discover our misery and deformity by reason of unholinesse as also to discover the beauty of holinesse and the happiness laid up for holy ones bestowing also upon it an inclining power to bow us to the imbracing and obeing of his holy will the pattern of all holiness 2. From God we have our sanctification not by traduction from our parents Grace is not of an equall extent to Nature Grace is not native but donative not by generation but by regeneration it s from the Father of spirits not fathers of our flesh Who can bring a clean thing out of filthinesse The new birth is not of blood nor the will of the flesh nor of man Joh. 1.13 The purest seed-corn brings forth the stalk the husk and chaff and the holiest men have a posterity with a nature covered over with corruption 4. God sanctifies so as the first infusion of the habit of Grace is without the active concurrence of any abilities of our corrupted nature to the acquiring of grace in the heart the plantation of grace in us being purely supernaturall Gods manner of working is altogether divine beyond the power and without the help of any thing in man only he being a rationall creature is a subject capable of grace and therby in the work of sanctification hath a passive concurrence for of our selves we are not sufficient to think a good thought but our sufficiency is of God He worketh in us both to will and to do We are dead in trespasses and sins c. New begotten new created c. Grace is an habituall quality meerly infused by divine vertue not issuing out of any inward force of humane abilities howsoever strained up to the highest pitch of their naturall perfection All civility sweetness of nature ingenuity of education learning good company restraint by laws with all moral Vertues with their joynt force cannot quicken our souls to the least true motion of a spirituall life 5. God sanctifies so as that in the practice of sanctification man doth actually concurr with God for being sanctified and inwardly enabled in his faculties by spirituall life put into them he moves himself in his actions of grace although even in these actions he cannot work alone he being onely a fellow-worker with the Spirit of God not in equality but in subordination to him Neverthelesse though these actions be performed by the speciall assistance of the Spirit yet in regard man is the next agent they are properly said to be mans actions 2. God the Father sanctifies And yet Eph. 5.26 1 Cor. 1.30 Christ is said to sanctifie and to be Sanctification and most frequently the holy Ghost is said to sanctifie Gal. 5.22 Ephes 5.9 Gal. 5.17 Grace being called the fruits of the spirit the whole work of Sanctification stiled by the name of spirit and the Scripture expresly speaks us sanctified by the Spirit and the holy Ghost is called the Spirit of Sanctification Yet when the Scripture saith we are sanctified by God the Father it doth not contradict it self For the explication whereof I shall briefly set down this Distinction and these Conclusions All the Attributes of God are either 1. Essentiall Dist which are the very divine Essence and pertaining to the very nature of God as to be a Spirit omniscient eternall true good powerful mercifull c. Or 2. Relative And that either 1. Inwardly to the Persons within themselves as for the Father to beget the Son to be begotten the holy Ghost to proceed from Father and Son Or 2. Outwardly And that either 1. to the creatures as to create sustain c. or 2. to the Church as to redeem and sanctifie c. The Attributes that appertain to the Nature or Essence of God are common to the three Persons as to be a Spirit Concl. 1. omniscient eternall c. The Attributes or properties that inwardly belong to the Persons among themselves Concl. 2. are peculiar and proper to each of them both in regard of order of being and working The Father hath his being from Himself alone the Son hath his being from the Father alone the holy Ghosi hath his being from them both The Father alone begetteth the Son is alone begotten the holy Ghost doth proceed from the Father and the Son All works externall Concl. 3. and in reference to the creatures as to create to govern to redeem to sanctifie c. are in respect of the things wrought equally common to the three Persons of the Trinity who as they are all one in Nature and Will so must they be in operation all of them working one and the same thing together John 5.17 19. Most true is that of Christ Whatsoever things the Father doth these also doth the Son the like may be said of the holy Ghost so that we are sanctified by Father Son and holy Ghost there being the same power and will of all three and in works externall and in respect of the creature when onely one Person or two are named the whole Trinity is to be understood Though the works of three Persons toward the creature Concl. 4. world or Church in regard of the thing wrought are common to all the three yet in respect of the manner of working there is distinction of Persons that work for the Father works through the Son by the holy Ghost The Father works from none the Son from the Father the holy Ghost from both Joh. 5.19 8.28 16.13 there being the same order of working in the Trinity that there is of existing the Father works by the Son and the holy Ghost sending them and not sent by them the Son works by the holy Ghost sending him from the Father into the hearts of beleevers and is not sent by him but by the Eather the holy Ghost works and is sent from the Father and the Son not from himself The works therfore of the Trinity are considerable either absolutely or in regard of the works wrought and so they are the works of the whole Trinity in common Or relatively when we consider in what order the Persons work which Person works immediately which by another And so the Persons are distinguish'd in their works This considered Jude in ascribing Sanctification to God the Father is easily reconciled to those that ascribe it to God the holy Ghost and the Son these last named persons being by Jude included in the working of sanctification and only the order of working of the blessed Trinity noted The Father sanctifying through the Son by the holy Ghost the Father sanctifying by sending the Son to merit and giving his Spirit to work the Son by meriting the holy Ghost by working our sanctification and immediately sanctifying us in which respect he hath the title of holy and Sanctification most commonly exprest as his work This for the Explication of the second particular in the first priviledge of the faithfull to whom Jude wrote viz. The Author of their sanctification
Christ deserves rather to be esteemed holy than any dayes of mans ordaining It should be accounted both a good day and an high day having such an Instituter The Ordinances of Christ should be preferr'd before humane traditions No Institutions but his shall stand nor should religiously be esteemed I fear Luk. 19.27 that the great and bloody Controversies which so long Christ hath had with England are about some Ordinances of his which yet we will not take up and some Traditions of our own which in stead thereof we will keep up What is become of those men and of their wisdom Sapientes sapienter in infernum descendunt whose wise work it was heretofore to invent and impose their own Innovations for Christs Institutions The Servants and Messengers of Christ should be more loved and honoured than the servants of any earthly Potentate They are the servants of God We should love as he loves It 's more honourable to be a servant of God than a King over men Our delight should be in those excellent ones who bear the image Psal 16.2 and wear the badg of Christ The feet of his Ambassadors should be beautifull whether we regard their Master Rom. 10.15 or their Message Lastly his Word should be preferred before any other writings Col. 3.16 Let the word of Christ dwell in us plentifully Let it be taken in not stand at the doors or lodg only in our books or on our shelves let it dwell there not be turn'd out again Let it dwell plentifully in all that is within us Understanding Will Affections Memorie and plentifully in all that is of it in its Threatnings Commands Promises It is the word of God who hath strength to back it In a word Take heed of opposing this great God in any kinde If God the Father be offended Christ is our Advocate but if Christ be provoked who shall mediate Thus far of the description of the dignity of him whom they opposed Next we must shew How they opposed him or Wherein that Opposition did consist They Denyed him EXPLICATION Two things are here to be explained 1. How Christ may be said to be Denyed and particularly What Denyall of him is here to be understood 2. Wherein the sinfulnesse thereof shews it self 1. How Christ may be said to be denyed Denying 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Denyall properly is verball respecteth our words and signifieth the contrary to affirmation Thus those envious Rulers spake concerning the notable miracle of healing the lame man Acts 4.16 that they cannot dis-affirm or deny it Mat. 26.70 Joh. 18.25 27. John 1.20 Thus Peter denyed openly before them all that he had been with Jesus Thus John denyed not who he was c. But improperly and figuratively denyall may be taken for such a renouncing or rejection of a thing as may likewise be express'd by the actions and in realitie And thus Moses is said to deny Heb. 11.24 or refuse to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter and so some are said to have a form of Godlinesse 2 Tim. 3.5 and to deny namely in their course and carriage the power thereof And Christ may be said to be denyed 1. Doctrinally and by our words 2. Really and by our works 1. Doctrinally and by our words And thus Christ hath been denyed 1. In his Person 2. In his Offices 1. In his Person and thus 1. the Jews deny his Person wholly or that he was the promised Messiah Act. 3.13 14. And the followers of Simon Magus taught as he himself had taught them that he was the Son of God Epiphan lib. 1. c. 21. Aug. de Hares cap. 1. Joseph l. 2. c. 12 Tertul. lib. de Haeres The like is reported of Menander Judas of Galilee and he who stiled himself Bencocab all which as credible Stories relate gave out that they were Christs and Messiahs the later whereof though he call'd himself Bencocab the son of a Star applying to himself that prophesie of the Star of Jacob was afterward by way of derision called Barcozba the son of a lie 2. Christ in respect of his person hath been denyed in either of his Natures In his Godhead by the Ebionites Cerinthians Arians Samosatenians and of late by Servetus and his followers In his Manhood by the Valentinians Marcionites Manichees Apollinarists and of late by some Anabaptists 3. The Person of Christ hath been denyed by those who opposed the hypostatical union of the two Natures and thus he was denyed by Nestorians Euticheans Sabellians the first dividing Christ into two persons The second confounding and mixing his two Natures The third mixing him with the person of the Father 2. In his Offices 1. Christ in his Prophetical Office is denyed by Papists who impose upon us a new Scripture 1. 1 Cor. 11.26 Hebr. 13.4 1 Tim. 4.3 By taking away from it in denying the Eucharistical Cup to the people meats also and marriage and which is worse in denying the food of life the reading of the holy Scriptures to the common people 2. Col. 3.16 By adding to it in bringing in a second place for punishment after this life the fained fire of purgatory by inventing five sacraments and introducing their own unwritten traditions which they equally esteem with and often prefer before the Scriptures and by making a Pope the infallible judge of the controversies of faith 2. In his Priestly office Christ is denyed 1. 1 Joh. 2.2 Mat. 20.18 Mar. 10.45 Heb. 10.12 14 2 Cor. 5.21 By Socinians who teach that he dyed not for us that is in our place and stead but only for our benefit and profit to shew us by his example the way which leads to salvation 2. By Papists who teaching that the Masse is a propitiatory sacrifice make the sacrifice of Christ imperfect and by joyning many other mediators and advocates with Christ deny him to be the One and Only Mediator They mingle the blood of Martyrs yea of traytors with the blood of Christ teach that images are to be worshipped Angels invoked relicks adored c. 3. In his Kingly office Christ is denyed by Papists who acknowledge the Pope the head of the Church and teach that all power is given to him in heaven and earth and that he can make lawes to bind the conscience and is universall Bishop c. In a word the eastern Turk denyes the person of Christ and the western his offices 2. Christ is denyed really and by our works And this denyall I conceive the Apostle here principally intends for had these seducers in word denyed Christ the Church would easily have espyed them In speech therefore they professed Christ but in their deeds they denyed him Tit. 1.16 Christ may be denyed by mens workes sundry ways 1. Heb. 10.29 By a malicious and dispitefull opposing Christ and his Gospel of the truth and benefit whereof the holy Ghost hath so evicted a person that he opposeth the
monument of his love and their duty Words passe away and are forgotten when writing remains Every new tide blots out a writing on the sand and every new Sermon makes the former forgotten but writing deceives even death it selfe It 's a kind of image of eternity Some by idlenesse have been dead while they lived others by their labours have lived when they have been dead 2 Pet. 1.15 Peter endeavoured that the Christians might be put in remembrance even after his decease Psal 102.18 This shall be written saith the Psalmist for the generation to come 1. Observ 1. The desire of Ministers should be to benefit as many as may be To help in the way to heaven not their present but even their absent friends nor the age only in which they live but even succeeding generations they should like a great fire heat those who are a great way off The world should smell of the sanctity and holy labours of a godly Minister even when he is removed out of it He should like Zisca who commanded that a drum should be made of his skin to terrifie his enemies even after his death be serviceable Though the Prophets live not ever yet their labours should Zech. 1.5 Some of the ancient Worthies like Samson have thus done more good by their deaths than by their lives 2. Obser 2. Gods giving us the constant and standing rule of a written word shews our great readinesse to leave and swerve from him As we could not have found out so neither could we have kept in the right way without a written word We have ingenium erraticum we love to wander should without this light shining in a dark place In the Infancy of the Church and while it was contained in narrow bounds God manifested his will without the written word by dreams visions and audible voice But errour and prophanenesse increasing in after-generations men could not be without Gods will committed to writing without it we can neither find nor keep our way to heaven The Pope unwritten traditions the Sun Moon and Stars Reason and Revelations are all erring guides 3. Observ 3 Great is the goodnesse of God who would have his will committed to writing giving us a sure 2 Pet. 1.19 a more sure word of prophesie that upon which we may more safely build than upon the voice which came from heaven when Christ was transfigured How full of love is Christ to send Epistles to his Spouse the Church in his absence from her Great is his care who hath safely transmitted an uncorrupted canon to every age of his Church and set up a light which the rage and subtilty of Satan can no more blow out then can a man the Sun with a pair of bellows God provides not only light in heaven but light to heaven He teacheth us in the School of Scripture He hath not dealt so with every nation the Heathen have but the school of creatures Psal 147.20 the Jewes though our carefull Library-keepers yet understood not this written word 4. Observ 4. The great impiety of those who neglect and undervalue the written word I have written saith God the great things of my Law Hos 8.12 but they were accounted a strange thing The written word is undervalued by some practically their lives are visible as much as in them is confutations of it they live crooked lives though they have a strait rule They commit the sins of darknesse in a Land of light and they do their work worse under this glorious light than those who lived in darknesse Others disgrace the written word doctrinally Papists say Alb. Pighius Costerus in Euchirid Eccius Bailius p. 1. Bellar. de verb. Dei l. 4. c. 4. John Goodwin Yo. Eld. p. 32. Vid. Blind guide guided p. 47. it is not necessary for the Church calling it by way of contempt Atramentariam Theologiam a dead letter a divinity made of ink and paper preferring before it the scripture which is made in the Popes breast To these may be added the Sectaries of our times who peremptorily write That no writing whatsoever whether Translations or Originals is the foundation of Christian Religion And to prove it they borrow the popish arguments whereof this is the prime Religion was founded before the Scriptures therefore the Scripture cannot be the foundation of Religion They never remembring what is truely answered by our Divines Chamier Rivet * Patribus olim Deus se familiariter ostendit atque iis per se voluntatem suam patefecit tum Scripturas non fuisse necessarias fatcor at postea mutavit hanc docendae Ecclesiae rationem scribi suam voluntatem voluit tum necessaria esse Scriptura coepit Whitak de perfec Scrip. cap. 7. Whitaker c. the later whereof tels them that though of old time when God familiarly made known himselfe to the fathers and by himselfe manifested to them his will the Scriptures were not necessary yet after God did change the course of teaching his Church would have his word written the Scriptures were a necessary foundation Obser 5. The misery of those times and places where writing is made an engine to advance the devils kingdom It 's pity so usefull an invention should be imployed for any but for God and that it should be used as a weapon against him Hereticall and prophane writings kill souls at a distance leaven a whole Kingdom with sin and propagate impiety to posterity Satan hath prevailed more with his pen than his sword against the Church Far be it from a Christian Commonwealth to suffer weekly Advocates to write for Satan to take away the pen from Jude and to put it into the hand of the Seducers against whom he desires to write We put not a sword into the hand of our own may we never put a pen into the hand of Gods exemies This for the second Particular in the second reason of the Apostles sending this following Exhortation namely by what kind of means he endeavoured the good of these Christians viz. by writing The third follows the excellency and weightinesse of that subject about which he was to write the common salvation Wherein he expresseth 1. The nature thereof it was salvation 2. It 's property it was common 1. The kind and nature of that subject about which he wrote Salvation The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Explicat here render'd salvation properly signifieth a deliverance from danger and distresse as also a preservation of a thing in a condition of safety such a preservation or safety Chemnit Har. in Luc. 1. Cameron in Myroth Evang. without which a thing would be lost and destroy'd and by which it is perpetually preserved and kept safe from all danger and evill whatsoever But Salvation is taken in Scripture sundry wayes 1 Sam. 14.45 19.5 Isai 59.11 Jer. 3.23 1. First For deliverance from temporall miseries and calamities Exod. 14.13
salvation blown out here in this life salvation is in the bud Saints are here saved from the power of their corruptions they are here in the Suburbs of Heaven they here sit together in heavenly places in Christ Ephes 2.6 They here have salvation not only in their desires and expectations but in its Cause 2 Pet. 1.11 They have an entrance into the everlasting Kingdomof Christ They are by faith united to that Head which is already in heaven They are freed though not from the company of and contention with yet from conquest by all their enemies and there is alway the certainty of this salvation in respect of it selfe the object though not in respect of us the subject 4. The People of God are safe and saved Observ 4. even while they are in dangers Their enemies are but nominall The keeper of Israel never slumbers nor sleeps Psal 90. per tot Though they be tempted sick persecuted banished yet never unsafe and when ever God brings them into these conditions 't is because they are the safest for them Their graces are alway safe their souls their comforts safe because Christ their Head their hope their all is safe The poorest Saint hath his Life-guard He who provided a City of Refuge for those who kill'd men will much more finde out a City of Refuge for thee when men shall labour to kill thee Of this more before Observ 5. 5. Our dangers and enemies in this life should exceedingly commend heaven to us The Tempest commends the Haven the Pursuite of the Enemy the City of Refuge the Storms the Shelter We are never fully safe till we arrive at eternall salvation It 's strange that Saints should long no more to get into the bosome of Christ in glory that they should be so unwilling to leave the lions dens and the mountains of leopards Cant. 4.8 Mundus turbatur amatur We love to handle the world though God makes it a bundle of thorns what should we do if it were an heap of roses 6. Observ 6. God hath appointed the holy Writings for our salvation Jude writes to further the salvation of these Christians 2 Tim. 3.15 The Scriptures are able to make us wise to salvation Gal. 6.16 Eternall peace is only upon those who walk according to this rule The Scripture tels us not only what we shall find heaven to be when we are there but how we should find the way thither They are the pillar and cloud in our wildernesse The light which shines in a dark place for our guidance Let us labour to have salvation further'd by them How shall we escape if we neglect so great salvation How sad is it to carry these Letters of Heaven about us only as Vrijah carried Davids for his own destruction 7. The furthering of the salvation of others Observ 7. should be the end of our writing To write the same things to you saith Paul is sufe Phil. 3.1 2. 1 Pet. 5.12 1 John 2.1 Videtur quicquid literis mandatur id commendari omnium eruditorum lectione debere Cicero 2 Tusc quaest I have written saith Peter exhorting and testifying that this is the true grace of God wherin ye stand My little children saith John these things I write unto you that ye fin not We must not write to shew our learning much lesse to obscure the truth Nothing should be written but what the reading of the best should commend The best thing that many do by writing is to make paper dear but which is worse they make their reader worse it were well that either they would not write at all or else write a Book of Retractations But among us Sectaries after conviction write with more rage instead of retractation If these will not amend readers are to take heed of buying their books lest they imbrace their errours and rather to dig in the Mine of the Scriptures for gold than to wallow in the mire of the Books of Sectaries and Seducers This for the first the nature of that subject about which the Apostle was to write Salvation The second follows the property of it Common common salvation Wherein by way of Explication we may shew two things 1. In what respect Salvation is called common Explicat 2. Why the Apostle here in this place doth call it so Common cannot be here taken according to the usage of the word somtimes in the Scripture as 't is opposed to holy and as importing as much as prophane or that which every one may use or belongs to every one as 1 Sam. 21.4 that bread which was not consecrated to God or hallowed and of which any might eat is called common So Act. 10.14.28 and 11.8 Meats forbidden by the Leviticall Law are called common and unclean because the prophane Gentiles did commonly use those meats which the Jews being an holy people might not eat Heb. 10.29 And so those Apostates are said to account the bloud of the Covenant a common or unholy thing they esteeming the bloud of Christ no more then if it had been the bloud of some ordinary person or of some wicked or guilty one Nor is common here to be taken unlimitedly for that which is common universally to every one as if none were excluded from this salvation Mat. 7.14 Aug. de haeres cap. 43. Origen is charged as if he held that those who lived and died the most flagitious of sinners nay that the divell himselfe and his angels after a thousand years torments should be saved But Common is here taken in a limited sense this salvation being common only to the faithfull who all have an interest in the same it belongs to one of them John 17.12 Rev. 7.9 Acts 1.8 Rom. 1.16 Acts 10.35 as well as to another the meanest are not excluded it Christ loseth none of his It 's a salvation for Jewes and Gentiles rich and poor honourable and ignoble bond and free learned and illiterate And thus 't is common salvation sundry wayes 1. In regard of the meritorious purchaser of this salvation There is one common Saviour Ephes 4.5 Ephes 5.23 the Saviour of the body Every member thereof hath influence from this head There is one Lord 1 Cor. 10.4 1 Cor. 3.11 John 1.16 there is this one Mediatour between God and man They of old all drank of the same spirituall rock Christ Jesus Of his fulnesse we have all received He is the sun that gives luster and light to every star the Well that fill'd every pitcher the only foundation laid by all 1. It 's common salvation in regard of the rule and way by which we are guided thither There is but one faith called also Catholick God calls all his people with one voice Omnis unâ voce invitat Cal. in 4. Eph. There 's but one way to heaven the good old way there 's one rule prescribed to all somtimes it hath been more
In Christo 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that the two Natures should be united 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 so as that there should be no confusion mutation commixtion of them but that both natures should remain distinct and entire in their properties wils and actions without any change of one into the other 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 individually and inseparably so as one nature should never be separated from the other no not by death there never being two Christs but one Son of God manifested in the flesh How great was that wisdome which found out a way for the Mediator between God and Man to partake of the natures of both those parties between whom he mediates and which contrived a Reconciliation between God and Man by the marriage of the natures of both 2. How eminent was that Justice of God that would be satisfied no way but by the Son of God his assuming the nature of man the vailing his Glory emptying himself of Majestie and a debasing to the death of the Crosse Phil. 2.8 So that God may seem more severe in sparing man this way then if he had punish'd him without sending his Son thus to redeem him 3. How transcendent was the Love of God to poor lost man to weave the garment of his spotted and defiled nature anew in the Virgins womb to become a new and living way over that gulf of separation which was between God and Man whereby God might be willing to come to man and man able to go to God! to disrobe himself of Majestie and to cloath himself with the rags of Mortalitie Did ever Love cause such a condescention as this The Thistle did not here send to the Cedar but the Cedar comes to the Thistle to wo for a marriage Let the deepest apprehensions despair to dive to the bottom of this humble undertaking Angels themselves may stoop to look into it 1 Pet. 1.12 and be Students in this piece of Divinitie but never can they be compleatly apprehensive what it is for the Maker of the World to be made of a woman for the everlasting Father to be an infant in the womb for Majestie to be buried among the chips for him who thundred in the clouds to lie in the cradle for him who measured the heavens with a span to be a child of a span long 3. Observ 3. Isai 43.11 Hos 13.4 Any other Saviours beside Christ are altogether needlesse and fictitious If Christ be God there is no other Saviour and he no more wants the help of men or Angels in the Redemption of the world then he did in the Creation To an infinite power nothing can be added and the strength of Christ to save is infinite What brings the creature to God but wants and weaknesses That which receives all its strength from God adds no strength to God There 's none but a God able to do the Work and fit to receive the Honour of a Saviour The highest of all Popishly voyced Saviours throw down their Crowns at the feet of Christ and with one voice acknowledg him their Saviour The Crown of purchasing our salvation is too heavie for any created head Did those glorified spirits in heaven know how much honour is taken from Christ by casting it upon them some think that heaven should be no heaven to them 4. Divine Justice is compleatly satisfied Observ 4. and the sins of beleevers are perfectly removed The Merits of Christ are of infinite value the least sin was a burden too heavie for all the created backs of Men and Angels to undergo None but he that was God Heb. 7.25 John 1.29 Mic. 7.19 Isa 44.22 Isa 38.17 Psal 32.1 Jer. 31.34 could perfectly satisfie a God Christ is able to save to the uttermost He taketh away the sin of the world Our iniquities are said to be subdued Thrown into the bottom of the sea Covered washed away Blotted out as a cloud Vtterly forgotten and Cast behind the back of God Beleevers have nothing to pay to Justice The payments of Popish Merits are not in currant but copper coin which will not goe in heaven but will certainly be turned back again The sins of one beleever are ten thousand times greater than Satan can represent but yet the merits of the blood of God infinitely exceed all the sins of all men put together The blood of Christ cleanseth from all sin 1 John 1.7 Christians take heed of a sacrilegious ransacking of the grave of Christ wherein he hath buried your sins If Christ be God desperation is the greatest of sins Is there any spot so deep which the blood of God cannot wash out any disease so desperate which the blood of God cannot cure any heart so faint which the blood of God cannot revive any debt so great which the blood of God cannot satisfie any burden so heavie which the shoulders of God cannot bear away Oh beleever Luke 1.47 let thy spirit rejoyce in God thy Saviour 5. How high is the advancement of humane Nature Observ 5. Hee who hath taken it into the unity of his Person is true God Hebr. 2.16 Phil. 2.10 The seed of Abraham is now more highly dignified then the nature of Angels There 's not a knee either in heaven in earth or under the earth but shall bow at the name of Him who is God and man in one person Let us fear to debase that nature which Christ hath magnified Psal 15.4 There 's nothing but sin that makes a man a vile person How unworthy a condescension is it for that nature to stoop to Divels which is advanced above Angels 1 Sam. 5.5 The Philistims tread not on that threshold upon which their Idol Dagon fell and shall man suffer lust and Divels to trample upon and defile that nature which the Son of God assumed Oh man acknowledg thy dignitie and being made a companion of the divine Nature be not so degenerous as to become a slave to Sin 6. Observ 6. How peculiarly dignified and blessed are all Beleevers Their Head their Husband is very God They have not onely the common honour of all men in the union of humane nature with the Son of God but a speciall priviledg in being united to him by his Spirit through Faith Man is advanced above other creatures in respect of the first Beleevers are advanced above other men in respect of the second union And if thus we are united to him who is God what influences of holinesse wisdom power c. shall flow to us from such a Head A Prince who hath all the gold and ornaments of the world will not suffer his Wife to want necessaries and certainly the Spouse of Christ shall have what shee wants if not what she would 7. Observ 7. Whatever it is that Christ who is God ordains and owns deserves our highest estimation The Day instituted by