 Therefore doth my Father love me because I lay down my life for my sheep Here you see that although there were many other Reasons of the Fathers love to him yet he instanceth in this wherein we would think Gods anger was for the present most displaied It 's true this is urged by sâ—me that therefore Christ could not suffer the anger of God in his soul neither could the Father afflict him as for our sins for how could this be say they that at the same time the Father should love him and yet be angry wâ—th him as punishing the sins of all the Elect upon him But as Gods love towards Christ could consist with that leaving of him to the hands of his Enemies So also could the love of the Father towards the person of Christ well consist with that anger of his towards him as our Surety and certainly this very particular may much encourage the people of God for when they are sollicitous about their acceptance with the Father whether he will receive them into grace or no what a ready answer is this the Father loveth Christ because he would die for us because he would be crucified for us 3. The Fathers love towards him is especially seen in exalting of him to all that honour and Majesty the Scripture so often mentioneth that is the sitting at the right hand of God the Father It is true as God he had a right to all this glory before but then there was a manifestation of it and not only so but a reall communication of such glory to his humane nature which it had not before and his person was not admitted into a more plenary and consummate possession of that glory of which there was but beginnings before Even as it was with David first he had a right given him to the Kingdom but for the present he was in constant oppressions and miseries Thus Christ while having a right to
strength should fail them lest one time or other they should yeeld to sinne and be overwhelmed Now in the midst of all these fears Christ hath praied for thee as well as for Peter that thy faith may not fail Insomuch that we may say Christs praier for beleevers is all their hope and foundation In some sad exigences how carefull are we to have the praiers of all Gods people to be remembred in such and such a Congregation but if all the Churches in the world should pray for a man it would not amount to so much as Christs praier therefore let the godly comfort one another with these things Lastly He hath praied for their glorification Thus he praied that they may be one even as he and the father are one and that they be where he is viz. that they may enjoy that glory which Christ had purchased for them Therefore he is called the Resurrection Job 11.25 because he will raise up such at the last day The body though dead and consumed to ashes shall not alwaies be in the grave neither shall the soul have such rags and deformities upon it continually but shall be cloathed with glorious robes Thus you see the chief and main matter of Christs praier not so much earthly and temporall things as heavenly for although Christ did comfort his Disciples even in earthly straits Mat. 6.25 that they had a Father in Heaven and if he did provide for all the creatures in the world they might much rather be perswaded of his care to them and Paul argued Rom. 8. he gave his only Son for them how shall he not give all things else Yet the great things that Christ before his sufferings thought fit to commend unto God were spirituall and heavenly benefits And that is the first consideration The matter of Christs Praier Secondly Take notice of the nature of this Praier it 's by way of Mediation It 's a Mediatory Praier and so differs from all the praiers of other men As they are bare meer men so their praiers are bare meer praiers There is no merit no mediation in thee but Christs praier is of a farre more transcendent nature Even as the bloud of the Martyrs came farre short of Christs Their bloud was not expiatory it was not by way of a Sacrifice for sinnes whereas Christs was Thus there is a vast difference between praiers and praiers God may regard one mans praier more then anothers it may be more effectuall as in that supposition though Daniel and Job stood and praied they should not be heard Job you know was commanded to pray for his Friends and his praier was accepted of more then theirs and Daniel was said to be a man greatly beloved because his praiers were so readily heard Likewise the praier of many or a Church is more prevalent then the praier of one single person So a Praier from one in office as a Minister is more then of one in a private condition but yet the praier of Christ as in the office of a Mediatour doth farre surmount all So then in Christs praier we are especially to look to the Mediatory power to the impetratory efficacy of it It 's not a meer supplication as ours are but a powerfull obtaining of what is desired His praier can be no more refused then his bloud they both are in the same nature they go along under the same respect his bloud may as well be without advantage as his praier The high-Priests praier for the people was of greater concernment for the people then their own praiers I tell thee all thy own praiers are not of that consequence to thee as Christs praier is all Mediatory and impetratory efficacy is from that Thirdly Consider the dignity of the Person who did pray for beleevers and thereby cometh an infinite efficacy and worth to it Christ who praied for us being God and man in regard of his divine nature there cometh an infinite worth upon his praier his praier is like himself and from this account it is that it is meritorious with God that it is just with God to grant him his Requests his Supplications are put up in his own name he needeth no Mediatour there is none to make way for his acceptance with God so that this Meditation affords unspeakable consolation though all thy praiers and duties be nothing worth yet Christs is of infinite value The dignity and merit whereby any good cometh to us is not for our praiers but for Christs Certainly the people of God do not live so chearfully upon this consideration as they ought They are careful to pour out their own praiers but not by faith to rest on Christs What needest thou fear who canst bring praiers of infinite merit The Lord Christ hath praied that I might have this mercy he hath praied that this grace should be vouchsafed unto me What fault can be found with Christ What blame or imperfection is to be seen or found in him how can Christ be denied in justice It is his right to have his Requests answered Fourthly Consider the respect and relation Christ stands in towards God the Father And then you will still say his praier is of great concernment to 〈◊〉 Now his relation is the only Son of God and dearly beloved by him This is my well-beloved Son in whom I am well-pleased Mat. 3.17 So that his praiers are heard unquestionably upon a twofold ground the one of justice because infinite in worth the other of love because the only begotten Son This Heb. 5.7 He is said while he praied to be heard in what he feared and Joh. 11.12 Christ thanks the Father that he heard him alwaies and often doth he professe that the Father loveth him the Sonne and that the Father and the Son are one This also is very comfortable to meditate upon Thou hast the praier of him who is the only begotten of the Father whom the Father heareth alwaies and to whom he denieth nothing if we are able to say Lord this is not my praier only This is not my desire only but it s the request of Christ so beloved of thee then thou maist justly beleeve thou shalt be accepted of O Lord though I have no lovelinesse no comelinesse yet Christ hath Some have doubted whether Christ was heard in every thing he praied for and they instance in his praier that the cup might passe from him but that was only conditionall If it be thy will and therefore he added Not my will but thine be done That which he absolutely praied for was Gods support and preservation of him as also the raising him out of the grave That which seemeth to have gteat difficulty is his praier Luke 23.34 Father forgive them for they know not what they do but of the efficacy of this we need not doubt of because the Pharisees and others they sinned against their knowledge and conscience and for such Christ praied not but
fervent affections of faith Are you to meditate on this Sacrifice This blood speaks all good things for thee SERMON C. Of Jesus Christ as Priest Sacrifice and Altar The Properties of that Sacrifice The way how men come to partake of the Benefit of it Its Efficacy as to Sanctification as well as Justification JOH 17.19 I Sanctifie my self for them c. FRom the Person Sanctifying we proceed to the Object-matter which is said to be sanctified and that is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 My self The Priests in the Old Testament consecrated and offered their brute Beasts which though commanded by God to have perfect Qualifications in them yet because Beasts still therefore our Saviours Priesthood doth farre transcend that because it is his own precious body that he thus offers to be an Oblation for himself From whence Observe That Christ was not only the Priest but the Sacrifice it self He offered up himself in that bloudy and ignominious death for our sakes This is the great mystery of our Christian Religion whether you do regard the Doctrinal part of it as a Truth to be beleeved or as it 's Declarative of the love of God and Christ to his Church The Prophet Isaiah cap. 53. is of old long before it was accomplished greatly affected with it and Paul upon every occasion is largely amplifying this substantial Point To clear it Consider these Introductions First That Christ was both Priest Sacrifice and Altar Every thing in Christ is wonderful There is nothing in him after the ordinary manner of nature and therefore he may justly by the Prophet be called Wonderfull and as in other particulars so in this it is true That he should be Priest Sacrifice and Altar Priest he was in both his Natures as God and man Sacrifice he was in his humane nature because that only could suffer And Altar he was in respect of his Divine Nature because by that he was sanctified Oh then the admirable wisedom of God that hath thus appointed all fulnesse to be in him When Abraham was to offer Isaac and the Childe was bound ready to be sacrificed he asketh his Father but where is the Sacrifice God saith Abraham will provide one Thus when all mankinde like Isaac was ready to be Sacrificed to the Eternal displeasure of God even then God found a Sacrifice for us Secondly Consider what is necessary to a Sacrifice and that is That there be some kinde of destruction or annihilation of the thing to the honour and glory of God And thus a Sacrifice and a Sacrament differ a Sacrifice is by offering up of something to God a Sacrament is when God offers and giveth something to us Therefore when the Papists make the Lords Supper to be a Sacrament and a Sacrifice also they speak repugnancies In a Sacrament God giveth to us In a Sacrifice we give to God Now among the Jews there were many kindes of Sacrifices and most of them did typically represent Christ The Paschal Lamb and the Sacrificing of the Red Heifer these are plainly applied unto Christ but above all kindes of Sacrifices those that we called Holocatomata whole burnt-Offerings These did in a most lively manner typifie him for there the whole was to be burnt in fire and offered to God which denoted the great humiliation of Christ both in Soul and body and also the exquisite Torments and Sufferings which were upon him so that he was wounded all over for our Transgressions Thirdly Take notice that he offered up his body as a Sacrifice to God It was in reference to him not meerly in respect of men to witnesse the Truth of God but as every Sacrifice ought to be it was wholly in reference to God though tending thereby to our good It 's unlawful to offer Sacrifices to any but God because hereby is represented Gods supreme dominion and Majesty which is signified by the annihilation or destruction of the thing offered Now though Christ did not cease to be God yet by his Death there was a separation of the soul and body though not of the divine nature from either It was then unto God that he offered up himself Fourthly This Sacrifice it was by way of expiation and propitiation to atone and pacifie the Justice of God which otherwise would have been a consuming fire to all mankinde as it was to the Apostate Angels Sacrifices do imply some kinde of Expiation and by Heathens were used to pacifie the wrath of their gods and thus if Christs body offered was truly and properly a Sacrifice then it could be no other but by way of expiation and satisfaction Now that it was such an expiatory Sacrifice is plain by the Apostle at large in the Epistle to the Hebrews where he compareth Christ dying with those Sacrifices and sheweth the insufficiency of them in respect of Christs once Oblation of himself which comparison would be weak and absurd if Christs Death was not propitiatory No wonder then if the devil hath raised up blasphemous Heretiques to overthrow this Doctrine because in this is contained that happy Reconciliation between God and a sinner In that Christ shed his bloud to atone for us is the whole hope and comfort of the Church of God Fifthly The holy and just nature of God against sinne was such that there was a necessity of Christs sacrificing himself upon the Crosse for us It 's hotly disputed whether God might have forgiven sinne absolutely without Christs Death or by any other way then by Satisfaction But when all is said it 's acknowledged it is the most convenient way and if we do suppose that God would save mankinde no other way but by justice as well as mercy then it was absolutely necessary that Christ should become man seeing no meer man could compensate God neither could the Obedience of any man have delighted God as much as Adams disobedience did offend him Therefore it 's highly derogatory from Christ which Durand saith that if it had pleased God it might have been that as by Adams disobedience all were made sinners so by the same Adams Obedience repenting and beleeving all might have been made Righteous In the second place Consider the properties of this Sacrifice And First It had infinite worth in it Insomuch that had God ordained it so it would have procured Reconciliation for all the sins of all men in the world yea if there had been a thousand worlds of sinners This is that which Divines say That it was a sufficient price and ransome for all though not efficacious Though therefore many are damned this doth not arise from any weaknesse or insufficiency in Christs Death but from the wickednesse and rebellion of men who refuse the means to improve this Ransome for their good There is infinite worth in it and that upon a threefold respect 1. The Person offering who is God as well as man So that what dignity and worth the divine Nature can put
the Platonists who speak of three principles the Minde the Word and the Spirit yet they made these three distinct Essences and cannot be applied to this mystery though it may be they had these confused notions from some ancient tradition of the Hebrews In the Old Testament this mystery was believed and received Therefore good and solid Arguments may be fetcht thence to prove this Doctrine yet in the New Testament Christ who is the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Word doth more expresly reveal it so that in those who do believe the Scriptures yet obstinately and blasphemously not only deny but deride the Doctrine of the Trinity it is a very high sin and blasphemy 2. Although the Scripture reveal unto us three Persons yet this is not to be understood as if thereby were constituted many Gods There were Hereticks called Tritheita that made three Gods of these three Persons Now this is clear that though the Scripture acknowledge three Persons yet it doth as plainly declare there is but one God Therefore though every Person be God yet there are not three Gods Therefore when the Father is called the alone God this is not to exclude the other Persons from being God but any other made god The Heathenish Idols were not gods nor will God give this glory to any creature 3. This Doctrine therefore of the Trinity is purely an object of faith and cannot be demonstrated by reason The Schoolmen do well declare That the same things in Divinity may be demonstrated by reason and believed by faith as that there is a God this may be known both wayes so that though faith and science cannot have the same formal motive yet they may be conversant about the same object we know there is a God by demonstrations of reason we believe by authority and testimony from Scripture But now this truth about the Persons in the Divine Nature is only to be believed It cannot be demonstrated by reason Indeed when once this revelation is made then it is not hard to finde out such reasons and consequences grounded on Scripture that may serve to answer all the objections of any adversaries for nothing revealed to be believed is contrary to reason though it may be above it Therefore when Scripture hath laid the foundation then reason may make a superstruction yet we must take this Caution although reason be allowed to be a servant to faith we must look she grow not imperious as Hagar to Sarah for then we are to cast her out of doors then the Rule is Mulier ista ratio taceat in Ecclesiâ This Doctrine therefore is to be adored with humble believing and not to be searcht into by curious or furious rashness and certainly the devil is very ready to tempt in this point sometimes he prevaileth to seduce in this point as appeareth by the multitude of Arians of old and Socinians of late sometimes he cannot seduce yet he doth shake and disturb the mindes of the godly exceedingly by suggestions so that their temptations about dogmatical faith sometimes are as grievous as about justifying faith But now although we have a two fold light the light of reason and the light of faith and the latter ought to correct direct the former yet such is our corruption that we make the light of reason to correct the light of faith as if we should make the Sun to borrow its light from the stars But these two lights are as superiour and inferior so that although nothing can be false by the light of reason which is true by the light of faith yet the light of faith comprehends many things which the light of reason cannot as nothing can be false to sense and true to reason yet reason can comprehend many things which sense cannot Therefore when the light of the Moon which is reason is very dim and staggering let the light of faith like that of the Sun fully enlighten and confirm thee In the next place Let us proceed to the peculiar characteristical properties for though the Father and Sonne have the same common Nature and Essence yet a different subsistence So that though they are one God yet not one Person It 's a known Rule In Christ there is aliud and aliud another nature and another nature but not alius alius another Person and another person but in the Trinity there is not aliud aliud but alius alius As for the use of the word Trinity Person c. though not Scripture words yet the sense being there it 's lawfull for distinction and explication sake to use them though the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifying a Person be a Scripture word and there is the conjugate 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from whence we may make the abstract as Paul from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Concerning therefore the relation of the Father there are these things 1. In that he is called the Father and Christ the Sonne it 's implied that he is the first Person in the holy Trinity and the Sonne the second only when he is called the first you must not understand it in dignity and perfection for the Father hath no absolute perfection which the Sonne hath not for seeing both have the nature of God therefore one cannot have greater perfection then another The Father is not more wise more powerfull more holy then the Son Nor is he the first Person in respect of duration as if the Father was God before the Son for seeing he was from all eternity Father therefore he had also this Son from eternity as the Sun was never without its beams Indeed the Orthodox do well deride and justly the Socinians That whereas they confess the Father from all eternity and the Son a made or constituted God in time that they thereby introduce an old God and a young God not indeed as these words denote infirmities but as old is taken for ancient and young for that which is new And certainly if there was a time when Christ was not the Son of God then he became to be so in time but he is called the first Person in order for so the Scripture represents an order to our conceptions in this glorious mystery as appeareth by the form of Baptism whereby we are baptized first into the name of the Father and then of the Sonne The Father then is the first Person and the Son the second not in respect of dignity or duration but order 2. When God the Father is said to be the Father of Christ his Son It is not in a large sense as he is called Father sometimes but in a proper peculiar and incommunicable sense for therefore he is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the only begotten Son of God and indeed we see plainly the unity of the Father separated from the unity of believers in this Text That they may be one as thou in
me and I in thee for God is called the Father of all men To which purpose the Apostle alledgeth that of the Poet We are his off-spring Act. 17.27 Thus also he is called the Father of Believers in respect of Adoption for so our Saviour Joh. 20.17 I ascend to my Father and your Father but he is called the Father in respect of a true and proper generation of his Son as is more to be shewed The Socinians would have him called the Son of God partly because of that extraordinary conception and birth partly because of the constituting and sanctifying of him to the Office of a Priest and partly but principally because of his Resurrection and Exaltation to that great power and dominion which now he hath but these things are only declarative and consequential to that eternal generation whereby indeed he is the Son of God properly and thus the Jews understood it when they accused him for blasphemy because by saying He was the Son of God he thereby made himself God which our Saviour doth not deny or refuse but proveth it more firmly Lastly In that he is called the Father it is thereby implyed That he is the fountain and original of divine being to the Son Thus John 5.26 As the Father hath life in himself so hath he given the Son to have life in himself To have life in himself is only proper to God Now as the Father hath it so also hath the Son but he hath it by donation or communication from the Father In this sense it is that Christ saith He speaketh nothing of himself but as he heareth of the Father still reducing all things unto him not that the Divine Nature is begotten but the second Person who hath the Divine Nature Secondly The property of the Son is to be begotten of the Father And herein lieth the true proper difference of those two Persons The Father is of himself not begotten the Son is of the Father and begotten Now this doth imply that Christ hath not his being by creation as Adam had and Angels who therefore are called The sons of God but truly and really by generation for so the Scripture appropriates this to him That he is the only begotten Son of God only you are not to measure this spiritual and eternal generation with that of the creatures but to abstract it from all such humane imperfections and therefore though it be truly a generation yet it 's not of the same univocal nature with that of creatures So that as God is not in a predicament neither is there the same univocal being to God and the creature Thus it is also in this generation Let us not therefore judge of this mystery by examples and instances from the creature for as the nature of God is incomprehensible so also is this generation Vse 1. To bewail the doctrinal errours and blasphemies whereby the devil hath seduced many in this point Oh pray to God to preserve thee from such poison Many desperately preach and write that Christ is not truly God nor the eternal God and so make us guilty of horrible Idolatry and withall overthrow the pillars and foundations of Religion By this we see that blasphemy and damnable heresies are in our nature which we should be plunged into if God leave us unto our selves Vse 2. Of Exhortation To take heed not only of unbelief in respect of the promises but also the doctrinals This gift is also of God It 's he that inableth and confirmeth the heart in this particular also and indeed dogmatical faith is the foundation of salvifical Vse 3. To admire the love both of Father and Son in procuring our salvation for us The Fathers love is seen to send his only begotten Son the Son of his love in whom he delighted more then in all creatures into the world and to die such an ignominious death for us enemies And then the Sons love is seen in leaving that glory and blessedness he had for a while to be in a state of wrath and anger for our sakes No wonder if the hearts of men and Angels can never be sufficiently enough taken up with these things Vse 4. To indeavour after such an unity as the Father and Son have It 's the president in the Text Doth the Father and Son ever disagree Doth the Son will one thing and the Father another Neither ought there to be any disagreement amongst believers SERMON CXVIII The Glorious Mystery of the Saints Vnion with Christ and with the Father by him Opened JOH 17.21 That they all may be one as thou Father art in me c. IN these words we have the nature and quality of the godly mans Union declared 1. That it is an holy and godly Vnity they are one in Christ not in the devil or sin as wicked men are 2. It 's not a bodily Union and visible but spiritual and invisible because it 's an Unity in the Father and the Son 3. It 's not absolutely and adequately equall to the Union between the Father and Son for our Saviour doth plainly separate and make a difference he said not before As thou Father art in us and we in thee but in me and I in thee distinguishing himself thereby in a transcendent way from the creature so neither in this place doth he say That they may be one with us though that also is true in a mystical sence Christ the Head and the Church his body being one in that respect because that might imply Unity of nature and essence but one in us Now for all believers to be one in the Father and the Son may admit of a twofold Exposition 1. The Preposition 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 may be as much as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 per for so it 's often used and then the sence would be That they may be one by us that is by thy grace for it 's not nature but grace that makes this Unity Thus Eph. 5.8 we are said to be light in the Lord that is by the Lord But this seemeth not so genuine therefore the 2d Interpretation is more received which makes the expression to be declarative of that terminus in which all the godly are united The Center in which all the lines meet The Head in which all the members The Root in which all the branches The Spring in which all the streams are conjoyned and he saith in us for though we are proximely and immediately united unto Christ our head yet thereby we also are united to the Father Obs That all believers are united to Christ and in him to the Father This Union of Believers with Christ is an unspeakable mystery The Scripture represents it under many similitudes yet we cannot conceive of it according to its dignity But as the hypostatical Union of the two Natures in Christ into one person doth exceed our comprehension so likewise doth the mystical Union of believers with Christ and in him with the Father
as God hath his divine Essence from the Father for the Father communicateth the God-head to his Son by necessary generation So that it was not free to him whether he would have this Son or no as it was whether he would create the world or no It 's true there are some Learned men that say Pater liberè genuit filium because in all that the Father doth he doth it with understanding and will which they make to be the formal cause of liberty But those that do so take not liberty for that which may be or may not be but for that which is immutably so onely there is understanding and will concurring to it In this sence the expression may be admitted otherwise it would be blasphemy to say the Father did so freely communicate the divine nature to the Sonne that he might have chosen whether he would have done it or no Therefore indeed if we speak strictly it is not a giving of the Son of his Godhead unlesse we take gift in a large sence for that which is communicating yet the Scripture cals it so To this purpose some bring that Joh. 5.26 As the Father hath life in himself so hath he given to the Son to have life in himself Where to have life in himself is the highest perfection that can be and proper only to the supreme deity yet this is given to the Son to have and to have it so as the Father hath it and therefore he is called the Son because he hath his being of the Father eternally and the Fathers giving of this or the Sons receiving of it argueth no imperfection but perfection in both 2. There may be a giving to another by way of intrinsecall perfection or by way of extrinsecall declaration and manifestation of this when God gave Angels and men holinesse this was to give internall perfection to them but now when Angels and men declare the wisedom power and goodnesse of God praising and magnifying him for it This addeth no inward perfection to him only it outwardly declareth it and thus it was with Christ as God many things are said to be given him which yet he had with the Father before the world only it 's said to be given him because it was then declared and manifested what he had Indeed if we speak of Christs humane nature so it had many things given to it which were an inward perfection to him in that respect but in respect of his divine nature so he was not capable of any new perfection which he had not alwaies These things premised Let us now consider what was given him of the Father And 1. Christ even as God had many things given him in respect of externall Declaration Thus when glory and honour is given unto him by the Father as in that exceeding glorious manifestation when it was said Thou art my well-beloved Son this was external glory God gave the outward manifestation of glory that which did already belong to him 2. We reade of his Office of Mediatorship and that was also given to him Hence it is that it 's so often said that the Father sent him into the world not as if the Son did not willingly consent to this office also only the Father he assigned and appointed him who was also willing to this work So that to be a Mediatour to be sent into the world c. they are mixt Attributes for they denote perfection and some imperfection To be sent To feel the glory of the Father these denote he was man as well as God but so to be sent as by his own power and strength to work out our Salvation and purchase our peace argueth the highest pefection which none but a God can do So that this is necessary to be observed when the Scripture speaks of his appointment to this officiall Kingdom of a Mediatour this no waies takes off from Christs God-head but necessarily supposeth it because none but God can perform that work 3. The Scripture speaks of persons that are given him of the Father and this expression is very often with the Apostle John in this Chapter it 's many times repeated Those that thou hast given me So Joh. 6.59 All that the Father hath given me will come unto me Now these are said to be given by the Father to Christ not that Christ as God had them not before but in respect of his Mediatory Office So that they are given to him that he should by his death and merits bring them to Eternal happinesse and this makes greatly for the comfort and consolation of the godly and this cannot argue any imperfection in Christ that these were given to him as a Mediatour for he did not need them he was happy without them So that beleevers are given to Christ not for his good but for their own good and therefore though Christ be the Head and beleevers members yet it doth not follow that because the Head cannot be without members but needeth the members as well as they do the head that therefore Christ cannot be without beleevers No Christ took these to him not out of want but out of bounty He took them not to be bettered by them but to better them not to perfect himself but them As the Fountain is not helped by the streams but the streams by the Fountain Neither do the Stars enlighten the Sun but the Sun the Stars So that if we Consider in what sence beleevers are given to Christ we shall finde it 's no imperfection in him but perfection to be added to them 4. We reade of spirituall gifts and graces given to him So he is said to receive the Spirit without measure and hence he is called Christ because he is anointed with the oyle of all grace and this is in respect of his humane nature For the humane nature of Christ being a creature and of the same univocal species with ours it could not sanctifie it self it could not adorn it self with all habituall and actuall grace Therefore in his conflicts an Angel was sent to comfort him We must therefore alwaies distinguish though not divide those two Natures in Christ As God he could not be anointed he could not receive the Spâ—rit or be sanctified from a cause without but take him as man so all the good he had was of free-grace The personal Union was of free-grace and all habitual holinesse was infused into him by grace for none but God can be essentially and naturally holy and therefore Austin of old did urge this as an unanswerable Argument if the humane nature of Christ had not free-will or power to sanctifie it self to adorn it self with holinesse much less hath any meer man but so it was with Christ that as man he was wholly furnished with graces and gifts from above Indeed the end why he had these as also why he was made man was in reference to us It was of his fulness that we do receive so that he
in the Vine and vers 5 6. he doth not onely speak of our being in Christ but Christs being in us Abide in me and I in you and again He that abideth in me and I in him by which expressions it appeareth that these are two distinct things our being in Christ and Christs being in us and indeed one is the cause of the other the preserver and continuer of the other for because Christ is in us giving daily influence and supply therefore we are kept in him To open this To open this Consider First That the Scripture doth not only say Christ is in a believer but he liveth in him As Paul Gal. 2.20 And this denoteth That Christs presence in us is operative and active for as life in a man quoad actum primum doth alwayes more or lesse sensibly put forth life quoad actum secundum Thus it is with Christ he is in the soul not as he was once in the ship asleep and so ceasing from any action but he liveth in us for even as God in respect of the creatures doth still work by Conservation as at first by Creation so that if he did but for a moment with-draw his influence this whole fabrick would fall into nothing Thus it is also in respect of Grace As Christ did at first put supernatural life into us so did he not continually act and enliven us we should quickly become dead in our sinnes but Christ liveth in us And if you say How then comes it about that so many times Christ seemeth to be gone from the soul that he hath left his habitation that no life or workings of Christ appear That may be answered afterwards Onely for the present know That Christ is the Sunne of Righteousnesse Mal. 4.2 which ariseth with healing in his wings and he is the Tree of Life yea he cals himself in the abstract I am the life John 11.25 And therefore if thy heart be dead dull formal the defect is not from Christ living but by sinfull obstructions by sinne in thee Even as it is said of Christs Countrey He could doe no miracles there because of their unbelief Mark 6.6 But as Christ is said to live in believers so to abide in them and that denoteth more then living for Christ were it not for the Covenant of Grace made sure in his blood might have lived in the godly but his life in us might have passed away as our life and like a shadow As God for a long while was with the people of Israel in a Tabernacle that moved up and down before he was in a Temple fixed Thus God was graciously present in Adam in the Apostate Angels but this presence was ambulatory onely now through Christ he hath fixed his abode with us he comes and so dwels with us that he will never go from us When therefore Christ hath once begun to live in thee he will alwayes abide so Christ is alwayes in thy soul though thou mayest not perceive it yea the Scripture doth not onely say Christ abideth in us but that he dwelleth in us Ephes 3.17 Now dwelling doth denote that intimatenesse and familiarity as also that care and cost Christ is willing to bestow on our souls No man that is able will suffer his house he liveth in to runne to decay and to fall into utter ruines and indeed the house cannot take care for it self but the master doth Thus it is here Christ will not suffer his own dwelling-place to fall into decayes he will see it be repaired It will be Christs losse as well as the beleevers Secondly Because there are erroneous and dangerous conceits about Christs being in his people Let us first remove the false wayes and then assert the true As 1. When Christ is said to be in his people That is not to be understood as if there were a confusion of their beings or as if they were made one reall and physical person with him for thus some have dangerously affirmed That we are Christed with Christ and made one reall person with Christ It is true Christ and his people make up one spiritual and mystical Person They are not to be considered as two no more then the Head and the body yet it 's an hainous errour as also high non-sense to affirm such a being of Christ in us as that we are turned into Christ There are among the Popish devout Writers those that are called Mâ—stiâ—i Theologi as if they onely did enter into the Holy of Holies and all other Writers were but meer literarists and these speak much of such raptures and elevation of the soul that in these pangs it doth lose its own being and is transessentiated into God Many sublime and unintelligible expressions they have such as the Paracelsians amongst Physicians Now what these say about God many have an imitating language of in respect of Christ but when Christ is said to live and dwell in us you must not conceive as if we were turned into Christ or Christ in us we must not fancy such an imagination as the Papists do about Transubstantiation thinking that the bread is turned into the very body of Christ Hence in the second place It 's horrible blasphemy which some would inferre from Gods or Christs being in us That they doe not sinne at all They work not but God or Christ in them Calvin of old wrote against such Libertines affirming That by their horrid doctrines they made God worse then the Devil And of late there have been some who have boldly vomited this poison of the red Dragon let them commit never such abominable and notorious crimes they doe not sinne Why Because Christ is in them But though Christ live in the godly in a spiritual sense yet they do not lose their personall being or operations It 's not Christ that repents or believeth in them but they themselves though he efficiently help to these duties much lesse is it Christ that sinneth or commits iniquity in them Thirdly When Christ is said to be in us this is not to be understood as if he were bodily living in us as if his body were received into our body No the body of Christ is now exalted at the right hand of God in glory And howsoever the Lutherans do hotly dispute for the ubiquity of Christs body yet that is to kick against the pricks The Scripture is clear That his body is so in Heaven that it is not corporeally any where else It 's true all beleevers do partake of whole Christ of his Person and therefore of his body as well as of his Divine Nature but the participation of his body is not after a bodily manner he doth not live and dwell in us bodily It 's true in the Virgin Mariâ—s womb Christ was there once bodily but not so in the wombs of other women Neither had she been happy meerly through that had not Christ even then lived spiritually in her heart Fourthly Neither
558 A Ministry is appointed for spiritual ends 558 Arguments to prove the perpetuity of the Ministry ibid. N Name WHat is meant by Name in Phil. 2. 28 All Church-meetings Censures and duties should be done in the Name of Christ 28 All things have their successe in Christs Name ibid. What is meant by Gods Name 162 Nature All by Nature are in a state of enmity against God 14 The humane Nature was assumed by the divine 666 The Father and Sonne are two distinct Persons yet one in Nature and Essence 582 Natural Natural knowledge insufficient to guide us in the worship of the true God 92 O Obedience THat is proper Obedience that hath the word of God requiring of it 198 There are five grounds of it 200 Oblation Two things admirable in Christs Oblation of himself 503 Office The substance of the Ministerial Office is the same with that which every Minister hath 492 That there is a distinct Office of the Ministry 498 That none may enter into that Office without an authoritative mission 499 How shall we know what is an extraordinary Office and what is an ordinary Office 558 Offices Christ is fitted in respect of his Offices to be a Prophet Priest and King 503 504 Vide Priestly P People GOds People called out of the world 172 How many wayes a People may be said to be Gods 176 The godly are Gods People in a peculiar manner 177 The opening of this in five particulars 177 178 They are the Lords upon several titles 178 179 There ought to be a practical improvement of it 180 It is a sure Character of Gods People to be a willing People 204 Seven Reasons of this 205 c. Perseverance Several particulars about Perseverance that will be as so many answers to Objections made against that truth 352 353 c. Arguments to prove those that have true grace shall persevere 357 c. Power Power as it is expressed in this word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 35 It is not enough to be put into a state of grace unlesse by Gods Power we are kept therein 307 How many wayes the Power of God doth keep us 309 Why there is such a necessity of Gods preserving Power 312 Pray Whether it be lawfull to Pray for any one man in particular 229 Whether it be lawfull to Pray for a reprobate as such 229 Whether we may Pray in faith for others as for our selves 230 It is our duty to Pray for ungodly men 231 Motives to move thereunto 231 232 Prayer The matter of Christs Prayer 1. Himself 2. Apostles 3. Others who in time should believe 2 To all instructions c. Prayers is necessary ibid. Reasons on Gods part on the Words part on mans part 4 It should come from a spiritual and heavenly heart 5 Four Requisites to spirituall Prayer 6 It s a hard thing to Pray 6 Customary Prayer receiveth nothing from God 7 Prayer is mental vocal 8 Ends in Prayer 12 Praying It is good and comfortable Praying for them that discover the signes of grace in them 229 Predestination The Doctrine of Predestination should be preached warily 52 Diligently ibid. So as not to discourage humble penitents ibid. Predictions Three sorts of Predictions 396 Priest Christ was not only Priest but Sacrifice it self 510 Priestly Concerning Christs Priestly Office consider these things 508 The Adjuncts of his Priestly Office ibid. Priesthood Propositions concerning Christs Priesthood 510 Principles Principles that do constitute a gracious disposition 32 Vniting Principles in Doctrine 577 Vide Uniting Priviledges Priviledges that come by Christs death 245 Promised Things Promised must be prayed for 137 This is explained in seven particulars 137 138 c. Six Reasons why it is so 139 What are the conditions of such a prayer 141 c. Propriety They only can plead a Propriety in God and Christ who are carefull to keep his Word 182 Gods peculiar Propriety in his people is the ground of all good that accrueth to them 255 Propositions concerning Gods Propriety in his people 255 256 Gods Propriety excludeth all other creatures ib. How the Propriety of God is the cause of all good 258 Properties The Characteristical Properties of the Persons in the God-head 584 Properties in the godly which maketh them lovely and precious in Gods sight 687 Protect The grounds why God will Protect such as are hated for his Names sake 423 Protection Christs Protection is to one believer as well as to another 527 Q Qualifications THe Qualifications of such to whom Christs death is made savingly advantagious 245 Question The great Question that all ought to put is How may I get eternal life 67 We must take the right way to answer this Question 68 Vide Eternal Life R Reading WHether Reading be preaching 496 Redeemed That not all but some of mankinde are Redeemed by Christ 51 Redemption Our Redemption obtained by Christ is a glorifying of God 113 How the maintainers of Universal Redemption differ among themselves 241 Vide Universal Relation It is of great consequence for the humbled Christian in his prayers to improve this Relation of a Father 658 Religion We are not to condemn the way of Religion though some amongst them prove scandalous 377 Some considerations to bring this home 378 The unreasonableness and sinfulness of condemning Religion for some hypocrites therein 379 Repetitions Repetions of the same matter in prayer may be usefull 133 Vide Tautology When the ground of Repetition is good 133 c. When Repetitions are forbidden 135 Reprobates Reprobates receive much benefit by Christs death 239 Righteous God whether considered as a Judge of the world or as a Father to believers is Righteous in all his wayes 674 Reasons why God is Righteous in all his administrations 674 Righteousnesse It is a dangerous sinne to trust to our own Righteousnesse as it appeareth in four particulars 219 Means to drive them out of self-Righteousnesse 220 221 How Righteousnesse may be attributed to God 674 The Righteousnesse of God as a Father to his people in all their afflictions 676 S Sacrifice THat Christ set himself apart to be a Sacrifice for us 502 What things are necessary to a Sacrifice 510 The Properties of Christs Sacrifice 511 Salvation Salvation is to be desired in subordination to Gods glory 32 The everlasting Salvation of men determined 51 Salvation is of grace 253 The Reasons of it 253 The Causes of Salvation 679 Sanctification Growth in Sanctification illustrated by the contraries unto it 464 The Word of God is the instrument of our Sanctification 468 The Explication of the Point 469 The Word is the ordinary means of our beginning and increase in Sanctification 471 Christ died not only for our Justification but Sanctification also 515 How many wayes Christ is the cause of our Sanctification 515 Sanctified How many wayes a godly man may be more Sanctified 459 Reasons why it is not enough to be Sanctified but we must be more and more holy 466 What is
CXLV Expository Sermons UPON The whole 17th CHAPTER OF THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO St JOHN OR CHRISTS PRAYER Before his PASSION Explicated AND BOTH Practically and Polemically Improved By Anthony Burgess Minister of the Gospel sometime Fellow of Emanuel-Colledge in Cambridge and now Pastour of the Church of Sutton-Coldfield in Warwickshire LONDON Printed by Abraham Miller for Thomas Underhill at the Anchor and Bible in St Pauls Church-yard MDCLVI TO The Christian READER THe Evangelist John because of that admirable usefull and excellent matter which he hath left on Record for the good of the Church is dignified with some remarkable Titles That which is the principall and most to be observed is the name Christ himself gave him Mark 3.17 He with his brother James are called Sons of Thunder When our Saviour changed Peters Name there is the reason of that mutation expressed but because here is none given therefore the conjectures of Interpreters are various As for the application of it to John Some say It was because of the greatnesse and vehemency of his voice 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but it is hard to prove that Grotius thinketh our Saviour doth allude to that of Haggai chap. 2.6 Yet once it is a little while and I will shake 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from which he makes Boanerges though other Criticks judge much otherwise the Heavens and Earth c. This Promise was fulfilled in the great Mutation and Change which was made by the Gospel in which this Evangelist was an excellent Instrument Some attribute it to the Secrecy and Sublimity of that matter which he delivereth as having more familiarity with Christ then others for he used to lean on his Breast and so might receive some peculiar instruction from Christ Thus Heinfius making Thunder to be no more then the Hebrew Shechina Gods Presence and Majesty applying that place Psal 81.7 I have heard thee in the secret place of Thunder But that which is most probable is Because of the admirable gravity and weight in the matter delivered as also the short and sudden expressions thereof Those Sentences in the beginning of his first â—hapter are like so many thunderbolts insomuch that if you do regard the Matter and Manner of his expression he might more truly be said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 then Pericles in his Orations Whatsoever therefore we finde delivered by this Divine Pen-man we are with much reverence and awfull respect to receive it Antiquity also hath in a peculiar manner honoured him with some other names He is called the Heavenly Eagle and that because of the sublime Mysteries manifested by him in reference to the Godhead of Christ And to this purpose he is likewise styled Theologos the Divine where 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is not used in that sense as afterwards it was in the Church of God for it is opposed to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hence they say the other Evangelists do deliver 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of Christ the manner of his Humane Nativity but this Evangelist doth the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Divine Nature of Christ although the Socinians have sacrilegiously perverted the beginning of that first Chapter of John to another sense then of Christs Eternal Deity which yet was used instrumentally to convert Junius from his Atheisme Now although the whole matter delivered thus by this Evangelist be so admirable and excellent yet this Seventeenth Chapter wherein is related the Prayer of Christ for believers not long before his Death and mentioned onely by him hath some appropriated Reasons for a more peculiar Attention and Affection towards it Hence it hath alwayes had a peculiar Presidency in the hearts of Believers So that the opening of this precious Box of Ointment must needs send forth a refreshing fragrant smell to those that are spiritual For it is truly said by Melancthon concerning this Prayer Nec digniorem necsanctiorem nec fructuosiorem nec magis patheticam vocem in Coelo ac Terrâ unquam fuisse auditam quam hanc ipsius Filii precationem There was never a more excellent more holy more fruitfull and more affectionate voice ever heard in Heaven or Earth then this Prayer So that we may call this Chapter as some of the Psalms are A Chapter of Degrees If this reason may be admitted of that Inscription because they did surpasse other Psalmes in Excellency as also thereby the soul was like Elijah carried up in a fiery Chariot to Heaven At the end of every verse we may write Selah There was a very superstitious Custome among Christians in Chrysostome's time which he doth severely inveigh against that they would hang this Gospel of John or part of it about their necks as an Anulete nor a Spell against malignant things But certainly a gracious heart preserving this Prayer of Christ and making a wise and skilfull improvement thereof will finde it wonderfully advantagious both for the increase of Godlinesse and Comfort here will be both Bread to nourish and Wine to refresh and comfort Although therefore multitude of Books be complained of as glutting the world So that we may justly think there are more Books then Readers yet the Excellency perpetual Usefulnesse and ravishing Consolations of the matter delivered by our Saviour in this Valedictory Prayer have prevailed with me to publish these Expository Sermons to the world and the rather not knowing of any English Writer who hath purposely made it his businesse to explicate and practically improve this Chapter whereas some other parts of Scripture have been diligently discussed In the managing of this Work I have occasionally entered into some Socinian and Arminian Disputes some Verses in this Chapter being the proper subject for them Although the greatest part of my Work is to make Honey rather then to sting to informe us how to believe and walk in a Christian life then to dispute and digladiate about Controversies for we seldome gather Grapes from such Thistles Yea sometimes in stead of Conviction they work confirmation in those Errours the mindes of men are prepossessed with And here I shall take leave to enter into a short Digression which would have come out more seasonably long before this time but I had no opportunity till this occasion was offered to me Not long since I published The Second Part of the Treatise of Justification wherein among other particulars my Work was to prove That Works though done by Grace are not the Condition of our Justification but that we are justified alone by Faith as the Means or Instrument receiving of it These two kindes of Justification viz. by Faith receiving or Faith and Workes as a Condition I conceive to differ specifically one from the other and that he who is justified the one way cannot be the other The former way as the Scripture doth maintain so generally the Reformed Churches have readily insisted in The latter way the Remonstrants have vehemently pleaded for opposing Faiths instrumentality in
and lastly what is strongly in the heart cannot but empty it self in words Hence are those expressions I cried unto the Lord with a loud voice so that a vocall praier is commanded as well as a mentall only in that we must remember there ought to be a threefold attention first unto God the object unto whom we pray that our thoughts be not distracted 2. To the matter that it be lawfull and according to Gods will 3. To the words that they be sober grave and decent in so religious a duty And thus much from that expression Christ said Father In the next place let us consider how Christ could pray for being God it seemeth praier is as incompatible to him as to God The answer is in respect of his divine nature so he could not pray but in his humane nature and as he was in the state of humiliation so he did not only pray but he praied wirh agonies and strong cries as the Apostle saith Heb. 5.7 for in this consideration he was capable of many mercies which God did bestow upon him and also upon all the Elect for he praied for them also yea he did not only pray in the state of humiliation but in his glorified estate Now whilest he is exalted on his Throne he makes intercession for us Heb. 7.15 1 Joh. 2.1 Though this Intercession in Heaven is not in that humble way of supplication as while he was in the flesh but a presenting of his sufferings and obedience to the Father with an earnest will that all his Elect should partake the benefits thereof But of this Point how Christ could be said to pray more in its due time This praier Christ powred forth so far as it relateth to the Church of God and all beleevers is part of his Priestly office for the Priest was to doe two things first to pray then to offer a sacrifice Now Christ in this Chapter he praieth and afterwards offereth up himself an holy and unspotted sacrifice for the sins of his people and as the High-Priest was to carry the names of the twelve Tribes in his breast to present them to God so doth Christ here he presents all his children unto God the Father by this praier There is no godly man so mean so weak so inconsiderable but he is commended unto the Father and may justly expect the fruit of this praier That all the Children of God are under the fruit and benefit of Christs Mediatory praier Take up these two forementioned places 1 Joh 2.1 If any sin we have an Advocate with the Father Here is supposed that upon every sinne we commit there is an inditement an impleading of us an accusing of us unto God Thou thinkest nothing of thy sinnes when committed they are presently out of thy minde but oh the charge and Inditement that is against thee before God only the godly they have Christ an Advocate he dosh constantly pleade for them he takes their parts and he is sure to prevail What treasures of comfort are here for the godly when thou art not thinking or minding thy own self Christ in heaven is pleading for thee It 's good to have this Friend in the Court of heaven so Heb. 7.25 He everliveth to make intercession for them he ever-liveth and this he attends unto When thou art sleeping and canst not pray for thy self he maketh Intercession for thee So that Christ though exalted and made glorious in heaven hath not laid aside his love and earnest affections for thy good But as Joseph when lifted up in Pharaohs Court sent for his Father and Brethren to give them the good things of Egipt Thus it is here Christ said he went to his Father to provide mansion places in heaven for them Joh. 14.2 Oh the unspeakable dignity and happinesse to be under Christs Intercession If we do so much esteem the praier of a godly man on earth and the effectuall praier of one righteous man prevaileth much The excelltncy of praier appearing in that it only is compared to Frankincense Heb. 5. cap. 6. signifying as this doth recreate and refresh man so doth a true right praier please God what then will the praier of Christ himself do If a Job If a Daniel If a Moses could do so much in praier when yet their praier needed Christs praier for acceptation and impetration how prevalent must Christs praier be for his beleevers To open this Doctrine Consider First The matter of Christs Praier for his Children and that is 1. For the accomplishing of all grace here and glory hereafter There is no heavenly or spirituall mercy but Christ hath praied for it Thou dost not only pray for it alas what are thy praiers but Christ hath praied for it thy conversion and sanctification is praied for There is no man to be converted by the Word but Christ praied for that mans conversion Joh. 17.20 It was said of Austin because his Mother Monica praied so earnestly about him that it was impossible a childe of so many praiers should perish but that is not necessary though all the men in the world should pray for such a mans conversion it might not be only we may say It 's impossible a childe of Christs praiers and tears should perish Again 2. Pardon and forgivenesse of sinne and that as oft as it is committed is the matter of his prayer We have an Advocate as you heard Alas upon the committing of any sinne if there were no more strength to do them away then is in the praiers and tears of the godly if all the guilt lay upon them to discharge how insupportable would it be but there is no sinne at any time committed by thee if repented of and forgiven but Christ hath praied that it may be forgiven thee so then though there be weaknesse unbelief and dullnesse in thy praiers yet there was no fault to be found â—n Christs praiers In all thy agonies desertions and temptations pleade the Intercession of Christ 3. Further Another main spirituall mercy praied for is preservation from sin v. 15. I pray not thou shouldest take them out of the world but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil Oh admirable and necessary praier we are in the world as in an infected Hospitall as in a fiery furnace Now to be here and not diseased not to be burned therein is the wonderfull expression of Gods power and goodnesse for this River to run into the Sea and not to partake of the salt taste thereof is beyond expression Christ hath not praied that we should have no afflictions or troubles in the world but that we should be kept from the evil of them He did not pray for Peter that he should not have wofull and sad temptations but that his faith might not fail in the midst of them O what a comfortable cordiall may it be in times of great commotions and violent temptations how do the godly fear lest their
things It 's my Father in heaven that giveth life and motion to every thing and therefore I need not be afraid Know then that all those gnawing worms of unbelief and fears upon thee whereby thou makest thy self an hell to thy self they come from want of this consideration 5. This Relation if rightly considered will put us upon holinesse and an earnest endeavour to resemble and to be like him A good childe loveth to imitate and conform to all those lovely perfections that are in his Father his endeavour is that in him his Father may live even while he is dead Now the Scripture sets forth Gods holinesse as our Copy to write after Be ye holy as I am holy and that ye may be perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect Matth. 5.48 and He that hath this hope viz. to be a Sonne of God purifieth himself even as God is pure Oh then let those vile and leprous sinners stand aloof off They call God Father where is thy Image or likenesse of him upon thee Art thou pure as he is pure holy as he is holy Is thy will conformable to his will To love and delight in those things that God loveth and commands The Scripture telleth us the godly are born of God that his Image is restored in them That they are partakers of the divine nature Now let every one see upon what grounds he cals God Father Is it not a meer lye and mockery Dost thou not delude thy own self If God be thy Father wherein art thou like him Art thou holy as he is pure as he is Certainly even in the godly this should raise up their spirits to higher exercise of holinesse They should consider who is their Father It is for them to shew better breeding then to be proud passionate earthly and carnall They are to be as Ignatius was called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Those that bear God about with them you may see the resemblance of God in their lives So then this Title and relation doth not only vouchsafe comfort but engage to much duty None should be so cheerful and yet so holy and pure as they are 6. This Relation of a Father will put us upon zeal for his glory and honour a desire to exalt and set him up every where an holy impatiency to have his Name blasphemed and his commands broken What childe can endure to hear his Father spoken against to have his name defamed You see in Christ himself the zeal of his Fathers house did eat him up he could not endure to see the corruption and defilement of his Fathers worship and thus it is with the Children of God his honour is dear unto them To see and hear the wickednesse and prophanenesse of others torments his righteous soul This is against my Father I have no patience when you thus dishonour my Father Oh this is an excellent signe you look upon God as your Father when you are thus affected for his glory for his truth and worship It 's a known story of that dumb Sonne that never spake before yet when he saw one going to kill his Father cried out and forbad it Thou that feelest no anger or grief within thee when God is dishonoured doe thou doubt of thy childe-like disposition Lastly The Meditation of God as a Father may wonderfully support under all afflictions They are the corrections of a Father not the punishments of a Judge and the Apostle argueth the great reasonablenesse of bearing Gods afflictions seeing we endure the chastisement of our Fathers according to the flesh Heb. 12.9 10. where the Apostle shews that a good childe though chastened by his Father giveth reverence to him why then should not we rather obey God who is the Father of spirits and that from the end of God he afflicts for our profit and we live by these chastisements Hence it 's the devils great temptation to imbitter this cup of affliction as much as he can To let them think God is not their Father and if he were a Father he would never lay such a load upon them and all this to stirre up impatience and discontent within them Thus you see what mighty effects this consideration of God as a Father should produce in us In the next place consider Why this doth so prevail with God And 1. Because it 's not a bare Title but accompanied with the reall love and bowels of a Father God is not only called so but is indeed a Father yea a Father above all earthly Fathers yea or mothers too he takes more tendernesse upon him then they can have Isa 49.15 when Zion sadly complained The Lord had forsaken her he tels her Though a woman should forget her sucking childe yet he would not So then love is infinitely in God his kindenesse is like himself beyond all thoughts and expressions and if among men it be so unnaturall for a Father not to love his childe can we think God will not love his He that hath commanded us to love our enemies and to forgive them seventy times seven in a day will not he pardon his Children Children are part of the Father and therefore God visiteth the sinnes of Fathers sometimes upon their Children because they are as one with the Father and Christ praieth that the godly and his Father may be one 2. It 's for the glory and honour of God to hear them when they pray What priviledges and mercies children have tends to the honour of a Father Doth it not disgrace a Father when he is able and yet letteth his Children be almost famished and be contemned in filthy rags Oh we say he doth not go like such an ones Sonne it 's a disgrace to his Father so it is here should not the people of God be holy comfortable heavenly and accepted of this would be as if God did not own them Vse of Instruction Concerning the happy estate of the godly and the contrary of the wicked That which is a comforting fire to one is a consuming fire to the other The godly have alwaies the Scepter held out to them They may go to God as a Father and are sure to be heard either ad voluntatem or ad sanitatem They may say O Lord if I did come to thee as an angry Judge if I did draw nigh to thee as one provoked as one whose sins made a division between me and thee then I might be sent comfortlesse away but I come to thee as a Father a relation thou art not ashamed off and which thou wilt fullfill though as yet the glory of God is not fully manifested but as for the wicked what a thunderbolt is this to them God is not their Father Though they may call him so a thousand times over yet he is not he is thy enemy thy adversary what good things thou hast cometh from him as the governour of the world not as a Father SERMON IV. Of Gods appointing an hour a set time
all honour and glory shall be given by the Saints in heaven to all Eternity to the Sonne only it shall be to him as the meritorious and procuring cause whereby we are brought to enjoy the Father Having thus considered Christs intentions in all his works that the Sun cannot be free◠from spots then his holy will was from all oblique and sinister respects Let us consider man who being a meer creature having all both in being and continuation from God as the beams from the Sun and the streams from the Fountain it lieth as unavoidable upon him to be affected more with Gods glory then his own good This is a very hard task to flesh and bloud but self-love and de-ordination of the faculties of the soul hath made it thus difficult Now we may divide the good of a godly man into two sorts Either that in heaven his treasure laid up there in the upper Region Or all the good he can have in this life in the lower Region And of both these we commit a kinde of horrible Idolatry when we desire them upon any other terms then in tendency to God If it be so great a sinne to alter the bounds and change the Land-marks which the Laws of a Nation have set how much more to break that good and excellent order which God hath appointed between him and the creature Let us consider the first kinde of a godly mans good his eternall felicity and salvation even this glory he is to desire in subordination to Gods glory For if Paul could make a conditionate wish and veleity that he might be accursed from Christ Rom. 9.3 to serve his brethren how much rather might this be done for the glory of God yet take heed of a mistake here some have gone so farre as to say that a godly man is never truly humbled till he can be willing to be damned for Gods glory and that it 's unlawful to look at the reward in heaven This is dangerous as well as false for it 's not lawfull but a duty to seek our salvation Rom. 2.7 To them who by patient continuance in well-doing seek for honour and glory and Moses is said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to have a fixed earnest eye upon the reward Heb. 11.26 So that it 's a Speech full of vanity and no man can speak it truly that he is willing to be damned for Gods glory for such a thing cannot be and our salvation we are bound to desire so that we must take heed lest by overmuch wringing a good truth we make bloud come out instead of milk yet though this be so it 's no contradiction to say that a godly man hath such an holy principle within him that would carry him out to the obedience of God though there were no heaven and that the glory and honour of God is his principal end that it 's dearer to him then his own soul and truly if we see in nature God hath so ordered it that every particular denieth it self to preserve the universall The water will ascend upwards that there may not be a vacuum and the particular orbes are carried about against their own motion according to the power of the first mobile how much more must this hold in man and God all his life comforts and happinesse it self is to give place for Gods honour and glory Let God be glorified and ruat mundus but I shall not insist on this Let us descend to those particular good things we have in this world riches honour greatnesse and parts We shall see it 's the greatest reason in the world that we should not desire these things to advance our selves to satisfie our appetites but only thereby to glorifie God but who doth this yea who is able to bear this truth to take this yoke till a renewed nature hath made it easie And therefore let us first consider the causes procreant or principles constituant of such a gracious disposition as to be able to say O Lord I begge for health for a good name for outward comforts in this world but it 's not for my own sake so much that I do this as that hereby I might glorifie thee And 1. He must necessarily be born again or from above he must be partaker of a divine nature that can ascend thus high He that is of the earth is earthy he that is of heaven is heavenly Till a man have the Image of God and be made like him he cannot but minde earthly things When men are made godly you cannot say O Curoae in terras animae No then their souls as well as their bodies are made streight up towards heaven A worm can never do as the Lark soar up on high singing as she goeth but when descending towards the earth silent as if she were grieved Till then God hath made us new creatures given us new hearts and a new spirit within us we cannot desire these worldly comforts for any other end but our selves To be rich to be great to be wise only for our selves 2. There must be great love to God that can make us relate all things to him Jacobs great love made him do every thing to obtain Rachell and so a strong love to God will make us sacrifice all to him insomuch that our love is of so great an operation that God in a speciall manner commands that for himself and that not a meer love but love with all the heart and might Mat. 22.37 Nothing is to be left out love is fire and where that is it will burn separat heterogenea it divides all heterogeneous matter if riches if honors if friends oppose this it trampleth on them all and for this reason it is that our Saviour saith If a man hate not Father and Mother he is not worthy of me Luk. 14 20. so that the love of God is not kindled in mens hearts if it were as fire assimilateth all things into it self so would this love make us referre all things to him whom our souls love Thus David Whom have I in heaven but thee and Paul the love of Christ constraineth me 2 Cor. 5. Oh that we had the experience of this more Dost thou not see what the love of money puts the worldly man upon What the love of pleasures puts the voluptuous man upon They doe all things in reference to such corrupt ends Thus where there is an heavenly love that makes use of every thing to glorifie God that studieth and meditateth how may I advance and set up the honour of God by these things This love would quickly put out all carnall and worldly love as the beams of the Sun will put out the materiall fire 3. Mortified affections to every thing here below when we can perform the Apostles commands To buy as we bought not to weep as if we wept not 1 Co. 7. This duty of mortification the Scripture often speaketh of as a
Thou saist I have no power I shall never be able to go through this condition or that but hath Christ no more There is power in his Death and power in his Resurrection Every thing of Christ hath power The Prophets dead body gave life to one how much rather shall Christ crucified Oh but you will say These are words These are Fancies Though Christ hath all this power I am not a whit stronger I am as unable as any I answer Thank thy self for thy unbelief All things are possible to the Beleever Christ hath power but the fruit of it is to him that beleeveth You see all the cures he worketh all the wonderfull works he did it was still beleeve and it shall be thus to you according to thy faith so be it to thee If the Fountain be never so full unlesse you come with your vessell you may be scorched with thirst You see then how all this power and greatnesse of Christ may be yours There is nothing in him but it may profit you and that is by relying on him putting confidence in him because of his promise and if thou saist how can I beleeve that is also by Praier to God Even Christ he giveth this also viz. to beleeve SERMON X. Of Predestination or Gods giving some of Mankinde to Christ not all for him to redeem And what unspeakable Grounds of Comfort to Gods People flow from thence JOH 17.2 That to as many as thou hast given him he should give Eternall Life THis latter part of the Verse containeth the use and exercise of Christs Power which he had from the Father and therein you may consider 1. The Fruit and benefit of it 2. The Subject on whom this is to be bestowed The Fruit is described in the nature of it 1. It s Life As Death is the King of Terrors so life must be the King of joys 2. The Property of this Life it 's Eternall This naturall life in the midst of the joys that may accompany it hath this bridle and check It 's but for a short uncertain time In the next place you have the manner of obtaining it It s given There is no merit no antecedent worth but it 's given O this is the benefit The Subject who is to partake of this gift is limited and restrained by this qualification To as many as the Father hath given him So we translate it regarding the sence otherwise if it should verbatim according to the Greek it would be hardly sence to an English ear For thus it is That every thing which thou hast given him to them he should give Eternall Life Neither indeed is it pure Grecisme but an Hebraisme where sometimes the Nominative case beginneth the sentence and then the sence is so cast afterwards that it quite loseth its Verb as here 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 There is also the Neuter gender for the Masculine Or else it 's used emphatically to shew that not so much totus homo as the torum hominis the every thing of a godly man is given to Christ not his soul but his body also This phrase is severall times used especially Joh. 6.37 where it is said All that my Father giveth me cometh unto me I will in no wise cast out and will raise him up again Where that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 every thing implieth body as well as soul because it 's said he will raise him up Now when the Father is said to give some of mankinde to Christ that is not to be understood of his divine nature for so he hath all things as God but as a Mediatour and Redeemer so that the sence is God the Father gave some of Mankind◠to Christ committed them to his care and trust that he should be their Mediatour and obtain everlasting Salvation From whence Observe That not all but some only of Mankinde are given by God the Father to Christ to be a Mediatour for them Though Christ have a sufficiency and fulnesse in him to obtain Salvation for all yet some only are given to him intentionally by Gods Decree to be their actuall Saviour and Mediatour To as many saith the Text as the Father hath given him This place doth batter to the ground that pleasing opinion of Universal Redemption for by that not some but all are given to Christ by the Father and if so then all must be saved for mark that place Joh. 10.28 29 speaking of his Sheep They shall not perish neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand for my Father which gave them me is greater then all We need not a cleerer place for these two things 1. That there are but some that the Father hath given Christ 2. All those that are given they are sure to have eternal life because none is greater then the Father So that those two dangerous doctrines Universal Redemption and the total and final apostacy of the true Saints are evidently confuted by that place This is so clear that we need not matter their many distinctions to obscure the truth That there are some whom the Father hath thus committed to Christ to be their Mediatour appeareth by this expression us'd at other times The forementioned place Joh. 6.37 39. is considerable The occasion of that expression was from the unbelief of the Capernaits who though they had seen Christs wonders yet beleeved not but it was no wonder for saith he All that is given me of my Father shall come unto me If you had been thus given to me you would beleeve Now because it 's invisible and altogether a secret known only to God who they are that are given to Christ he sheweth a sure and certain fruit of this They will in time come to him i. e. beleeve in him and receive him so that we may invert the Saying all that do truly beleeve in Christ they are given unto him of the Father and for their encouragement he saith He will in no wise cast them out a Metaphor from the Master that takes a Scholar though dull and weak yet he will forbear and not cast him out and lest it should be thought that though it be well with them thus for the present yet for the future they may be undone he addeth v. 39. It 's the Fathers will of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing but raise it up again at the last day Oh the divine and unspeakable consolations that are here treasured up for the godly So Joh. 10.29 which you heard before One place there is that may be a stumbling-block and seem to weaken all Joh. 17.12 Those that thou gavest me I have kept and there is none lost but the Sonne of Perdition But the answer is The Apostles are said to be given to Christ in a twofold respect 1. Of sanctification and glorification and thus Judas was not 2. In respect of their Office and calling as when he said Have not I chosen twelve and one of you is
spoken oppositely to his divine nature so that to deny the humane nature of Christ though we should affirm he was God yet this is not to know Christ Therefore the Marcionists and some Anabaptists who said he had not a true reall body that he was only in the appearance of a man They do not know Christ 3. To know Jesus Christ implieth also that we have some understanding of his Offices Of his anointing with all sufficiency and fulnesse to be a Mediatour for us He that saith he knows Christ and doth not acknowledge him anointed by God with all fulnesse to be a Mediatour for us saith he knoweth not what Now the ignorance of Christs Office and his fulnesse therein doth wonderfully abound in Popery The devil in former times opposed the natures of Christ when he could no longer succeed that way then he opposeth the Offices of Christ all those doctrines of merits indulgencies and satisfactions do oppose the Offices of Christ for if Christ be the Messiah if he be the full Mediatour to what purpose are all these Although therefore in Popery there is the true doctrine retained about Christs Natures he is acknowledged to be God and man yet in respect of his Offices there is a total burying of him in silence Angels and Saints merits and indulgencies have even almost put out the very Name of Christ amongst them so then all acknowledging that Christ is not enough it must be a Scripture-confessing of him We must give him his full due not make him half a Mediatour half a Saviour and joyn ' our selves or others in this great work 4. To know Christ implieth also that we acknowledge the great love of the Father in sending his only Son thus to mediate for us Therefore it 's added whom thou hast sent and for this reason it 's said he that knoweth and honoureth the Son must know and honour the Father also Joh. 5.23 For from the Father comes the Spring of all this love He so loved the world that he gave his only Son Joh. 3. and certainly this is of great consequence to know the Father sent Christ into the world for hereby we may be assured that all the obedience and sufferings of Christ shall be accepted of by the Father We need not fear it or doubt of it for the Father did make the first motion as it were to the Sonne Though the Sonne also did readily and voluntarily undertake it Now how great a matter was this for God the Father to do Was not Christ the only begotten and beloved of the Father Did he not come out of his Fathers bosome to the Crosse and shall not this make us return all thankfulnesse and obedience unto him Lastly This must necessarily imply a knowledge of our misery and damnable condition by sinne For if we were not lost what need had we of a Saviour If we were not sinners what need of a Mediatour So that the acknowledging of a Christ sent into the world to be a Mediatour is the beleeving also of man by nature to be the childe of wrath the Enemy of God one who may not come into his presence or expect the least hope of mercy till an Advocate and Intercessour come and pleade his cause so that this Knowledge of a Christ should be accompanied with great affections and workings of heart it should breed shame fear and confusion in us it should breed an hungring and thirsting after Christ an esteem of him as the only Remedy In Christ only is our fulnesse our sins would undo us were it not for his righteousnesse our iniquities would overthrow us Did not be intercede blessed art thou then when this Knowledge is like fire in thy bosome kindling holy flames within thee Now here may be some Questions made 1. Doth not this exclude all that lived under the Old Testament dispensation from Salvation For howsoever they might know the true God yet was there any discovery or Knowledge of Christ in those daies This is so great a matter that some have looked upon all the Jews as knowing only temporall promises That they knew nothing of heaven but an earthly Canaan was their heaven That they had no Knowledge of Christ but thought by the bloud of Sacrifices to appease God But to answer this 1. No doubt but the common and ordinary sort of them was greatly ignorant of Christ and therefore rested in their Sacrifices and the knowledge of the Law as the only thing that made them acceptable This is plain by the Apostles Arguments in his Epistle to the Galatians and we see by the Prophets they so relied upon these externall services that they thought themselves beloved of God though abounding in all wickednesse And no wonder they did so for under the Gospel how many rest on their duties and have no faith in Christ But 2. Those that were holy and godly they looked upon all their bodily Sacrifices as Types of Christ It was Christs bloud they put confidence in The Apostle in the Epistle to the Hebrews shews that God intended Christ by those Sacrifices and that the bloud of Rams and Goats could never clense away sinne as this was Gods meaning so the Priests and Prophets they explained the meaning thereof to the people and sometimes they have clear promises of a Saviour a Messias to come to them who shall be a Prince of Peace and shall bear their sinnes for them as Isaiah speaks like an Evangelist to this purpose which made the Apostle say that the Prophets did bear witnesse of Christ Abraham he saw Christs day and rejoyced Act. 10.43 Now all the godly have the same faith Abraham had therefore he is made the Father of the Faithfull so that what was covered in the Old Testament is revealed in the New Christ they had and Mediation they had though the Knowledge of it was more obscure Hence the Gospel is said to rise like the Light of the Sun 2. It may be demanded why the Knowledge of the holy Ghost is not there said to be Eternal Life as well as of the Father and the Son for without the Spirit of God efficiently enabling us we cannot do any holy duty as well as without Christs merits we cannot be accepted Christ is the meritorious cause and the Spirit of God the applying cause To this we may say that the Knowledge of the Spirit is necessarily implied in the Knowledge of Christ For he was in respect of his humane nature conceived by the holy Ghost when he was to leave his Apostles bodily he promiseth his Spirit to supply his presence So that none can know Christ as a Mediatour that doth not also know the holy Ghost Hence be is called the Spirit of Christ And in the 2d place we may say it 's not necessary that this Text should speak of all things necessary to Salvation It 's enough that other places doe sufficiently testifie it Now that the knowledge of the holy
the Covenant of grace and this consideration laieth a firm and sure foundation for our peace and comfort For our salvation is not grounded upon our works but Christs works it 's not upon any perfection or fulnesse in us but on Christ Though therefore our sinnes and frailties may humble us yet they may not drive us from our anchor of hope in Christ 5. This work Christ was to do it was in it self very heavy and grievous though his readinesse made it easie If we consider the particulars of his work viz. to obey the Law of God and to suffer all the wrath that was due for our sins we may easily then conclude that Christ had a bitter cup to drink off And those praiers and agonies which he poured out saying If it be possible let this cup passe away Matth. 26.39 abundantly shew that to the humane nature it was a very hard and difficult task yet for all this his love and desire of our salvation was so great that at another time he saith I have a baptism to be baptized with and how am I streightned till I come and when Peter advised him to save himself with what indignation doth he refuse it Matth. 16.23 so that we should with serious and affectionate hearts hear of this work of Christ oh how full of agonies and conflicts was he insomuch that an Angell from heaven came to comfort him yet all this was his meat his refreshment in respect of our good Do not thou then say of any duty he commands if it be to pull out thy right eye to cut off thy right hand to part with thy dearest lusts and comforts for his sake This is hard work who can do it for did not Christ willingly and joyfully do harder for thee 6. This work he finished and compleated as you hear in the text it 's the end that Crowned this great work Now his finishing of this work was in these particulars 1. He did it wholly and universally there was not one Iota or tittle of the Law which he did not accomplish though all our obedience be imperfect and we fail in many things this we omit and that we omit yet Christ left nothing undone Oh what blessed and comfortable doctrine is this to the loaded and burdened soul that sits mourning like deflowred Tamar and I whither shall I go if the Lord enquire about this duty and about that command thou canst not answer thy omissions are too palpable thou canst not hide them from thy own eyes yet remember Christ failed in nothing Cursed is he that abideth not in all things so the Law runneth if thou wert able to do all the Law requireth and yet fail but in one word in one thought that matters not all thy other duties for this one thing it will condemn thee and therefore the Law brings every man under condemnation it makes the most holy of men see their damnable condition but Christ answereth the Law to the utmost As Christ said to his enemies Which of you can charge me with sinne so he may say to greater then they even to the Law even to the justice of God wherein can you finde any spot in me demand to the utmost farthing abate nothing I am ready to discharge all 2. He finished it universally for parts and not only so but fully for degrees He did not only do every duty the Law required but every duty in every degrees he did not only love God but he loved him as much as the Law required The Law was possible to him though to us it be impossible all that he did was so fully done that there wanted not the least degree of grace in any duty As he had not the Spirit in measure so neither was his obedience in measure thus farre as is with us to whom God giveth not such a measure of grace as to be able perfectly to conform to the Law in this life and here again the godly heart may lift up it self and be comforted for what though thou come short many degrees of what the Law requireth yet Christ did not What though all thou dost may be better yet Christ did all things so that they could not be better Perfectum est cui nihil deest Now nothing was wanting to Christs obedience otherwise Christ himself would have needed a Mediator as well as we if he had failed in his trust he had been guilty of sinne and so needing of pardon now it were blasphemy to say so of Christ for the Apostle Heb. 7.27 aggravateth and preferreth Christ our Highpriest above the legall Highpriest in this because such an one was to offer for his own sinnes as well as the sinnes of the people Oh then it 's no wonder if Paul be thus affected with Christ and his righteousnesse seeing all fulnesse and perfection is in it 3. Christ finished his work because he had not only an objective perfection in parts and degrees but also a subjective perfection all within him was throughly and perfectly holy so that whereas we are both originally and actually polluted he was originally and actually holy so that the Law had no fault to finde with him for his originall and native holinesse it 's plain because he was not born of man in an ordinary way but the holy Ghost overshadowed the Virgin Mary and therefore he is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that holy thing which was to be born of her Luke 1.35 and thus the Apostle It behoved us to have an Highpriest holy and separated from sinners Heb. 7.26 and indeed this is the foundation and root of all for the tree must be good before the fruit can the fountain must be clean ere the streams and so the nature must be holy ere the actions are Christ then had an holy and pure nature wherein was not the least spot or wrincle of sinne and then his actuall holinesse did fill up the faculties of his soul as he had a soul and the naturall properties thereof an understanding and a will so these were sanctified to the highest we speak not of the holinesse of his Divine nature as he was God for so it was infinite even as God himself but of his humane nature habitually and actually Hence the Apostle He knew no sinne 1 Cor. 5. and he was made like unto us sinne only excepted Heb. 4.15 Now here also the godly may rejoyce for those reliques and remainders of sinne are such as prove thorns in the side of the godly The experimentall sense of this made Paul cry out Oh miserable man that I am Well though in thee there be the stubs of sinne yet in Christ there are none and now God dealeth not with us in our persons but as in Christ being found in him saith the Apostle as the malefactour was in the City of refuge Phil. 3. 4. Christ finished his work in respect of duration for even the Law required continuance though there were perfection of parts and
degrees and subjective perfection also yet Cursed is he that doth not continue therein Gal. 3.10 as you see Adam did not but Christ from the beginning to the end of his daies held it out yea his love did most appear at the later end for then was the greatest and hardest parts of his work to undergo but though in all that reproach contempt and scorn yet he was not weary he did not give over his work he did not fail or faint in the later end Thus Christ was our David fighting against Goliah and in his conquest we did overcome Lastly He so finished it that he hath left nothing to be done either by Angels or men in that way and kinde as he did Therefore all these doctrines that maintain free-will that hold the mediation and intercession of Saints in heaven that maintain merits and satisfactions all these blaspheam the sufficiency of Christ and say Christ hath not finished his work for either Christ was a totall and perfect Mediator or else a partiall if a totall and perfect then there needeth no more one Sun is sufficient all things added are superfluous if a partiall Mediatour then he did not finish his work then he did it by halves and so Angels and Men are to share with him in his glory It 's true they have many distinctions to mince the matter but these fig-leaves cannot cover Adams nakednesse and it 's made the sinful property of man fallen to seek out many inventions God made man upright but they have sought â—ut many inventions Eccl. 7.29 They have many colours and pretences many distinctions and excuses to cover their sins with But you will say If Christ hath done all and we are to doe nothing then what need we be diligent and zealous in the waies of godlinesse Sin or not sin it will be all one Christ hath done all therefore we may eat and drink and rise up to all excesse of riot No that is a Non sequitur For our duties are not required to that end which Christs was but yet they are necessarily commanded for other ends Though Christ did work and finish his work yet thou must work and endeavour to finish thy work too But how It 's good to understand this for here Popery and the true Religion part here they oppose one another We pleade the necessity the presence the command of good and holy works as well as they only we differ in the end They presse them for such an end as Christ did his work for us for merit for justification for our salvation This we say is to derogate from Christ This is to make Christ of no effect whosoever repents beleeveth doth any holy duty for this end is guilty of spiritual Idolatry he maketh another Christ to himself besides the true Christ but then there are other ends for which we do these duties partly because God hath commanded them as the way to walk in if ever we will be saved so that though our holy life deserve not heaven yet our wicked and ungodly life deserveth hell and then partly to glorifie God and to testifie our thankfulnesse and love to him yea there is an inseparable connexion between a man interested in Christ and a holy life as there is in the fire with heat and light In the next place Consider the properties of this work Christ â—â—â—nished And 1. It was a work of infinite value and worth whatsoever Christ did it had a transcendent excellency because he was God as well as man so that we are not to consider those works he did as of a meer man though never so holy but as one of a divine nature 2. They were Mediatory works all that he did and suffered tended to a propitiation and reconciliation with God so that as the nature of them was infinite so the end of them was precious and admirable what should man have done if Christ had not done thus 3. It was not only his work but our work Alas Christ was not obliged to these duties for his own sake but it was for our sake so that the godly with great affection may consider of these works of Christ for they concern thee They are our works both impetrativè they merit for us they procure good for us and imputativè we are made the righteousnesse of God as our sins were accounted his 4. The necessity of this working and working so perfectly and that doth appear from the justice of God and purity of the Law and partly from our impotency from the justice of God for that being infinite nothing could satisfie him but what was of infinite worth It would have been injustice in God to have given us heaven otherwise and then partly from the holinesse of the Law that admits of no works but perfect pure and holy Therefore to say God accepts of imperfect holinesse and accounts that as compleat which is not so is to attribute false judgement unto God and lastly our own impotency proclaimeth the necessity of Christs perfection for take us as we are in our selves so we are nothing but sin and a curse In stead of working Gods work we do the devils and take us as regenerated then though we be partakers of Gods grace yet the remnant of corruption within us doth staine and infect all that we do Lastly Here is the glorious visibility of Christs perfect working in his resurrection ascension and now sitting at the right hand of God in glory which could not have been had not Christ perfected his work for what is the reason the devils and damned in hell are detained to Eternity in those prisons of darknesse Is it not because of their insufficiency to perfect their sufferings to make them adequate to Gods justice to bring as great glory to God as ever sin did evil or dishonour In that therefore Christ hath overcome the grave and the bonds of death we have an infallible evidence of his perfect working Vse of Instruction how dangerous all those doctrines are which proclaim free-will merit under any notion whatsoever As they give that to man which belongs not to him so they take that from Christ which is due yet this is a most natural sin in all either in whole or in part to take off from Christ not to be beholding to him only God hath commanded us to come out of our sins by repentance and our own works by faith and the Apostle doth not only exclude sins but even working also from Abrahams Justification Rom. 4. There is a danger of being a Pharisee when thou ceasest being a Publican Vse 2. of great Consolation to the broken-hearted sinner This is the glad tidings of the Gospel to those who sit under the sentence of eternal death Christs works will abundantly answer all the temptations about thy own works Two things lie like two Mountains upon the godly The weakness of their graces and the strength of their corruptions If
Christ proved And whence it comes to passe that there are any so vile as to deny it Shewed also what sinnes doe much provoke God to give them up to such Blasphemy JOH 17.5 And now O Father glorifie thou me with thy own self with the glory I had before the world began WE are now arrived to the last clause in this Verse which containeth a second description of the glory Christ praied for viz. From the externall efficiency of it it was a glory provided for him before the world was So that in this description there are two Propositions 1. That the world had a beginning It was not as Aristotle and other Philosophers thought ab aeterno This is to be handled in its time The other Proposition is That Christ had the glory he praied for with the Father before the world was Of this at this time In the Greek it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not in a Grammatical construction for it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that glory which I had as also there is a trajection of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 before the world was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 So in the Original But our Translators do well interpose it where the sence is to be made up Now as was hinted the great doubt is In what sence Christ is said to have this glory with the Father before the world was The Arians and Socinians who deny the eternal Deity of Christ do most readily interpret it of Gods decree and his inward purpose of minde as if the meaning were that the Father would glorifie him with that glory which God the Father had decreed for him before the world was and it cannot be denied but that sometimes a thing is said to be before the world was because it was in Gods purpose Thus Rev. 7. Christ is said to be a Lamb slain from the beginning of the world So 2 Tim. 1.9 The grace of God is said to be given us in Jesus Christ before the world began that is in respect of decree Thus some expound that phrase so often used in this Chapter Those thou hast given me viz. in his decree Hence it is that some Divines though Orthodox and fully beleeving the eternal Deity of Christ do make this the sence of it and indeed when we have other places that do fully assert a divine doctrine we need not be vehement to force every Text to speak it also Because Calvin did not approve of every Text that was usually brought to prove the Trinity though he vindicated those that were clear and pregnant against the Anti-Trinitarians Hunnius a Lutheran wrote a Book calling i◠Calvinus Judaizans as if he turned Jew Whereas indeed none do more wrong divine Truth then those that will heap Texts of Scripture which yet do not fully prove the thing questioned and truly why we must in part at least explain this of Gods purpose and decree this is a strong reason because Christ here praieth for his Mediatory glory which was given him by God upon the performance of his Mediatorship viz. to be exalted above all Principalities as head of his Church Now this Mediatory glory he had not with God before the world was unlesse in Gods purpose so that I say this must needs be part of the sense But in the second place Christ doth not only pray for his Mediatory glory but his divine glory in respect of the manifestation of it viz. that now it might be discovered to all the world that he was not only man but God also eternal blessed for evermore and in this sence the Text doth strongly maintain the Eternal Deity of Christ for he praieth for the manifestation of that divine and essentiall glory he had with the Father before the world was Insomuch that Christ being in the Text said to have this before the world was it doth suppose a subsistence of his divine nature for although the Scripture saith the godly are Elected before the foundation of the world yet it never saith they had this before the world was for that would suppose them to be existent in nature So that if the Text had said no more then Glorifie me with the glory prepared for me before the world was as it speaks of the godly then it would not have proved strongly against those hereticks But when he saith Which I had with thee This doth necessarily suppose such a thing as cannot be communicated to a meer creature None but one eternal can say so So that both these Expositions may go on as parts to make the compleat sence of the Text and this remain a thunderbolt against the Arians Take we then the first particular as it supposeth the Eternity of Christ That Christ had a being before he was born of the Virgin Mary even a divine being as a God No creature can say as Christ here They have such a glory with God before the world was for it would be a contradiction to any creature to say so for it would imply him to have a being before he hath a being Hence the godly though they are said to be elected and predestinated from Eternity yet that doth not suppose them to be abaeterno because Predestinatio ect actio immanens and nihil ponit in esse It 's a meer immanent action in God and puts no reall thing in the creature Now that Christ had an Eternal being is plain Besides those Texts of Scripture 1 Cor. 10. where the Israelites in the Wildernesse are said to tempt Christ and Heb. 11. Moses in his daies accounted the reproach of Christ above the Treasures of Egipt And 1 Pet. 1.11 The Spirit of God is said to be in the Prophets of old Which places could not be true if Christ had not then a subsistency which was long before his birth of the Virgin Mary Besides this I say it is plain Argum. 1 First Because by him all things were created Joh. 1. In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and was God By him all things were created and without him nothing was made that was made Observe whatsoever was made was made by him so that if Christ were not the Eternal God he should make himself for saith the Text Without him was made nothing that was made The same thing is affirmed also Col. 2. That all things in heaven or earth visible and invisible were made by him So that he who was before all things made them and gave them a being must needs be Eternal but thus it is plain by Scripture Christ was Argum. 2 2. It 's plain he was from all Eternity in that he is truly God and so hath all the essentiall attributes of God whereof eternity and immutability are very choice ones That Christ is God is not now my Subject in time we may shew the proper and incommunicable Name of Jehovah is given to him and that directly which is not in all the Scripture attributed directly to any creature Angel
or man All the divine attributes of God All the peculiar and proper operations of God which only God can do are given to him and therefore in being God he must needs be from Eternity and for Christs Immutability you have a full place Heb. 13.18 Jesus Christ the same yesterday and to day and for ever By yesterday according to the Scriptures use is meant all time past so that although the Officers in the Church die and there are such in one age that are not in another yet here Christ the head he abideth for ever This is spoken by way of consolation and certainly Christs Eternity is a foundation of unspeakable joy to the people of God Argum. 3 3. There are plain Texts of Scripture which inform us of the eternal being of Christ as Joh. 8.55 Before Abraham was I am What man could say so I do not say Before Abraham was I was for so every Angel might say but I am to signifie there is no succession or difference of time in his being as he was God It 's an allusion to that name God takes to himself when he bid Moses say I AM hath sent thee Exo. 3.14 and this is the more fully confirmed Rev. 1.7 where Christ is said to be Alpha and Omega the beginning and the end who is and was and is to come That very attribute which v. 3. is given to God the Father is here given to God the Sonne called also omnipotent who would think any should be so wilfully blinde as not to see light out of this Text. Secondly Consider in that Christ was thus God from all Eternity when he became man he did not cease to be God for although the Scripture saith Phi. 2. That he humbled himself and emptied himself yet it doth not say he ceased to be God even in the midst of all his Infirmities and therefore Christs bloud is called the bloud of God Act. 25. not that he suffered in his divine nature but that he who suffered in his humane nature was also God and it 's no wonder he did not cease to be God for it 's impossible that God should cease to be God all creatures if they are not corruptible yet they are annihilable if they have no principle of dissolution yet they have stronger power without that is able to turn them into nothing Therefore God alone is said to have Immortality 1 Tim 6.15 So then he doth not pray for glory as if he had lost it but only the outward manifestation of it was suppressed for a time and therefore it is that he now praieth the Cloud may be withdrawn that so the Sun may appear in its full glory Thirdly In that Christ had an eternal being it's plain that even before his Incarntion he did many things tending to the Reconciliation of his people It 's true indeed he is a Mediatour in respect of both his Natures and it 's clear he could not make propitiation for our sins by his bloud till he was made man he could not be as a Priest to his Church but then even before his Incarnation he might be as a Prophet and a King to his people As a Prophet revealing Gods will and inspiring the Prophets of the Old Testament yea It 's maintained by the learned that he was the Angel that guided the Church of Israel and therefore the people in the Wildernesse are said to tempt Christ as was said So as a King though not incarnated he might govern spiritually Because this is not the intended Subject I come to what Uses may be made of it Is Christ thus of an Eternal being then Wo be to those Doctrines and heretiques that endeavour to spoil him of it That deny it to him making him but a creature only of an higher rank What creature can take the proper Name of God to him What creature can create the world What creature can be called God blessed for evermore as he is Rom. 9.5 What creature can say he is and was and was to come Rev. 1.7 If so be that opposing the members of Christ be so great a sinne that Paul from heaven is reproved for it and it 's called kicking against the pricks Men do not hurt Gods Children but themselves how much greater is it immediatly to oppose Christ himself Jews and Heathens and several heretiques have risen up against him and said there was a time when he was not but yet still he is God in heaven and the faith of Christians is firmly fixed on this No wonder if as the devil of old so of late he would destroy this Article for if this be denied what is Christianity but a meer humane Religion we worship a man We beleeve in a man Take this away and all satisfaction for sinne all reconciliation by his bloud is removed Take this away and the devils Kingdom will be promoted by Christianity as well as by Paganism For here will be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the honour due unto God will be taken from him and given to a creature And indeed in the Infancy of the Church it was no wonder if this darknesse spread it self But in these latter times after so much light of the Gospel that any should let such poisonous Snakes as these lodge in their breasts may make us cry out O the depth of mans presumption and Gods severity But you may say how can it come about that any under the Gospel light should deny Christ to be the Eternall God truly it may arise severall waies 1. When men will bring down matters of Faith to humane Reason They will be no longer beleevers but Rationalists Their Maxime in Religion is not God hath said so but this we can demonstrate Now it 's true indeed there is nothing in Religion contrary to sound and rectified reason for truth cannot be contrary to truth but yet there are many things above our reason Though we have sufficient testimony by faith to beleeve such things yet not capacity of reason to comprehend them insomuch that the Scripture is said to bring into captivity the understanding of man 2 Cor. 10.5 and it 's called the obedience of faith Rom. 16.26 and therefore for a man to come to the things of Religion with the same disposition as to humane Sciences hoping by his natural abilities to dive to the bottome of them is to think to hold the Sea in an Oister-shell or to put the Sunne under a Bushell Why are they called Mysteries and said to be revealed by God If Reason could finde them out Therefore lay aside all those cavils and arguments of reason where Scripture asserts these things 2. Many come to maintain such horrid and blasphemous things by the just judgement of God upon them for their sins they are guilty of For as Rom. 1. we see God as a just Judge delivering up men partly to vile affections to Idolatry to change the Image of God into the likenesse of an Oxe How should men become
obedience Nothing is too much too great too dear to part with for so gracious a God This breedeth love and we know love is an active fire it cannot lie still but kindleth all that it cometh near Thirdly They are active and willing because of that sanctified renewed nature which they are partakers of They are said to have the divine Nature 1 Pet. 1.4 The Seed of God is said to abide in them 1 Joh. 1.3 And by this means they are carried out voluntarily to divine actions Thus in nature saith Aristotle which is the inward principle of motion or rest How readily do sparks fly upward The stones descend downward And thus it is here Those inward principles of Sanctification they do so new mold a man that now the will of God is his delight the Law of God is written in the inward man Nothing is so connatural and sutable to him as those things that are also pleasing to God Indeed for the unregenerated man it 's no wonder he must be haled and constrained to what he doth That he like the Mill cannot move any longer then the waters of affliction fall upon him for there wants a principle within but it is otherwise with those that are born again Their proper food their proper delight their all in all is to be doing the will of God as Christ professed Joh. 4. and David doth often acknowledge those indeared affections he had to the Word of God above Kingdomes and all other earthly advantages Fourthly They are a willing people because in their former time of unregeneracy they were so willing and ready to serve sin and Satan and were constantly obedient thereunto Now saith the Apostle As they had given themselves servants to sinne so now to righteousnesse Rom. 6.19 They readily set themselves as the word signifieth whensoever lust bad them go they did go Whatsoever was commanded there was ready obedience This by way of an holy revenge and to make a godly satisfaction They are the more serviceable to God They grudge the devil had so much time that so much of their choicest and best affections were lessened in time They therefore strive to redeem the time to recover all for God They shame themselves saying What was I willing and glad to doe the works of the devil and shall I not doe the Will of God Fifthly They are willing because they know no Obedience is accepted of with God unlesse it be willing It 's not thy faith thy humiliation thy zeal unlesse there be willingnesse and delight in it that God accepts of Isa 1.29 If ye be willing and obedient so God accepts of a willing minde Wo be to me saith Paul if I preach the Gospel and not willingly but of constraint 1 Cor. 9.6 Though he did preach it yet if not willingly there is a Woe to him Oh then it 's no wonder if the people of God are so glad and chearfull within them in the work of the Lord otherwise their work would lose their reward and they the Crown of Glory Think of this then when you finde the wheels of your Chariots move heavily Thou art happily thinking how to put off truth or duty or thou wishest it over say this unwillingnesse marreth all God will not aceept of a Sacrifice unlesse offered in fire Say upon all thy dead and formal duties these are not duties God looks not upon them as so Non operari non esse are all one before God in some respects Sixthly They must needs be a willing obedient people because of that eternall glorious reward which is promised to every holy duty What will put Wings to the soul if not this To think that God will assuredly put upon thee Robes of Immortality and glory for a duty though never so little for a cup of cold water who may not admire the vast disproportion that is between our work and Gods reward If the Apostle spake of the most extreme sufferings that could be in this life they were not worthy to be compared to that eternal weight of glory 2 Cor. 4 17. How much more is it true of those good works we do which are but little in quantity and defiled in quality Well therefore may they rejoyce and work righteousnesse Well may the godly labour even in the heat of the day with much gladnesse of heart for the recompence of thy reward doth exceed all proportion If the Kingdomes of the world should be given to a man for lifting up a straw it would not be so great a matter as when God and Heaven became thy reward for every holy duty No wonder if they are best when they are thus doing for how can they be better There is no such profitable and comfortable wotk as to be doing that of the Lords Lastly Even in the very duty it self though there were no heaven hereafter yet there is so much present comfort and joy attending it that it 's both work and meat and drink also Therefore we see how David was joyfully affected herein Who are we that we should be able to offer thus willingly He that doth Gods service willingly and fervently he hath present pay in hand The very sence and feeling that he doth it so readily doth afford great comfort to him Virtus est sibi ipsi praemium A godly duty is accompanied with honey and manna he would not do otherwise for all the world Oh then that wicked men who though they have some pleasure in sinne yet finde many wounds and torments within them would make an exchange in stead of drunkennesse put on temperance in stead of riot and wantonnesse live in all chastity Thou wouldest finde an heaven for a hell immediately Oh how wouldest thou bewail thy time that thou didst not leave these husks no sooner Oh what an enemy was I to my own soul when I lived in such lusts and neglected such holinesse Taste and see the difference while you have this sinful distempered palate upon you it 's no wonder if you love the Egyptian garlick above the heavenly Manna Vse of Instruction How lothsome and unacceptable all that Obedience is to God which comes from any other principle then a renewed spirit It 's the free and principal spirit David praied for Psa 51. he saw all obedience if constrained if forced by the judgements of God was condemned as hypocrisie Thus the Prophets complained of the Jews that in the time of their distresse and calamity they would pray to God They would fast and humble themselves but saith God Oh that there were such a heart within them Deut. 5.29 And hence it is that Repentance and contrition extorted by the fear of death and the judgements of God are not acceptable Whatsoever is done is by force and this mâ—y be even death to many that hear it for when art thou for any good duty When is thy heart or mouth for it but when some great judgements of God are abroads or
see many of the Christian Teachers and disciples were led away in this as appeareth by the Epistle to the Romans and Galatians What a great task hath the Apostle to take all off from works and the obedience to the Law and to give all to Christ They would give part to Christ and part to their works but not all to Christ so that it 's a very hard thing to pull this weed out of our breast We see all Popery and Socinianisme goeth this way also To doe something that they may be justified thereby 3. Thus they cannot think that it 's so acceptable to beleeve in a Mediatour because it 's chiefly their comfort and their good thereby so that they look upon it as self-seeking and immoderately desiring their own good and peace not as any waies tending to the glory of God But we shall shew you that Faith in the Mediatour doth not only bring comfort and joy to us but admirable glory to God even more then Martyrdom or the highest expressions of Obedience Do not therefore tempt thy self and be a Satan to thy own peace What though thy comfort thy salvation bound up in beleeving yet if God will be honoured and glorified this way Thou art rather joyfully to receive his grace then frowardly to dispute against it so that if this beleeving be a self-seeking it 's such as God would have thee to do and as he that will not eat or drink is guilty of bodily murder so he that will not beleeve on Christ which is called eating and drinking is guilty of soul-murder 4 This is strange and difficult to the godly a long while because our justification and acceptation by him is wholly of supernatural Revelation It 's like the doctrine of the Trinity or of Christs Incarnation As humane reason would never assent to such a Truth were it not for divine Revelation that overpowers all so that all our sins are pardoned through Faith in Christs bloud is likewise of meer divine manifestation For see what nature doth incline us unto in all the heathens when they had sinned so as their Conscience condemned them they went to some solemn sacrifice or other extraordinary work thinking thereby to pacifie the wrath of God Adam was created in a state of Righteousnesse and so by his Obedience of works he was to be justified And upon his fall it became impossible that any should be justified by what he did unlesse sinne could justifie a man Therefore when God discovered a Christ and Justification by faith in him This is new doctrine from heaven Neither Men or Angels could have found out such a way so that it 's no wonder if man be thus averse to this Faith in the Promise because it 's a way that neither the state of Integrity or of man fallen was acquainted with insomuch that a godly man in the sence of his sins must bring such a faith in the Mediatour as he doth in other mysterious supernatural objects of Faith and his heart saith It 's unlikely such a sinner such an offender should finde mercy say O my Soul Are not the other supernaturall Points of Religion that I beleeve very unlikely also and incredible to flesh and bloud Lastly Therefore this seemeth hard to the godly broken hearted sinner because though Faith in a Mediatour be a duty yet it 's not to every one that live that wallow in their sins Christ is not a Mediator whether men repent or not repent You are not to think that it is all one godlinesse or no godlinesse If then such only may beleeve in a Mediatour as do truly and sincerely repent of sinne This will be hard to finde out for there are Ahabs tears and Judas's tears for sinne and indeed upon this depends all In this the godly are so much plunged Christ indeed bids those Come that are heavy laden that hunger and thirst after him But I have great cause to question my self whether I doe thus or not In the second place Why is it so that Prophane and ungodly men think it so easie to beleeve in Christ And they say they do it with all their heart when it 's plain by the Scripture they are not such to whom those glorious things of the Gospel do belong And 1. They think it so easie because they take presumption for faith They think they beleeve when they presume Now to presume is easie because it 's a work of the flesh it 's sutable to our corruptions that the Jews though they committed all lewdnesse yet the Prophet complaineth they would come and lean themselves upon the Lord and trust in lying words saying The Temple of the Lord c. That is not faith which most of the world have It 's presumption it 's carnal-confidence such as those had who said Lord have not we prophesied in thy Name Such as the foolish Virgins had Mat. 25. Such as Paul had before his Conversion when he said He was alive Rom. 7. Oh then tremble at that security and confidence thou hast Thou maist be sure it 's a sinne and of the devil it 's so easie whereas Faith is very difficult 2. They look upon Faith in Christ as easie because they divide the Object they take some things of Christ not whole Christ They think it 's only beleeving on him as a Saviour for pardon of sinne They do not choose him as a Lord to whom in all obedience they resign themselves This is indeed the rock that splits many tell them of beleeving in Christ and they think that is only to rest for salvation They attend not that it 's the receiving of Christ for all the ends and purposes God sent him into the world Now one main end besides our justification and salvation is our Sanctification To redeem to himself a people zealous of good works Tit. 2.14 To communicate his Spirit for to make holy as well as his merit to make happy Lastly They think it easie because they never think on any qualifications which are required in those who partake of Christ It 's true there are the Antecedent Conditions of merit or worth Let that Popery be abandoned but yet the Scripture tels who and what kinde of persons they are that must claim an Interest in Christ They are blessed that hunger and thirst for such shall be satisfied Mat. 5. Every one that is athirst is to Come Rev. 22.17 Repent that your sins may be blotted out Act. 3.19 Now prophane secure people they never think of these qualifications They say God is merciful They say Christ is a Saviour but then they never consider of whom They think not that many are called but few chosen They love not those places The way to heaven is a narrow and straight way Not all that say Lord Lord shall finde the gate of heaven opened to them If they thought seriously of these things it would cause an holy trembling in them These things premised Let us consider Why it
That there remaineth no hope for us then we may fly to Christ The Law saith Do this and live Do all things in the highest degree else you cannot live Now into what horrour and despair doth this put men till we come to hear that voice Beleeve in Christ who hath fullfilled the righteousnesse of the Law When therefore we preach the exactnesse of the Law and the severity of Gods Justice it is not that we should stay here Alas who can say It 's good to be here no They will cry out as the People of Israel did at the giving of the Law when there was so much terrour But our aim is that by this commotion and trouble upon you you might lay hold upon Christ We would burthen you that Christ might ease you 4. This Doctrine is indeed the very essence and marrow of the Gospel This is the glad tidings that when we of our selves were eternally undone Christ as a Mediatour reconcileth the offended God and offending sinner It was this that the very Angels though it did not so immediatly concern them sang for joy Glory be to God on high Good will to men and peace on the Earth Luk. 2.14 This is that which we finde the Apostle Paul so magnifying every where This is a faithfull saying and worthy of all acceptation 1 Tim. 1.15 Great is the Mystery of godlinesse God manifested in the flesh 1 Tim. 3 16. Oh then we should never be weary of this Subject It 's eyes to the blinde It 's meat to the hungry Clothes to the naked mercy to the sinner grace to the afflicted one This is the fatted Calf and the Robe for the distressed Prodigall Truly as he said he did not love to reade no not Tully because he did not finde the Name of Christ so should all Sermons and Subjects be dull and tedious that do not directly or indirectly mediately or immediately bring us to him All other Points are but accessary or preparatory this is the Substance It 's such an excellent Subject that the Angels desire to be informed more in it and take infinite delight in the knowledge of it 5. This is the more to be pressed because the devil in all ages hath laboured to obscure this doctrine above others Insomuch that Luther called this Articulus stantis cadentis Ecclesiae when the devil could neither overthrow the humane or divine nature of Christ by Heretikes Then he laboured to overthrow his Office of being a Mediatour That if there must be a Christ yet he might be a needlesse and uselesse one so that by this Point only we differ not onely from Jews and Pagans but all Heretiques and Papists The righteousnesse of Christ our Mediatour imputed to us is the Treasure in the Church only This Pearl is hid in this Field only The excellency therefore and dignity of this Point is seen by the devils opposition and his Instruments raised up to obscure and darken it And then on the other side God hath raised up choice Instruments in his Church to vindicate this Truth Luther of all Points was most affected with this and God prepared him for it by laying soul exercises and heart temptations upon him insomuch that he said he often wished he had never been a man Oh the trouble and darknesse that was upon his soul and he used all the Remedies prescribed in Popery to comfort himself but still his heart was as unquiet as ever till at last he was by studying in Scripture directed to beleeve in Christ the Mediatour and in particular to be cloathed with Christs righteousnesse in stead of his own and thus it is still the more spiritually tempted and exercised any man either Minister or private Christian is The more he walketh in darknesse and hath no light The more doth he come to prize and esteem this fulnesse in Christ None love this honey-comb but those who hunger after a righteousnesse that they cannot finde in themselves These particulars discover the necessity of pressing this often and often Therefore the second Use is to bring your hearts in rellish with this Doctrine Oh that thou wert such an Auditour that this Truth might breed a sweet pleasure in thy spiritual appetite If this be the Gospel If this be the glad Tidings If this be the Pearl and the Treasure be thou in the number of those that will part with all to be partakers of it But you will say How may we fit Subjects for this Truth how may we come to prize it more then the honey or the honey-comb Take these Directions 1. Feel sinne as a burden as a weight let it be more to thee then all temporal evils in the world for so Mat. 11. Come to me ye that are heavy laden and I will ease you David Psal 32. when his sinne was ready to overwhelm him then he crieth out Blessed is he to whom the Lord imputeth no sinne When Mary Magdalene hath her head and heart a Fountain of water because of her sins then she is greatly indeared in her affections to Christ Those love much to whom much is forgiven as our Saviour at large sheweth Luk. 7.46 If then thou art not perswaded of thy debts or if the thoughts of them do not afflict and grieve thee never think that Christ will be chief in thy heart Oh then begin here lay this for a Foundation saying All these precious Truths will be spilt like water upon the ground until I be of a broken contrite heart for sinne The Prodigall never regarded the bread and Fulnesse in his Fathers House till he comes to want even husks themselves Joab would not come to Absalom till all his Corn was fired Neither do we readily and willingly runne to Christ till God hath shot his arrow into us tiill he hath wounded us at the heart till we feel sinne the greatest burthen and that because God is dishonoured and provoked and indeed this may be a very good motive to Repentance and humiliation because there is such an excellent Remedy Thou needest not fear going into the depths of this water because Christ will preserve thee therein No wonder if a man not beleeving or acquainted with this Truth be afraid to think of his sinnes That with Luther he hates the word Repent for there is nothing but despair and hopelesnesse about sinne till this Truth be discovered Oh then be no longer afraid to have thy sinnes brought to thy minde Say not They are a greater burthen then can be born for had Cain beleeved in Christ Had Judas beleeved in Christ Their sick and wounded Souls had quickly been healed It 's not the greatnesse nor the multitude of thy sinnes It 's not the terrible aggravations of them may wholly overwhelm thee if so be thou dost but cast Anchor upon Christ 2. If you would have an high esteem of this Point labour for a spiritual heavenly heart For as Christ in his Mediation is wholly spirituall
mine because now made his God in which sence the Apostle said all things are yours 1 Cor. 1. and I have all things Phil. 4. yet in regard of Gods essentiall Attributes his Omnisciency Omnipotency c. None but the Sonne and the holy Ghost who are God can truly say so Now that our Saviour meaneth all in this sence appeareth by a parallell place Joh 16 15. all things that the Father hath are mine Mark the aggravation he doth not say some things but all things then that the Father hath in the present tense Now God hath nothing but essentially he hath wisedom he hath life but he hath it essentially not as creatures who have it accidentally Therefore notable is that expression Joh. 5.26 As the Father hath life in himself so hath he given the Son to have life in himself No creature hath life in that sence 3. He saith All things are mine he doth not say shall be mine when I am glorified when ascended into Heaven but even in that very state of humiliation Lastly He saith All that the Father hath In calling him a Father he acknowledgeth a personal distinction which cuts off the Sophistry of the Socinians If Christ hath all things the Father hath then he is the Father No the very compellation supposeth a relative distinction though there be an essential Vnity Thus you see the Text vindicated and it 's our duty diligently to vindicate those Texts that assert Christs Deity so much oppugned for if Tertullian said Omnis sermo adaptandus est contra Idololatriam much more against this blasphemous heresie Obs That our Lord Christ hath all things the Father hath Even the things he praieth for viz. glory he saith He had it with the Father before the world began Let us unfold this Doctrine for it will be of great use both doctrinally and practically And 1. The Lord Christ hath the same Name and Titles that God the Father hath Even that Name which they call the incommunicable Name Jehovah and that is never given directly to any creature yet that is attributed to Christ Heb. 1.10 Thou O Jehovah hast founded the Heavens and the Earth That spoken by the Psalmist the Apostle doth expresly apply to Christ himself and although some observe that in the New commonly the Father is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and the Son 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as 1 Cor. 8. We have one God the Father of all and we have one Lord yet Christ is often called God Rom. 9.11 He is called God blessed for evermore And 2 John This is the true God And 1 Tim. 3.26 God manifested in the flesh So that he is called God as well as Lord Now then this argueth Christs Deity that he hath the same Titles with God Magistrates indeed are called gods and Moses is said to be a God to Pharaoh but not absolutely as Christ is but respectively for such an end and purpose viz. to direct and govern For the Name of God is God as Rabbins say God is his Name and his Name is God If it be a capitall crime amongst men to give the Titles of the Supream power to those that have it not or to deny it to those to whom it belong◠Take heed then thou beest not found in the number of those that thinkest it robbery what Christ himself did not to make him equall with God 2. He hath the nature and essence of God the Father so that he is equall with him Mark that reason Ioh. 16.15 He shall receive of mine and shew you all things For all the Father hath is mine The holy Ghost was to receive of his wisedom and power because all the Father had was his which as it necessarily proveth the holy Spirit to be God that doth search the deep things of God so also Christ to be of the same divine nature and thus the Jews understood him when they charged him with blasphemy that he being man should make himself God or equal to God 3. He hath all the essential properties of God he is immortal eternal infinite omniscient omnipotent For he knew what was in mens hearts and needed none should tell him 1 Joh. 2. ult Eternal for he created all things and in the beginning was with God 1 Ioh. 1. called therefore Alpha and Omega Omnipotent in that the Creation of all things out of nothing is attributed to him and the wonderful Miracles he wrought not as the Apostles in a Petitionary manner but mandatory and authoritatively in his own Name do fully evince this so that there is no glorious attribute of God but the Lord Christ hath the same and that not in kinde but in number The very same numericall wisedom and holinesse 4. Christ doth all the works the Father doth I and my Father work hitherto Joh. 5.17 The Son doth nothing but what he seeth the Father doth Joh. 5.19 Doth the Father create so doth Christ Doth the Father conserve and govern all things so doth Christ bear up all things by the power of his word Heb. 1. Did the Father send the Prophets in the Old Testament so which i◠greatly to be considered did Christ 1 Pet. 1.11 The Spirit of Christ is said to be in the Prophets which yet were long befere Christ was born of the Virgin Therefore Christ had a subsistency as God before and did work as God Therefore the Israelites 1 Cor. 10. are said to tempt Christ in the Wildernesse And Moses preferred the reproaches of Christ before Egypts Treasures Heb. 11. so also doth the Father regenerate give the holy Spirit sanctifie our natures all these things Christ also doth 5. The Son and the Father have the same will and the same purposes This all the Socinians would have But the samenesse of will and minde floweth from the Identity of the nature Indeed when he praieth for his Disciples in this Chapter that they may be one as thou and I are one It 's not a sicut of equality but similitude not as if they were to be one essentially as the Father and the Son is but that intimate Union of the Father and Son is made the Rule as when it 's said Be you perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect Mat. 5. ult that cannot be understood of an equality The Rule hath alwaies more perfection in it then the thing regulated by it Hence it is that Christ is called the express character of the Father Heb. 1. What Christ wils what he purposeth we may conclude the Father doth so also so that this consideration may abundantly take away that doubt which may arise That although Christ be thus ready to work out our redemption yet will the Father accept of it he is not obliged to take a Surety in our room he will see the Law satisfied in our own persons but Christ removeth this when he saith Therefore doth my Father love me because I lay down my life for my Sheep Joh. 10. The
seeing that Christ by his Death hath purchased justification for us this ought to cause great peace and joy in our hearts as Paul said Blessed be God who causeth us to triumph through Jesus Christ And why so because as afflictions so Consolations by Christ abound much more 2 Cor. 1.3 Oh then let the people of God who are apt to be dejected and cast down to walk in a discouraged manner to have their hearts pierced through with many thorny cares Remember what Christ hath done for them and how acceptable it is to him that we should walk comfortably and thankfully Is it not a dishonour to the Master for the servant to be dejected and grieved Doth it not proclaim to others that they account his service an hard uncomfortable condition Thus when men leave their former wicked courses and give up their names to Christ but after that are troubled grieved and have no comfort or encouragement These reproach the Lord Christ as if the world could give better comforts then Christ as if we had done for the worse by forsaking the devils service and resigning our selves up to the Lords Oh then consider that as in gross prophanesse and unrighteous waies there is a scandal to Religion so in all discouraged and uncomfortable dejections refusing to be comforted thou art a dishonour unto the Lord Christ as if he could not give manna to us in the wildernesse of this world Thus you see how many waies Christ may be glorified Now let us consider why it 's our duty thus to glorifie Christ First Because Gods purpose from Eternity was to put infinite glory on Christ God suffered Adam to fall and in him all mankinde to be lost that so the glory of Christ sent into the world for an atonement and a Mediator might breed amazement to all yea some Divines have said that the first Decree which God made was to glorifie Christ and that therefore he had been incarnated though man had not fallen Therefore say they all our Predestination Justification and Salvation it 's not so much for us as in order to Christ Howsoever that there is a Church a people of God that they shall have such priviledges of glory the end of all is that hereby Christ should be honoured Joh 5.23 Christ was sent into the world that he who honoureth the Father should also honour the Son 2. The end of Gods Spirit in appointing a ministry and giving gifts to them as also accompanying of them with his spiritual presence is to glorifie Christ We are appointed for the work of the Ministry for to glorifie Christ and all your hearing ought to be for that end Joh. 16.15 He shall take of mine and glorifie me and Ioh. 14. he shall convince the world of sin and righteousness in reference to Christ We see here what is the utmost end in preaching and hearing even that Christ may be glorified Insomuch that there is no greater pest to the soul of man then for the Ministers thereof to be given up to vain glory to seek their own glory from men for hereby Christ will not be exalted Oh it 's farre better for them to have it said Christ is glorified in our Ministry then that men give glory to us Lastly Christ will in time glorifie his therefore they may well glorifie Christ For what is our drop to his Ocean What is our glow-worm to his Sun It 's well he will accept of it we are of such polluted lips Vse of Instruction to live both doctrinally and really to the honour and glory of Christ doctrinally when we beleeve all such opinions as magnifie Christ the contrary whereunto Popery doth abound in This made the worthy Reformers first think of departing from that Church Christ was rob'd of his glory he had not that honour which did belong to him And then really by an heavenly holy and unspotted conversation Oh the patience and mercy of Christ that he should suffer the earth to bear so many prophane wretches that are a reproach to him and all Christianity Did the Disciples call for fire because the Samaritans would not receive Christ how would their zeal have kindled to see so many crucifie the Lord Christ again You glorifie the devil and exalt the waies of sin but in time you will feel how dear this will cost you SERMON L. Of Christs tender care of all his People in the greatest of their dangers and afflictions JOH 17.11 And now I am no more in the world but these are in the world and I come to thee THis Eleventh Verse begins a new and special Reason why Christ is to be heard in his Praier for his Disciples Whereas the former Arguments some of them were taken from the person of the Father some from the person of the Apostles themselves some from the Person of Christ In this Verse the Person of the Apostles and Christ are conjoyned together Now the efficacy and force of the Argument lieth 1. From the Condition of Christ 2. From the Condition of the Apostles The present condition of Christ is described thus I am no more in the world 2. Of the Apostles But these are in the world Let us explain the words that relate to Christs condition and then see the pith of the Argument For the first Christ may be said to be in the world two waies Either 1. Invisibly in respect of his divine nature and operations Thus Christ cannot go out of the world no more then God who is every where and in this sence he told his Disciples he would be with them to the end of the world Mat. 26. Or 2. Visibly and corporally in respect of his humane nature and thus he was to be with them no more so that this is a strong place against Transubstantiation and Consubstantiation Though they would gladly evade the dint of it But why doth Christ say I am no more in the world in the present tense seeing while and when he said it he was in the world I answer This Apostle as is observed by the Learned of all doth most abound with Hebraisms and with them it 's ordinary to use a participle of the present tense for the future as might be shewed And besides our Saviour was very shortly to go out of the world by his sufferings and it 's ordinary with all to speak of a thing as done which is immediately to be done as Heb. 11. Abraham is said by faith to offer up his Son Isaac when yet he did not offer him up but was prepared for to do it immediately Lastly Observe the difference between being in the world and of the world When our Saviour saith I am no more in the world it supposeth he had been in it but now he never was of the world as he saith v. 16. For to be of the world is to partake of the wickednesse and ungodlinesse which reigneth there The whole world lieth in wickednesse And therefore Christ could not
by the Apostles Diotrephes he loved to have preheminence Others accounted gain godlinesse and had their hearts exercised with covetous practises There was no heretique ever proved a firebrand in the Church but one of these causes for the most part moved him which made Austin put it in the definition of an heretique that he did alicujus temporalis commodi causâ either invent or propagate false Opinions But of Unity more when we come to the following Verses Vse of Exhortation to follow Christ in this Praier give the great God of heaven no rest by praier till he hath given rest to his Church and the guides thereof Cry out as the Disciples did to Christ to rebuke the windes and tempests for the Ship we are in sâ—isâ—nking These divisions are not only sins but sad prognosticks of Gods wrath as if he had a purpose to unchurch us and to make us no more his people as he did to the Churches in Asia SERMON LX. The great Paterne of Vnity The Nature and Properties of the Vnity that is between God the Father and the Sonne against the Socinians That the Ministers of God should endeavour after a perfect Vnity even to be One as the Father and Sonne are Also some Rules guiding thereunto JOHN 17.11 That they may be One as Thou and I are WE are now come to the close of the Prayer which containeth the Example or Patern of that Unity Christ prayeth for It 's not for every kinde of Unity he prayeth for but he would have them imitate that Unity which is most absolute and compleat even the Unity of the Father and the Son Before we raise the Doctrine this particular must be vindicated For the Arians and Socinians think this a pregnant place to overthrow the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 all nature of the Father and the Sonne That therefore here cannot be meant an essential Vnity Thus they argue Such an Vnity the Father and Christ have as the Disciples are prai'd for to have But that is a Vnity and Concord and Agreement not of Essence Therefore Christ and the Father are not Essentially One. This seemeth to be very specious and plausible But First Grant that we should interpret the Onenesse spoken of in the Text of consent in Will and Agreement as Calvin doth yet it doth not follow that other places speaking of their Onenesse should be also understood in the same manner yea from the Onenesse of Will between the Father and Sonne is necessarily inferred the Onenesse of their nature So that although we should understand this principally of Unity in accord yet by consequence it would prove Unity of Nature for in free Agents where there is the same will there there is also the same nature where there is the same humane will there is the same humane nature and where is the same divine will there is the same divine nature indeed with men it 's the same specifical nature not numerical but because there is one God onely therefore it must be the same numerical nature But in the second place We are to take the Unity of the Father and the Sonne in as large a sense at least not to exclude it as in other places it is Now in other places especially John 10.30 there we have undeniable Arguments to prove it is an Essential Unity I and my Father are One. Bellarmine though otherwise a Papist yet in this point against the Arians is Orthodox and doth strongly maintain the truth against them Now these three Arguments he brings That the Unity spoken of in that verse is Essential First Because otherwise our Saviours Argument there mentioned would be insufficient for thus Christ argueth None can pluck my sheep out of my hands because none can pluck them out of my Fathers hands Why doth this follow Because I and my Father are one So then if Christ and the Father had not one power and so one Divine Nature the Argument would not hold A second Reason is Because the Jews did understand him in this sense and therefore they took up stones to stone him and mark the reason vers 33. Because thou being a man makest thy self God If our Saviour had meant no more then Vnity of Agreement with Gods will The Jews knew that every godly man had the love of God in this sense written in his heart Therefore they could not think that blasphemy They did not think that David made himself a God when he delighted in the Law of God making his will to accord with Gods Thirdly Because our Saviour upon this accusation doth not deny the thing or charge them with falshood but further proveth it Because he doth the works of the Father therefore he bids them believe his works if they will not believe him which are to make them know that the Father is in him and he in the Father upon which words it's said again vers 39. They sought again to take him implying he had not corrected but confirmed that more which they called blasphemy In the third place Though our Saviour prayeth the Disciples may be One as he and the Father are yet their Argument will not hold unlesse they can shew that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as is alwayes used as a note of equality and not similitude onely but we can shew the contrary in Scripture that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is used for similitude not equality Luke 6.36 Be ye mercifull as your heavenly Father is mercifull There it 's a note of similitude onely for how can a drop be equal to the Ocean So 1 John 3.2 He that hath this hope purifieth himself as God is pure Here it must be a note of similitude for none can be equal to God in purity and thus here in the Text endeavour to be One as the Father and the Sonne not that you can equalize it but propound that absolute and perfect Rule to follow Insomuch that if this place be well considered it makes against all Arians and so is pro testimonio fidei which they perverted in argumentum perfidiae and Austin's observation is not to be neglected Christ saith he prayeth that they may be One as we are he doth not say that they may be One with us or that they and we may be One as we are One but that they may be One as we are One What more may be said upon this is to be spoken unto vers 21. Observe That it 's not enough for the Ministers of the Gospel to be one but they are to endeavour after the most perfect Vnity to be One as the Father and Sonne are Oh this consideration should make us blush and ashamed to see the contentions and differences that are Did the Father and the Sonne ever shew such discord We should never take our eyes off this patern Let us but consider in how many respects we are to aim at such a Unity as is between them First The Vnity between the Father and the Sonne is a
rejoyce in other mens gifts and abilities with that success accompanying them as if they were our own As we see John did John's Disciples came with an envious spirit against Christ and said All men runne after him This was enough to leaven and sour John's heart but see his excellent temper I must decrease and he must increase John 3.30 he was willing that Christs light and glory should be exalted though it darkned and obscured his This is a good Reconciler and the latter is a tender forbearing of one another and suffering of one anothers weaknesses and a proneness to forgive others rashness if the stones of Jerusalem were thus polished and smoothed they would lie even and firm together A third Rule is Love to the publique good of the Church if this did reign in our hearts it would compose all differences The true mothers bowels would not suffer her to have the childe divided It must be selfish revenge that shall make two enemies desire to see the ship sink in which they are rather then they will agree to preserve it What self-denial was that in Jonah to give himself up to destruction rather then have the whole ship endangered Every one ought to say If I be the Jonah cast me out Among the Romans they had a Temple dedicated Jovi depositorio because there they would go and lay aside their mutual contentions before they entred into the Senate-house What a shame is it when many Heathens have laid aside their mutual quarrels for the common good and shall not the Ministers of the Gospel much more for the Churches safety A fourth Rule is Not to charge such consequences upon one anothers doctrine that are not natural and which they do abhorre This in doctrinal disputes hath been oil to the flame The Lutherans charge upon the Calvinists Doctrines about Predestination That they make God the autheur of sinne that they make him cruel and unjust worse then Pharaoh that commanded brick but gave no straw yea cruel like Nero who having a minde to put a vestal Virgin to death caused her to be ravished and then put her to death because she was ravished But the Calvinists detest and abhorre all such consequences and if they did see such conclusions did follow necessarily from their Doctrines they would publickly abjure them some gathered from Paul's preaching of free-grace that therefore men might sinne that grace might abound but Paul crieth God forbid at this and saith The damnation of such Logicians is just Rom. 3.18 Lastly So farre as men do agree with us in the fundamentals let them retain peace and concord The Apostle thus exhorts Phil. 3.16 Whereto we have already attained let us walk by the same rule It hath been Gods mercy that the Protestant Churches though differing in many opinions yet do not dissent in fundamentals For as for the Socinians I do not reckon them among the Protestants yea some place them not amongst Christians but as for other they keep the same foundation though some are purer Churches then others Now it 's a special preservative of charity to imbrace one another with hearty affections So farre therefore it 's an uncharitable and peevish thing in some Lutherans that will not call the Calvinists brethren or admit of reconciliation but professe they will rather do it with the Pope whom yet they maintain to be Antichrist Vse of Exhortation to run to the God of peace for to settle peace and truth The greater the mercy is and the more the devil doth oppose it the more do thou strive for it How many Unities doth the Apostle mention Ephes 4 And why then should we be many Blessed are peace-makers for they shall be called the Sons of God Mat. 5.9 SERMON LXI The great changes that even a Godly man is subject unto in respect of the having and losing those Sensible supports both outward and inward which God at some times vouchsafeth to them Also what those sensible Enjoyments are and why God doth so change the conditions of his People JOH 17.12 While I was with them in the world I kept them in thy Name WE have dispatched the prayer Christ put up for his Disciples We are now to consider other reasons and arguments he useth for his Petition Our Saviour expressed many before the Petition and some also after the Petition The words of the Text are brought in as a reason why he prayed for them now so solemnly and not before because formerly he had kept them in a visible manner by his corporall presence with them but now the manner of his presence being shortly to be changed he therefore commends them to God as if he should have said Holy Father ever since they became my Disciples I took a special charge of them the world was against them they could not keep themselves and I came as a Mediator appointed by thee to preserve them to eternal life which trust I have faithfully discharged and therefore seeing they have hitherto been kept let them not perish at last In this reason we may take notice 1. Of the Disciples mercy vouchsafed to them they were kept this implieth their own insufficiency and inability 2. The efficient cause of this I have kept them wherein also is implied his fidelity and diligence in that trust he took upon him as a Mediatour 3. The manner how In thy Name which mercy is illustrated from the circumstance of time While I was with â—â—em 2. Of place while I was with them in the world First of the circumstance of time and place While I was with them in the world he speaks as if for the present he were not with them but that is because his departure was immediatly at hand Now when our Saviour speaks in this manner while I was with them I kept them 1. You must not think as if Christ by his bodily leaving of them did also spiritually leave them No this would contradict that promise Mat. 28. where Christ said he would be with them to the end of the world he did not change his presence but the manner of his presence it was before corporall and visible now spirituall and invisible 2. In that Christ said While I was with them it 's necessarily inferred that Christ is not corporally present every where that his body is not every where though Christ be every where That is true of Christ in the concrete which cannot be verified of each nature As his Divine nature did not suffer so neither can his humane be every where 3. By this expression saith Austin upon the place we must not understand as if there were a vicissitude in the Fathers and Sons keeping of us as if the Son had kept them a while excluding the Father and now the Father was to keep them excluding the Sonne but the Father kept them even while Christ kept them and Christ will keep them after his departure while the Father keeps them but not in the same manner before there
We see by degrees men were prepared to this Apostolical Office in the Church and Judas was one of these Now this was the highest pinacle of the Temple There was not a greater place of honour and trust then to be an Apostle they are called the pillars and the foundations Hence Paul begins his Epistle with this Title Paul an Apostle of Jesus Christ which is as great a glory saith Chrysostome as when any Officer under the Emperour writes himself next in place to the Emperour It would be impertinent at this time â—o expatiate in the dignity and excellency of the Apostolical-Office The Ancients said they were Pedes Christi oculi Dei and Ecclesiae mammae Christs feet Gods eyes and the Churches breasts These had infallibility in Doctrine had power to work miracles to expell devils to open and shut heaven as it were and yet the son of perdition is one of these Apostles Thirdly He had not only the Apostolical-Office but the gifts and qualifications of an Apostle He was one of those that returned with joy saying The very devils were subject to them He prophesied he wrought miracles he confessed and published the name of Christ he prayed he performed all the heavenly duties that others did neither do we reade of any neglect in his Apostolical-Office nor is he blamed for defects in any religious duty and certainly if he had been guilty of any such omissions the Apostles would have suspected him but we see when Christ said One should betray him they did no more suspect Judas then themselves Fourthly Christs carriage was as full of sweetness love and respect to him as full of comfort and encouragement to him as to the rest in an external dispensation When they returned from their spiritual circuit Rejoycing as you heard because the devils were subject to them our Saviour speaks indefinitely to them all Rejoyce not in this but because your names are written in heaven Luke 10.20 he speaks here as if Judas his name were written in heaven and Luke 22.30 Christ tels his twelve Apostles They should sit upon twelve Tribes judging Israel Little did men think that Judas would be cast out and one put in his room Now lay all these together and thereby will appear his eminency and esteem in Religion yet for all that he was a sonne of perdition for whereas Chrysostom and others from the fore-mentioned Texts would conclude that Judas was once a true godly man but afterwards fell from his grace that is contradictory to the Scripture as you have heard And when our Saviour condescended to that low humiliation of washing the Disciples feet mentioned onely by John so that the same Evangelist who doth relate in most perspicuous manner the sublimest things of Christ as appeareth Cap. 1. so he mentioneth this action which was of the lowest debasement now in washing of their feet Judas is not excepted Those hands of Christ which wrought so many miracles cured so many diseases bestowed so many blessings yet even these wash not the face or the hands but the feet the meanest part and that of Judas who was immediately to betray him But no wonder he layeth aside his garments and girded himself with a towel and poured water in a bason seeing he formerly laid aside the manifestation of his Divine Nature being in the form of a man and poured out his bloud for us yea it 's thought by many and those learned both by ancient and learned Writers though opposed also by many learned men that Christ gave Judas the Sacrament also Neither say they will this prove that scandalous men may be admitted to the Lords Supper because his sinne was as yet secret and not publick and although Christ as God knew him to be such a secret sinner yet Christ did not in his outward Office of the Ministry act according to the knowledge of God but as a Minister under God in his Office Whether Judas received or no the Lords Supper Those that affirm are many Those that deny are also many Raynardus the Jesuite Lib. cui Titulus vitae optimae finis pessimus at large quoteth the Authors of both sides Some make it a probleme and therefore condemn Prateolus as too rigid who noteth those with heresie that deny his communicating with the other Apostles in this Sacrament In the next place Though thus eminent yet consider these things to debase him 1. In all this eminency and profession of Christ he was an hypocrite he had no true love to Christ nor saving faith as John 6. where at the beginning of all Christ said One is a devil the present tense is not to be neglected and the text saith Even then he did not believe viz. in a saving manner Oh what cause of fear and trembling is this Who can hear of Judas that preacheth that worketh miracles that is often in duties with Christ yet he is not sincere and therefore you may observe that our Saviour in all his Sermons and Parables did press this as the summe of all to look we build upon a Rock to see that we dig deep in our building that we be good ground receiving the seed in a deep and honest heart No subject did our Saviour so much insist on as this when yet we would think in those dayes when Christs teaching and miracles were so visible and outward encouragements to profess him wholly wanting that none should follow him but upon sincere and upright grounds 2. In this time of his profession and communion with Christ he liveth in a secret sinne though the Apostles knew it not yet his own consceence could not but condemn him He was a thief saith the text Christ had many contributers to his sustenance and that was put in a common bag for the maintenance of himself and his Apostles Now Judas he carried the bag how this came about it 's disputed Whether he desired it or no or Whether it was put upon him as judged a fit and faithfull man the Scripture tels not Howsoever we see by this as is to be shewed That it 's a terrible thing to be in such a condition of life as is sutable to draw out the sinnes we are given unto but of that afterward Judas having this great opportunity he stealeth part of the treasury and keepeth part of it for himself What made him to do this whether because he was married and had a charge of children as some conjecture or whether because he had a covetous worldly heart as the Scripture seemeth to encline is controverted So that now Judas becomes a gross hypocrite for the very light of nature taught him not to impropriate that which was common to others he knew it was Christs goods not his own yea many learned Authors say This was not simple theft but sacriledge for what was given to Christ and his Ministry was to an holy use and therefore Judas was guilty of both and the grosseness of his hypocrisie is the more aggravated if
in the Word As there cannot be any love or delight in what we know not so neither any joy The bruit beasts have no joy properly because they have no knowledge They have a naturall delight but that is not truely joy Infants may have grace yet have no actuall joy Therefore when John Baptist a babe in the womb did leap for joy it was extraordinary and this is the reason why ignorant and carnal men are wholly destitute of all heavenly joy They have no knowledge no spiritual illumination so that as the blinde man cannot delight in pleasant colours nor the deaf man rejoyce in curious musick neither can the naturall man rejoyce in heavenly and holy Objects for he knoweth no better he is not acquainted with any other Comfort or Consolation but what is in the bowels of the creature Thirdly There is required a sanctified and heavenly frame of heart For such as a man is such is his joy The voluptuous man rejoyceth in his pleasures the intellectuall man doth so rejoyce in his studies and finding out of truth that some have forgot their time of food yea have not attended to their lives so great hath their joy been in such contemplations Thus the people of God being made new creatures and made partakers of a Divine Nature they now become to love and delight in those Objects which once they hated and abhorred They finde all the Consolations from the creatures contemptible in respect of God concerning whom they say with David The Lord is my portion and whom have I in Heaven but thee and in earth in comparison of thee The old Rule is Simile gaudet simili The heavenly heart delights in heavenly Objects Heaven it self and all the Glory of it do not or cannot affect a wicked man no more then fine flowers or pearles do a Swine So that this duty of rejoycing in God is altogether impossible to an ignorant carnall man they can no more in their souls thus be raised up to God then in their bodies they can flie in the air As our vile earthly bodies must be made spirituall and immortall ere they can be filled full of agility and be enabled to meet the Lord in the air So these souls of ours must be renewed and sanctified ere they can take any delight in that which is good Fourthly This Christian Joy requireth some kinde of possession at least in some degree of Christ or those good things we long for Propriety and possession is requisite to joy To know of never so many excellencies if a man have them not it doth but increase his misery The famished Lepers knew there was food enough abroad but till they were replenished they could not rejoyce in it What joy hath a poor man to hear of many others that are rich the sick man of many others in health If they have not such things in peculiar possession it advanceth them not at all Hence full and compleated joy is onely in Heaven because there is full and compleat fruition of God Then we are come to our journeyes end we cannot goe further or desire more then we have But in this life our joy may be daily filling our hearts There be many vacuities to be filled up There be many desires still to be satisfied so that we are to grow in our joy as well as in knowledge and in grace But yet because even in this life God is the God of his people and they are said to have him and to enjoy him and so Christ is said to dwell in their hearts yea the Father and the Sonne are said to be in them to sup with them to take up their mansions with them to dwell amongst them Hence it is that even in this life they may have unspeakable joy Therefore when the soul hath left the presence of God or is under many sad and black temptations thereby as we see sometimes in David and in the Church Oh the anxieties and perplexities that it is filled with Therefore in the Devils there is no capacity of any joy For although they have a self-love and though their wicked desires be many times successefull in tempting of men and destroying of their souls yet they cannot rejoyce because the state of misery they are in cuts off all hopes from them If therefore the godly would live joyfully let them take heed of interrupting their communion with God see you do nothing to eclypse this Sun If God hide his face all your comfort will presently wither In the next place Consider the transcendency and excellency of Christs Joy above all worldly joy It cannot be denied but that many wicked men spend their lives in jollity they seem to be the onely merry men and godlinesse is decryed for Melancholy for moping and for that which will undo a man But true joy in the Lord surpasseth all humane and worldly joy First The soul can more intimately and fully receive it's object then the body can Bodily and worldly pleasures are received in by the senses which are but narrow doors and gates of the soul but the soul of a man what it receiveth it doth let in with greater abundance Hence if the Object be finite and a meer creature it cannot fill the heart the heart is too bigg for it onely God is more then the heart can comprehend Therefore all the pleasures and all the joy that any man can take though he set himself to it as Solomon did yet are but like the joy of tickling or scratching comparatively to those immense joyes and consolations which God vouchsafeth Hence our Saviour saith Your hearts shall rejoyce John 16.22 This heavenly joy is like Elisha's oyl that multiplieth exceedingly and stayeth not till thy cruises fail to receive it Secondly This heavenly Joy surpasseth worldly in the pure and unmixed Nature of it It 's joy without sorrow It 's honey without any gall called The fruits of Gods Spirit because of the sweetnesse of it as the Apostle saith Perfect love casts out fear tormenting fear Thus joy from Christ and in him expels dejections troubles of heart No sooner doth this Sunne arise but all black and noisome vapours are dispelled Here is a joy that is like the Elementary fire they speak of pure and unmixed here are no mixtures to debase it or allay it But as for those worldly delights it 's as a mad man that teareth his own flesh and yet laugheth while he doth so So thou eatest and drinkest and makest merry while thou damnest thy own soul Thirdly It surpasseth in dignity for this Joy is in God himself it is in the highest good that can be There cannot be a greater cause or motive to rejoyce in but as for the creatures they are broken cysterns they are limited in their comforts they have their vexations as well as their delights but above all they are below man He debaseth himself when he taketh delight in these sublunary things they were made for him not
they do to his Name they would Therefore the people of God may strongly and comfortably urge that it 's not their good their peace is the quarrell but because of something of God in them as the Basilisk hateth the picture of a man because it hateth a man himself 2. God hath put such a naturall storge into all Creatures that what is their own they will defend The Hen will save its own little ones and venture for them The Mother will save her own childe Now shall God put such a property in all Creatures to save their own to protect their own and shall not God much more Yea God maketh his affections to be more tender then a mothers such may forget even her sucking Infant Isa 49.15 but God will not yea doth not God shew his care in providing for all Creatures because they are his Creatures who feeds the young Ravens who preserveth the Sparrows Life Is not all by Gods Providence Oh then what specal care will he shew to his spiritual Creature which cost farre more then even the natural Creature did It would be a dishonour to God if he should not take care of such We see amongst men it 's counted matter of honour to remember them that have suffered for their sakes What said David to the Priest that escaped Sauls sword when so many were bloudily devoured by his Sword I have been the Cause of their death stay with me and thou shalt fare as I fare Thus will Christ say I have been the cause of all thy reproaches and miseries in the world Stay with me and I will protect you To forsake a man that hath been undone to maintain thy cause or thy credit would be great dishonour And doth it not more belong to Gods honour that such as have denied all their worldly comforts for him that he should regard them What will not God suffer any to seek him in vain and shall they suffer for him in vain Besides it would discourage all to stand for his Word Should he forsake them who would set out upon this spiritual Warre with the world upon his own charges It 's true we are to say after all is done We are unprofitable Servants and when we have suffered here we might suffer in hell hereafter but Gods Grace and goodnesse will not regard our merits but his fidelity and promise Vse of Direction to the people of God to order their Conversation so wisely and holily that if possible the hatred of the world may be for their godlinesse Let them slander reproach and pretend what they will yet do thou enjoy this comfort within O Lord it 's for my obedience to thee It 's because I own thy Commands I dare not comply with the evil waies of the world To be able to say as Christ For which of my good works dost thou stone me For what is it that thou reproachest me This is to shine as stars in a dark night Dogs may bark at the Moon but that stayeth not its course Go on in the midst of all the reproaches of the world Let thy holy life torment them let them be in a rage that they have nothing justly to charge thee with and then say with Jerome I thank God that I am worthy to be one whom the world hateth We know the worlds opposition engageth Gods protection and the Lord will account all that is done against thee as done against his own Majesty The last Doctrine In that Christ saith He had declared or given Gods Word to his Disciples Obs That the Ministers duty is to deliver only Gods Truth to his hearers Christ twice saith this I have delivered thy words and in another place My Doctrine is not mine but my Fathers which sent me Thus Paul 1 Cor. 11. That which I have received of the Lord deliver I unto you We should preach only Traditions in this sence not Popish unwritten Traditions but that doctrine which we have received Hence Paul so pathetically exhorts Timothy 1 Tim. 6.20 Keep that which is committed to thy Trust not that which he had invented not that which came out of his own heart but what was deposited in his hands Aurum accepisti aurum redde Religion is not res ingonii but doctrinae Now in this the Ministers of God are to deliver 1. His word his Truth in opposition to what is the word of man what is a lye and a falshood The false Prophets are often reproved for venting the Imaginations of their own hearts and in the New Testament some are severely taxed for bringing in damnable heresies 2 Pet. 2. Look we then that what we build be gold and silver not hay and stubble That what we preach be Wheat and not Chaff meat and not poison 2. We are to deliver it purely Some though they preach the Truth yet they defile it by their additions the Apostle Paul testifieth that he was not in the number of those 1 Cor. 2.17 who corrupt the word of God that use sophisticate and counterfeit waies to adulterate it as men do their wine and wares but as of God and in the sight of God Oh what holy trembling and fear should be upon us lest our preaching should be like Nâ—buchadnezzars Image some part of gold and silver but the rest of Iron and Clay 3. They are to deliver it universally as Paul said he had not withheld from them the whole counsell of God Act. 20. 27. To speak all that God commands not to hide or withdraw any thing either for fear or flattery The threatning part as well as the promising to vent the Prophesie though it be the burden of the Lord. 4. They are to deliver it upon an holy end or motive That the truth might be beleeved the people edified To preach Gods Word as it is our Opinion our Interest our advantage is sinfull yet how apt are we to regard a Truth as it is ours more then Gods Vse of Exhortation to people to receive the Word of God with adoration and reverence how prone are people to entertain errors or corrupt Doctrines To be more affected with the wit and words of men more then the authority and divine nature of the Word SERMON LXXXII Of Wicked mens hating the Godly the Causes Effects and Properties of it JOH 17.14 And the world hath hated them because they are not of the world THe next thing to be considered is the Argument it self used by our Saviour in this Petition Keep them by thy speciall protection why because the world hateth them And I shall take in the second Cause into the Argument Because they are not of this world For I have spoken already about these things from vers 11. I shall adde what was not then mentioned In the Argument you may take notice of the Subject or persons that do hate and they are said to be the world that is wicked men called the world because they are the greater part of it and because they
the Earth earthly And then 3. If it be taken for the wickednesse of it Then Christ was never so of the world Therefore here is a difference between Christ and his Disciples for though they were not now of the world yet once they were plunged in sinne and corrupted through pollutions as others were but Christ never was of the world in this sence Therefore in the last place the particle of similitude 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is not of equality as if the Disciples were in every respect not of the world as Christ was but in some resemblance only The words thus explained two Doctrines arise Doct. 1 First The not being of the world is that which makes wicked men hate the Godly If there were sutablensse of Naturee and Manners then like would agree with like Hence 1 Joh 3.12 when the Apostle instanced in Cains murther of his Brother because his own works were evil he saith v. â—3 Marvell not if the world hate you Never wonder at that but rather if it should not hate you Our Saviour speaks notably of this to his Brethren Joh. 7.5 7. For they did not beleeve in him though so greatly acquainted with him and saw his Miracles The world cannot hate you but me it hateth because I testifie of it that the works thereof are evil It cannot hate you No wicked man can hate another viz. in respect of fundamental principles as a Godly man is hated It 's true wicked men may be at deadly fewd one with another but it is not from contrary principles of nature but from matter of profit and injuries or wrongs done As the Dogge doth not hate another yet for bones and other matters they will be ready to kill one another Though therefore Herod and Pilate cannot endure one another yet that opposition was upon carnal Interests it was not like that hatred which was to Christ Therefore when such Earthly Interests are removed they can heartily embrace one another but the wicked man can never love the Godly till his Nature he changed till he become godly also as the wolf can never love a sheep unlesse he be made a sheep To open this Let us Consider What it is not to be of the world And first It consists in Doctrine to be beleeved Such are not of the world who receive those hevenly Truths that the world cannot reach unto yea that it scorneth and derideth When Peter made that Solemn Confession That Christ was the Son of the Living God It was told him Flesh and bloud had not revealed this to him Mat. 16.16 There is a worldly Religion worldly Doctrines such as are sutable to the principles and Interests of the world and these are readily embraced The world loveth such Preachers and such Doctrines 1 Joh. 4. 4. The Apostle John speaking of the Antichristian Spirit that was coming into the world saith of such Teachers They are of the world therefore the world heareth them but we are of God and he that is not of God heareth us not Therefore there is a remarkable opposition 1 Cor. 2 12. between the Spirit of the world and the Spirit of God For by this only we come to know the things that God hath given us Then therefore are we not of the world when God shall so enlighten our mindes by Faith That we do assuredly beleeve those Truths God hath revealed in his Word that neither our corrupt Reasons nor our Education to the contrary nor the Opinions of the most men and great men in the world shall make us go contrary and certainly the Lives of men are so worldly because their Understanding is so We receive our Religion not as it 's revealed of God but as we can any waies turn it to our corrupt ends 2. Not to be of the world is to be Regenerated and born again To have another Nature then what we come with into the world another not substantially but qualitatively whereby we are said 1 Pet. 1.4 to be partakers of the divine Nature So that though at first made of the dust yet now we fly up to Heaven as the vapours though arising out of the Earth yet ascend up to Heaven and follow the motions thereof Joh. 3. and 2 Cor. 5.17 A man must be born again or from above and he is made a new Creature Old things are past away This is to be above the world not of the world and indeed seeing the Soul is not naturally of the world being created by God why shouldst thou voluntarily debase it and make it a Servant to every worldly Object to love the world To delight in the world To be ensnared by the world Oh pray for this Divine Nature beg for Regeneration for till this be done thou art all over earthly a worm is as good as thou art Thy Love thy heart thy thoughts thy all is nothing but earth 3. Not to be of the world is to have an Heavenly Conversation To live as one whose heart is with Christ already in Heaven It 's not enough to be once regenerated but the progresse of our Lives is to be spent on Heavenly motives and Considerations As the Fowls of the Heaven though they light upon the Ground to eat their meat yet immediatly fly up again Thus it is with the godly though they take the lawful comforts of this world yet their hearts are presently off ascending to God Thus the Apostle Our Conversation is in Heaven Phil. 3 20. And because we are risen with Christ we set our affections upon things above Col. 3.1 2. See our Lord Christ he was not of the world Did he not manifest it by his conversation when he made it his meat and drink to doe his Fathers Will when he was alwaies either praying to God or preaching to the people Oh then do thou endeavour after this life Though thou art in thy Family in thy Trade in thy Calling yet be not of the world because the choicest part of thy self is from God Thou canst say what are all these to the favour of God They are good to use but not to enjoy They are good sawce but not good meat a good Inne but not a good home 4. Not to be of the world is to partake of other joys other comforts then the world knoweth of and so to be exercised with other Temptations then the world understands with other joys Therefore it 's said It hath not entred into the heart of man to conceive of this 1 Cor. 2.9 It 's called Joy unspeakable in the holy Ghost 1 Pet. 1.8 David acknowledged God had put more joy in his heart then worldly men could have in all their abundance Psa 4. Alas what is thy carnal mirth and delight to that admirable and unspeakable joy which the godly finde in God This is a joy that will hold in tribulations and death it self when in such a Drought the wicked mans stream is quite dried up his temptations also are such as the world
upon it that it is sure to have Oh that Unbelief and distrust should ever overwhelm any Godly soul Doth not the Apostle triumph and say Who can lay any thing to the charge of Gods Elect Rom. 2. It 's Christ that died Though the divine nature could not suffer yet he that suffered was God as well as man and so it is to be accounted of infinite worth This is more then the Obedience of Men and Angels put together 2. It is of infinite worth in respect of the gracious readinesse and willingnesse of him who did utter it Christ received grace into his humane nature without measure and so this being the gracious offering of him who was God and man it must have necessary acceptance 3. It had infinite worth in respect of the thing uttered which was no lesse then the precious body and bloud of Christ himself he thought not those preparatory sufferings and agonies enough but he consummates all by his Death Oh then let not the trembling sinner fear the insufficiency of the ransome doubt not whether every farthing be paid Say not though such sins may be discharged yet can this that I have committed Can the bloud of Christ cover this sinne as well as others Secondly Consider that though Christ offered up himself as a Sacrifice yet the application of it must be in such a way that God hath appointed It 's not enough that there is a potion which will cure all diseases but it must be taken in that way which the Physician doth prescribe and thus though Christ offered up himself to reconcile God to man yet this is not done till by faith it be received As the bloud of thâ— Sacrifice was to be sprinkled with hysop Thus the bloud of Christ ere it doth wash away our sins must by Faith be sprinkled upon the soul and therefore it 's not altogether here as it is when a man is indebted and lying in prison one comes and paieth the debt for him This man is released without any more a do There is no further thing required but the setting of him at lâ—berty for though Christ hath thus offerrd up himself for the pardon of sinnes yet the Father hath made such an appointment that this price should reach to none but those that beleeve and therefore this Doctrine doth not give the least security to any man to sinne for though Christ died yet his bloud may do thee no good Thou maist lie roaring in hell to all Eternity for all this because thou art not one who doth partake of this death Know the godly themselves while unconverted and abiding in their sinnes have not that actuall benefit of Justification which cometh effectually by Christs Death Thirdly Hence Christs bloud is not only cleansing and washing away the guilt of sinne but the filth of it The Apostle Tit. 3. said that he died to redeem us a peculiar people to himself zealous of good works So that there is none can pleade the justifying efficacy of Christs Death that have not also the sanctifying efficacy of it as it followeth in the Text That they might be sanctified and this will pull up by the very roots all that carnal confidence that most have That come to Christs Death as unto a common Sanctuary It 's true I am a grievous sinner but Christ died Christ was made a Sacrifice but what is this to thee who wallowest in thy filthy lusts Thou art full of thy noisome sinnes and if Christs Death did belong to thee it would wash thee it would purifie thee Do not think Christs bloud can be sprinkled on thee for the pardon of sinne and not for the washing away the filth of it This is the ruine of thousands they divide Christ and separate one effect of his death from another Fourthly Though Christ did but once offer up himself yet the vertue and power of it doth abide for ever It 's not necessary that Christ should be alwaies dying therefore he is said to be a Priest for ever yea this Death of Christ did extend to all the Godly that lived before his Sufferings Abel Abraham and all in the Old Testament had no other Sacrifice to please God with but this It is noted by a Learned man that therefore Cains Sacrifice was not accepted because he did not as Abel offer such a propitiatory Sacrifice as was a Type of Christ but rested in his own duties and works yea it 's thought God by covering Adams nakednesse with skins of Beasts did thereby teach Christs Righteousnesse Look then upon the bloud of Christ as powerfully working as if to day he had been crucified It works as a morall Cause by Covenant and agreement with the Father and therefore it doth as strongly work as ever Fifthly It 's continually useful and necessary seeing we renew sinnes daily and therefore run into new infirmities constantly therefore it behoveth us to apply this medicine continually If a man had been a hundred times stung by Serpents he was as often to look upon the exalted Serpent to be healed if therefore we fall into the mire daily we need washing as often if we get noisomenesse upon us this bloud must daily clense us and certainly we may all say with Peter Not my feet but my whole body also Let that be washed Doth not every part of us get some new pollution Are not hearts affections and mindes constantly polluted If so we cannot be a moment without the application of it as often as we breathe we need the Sprinkling of Christs bloud Sixthly We are to Consider the certain successe and prevalency of it No sooner did the Messengers say Vriah was dead but Davids anger was removed When the destroying Angel seeth this bloud he will passe by if Moses his praier could so much prevail with God that he saith Let me alone and Lot was so accepted that the Angel cannot destroy Sodom till he be removed Then how powerful and prevalent must Christs bloud be Seventhly This Sacrifice is that which Christ presents to his Father The Socinians wold have Christ performing his Priestly Office only in Heaven but it 's plain he did it on earth only what he once did he constantly presents to his Father and the minding of God with this is a farre more efficacious thing then that of the Rainbow God when he beholds this will not again drown the world and when he looketh on Christ will not condemn the humbled sinner Therefore Christ is described Rev. 10. with a Rainbow upon his head to signifie as some think the pacificatory vertue that is in Christ Eighthly The purity of the Sacrifice is not to be forgotten He is called the pure and spotlesse Lamb 1 Pet. 1.19 As it behoved us to have a Priest without sinne So a Sacrifice without any defect otherwise that Sacrifice would have needed another and so there would have been no end Therefore though all we can offer which is ours
but because it would be a perpetual usefull document he instanceth in those that are to come yea all the believers for the time past since the beginning of the world are not excluded from this Mediatory prayer while they needed it no more then from his death for Christs prayer as his death profuit antequum fuit it profited before it was because it was present to God from eternity in which sense he is said to be a Lamb slain from the beginning of the world Observ That such is Christs care and love to his that they are remembred in his prayer and death even before they had a being when thou couldst not pray for thy self nor any else yea from eternity Christs Mediatory love and purpose was set upon thee In particular this truth is full of consolations even as the Sea is of waters to those that are members of Christ Therefore to open this First Consider that when Christ here prayeth for all believers he doth not as we do When we pray for the whole Church of God or as some say The Angels and Saints in Heaven pray viz. in a general indistinct manner not descending to every particular individual person No but Christ in this prayer being God as well as man and so cloathed with Omnisciency did in this prayer know and attend to every particular believer that should in any age of the Church be born as distinctly and nominally as I may so say as when he told Peter I have prayed for thee that thy faith fail not So that here is a great difference between Christs prayer for the universall Church and ours We cannot name the particular believers that shall be in every age but Christ did represent in this prayer every individual man and had as distinct knowledge of all believers as of the Apostles whom he knew man by man Secondly This must necessarily be so because though the execution and accomplishment of those benefits we receive by Christs prayer and his death be in time yet the Decree and purpose was from all Eternity Christ did not at this time of prayer or the hour of death beginne to will good to them No that love to them was eternal and of old Insomuch that we cannot say There ever was a time when God did not purpose these glorious things for them and therefore it is that the Scripture doth often call the godly to this consideration that his mercy and love to them was of old even before they ever had a being or the world either Ephes 1.4 He hath chosen us in him before the foundations of the world and that is remarkable 2 Tim. 1.9 where this grace of God is said to be given us in Jesus Christ before the world began It 's said to be actually given us before the world began either because God had decreed to do so or else because it is as certain as if it had been done already Oh then what lively consolations should this breed in a believers breast Gods gracious thoughts of mercy were of old to me when I was many thousands of years from having any being yet even then was I in Gods minde and love No wonder if all eternity be not long enough to bless and praise God for this eternal purpose of his Yet in the third place Though we are then chosen in Christ from Eternity yet take heed of that absurd Errour which holds Our sins are pardoned and our persons justified from Eternity To say That while a man is unconverted wallowing and tumbling in his lusts that his sinnes are pardoned and that he is as well loved of God before his conversion as after is to contradict the whole course of Scripture for though we be elected and thus predestinated from Eternity yet the Effects of this are not bestowed upon us till in time and in such a manner as God pleaseth Praedestinatio est amor Ordinativus not collativus as the Schools say It 's immanent in God not transient in us Therefore you see our Saviour supposeth such to be believers who shall be made partakers of his death He doth not promiscuously pray for all men he doth not commend to Gods love every man or woman but the believer onely So that we are to distinguish between the purpose of God and the gracious effects thereof otherwise we may as well say we are glorified from Eternity Fourthly Hence in that Christ doth thus determinately pray for every individual believer It 's a plain Argument that he is God as well as man For how could those things be as present to him which yet were many years to come if he was not God Act. 15.18 Known unto God are all his works from the beginning of the world Thus Christ being God as well as man to him was known the state and condition of every believer not only before he was born but before the world had a being Therefore from hence it may be properly gathered that even to the humane nature of Christ was revealed the number of those persons whose salvation he was to procure So that Christ as man as well as God knew who they were that should believe in him It 's true Omnisciency could not be communicated to the humane nature as the Orthodox maintain against the Lutherans neither was the knowledge of all things revealed to it but as the Sonne of man he knew not the day of Judgement when it should determinately be and the nescience of this was not any sin in him yet the revelation of this to his humane nature viz. who they were that he should die for seemeth to be more necessary even as Divines say The humane nature of Christ shall by revelation from the Divine at the day of Judgement know all the thoughts and secrets of mans heart that so he may be the great Judge of the world in both his Natures howsoever here is a clear argument that Christ is God as well as man and that his Godhead concurreth to the work of our Redemption Therefore fifthly It is not to be thought impossible that even all things that are to come should be thus present to Christ though it be to us For our knowledge is measured by time and there is not only a successive order in the objects we know but also in the acts of knowing But the measure of Gods knowledge is by eternity wherein all things do exist together So that though in themselves one object be after another yet in respect of God they are beheld with one intuitive act As a man with one cast of an eye from some high Tower doth behold many passengers going by one after another It 's true we can no more comprehend how these things are all at once open and naked to God then a Dwarf can reach the Pyramides yet for all that we are to believe what by reason we cannot comprehend Quid enim magis contra rationem quam ratione supra rationem transcendere said Bernard It 's enough
God doth not Elect or choose any untill he foresee what every man will do and if he do well and persevere in this then he is predestinated but this doth at once dash out all the Prepositions Prae and turn them into Post it is not prae-destination but post-destination not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And this administers a second Argument Secondly If so be that God did Elect and choose to Eternall Life because he did fore-see our Faith then the whole difference of one Beleever from another would be attributed solely to mans Power For to say That this is Gods Decree and his Appointment that whosoever shall beleeve shall be saved doth not in the least work upon any person no more then that Decree of God Whosoever shall do this shall live doth suppose any that will exactly keep the Law so that no man in the world may beleeve for all this Decree And thus when Christ prayed for those who shall beleeve he might have praied for a Non ens a thing which might never have been Therefore all the Question is How come some to beleeve and not others How is it that of many who live under the same means of Grace some are called effectually and others grow more wicked and sinnefull Certainly the Scripture doth not give this unto mans Will but to Gods free-grace and Love as Matthew 13. To you it is given to know the Mysteries of the Kingdom of God and unto others not Thus Christ also Matthew 11. solemnly blessed and thanked God That he had hid these things of Heaven from the wise and prudent ones of the world and that he had revealed them unto Babes And the Apostle expresly Who hath made thee to differ from another 1 Corinth 4.7 Therefore it 's horribly injurious unto the Grace and goodnesse of God to say That under the same Means of Grace I made my Self to beleeve to repent rather than another Certainly such an Opinion as this is so grosse and absurd that well may Arminianism be said not only to be repugnant to many places of Scripture but even to the common sence and experience of all beleevers They have a witnesse within their own breasts That they were as unwilling as froward as opposite to the work of Grace as any That it was God that made them of unwilling willing Even as there were many others that heard Paul yet God is said to open the heart of Lydia rather then others Thirdly Faith and all holinesse is the Effect and Fruit of our Election and also of the Death of Christ and therefore it cannot be an antecedent Condition That is plain that the same thing cannot be an Effect and Consequent of Election and yet an antecedent Condition at least in the same Respects for then it should be considered as before and after at the same time which is a plain Contradiction Now that Faith is a Consequent and an Effect of Election and that we are Elected to Faith and Holinesse not because we have Faith and Holinesse is clear by severall Texts of Scripture as Act. 13.48 They beleeved as many as were ordained to Eternall Life Here is plainly set down the Effect and the Cause They beleeved and why Because ordained to Eternall Life As for that Cavill to understand 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 intransitively as if it were no more than dispositi and so did imply some inherent probity that is not worth the answering For how were the Gentiles disposed to beleeve who were said to be dead in sinnes and plunged into all manner of impiety untill Grace had converted them Besides this disposednesse to beleeve whence doth it arise Either from our selves and so all Glory is due to us or from the Grace of God And if so How cometh it to passe that some have it and not others but because of Election And it is further to be added That it is not said in the Text They beleeved that were ordained Or as they say disposed to beleeve but to Eternall Life which doth necessarily suppose an Action of God in whose power alone it is to dispose of Eternall Life Thus also Ephes 1. There are very emphaticall Expressions to shew that we are Elected to be holy and unblameable in the sight and presence of God And whereas they would referre this to our glorious Estate in Heaven that cannot be because unblameable doth properly relate to our being here upon the Earth It is true we will readily grant That both Faith and Holinesse they doe enter into the Decree of Election taken terminatively as it ends in Everlasting Happinesse Therefore it is a meer Calumny to say We hold such an absolute Election to Glory and Happinesse as hath no respect to Christ or to Faith For although we deny that Christ was the meritorious Cause of our Election yet it 's plain by Scripture we are chosen in him as the Head and so the Cause of all the Benefits that come by Election And God had respect unto Faith He chose Beleevers to Salvation onely this Faith was not looked upon as an antecedent Condition in us but as a qualification which God by Election doth work in the hearts of those that shall be saved We say God hath Elected such to Salvation whom in time he will by that Decree make Beleevers For he that wils an end doth thereby will the means that tendeth thereunto only we deny they were supposed Beleevers first and then God Elected them Fourthly God doth not Elect upon the fore-sight of Perseverance in Faith Because the Scripture every where makes Election to be the Originaâ—l and Causall Fountain or Womb of all other Benefits That Ninth Chapter to the Romanes is pregnant to this purpose where Election is made to be that which bringeth about all blessed Effâ—cts in time Election hath obtained and it is not of him that willeth or runneth but of God that sheweth mercy Whereas Austin of old urged by the Adversaries Opinion replied We might as well say according to them it is not of him that calleth but of him that willeth And Rom. 8. The Apostle maketh predestination the cause of Vocation Justification and Glorification not Vocation the Cause of Predestination Fifthly If the humane Nature of Christ was not chosen to the personall Union for any fore-seen merit much lesse may any meer man be Elected to Glory because of any supposed worth This was an Argument urged of old by Austin and is very strong By what Grace that particular man was made Christ by that we are made Christians Now the Apostle saith expresly that Christ 1 Peter 1.20 he was fore-ordained and appointed before the Foundation of the world and all will readily grant that this was not for any fore-seen worth and Excellency in the Humane Nature of Christ Lastly Not to mention all that may be brought If we are Elected upon Faith fore-seen and Perseverance therein then none are Elected until they come to die and
yet because the Foundation of all our Christian comfort is in this Union and Unity is our whole spiritual Treasury Let us follow the Scripture Light in Explication of it And First It is good to Consider what synonimous or equivolent expressions the Scripture hath to represent this Vnity And we reade of an emphatical one 1 Cor. 6.17 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He that is joyned to the Lord The metaphor is from glue that doth so closely and inseparably joyn things together He is made one Spirit Is not this a wonderful expression of that intimate Union the believer hath with God He is made one Spirit with him not essentially as if he were made infinite omniscient c. but as it were morally as they say Amicus est alter ego Another word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Joh. 1.2 Truly our fellowship is with the Father and his Sonne Jesus Christ Thus 2 Pet. 2.4 we are said to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 partakers of the divine nature and often we reade of the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the Communion of the holy Ghost This Communion indeed is a consequent of our Union our Union is the Foundation of our Communion although the word doth not only signifie Communion but Communication sometimes howsoever this signifieth the unspeakable priviledge the godly have by their Union that now all things do become theirs which Christ hath our mala and his bona are communia We cannot fall and perish unlesse Christ also be destroyed with us A last word I shall instance in is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rom. 6.5 and hereby is intimated our co-planting into him and this the similitude of the Olive-Tree and the Vine doth admirably represent and certainly there is no kinde of Union scarce but the Scripture expresseth our Unity with Christ by it as that of the Head and the body of a Foundation and building of a Vine and its branches of a Husband and wife to shew hereby the Excellency and fulnesse of it every one of those unions having something that another hath not As David doth attribute several Titles to God of a Shield Rock Tower c. to shew that God was all things to him Thus is Christ all Unions to the godly as I may so say 2. There must be an unition as Cameron well observeth before there can be an union a Communication before a Communion Unition is to be conceived efficiently as the work of Gods Spirit joyning the believer to Christ and union is to be conceived formally The joyning it self of the persons together Now there is something on Gods part uniting and something on ours On Gods part that is the spirit of God Eph. 2.8 the Jew and Gentile have through Christ accesse unto the Father through one spirit So that as it 's the Spirit that sanctifieth the Spirit that worketh mightily in beleevers the Spirit that sealeth Thus it is also the Spirit that unites to Christ for of our selves we are aliens from God we all lie dissipated in ruine but it 's the Spirit of God that quickens us and engrafteth us into Christ As the Spirit on Gods part so Faith on our part Eph 3.15 Thus Christ dwels by Faith in our hearts and it 's by Faith we are ingrafted into the Olive-Tree therefore that is called eating of his Flesh and drinking of his bloud whereby we are made one with Christ our head We then may easily conclude all men living in their natural condition without the Spirit of God have nothing of this Unity They must needs wither and perish in their sins 3. We may conceive of a natural union with Christ and a supernatural A natural union all men have in that he took mans nature and not Angels upon him So that in this respect all men though never so wicked yet agree with him in his humane nature and thousands are damned though Christ took mans nature upon him The other union is supernaturall for as Christ though man yet was conceived in a supernatural way by the holy Ghost So all those who are mystically united to Christ are in a supernatural way changed by the holy Ghost and thereby joyned to Christ for it 's the Spirit of Christ as well as of God the Father that doth thus unite us to him We cannot then take any comfort simply in this that Christ was made man unlesse we have a spiritual Vnion with him as well as a naturall Therefore the Apostle excellently to this purpose urging Christs Incarnation Heb. 2.11 14. doth not press absolutely his being made man but so as thereby to help not all men but such as are his brethren all men are not Christs brethren but such as by faith are made one with him Both he that sanctifieth and they who are sanctified are all of one that is of one Adam of one root as it is generally expounded but though other men be of that one root as well as such as are sanctified yet the Apostle limits it to such only that are sanctified and from thence draweth that comfortable inference Christ is not ashamed to call them brethren and v. 14. because the Children are partakers of flesh and bloud he also himself took part of the same so that it 's plain by these Texts No man can simply take comfort in this that Christ became a man That he is of the same humane nature with Christ for it 's only to the children only to such as are sanctified that his Incarnation is advantagious Hence 4. This union is wholly spiritual and invisible Christ is the head and we the body Christ the husband and we the wife but all this is after a spirituall and mysterious manner The ligaments are spiritual insomuch that this is better felt experimentally then palpably expressed Therefore to carnal and natural men it 's wholly a paradox They cannot imagine what it is Even as spiritual and immaterial objects cannot be discerned by the eye No man hath seen God at any time So neither can this spiritual union be naturally perceived if we should preach all our life time upon it a natural man would never understand one iota or tittle about it Therefore when the Apostle speaking of the union between man and wife Eph. 5.32 therby representing the union of Christ and his Church addeth This is a great mystery but I speak concerning Christ and his Church Oh pray therefore that thou maist experimentally feel this union with Christ That something within may close with this and thou maist be able to say O Lord though I reade it in no Book hear it in no Sermon yet my own heart can discern it 5. Though this union be spiritual yet for all that it is reall it 's not imaginary and a meer fancy but as Christ is a real Christ God a real God faith a real grace so real is our union with these and therefore the effects of this union are altogether real such as
JOH 17.21 That the world may believe thou hast sent me WE are treating on the Consequent of Unity amongst the Godly That the world may beleeve which belief hath been already considered relatively as a product of Unity We shall now take notice of it absolutely as it is in its own self It is believing that the Father hath sent Christ into the world We formerly spake of believing in its specificall nature as it justifieth by laying hold on Christ We shall here speak of it in its generall Nature because this believing is common both to the Hypocrite and the sound Christian For of that world which doth beleeve all do not believe in a saving manner So that although none who believe Christ sent into the world ought to stay in that generall but particularly to improve Christ that he may be sent for their good yet because the expression is here general I shall consider of it as a generall For whereas in the former Verse the Object of Faith was made Christ himself Ens incomplexum Here it is a Proposition though that onely is the Objectum quo and not quod upon which our Faith is ultimately terminated Obs That the Believing of Christ being sent unto the world is the foundation and first principle of our Conversion unto God Though men have never so much understanding in other Religious Points as that Scribe spoken of Mark 12. though not farre off yet they are not in the Kingdome of Heaven until they believe in Christ as sent by the Father to be our Mediatour That as the Apostle Hebr. 11. makes it a Fundamentall requisite in every one to believe that God is no lesse is required to believe that Christ is Therefore 1 Cor. 3. Jesus Christ is called the Foundation and by some made the adequate object of Divinity because every thing considered there doth either directly or reductively leade unto Christ So that I shall not speak of that peculiar Act of Faith applying Christ but that generall act whereby we know and assent firmly and immovably That there was a Christ God and man who was sent by the Father to redeem and save sinners For though all be thought to believe this yet the right and powerfull assenting to it is the foundation both of all holinesse and consolation but ere we speak of the Nature of it some distinctions are to be premised Distinct I As First That Faith is sometimes taken for the Object the Faith quae creditur The Doctrine beleeved and sometimes for the Grace of Faith quâ creditur whereby we do believe Colos 2.5 To be established in the Faith that is in the Doctrine So some are said to erre to deny or depart from the Faith that is the Doctrine But commonly it is used for the gracious actings of the Soul towards those Objects only it 's good to observe this distinction because some places are brought to prove Apostacy from inherent faith which speaks only of the doctrine 2. Faith is taken sometimes actively and sometimes passively Actively for fidelity and veracity in promises in which sence it 's attributed to God and to men Sometimes passively for the assenting unto Truths because of anothers Testimony And this again is twofold Either Humane Faith when we believe any thing meerly beeause of humane authority or divine when we believe because of divine authority and this is greatly to be observed for when I believe a divine Truth for humane Authority or witnesse my Faith all that while is but humane as those that beleeved Christ for the Samaritan Womans Testimony all the while they had no higher a ground then that it was but an humane Faith and then a Papist as a Papist and by Popish principles can have no more then an humane Faith for the utmost motive in which their Faith is resolved is the Authority of the Church which is but humane and so if the Church had propounded Titus Livius or Aesops Fables as some grant to be the Word of God people were bound to believe it but there is no divine Faith unlesse there be a divine Testimony and this doth sadly discover Millions of baptized persons yet to have no divine Faith for all the ground of their Christian Faith is Education and humane Authority it is not because God hath said it or he hath revealed it They cannot say with those Samaritans Now we believe no longer for Education sake or the Churches sake but because of the Authority and Divine Light which is coruscant in the Scriptures themselves Insomuch that the Jesuite Valentia doth confesse there are such inward discoveries of purity and Majesty in the Scripture that they breed such an inward reverence and perswasion that no other book can do 3. There is a distinction of great antiquity received in the Church between Credere Deum to beleeve there is a God Credere Deo to beleeve God speaking and Credere in Deum to beleeve in God by inward Union with him and loving of him Now although it be true that the Scripture makes no such difference adding the Hebrew Preposition Beth and the Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Even where there is but a bare historicall beleeving there is a God yet for explication sake it may be received and those only said to beleeve in God who are justified and sanctified Though the Scripture attribute it sometimes to others Lastly Consider that the Soul hath several tendencies and motions to divers Objects Sometimes it assents to a thing by help of the sence and that is a knowledge by sence Sometimes by demonstrative Reasons it knoweth a thing and then it 's called Science strictly Sometimes by Testimony or Authority and then it 's called Faith Now if the authority be divine that saith such a thing then the Soul cannot be deceived because God cannot lye and so there ought to be greater certainty and firmer adhesion to those truths then any thing of sence and Reason yea in some sence it hath more evidence For there is a twofold Evidence of the thing it self and of the credibility of it of the thing it self And so indeed the matters of sence and reason are more evident in their own Natures to us Of the credibility of it and so Faith hath great evidence as the Testimonies for such Truths are evident and clear though the truths themselves are supernatural and highly transcending our humane capacity Distinct II These things premised Let us come to examine the Nature of Faith as it is dogmatical or historicall And 1. It 's wrought in us by the Grace of God It 's the power of God that works even this common faith No man could know and give assent to such divine truths unlesse inabled by the Spirit of God and therefore it 's said to beleevers That to them it 's given to believe Phil. 1.29 which takes in the whole nature of faith So some are said to believe through the grace of God No man can say
to be considered And they are these 1. It lifteth a man up above his natural reason It addeth many cubits to his stature As reason directs and corrects sense as we see in Astronomy so doth faith direct and correct reason As Zacheus because of a small stature went up into a tree to see Jesus Thus the reason of a man being too low in it self must ascend up to the Scriptures that it may behold divine things so that they wholly overthrow faith and change the nature of it who made it with Abailadus of old to be imagination or with the Socinians strength of reason Certainly Julian and the Heathens of old confound Christian Religion upon this ground because it was faith it was not a science 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it was Julians upbraiding now the Christians they gloried in this and Austin to confirm the Christian under many captious doubts saith thus Nomini te esse fidelem not rationalem To bring then divine truths to reasons comprehension is to put the Sunne under a bushell or to think to fit Goliahs shoe to Zacheus his foot 2. Though this faith lifts up reason yet it doth not contradict it When we say faith cometh by revelation not by reason flesh and blood cannot make such things known to us yet when once this revelation is discovered in the Scripture then reason doth wonderfully help to propugn and maintain this truth revelation must lay the foundation and then reason will build upon it so that inlightned reason and instructed reason out of the Word is of excellent use to explicate and clear divine mysteries Even as the Gold-smiths hammer is usefull to dilate and diffuse his golden mettal in many formes and this use all our learned Divines make against all Heretiques They doe by the help of reason and arguments out of the Scripture illustrate and confirm the Doctrine to be believed 3. This general nature of faith hath two excellent properties put together in one place Heb. 11.1 It 's there called The substance of things hoped for and evidence of things not seen It 's 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 We shall not dispute Whether this be a definition of faith it 's enough that two differential marks are given of it And First It 's the substance of things hoped for concerning which word learned men say divers things but it may comprehend these particulars First that Faith is not an empty flying fancy for so Aristotle useth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as opposite to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 some manifestation meerly as the colours of the Rainbow or of birds feathers when the Sunne shines These have but an intentional being there is no reall solid being in them but faith is the substance of things hoped for and certainly this is greatly to be endeavoured after that thy faith be a reall substantial thing how many mens faith are but fickle fancies and uncertain notions and therefore with their dogmatical faith they are like the Apostle James his man without faith tossed up and down with every wave Jam. 1. The Apostle Ephes 4.14 saith Be not carried about with every winde of Doctrine that denoteth the levity and emptinesse of a thing Trees that are well rooted are not blowne up and down like feathers What then is the cause of instability and uncertainty of many mens Religion It 's because they have not faith wheresoever that is it is a solid substantial bottoming of the soul 2. The word substance doth imply that it makes the things hoped for though afarre off yet present to the soul and even to subsist in the soul for faith is not hindred in its actings by distance of place for that receiveth Christ enjoyeth Christ though in Heaven and he that believeth hath eternal life Hence we are said to be already translated from death to life John 5.24 because to faith these things are as sure as if they were already done Thus Paul you see him by faith speaking as confidently as if he were in Heaven already Rom 8. Who shall separate us from the love of God shall things present or things to come Shall life or death c Hence faith is called The beholding of things not seen 2 Cor. 3. Faith makes God present Heaven present Christ present as really and truly as bodily objects are present to sense and truly for want of this it is that we are so cold languishing dejected we doe not by faith make these things present if we did they would more divinely affect us and as it is the substance of things hoped for So of things feared likewise Noah by faith moved with fear prepared an Arke Heb. 11.7 Thus faith makes hell and damnation present it doth not look upon hell as a farre off but is affected as if it did see and hear those dolefull howlings in hell and so dare no more sin then if it were in hell already Oh what a mighty change would faith thus realizing things work upon us 3. The word comprehends Assurance Confidence and so indeed is hypostasis used both in Scripture and by humane Authours now this confidence of faith and assurance is seen in the knowing and assenting acts of faith as well as applicatory witnesse those resolute and confident deportments which the Martyrs had Had not they strong assurance of the truth who could endure such exquisite torments against subtil opposers And certainly the Martyrs in Queen Maries dayes are more to be admired then those in the primitive times for they suffered upon undoubted and clear points which only the Heathens gain-said But now these suffered by them that acknowledged a Christ and pretended the Glory of Christ as well as they So that this heavenly confidence and satisfaction of the soul that they care not for further disputing and doubting in the matters they do believe is a great property in faith And this manifesteth there is little faith now in Religion wherein men are apt to think all Religions alike and that one may do as well as another In these dayes to have such a substantiating reallizing and confident assurance is a great wonder The next word describing the generall nature of it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and that doth imply First That the things believed bring an objective light with them As the object that is seen brings a visibility though faith in respect of humane reason be obscure and supernatural Arguments be inevident yet compared with the light in the Word it hath much evidence Hence the word of God is so often compared to light and that illumination which God worketh in the minde is partly faith as well as any other grace The things that are believed bring an evidence with them to the soul as the Sunne brings a visibility with it to be seen Therefore this believing is said to be by the Word set home in the demonstration of the Spirit and hence it is a man in some sense is passive
in believing as he is in understanding because the object doth so powerfully work on the minde that it cannot withstand it Even the Arminians could not but grant That the work of Gods Spirit upon the understanding is irresistible though not upon the will because they say that is an active faculty Secondly The Word doth imply such an evidence that doth convince and binde up the understanding that it cannot doubt or dispute any longer All evidence may not presently convince We see though erroneous persons reade never so many excellent books yet they are not actually convinced the evidence indeed is able to convince as the Sunne-beams are able objectively to make a blinde man see there is light enough if he had eyes but faith is here said to be the actual conviction of the soul to silence it that it hath no more to say according to the saying of the Schools Fides non est tantum apprehensiva sed quietativa Faith is not only apprehensive but quietative and resting of the soul that it is not learning and learning or seeking but never coming to the truth Fourthly This Faith hath unlimitednesse and universality in it's assenting The whole Word of God is the adequate Object of it and therefore whatsoever is revealed in the Scripture it believeth it doth not pick or choose believe some things and not others as they make for or against us but so farre as the Word is propounded it doth receive it Therefore such threatnings that condemn man that makes him dead in sinne and guilty of hell such threatnings that do speak terribly to such or such a sinne he is involved in though it be a troublesome and unwelcome truth to flesh and blood yet Faith makes a man to believe it Whether Faith be discursive or put forth by one simple act is disputed howsoever it cannot be denied but that there is an order in the things believed a connexion and dependance between one proposition and another though when believed faith is carried out with one uniform act because there is the same divine Authority in all Lastly The immediate opposites to Faith dogmaticall in whole or in part are these either expresse Paganisme and Heathenisme this is Negative unbelief They never so much as received these truths Or else Grosse and stupid Ignorance whereby though they say they do believe yet indeed they doe not no more then Pagans or else Heretiques who though they may hold some Fundamentall Truths yet oppose others or Apostates who having once professed do afterwards make shipwrack of their Faith Or lastly In some degree all doubts and waverings about the Truth doe oppose this divine Faith especially when set home by the Devil who many times hath as hot fiery darts about Dogmaticall Faith as justifying troubling them with doubtfull thoughts about a God and about the truth of Scriptures Now in such temptations it 's not good to hold a parlee but as Joseph to his Mistresse to runne away to have an holy pertinacy and with Paul to Peter Not to give way to any such doubt no not for a moment If Christs sheep will not hear a stranger but runne from him much more from the Devil who is the Arch heretique the Tempter as to all sinne so to all unbelief Vse Pray to God to increase and establish this Faith in thee and that especially in these dayes These are times when thy justifying Faith shall be assaulted by doubts and disconsolate fears these are times also when thy Historicall Faith may be puzzled and shaken with such heresies and cunning devices of men But oh let thy eyes and heart be up to Heaven for this substance this evidence Thou wilt then have that within which will establish thee against all errours SERMON CXXII Of the Glory which Christ communicates unto all his Disciples even in this Life And of Vnion with him as the Ground of it JOH 17.22 And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them that they may be one even as we are one OUR Saviour continueth amplifying his Prayer for the Union of Beleevers So that in this Text we may take notice of another argument or reason why the Father should make them one in him and one amongst themselves Here is a threefold Unity spoken of 1. That essentiall one of the father and the Son 2. That mysticall one of Christ as Head and Mediatour and believers 3. That charitative one of believers amongst themselves The Argument urged by our Saviour in the Text is he had given that glory to them which the Father had given him so that we may take the particle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 causally for the glory thou gavest me I have given viz. in purpose and decree to such as shall beleeve All the difficulty is what is that glory which Christ receiving of the Father giveth to believers Some Learned men expound it of the Glory of the Apostleship and working of miracles and they make the sence to be thus The glory thou gavest me to give I have given them As Cbrist is said out of the Psalmist to receive gifts for men Now because he received them to give The Apostle Eph. 4. alledgeth it as giving gifts to men the Consequent being put for the Antecedent But this cannot be received because our Saviour is now praying for all beleevers in all successive ages and not the Apostles only Others by glory do understand immortality and that state of happinesse hereafter But to understand it aright we must know that the word glory when attributed to God is of a very large signification but more particularly when God doth by any works in a more remarkable manner declare his goodnesse wisedom omnipotency c. then he is said to give his glory Ezek. 39.21 Eze. 26.20 In the New Testament when we reade of Christs Glory we may Consider of 1. His essentiall glory which he hath as God spoken of Heb. 1. where he is called the brightnesse of his Fathers Glory 2. Of his Mediatory Glory which he had as Mediatour his humane nature being filled with all grace which glory though begun on earth yet was consummated when exalted to the right hand of God in glory 3. There were the many effects which did concomitate this essentiall and Mediatory glory some particulars whereof the Scripture mentions as all the approbation the Father gave from heaven to Christ with all his miracles doctrine and other signs of his divine nature is called Christs glory Joh. 1.14 We beheld his glory by way of wonder and admiration as the word signifieth as the glory of the only begotten Son of God Thus when Christ turned the water into wine Joh. 2.11 It 's said he manifested his glory and Joh. 11. the raising of Lazarus from the dead is called Gods glory as working of miracles So the love that the Father bestoweth on Christ is called Christs glory at 24 verse in this Chapter which may be a good Exposition of this Therefore by
glory and therefore that state of happinesse is properly called a state of glory yet we have the first fruits of it here In part Christ doth invest us with his glory but this is nothing to what shall be hereafter Even in this life the things are so great That no eye hath seen neither hath it entered into the heart of a man to conceive How much more then will eternal glory surpass all our imaginations Should not then the consideration of this glorious portion we in part have and expect more fully make us walk comfortably be chearfull in our afflictions passe through this world with joy Certainly we put not forth our fixed contemplations on this glory if we did our hearts would scarce ever be taken off it Eudoxus was so affected with the glory of the Sunne that he thought he was born onely to behold it How much rather should we think it our duty all the day long to behold this glory As the Apostle 2 Cor. 4.17 professeth that all the afflictions he went through and he had many yet they were but light and but for a moment to that eternal weight of glory and what made him think so While we look not at the things which are not seen If then thy heart is at any time dejected disquieted oh think of this glory provided for thee it will make thy soul silence it's crying and mutterings immediately yea this will conquer the fear of death and make the thoughts of it lovely and welcome Fourthly Doth Christ give spiritual glory to his Then let this consume all love and desire of vain-glory and esteem of men This love of glory hath been and is the worm that eateth up the best fruit when lusts and sins have not been able to undo a man glory from the world hath Therefore our Saviour makes such a temper inconsistent with grace How can ye believe and seek glory of one another and seek not the honâ—ur which comes from God onely John 5.44 This vain-glory Chrysostom called The mother of hell and indeed How many religious duties doth it corrupt The Pharisees prayed and gave alms to be seen of men yea there is no external duty in Religion but this may put a man upon it But as love of Christ will kill the love of the world fear of God will overcome fear of man so a love to this spiritual glory will quickly out vain-glory It 's good to observe That though all other things in this world be vain man is vain beauty is vain wealth is vain yet custom of speech doth appropriate it only to glory calling it vain-glory Oh then remember there are more glorious things to affect and enlarge thy heart with then these applauses of the world Fifthly Doth Christ give his people glory Then let them faithfully do Christs work notwithstanding all the reproaches and scorns wicked men load them with David rejoyced in that he was despised and contemned while he danced before the Ark I will be more vile still saith he 2 Sam. 6.22 And thus the Apostles rejoyced they were accounted worthy to suffer for Christs sake It 's a great glory to lose thy glory for Christs work Oh this is that which makes men afraid boldly to venture in holy things they shall be censured they shall be contemned Remember that Scripture Those that honour me I will honour 1 Sam. 2.30 It 's a miserable slavery to live dependently upon the breath of others who many times do as children put a Garland upon one of their fellows heads and then laugh at him behinde his back so though they applaud thee to thy face yet secretly backbite thee Be therefore diligent to do Gods work and content thy self with the glory God bestoweth upon thee Doth a man running in a race regard the bird singing upon the tree Eye Christ more and man lesse The Moon that hath but a borrowed light is sometimes full sometimes at the wane never certain Thus a man that liveth upon the applause of others and not approving his conscience to God he is sometimes lifted up and then dejected down even as outward supplies come to him Sixthly Doth Christ give glory to his Then admire the bounty and freenesse of his grace Of all things we would think he would not communicate of his glory to us and indeed God saith He will not give glory to another neither will Christ give his Mediatory glory to others only in some passages of glory he is willing we should reign with him and be co-heirs with him This sheweth how much he loveth us For certainly no man is willing to have another co-partner with him in his glory yea how apt are we to envy the gifts and graces in others that may overshadow us but Christ giveth of his glory to us Lastly Doth Christ give glory to us Let us then glorifie him again Christ indeed he giveth glory to us really and inwardly but we only to him verbally and declaratively Let not the Heavens that are natural creatures exceed us They declare the glory of God and shew his handy-work and shalt not thou then in thy life in thy conversation declare the glory of Christ The title given to Church-officers 1 Cor. 8.23 is in some sense to be applied to all believers they are the glory of Christ SERMON CXXIV That Jesus Christ though God Co-equall with the Father had many things given him by the Father And how that can be JOH 17.22 And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them WE have treated of the nature of that glory which Christ giveth to all beleevers The next considerable is the description of the manner and way how Christ comes to have this glory and that is said to be by way of gift The glory which thou gavest me Now this seemeth very hard to understand how Christ being God could receive any thing for as God can have nothing given him so it should seem Christ neither could have any thing given him insomuch that this place with many others of the like fence is brought by the Socinians as an unanswerable Argument that Christ was not truly and essentially God for they heap up many places of Scripture where all that Christ hath is said to be given him and from hence conclude he cannot be God But the weakness of this will appear in further discovery of this Truth which that it may be more clearly understood Observe That Christ though God had many things given him of his Father The Fathers giving of many things to him doth not take off from his divine Nature This Truth will be profitable both to inform your judgement in that main Article of Religion and also is of that practical consequence Therefore to clear this Consider 1. That we may conceive of a two-fold giving that which is natural and necessary 2. that which is free and voluntary so that it might or might not be given for a naturall and necessary giving So Christ
became man and was thus furnished with all fitnesse to be a Mediatour because we could not be without him It behoved us saith the Apostle Heb 7.26 to have such a High-Priest that was holy and unspotted separated from sinners that needed not to offer for his own sins 5. We reade that not only habitual grace was given him in respect of his humane nature but also the spirit of God was bestowed on him and though this be thought by the Socinians a pregnant Argument because he that is God cannot have the Spirit of God given him Now to this we readily grant that not only the graces and gifts of Gods Spirit but the Spirit it self also was bestowed on him So the Prophet Isa 11.2 The spirit of the Lord is said to rest on him the spirit of wisedom and counsell Thus Act. 1.2 he is said through the holy Ghost to give Commandments unto the Apostles whom he had chosen but yet this doth not take off from his God head for first the assistance and operation of the holy Ghost was only in respect of his humane nature for as by the holy Ghost his humane body was prepared and fitted So also his rationall soul by the same holy spirit was sanctified and made the holy One It was not therefore in respect of his divine nature but his humane that he had the holy Ghost working in him and if you say What necessity was there of the holy Ghost Seeing his divine nature was able to assist and sanctifie his humane nature It 's answered that the holy spirit being the third person cannot be separate from the Father and the Sonne though therefore Christ as the second person was able to do all things yet because where the Father and Son is there also is the holy Ghost therefore that works also as the other not that the other persons need it but because of the inseparability Even as the Father did at first create all things by the Son not that he was insufficient or impotent without him but because of their intimate Union 6. That which we do so eminently reade of in the Scripture is the glory power and honour that the Father gave him upon fullfilling the work of Redemption for us Act. 2.36 God hath made Jesus both Lord and Christ he was made Lord Now that dominion is not his essentiall dominion which he had as God for so he could not be made any more Lord then God but his Mediatory Dominion whereby he is exalted above all and rules all things for the good of his people So Phil. 2.9 Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him giving him a Name above all Names c. In these and many other places we reade of wonderfull Majesty and glory bestowed upon him and that upon his humiliation and voluntary obedience in reference to us but although the Scripture doth evidently speak of this glory and power given him yet this doth not take off from his God-head For 1. It is one thing to speak of the giving of the right and property to a thing another thing to speak of the possession of it It 's true indeed Christ upon his Resurrection had the possession of all that glory and honour which the Word mentioneth but yet he had right to it farre before and therefore we reade of divine wotship given to him before his Resurrection as also of a Kingdom he had and that he could work what Miracles he pleased and so he believing God had a right to all that glory which could any waies be superadded to him 2. This dominion and glory given to him is so farre from evacuating his Godhead that it doth rather necessarily presuppose it for who can be made the Judge of the whole world who can be exalted to be the King of Saints and the Nations but he who hath infinite wisedom power and greatness Vse 1. Doth Christ receive all that he hath not for himself but for his members then what great encouragements and hopes have all the people of God for though they have not enough yet Christ hath Though the starre hath not light enough to dispell the day yet the Sun hath Though the stream cannot refresh yet the Fountain hath water enough Oh therefore that beleevers would more enlarge and quicken themselves up with hopes in Christ That they would live on his fulnesse That they would depend on his fulness God gives thee grace and many gifts but what he hath given Christ that must be thy only support Vse 2. How wofull the condition of all wicked men is who are separated from Christ for if all fulnesse come by him then none of this can be derived to thee The devil will give of the torments he hath to thee not Christ of his glory SERMON CXXV Vnity among Christians is part of that Glory Christ hath purchased for them JOH 17.22 That they may be one even as we are one THough this Unity of believers so earnestly prayed for hath been at large treated of yet because here again repeated I shall consider it relatively as it stands with respect to the fore-going words Christ giveth his glory he received from the Father to those that believe in him That they may be one Now the particle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 here as in other places may be taken either 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as the end of this glory or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as specifying what is part of that glory which he giveth to them for so some understand this as describing and determining what that glory is he would give them viz. the glory of unity and agreement which as Chrysostom observeth was more admirable then that of signes and doctrines which they abounded in Their unity did more glorifie them then their miracles Others they understand it as the end and fruit of that glory they received by Glory understanding all the heavenly benefits and priviledges vouchsafed unto them From these Interpretations conjoyned and the relative capacity the words stand in I observe That Vnity among Believers is part of that Glory which Christ as Mediatour hath obtained for them For Christ speaks here as Mediatour in whom and by whom only the spiritual unity of believers can be obtained In this Doctrinal Proposition three particulars are observable 1. That Unity among believers is part of that spiritual glory Christ purchased for them 2. That Christ as Mediatour purchased Unity as well as other priviledges 3. That Believers cannot have Unity but from Christ till he command these dry bones to come together and be united they lie scattered up and down Let us consider First That Vnity is part of the Churches glory It 's their Glory both actively and passively Their glory actively they may in an humble and holy manner rejoyce in it Not indeed as the Papists who confidently and falsly triumph in their Unity but in a godly and sober manner for if schisms and divisions in the Church did so greatly divide and
rend Pauls heart no doubt but their Unity and accord did as much rejoyce him Therefore how emphatically doth he speak Phil. 2.1 2. If any consolation if any bowels fulfill ye my joy that ye may be like minded c. It 's then the Ministers glory and the Churches glory to walk in lovely accord when in the Church as in Solomons Temple the voice of the hammer is not heard whenas God promised in respect of temporal peace The sword should be turned into plow-shares so the controversal and polemical part of Divinity shall be changed into the practical and affectionate part Again It 's the glory of the Church passively in this sense that for it we are exceedingly to glorifie and praise God We should look upon the spiritual peace of the Church as a greater mercy then all external mercies What an heavy thing is it when Jerusalem shall be made a Babel when the Church shall be like the chaos and confusion that was made at first when God shall bring such a spiritual judgement on the Church as sometimes he did a temporal one upon the enemies thereof Every mans weapon against his neighbour till they had destroyed one another When therefore we see God forming the hearts of believers to uniting terms this we ought to praise God for as being a special means to promote Christs Kingdom Now it 's the glory of believers to be at Unity 1. Because this will exalt them in the very hearts and thoughts of their greatest enemies What is glory but the clara notitia the famous acknowledging of the excellency of such a thing Now nothing will sooner divulge the fame and like the heavens make the noise thereof to go through the Land then unity and agreement As Solomons wisdom spread it self over the world Insomuch that many came from afar to see and admire it Thus it will be also for the Churches accord therefore the Psalmist put an Ecce upon it Behold how good and comely it is for brethren to be of one accord Psal 133.1 2. Thus you heard The Heathens admired the love of primitive Christians Ecce quam se muâ—uo diligenti fratres vocant whereas now we may say Behold how they hate and oppose one another calling one another by all uncharitable names It 's unity then that makes the Churches fame to be over the world 2. Vnity is the glory of the Church because it ariseth from the beauty and pulchritude of it The beauty of a thing is the glory of it now beauty doth arise from the sweet harmony and proportion of all the parts and this is the unity of the Church when every member thereof is harmoniously joyned unto another when there is no dissonancy or difference Certainly It 's a better wish to see the Church in this glory then that of Austins to see Rome in all her temporal glory If any member be deformed or unproportionable to the other parts How unlovely and uncomely doth it make that body So it is here if any make a rent be proud froward or opposite the glory thereof is departed 3. It 's part of their glory because the happinesse and blessednesse of a Church is in their Communion-graces A Church denoteth some society and company Now the advantage of such improvements is by union if one part of the body be divided from the other there is no suppeditation of mutual help therefore there are nerves and ligaments in the body to unite each part to other You see in a civil society if there be not union the glory of it presently dieth divisions like moths rise from within and do immediately consume If then the happinesse of believers lie in their communion-graces and duties What can be more glorious then unity which is the only means to procure subserviency to one another as if several Cities were supplied by pipes of water one to another if those pipes be stopt or cut it brings a necessary destruction The second main particular is That Christ purchased as Mediatour this priviledge as well as others He did not onely die to justifie them to sanctifie them but to unite them also And this should teach us several things As 1. It should not be accounted a slight and little sinne to make any breaches or divisions in Gods Church to do any thing through strife and vain-glory Why because Christ died against this he as Mediatour intended not onely to save his people but to bring them into one Why then dost thou by thy contentions by thy heretical opinions thus sinne against Christs death his intercession and his prayer are for the same effects Now you see in this Chapter that his prayer for unity is ingeminated over and over again and therefore Christ had this even in his thoughts in his very death hence it was that also at his death he appointed the Sacrament of the Lords Supper which though chiefly to seal Gods grace to us yet it did also signifie the love we ought to have to one another as the Apostle urgeth 1 Cor. 10. that as the several corns make up one bread thus do the godly make up one mystical body Divisions then in the Church are against Christs death and against the Sacrament of his death Shall we therefore runne into such sinnes that have such an hainous aggravation 2. That the people of God where they see these divisions are to improve this Argument for Vnity Even as when they groan under any corruption and would gladly have the mastery of it they runne to the blood of Christ praying O Lord Did not Christ die that these sinnes might die Was not Christ crucified to crucifie these lusts So it ought to be in matter of unity Oh Lord make all thy people of one heart of one minde and spirit because Christ died for this also let not his death be in vain Thou wouldst not suffer his bones to be broken nor his garment divided why then shall his Church be torn and divided Do not think humane policies and invented syncretisms will be able to soder together It must be this blood of Christ that obtaineth this 3. Christ did not onely meritoriously purchase this Vnity by his death but in him exemplarily and formally we are made one So that Christ is both the moral cause of this unity and the exemplar also for he by being both God and man in one Person made God and man one when there was such an infinite distance before there is made the most intimate union that can be even an hypostatical union between God and man Now though we cannot attain to such an union yet by reason of this all believers are made one with God and amongst themselves Hence is that often expression of our being in him of ingraffing in him of living in him all which do denote our intimate union with him so that as Christ is not divided in himself The Divine Nature doth not will one thing and the humane Nature the contrary
into Eternall perdition and therefore our Saviour chargeth the Pharisees Joh. 6. That they were of their Father the devil because they did his works Thus if Christ be in thee thou wilt do the works of Christ shew forth the patience the meeknesse the zeal of Christ if Christ be in thee â—â—ou wilt have a Christ-like operation and therefore the godly are said to put on Christ Gal. 3.27 As a garment which covers the whole body so that no nakednesse appeareth Thus Christ onely ought to be seen in us not our own infirmities and corruptions nothing of our selves but Christ 2. Where Christ is there he is all in all he is instead of all to that believer Gal. 3.28 There is neither Jew nor Gentile c. but Christ is all in all Two things are affirmed He is in all Every believer though never so weak and infirm hath Christ as well as the noblest as the soul is in every finger and toe as well as in the head which should be a great consolation to a weak believer for though thou hast not as good gifts and parts as good grace and holinesse yet thou hast as good a Christ as the chiefest pillars in Religion have but then he addeth that as Christ is in all so he is all What all is Christ He is all priviledges as appeareth by the Context he is Jew and Greek he is male and female that is Christ is instead of all priviledges and prerogatives hence 1 Cor. 1. he is said to be made of God to us wisedom righteousnesse and redemption and we are said to be compleat in him So that wheresoever Christ is there he is all to that soul He is wisedome to it righteousnesse to it all spiritual priviledges yea and all temporall comforts likewise He is husband wife friend riches health Thus he is all things to the soul eminently and virtually again he is all things meritoriously there being no benefit a beleever can stand in need of but he hath purchased it by his death he is also all things efficiently because he subdueth every sin he quickeneth to every grace so that a beleever can never say I am in such a condition in such a temptation that Christ himself cannot help me 3. Where Christ is in a man there also his Spirit is putting it self forth in the severall operations thereof an illuminating spirit a guiding leading spirit a sanctifying and sealing spirit So that men do absurdly boast of their Interest in Christ who yet finde none of these efficacious works of Gods Spirit within them The Apostle John speaketh notably to this 1 Joh. 4.13 Hereby know we that we dâ—ell in him and he in us because he hath given us of his spirit So that as the beams of the Sun discover the Sun so do the spirituall effects of the holy spirit manifest Christ to be in us Vse of Examination Try your selves in this main Point as the Apostle saith 1 Cor. 13.5 Know ye not that Jesus Christ is in you except ye be Reprobates If you take the word as signifying one of an unsound minde it argueth that man is very unsound and unskilfull who findes not Christ in him As they sought for a proof of Christs being in Paul So do thou of his being in thee If Christ be in thee why is there so much of the devil of sin and the world if Christ be in thee how come his Enemies also to be in thee But you will say May not Christ be in a Beleever and yet he not feel it or be sensible of it yea think the clean contrary that Christ hath left him I answer it is often so and thus Christ may not manifest himself to be in us sometimes for triall sake to give us experience of our own need without him as Christ slept in the â—â—ip and suffered the windes and storms to arise that they might call more earnestly upon him sometimes we through our corruptions and sins do provoke him to withdraw his powerful operations We entertain his enemies and then he hideth himself from us especially our unbeleef hinders the lively operations of Christ in us for as Christ dwels in our hearts so he worketh in our hearts by faith SERMON CXXVIII Of the Fathers being in Christ Of both their being in Believers And how that can be and yet they not quite freed from Sinne and Sorrow JOHN 17.23 I in them and thou in me THe next thing considerable in this Text is the highest round in this ladder of Unity and that is The Fathers being in Christ As I am in them so thou in me The words need no further explication then what will necessarily be discussed in the Doctrine onely when Christ is said to be in beleevers and the Father in him this is not to be understood exclusively as if the Father were not also in beleevers for the Scripture expressly affirmeth that Joh. 14.23 yea it 's impossible to have the Son in us and not the Father also 2 ep Joh. 29. He that abideth in the doctrine of Christ hath both the Father and the Son Yea we cannot know the Sonne or believe in him except we believe in the Father also Joh. 1.4 7 8 9. When Philip desired Christ to shew him the Father because Christ spake so much of him our Saviour doth first reprove Philip and then instruct him Reprove vers 9. Have I been so long time with you and yet thou hast not known me Observe that Philip desired to see the Father and Christ rebuketh him for not knowing of him and then instructs him He that hath seen me hath seen the Father also and thereupon he proceeds to exhortation ver 11. Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father in me So that by this discourse none can know or beleeve in Christ but he must also know and beleeve in the Father and because the Disciples were not so fully acquainted herein they are checked by our Saviour saying Have I been so long time with you and ye know not me The longer time people have lived under means of grace and yet not acquainted with divine truths it is the greater condemnation When we speak of the Fathers being in Christ this is not to be understood in a speculative and abstracted sense but practically and as it relateth to us for to that purpose is it spoken by our Saviour that hereby it might be shewed that the Father is in us also Obs That as Christ is in us so the Father being in Christ is also thereby in us In this Position there are two distinct things 1. That the Father is in Christ 2. That by this means the Father is also and abideth in us For the first The Father is in Christ and that in several respects 1. In respect of the Divine Nature for so the Father is in the Son as in the expresse Image and representation of him thus the Son is called the Image of his Father Col. 1.15
after that heavenly unity to have it with the Church here in grace as it shall be with the Church hereafter in glory And certainly if this were not accomplished in Heaven then there would not be all tears wiped away nor would the reproach of Jerusalem cease Thus you have heard what it is that makes this unity of believers consummate and perfect Now let us consider What is the cause of this and that we shall finde to be no humane strength or outward wisdome and policy but the lively communication of grace inabling thereunto by Christ himself Though the Papist pleades That the acknowledgement of one visible Head in the Church is the onely means to preserve unity yet experience sheweth the falsenesse of it The divisions and breaches of the godly like those of Reuben have made sad workings of heart and many have come running in with their water to quench this fire Several Antidotes have been prescribed against this corruption but yet when all is done It 's the onely power of Jesus Christ as Head of his Church that workes this sweet Harmony It 's true indeed many rules and pacificall means are commended by wise and godly men to make an unity but these work onely morally and swasorily that which doth as it were physically and really worke it is the Lord Christ himselfe as the fountain of this unity And the reason is because this unity among believers is not onely externall but internall and spirituall Now no man can worke this unity in the hearts of the godly any more then he can worke purity and holinesse Therefore we see in the Text That because Christ is in us and the Father in Christ therefore are the godly perfected in one so that it requireth a Divine Supernaturall power to make the godly at heavenly accord even as it doth to make them godly Hence it is that in this prayer Christ commendeth it to God to work it as being beyond all humane power to effect it Now Christs being in a believer is a cause of these things in reference to their unity First He is thereby a cause of the Vnity it self For we told you This unity though externall yet is chiefly spirituall and internall viz. The harmonious knitting and joyning of all the Members of Christ together in him their Head Now this being wholly spirituall none can effect it but God alone for naturally we are dis-joyned from God and full of contrariety to him Therefore to be made a member of Christ and implanted into him cannot be by any other but the Spirit of God As those dry bones in Ezekiel could not of themselves gather together nor can a Cyen graft it self into a stock Thus it is here till the Spirit of God joyne us to Christ we are enemies and adversaries unto him That power therefore which gives grace that onely unites As in the naturall body the same cause which makes a member makes it also a united member Insomuch that in all the fractions and divisions we see amongst the godly we ought to have our eyes up more to God to consider that power which makes them holy must unite them and indeed to make them gracious and holy is the greater work yea unity would flow by a necessary resultancy from our membership in Christ but that still our corruptions are too strong and apt to disturb all Secondly Christs being in us is not onely the cause of our Vnity but also of the harmonious sutable proportion to each other We have an admirable description of this harmonious sutablenesse in the unity of Christs body Colos 2.19 Ephes 4.15 16. For the first It 's a Text full of rich and glorious matter and to understand it consider What it is that the Apostle makes the cause why those false Teachers did advance the worship of Angels introduce humane traditions and all to set up other means and wayes of Justification then the Scripture hath appointed It is saith he because they hold not the Head So that every Christian in the matter of all spirituall concernments is still to look up to Christ as the Head and not to let him goe and this he amplifieth from a two-fold precious effect of this Head The first respects the union of beleevers to Christ and so the body is said by joynts to receive nourishment that as the body hath it's nourishment suppeditated by those natural helpes so hath every Christian from Christ Now the joynt that suppeditates these spirituall helps is chiefly the Spirit of God So Romans 8.9 If any man have net the Spirit of Christ he is none of his So that as that is not a member truely united to the Head which is not informed with the same forme the Head is so neither is that Christian really united to Christ which wants the Spirit of Christ Now the Spirit of Christ is here said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 To administer nourishment The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doth properly signifie to supply all those ornaments which were necessary to such as kept their sacred dancings and festivities but here it signifieth the supply of those things that are necessary for our spirituall end and the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 added amplifieth it denoting the full plentifull and abundant supply it giveth So that you see it 's Christs Spirit not ours which doth thus inable us The second benefit flowing from Christ our Head is of the Members themselves They by bands are knit together Now the band here is chiefly also the Spirit of God though gifts and graces doe ordinarily unite So the Apostle 1 Cor. 12.13 For we all by one Spirit are baptized into one body So that the Spirit of God which is in Christ doth also work in all beleevers inflaming and exciting to such graces whereby they have intimate communion one with another Now from these two benefits conjoyned we have the admirable fruit thereof that the body groweth with the increase of God The spirituall growth of Christians as in the body is called The increase of God partly because God onely is the efficient and cause of it partly formally because the nature of this increase is divine and heavenly partly finally because it is to the glory and honour of God So that by all this we see Every true member of Christ is a thriving and growing member and that harmoniously according to it's respective nature and all this comes wholly by the Spirit of Christ so that an unity in the harmonious increase of it depends solely upon him By this Explication the other fore-mentioned Text may also be discovered Lastly Christs being in us is the cause of the perpetuity and constancy of that Vnity the godly have This Union in Christs body can never be dissolved As the Personall Union of Christ could never be divided so neither the mysticall Therefore our sound Divines doe well from Christs in-dwelling in us propugne and assert the perseverance of the Saints Vse of Instruction
Whence it is that even amongst the godly there are so many differences heart-burnings c. It 's because Christ is not in them after such a powerfull and efficacious manner as he might be The dark night and misty fogs can no more endure before the glorious beams of the Sunne then corrupt passions and contentions can stand before this Sunne of Righteousnesse when risen to it's verticall point Under the torrid Zone there cannot be any cold frosts so neither under the efficacious presence of Christ can there be such sinfull breaches SERMON CXXX Sheweth That every one that Believeth knoweth the thing that he believeth Against the Popish Implicite Faith And what Knowledge the Knowledge of Faith is JOH 17.23 And that the world may know that thou hast sent me THE words now to be insisted upon â—re the effect or event of this spirituall Unity beleevers have with Christ and one another which is That the world may know the Father had sent Christ This was treated of before only whereas before it was that the world may beleeve here it is That the world may know and besides a new thing is here added to their knowledge that the Father had sent Christ viz. his love also of all Beleevers even as he loved Christ What is meant by world hath been shewed already I shall only fasten on this Consideration that what our Saviour called believing ver 21. here is called knowing and therefore having handled faith in its specifical nature as it rests on Christ which alone justifieth and also the generall nature of it as it gives firm assent to all divine Truths I shall now to compleat the full Truth of the nature thereof handle it in another essentiall constituting ingredient of it and that is knowledge and the matter is necessary both in respect of doctrinall errours about it as also for practicall usefulnesse For the Pontificians they deny both that fiduciall recumbency and application to faith as also knowledge leaving it only to be a divine assent but as we have asserted the former So now our task shall be to affirm the latter viz. That Faith is knowledge as well as assent It 's a fiduciall assent with knowledge These three particulars are either ingredient or requisite to the act of beleeving whether indeed knowledge be a pre-requisite or ingredient is disputed but that all divine Faith hath knowledge is confessed by the Orthodox against the Papists so that I shall observe That Faith is knowledge or he that believeth knoweth the thing that he believeth Hence it is usual in Scripture to describe faith sometimes by trusting and sometimes by knowing synecdochically intending thereby the whole nature of faith That faith is knowledge besides many other places is abundantly cleared v. 2. and v. 18 in this Chapter I shall therefore proceed to explicate to this And First When we say That Faith is knowledge iâ— is not to be understood thus as if it were such a kinde of knowledge as we have by sense for the Scripture doth oppose living by faith to living by sense and our Saviour faith John 20. Blessed is he that believeth and seeth not Vbi vides non est fides Indeed when Thomas did feel the wounds of Christ here he did believe and see but the object of his sense was a body the â—ct of his faith was spiritual that Christ was the Sonne of the living God What then we know by sense we are not properly said to believe although things of sense may tend to confirm our faith as miracles and Sacraments which Christ hath appointed for that end Secondly The knowledge of faith is not by a perfect comprehension and intuitive vision of the thing we believe It 's not like the knowledge of God and Christ we shall have in Heaven and therefore faith shall cease in Heaven as it denoteh any inevidence or imperfection in the subject This knowledge of faith we have here as in a glass and in a riddle but then it shall be face to face and this should abundantly satisfie us in the many things we know by faith for although our knowledge be very imperfect and is like the weak eye to the dazeling beams of the Sun yet hereafter this vail this cloud will be removed and we shall then perfectly and fully understand all those things that now we have but imperfect apprehensions of about the Doctrine of Christ of the Trinity of the Resurrection of the providences of God towards his Church how little do we understand of them yet the time is coming when we shall know these things even as we are known The Apostle compareth this knowledge we have to a childes knowledge in respect of a mans 1 Cor. 13. Alas when we speak of God and heavenly things we do but stammer like so many little children when we come to Heaven how vast and comprehensive will our thoughts be to what we have now Thirdly The knowledge of faith is not like those imperfect acts of the soul which are called suspicion and opinion or doubting Doubting is when the minde remaineth in an equal and indifferent propension assenting to neither part of the proposition Suspicion is when the soul inclineth to one part of the proposition but upon a very light and unsatisfying argument And Opinion is when we assent to something with some fear that the opposite may be true and therefore the Arguments do only probably move us Now the knowledge of faith doth exclude these imperfections doubting is in Scripture expresly opposed to beleeving and so when a man is divided as a traveller at two wayes not knowing which to goe or when he doth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hang in suspence These things are inconsistent with faith and truly this is greatly to be considered for in these dayes wherein we see men so sceptical so wavering so uncertain we may conclude there is little faith That men are opiniotive and fancy-full in Religion rather then believing for where the knowledge of faith is there it doth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 convince and so perswade the heart that it knoweth not how to contradict or oppose any longer Oh then pray for faith in these unstable and wavering time It 's a mercy to be a pillar in Gods house and not like a reed to be shaken with every winde of doctrine Fourthly The knowledge of faith is not from the evidence of any internal principles of the thing such as we have by demonstration and reason in philosophical matters And indeed this is one main reason why the father 's insisted in believing as opposite to knowing Noveris te essâ— fidelem non rationalem It was Julians great objection against the Christians that they urged 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 only believe they did not bring reasons to demonstrate So that if Papists when they deny faith to be knowledge did mean no more then this that it is not a scientifical knowledge that it 's not a
should be justified Though David was Gods servant and that after his own heart yet he could not be justified and so not saved unless God did graciously forgive what was imperfect Oh then how greatly should this humble us when we shall consider we never did any thing in our lives though in the most holy manner but it needed a pardon as Nehemiah when he mentioned the many particulars he had done for God and desired to be remembred for them yet added also that he might be spared and have mercy shewed unto him Nehem. 13.22 2. It 's the gift of God because any gracious action is so farre from making a man to merit at Gods hand that he is thereby the more obliged and bound to God So that the more holy he is the lesse he can deserve because in that he is the more indebted unto God So that it is absurd to think that because God hath heaped more mercies upon us that therefore still we deserve more but rather to acknowledge that both grace here and glory hereafter is wholly from the gift of God 3. Glory cannot be the proper and natural reward of our grace Because of the vast disproportion and distance which is between one and the other Alas what is an act of faith or love or patience or all of them put together which have been in the short time of this life unto all eternity If thy body hath endured the pains of Martyrdom for an hour what is that to have honour glory and freedom from all pain with unspeakable joy and delight to all eternity Vse To humble the best of Gods servants under the highest exercises of grace How often doth the devil and thy own corrupt heart upon any holy duty puff thee up and make thee secure and confident seeking for Justification by something in thy own self How apt to think thy self better then others and to trust in thy own heart Is not this to say thou comest to heaven and happinesse by thy own power How often doth God speak to the people of Israel that they should not say they entered into the Land of Canaan for their righteousness If for a temporal mercy they were to take heed their hearts were not lifted up much more for heaven it self If Jacob said Gen. 32.10 He was lesse then the least of Gods mercies much more then the greatest SERMON CXXXIV Of immediate Enjoyment of and Communion with Christ in Heaven as the Complement of mans happinesse JOH 17.24 Father I will that they also whom thou hast given me be with me where I am THE next thing considerable is the object matter of this Petition which is two-fold 1. To be where Christ is 2. To behold the glory which the Father had given him Let us Consider the first particular To be with Christ where Christ is and Austin doth well observe that he doth not pray They may be where he is for though a man be wretched and miserable he is where Christ is but not with Christ as saith he a blinde man may be where the light is but not with the light It 's therefore added to be with him where Christ is and that denoteth the gracious and happy enjoyment of him Some understand it of Christs gracious presence here vouchsafed to beleevers but the context doth more genuinely comprehend the former For our Suviour was now to be no longer in this world and besides the expression of being with God and Christ in the Scripture-sence is proper to that eternal felicity and glory which they are made partakers of only the doubt may be if it be understood of glorious presence with Christ why Christ speaks in the present tense where I am Some answer that this is to be understood in respect of his divine nature by which he was alwaies glorious Others understand it spoken in the present because he was very immediatly to be glorified every way and then it may well be received There are some who make this Argument that this must be understood of a glorious presence not a gracious because say they of a gracious presence the phrase alwaies is God is with us but of a glorious presence We are with God but though this may be admitted as the most common expression yet some few instances may be shewed to the contrary Therefore the former Reasons especially if we adde the words following That they may behold my glory which seem to be exegeticall of what went before will evidence that we must understand the sence of that happy eternall presence with Christ in heaven Obs That the greatest part of our glory and happinesse which we shall have in heaven lieth in this that then we shall be with Christ and have immediate Communion with the Lord Though we are apt to look upon the happinesse of heaven as it freeth from all pains and torments as it delivers us from the curse and vengeance of God yet that which is indeed the sublime and chief part of our happinesse is that we shall there have an immediate enjoyment of God and Christ It 's asserted as a Truth that the greatest misery in hell is in the poena damni not in the poena sensus and Chrysostome considering that dreadfull Sentence pronounced Depart ye cursed into everlasting fire makes these words depart to be farre more terrible then eternall fire The doctrine of heaven and hell was not so fully and evidently preached in the Old Testament as in the New yet even then we have David thus breaking forth into an holy passion Whom have I in heaven but thee and whom in earth in comparison of thee Psal 73.25 Whom in heaven but thee implying that heaven would not be heaven if God were not there and that in heaven he looketh not to Angels or Saints there but God himself Now though the happinesse of heaven be described from other particulars yet that this is the sum of all may appear from these two places Phil. 1.23 where you finde Paul in a divine perplexity and heavenly streight whether he should desire to live or die and although for the Churches good he is contented to live yet absolutely and simply his desire was to depatt and why because this was to be with Christ which is farre better So then this was that which so moved Paul to be no longer in this world viz to be with Christ No doubt Paul had many godly Friends in seeing whose faces and enjoying their company he took great delight and this he often expresseth but all these are nothing to Christs Company Thus to godly hearts though it be a great comfort to enjoy their Wives and Children yet when raised by grace they can preferre the company of Christ above all The second place is 1 Thess 47. when the Apostle in a divine and ravishing manner had treated on the Resurrection then he mentioneth this as the summe and Complement of all our felicity that we shall be with the Lord for ever To
be with the Lord and to be with him for ever comprehends so much that the heart can never suck out all the honey of it But let us not with Moses stand afar off and behold the glory and sweetness of this Land but let us enter into it and these things are considerable First That we deny not but the happinesse of Heaven may be amplified from severall other particulars besides our presence with Christ such as the enjoying of Angels and Saints for a state of happinesse is the aggregation of all good thing desirable but yet that which is the Sun among the Stars That which is the principall and great happinesse is that we shall then more perfectly know and enjoy God and Christ It 's true indeed most Divines do yield that we shall there know our godly Friends and shall greatly rejoyce in their salvation and happinesse yet so that all these lines will meet in God as the center that all these streams will be emptied into the Ocean so that though Heaven hath unspeakable priviledges and every thing therein is glorious yet that which is the Heaven of this heaven the glory of this glory is the enjoyment of Christ himself It 's Gods presence that makes heaven to be heaven Secondly We are to know that the Schoolmen whom Divines follow speak of a twofold happinesse beatitudo objectiva and formalis an objective happiness and this is acknowledged to be only God himself There is no other object that can make the soul happy but God only As the stars cannot dispell darknesse and make light but the Sun only The other is called beatitudo formalis or subjectiva and that is the internal perfecting of all the faculties of the soul with such perfect grace that they are able to carry us to God in a most perfect manner and the glorifying of the body with all those admirable qualities that the Scripture speaks of so that when we say Christ in heaven is our happinesse we speak of the objective happinesse not the formall That object in the enjoyment whereof the glorified Saint is made eternally happy is Christ only Thirdly Consider that even in this life we are with Christ and Christ is with us Though as you heard to be with Christ is most commonly the expression of glory yet it may sometimes denote our gracious presence here for thus though Christ be in Heaven yet he is said to dwell in our hearts by Faith Eph. 3. Therefore we must needs in this life be with him now this is the beginning of that glory we shall have hereafter He that beleeveth hath Eternal life Joh. 3. not only de jure but doth actually possesse some beginnings of it The Transfiguration Peter was in and the extasie Paul speaks of were forerunners of Heaven and although the godly may not have such an extaticall ravishing sence of it yet the Lord doth many times bestow on his people a taste of this joy whereby they rejoyce with joy unspeakable and full of glory whereby they are above the world and can despise all earthly comforts comparatively Austin and Bernard do sometimes speak their experience of this upon their souls and no doubt but the Martyrs who were to suffer so bitterly for Christ were had up into the Mount of Transfiguration before they were carried to Mount Calvary Crus nihil sentit in ligno quando animus est in coelo In the next place let us Consider the Grounds why Christ or Gods presence in heaven is that which makes the happinesse of a glorified beleever And 1. Because in Christ or God there is all fulnesse to make us happy he is objectively all what the soul can desire If Christ be represented in this life all to the Church when yet we have but the glimpses of him how much more in Heaven when we shall have the full enjoyment of him Therefore wonder not if having of God there be our happinesse for he is the universal good he is that bonum in quo omnia bona as Paul said having a Revelation from God this was enough and that those who were pillars could not adde unto him so much more may it be said in this case having full possession of the Lord Christ himself no comfort or content any other way can adde one cubite to that stature of happinesse 2. Christ is not only objectively full of that which may make happy but he is also efficiently communicative of it For suppose God be a Fountain sufficient and inexhausted yet as long as it is a Fountain sealed up as long as there is a stone upon the mouth of it that cannot be rolled away so long we are not able to come at any refreshment God is alwaies able to make us happy to the utmost he might vouchsafe us an heaven in this world but he is a free Agent and communicateth himself as he pleaseth Now it hath pleased him while we are in this life to communicate himself by degrees This Fountain is dispensed by drops but in Heaven there will God communicate himself as far as the creature is able to receive him Then this Sun will not be under any Cloud then there will not be any complaints why the Lord doth hide his face or withdraw himself 3 Heavens happinesse lieth in Christ because then the soul is made a prepared and sutable subject for him All pleasure and delight ariseth from the conveniency of the object with the faculty for if there be contrariety or dissonancy then instead of happiness there is nothing but misery Now in Heaven the the whole soul will be so perfected with Grace that it cannot delight in any thing but such an holy God What is the reason that in this life a wicked man hateth God and refuseth his will and law but because of his contrariety to him and on the other side a godly man though he have but imperfect and inchoate grace yet he preferreth Christ and loveth him before Father and Mother and every thing that is dear all this ariseth because there is some similitude between God and him he is born of God and partakes of the divine Nature and so by this means delighteth and rejoyceth in God but if the green Tree be thus ready to burn in love with God what shall the dry Tree do 4. Christ is the chiefest happinesse in Heaven because he being chiefly beloved there is obtained the nearest Union with him It 's not the place of Heaven but the person in Heaven that a Christians love is fixed upon Hence some some have not been afraid to say That Christ with a godly man though in hell yet would make hell no hell for when the soul cometh to enjoy that which is most beloved then all further desires and distractions must cease then the stone is come to its center Then the fire of love hath ascended as high as it can go then it saith Sufficit I have enough Now all the while the Church is
traveller drinketh of the fountain the Sun or spring are not helped thereby but our infirmities refreshed And if it be objected That the humane nature was given Christ as God and he had not this from all eternity neither was this by declaration only Therefore something may be given Christ as God de novo which he had not from all eternity Several things may be said to this especially these two 1. That nothing can be given to Christ as God which he himself doth not give himself And therefore if any creature men or Angels could have given him something of themselves this would have argued imperfection but it was Christ as God that did assume this humane nature to himself Therefore Joh. 1. God is said to become man and to dwell amongst us so he is said to take not upon him the nature of Angels but the seed of Abraham Therefore what is given him is given by himself But yet Secondly and more fully The humane Nature was indeed assumed by the Divine but not to any intrinsecal perfection of the God-head but to make perfect the humane Nature So that we cannot so properly say The humane Nature was given to Christ as God as that the divine Nature assumed the humane Nature not necessarily but voluntarily not out of indigence but bounty not because it was to be perfected thereby but to perfect the humane Nature Secondly Christ as Mediator might have something bestowed and given upon him by the Father For although as Mediator he must necessarily be God also yet because to be Mediator doth imply a compound as it were viz. God-man Therefore in that respect he is capable by way of gift of that which otherwise absolutely as God he could not receive and in this respect as Mediator he still acknowledgeth He received his Doctrine from the Father that it was from the free love and goodness of God to appoint him to be a Mediator Now of all the gifts which the Scripture speaks of as most eminently and signally bestowed upon him is that glory and exaltation he was lifted up into after he had been in a state of humiliation This the Scripture doth often inculcate but here is some Doubt about the explication of this For the Socinians denying Christ to be essentially God do affirm That this glory became due unto him only upon his obedience unto death and that upon such perfect obedience then and not before God appointed and constituted him God and Lord gave him this high excellent glory commanding men and Angels to worship him with the same religious worship that God himself is to be worshipped But this is fully against Scripture which as it makes him God while on earth so also King and Lord of all although after his death he came to a fuller possession of this glory he was alwayes King and Head of the Church having a right to all glory but yet did not actually receive it but in such a method and order God had appointed The other Doubt is about the Orthodox themselves Whether Christ did merit this glory for himself or no Some eminent Divines do wholly deny it making his glory only the consequent of his humiliation not the reward of it merited by the Lord Christ But there seemeth no danger in yea there appeareth some necessity of affirming That Christ merited his own glory as well as ours Not but that as God he had a right to all glory only the same glory was due unto him upon a two-fold title 1. By natural inheritance as it were being the only begotten Son of God And secondly by purchase and conquest Even as Joash obtained his Kingdom partly by his natural right and partly by conquest subduing Athaliah who unjustly detained the Kingdom from him This Mediatory glory then was both a gift and a reward unto Christ although even all this glory that Christ is invested with doth also redound to our good and glory Thirdly From this glory that is thus given to him as Mediator ariseth a fervent dispute amongst Divines Whether Christ as Mediator be to be adored with religious worship But 1. This is confessed by the Orthodox against the Socinians That Christ is by Nature the true God which they prove from religious worship given unto him for we are commanded to believe him therefore in him also are we to worship insomuch that the Socinians are guilty of high Idolatry let them mince the matter never so much while they give religious worship to Christ and yet profess him to be a meer man But now the Socinians to overthrow this argue in this manner He that is worshipped with a divine worship as he is Mediator is not worshipped as God But Christ is worshipped as Mediator In answering of this Objection The Orthodox go several wayes Some deny the minor viz. That Christ is not to be religiously adored as Mediator though they acknowledge that even to Christs humane Nature there is due some veneration inferiour to the divine But we may well enough grant the Proposition true That Christ as Mediator is to be adored with divine worship because as he is Mediator he must necessarily be God and so therein is included the ratio formalis sub quà of all religious worship So that to be worshipped as Mediator and as God are not opposite but one is necessarily included in the other For that such a religious invocation of Christ as Mediator is lawfull appeareth by that prayer of Stephen Lord Jesus receive my spirit Act. 7.59 The Vse may be of Instruction Doth God the Father thus exalt and glorifie Christ Was this his purpose from all eternity thus to have him magnified for ever Then let it be our constant work and the daily imploiment of our soul to give him all honour and praise Oh let us be ashamed more that we have not honoured Christ as he ought to be Whom Ahashuerus would have honoured all the people were ready to bow unto how much rather then ought we to glorifie the Lord Christ whom the Father doth therefore exalt because by his sufferings we are also glorified Now we may glorifie him three wayes 1. Doctrinally by maintaining all those true opinions that advance him in his Nature Offices and all operations for us For he that denieth any of his Natures or his Offices or his works for us he doth greatly rob Christ of his glory and how busie hath the devil been in all ages thus to dishonour Christ because by this means the Head and the foundation of the Church is endangered which proveth mortal to the Church Socinians destroy one of the Natures Papists obscure his Offices so that in very few Churches is Christ set up in all his glory 2. Christs glory is to be cordially in thy heart and orally in thy mouth Oh what inlarged affections and ravishment of soul did Paul shew when he mentions Christ he speaks of him as the
wickednesse is said not to know him and thus generally in the Scripture the wicked are said not to know God Oh then let such who have strong convictions and also strong corruptions tremble at this Let such who live against knowledge fall down for fear at this Is it not the condition of all such who live in grosse and prophane waies Do ye not commit the sins you know ye ought not Do ye not omit the duties that the light of the Scripture enjoyneth thee Oh that men should in the day stumble and not know whither they go Follow then all thy knowledge into a gracious practical improvement of it lest thou perish with the world SERMON CXLI Christ is the great Teacher of his Church JOH 17.25 But I have known thee IN these words are contained the cause and fountain of all that saving knowledge which beleevers have viz. because Christ knoweth God For whereas the immediate opposition should have runne thus The world hath not known thee but these have known thee This is inserted as the cause I have known thee The word is in the Preterperfect tense 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for the Present as John 8 55. I know him and keep his saying Now Christs knowledge may be considered two wayes either 1. Subjectively or immanent in him Or 2. Transitively or by way of communication unto others as the fountains fulnesse may be considered either absolutely in it self or as originally redundant and diffusive to it's streams Now though the first kinde of knowledge be necessarily presupposed yet the latter is chiefly aimed at as appeareth by those words I have declared unto them thy Name and will declare unto them In these words therefore our Saviour doth manifest himself to be the Mediator and in a more peculiar manner the Prophet of his Church whereby he communicates saving knowledge unto all beleevers and that he is the Sunne which enlightneth every one that cometh into the Church That as God hath put all material light into the body of the Sunne and all other things are enlightned by it Thus it is with Christ the Sun of righteousnesse all spiritual knowledge is given unto him and that without measure from whom there are several emanations and irradiations whereby all that know spiritually are enlightned by him Thus he is the truth and the way Obs That Christ is the original and fontal cause of all the knowledge that believers have There is not the least ray or beam of any spiritual illumination that doth not descend from him There are pregnant Texts to confirm this John 1.18 No man hath seen God at any time the only begotten Son which is in the bosom of the Father he hath declared him Where we have an opposition of Christ to Moses who yet talked to God face to face and to all other Prophets though they had immediate inspirations and revelations yet none of these saw God at any time that is perfectly and comprehensively They were but servants and had no more manifested to them then what was convenient but Christ he is the only begotten Son of God and in the bosom of the Father he knoweth the minde the secrets all the whole counsel and purpose of God and that of himself and this he doth not keep close in himself as Paul when caught up into the third heavens heard things not to be uttered but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 those things that otherwise were hidden and obscure he had made clear and known Thus you see that first Christ hath a full and perfect knowledge of the minde of God and that he hath it not in such a manner as the holy Prophets sometimes received it but of himself and that this knowledge he doth not keep to himself no more then the Sun doth its light but he hath it to reveal and declare it to his people so that we have the minde of God because Christ hath revealed it Therefore some say he is called the word of God because he doth manifest the inward purposes of God for our salvation and the means to attain thereunto This truth also is abundantly confirmed Joh. 3.31.32 where all the Prophets and John himself is debased in respect of Christ He that cometh from heaven is above all All others come of the earth but Christ because coming from heaven the bosom of the Father therefore he is above all but it followeth What he hath seen and heard he testifieth so that he communicateth this knowledge to the world Therefore the unbelief of the world is heavily taxed No man receiveth his testimony Although Christ be to be preferred above all that were ever sent by God for they were only infallible directively and by outward assistance only but Christ essentially and internally yet the world doth not receive his testimony If then it be thus That Christ only knoweth God and from him knowledge is derived to all others Even the Doctors and Teachers in the Church do strive by his light then it 's no wonder if God from heaven doth take us of all others and bid us attend to him Mat. 17.5 Hear ye him So that we are not to regard what the wisest the learned or the most ancient say but what Christ saith To open this truth Consider these things 1. That Christ a◠God hath omnisciency knowing all things 1 Cor. 2.11 What is there attributed to the Spirit of God is true also of the Sonne of God The Spirit searcheth the deep things of God Thus Christ as God must needs comprehend all the things of God and so there is nothing hid from him And this Omnisciency of his was often manifested especially Joh. 2. when it 's said He knew what was in man and needed not that any should tell him 2. The humane Nature of Christ or Christ as man knew not all things but according as the Divine Nature revealed the hidden things of God so he came to perceive him Therefore the Doctrine of the Lutherans seem to confound the Natures when they say The properties of the Divine Nature are communicated to the humane Nature Omniscience and Vbiquity c. This cannot be and yet Christ abide a true man Hence he is said to grow in knowledge yea as Son of man he is said Not to know the day of Judgement Mat. 24.36 which cannot be explained as some would he knew it not viz. to reveal it for in that sense the Father also might be said not to know it yet the humane nature of Christ though it was capable of nesciency yet not of ignorance for as he was without all sin so without all ignorant defects in minde he wanted no perfection that was due to him it was an experimental knowledge he grew in 3. Even the humane Nature of Christ is now lifted up to know many things without which as the Judge of the world he could not accomplish that work For seeing that Christ God-man is appointed to judge the world it 's necessary that
glory More properties of this glory II. The second part of the Point is that this glory is to be earnestly praied for For 1. Without seeking God will not bestow it 2. Thereby our desires after it will be more enflamed 3. III. The third part of the doctrine That this glory praied for will be a cordial against all affliction Because 1. It 's an universal Medicine 2. It 's the most sutable mercy to a gracioas heart 3. Because of the insufficiency of all other things to satisfie the heart 4. Because the way to heaven is full of briars and thorns 5. It exceeds all earthly glory 1. Earthly glory is but a puffe 2. It will not avail us at death Vse Observ That Christ had the glory he praied for with the Father before the world was That Christ had an eternal being Vse Quest Whence is it that any deny Christ to be the eternal God Answ What sins doe chiefly provoke God to give men up to strong delusions 1. Pride 2. Unfruitfulness 3 Neglect of the godly learnâ—d Ministry Vse 2. Vse 3. Vse 4. Vse 5. Observ That the world was not from Eternity Proved from Scripture 2. From Reason Observ That God is only and properly known by the godly Some knowledge of God may be had several waies Of true saving knowledge peculiar to the godly Though many have some kinde of knowledge of God yet the godly only do truly know him Vse Observ Why the Ministers end in Preaching should be to bring his people to the saving knowledge of God From the necessity of it Because of the nature and properties of it The several significations of the word world in Scripture Doct. That the people of God are called out of the world Demonstrations of the Point They have not the Spirit of the world The Spirit of the world what They walk not after the rudiments of the world He lives not as others do Reasons How many waies a people may be said to be Gods Doct. That the godly are Gods people in a peculiar manner Consider How many waies or upon how many Titles those that are godly are the Lords Doct. I. 1. 2. The word of his Commandements 3. The Word threatning 4. The word of Consolation II. Because it is Gods Word III. And receive it with the whole heart IV. And make it a Rule for their lives V. They that keep Gods Word have a high esteem of it 1. For the spiritual effects of it 2. Because it 's so necessary 3. And so usefull 4. The Preciousnesse and dignity of it VI. They keep the Word who persevere in it notwithstanding all temptations Doct. It 's not enough for Gods people to have grace but they must thrive and grow in it How many waies the graces of Gods people are to grow thrive I. In respect of degrees and measure II. Depth and rooting III. In the extension and kinde of all graces IV. In the means and Instruments of their graces V. By exciting others to grow VI. In solidity and fortitude Grounds and motives Vse Doct. It 's our duty to know and beleeve in Christ as the only Mediator sent by God I. What Christ had or was as Mediator was for us I. His Incarnation 2. All that he did His Miracles Obedience to the Law His sufferings The benefits of his Mediation II Christ Mediaâ—iâ—â— for us is of God the Father III. It 's the duty of all Gods people to beleeve this fulnesse in Christ for them The ingredients or concomitants of Faith 1. 2. A relying and resting of the soul upon Christs fulness 3. There is a full satisfaction of the soul in this beleeving 4. A receiving of what Christ hath 5. A holy boldnesse at the Throne of grace 6. Large and vast thoughts of Christ 8. Faith purifieth and makes holy Why it is the duty of Gods people thus to know and beleeve on Christ Vse Doct. That only is proper obedience that hath the Word of God requiring it The grounds of this are I. From the Soveraignty of God· II. Gods promise is annext only to Gods command III. Because of the pollution that is upon mans understanding IV. From the fulnesse of the Scripture V. Else obedient persons could never bear up their hearts against the discouragements they meet with in Gods work Vse Obs That it 's the property of godly men to have respect to Gods Word Proposition to clear the Point How far godly men may sail Doct. It 's a sure character of Gods people to be a willing people I. The dulnesse in Gods people is not reigning but resisted and prai'd against Reasons 1. The sense of guilt and misery 2. The sense of Gods mercy 3. The divine nature they are partakers of 4. Because they were so willing heretofore to sin 5. Because they know none but willing service is accepted 6. Because of their great reward 7. Because of the joy and comfort that attends Obedience Vse Vse 2. Obs The Ministers of the Gospel are to preach Gods Word 1. It 's their duty 2. Their greatest honour 3. It 's his comfort and safety 4. Most useful and profitable Doct. Faith in Christ as Mediatour is acceptable to God Why Gods Children are so hardly brought to beleeve Why prophane men think it so easie to beleeve in Christ Why beleeving in Christ is so acceptable to God 1. Faith in Christ the Mediatour the main scope of the Scripture 2. The work of the Spirit in the Ministry is to convince of sin 3. It s the end of the Law 4. It 's the essence and marrow of the Gospel 5. The devil in all ages hath laboured to obscure this Doctrine Vse· Quest Answ Directions shewing how a man may come to prize this doctrine Vse An Invitation of the greatest sinners to come to Christ Doct. It 's very hopeful and encouraging to pray for those that discover signs of grace in them Consider these particulars I. It 's not our duty only to pray for our selves but for others also Quest Whether it be lawful to pray for any man in particular Answ II. Yet we may not pray for Reprobates as such A twofold faith in praier III Whether we may pray in faith for others as for our selves Then our prayers are liklier of a powerful effect when we pray for the godly Of praying for ungodly men Motives there unto Doct. All Gods people are under Christs Mediatory Praier Concerning which consider The Children of God are of two sorts The Priesthood of Christ exceeds the Priesthood of the Law The aggravations of Christs praier The several acceptations of the word World World how to be taken in this place Doct. Christs Mediatory Praier and his Death is only for the Elect. Considerations to clear the Point I. There is a necessary connexion between Christs Intercession and his death II. Though Christ in his praier and death had a special regard to some of mankinde yet no man that is damned can blame any but himself III.