Selected quad for the lemma: nature_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
nature_n	flesh_n	person_n	union_n	3,543	5	9.2603	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A47437	Christ alone the way to Heaven, or, Jacob's ladder improved containing four sermons lately preach'd on Genesis XXVIII, XII : wherein the doctrine of free-grace is display'd through Jesus Christ : also discovering the nature, office, and ministration of the holy angels : to which is added one sermon on Rom. 8, 1 : with some short reflections on Mr. Samuel Clark's new book intituled Scripture justification / by Benjamin Keach.	Keach, Benjamin, 1640-1704.	1698 (1698)	Wing K53; ESTC R24422	80,847	121

and so fit to reign over all Angels Men and Devils are subject unto him 3. He is chosen-King 4. He is by the Fa●her anointed King with the Oyl of gladness above his Fellows 5. And he is proclaimed King for ever 6. He has the Government on his Should●rs he rules in us and subdues all our Enemies he bows and bends our Spirits and stubborn Wills to submit to his Sover●ignty he mortifies all our Co●ruptions and brings us out of the Prison-house and spoils the strong Man armed he has conquered the World Sin and Devils for us and doth and will also subdue them i● us he is both King of Saints and King of Nations Thirdly Christ as he is a Prophet is also the Antitype of Jacob's Ladder and as thus considered he is exalted 1. He received his Doctrine from Heaven and brings it down to Earth He is said to speak from Heaven and yet he spake on Earth and when he spake on Earth as Man he was in Heaven as God And thus the Foot of the Ladder was on Earth and the Top reached to Heaven Moreover by his Speaking he makes such Hearts of men as were earthly to be heavenly and lifts us up in our Desires Meditations and Affections from earth to heaven Christ is lifted up and exalted as a Prophet and higher in Glory than all the Prophets of God A Prophet is the Mouth of God to the People Now Jesus Christ received his holy Doctrine from God and spake as his Father gave Commandment Moreover he excels all other Prophets 1. All the Prophets of God besides him were inspired by him 2. They received the Spirit but by Measure but he without Measure 3. Other Prophets only could speak to the Ear he speaks to the Heart 4. Other Prophets could cause Men only to hear that were alive but Christ can make them that are deaf and dead to hear 5. Other Prophets can teach men Wisdom who have Uunderstanding but Christ can Teach Fools to Understand as well as give Understanding to the Heart Who teacheth like him 6. He can open the Ear as well as give Instruction 7. All the Teachings of other Prophets and Teachers are in vain without his divine Teachings 8. He can cause such whom he Teacheth to remember what they hear 9. He Teacheth powerfully and instructs with a high hand and yet he Teacheth sweetly 10. He Teacheth not only Efficaciously but also Infallibly and removes all Obstructions that hinder Sinners from hearing and receiving what he saith unto them He can teach men Wisdom as you have heard when they are asleep O who teacheth like him Christ is lifted up to Heaven in that he is the Sum and Substance both of Law and Gospel I mean the Antitype of all Types and Substance of all Shadows He is the great Subject of Gospel-ministration What have Ministers to Preach but Jesus Christ I have formerly shewed you what it is to Preach Christ so as to exalt him and lift him up in the ministration of the Gospel First 'T is to Preach the Excellencies of his Person 1. To Preach that he is GOD God by Nature not a petty-god a god by Office but the most high God the eternal God Co-essential Co-equal and Co-eternal with the Father 2. To Preach that he is MAN truly Man made of a Woman of the same Flesh and Blood that the Children partake of 3. That he is GOD and MAN in one Person both Natures making but one Christ by a wonderful and hypostatical Union Secondly To Preach Christ is to Preach his Incarnation his Birth his Life his Death his Resurrection his Ascension and his Intercession Thirdly To Preach Christ is to Preach his holy Doctrine and his exemplary Life in his sweet Spirit great Condescension wonderful Abasement infinite Love Mercy Faithfulness Meekness Charity c. 4. To Preach the Preciousness of Christ is to Preach Christ. 5. To Preach Christ is to Preach the necessity of Christ and of his Death And that 1. Because of that voluntary obligation he entered into with the Father in behalf of the Elect from Eternity that holy Covenant and Compact ●aid a necessity upon him to dye in our stead 2. In respect of God's eternal Decree and purpose he being a Lamb slain before the beginning of the World 3. In respect of those ancient Prophesies concerning him and of his Work and Office which must be all accomplished 4. In respect of all those Types and Shaddows that pointed to him which must be fulfilled in their Antitype c. 5. And in respect of all the Saints who lived under the Old-Testament who ventured their Souls and Salvation upon him as to come and was to dye for them 6. In respect of the Nature Holiness and Justice of God and of his absolute Threatning pronounced against Adam and all Mankind in him 7. In respect of the Sanction and perfect Holiness of the Law and of that Curse it laid all Men under 8. Moreover there is an absolute necessity of Christ and of Faith in him in respect of God's Revealation there being no other Way Person or Means found out or revealed to redeem fallen Man but Jesus Christ only Fourthly To Preach Christ is to Preach the power and ability of Christ to save all that believe in him or that come to God by him Fifthly To Preach Christ exalt him and lift him up is to Preach his Readiness and Willingness as well as his Power and Ability to save Sixthly 'T is to Preach the unsearchable Riches of Christ. Seventhly To Preach Christ is to Preach Christ the Power of God and the Wisdom of God i. e. in whom all the glorious Attributes of God are united in sweet Harmony and shine forth in equal Glory and Strength to save Sinners lost and undone Sinners Eighthly To Preach Christ is to preach him not only the one Mediator between God and Man but also our blessed Surety or the Surety and Testator of the New-Covenant Ninthly To preach Christ is to preach him in all his offices as you have heard Tenthly To Preach Christ exalt Christ alone is to preach his Satis●action or that full and compleat Reconciliation he hath made by his Obedience and suffering our Faith and Holiness adding nothing thereunto Eleventhly To Preach Christ is to Preach Justification only by him i. e. That he and his perfect Righteousness alone is that which Justifies us as it is Imputed to us that believe his active Obedience being that whi●h is our only Title to Heaven and that his Death he bearing all God's vindictative Wrath for our Sins is that only which delivers us from Hell Twelfthly To Preach Christ exalt Christ is to Preach him the Way the only way to the Father No Man cometh to the Father but by me To preach him the Truth that all truth is in him centres in him found and experienced in

Flesh then he was made Man more plainly to distinguish the two Natures in Christ to assert the truth of his Humane Nature to let us know that Christ assumed his Humane Nature in common not the particular Nature of any it is not said he was changed into Flesh but by his assuming it he was made Flesh or He the Word Took upon him the See● of Abraham even the same common Nature of all the Elect. Brethren Jesus Christ is perfect God and perfect Man in one Person therefore his Person may truly be said to reach from Earth to Heaven Pray Observe Jacob saw the Foot of the Ladder to stand upon the Earth The Foot went not lower than the Earth this might signify Christ should take upon him the Seed of Abraham or the Nature of Man not the Nature of Angels it was to raise to Heaven the Inhabitants of the Earth not the infernal Spirits or Devils of Hell Had the foot of the Ladder only reached to the Air or come down into the middle Centre of the Earth it might have seemed doubtful whether st was prepared for Fallen Angels or for fallen Mankind to get up to Heaven but the foot of it standing on the Earth denotes no doubt the same thing which the Apostle speaks Verily he took not hold on the Nature of Angels but of the Seed of Abraham he taketh hold First It was requisite He should be MAN and so have his Foot upon the Earth 1. That he might in our Nature perform that perfect Obedience to the holy Law of God which was required of Mankind for no Righteousness short of that can Justify us or carry us to Heaven 2. He must be Man that he might be capable to Suffer and Dye for Mankind God considered simply in himself could not dye 3. Because the Justice of God required the same Nature which Sinned to suffer even the same Nature that broke the Law to dye and to bear the Wrath of God 4. He must be Man that so he might Simpathize with us or have a feeling of our Infirmities it must be such a Nature of Man that was cloathed with Infirmities which we have or are atttended with since the Fall because he came to raise fallen Man Now our Infirmities are of two sorts 1st Penal and Painful 2ly Sinful and Culpable Infirmities It was the first of these Christ did take he had a Nature that could Hunger and Thir●● 〈◊〉 be Weary and suffer Pain and Misery both 〈◊〉 and Body as we are liable to We have 〈…〉 Priest which cannot be touched with ●●e feeling of ●●r Infirmities but was in all points Tempted like as we are yet without Sin This shews he was really Man or had a true Humane tho not a Sinful Nature It behoved him to be made like unto ●is Brethren that he might be a merciful and faithful High-Priest in things pertaining to God to make Reconciliation for the Sins of the People For in that he himself hath suffered being Tempted he is able to succour them that are Tempted Secondly It was necessary also that he should be GOD. 1. That he might reach Heaven I mean the full demands of God's Justice by way of Satisfaction A mere Man could not satisfy infinite Justice or make up that Wrong our Sins ha● done to God but seeing both the Natures in Christ make but one Person when Christ dyed he that was truly God dyed Hence it is said God purchased the Church with his own Blood Which was an infinite Satisfaction to divine Justice had we all lain in Hell for ever we could not have paid one Farthing of that Debt we owed to God and because we could not Satisfy therefore must have Suffered for ever 2. That he might sustain in his Body the Wrath of God and severe Punishment due to us for our Sins for none but he that was God could bear so great a Burden and heavy Wrath as all the Sins of the Elect were and did incur Suppose the Sins but of one Person and he be none of the greatest Sinners neither yet if charged upon him would they not sink him down to Hell Oh! what Power what Strength then save the Strength of an infinite Person could bear as well as satisfy for all the Sins of so many Thousand Persons even the whole number of God's Elect. 3. He must be God that he might be able to overcome all our Enemies not only for us but also in us and preserve us from the greatest Evils and bestow upon us the greatest Good He must lay his Hands upon both viz. He must bring God down to us and carry us up to God I mean reconcile God to Man and Man to God which he could not do unless he be God blessed for evermore how could he know our Hearts our Wan● our Necessities except he was the Eternal Go● How also could he Quicken us and raise us from 〈◊〉 Dead and destroy the Power of Satan in o● Souls and take away that cursed Enmity which naturally is in our Hearts against God Now thus we may clearly perceive that the Spiritual Ladder is long enough to reach from Earth to Heaven Fourthly As a Ladder must be long enough 〈◊〉 reach to the thing or place desired so also must be broad or wide enough if there are mo●● than one to go up even many Persons it must 〈◊〉 wide enough for them all Even so this Ladder this way is broad enoug● for so many that are appointed or ordained to g● to Heaven or to be Saved Brethren Christ is a 〈◊〉 Way or Medium to carry all the Elect to Heaven Not One but All. 1. In that he took not into Union with his Divine Nature the Single Person of any but th● common Nature of all that Sinned who shal● be Saved Take here what a worthy Write Notes If Christ had only taken the Person 〈◊〉 a Man then there must have been two Persons 〈◊〉 Christ a Person Assuming and a Person Assumed yea then that only Person which Christ Assumed should have been advanced and Saved 〈◊〉 should have Saved that Person and no other 〈◊〉 he had Assumed the Person of a Man with us the Soul and Body united make a Person but in Christ the Soul and Body were so united as to have their subsistance not of themselves as in us but in the God-head No sooner was the Soul united to the Body but both Soul and Body had subsistance i● the second Person in the Trinity So not the Assuming of a Person but the Nature of Man common to all c. He took not the Nature of Angels b●● the Seed of Abraham Tho● it was the common Nature of all Men or of all the Sons and Daughter● of Adam which he took yet the Holy Ghost calls it the Seed of Abraham intimating that the design and purpose of God was that Christ should die for no more than were comprehended in the Election

Right-hand Can thei● be greater Honour confer'd upon them Sirs wh●● would not adventure up this Ladder when the●● is such such Glory It is indeed the way th● only way to possess those Crowns of immorta● Grandure that are prepared in Heaven Thirdly By this advancement i.e. by bein● Espoused and Married to Jesus Christ all tha● Christ hath is theirs they have not Honou● only but much Wealth and riches also 1. The Righteousness of Christ is theirs to Justifie them that is the white Raiment o● glorious Robe with which they are cloathed 2. His Graces to adorn them In Christ are unsearchable Riches Riches and Righteousness are with me yea durable Riches and Righteousness Hence it is that the Apostle would have the Saints know the greatness of their Riches That ye may know what is the hope of your Calling and what the Riches of the Glory of his Inheritance in the Saints Here is Riches in this Inheritance Many have Riches and no Glory others have Honour prefer'd upon them but have no Riches Ignoble Spirits scrape a great deal of Wealth together in which they place their vain Hope and Hapiness in but die without Honour like the Beasts that Perish Alas their Wealth is but for a Day but this is Lasting Durable Eternal as is their Honour the Crown of Glory fadeth not away it is in Heaven and Saints are a going to it on Jacob's Ladder it is in their view they see it and therefore climb up and shall in due time reach it Happy are they that are called up this Ladder to such a hope it is called the high-calling of God in Christ Jesus Fourthly The Saints are not only the Adop●ed Sons and the Spouse of Christ but they are ●orn of God they are begotten and born of God born from above they that are thus called have an heavenly Birth therefore it is an high-calling this gives them meet and fit frames of Spirit such which become their noble Station and blessed Relation What would a relative Change signify without a real Change I mean a Change of State without ● Change of Heart Can a carnal heart see Beauty in Christ or in heavenly things Can ●n earthly Spirit prize or value spiritual Honour or Riches No no a Swine may as well take delight in the Glory of a King's Palace Alas ●e had far rather be on a Dunghil or wallow 〈◊〉 the Mire Moreover much of the advancement of Believers lies in their heavenly Frames and nobleness of their Spirits Works Ends and Aims In this the Righteous is more excellent than his Neighbour 1. He hath a Heavenly a Humble a Meek a Publick a Merciful an Inlightened a Free a Firm a Sublime a Sanctified a Raised an Act●ve and a Faithful Spirit and all this proceeds from that New-birth which he is passed under or it is the fruit or effect of his being born of God or regenerated by the holy Spirit These Persons have other Principles also than the rest of Mankind have Every Life hath Principles according to the Nature of it a Vegetative Life according to the Nature of it a Sensitive Life according to the Nature of it and the Rational Life according to the Nature of it So the Life of Grace hath Principles according to the Nature of it A Saint acts for God from a principle of Faith and Love this make the ways of God easy nay sweet and pleasant to him 2. These Men have other work also or imploy themselves in other Business than ungodly Persons do their New-nature prompts them on to make Religion their main Business and they also act freely voluntarily and with a great and strong Propensity in the things of God others act in such matters as Men without heart they must put a force on themselves if they meddle with heavenly Duties and heavenly things because of the earthly and carnal temper and frames of their Hearts But as to heavenly born Souls it is below them to be continually a digging in the Earth and loading themselves with thick Clay or to heap up the dust of the Ground or to take their chiefest Delight in eating and drinking or in pleasing their sensual Lusts No they are going as fast as they can from these things in their Hearts and Affections Love and Delight and Desires they see the Beauty of God and the Excellencies of Jesus Christ they pry into the Mysteries of the Gospel and of that Redemption which is by Jesus Christ They mind eternal things 3. Moreover this new Nature which is wrought in them causes them to have more noble high and sublime Ends and Aims than all others have 'T is not their own honour nor their own profit they seek but it is the honour and glory of God they Aim at God who is at the Top of the Ladder as the end of their Journey as is said before God beloved i● their last end it is to reach him enjoy him for evermore they mount up on high Fifthly They are Elivated or highly Advanced and Exalted in that they have such a Sublime Mystical and intimate Union with God and Jesus Christ He that is Joined to the Lord is one Spirit There is saith a Reverend Writer no stricter Union in the World than that of Christ and Believers it is therefore compared to all sorts of Unions Natural and Political He is the Head they the Members he is the Root they the Branches he the Husband they the Wife 'T is so firm so strong a Union intensively that Christ and a Regenerate Man becomes one Spirit as if there was but one Soul in two Bodies what the Spirit doth in Christ it doth also in a Believer ac●ording to the capacity of his Soul I in them and thou in me that they may be made perfect in One. This shews it is a wonderful and mysterious Union more to be admired then it can be explained And the spring of it rises from the hypostatical Vnion of our Nature with the Divine Nature in the Person of Christ O how doth this exalt Believers Sixthly They are not only elivated advanced and lifted up on high by vertue of this Union but also in that they are allowed and daily have Communion with the Father Son and holy Spirit But without Regeneration or our Natures being first changed this could not be What Communion can there be between a living God and a dead Heart Or between a holy God and a filthy and polluted Creature God hates Sin and he loves it God loves Holiness and he loathes it Justification changes our state that discharged us from the Guilt of Sins but Regeneration changes our Nature and makes us fit to converse with God For as God can take no pleasure in us until his Image is stampt upon us so we can take no Delight nor pleasure in Him Without this Change Heaven would be no Paradice or Heaven unto us

God but from the Devil 3. Moreover let no person now expect God should speak unto them by Dreams or Visions for tho' he did so frequently before Christ came yet Now in these last days God hath spoken unto us by his Son and we have a more sure Word of Prophecy God now as reverend Perkins notes doth not usually speak to us by Dreams yet he being a free Agent may so do if he please and no doubt sometimes he doth thus speak tho' not commonly for the Instruction and Consolation of his People Yet let a●● take heed they are not deceived by Dreams Luthe● observes how many in his time were deluded b● Dreams and Visions which they falsly attribute● to God as the immediate Author of them and fro● hence prayed earnestly about two things 1. That God would give him a good Understanding of the Scriptures and of his Mind revealed therein 2. That he would not send him Dreams or Visions Yea saith he I contracted with God that h● would not Brethren the holy Scriptures are those sacred Oracles by which God speaks to us and 〈◊〉 them i● contained all things which are necessary for us to know as to Faith and Practice being sufficient to make every Man Wise to Salvation thro' Faith in Jesus Christ and Perfect throughly furnished unto all good Works Therefore certainly such that are not satisfied to adhere to the holy Scriptures as a sufficient Rule in all points of Faith and Practice but desire God to speak unto them by Dreams o● Visions are deluded by Satan and do thereby cas● great contempt upon the holy Scriptures But no more as to Dreams in general we will now come to this remarkable Dream and Vision Jacob had And behold a Ladder c. II. Observ. The Lord Jesus may fuly be compare● to a Ladder that is set upon the Earth and the To● of it reaching to Heaven This Proposition I shall open God assisting And First I shall run a parallel between Jesus Christ and Jacob's Ladder And Shew that Christ may be compared to Jacob's Ladder In respect both of his Person and Offices Now Before I proceed I know not my Brethren why we may not run the Parallel so far as there is a clear Parity and it is consistent with the Analogy of Faith 1. A Ladder is the contrivance of the Wisdom of Man for the reaching attaining or doing of some thing which the Author designed thereby to do So JESUS CHRIST as Mediator GOD-MAN in one Person is the rare and wonderful contrivance of the infinite Wisdom of God for his attaining or accomplishment of his own most glorious design and purpose which is the Glory and Exaltation of his own Name and the Salvation of his Elect who on this Mystical Ladder must ascend to Heaven 2. A Ladder is a proper means or Medium to attain to that thing or accomplish that work which it was contrived or made for and possibly without which Medium it was impossible for the Person to reach to that thing or do that work which he designed and purposed to attain unto or to accomplish and bring to pass So JESUS CHRIST is the only way and means which GOD hath found out to bring us to Heaven The Builders of Babel thought to get up to Heaven by a contrivance of their own even by erecting a mighty Tower the top of which they said should reach to Heaven but they were soon confounded And like to them Mystery-babylon hath sought out other ways to Heaven then by this Mystical Ladder Jesus Christ they think to get Justification and eternal Life by their own good Works and by other Sacrifices then by the one Sacrifice of the Cross which they offer up for the living and the dead but they are but Babel-builders even blind and deceived Wretches whom God hath confounded and will confound Brethren there is no other way nor means to obtain eternal Life but by Jesus Christ alone I am the Way the Truth and the Life no Man cometh unto the Father but by me Jesus Christ went to Heaven as our blessed Head and Representative by his own Blood by his own Blood he entered in once into thy holy Place to shew that there is no other way by which Sinners can go to Heaven this only suiting with the Wisdom of God and every ways answering his own glorious Purpose and Design in manifesting and magnifying the Glory of all his blessed Attributes and making the Law honourable by Christ● fulfilling all the Precepts thereof and bearing the penalty of it to free us from the Curse thereof Some think to get to Heaven by a Sober Moral Life others by their own Faith and inherent Holiness and Obedience to the precepts of the Gospel but in opposition to all these 〈◊〉 Christ is the Way● it is by his Righteousness alone we are Justified in the sight of God his perfect Obedience to the Law is our Title to eternal Life and by his death who bore Hell pangs for us we are delivered from everlasting Wrath and Condemnation Neither is there Salvation in any other For there is no other Name given under Heaven whereby we must be Saved For either Soul or Body there is no other Person no other Sacrifice no other Righteousness no other way or thing But by this Mystical Ladder Jesus Christ alone by which we can be Saved 3. A Ladder must be long enough to to reach the thing desi●ed Now Jesus Christ in respect of his two Natures is prepared so by the Wisdom of God that in his Person he may be said to reach from Earth unto Heaven 1. As touching his Humane Nature which is the F●ot of this Ladder this stands as it were upon the Earth And 2. As touching his divine Nature which is the Top of the Ladder this reacheth unto Heaven and in these two Natures in the Person of Christ we have what is represented by Jacob's Ladder for as these two Natures are in his Person united together Heaven and Earth are united together And now that he is God see John 1.1.2 In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God Christ in respect of his divine Nature is here called the Word he was before the beginning of the Word even 〈◊〉 everlasting or ever the Earth w●s He was with God and was God not a Creature he was not Created at the beginning but was the Creator the Maker of Heaven and Earth all things were made by him not as the Instrumental Cause of all things or any Instrument in the Father's hand but as a Principle Efficient Cause of all things Without controversie great is the mystery of Godliness God was manifest in the Flesh. The Word was made Flesh and dweit among us That is the Son of God or second Person in the Trinity The Evangelist as one observes rather saith he was made