us Hebr. 7. 25. Rom. 8. 34. Christ was anointed to bee a Prophet See Deuter. 18. 15. with Acts 3. 22. and 7. 37. Christ came as a Prophet to make known the Will of his Father unto us No man hath seen God at any time the onely begotten Son which is in the bosome of the Father hee hath declared him John 1. 18. God who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in times past unto the Fathers by the Prophets hath in these last dayes spoken unto us by his Sonne c. Heb. 1. 1 2. I know that Messias commeth which is called Christ when he is come he will teacâ— us all things John 4. 25. And as Christ when hee was upon earth did teach in his owne person so doth hee still by his Ministers Teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you and lo I am with you alway to the end of the World Mat. 28. 20. He that heareth you heareth me and he that despiseth you despiseth me Luke 10. 16. Christ was anointed to be a King Zach. 9. 9. with Matth. 21. 5. Christ as a King doth reign in the hearts of Beleevers so that sinne doth not reign in them nor have dominion over them Rom. 6. 12 13 14. and see 2 Cor. 12. 9. and Philip. 4. 13. As a King Christ doth protect and defend those that belong unto him See Act. 18. 9 10. Rom. 8. 35 36 37. And as a King he doth destroy his enemies that stand out against him and will not submit unto him Those mine enemies that would not suffer me to reign over them bring hither and slay them before me Luke 19. 17. He must reign untill his enemies be made his footstool 1 Corinth 15. 25. This shall be fully accomplished at Christs comming to judgement which belongs to his Kingly Office He shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his Kingdome 2 Tim. 4. 1. How Christ is the Son the onely Son of God His onely Sonne Every true beleever is the Childe of God To as many as received him to them he gave power to bee the Sonnes of God even to them that beleeved in his name John 1. 12. You are all the Children of God by faith in Christ Jesus Galath 3. 26. But none are so the sonnes of God as Christ is Others are the sonnes of God onely by adoption A sonne by adoption is one that is freely and of meere grace and favour made choice of and taken to be as a sonne when as otherwise by nature he is not a son Heb. 11. 24 see Exo. 2. 10. Act. 2. 21 God hath predestinated us to the adoption of sonnes through Iesus Christ c. Ephesians 1. 5. God sent his Sonne c. that we might receive the adoption of sonns Gal. 4. 6. But Christ is the Sonne of God by Generation he is Gods begotten Sonne Thou art my Sonne this day â—ave I begotten thee Psal 2. 7. Thus none but Christ is the Sonne of God this dignity is peculiar unto him neither man nor Angel is capable of it To which of the Angels said God at any time Thou art my Son this day have I begotten thee Heb. 1. 5. Thus then Christ is the onely Sonn of God that is the onely begotten Sonne as he is called Iohn 3. 16. and in other places Beleevers are in some sense begotten of God Of his own will begat he us c. Iames 1. 18. but they are onely in a Metaphorical sense begotten of God in respect of that renovation which God by his Spirit doth worke in them in which respect they are said also to be Partakers of the Divine Nature 2 Pet. 1. 4. Whereas Christ is otherwise begotten of God having the same substance with God and being one and the same God with the Father I and my Father are one saith he Iohn 10. 30. Christ one and the same God with the Father that is one God though two Persons So Iohn 1. 1. In the beginning was the VVord that is Christ the second Person of the Trinity the Son see 1 John 5. 7. and Revel 19. 13. and the Word was with God to wit the Father and the Word was God And Rom. 9. 5. Christ is called God blessed for ever And 1 Joh. 5. 20. it is said of him This is the true God How Christ is Lord our Lord. Our Lord David was the Lords Anointed 2 Sam. 19. 21. and so was Saul 1 Sam. 24. 6. and Cyrus Esay 45. 1. But Jesus Christ is not onely the Lords Christ that is the Lords anointed as he is called Luke 2. 26. But he is also the Lord Christ To you is born this day in the Citie of David a Saviour which is Christ the Lord Luke 2. 11. Christ is the Lord of glory that is a most glorious Lord as the Apostle stiles him 1 Cor. 2. 8. He is the onely Lord To us there is but one Lord Jesus Christ by whom are all things 1 Cor. 8. 6. Christ is our Lord first as he is God For God is the Lord Psal 118. 27. As God he made all and so is Lord over all Secondly hee is our Lord as he is Mediator betwixt God and man Thus all Power both in heaven and in earth is given unto him Matth. 28. 18. To this end Christ both dyed and rose and revived that be might be Lord both of the dead and living Rom. 14. 9. Christ hath redeemed and purchased us with his blood and in that respect is Lord over us He dyed for us that we should not live unto our selves but unto him c. 2 Cor. 5. 15. Let none therefore think to be saved by Christ except they be obedient unto Christ they that will not have him for a Lord Soveraign must not think to have him for a Jesus Savior Commonly in the Scripture these two are joynned together Lord Jesus or Lord and Saviour if he be not our Lord he will no bee our Jesus our Saviour He is the Author of eternall salvation to all that obey him Heb. 5. 9. Of Christs incarnatioÌ„ and his assumption of our humane nature Who was conceived by the Holy Ghost born of the Virgin Mary In the foregoing words is shewed Christs Divinitie and Godhead in these and the rest that follow is shewed his humanity and Manhood Yea these words shew the manner of Christs Incarnation and how he assumed our nature The Word was made flesh John 1. 14. that is the second Person of the Trinitie the Sonne assumed humane nature and was made man Christ being in the form of God thought it not robbery to be equall with God But made himself of no reputation and took upon him the forme of a servant and was made in the likenesse of men Philip. 2. 6 7. He was made man true man like unto other men yet without sinne Hebr. 4. 15. So that one and the same Person Jesus Christ is both God and
Vicegerents I have said ye are gods Psa 82. 6. Thou shalt not revile the gods Exod. 22. 28. But truly and properly so called there is but one God I am God and there is none else Isa 45. 22. Thou shalt have none other gods before me Exod. 20. 3. We know that an Idol is nothing in the world that is no such thing as an Idolater takes it to be and that there is none other God but one For though there be that are called gods c. yet unto us there is but one God c. 1 Cor. 8. 4 5 6. That God is a Spirit infinite eternall God truly and properly so called is a Spirit Iohn 4. 24. And not onely a Spirit for so the souls of men and Angels also are spirits Hebr. 12. 23. 1. 14. but he is an immense and infinite Spirit which none else is Do not I the Lord fill heaven and earth Ier. 23. 24. Yea the heaven even the heaven of heavens cannot contain him 1 King 8. 27. God also is an eternall Spirit which neither the soul of man nor an Angel is He is the high and lofty one that inhabiteth eternity Isa 57. 15. The name of Father how attributed unto God The Father Sometimes the name of Father being attributed unto God is taken essentially and is common to the whole Trinitie Have we not all one Father hath not one God created us Mal. 2. 10. I will be a Father unto you and you shall be my sonnes and daughters saith the Lord Almighty 2 Cor. 6. 18. Sometimes it is taken personally and belongs onely to the first Person of the Trinity who is called the Father in respect of the second Person called the Sonne Our fellowship is with the Father and with his Sonne Iesus Christ 1 Iohn 1. 3. Thus is the word Father here taken as appears by that which follows And in Iesus Christ his onely Sonne c. The whole Trinity is our Father but onely the first person of the Trinitie is Christs Father When it is here said I beleeve in God the Father it is not meant that the first Person onely the Father is God as if the Sonne were not God and the Holy Ghost God also The Father how the first Person of the Trinity but onely the Father is first mentioned as being the first Person of the three the first Person I say not in time nor in dignity for they are all co-eternall and co-equall but in order and proceeding For the Father is of himself not proceeding from any other but the Sonn proceedeth from the Father and the Holy Ghost both from the Father and from the Sonne I proceeded forth and came from God saith Christ Iohn 8. 42. The Spirit of truth which proceedeth from the Father Iohn 15. 26. And so the Spirit also proceedeth from the Sonne and is therefore called the Spirit of the Sonne Galath 4. 6. and is said to be sent by the Sonne Whom I will send saith Christ speaking of the Spirit or Holy Ghost Iohn 15. 26. which argues that the Holy Ghost doth proceed from the Sonne hath the Divine Nature communicated unto him by the Sonne as well as by the Father even as the Sonne is said to be sent by the Father Iohn 3. 16. and in other places because hee doth proceed from the Father and hath the Divine Nature communicated to him by the Father But the Father is never said to be sent either by the Sonne or by the Holy Ghost as not proceeding either from the one or frō the other Thus then the Father is God and so is the Son and so the Holy Ghost all one and the same God though severall and distinct Persons These three are one 1 Ioh. 5. 7. They are three and yet one three Persons yet one God As Persons they differ each from other as God they are the same one with another This is a great Mysterie which though we cannot comprehend as being above reason yet we must beleeve as being revealed in the Scripture As the Father is Almighty so is the Son and the Holy Ghost also Almighty This attribute Almighty is not peculiar to the first Person the Father but is common to all the three Persons As the Father is Almighty so is the Sonne and so the Holy Ghost also For God as God is Almighty and therefore each Person of the Trinitie being God is Almighty Yet as Athanasius saith there are not three Almighties but one Almighty For the Father the Sonne and the Holy Ghost are one and the same God and so one and the same Almighty That God is Almighty and how he is Almighty Now that God is Almighty is clear by Scripture I am God Almighty saith he Gen. 17. 1. God Almighty blesse thee said Isaac to Iacob Gen. 28. 3. God is stiled The Almighty Ruth 1. 20. 21. The Almighty hath dealt very bitterly with me said Naomi And again The Almighty hath testified against me God is Almighty in that he can do all things whatsoever he pleaseth With God nothing shall bee unpossible Luke 1. 37. True it is God cannot lie Tit. 1. 2. He cannot deny himself 2 Tim. 2. 13. But this doth not derogate from his Almightinesse because these things to lie to deny himself and the like note imperfection and to doe them argues weaknesse and not Power How weak is thine heart saith the Lord seeing thou dost all these things Ezek. 16. 30. God being Almightie 1 Let us fear to offend him Do we provoke the Lord to jealousie are we stronger then he 1 Corinth 10. 22. Who ever hardened himself against him and prospered Iob 9. 4. 2. Let us with boldnesse flie unto him and trust in him O Lord God of our Fathers said Iehoshaphat Art not thou God in heaven and rulest not thou over all the kingdoms of the heathen and in thine hand is there not power and might so that none is able to withstand thee 2 Chron. 20. 6. And verse 12. O our God wilt thou not judge them for wee have no might against this great Company that commeth against us neither know we what to do but our eyes are upon thee So Paul I know said he whom I have beleeved and that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day 2 Tim. 1. 12. How God made heaven earth Maker of heaven and earth Creatour of heaven and earth In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth Gen. 1. 1. To create is as much as to make of nothing so God made heaven and earth By faith we understand that the world was framed by the Word of God the Word of his power his most powerfull Will Pleasure so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appeare Heb. 11. 3. What is meant by heaven and earth Heaven and Earth These two being the principall parts of the world are put for the whole
man being God from all eternity in due time he also was made man When the fulnesse of time was come God sent his Son made of a woman Galath 4 4. This woman was called Mary which is the same name with Miriam as it is written in the Old Testament When she conceived and bare Christ she was a pure Virgin Behold a Virgin shall conceive and bear a Sonne and shall call his name Immanuel that is being interpreted God with us Isai 7. 14. It was prophesied of Christ who was conceived and Born of a Virgin Matth. 1. 22 23. It was not by the concurrence of man but by the Power of the Holy Ghost that Christ was conceived in the Wombe of his Mother That which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost said the Angel to Ioseph Mat. 1. 20. And so the Angel told the blessed Virgin The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee and the power of the most High shall overshadow thee c. Luke 1. 35. Therefore Christ was holy from his very Birth and Conception alltogether free from that originall pollution which others being conceived and borne after the ordinary course of Nature draw from Adam and bring into the world with them as David confessed of himself Psal 51. 5. That therefore Iob 254. How can man be clean that is born of a woman that I say is meant of such as are borne after the usuall manner by naturall generation it extends not unto Christ whose birth was extraordinary and above nature As the Virgin did corporally conceive bear Christ in her womb so must we spiritually conceive and bear him in our hearts My little Children of whom I travell in birth again untill Christ be formed in you said Paul to the Galatians Gal. 4. 19. And Christ pointing at his Disciples said Behold my mother and my brethren For whosoever shall do the will of my Father which is in heaven the same is my brother and sister and mother Matth. 12. 49 50. Of Christs Passion or suffering Suffered under Pontius Pilate Christs whole life was a continuall suffering his very Incarnation was a Passion For him who was God blessed for ever to take upon him the nature of man for him who was Lord of all to take upon him the forme of a servant this was a great and wonderfull suffering So whiles hee lived hee was never free from suffering Being newly born he was laid in a Manger there being no room for him in the Inn where he was Luke 2. 7. Eight dayes after his Birth he was circumcised Luke 2. 21. Soon after he was persecuted by Herod and was fain to be carried into Egypt to escape the danger he was in Matth. 2. 13 14 15. Of the rest of Christs life untill hee was about thirty yeares old Luke 3. 23. the Scripture speaks but little it being not so necessary for us to know Yet thus much it tells us plainly of him that he was subject to Joseph and Mary Luke 2. 51. And it intimates unto us that Christ did exercise the Trade that Ioseph his Mothers husband was of For whereas it is said Matth. 13. 55. that some did say of him Is not this the Carpenters son S. Mark relates it Is not this the Carpenter Mark 6. 3. Which implies that as Ioseph his supposed Father was a Carpenter so he also for a while did follow the same Trade After that he came abroad to shew himselfe to the world and to execute the Office for which he was sent how was he opposed by the Scribes and Pharisees and such as could not endure the holinesse of his Life and Doctrine Besides he still lived a mean and despicable kinde of life Though he were rich yet for our sakes he became poor 2 Cor. 8. 9. Even so poor that others did minister to him of their substance Luke 8. 3. And whereas the Foxes have holes and the Birds of the air have nests he had not where to lay his head Luk. 9. 58. Thus was Christ continually suffering all his life long but the things that he suffered at the last at and immediately before his death were such and so great that they peculiarly are called his Passion or Suffering And this is that which is here said Suffered under Pontius Pilate This Pontius Pilate was Governour of Iudea under Tiberius the Romane Emperour to whom the Jews were then subject See Luke 3. 1. Pilate was the Judge that gave sentence upon Christ and condemned him as all the Evangelists record And even forraign Writers as namely Josephus a Jew and Tacitus a heathen testifie that Christ was put to death by Pontius Pilate But the Scripture relates as more fully what Christ suffered to wit how he was buffetted spit upon reviled scourged crowned with Thorns c. so also why he suffered to wit not for any offence that he had done no Pilate himself as the Evangelists shew did divers times declare him to bee innocent but for our sins which he was to beare and to satisfie for He bare our sins in his body on the tree 1 Pet. 2. 24. Him that knew no sinne God made sinne for us 2 Corinth 5. 21. Surely he was wounded for our transgressions he was bruised for our iniquities the chastisement of our Peace was upon him and with his stripes we are healed All we like sheep went astray turning every one to his owne course and the Lord laid upon him the iniquities of us all Isai 53. 5 6. Of Christs crucifying Was crucified Here follows now more particularly after what manner Christ suffered He was Crucified that is nailed alive to the Crosse and so did hang untill hee were dead So the History of the Gospel shews and hence the Crosse of Christ is so much spoken of in the Scripture This kinde of punishment was not in use among the Jewes untill they came under the power of the Romans with whom it was frequent It was a punishment both full of pain and also full of ignominie onely such as were of meanest rank and vilest Malefactors were wont to have this punishment inflicted on them why Christ suffered on the Crosse yet as painfull and ignominious as it was Christ was content to suffer it for our sakes Yea it was a cursed kinde of punishment and therefore Christ submitted unto it to free us from the curse which by reason of our sinnes was due unto us Christ saith S. Paul hath redeemed us from the curse of the Law being made a Curse for us for it is written Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree Gal 3. 13. And Phil. 2. 8 he exaggerates Christs humiliation by this that he humbled himself and became obedient unto death even the death of the Crosse Of Christs Death Dead The Wages of sinne is death Rom. 6. 23 Not onely the first death the separation of the soul from the bodie but also the second death the damnation both of soul and body as appears by the