enjoyned in the first Commandement and against trusting in man is there a curse denounced But Christ Jer. 17. 5. v. commands us to believe in him John 14 1. Ye believe in John 1. 12. God believe also in me John 3. 16. For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life vers 36. He that believeth in the son hath everlasting life and he that believeth not the son shall not see life but the wrath of God abideth on him John 6. 47. Verily verily I say unto you he that believeth on me hath everlasting life The same respect that Christians give unto God the father they must also give unto the son believing on him which is an honour due only to God other creatures men and Angels may be believed but not believed on rested on this were to make them Gods this were no less than Idolatry Secondly loving of Jesus Christ with all the heart commanded above the love nay even to the hatred of father mother wife children yea and our own lives Luk 14. 26. He who is not disposed where these loves are incompatible to hate father and all other relations for the love of Christ can be none of his I ought dearly and tenderly to love father and mother the Law of God and nature requiring it of me but to prefer dear Jesus Phil. 3. 7 8. Master Brad. Acts and Mon. Fol. 1492. who is God blessed for ever before all and above all as Paul and the primitive Christians and Martyrs have done before me your house home and goods your life and all that ever you have saith that Martyr God hath given you as love tokens to admonish you of his love to win your love to him again Now will he try your love whether you set more by him or by his tokens c. when Relations or life stand in competition with Christ and his Gospel they are to be abandoned hated c. But Secondly all outward worship is due to Christ as First Dedication in Baptism is in his name Mat. 28. 19. Baptizing them in the name of the father and of the son and of the holy Ghost 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 into the name by that right initiating them and receiving of them into the profession of the service of one God in three persons and of depending on Christ alone for salvation Baptizing them into the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost is the consecrating of them unto the sincere service of the sacred Trinity Secondly Divine invocation is given to Jesus Christ 2. Ponderâ— upon these Scriptures 2 Cor. 12. 8. 9. 1 Thes 1. 1. 2 Thâ—s 1. 1 2. 2 Cor. 1. 2. Acts 7. 59. Stephen calls upon the Lord Jesus to receive his spirit 1 Cor. 1. 2. All that in every place call upon the name of Jesus Christ our Lord 1 Thes 3. 11. God himself and our father and our Lord Jesus Christ direct our way unto you Ephe. 1. 2. Grace be to you and peace from God our father and from our Lord Jesus Christ It is the Saints Character that they are such as call on the Lord Jesus Acts 2. 21. Acts 9. 14. But Thirdly Praises are offered to our Lord Jesus Christ Rev. 5. 9. And they sung a new song saying Thou arâ— worthy to take the book and to open the seals thereof for thou wast slain and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred and tongue and people and nation vers 11. And I beheld and I heard the voice of many angels This is taken out of Daniel cap. 7. 10. whereby the glory and power of God and Christ is held forth they being attended with innumerable millions of Angels which stood before the fiery throne of God c. round about the throne and the beasts and the elders and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand and thousands of thousands vers 12. saying with a loud voice worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power and riches and wisdom and strength and honour and glory and blessing Vers 13. And every creature which is in heaven and on the earth and under the earth and such as are in the sea and all that are in them heard I saying blessing and honour and glory and power be unto him that sitteth upon the throne and unto the Lamb for ever and ever here you have a Catholick confession of Christ's divine nature and power All the creatures both reasonable and unreasonable do in some sort set forth the praises of Christ because in some sort they serve to illustrate and set forth his glory Here you see that Christ is adored with religious worship by all creatures which doth evidently prove that he is God since all the creatures worship him with religious worship we may safely and boldly conclude upon his Deity Here are three parties that bear a part in this new song 1. The redeemed of the Lord and they sing in the last part of the 8. verse and in the 9. and 10. verses Then 2. The Angels follow verse 11. and 12. in the third place all creatures are brought in joyning in this new song verse 13. That noble company of the Church Triumphant and Church Militant sounding out the Praises of the Lamb may sufficiently satisfie us concerning the divinity of the Lamb. But Fourthly Divine adoration is also given to him Mat. 4. Mark 1. 40. Luke 5. 12. So that he touched Christ his feet as the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies not kneeled as the word is translated Mark 1. 40. This Leper came to know Christ was God 1. by inspiration 2. by the miracles which Christ did 8. 2. A Leper worshipped him Mark saith he kneeled down and Luke saith he fell upon his face He shewed reverence in his gesture Lord if thou wilt thou canst make me clean He acknowledged a divine power in Christ in that he saith he could make him clean if he would This poor Leper lay at Christ's feet imploring and beseeching him as a dog at his master's feet as Zanch de Red. renders the word which shews that this Leper look'd upon Christ as more than a Prophet or a holy man and that believing he was God and so able to heal him if he would he gave him religious worship he doth not say to Christ Lord if thou wilt pray to God or to thy father for me I shall be whole but Lord if thou wilt I shall be whole He acknowledges the Leprosie curable by Christ which he and all men knew was incurable by others which was a plain argument of his faith for though the Psora or scabbedness may be cured yet that which is called Lepra Physicians acknowledg incurable for if a particular Cancer cannot be cured much less can an universal Cancer as Avicen observes Mat. 2. 11. Though the wise men
accordingly pouring down on his head the whole curse and all those dreadful punishments which are threatened in it against sin for the curse followeth sin as the shadow the body whether it be sin inherent or sin imputed even as the blessing follows righteousness whether it be righteousness inherent or righteousness imputed But Fifthly He that did feel and suffer the very torments of Hell though not after a hellish manner was God-man Christ participates of both natures being 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 God and man God-man such a Mediator sinners needed no Mediator but such a one who hath interest in both parties could serve their turns or save their souls and such a one is the Lord Jesus he hath an interest in both parties and he has an interest in both natures the God-head and the man hood The blessed Scriptures are so express and clear in these points that they must shut their eyes with a witness against the light that can't see Christ to be God man to be God and man I shall first speak something of Christ as he is God Now here are fathomless depths and bottomless 1 Pet. 1. 12. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The word signifies to look wishly and intently as the Cherâ—biâ—â—s of old look'd into the Mercy-Seat Exod. 25. 18 19 It signifie prying into a thing over-veiled and hidden from â—ight to look as we say wishly at it as if we would look even through it bottoms if I may so speak here are stupendious and amazing mysteries astonishing and confounding excellencies such as the holy Angels themselves desire to pry into God is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 dwelling in accessible light 1 Tim. 6. 16. Here are such beauties and perfections that had I as the Poet speaks a hundred tongues a hundred mouths and a voice of steel yet I could not sufficiently describe them Nevertheless give me lieve to say something concerning our Lord Jesus Christ who is one eternal God with the Father and with the Holy Ghost I might produce a cloud of witnesses in the case but it is enough that we have the Authority of the sacred Scriptures both in the Old and New Testament confirming of it and therefore I shall lay down some proofs or demonstrations of the eternal Godhead of Christ which I shall draw out of the blessed Scripture This is a point of high concernment that Christ is God so high as whosoever buildeth not upon this buildeth upon the Sands This is the rock of our Salvation The word was God Concerning John 1. 1. this important point consider First That the Godhead of Christ is clearly asserted and manifested both in the Old and New Testament Take a taste of some of those many Scriptures which might be cited Isa 43. 10. 11 12. That ye may know Compare these Scriptures of the Old Testament with these in the New Heb. 1. 2 3. 1 John 1. 7. Aâ—s 4. 12. Eph. 4. 8. Râ—m 9. 30. Jer. 33. 23. Psal 6. 68 18 19 20. and believe and understand that I am he I even I am Jehovah and besides me there is no Saviour And Isa 41. 21. 22 23 24 25. There is no God else besides me A just God and Saviour there is none besides me Look unto me and be ye saved all the ends of the earth for I am God and there is none else To me every knee shall bow In Jehovah have I righteousness In Jehovah shall the seed of Israel be justified Compare this with Rom. 14. 10 11. And the Socinians may as safely conclude that there is no other God but Jesus Christ as they may conclude that there is no God but God the Father from the seventeenth of John But they and we ought to conclude from these Scriptures that Jesus Christ is not a different God from the Father but is one and the same God with him so he is called The mighty God The everlasting Father Isa 9. 6. Take a few clear places out of the New Testament as that in Rom. 9. 5. Of whom as concerning the flesh Christ came who is over all God blessed for ever more Christ is here himself called God blessed for ever So Tit. 2. 13. Looking for that hope and the glorious appearance of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ Who is it that shall appear at the last day in the clouds but Christ who is called the great God and our Saviour God blessed for ever saith Paul to the Romans The great God saith Paul to Titus 1 John 5. 20. And we know that the Son of God is come and hath given us an understanding that we may know him that is true and we are in him that is true even in his Son Jesus Christ This is the true God and eternal life Phil. 2. 6. He was in the form of God and thought it no robbery to be equal with God And Coloss 2. 9. In him dwelleth the fulness of the Godhead bodily John 20. 28. My Lord and my God 1 Tim. 3. 16. God manifested in the flesh To which of Heb. 1. 1. the Saints or Angels did God say at any time thou art my Son The Heir of all things the illustrious brightness of my Glory and lively character of my person Thy Throne oh God is for ever and ever and all the Angels of God shall worship thee Certainly he who is Gods own proper natural consubstantial coessential only begotten Son he is God where ever this Sonship is there 's the Deity or the Divine Essence Now Christ is thus Gods son therefore he is God What the Father is as to his nature that the Son must also be now the first person the Father of Christ is God whereupon he too who is the Son must be God also A Son always participates of his Fathers essence there is betwixt them evermore an Identity and oneness of nature if therefore Christ be Gods Son as is most evident throughout the Scripture he is then he must needs have that very nature and essence which God the Father hath insomuch that if the second person be not really a God the first person is but equivocally a Father These Scriptures out of the Old and New Testament are so evident and pregnant to prove the Godhead of Christ that they need no illustration yea they speak so fully for the Divinity of Christ that all the Arians and Socinians in the world do but in vain go about to elude them But Secondly Let us ponder seriously upon these Scriptures John 3. 13. And no man hath ascended up to Heaven but he that came down from Heaven even the Son of man which is in Heaven v. 31. He that cometh from above is above all he that cometh from Heaven is above all John 8. 23. Ye are from beneath I am from above John 16. 28. I came forth from the Father and am come into the world and again I leave the world and go to the Father Now from these blessed Scriptures we may
82. 16. are nor by office and Title only as Magistrates are called Gods nor catachrestically and Ironically as the Heathen Gods are called nor a diminutive God inferiour to the Father as Arrius held but God by nature every way co-essential co-eternal and co-equal with the Father and the Holy Ghost Hold fast all truth but above all hold fast this glorious truth that Jesus Christ is God blessed for ever The Eourth name or Title which denotes the Essence of God is El Gibbor The strong and mighty God God is not only strong in his own Essence but he is also strong in the defence of his people and it is he that giveth all 2 Chron. 16. 9. strength and power to all other creatures There are no men no powers that are a match for the strong God Now this Title is also attributed to Christ Isa 9. 6. El Gibbor the strong God the mighty God The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifying God doth also signify strong he is so strong that he is almighty he is one to whom nothing is impossible Christ's name is God for he is the same Essence with God the Father this Title the mighty God fitteth well to Christ who hath all the names of the Deity given to him in Scripture and who by the strength and power of his God-head did satisfie the justice of God and pacifie the wrath of God and make peace and purchase pardon and eternal life for all his Elect. The Fifth name or Title which denotes the Essence of God is El Shaddai God omnipotent or all-sufficient he wanteth nothing but is infinitely blessed with the infinite Gen. 17. 1. perfection of his glorious being by this name God makes himself known to be self-sufficient all-sufficient absolutely perfect certainly that man can want nothing who hath an all-sufficient God for his God he that loseth his all for God shall find all in an all-sufficient God Mat. 19. â—9 Esau had much but Jacob had all because he had the Gen. 33. 9. 11. God of all Habet omnia qui habet habentem omnia what are Riches Honours Pleasures Profits Lands Friends Augustin This name Shaddai belongeth only to the God-head and to no creature no not to the humanity of Christ yea millions of worlds to one Shaddai God Almighty God All-sufficient This glorious name Shaddai was a noble bottom for Abraham to act his faith upon though in things above nature or against it c. He that is El Shaddai is perfectly able to defend his Servants from all evil and to bless them with all spiritual and temporal blessings and to perform all his promises which concern both this life and that which is to come Now this name this Title Shaddai is attributed to Christ as you may clearly see by comparing Gen. 35. 6 9 10 11. and Gen. 32. 24 25 26 27 28 29 30. with Hosea 12. 3 4 5. That Angel that appeared to Jacob See my Treatise on Closet-Prayer opening that Gen. 3â— and that 12. Hâ—s pag. 48 49 50 51. where you haâ—e four Arguments to prove that Jesus Christ is the Angel the man that is there spoken of c. was Christ the Angel of the Covenant Mark you shall never find either God the Father or the Holy Ghost called an Angel in Scripture nor was this a created Angel for then Jacob would never have made supplication to him but he was an uncreated Angel even the Lord of Hosts the almighty God who spake with Jacob in Bethel He that in this divine story is said to be a man was the Son of God in humane shape as is most evident by the whole narration The Angel in the Text is the same Angel that conducted the Israelites in the Wilderness and fought their battels for them Exod. 3. 2. Act. 7. 30. 1. Cor. 10. 4 5 9. even Jesus Christ who is stiled once and again the Almighty Rev. 1. 8. cap. 4. 8. In this last Scripture is acknowledged Christ's Holiness Power and God-head Ah Christians when will you once learn to set one Almighty Christ against all the mighty ones of the world that you may bear up bravely and stoutly against their rage and wrath and go on chearfully and resolutely in the way of your duty The sixth name or Title is Adonai my Lord. Though this name Adonai be given sometimes analogically to creatures yet properly it belongs to God above this name is often used in the old Testament and in Mal. 1. 6. it is used in the plural number to note the mystery of the holy Trinity If I be Adonim Lords where is my fear some derive the word Adonai from a word in the Hebrew that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies judicare to judg because God is the Judg of the world others derive it from a word which signifies Basis a foundation intimating that God is the upholder of all things as the foundation of a house is the support of the whole building Now this name is given to Christ Dan. 9. 17. Cause thy face to shine upon thy sanctuary that is desolate for Adonai the Lord Christ sake Daniel pleads here no merits of their own but the merits and mediation of the Messias whom God hath made both Lord and Christ So Aâ—â—s 2. 36. Luk. 1. 4â— cap. 2. 11 12. Heb. 1. 13. Psal 110. 1. The Lord said unto my Lord sit thou at my right hand untill I make thine Enemies thy footstool Christ applies these words to himself as you may see in that Mat. 22. 24. Jehovah said that is God the Father said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 La-adoni unto my Lord that is to Christ sit thou at my right hand sit thou with me in my Throne it notes the Math. 28. 13. John 3. 35. advancement of Christ as he was both God and man in one person to the supremest place of power and authority of honour and heavenly glory God's right hand notes a place of equal power and authority with God even that Epâ—â— 1. 21. Heb. 1. 3. Luk. 22. 69. he should be advanced far above all principallity and power and might and dominion Christs reign over the whole world is sometimes called The right hand of the Majesty and sometimes the right hand of the power of God until I make thine enemies thy foot-stool This implies 1. That Jesus Christ hath ever had and will have enemies even to the end of the world 2. Victory a perfect Conquest over them Conquerours used to make their enemies their foot-stool Those proud enemies of Christ who now set up their Crests face the heavens and strut it out against him even those shall be brought under his feet 3. It implies ignominy the lowest subjection Sapores King of Persia overcoming the Emperour Valerian in battel used his back for a stirrup when he got upon his horse and so Tamberlane served Bajazet 4. The foot-stool is a piece of State and both raiseth and easeth him that
comfortably conclude that his â—aith is a true justâ—fying saving faith the faith of Gods Eâ—acâ— and such a faith as clearly evidences a gracious Estate and will certainly bring the Soul to Heaven Now in Answer to this important Question we may suppose the poor Believer is ready to experess himself thus First Upon search and sad experience I find my self a poor lost miserable and undone Creature as the Scriptures every where do evidence Ephe. 2. 1 2 5 12. Colos 2. 13. Rom. 8. 7 Luk. 19. 10. Secondly I am convinced that it is not in my self to deliver my self out of this lost miserable and forlorne Estate could I make as many Prayers as might be piled up between Heaven and Earth and weep as much blood as there is water in the Sea yet all this could not procure the pardon of one sin nor one smile from God c. Thirdly I am convinced that it is not in Angels or men to deliver me out of my lost miserable and undone condition I know provoked Justice must be satisfied Divine wrath pacified my sins pardoned my heart renewed my state changed c. or my soul can never be saved and I know it is not in Angels or Men to do any of these things for me Fourthly I find that I stand in absolute need of a Saviour to save me from wrath to come 1 Thes 1. 10. to save me from the curse of the Law Gal. 3. 10. 13. and to save me from infernal slames Isa 33. 14. so that I may well cry out with those in Act. 2. 37. Men and Brethren what shall we do And with the Jaylour Act. 16. 36. Sirs what shall I do to be saved Fifthly I see and know through grace that there is an utter impossibility of obtaining salvation by any thing or by any person but by Christ alone according to that of the Apostle Act. 4. 12. Neither is there Salvation in any other for there is no other name that is no oother person under Heaven given among men by which we must be saved I know there is no Saviour that can deliver me from eternal death and bring me to eternal life and glory but that Jesus of whom it is said that he shall save his People from their sins Luk. 1. 21. and therefore I must conclude that there is an utter impossibility of obtaining Salvation by any other person or things c. But Sixthly I see and know through grace that Jesus Christ is an All-sufficient Saviour that he is a mighty yea an Almighty Saviour a Saviour that is able to save to the utmost all them that come to him as the Scripture speaks Psal 89. 19. I have laid help upon one that is mighty Isa 63. 1. I that speak in Righteousness mighty to save Heb. 7. 25. Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them I know that the Lord Jesus is mighty to save me from that Wrath and from that Curse and from that Hell and from that Damnation that is due to me by reason of my sins And that he is mighty to justifie me and mighty to pardon me and mighty to reconcile me to God the Father and mighty to bring me to glory as the Scripture do's every where testifie But Seventhly I know through grace that Jesus Christ is the only person anointed appointed fitted and furnished by the Father for that great and blessed work or office of saving Sinners souls as these Scriptures amongst others do clearly testifie Isa 61. 1 2 3 4. Luk. 4. 17. 18 19 20 21. Math. 1. 20 21. John 6. 27. Certainly were Jesus Christ never so able and mighty to save yet if he were not anointed appointed fitted and furnished by the Father for that great office of saving poor loâ—t Sinners I know no reason why I should expect Salvation by him But Eighthly I know through grace that the Lord Jesus Christ hath sufficiently satisfied as Mediatour the justice of God and pacified his wrath and fulfilled all Righteousness and procured the favour of God and the pardon of sin c. for all them that close with him that accept of him as he is offered in the Gospel of grace Gal 3. 19 20. 1 Tim. 2. 5. Heb. 8. 6. Heb. 9. 14 15. chap. 12. 24. Heb. 10. 12 14. Math. 3. 15. Rom. 8. 1 2 3 4. 33 34. chap. 5. 8 9 10. Act. 13. 39. Ninethly I find that Jesus Christ is freely offered in the Gospel to poor lost undone Sinners such as I am I find that the Ministers of the Gospel are commanded by Christ to proclaim in his Name a general pardon and to make a general offer of him to all to whom they Preach the everlasting Gospel without excluding any Mark 16. 15. And he said unto them Go ye into all the World and preach the Gospel unto every Creature and what is it to preach the Gospel unto every Creature but to say unto them as the Angels did to the Shepherds Luk. 2. 10 11. I bring you good tidings of great joy which shall be to all people for unto you is born this day in the City of David a Saviour which is Christ the Lord c. Tenthly I know through grace that all sorts of Sinners are invited to come to Christ to receive Christ to accept of Christ and to close with Christ Isa 55. 1 2. Math. 11. 28 29. Joh. 7. 37. Rev. 3. 20. and chap. 22. 17. c. But Eleventhly Through grace I do in my understanding really assent to that blessed record and report that God the Father in the blessed Scriptures has given concerning Christ 1 Joh. 5. 10 11 12. The report that God the Father has made concerning the Person of Christ and concerning the Offices of Christ and concerning the work of Redemption by Christ I do really and cordially assent unto as most true and certain upon the Authority of Gods Testimony who is truth it self and cannot lye Now though this assent alone is not enough to make a saving reception of Christ yet it is in saving faith and that without which it is impossible there should be any saving faith But 12thly I can say through grace that in my judgjudgment I do approve of the Lord Jesus Christ not only as a good but as the greatest good as a universal good as a matchless good as an incomparable good as an infinit good as an eternal good and as the most sutable good in Heaven and Earth to my poor soul as these Scriptures do evidence Psal 73. 25 26. Cant. 5. 10. 45. Psal 1 2. Phil. 3. 7 8 9 10. 1 Tim. 1. 15. I know there is every thing in Christ that may suit the state case necessities and wants of my poor soul there is mercy in him to pardon me and power in him to save me and wisdom in him to counsel me and grace in him to enrich me and
he created the world Austin told him he was making Hell for such busie Questionists for such cuious inquirers into Gods secrets such handsome jerks are the best answers to men Deut. 29. 29. of curious minds But Thirdly I answer I concerns us but little to know whether Hell be in the Air or in the concave of the 3. Let us not be inquisitive where Hell is but rather let our care be to escape it saith Chrysostem earth or of what longitude latitude or profundity it is Let Hell be where it hath pleased God in his secret counsel to place it to men unknown whether in the North or in the South under the frozen Zone or under the burning Zone or in a pit or a gulf Our great care should be to avoid it to escape i and not to be curiously inquisitive about that place which the Lord in his infinite wisdom hath not thought fit clearly to reveil or make known to the sons of men In Hell there 's nothing heard but yells and cryes In Hell the Fire never slacks nor Worm never dies A Pentelâ—gia dolor inserm But where is this Hell plac'd my Muse stop there Lord shew me what it is but never where To worm and fire to torments there Prudentius the Poet. No term he gave they cannot wear Look as there are many that please themselves with discourses of the degrees of Glory whilest others make sure their interest in Glory So many please themselves with discourses of the degrees of the torments of Hell As in Heaven one is more glorious than another so in Hell one shall be more miserable than another Augustin whilest others make sure their escaping those torments and look as many take pleasure to be discoursing about the place where Hell is so some take pleasure to make sure their escaping of that place and certainly they are the best and wisest of men who spend most thoughts and time and pains how to keep out of it than to exercise themselves with disputes about it But Fourthly I answer That it has been the common opinion of the Fathers that Hell is in the bowels of the Infernum est locus subterraneus Teriu lib. 3. de Anim. earth yea Christ and the blessed Scriptures which are the highest authority do strongly seem to favour this opinion by speaking of a Descent unto Hell in opposition unto Heaven and therefore we may as well doubt whether Heaven be above us as doubt of Hell being beneath us Among other Scriptures ponder upon these Psal 140. 10. Let them be cast into the deep pits that they rise not up again Bring them down into the pit of destruction Prov. 9. 18. Her Guests are in the depths of Hell Prov. 15. 24. The way of life is above to the wise that he may depart from Hell beneath Sheol is sometimes taken for a pit sometimes for the Grave and sometimes and that significantly too for Hell all downwards One saith that Sheol generally signifies all Mercerus upon Gen. 37. places under the earth whence some conclude that Hell is in the heart of the earth or under the earth without doubt it is below because it is every where opposed to Heaven wich is above it is therefore called Abyssus a deep pit a vast gulf such a pit as by reason of the depth thereof may be said to have no bottom The Devils entreated Christ that he would not send them to this place Luke 8. 31. in Abyssum which is saith one Immensae profunditatis vorago quasi absque fundo Beza upon Mat. A Gulf of unmeasurable depth c. The Apostle 2 Pet. 2. 4. speaking of the Angels that sinned saith God cast them down into Hell So Beza in his Annotations telleth us the Greeks called that place which was ordained for the prison and torment of the damned And reason it self doth teach us that it must needs be opposite and contrary to that place in which the spirits of just men Heb. 12. 23. made perfect do reside which on all hands is granted to be above and Hell therefore must needs be below in the center of the earth say some which is from the Superficies three thousand five hundred miles as some judge Hesiod saith Hell is as far under the earth as Heaven is above it Some have been of opinion that the pit spoken of ino which Corah Dathan and Abiram went Num. 16. 3â— down alive when the earth clave asunder and swallowed them up was the pit of Hell into which both their souls and bodies were immediately conveyed As we know little in respect of the height of Heaven so we know as little in respect of the lowness of Hell Some of the upper part of the earth is to us yet terra incognita an unknown land but all of the lowest part of Hell is to us an unknown land Many thousands have travelled thither but none have returned thence to make reports or write Books of their travels That piece of Geography is very imperfect Heaven and Hell are the greatest opposites or remotest extremes Thou Capernaum which art exalted unto Heaven shalt be Matth. 11. 23. brought down to Hell Heaven and Hell are at furthest natural distance and are therefoe the everlasting receptacles of those who are at the furthest moral distance Believers and Unbelievers Saints and Impenitents And 't is observable that as the heighthe of Heaven so the depth of Hell is ascribed to wisdom to shew the unsearchableness of it O the depth as well as O the Rom. 11. 33. heighth of the wisdom of God! how unsearchable are his judgments and his wayes past finding out Certainly Gods depths and Sathans depths and Hells depths lie far out 1 Cor. 2. 10. Rev. 2. 24. of our view and are hard to be found out though I ought religiously to reverence the wonderful wisdom of God and to wonder at his unsearchable judgments yet I ought not curiously and prophanely to search beyond the compass of that which God hath reveiled to us in his word The Romans had a certain Lake the depth whereof they knew not this Lake they dedicated to Victory doubtless Hell is such a Lake the depth whereof no man knows 't is such a bottomless pit that no mortal can sound But Fifthly and Lastly I answer Some of the Learned are 5. 2 Pet. 3. 10. 11. 12. 13. of opinion that Hell is without this visible world which will pass away at the last day and removed at the greatest distance from the sedes Beaâ—orum the place where the righteous shall for ever inhabit Matth. 8. 12. In tenebras ex tenebris intelicitâ—r exâ—â—usi infâ—l â—ius exclu â—endi Augusâ—m But the children of the Kingdom shall be cast out into outer darkness Matth. 22. 13. Then said the King to his servants bind him hand and foot and take him away and cast him into outer darkness Matth. 25. 30. And cast
yeâ— the unprofitable servant into outer darkness Into a darkness beyond a darkness into a Dungeon beyond and beneath the prison The darkness of Hell is compared 2. Pet. 2. 4. Juâ—le verâ—â— 6. Acts 12. 10. This priâ—on was without the gate near mount â—alâ—â—ry and it was the loathsoâ—est and vilest prison of all for iâ— it the Thieves who were carried to Calvary to be executed were kep't and Christ alludeth to this prison in that Matth. 8. 12. and that Matth. 22. 13. and that Matth. 25. 30. Cast him into utter darkness Which allusion could not be understood unless there had been a dark prison without the City where was utter darkness to the darkness of those prisons which were often times out of the City By outer darkness the Holy-Ghost Would signifie to us that the wicked should be in a state most remote from all heavenly happiness and blessedness and that they should be expulsed out of the blessed presence of God who is mentium Lumâ—n It is usual among the Greeks by a comparative to set forth the superlative degree by outer darkness we are to understand the greatest darkness that is as in a place most remote from all light They shall be cast into outer darkness that is they shall be cast into the corporal and palpable darkness of the infernal prison Immediately after death Sinners Souls shall be cast into the infernal prison and in the day of judgment both their souls and their bodies shall be cast into outer darkness Darkness is no other thing than a privation of light Now Light is twofold viz. 1. Spiritual as Wisdom Grace Truth now the privation of this light is internal darkness and ignorance in the spirit and inward man 2. There is a sensible and corporal light whose privation is outer darkness and this is the darkness spoken of in the three Scriptures last cited For although there be fire in hell yet it is a dark and smoaky fire and not clear except only so as the damned may see one another for the greater encrease of their misery as some write Now I shall leave the ingenious Reader to conclude as he pleases concerning the place where Hell is desiring and hoping that he will make it the greatest business of his life to escape Hell and to get to Heaven c. Thirdly and Lastly If Jesus Christ did feel and suffer the very torments of Hell though not after a hellish manner then let me infer that certainly the Papists are greatly out they are greatly mistaken and do greatly err who boldly and confidently assert that Christs Soul in substance went really and locally into Hell Bellar. de Christ Animâ— lib. 4. cap. 10. 11 12 13 14 15 16. Teâ— 1. Vide Calvin in Instituâ— lib. 2. cap. 16. Sect. 9. Bellarmine takes a great deal of pains to make good this assertion but this great Champion of the Romish Church may easily be confuted First because that limbus patrum and Christs fetching the fathers from the skirts of Hell about which he makes so great a noise is a meer fable and not bottomed upon any solid grounds of Scripture Secondly because upon Christs dying and satisfying for our sins his soul went that very day into Paradise as Adam sinning was that very day cast out of Luke 23. 43. Gen. 3. 23 24. John 18. 30. Heb. 9. 12. 1 Thâ—s 1. 10. Eph. 4. 8. Heb. 2. 14. 15. Coloss 2. 14. 15. 'T is a plain allusion to the Roman Triumphs where the Victor ascended to the Capitol in a Chariot of State the prisoners following on foot with their hands bound behind them c. Paradise and his soul could not be in two places at once Thirdly because this descent of Christs Soul into Hell was altogether needless and to no end what need was there of it or to what end did he descend not to suffer in Hell for that was finished on the Cross not to redeem or rescue the Fathers out of Hell for the elect were never there and Redemption from Hell was wrought by Christs death as the Scriptures do clearly evidence not to triumph there over the Devils c. For Christ triumphed over them when he was on the Cross Christ in the day of his solemn inauguration into his Heavenly Kingdom triumphed over Sin Death Devils and Hell when Christ was on the Cross he made the Devils a publick spectacle of scorn and derision as Tamerlane did Bajazet the great Turk whom he shut up in an Iron Cage made like a Grate in such sort as thaâ— Turk Hist 220. â—e might on every side be seen and so carried him up and down all Asia to be scorned and derided by his own people By these few hints you may see the vanity and folly of the Papists who tell you that Christs soul in substance went really and locally into Hell I might make other inferences but let these suffice at this time Fourthly As Jesus Christ did feel and suffer the very torments of Hell though not after a hellish manner so Jesus Christ was really certainly made a curse for us Jesus Christ did in his soul and body bear that curse of the Law which by reason of transgression was due to us Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the Law Gala. 3. 13. being made a curse for us for it is written cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree He saith not Christ was cursed but a curse which is more it shews that the curse of all did lie upon him The death on the tree was accursed above all kinds of deaths as the Serpent was Gen. 3. 14. accursed above all the beasts of the field This Scripture Not that all that are hanged should be damned for the contrary appears in that Luke 23. 43. Neither is hanging in it self or by the law of nature or by civil law more execrable than any other death refers to Deut. 21. 33. His body shall not remain all night upon the tree but thou shalt in any wise hury him that day for he that is hanged is accursed of God The holy and wise God appointed this kind of punishment as being the most cruel and reproachful for a type of the punishment which his Son must suffer to deliver us from the curse Hanging on a tree was accounted the most shameful the most dishonourable the most odious and infamous and accursed of all kinds of death both by the Israelites and other nations because the very manner of the death did intimate that such men as were thus executed were such execrable base vile and accursed wretches that they did defile the earth with treading on it and would pollute the earth if they should die upon it and therefore were hang'd up in the air as persons not fit to converse amongst men or touch the surface of the ground any more But what should be the reason why the ceremonial Law affixed the curse to this death rather than any
sits on the the Throne so Christ will both raise himself and ease himself by that vengeance that he will take on his enemies c. Now from thâ—se divine Names and Titles which are given to Jesus Christ we may thus argue He to whom the incommunicable Titles of the most high God are attributed he is the most high God but the incommunicable Titles of the most high God are attributed unto Christ ergo he is the most high God But Fourthly Christ's eternal Deity Coequality and Consubstantiality with the father may be demonstrated from his divine Properties and Attributes I shall shew you for the opening of this that the glorious Attributes of God are ascribed to the Lord Jesus I shall begin First with the Eternity of God God is an eternal God 1. Eternity is taken three ways 1 Proâ—â—â—â— preâ—â—rly so it nâ—teth to be withâ—ut beginning and end so God only is eternal 2. Improprie impâ—â—perly so it noteth to have a beginning but no ending so Angels so the souls of meâ— are eternal 3. Aâ—usive so some things are said to be eternal which have had a beginning shall also have an end they are called eternal in respect of their long continuance and duration so ciâ—â—â—â—â—iâ—on and other Mosaical ceremonies were called eternal or everlasting From everlasting to everlasting thou art God Psal 90. 2. The eternal God is thy refuge Deut. 33. 27. He inhabits eternity Isa 57. 15. He is called the Ancient of days Dan. 7. 9. And he is said to be everlasting and to be King of old Psal 74 12. this sheweth he had no beginning In respect of his eternity after time he is called the everlasting God Rom. 16. 26. An everlasting King 1 Tim. 1. 17. That there is no succession or priority or posteriority in God but that he is from everlasting to everlasting the same we may see Psal 102. 26 27. The heavens shall perish but thou shalt endure yea all of them shall wax old like a garment and as a vesture shalt thou change them and they shall be changed but thou art the same and thy years shall have no end There is no succession or variation in God but he is eternally the same Eternity is an interminable being and duration before any time and boyond all time it is a fixed duration without beginning or ending The Eternity of God is beyond all possible conception of measure or time God ever was ever is and ever shall be Though the manifestations of himself unto the Creatures are in time yet his Essence or being never did nor shall be bound up by time look backward or forward God from eternity to eternity is a most self-sufficient infinite perfect blessed being the first cause of our being and without any cause of his own being an eternal infinite fulness and possession to himself and of himself what Gid is he was from Eternity and what God is he will be so to eternity O this glorious attribute drops myrth and mercy oyl and honey Now this attribute of eternity is ascribed to Jesus Christ John 1. 1. In the beginning was the word was notes some former duration therefore we conclude that he was before the beginning before any creation or creatures for it is said he was God in the beginning and his divine nature whereby he works is eternal Heb. 9. 14. He is the first and last Rev. 1. 17. hence it is that he is called the first-born of every creature because he who created all and upholds all hath power to command and dispose of all as the first born had power to command the family or kingdom Colos 1. 15 16 17. compare Isa 44. 6. with Rev. 22. 13. Joh. 17. 5. Father glorifie thou me with thine own self with the glory I had with thee before the world was Such glory had the Lord Christ with his father viz. in the heavens and that before the world was this he had not only in regard of Destinátion being predestinated to it by God his father as Grotius would evade it but in regard of actual possession The Lord possessed me in the beginning of his way saith Christ the son of God Prov. 8. 22. And as his father possessed him so he John 8. â—8 John 17. 24. Rev. 1. 8. 17. Heb. 1. 10. 11. 12. cap. 7. 3. Isa 9. 6. c. Christ is without beginning of days or end of time and without all bounds of precession or succession was possessed of the self-same glory with his Father before the world was from Eternity His goings forth have been from of old from everlasting from the days of Eternity saith the Prophet Micah speaking of the Messiah Mic. 5. 2. See the Eternity of Christ farther confirmed by the Scriptures in the margent But Secondly As the Attribute of Eternity is ascribed to Christ so the Attribute of Omniscience is ascribed to 2. Chrysostom Christ and this speaks out the Godhead of Christ he knows all things John 21. 17. Lord thou knowest all things 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 all things present and future what I now am and what I shall be saith one on the words John 2. 25. He needed not that any should testifie of man for he knew what was in man Shall Artificers know the nature and properties of their works and shall not Christ know the hearts of men which are the work of his own hands Rev. 2. 23. And all the churches shall know that I am he which searcheth the reins and hearts Now of all a man's inwards the heart and the reins are the most inward Christ is nearer to us than we are to our selves the Greek word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is here rendred searcheth signifies to search with the greatest seriousness exactness and diligence that can be the word is metaphorically taken from such as use to search in Mines Mat. 9. 24. and cap. 12. 25. Luk. 5. 22. cap. 6. 18. Luk. 11. 17. and cap. 24. 38. c. for Silver and Gold He is also frequently said to know the thoughts of men and that before they bewrayed themselves by any outward expressions Now this is confessedly God 's peculiar God which knoweth the hearts 15. 8. He is the wisdom of the father 1 Cor. 1. 24. He knows the father and doth according to his will reveal the secrets of his father's bosom the bosom is the seat of love and secrecy John 1. 18. men admit those into their bosoms with whom they impart all their secrets the breast is the place of Counsels that is Christ revealeth the secret and mysterious Counsels and the tender compassionate affections of the father to the world Being in the bosom implyeth communication of secrets the bosom is a place for them it is a speech of Tully to a friend that had betrusted him with a secret crede mihi c. believe me saith he what thou hast committed to me it is in my bosom still I am not ungirt to