this mutual Dependency on and Supplies unto one another they all depend on and are influenced from God himself the Eternal Fountain of Being Power and Goodness He hears the Heavens and in the Continuation of this Order by constant Divine Communication of Being Goodness and Power unto all Things God is no less glorified than in the first Creation of them Act. 14. 15 16 17. Chap. 17. 24 25 26 27 28 29. 5. THIS Glory of God is visible in the Matter of it and is obvious unto the Reason of Mankind for from his Works of Creation and Providence they may learn his Eternal Power and Godhead wherein he is essentially glorious 6. BUT by this divine Communication God did not intend only to glorifie himself in the essential Properties of his Nature but his Existence also in Three Persons of Father Son and Spirit For although the whole Creation in its first framing and in its Perfection was and is by an Emanation of Power and Goodness from the Divine Nature in the Person of the Father as he is the Fountain of the Trinity whence he is said peculiarly to be the Creator of all things yet the immediate Operation in the Creation was from the Son the Power and Wisdom of the Father Joh. 1. 1 2 3. Col. 1. 16. Heb. 1. 3. And as upon the first Production of the Mass of the Creation it was under the especial care of the Spirit of God to preserve and cherish it unto the production of all distinct sorts of Creatures Gen. 1. 2. So in the Continuance of the whole there is an especial Operation of the same Spirit in all things Nothing can subsist one Moment by vertue of the Dependance which all things have on one another without a continual Emanation of Power from him see Psal. 104. 29 30. BY these divine Communications in the production and preservation of the Creature doth God manifest his Glory and by them alone in the way of Nature he doth so and without them although he would have been for ever essentially glorious yet was it impossible that his Glory should be known unto any but himself Wherefore on these divine Communications doth depend the whole Maninifestation of the Glory of God But this is far more eminent though not in the outward Effects of it so visible in the new Creation as we shall see 1. ALL Goodness Grace Life Light Mercy and Power which are the Springs and Causes of the New Creation are all originally in God in the divine Nature and that infinitely and essentially In them is God eternally or essentially glorious and the whole Design of the New Creation was to manifest his Glory in them by external Communications of them and from them 2. THE first Communication of and from these things is made unto Christ as the Head of the Church For in the first place it pleased God that in him should all the fulness of these things dwell so as that the whole New Creation might consist in him Col. 1. 17 18 19. And this was the first Egress of divine Wisdom for the Manifestation of the Glory of God in these holy Properties of his Nature For 3. THIS Communication was made unto him as a Repository and Treasury of all that Goodness Grace Life Light Power and Mercy which were necessary for the Constitution and Preservation of the New Creation They were to be laid up in him to be hid in him to dwell in him and from him to be communicated unto the whole Mystical Body designed unto him that is the Church And this is the first Emanation of divine Power and Wisdom for the Manifestation of his Glory in the New Creation This Constitution of Christ as the Head of it and the Treasuring up in him all that was necessary for its Production and Preservation wherein the Church is chosen and preordained in him unto Grace and Glory is the Spring and Fountain of divine Glory in the Communications that ensue thereon 4. THIS Communication unto Christ is 1. Unto his Person and then 2. With respect unto this Office It is in the Person of Christ that all Fulness doth originally dwell On the Assumption of human Nature into personal Union with the Son of God all Fulness dwells in him bodily Col. 2. 9. And thereon receiving the Spirit in all Fulness and not by Measure all the Treasures of Wisdom and Knowledge were hid in him Col. 2. 3. and he was filled with the unsearchable Riches of Divine Grace Ephes. 3. 8 9 10 11. And the Office of Christ is nothing but the way appointed in the Wisdom of God for the Communication of the Treasures of Grece which were communicated unto his Person This is the end of the whole Office of Christ in all the parts of it as he is a Priest a Prophet and a King They are I say nothing but the Ways appointed by infinite Wisdom for the Communication of the Grace laid up in his Person unto the Church The transcendent Glory hereof we have in some weak measure enquired into 5. THE Decree of Election prepared if I may so say the Mass of the New Creation In the oldâ— Creation God first prepared and created the Mass or Matter of the whole which afterwards by the Power of the holy Spirit was formed into all the distinct Beings whereof the whole Creation was to consist and animated according to their distinct Kinds AND in order unto the Production and Perfecting of the Work of the new Creation God did from Eternity in the holy purpose of his Will prepare and in design set apart unto himself that Portion of Mankind whereof it was to consist Hereby they were only the peculiar Matter that was to be wrought upon by the Holy Ghost and the glorious Fabrick of the Church erected out of it What was said it may be of the Natural Body by the Psalmist is true of the Mystical Body of Christ which is principally intended Psal. 139. 15 16. My substance was not hid from thee when I was made in secret and curiously wrought in the lowest parts of the earth Thine eyes did see my substance yet being imperfect and in thy Book all my members were written which in continuance were fashioned when as yet there was none of them The substance of the Church whereof it was to be formed was under the Eye of God as proposed in the Decree of Election yet was it as such imperfect It was not formed or shaped into Members of the Mystical Body But they were all written in the Book of Life And in pursuance of the Purpose of God there they are by the holy Spirit in the whole course and continuance of time in their several Generations fashioned into the Shape designed for them 6. THIS therefore is herein the glorious Order of divine Communications From the infinite eternal Spring of Widsom Grace Goodness and Love in the Father all the Effects whereof unto his end were treasured up in the Person and
Mediation of the Son the holy Spirit unto whom the actual Application of them is committed communicates Life Light Power Grace and Mercy unto all that are designed parts of the New Creation Hereon doth God glorifie both the essential Properties of his Nature his infinite Wisdom Power Goodness and Grace as the only eternal Spring of all these things and also his ineffable glorious Existence in three Persons by the Order of the Communication of these things unto the Church which are originally from his Nature And herein is the glorious Truth of the Blessed Trinity which by some is opposed by some neglected by most looked on as that which is so much above them as that it doth not belong unto them made precious unto them that believe and becomes the Foundation of their Faith and Hope In a View of the glorious Order of those divine Communications we are in a steady Contemplation of the ineffable Glory of the Existence of the Nature of God in the Three distinct Persons of Father Son and Holy Ghost 7. ACCORDING unto this Divine Order the Elect in all Ages are by the holy Spirit moving and acting on that Mass of the New Creation formed and animated with spiritual Life Light Grace and Power unto the Glory of God They are not called accidentally according unto the external Occasions and Causes of their Conversion unto God but in every Age at his own Time and Season the holy Spirit communicates these things unto them in the Order declared unto the Glory of God 8. AND in the same manner is the whole New Creation preserved every Day every moment there is vital Power and Strength Mercy and Grace communicated in this Divine Order to all Believers in the World There is a continual Influence from the Fountain from the Head into all the Members whereby they all consist in him are acted by him who worketh in us both to will and to do of his own good pleasure and the Apostle declares that the whole Constitution of Church-order is suited as an external Instrument to promote these Divine Communications unto all the Members of the Church it self Eph. 4. 13 14 15 16. THIS in general is the Order of Divine Communications which is for the Substance of it continued in Heaven and shall be so unto Eternity For God is and ever will be all and in all But at present it is invisible unto Eyes of Flesh yea the Reason of Men. Hence it is by the most despised they see no Glory in it But let us consider the Prayer of the Apostle that it may be otherwise with us Ephes. 1. 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23. For the Revelation made of the Glory of God in the old Creation is exceeding inferior to that which he makes of himself in the New HAVING premised these things in general concerning the Glory of Divine Communications I shall proceed to declare in particular the Grounds and Way whereby the Lord Christ communicates himself and therewithal all the Benefits of his Mediation unto them that do believe as it was before proposed WE on our part are said herein to receive him and that by Faith John 1. 11 12. Now where he is received by us he must be tendred given granted or communicated unto us And this he is by some divine Acts of the Father and some of his own THE Foundation of the whole is laid in a Soveraign Act of the Will the Pleasure the Grace of the Father And this is the Order and Method of all divine Operations in the Way and Work of Grace They originally proceed all from him and having effected their Ends do return rest and center in him again see Ephes. 1. 4 5 6. Wherefore that Christ is made ours that he is communicated unto us is originally from the free Act Grant and Donation of the Father 1 Cor. 1. 30. Rom. 5. 15 16 17. And hereunto sundry things do concur As 1. His Eternal Purpose which he purposed in himself to glorifie his Grace in all his Elect by this Communication of Christ and the Benefits of his Mediation unto them which the Apostle declares at large Ephes. 1. 2. His granting all the Elect unto Christ to be his own so to do and suffer for them what was antecedaneously necessary unto the actual Communication of himself unto them Thine they were and thou gavest them to me Joh. 17. 3. The giving of the Promise or the Constitution of the Rule and Law of the Gospel whereby a participation of Christ an Interest in him and all that he is is made over and assured unto Believers Joh. 1. 12. 1 Joh. 1. 1 2 3 4. 4. An Act of Almighty Power working and creating Faith in the Souls of the Elect enabling them to receive Christ so exhibited and communicated unto them by the Gospel Ephes. 1. 19 20. Chap. 2. 5 6 7 8. THESE things which I have but named have an Influence into the Glory of Christ herein For this Communication of him unto the Church is an effect of the eternal Counsel Wisdom Grace and Power of the Father BUT they are the Acts of Christ himself herein which principally we enquire into as those which manifest the Glory of his Wisdom Love and Condescention AND 1. He gives and communicates unto them his holy Spirit the holy Spirit as peculiarly his as granted unto him of the Father as inhabiting in him in all fulness This Spirit abiding originally as to his Person and immeasurably as unto his Effects and Operations in himself he gives unto all Believers to inhabit and abide in them also Joh. 14. 14. 20. 1 Cor. 6. 16 17. Rom. 8. 8. Hence follows an ineffable Vnion between him and them For as in his Incarnation he took our Nature into personal Union with his own so herein he takes our Persons into a Mystical Vnion with himself Hereby he becomes ours and we are his AND herein is he unspeakably glorious For this Mystery of the Inhabitation of the same Spirit in him as the Head and the Church as his Body animating the whole is a transcendent Effect of Divine Wisdom There is nothing of this Nature in the whole Creation besides no such Union no such mutual Communication The strictest Unions and Relations in Nature are but Shadows of it Ephes. 5. 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32. Herein also is the Lord Christ precious unto them that do believe but a Stone of stumbling and a Rock of offence unto the Disobedient This glorious ineffable Effect of his Wisdom and Grace this rare peculiar singular Way of the Communication of himself unto the Church is by many despised They know it may be some of them what it is to be joyned unto an Harlot so as to become one Flesh but what it is to be joyned unto the Lord so as to become one Spirit they know not But this Principle and Spring of the spiritual Life of the Church and of all vital spiritual Motions towards God and Things
the Divine Nature Infinite Being and Goodness in a Nature intelligent and self-subsistent So the Apostle declares it He that cometh unto God must believe that he is and that he is a Rewarder Heb. 11. 6. 2. IN this State of Infinite Eternal Being and Goodness antecedent unto any Act of Wisdom or Power without himself to give Existence unto other Things God was and is eternally in himself all that he will be all that he can be unto Eternity For where there is Infinite Being and Infinite Goodness there is Infinite Blessedness and Happiness whereunto nothing can be added God is always the same That is his Name 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Psal. 102. 27. Thou art he always the same All things that are make no addition unto God no change in his State His Blessedness Happiness Self-satisfaction as well as all other his Infinite Perfections were absolutely the same before the Creation of any thing whilst there was nothing but himself as they are since he hath made all things For the Blessedness of God consists in the ineffable mutual Inbeing of the Three holy Persons in the same Nature with the immanent reciprocal Actings of the Father and the Son in the eternal Love and Complacency of the Spirit Hereunto nothing can be added herein no Change can be made by any external Work or Effect of Power Herein doth God act in the perfect Knowledge and perfect Love of his own Perfections unto an infinite Acquiescency therein which is the Divine Blessedness This gives us the true Notion of the Divine Nature antecedent unto the Manifestation of it made by any outward Effects Infinite Being and Goodness eternally blessed in the Knowledge and Enjoyment of it self by inconceivable ineffable internal Actings answering the manner of its Subsistence which is in three distinct Persons 3. THIS Being and Goodness of God by his own Will and Pleasure acting themselves in Infinite Wisdom and Power produced the Creation of all things Herein he communicated a finite limited dependent Being and Goodness unto other things without himself For all Being and Goodness being as was said in him alone it was necessary that the first outward Work and Effect of the Divine Nature must be the Communication of Being and Goodness into other things Wherefore as when he had given unto every thing its Being out of nothing by the Word of his Power saying Let them be and they were so it is said that he looked on all that he had made and behold they were exceeding good Gen. 1. last Being and Goodness must be the first outward Effects of the Divine Nature which being wrought by Infinite Power and Wisdom do represent unto us the Glory of God in the Creation of all things Infinite Being in Self-subsistence which is necessary in the first Cause and Spring of all things Infinite Goodness to communicate the Effect of this Being unto that which was not and Infinite Wisdom and Power in that Communication are gloriously manifested therein 4. IN this State all things that were made depended immediately on God himself without the Interposition of any other Head of Influence or Rule They had the Continuance of their Being and its Preservation from the immediate Actings of these Properties of the Divine Nature whereby they were made and their Dependance on God was by Vertue of that Law which was implanted on the Principles and Powers of their several Natures by God himself 5. THUS in the beginning God created the Heavens and the Earth He provided himself of two distinct Rational Families that should depend on him according to a Law of Moral Obedience and thereby give Glory to him with two distinct Habitations for them cognate unto their Nature and Use Heaven above and the Earth beneath The Earth he appointed for the Habitation of Man which was every way suited unto the Constitution of his Nature the Preservation of his Being and the End of his Creation in giving Glory to God Heaven he prepared for the Habitation of the Angels which was suited unto the Constitution of their Nature the Preservation of their Being and the End of their Creation in giving Glory to God Wherefore as Man had Power and Dominion over all things here below and was to use them all unto the Glory of God by which means God received Glory from them also though in themselves bruit and inanimate so the Angels had the like Dominion over the Coelestial and Aetherial Bodies wherewith God had fitted the Place of their Habitation that through the Contemplation and Use of them God might have a Revenue of Glory and Praise from them also To suppose any other Race of Intellectual Creatures besides Angels in Heaven and Men on Earth is not only without all Countenance from any Divine Testimony but it disturbs and disorders the whole Representation of the Glory of God made unto us in the Scripture and the whole Design of his Wisdom and Grace as declared therein Intellectual Creatures not comprehended in that Government of God and Mystery of his Wisdom in Christ which the Scripture Reveals are a Chimera framed in the Imaginations of some Men scarce duly sensible of what it is to be wise unto Sobriety 6. THIS Order of things was beautiful and comely Hence were they all said to be exceeding good For each of these Families had their own immediate distinct Dependance on God He was the immediate Head of them There was no other common Head interposed between God and them They were not an Head unto one another There were no Communications unto them but what were immediate from God himself And their Union among themselves was in this alone that all their Obedience did meet and center in God So God made the Heavens and the Earth and two distinct Families in them for himself 7. THIS beautiful Order in it self this Union between the two Families of God was disturbed broken dissolved by the Entrance of Sin For hereby part of the Family above and the whole Family below fell off from their Dependance on God and ceasing to center in him as their Head they fell into Variance and Enmity among themselves For the Center of this Union and Order being removed and lost nothing but Enmity and Confusion remained among them Hereon to shew that its Goodness was lost God cursed the Earth and all that was in it for it was put in Subjection unto Man who was now fallen from him Howbeit he cursed not the Heavens which were in Subjection unto the Angels because some of them only left their Habitation and the Habitation of the Residue was not to be cursed for their Sakes But Mankind was wholly gone off from God 8. THE Angels that sinned God utterly rejected for ever as an Example of his Severity the whole Race of Mankind he would not utterly cast off but determined to recover and save a Remnant according to the Election of Grace which how he did it in a way of Condecency unto all his Divine
nothing stands in need of nothing nothing can be added unto him seeing he giveth unto all Life and Breath and all things Act. 17. 25. The whole Creation in all its Excellency cannot contribute one Mite unto the Satisfaction or Blessedness of God He hath it all in Infinite Perfection from himself and his own Nature our Goodness extends not unto him A Man cannot profit God as he may profit his Neighbour If thou sinnest what dost thou against him and if thy Transgressions are multiplied what dost thou unto him God loseth nothing of his own Self-â—ufficiency and Blessedness therein by all this and if thou be righteous what givest thou unto him or what receiveth he at thy hand Job 35. 6 7 8. And from hence also it follows that all Gods concernment in the Creation is by an Act of Condescention HOW glorious then is the Condescention of the Son of God in his Susception of the Office of Mediation For if such be the Perfection of the Divine Nature and its distance so absolutely Infinite from the whole Creation and if such be his Self sufficiency unto his own Eternal Blessedness as that nothing can be taken from him nothing added unto him so that every Regard in him unto any of the Creatures is an Act of Self-umiliation and Condescention from the Prerogative of his Being and State what Heart can conceive what Tongue can express the Glory of that Condescention in the Son of God whereby he took our Nature upon him took it to be his own in order unto a discharge of the Office of Mediation on our Behalf BUT that we may the better behold the Glory of Christ herein we may briefly consider the Especial Nature of this Condescention and wherein it doth consist BUT whereas not only the Denial but Misapprehensions hereof have pestered the Church of God in all Ages we must in the first place reject them and then declare the Truth 1. THIS Condescention of the Son of God did not consist in a laying aside or parting with or separation from the Divine Nature so as that he should cease to be God by being Man The Foundation of it lay in this that he was in the form of God and counted it not robbery to be equal with God Phil. 2. v. 6. That is being really and essentially God in his Divine Nature he professed himself therein to be equal with God or the Person of the Father He was in the Form of God that is he was God participant of the Divine Nature for God hath no Form but that of his Essence and Being and hence he was equal with God in Authority Dignity and Power Because he was in the Form of God he must be equal with God for there is Order in the Divine Persons but no Inequality in the Divine Being So the Jews understood him that when he said God was his Father he made himself equal with God For in his so saying he ascribed unto himself equal Power with the Father as unto all Divine Operations My Father saith he worketh hitherto and I work Joh. 5. 17 18. And they by whom his Divine Nature is denied do cast this Condescention of Christ quite out of our Religion as that which hath no Reality or Substance in it But we shall speak of them afterwards BEING in this state it is said that he took on him the form of a servant and was found in fashion as a Man ver 7. This is his Condescention It is not said that he ceased to be in the Form of God but continuing so to be he took on him the form of a Servant in our Nature He became what he was not but he ceased not to be what he was so he testifieth of himself Joh. 3. 13. No man hath ascended up into heaven but he that came down from heaven the Son of man which is in heaven Although he was then on Earth as the Son of Man yet he ceased not to be God thereby in his Divine Nature he was then also in Heaven HE who is God can no more be not God than he who is not God can be God And our difference with the Socinians herein is we believe that Christ being God was made Man for our Sakes they say that being only a Man he was made a God for his own sake THIS then is the foundation of the Glory of Christ in this Condescention the Life and Soul of all heavenly Truth and Mysteries namely that the Son of God becoming in time to be what he was not the Son of Man ceased not thereby to be what he was even the Eternal Son of God Wherefore 2. MUCH less did this Condescention consist in the Conversion of the Divine Natura into the Humane which was the Imagination of some of the Arians of old and we have yet to my own knowledg some that follow them in the same Dotage They say that the Word which was in the Beginning by which all things were made being in it self an Effect of the Divine Will and Power was in the fulness of time turned into Flesh that is the Substance of it was so as the Water in the Miracle wrought by our Saviour was turned into Wine for by an Act of the Divine Power of Christ it ceased to be Water substantially and was Wine only not Water mixed with Wine So these Men suppose a Substantial Change of the one Nature into the other of the divine Nature into the humane like what the Papists imagine in their Trasubstantiation So they say God was made Man his Effence being turned into that of a Man BUT this no way belongs unto the Condescention of Christ. We may call it Ichabod it hath no Glory in it It destroys both his Natures and leaves him a Person in whom we are not concerned For according unto this Imagination that Divine Nature wherein he was in the Form of God did in its own Form cease to be yea was utterly destroyed as being substantially changed into the Nature of Man as the Water did cease to be when it was turned into Wine and that humane Nature which was made thereof hath no Alliance or Kindred unto us or our Nature seeing it was not made of a Woman but of the Substance of the Word 3. THERE was not in this Condescention the least Change or Alteration in the Divine Nature Eutiches and those that followed him of old conceived that the two Natures of Christ the Divine and Humane were mixed and compounded as it were into one And this could not be without an Alteration in the divine Nature for it would be made to be essentially what it was not for one Nature hath but one and the same Essence BUT as we said before altho the Lord Christ himself in his Person was made to be what he was not before in that our Nature hereby was made to be his yet his Divine Nature was not so There is in it neither variableness nor shadow of turning It
Perfections I have elsewhere declared 9. HOWBEIT he would not restore them into their former State so as to have again two distinct Families each in an immediate Dependance on himself though he left them in different and distinct Habitations Eph. 3. 15. But he would gather them both into one and that under a new Head in whom the one Part should be preserved from sinning and the other delivered from sin committed 10. THIS then is that which the Apostle declares in these Words To gather together in one all things which are in Heaven and which are in Earth even in him And so he again expresseth it Col. 1. 20. To reconcile all things unto himself in him whether they are things in Heaven or things in Earth all things were fallen into disorder and confusion by sin they were fallen off from God into variance among themselves God would not restore them into their first Order in an immediate Dependance on his Divine Perfections He would no longer keep them in two distinct Families but he would in his infinite Wisdom and Goodness gather them up into one common Head on whom they should have their immediate Dependance and be reconciled again among themselves 11. THIS New Head wherein God hath gathered up all things in Heaven and Earth into one one Body one Family on whom is all their dependance in whom they all now consist is Jesus Christ the Son of God incarnate see 1 Cor. 11. 3. Eph. 1. 21 22 23. This Glory was reserved for him none other could be meet for it or worthy of it see Col. 1. 17 18 19 20 12. TO answer all the Ends of this New Head of Gods recollected Family all Power in Heaven and Earth all Fulness of Grace and Glory is committed unto him There is no Communication from God no Act of Rule towards this Family no Supply of Vertue Power Grace or Goodness unto Angels or Men but what is immediately from this New Head whereinto they are gathered In him they all consist on him do they depend unto him are they subject in their Relation unto him doth their Peace Union and Agreement among themselves consist This is the Recapitulation of all things intended by the Apostle 13. IT is true that he acts distinctly and variously towards the two parts of the Recollected Family of Angels and Men according as their different States and Conditions do require For 1. We had need of a Reparation by Redemption and Grace which the Angels had not 2. Angels were capable of immediate Confirmation in Glory which we are not until we come to Heaven Therefore 1. He assumed our Nature that it might be repaired which he did not the Nature of the Angels 2. He gives us Union unto himself by his Spirit which exalts us into a Dignity and Honour meet for Fellowship with them in the same Family THIS is a brief Account of the mysterious Work of Divine Wisdom in the Recapitulation of all things in Jesus Christ and herein is he transcendently glorious or his Glory herein is far above our Comprehension Yet some few things may be observed to direct us in the View and Contemplation of it As 1. HE alone was a meet and capable Subject of it He only could bear the weight of this Glory No meet Creature in Heaven or Earth was meet to be thus made the Head of the whole new Creation of God In none of them could all things consist None of them was meet to be thus in the Place of God to have all things depend upon him and be put in subjection unto him so as that there should be no Communication between God and the Creation but by and through him alone Wherefore when the holy Ghost assigns this Glory unto him he so describes him as that we may discern his singular meetness for it as that he is the Brightness of the Fathers Glory and the express Image of his Person upholding all things by the Word of his Power Heb. 1. 3. That he is the Image of the invisible God the first born of every Creature by whom all things were created that are in Heaven and that are in the Earth visible and invisible whether they be Thrones or Dominions or Principalities or Powers all things were created by him and for him and he is before all things and by him all things consist Col. 1. 15 16 17 18 19. Such an one alone and no other was meet to bear and uphold this Glory And the Glory of his Person is such as that it is the Blessedness of all Creatures to center in this Glory of his Office 2. THIS is that Glory which God designed unto his only Son incarnate and it gives us a little View into the Glory of that Mystery the wonderful eternal Design of God to glorifie himself in the Incarnation of Christ. God would have his eternal his only begotten Son to be incarnate to take our Nature on him to be made Man What is his Design in this incomprehensible Work of his Wisdom Love and Power Indeed in the first place it was for the Redemption of the Church by the Sacrifice of himself and other Acts of his Mediation But there is that which is more general and comprehensive and wherein all the concerns of the Glory of God do center And this was that he might gather all things into one in him that the whole Creation especially that which was to be eternally blessed should have a new Head given unto it for its Sustentation Preservation Order Honor and Safety All Springs are in him and all Streams are unto him and in and by him unto God Who can express the Divine Beauty Order and Harmony of all things that are in this their Recapitulation in Christ The Union and Communion between Angels and Men the Order of the whole Family in Heaven and Earth the Communication of Life Grace Power Mercy and Consolation to the Church the Rule and Disposal of all things unto the Glory of God do all depend hereon This Glory God designed unto his Son incarnate and it was the greatest the highest that could be communicated unto him For as the Apostle observes All things are put in subjection unto him he only excepted who doth â—o make them subject that is God the Father 1 Cor. 15. THERE is no Contemplation of the Glory of Christ that ought more to affect the Hearts of them that do believe with Delight and Joy than this of the Recapitulation of all things in him One View by Faith of him in the place of God as the supream Head of the whole Creation moving acting guiding and disposing of it will bring in spiritual Refreshment unto a believing Soul AND it will do so the more in that it gives a glorious Representation of his Divine Nature also For that any meer Creature should thus be an Head of Life Motion and Power as also of soveraign Rule and disposal of the whâ—le new Creation with all things reduced into
Heaven AMONG the many other Differences which might be insisted on altho the greatest of them are unto us at present absolutely incomprehensible and so not to be enquired into I shall name two only and so put a close to this Discourse 1. IN the View which we have here of the Glory of Christ by Faith we gather things as it were one by one in several parts and parcels out of the Scripture and comparing them together in our Minds they become the Object of our present Sight which is our spiritual comprehension of the things themselves We have no proposal of the Glory of Christ unto us by Vision or illustrious appearance of his Person as Isaiah had of old Chap. 6. 1 2 3 4. or as John had in the Revelation Chap. 1. vers 13 14 15 16. We need it not it would be of no advantage unto us For as unto the assurance of our Faith we have a word of prophesie more useful unto us than a Voice from Heaven 2 Pet. 1. 17 18 19. And of those who received such Visions tho of eminent use unto the Church yet as unto themselves one of them cryed out Wo is me I am undone and the other fell as dead at his feet We are not able in this life to bear such glorious Representations of him unto our Edification AND as we have no such external proposals of his Glory unto us in Visions so neither have we any New Revelations of him by immediate inspiration We can see nothing of it know nothing of it but what is proposed unto us in the Scripture and that as it is proposed Nor doth the Scripture it self in any one place make an entire proposal of the Glory of Christ with all that belongs unto it nor is it capable of so doing nor can there be any such Representation of it unto our capacity on this side Heaven If all the Light of the Heavenly Luminaries had been contracted into one it would have been destructive not useful to our sight But being by Divine Wisdom distributed into Sun Moon and Stars each giving out his own Proportion it is suited to declare the Glory of God and to enlighten the World So if the whole Revelation of the Glory of Christ and all that belongs unto it had been committed into one series and contexture of Words it would have overwhelmed our Minds rather than enlightned us Wherefore God hath distributed the Light of it through the whole Firmament of the Books of the Old and New Testament whence it communicates it self by various parts and degrees unto the proper use of the Church In one place we have a description of his Person and the Glory of it sometimes in words plain and proper and sometimes in great variety of Allegories conveying an heavenly Sense of things unto the Minds of them that do believe In others of his Love and Condescention in his Office and his Glory therein His Humiliation Exaltation and Power are in like manner in sundry places represented unto us And as one Star differeth from another in Glory so it was one way whereby God represented the Glory of Christ in Types and Shadows under the Old Testament and another wherein it is declared in the New Illustrious Testimonies upon all these things are planted up and down in the Scripture which we may collect as choice flowers in the Paradise of God for the SO the Spouse in the Canticles considered every part of the Person and Grace of Christ distinctly by it self and from them all concludes that he is altogether lovely Chap. 5. 10 11 12 13 14 15 16. So ought we to do in our study of the Scripture to find out the Revelation of the Glory of Christ which is made therein as did the Prophets of old as unto what they themselves received by immediate Inspiration They searched diligently what the spirit of Christ which was in them did signifie when it testified before hand the sufferings of Christ and the glory which should ensue 1 Pet. 1. 11 12. But this seeing of Christ by parts in the Revelation of him is one cause why we see him here but in part SOME suppose that by Chopping and Painting and Gilding they can make an Image of Christ that shall perfectly represent him to their Sences and carnal Affections from head to foot But they feed on ashes and have a lie in their right hand Jesus Christ is evidently crucified before our eyes in the Scripture Gal. 3. 1. So also is he evidently exalted and glorified therein And it is the Wisdom of Faith to gather into one these parcelled Descriptions that are given of him that they may be the Object of its View and Contemplation IN the Vision which we shall have above the whole Glory of Christ will be at once and always represented unto us and we shall be enabled in one act of the Light of Glory to comprehend it Here indeed we are at a loss our minds and understandings fail us in their Contemplations It will not yet enter into our hearts to conceive what is the beauty what is the Glory of this compleat Representation of Christ unto us To have at once all the Glory of what he is what he was in his outward State and Condition what he did and suffered what he is Exalted unto his Love and Condescention his Mystical Union with the Church and the Communication of himself unto it with the Recapitulation of all things in Him and the Glory of God even the Father in his Wisdom Righteousness Grace Love Goodness Power Shining forth eternally in him in what he is hath done and doth all presented unto us in one view all comprehended by us at once is that which at present we cannot conceive We can long for it pant after it and have some foretasts of it namely of that State and Season wherein our whole Souls in all their powers and faculties shall constantly inseparably eternally cleave by Love unto whole Christ in the fight of the Glory of his Person and Grace until they are watered dissolved and inebriated in the Waters of Life and the Rivers of Pleasure that are above for evermore So must we speak of the things which we admire which we adore which we love which we long for which we have some foretasts of in sweetness inessable which yet we cannot comprehend THESE are some few of those things whence ariseth the difference between that view which we have here of the Glory of Christ and that which is reserved for Heaven namely such as are taken from the difference between the means or instruments of the one and the other Faith and Sight IN the last place the great difference between them consists in and is manifested by their effects Hereof I shall give some few instances and close this discourse 1. THE Vision which we shall have of the Glory of Christ in Heaven and of the Glory of the immense God in him is perfectly and absolutely transforming